Latest / C Tolle Run / 464: Cailie Hughes - Enjoy the Milestones
Transcript
- Carrie Tollefson: Hey everybody, I'm Olympian Carrie Tollopson and welcome to the See Tolly Run Podcast. I am so excited today. We have Minnesota Distance Elites Kaylee Hughes joining us. She has had a busy year. She's raced everything from the 5,000 meters on the track to winning the City of Lakes half marathon here in Minnesota as she preps for her debut marathon at the New York City Marathon. The former Iowa State All-American and current Puma athlete is joining us to talk about building confidence. training with some of the best marathonners in the world and how she's feeling before she takes on. 26.2 miles. So let's get after it. Carrie: Kaylee, hi, how you doing? Cailie Hughes: Hi Carrie, I'm great. How are you? Carrie: I'm so excited. Like I am doing all kinds of prep and I actually am prepping for not only the New York City Marathon, which, you know, I can go down these deep dives and t like get into all of your stories so much. But I also have the SEC Crest Country Championships first that week. So I'll be Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: going to Mizzou and then back. And then I get to do the Dash to the Finish Line 5K the day before your race in in New York. So I have got so many stats in my mind right now, but it is so fun. Like Hearing all of your journeys and watching the years go by before you get ready to run a big race is just such a an honor. So, welcome to see Tally Run. Cailie Hughes: Thank you so much for having me. Carrie: Yeah, I'm pumped to have you. It's been a really fun year, Kaylee. Like, you know, the last two years or so. How many years have you been at Minnesota Distancy Lead again? Has it been three already? Yeah. Cailie Hughes: I've been there two. I'm headed into my third. We were talking about that at practice this morning, so we decided Carrie: Gosh. Cailie Hughes: t some of us have been there two years and two months now. So this is year three. Yeah. Carrie: That's wild. Yeah. But a lot has happened since you've been here. I mean, we all watch you at Iowa State. You were great. Like you were always one that I had on my notes, like on my, you know, favorites on my notes. But the last couple years and especially this last year, things have really come together. Cailie Hughes: Yeah, definitely. coming into the team my first year I was coming off of a pretty an injury that really held back my training. So I think that first year it took a little bit for me to get my legs under me and just feel strong and confident again. But this past year I feel like I've been able to reach new heights in training and just yeah, get in a really good groove here. Carrie: What's been the highlight of the last year for you? Like is is there a race that stands out? Is there a long run or a long workout that you've been able to hang on to Annie or to Dakota or whoever at practice? What is Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: it? Cailie Hughes: Ooh, Okay, kind of this is kind of an unexpected one because it's not a huge race, but when I was training training with Annie and Dakota and Raleigh, we did like a three, two, two, one mile workout, and we Carrie: Okay. Cailie Hughes: just got in the first three mile, I was kind of just hanging on. I was like not sure how it was gonna fare for the rest of the workout. But as it went on, I just got stronger and stronger and we all got faster and faster. And then a week later I raced the 15k and ran like a few minutes faster than I had the year before, and that's when I kind of was like, Okay, this is This is going really well now, so yes, for sure. Yeah. Carrie: I'm at a different level. that's so cool. I know. I was like looking at your stats again and and just to see how you've ri you've been racing quite a bit of different distances. Like it's not just Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: that you're, you know, hitting the half marathon now because you were thinking about the marathon. Like you're still running fives and tens on the track, and then you're, you know, doing six K's on the road or whatever it is. Like, is there some kind of method to your madness, or do you just love to race? Cailie Hughes: I I do love to race. I always say I think some people go to the roads and they never want to go back to the track, but that hasn't been my experience. And I think I say I have unfinished business on the track. there are still times that I think I can run that I haven't run on the track yet. and I love it still. So I like to do a little bit of both because I think I think there's great opportunities and I have a good future on the roads and in the marathon. but I also, yeah, have unfinished business on the track and and love to race the faster. speedier stuff too. So basically I sit down with London and we're like, all right, let's make a calendar what sounds good, what fits Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: and we just kinda throw it all together. So Carrie: Love that though, because I do think Chris is all about like, you know, helping an athlete find the joy in this sport. I mean, he loved Cailie Hughes: Definitely. Carrie: to go the long haul, right? I mean, that was how Chris ran Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: when I was running with him. He was my teammate at Minnesota Distance Elite, which was Team USA Minnesota back then. But you know, he Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: really the longer he could go, the better. And but yet Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: he still would drop down here or there and do something Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: fast. but I want to talk a little bit about that because this spring you had a big PR in the 5K. Was it 1517 that you ended up running? Yeah, Cailie Hughes: Yes, yeah. Carrie: at sound. And then you know, you ran US nationals, you were fourth in the 10K. Like you you have really had some big moments. But when did this like marathon, you know, Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: come into mind? Has it been there for a while? Or was it like this is the year to try it because of the 2028 trials coming up pretty soon? Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: What's what was the plan behind that? Cailie Hughes: definitely a little bit of both. I think, when I was in college, I remember my college coach telling me towards the end of my career, like, I think eventually you're gonna be a marathoner. So it's Carrie: Really? Cailie Hughes: always kind of been there in the back of my mind. But like I said, I felt like I had unfinished business and some of the shorter stuff, so was really focused on that. And then I was out for altitude training camp in Utah. I'm not sure how much Dakota had to do with this, because I had been in Raleigh with them and then in Utah with them. And she had been writing in her logs how I was hanging in well on marathon-paced workouts and stuff, and told Lundo it was time. So when Lundo did come out to Altitude Camp in Utah after one of the long runs, he just looked at me and he goes, So, like what marathon do you want to put on the schedule in the fall? And I was like, I hadn't thought about it yet. So that was Carrie: Interesting. Cailie Hughes: really fun. Yeah. I was like I do want to run the marathon and I'm excited about it. But to be honest, it did sneak up on me a little bit and after he said it I thought about it and this is really good timing with the trials and where my training is at and things. Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: so yeah, I got really excited about it after that. Carrie: That was only though that was before Boston that they were out in Utah training. So it wasn't it's it hasn't even been a year. my gosh. That's so cool. Cailie Hughes: Right. Yeah, it was March. No, it hasn't been a year. Carrie: It was fun because I was doing my research and like texting you guys, which I do every time, and I so appreciate you all responding. Cailie Hughes: I'm not Carrie: but before the six K you said to me, I wanna just full send. Like I just wanna go for Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: it, see how long I can hang on, which was totally the way I raced. Like no matter Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: what the distance, you know, I would be in pee in my pants half the time going through the first mile of a three K in h in college 'cause I'd PR in the mile, you know, going through to run my three K. Like Cailie Hughes: Yes. Right. Yeah. Carrie: that was how I raced. Like get out hard Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: and hang on. And For you to say that, it reminded me of that. Like you are Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: young in your career still, but you are surrounded with world-class athletes right here in Minnesota and around the world here or in the US that you're getting to race against. So why not full send? Why not see what you're made of? So where does that confidence come from? Because it does take confidence to say, I'm gonna go for it. I might blow up. Big deal if I do, I'll learn something about myself. Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Definitely. I think it's taken me a while to get to that point where I can say, okay, it's okay if I blow up. Because sometimes you want to say that before and then after you do, you're like, well, that's not what I was going for. That's not why I wanted Carrie: Yes. Cailie Hughes: to full send it. So I think I had to be able to accept that like that was a possibility, but it didn't make me any less of an athlete for trying it. Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: and just kind of yeah, go with that option. I've had full sins that like worked out really beautifully, and I've had others that it's like that's not what I was going for when I Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: started that. Process. so yeah, but I do think I get a lot of confidence from the people I train with, Carrie: Mm. Cailie Hughes: knowing that they are like some of the best athletes, and not only that, but they are so encouraging. Like, if I am not building myself up, they will be building me and my other teammates up, and I think that's made a big difference. Like, sometimes they put dreams and goals in my head, and I have pretty big dreams and goals for myself, but sometimes they'll throw out ones and I'm like, like I wasn't even thinking about that. But once they say it, I kind of latch Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: on, I'm like, yeah. Yeah, maybe I maybe I could do that. So it's pretty fun to have teammates who yeah, encourage each other, celebrate each other's successes and also just push each other really hard in workouts Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: and in practice too. Yeah. Carrie: Totally. I love that. You have goal big goals and dreams. Do you have any right now that you want to share? Cause you know, you Cailie Hughes: Ooh, hm. Carrie: are with Dakota. And Dakota likes to just tell it how it is. Like she will tell everybody. And I love that about Cailie Hughes: Yes. Carrie: her. Because you know what? We only have this one life to live. And I get it. Some people keep it close. And that's fine if Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: that's how you are. But I sort of love that she's like, you know what? I, you know, was I grew up in a different way. I didn't Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: always have the first place next to my name, but she kept grinding. She continues to keep grinding and things happen for her. So I don't know. Are you willing to share or Yeah. Cailie Hughes: She did. Mm-hmm. Yes. It's super inspiring. I haven't actually shared this one with anybody yet because sometimes it's a little it's so big. Sometimes your goals are so big that you're like, I don't want people to feel silly for saying Carrie: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Cailie Hughes: them. But I was running with her one day and she was like, so top 10 at New York, just like Annie on her debut. And I was like, You know what? I think that's a good reach goal for me. So that's not like the end all be all, but Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: I have written on my mirror like I'm a top ten finisher at the New York City Marathon. Carrie: I have so many chills right now, I can't even take it. I love that as you should. I mean, I really think that that's something, and like you said, it is it's an A goal, it's a top goal, like great, and full send it, right? If if it happens, great. Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Carrie: If it doesn't, you've learned something about yourself. Cailie Hughes: For sure. Yeah. Carrie: tell me a little bit about your build because you said a couple weeks ago, I think it was maybe even a month ago, that you're you had some big weeks. Your highest week was 85 then. Is that about as high as you've gotten in this build? Cailie Hughes: Actually, I got to 100 this build. so yeah, it's funny because I have my first week of taper and it was 85 with a 17-mile long run. And up until August, all the way through track Carrie: my gosh. Cailie Hughes: season, that's the highest mileage I had done until this marathon build. Then I hit my first 90-mile week, my first 22-mile long run, and then Carrie: Mm. Cailie Hughes: came down a little bit for the 10K champs here in Minneapolis, and then went back up to a 100-mile week with a 25-mile long run. Carrie: my gosh. Cailie Hughes: yeah, that was fun. It was like a day by day process. Like Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: just yeah. And in some ways I felt stronger than I expected to at that high of mileage, which was super encouraging and a lot of fun to do. Carrie: That is cool because a lot of times I can remember Katie McGregor, who obviously was a part of our team Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: too. w you know, when she started her first marathon build, I remember her coming in and she is tough as nails. And she Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: said one day she just kind of broke down. She's like, I'm so tired, you know, like is Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: it was there a moment ever during this build where you were like, my goodness, what did I get myself into? Cailie Hughes: Sometimes it kind of even more in just like the original build up to mileage. I was like, I just feel a little less patient, a little more irritable, a little more tired. But once again, I was telling Dakota that she's Welcome to Marathon Training. Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: You're just gonna feel like that for a while, like day to day. Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: so and the twenty five mile long run, those last three miles got pretty hard. I don't know. I kind of s it was an easy to moderate and Annie was gone because Drew was being inducted into his Athletic Hall of Fame, which was awesome. But that left me in the guys. Carrie: yeah. Shout out Drew. Yay, Drew. Cailie Hughes: Yeah, go to And I was like, I don't wanna do this thing alone. So I'm gonna hang with the guys as long as I can and then when they need to go, they're gonna go and I'm gonna Do the rest. So Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: kind of got down to like some six O's in the middle. And then I eventually was like, I need to let you go now so I can actually finish this 25-mile long run. And then the last I think once you're by yourself, it you're kind of it gets a little harder sometimes. So the last Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: three miles. I'm like, I am really working and I I'm like, this is probably what the marathon's gonna feel like. So I should probably just get used to it and work on being really positive and tough in moments like this. but yeah, there were some times I'm like, how do marathoners just do this all the time? Like it's no big deal. Carrie: Right. Well, actually that is brilliant because in your in New York City, you might find yourself alone. You know, you might be Cailie Hughes: Mm. Yes. Carrie: running the perfect pace, but nobody is around you at that time. So Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: like you gotta go back to those moments where you did have moments alone and you gutted your way through it. Yeah. We Cailie Hughes: Mm, definitely, yeah. Carrie: have quite a few people going from the team. We have what, three guys? Cailie Hughes: We do Uh-huh. Carrie: Is it three guys and then a couple of gals? Yeah. Cailie Hughes: And then two girl yeah. yeah, we have Mobati, Murga, Gamita, Joel, Raikal, Annie Frisbee and myself going out there and Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: then yeah. Carrie: What is that like when you have I mean I I was just looking like on Athletics Club has I think like five people, two going. Like that is so nice Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: to have your crew there. It's not just you and coach and your husband who you guys are I think Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: are still newlyweds. When how long ago was it that you got married? It already been two years. I think of you just as a newlywed, which you could be a newly ed for the rest n rest of your life. But anyway, but you know, Cailie Hughes: So two it's also two years about, yeah. So Okay. Carrie: having you know, your crew there and then also just having the guys to go for a shake out or, you know, having Cailie Hughes: Yes. Carrie: Annie there who's been so successful in New York. Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: That is pretty special. Cailie Hughes: Yeah, it's extremely special. It's one of my favorite parts of the sport. I I say like I'm in this to be competitive and get better, but I also love the social part of this sport Carrie: I do too. Cailie Hughes: and I feel most comfortable when I'm surrounded by teammates and yeah, people who I've gotten to know really well and done the build with and things like that. So Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: it's been fun for us. I've been asking them so many questions. Like Joel, give me a rundown of like this is where this hill is on the long run, and Merg and I are just like listening and taking it all in, but yeah. Carrie: Yeah. Yeah. Well Joel had such a phenomenal year last year. First American, fifth overall, like no, second American. Second American, right? No, first. gosh. See? All these stats in my head. I had to just talk it out. Yeah, first American. Yeah, Charles Hicks, I think, was second American. but Cailie Hughes: First. Yeah. It's okay. It's a lot. I'm impressed. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Carrie: I mean, he's so quiet yet he he ran that race so well. I'm sure he's been in your ear if you've if you kinda pick at him long enough. Cailie Hughes: Yes. Yes, it's true. If you can kinda right, you get get him warmed up, he can tell Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: you he can tell you a lot. Yeah. And he it was interesting because he was telling me, he was like, I was in I don't remember what he said, fifteenth place. He was with a big pack of people with two miles to go. So he's like, you might be in a position where you're not where you want to finish with two miles to go, but you might make the choice to like make sure you can finish it like strong or yeah. He was did a good job of picking his packs and working through them to come out with that finish, I felt like. So it's been cool to hear. his advice on because the women's race I think was pretty strung out right away last year. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. But yes at the same time I feel like in New York you might find yourself. Mm-hmm. Carrie: Yeah, it's like three of them. Yeah, out. Mm-hmm. But yet at the same time I feel like in New York you might find yourself up there for quite a while. You know, like it's usually Queensboro Bridge is where things kind of open Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: up and it gets loud and everyone starts to like, you know, start to get antsy a little bit, but you still have a long ways to go. Cailie Hughes: Hmm. Yes. Right. I've been watching some of the past New Yorks. my last one was 2021 and I was like, I got to see Annie Plenty. She led most of the way through yeah, pretty much through Queensborough. but it's been fun, yeah. Carrie: Yeah. Yeah. It's in Queensborough, it's they come off around sixteen miles. Yeah, Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Carrie: I know. Cailie Hughes: Into that I forget what they call it. It's really loud. Thunder Alley, yeah. Carrie: Thunder Alley. Yes. It's where I got in trouble one time for saying that Molly Seidel needs to behave here. Cailie Hughes: I heard you say that on the broadcast just recently. You got in trouble. no. No. Yeah. Yes. Carrie: And what I meant was really, really complimentary. I did. They made sweatshirts of it or something. Like, you need to behave. And I didn't mean it like that, but I meant like this is where she was high-fiving and she was getting really excited. I'm like, this is where everybody gets excited. And it either works for you or it doesn't. Like I they Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Right. Carrie: they cut my quote off. And I was I was very embarrassed and very scared. I texted her, her mom, Cailie Hughes: No Carrie: all of it. But that is a moment that I do think that people Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: get a little carried away. So, you know, just just be ready for lots of moves and Cailie Hughes: Hm, yeah. Carrie: things to happen around that time. tell Cailie Hughes: Definitely. Carrie: me a little bit more about your build. Was it pretty much smooth sailing through it? you know, we're recording this. It's it's about, I don't know, week and a half out. did Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Carrie: you have any moments where I was just researching Almgren and he was saying that, you know, when he realizes now that his hamstrings tight, he immediately takes a couple days off. Like he's old Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: enough in his career where he kinda knows how to do that. Did you have any moments where you're like, I'm gonna take the weekend easy or I had to work through this? Cailie Hughes: Yeah. there it wasn't completely hiccup free. I didn't take any time Carrie: Okay. Cailie Hughes: off of running. but I've had some planner fasciitis and both my feet just kind of throughout that I've just been like managing. I've definitely had worse planners, so it's not the not Carrie: For you. Okay. Cailie Hughes: the worst it's ever been. but one day it was somehow it had like It's like some tension was balled up in my heel and I had super sharp pain in the back of my heel. Carrie: Uh-huh. Cailie Hughes: So that workout, I just didn't know how to feel about it because I had run, but I was getting a little distracted by the pain and like it wasn't as you know, it wasn't a bad workout, but it wasn't as good as I like maybe thought it could be. So I've had some moments like that where I'm like, that was solid. I didn't get a ton of confidence boost from that, but I got the work in. just kind of working through with that planner. And then other workouts I've been like, okay, that actually There was one the other day and I was like, I just did we had a two by six mile. And in college, I would try to towards the end of my career, like my fifth year, maybe even sixth, like sixth year, I would try to tempo like six miles around 540 pace. Carrie: Mm. Cailie Hughes: And we did like 530 pace twice, like in the two by six. So, like sometimes you have to appreciate those moments too, where you're like, I am thinner than I was then. But yeah. So Carrie: Yes. It's so fun. So you've been pretty healthy though. Cailie Hughes: Yes, yeah. I I have like a little bit of an ongoing back thing in that like I was nervous about that going into like big mileage jumps. and there was only two days where it was tight in the morning waking up, so I have to kinda like start my easy runs a little slower and let it warm up. but that was that's been it so far, so Carrie: Yeah, it's so interesting what people deal with, you know, like Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: Dakota was just on the podcast and she said she's had some nerve pain that people just don't know about. And, Cailie Hughes: Mm, mm-hmm. Yeah. Carrie: you know, I think that it's really interesting for for you all to share that it's not always smooth sailing. There's there's some Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: bumps, but you all are dealing with it. That's sort of why, you know, working outside of training is is you know, a little challenging because you don't have the time Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Yeah. Carrie: necessarily to get all the treatment or just to be able Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: to stretch a little extra and things like that. Cailie Hughes: Right, definitely. Yeah. So I am not. And so Carrie: Are you working besides training? Okay. Cailie Hughes: I do spend a lot of time, like stretching, I probably spend just as much time doing physical therapy three or four days a week as I do running, just for like my low back and stuff. but actually it was my college coach. I was a I'm naturally a busybody. and I was in college doing a lot of things and she was like, You could be so much better at this if you would just like take a step back, take a nap, like do a few less things. Carrie: Mm. Cailie Hughes: so when the opportunity to to run with Puma and Minnesota Distance Elite came up, I was like, there might not be many Times in my life where I have the opportunity to really do less. but now is that time. So I've been focused on, yeah, trying to optimize just recovery, physical therapy, things like that throughout my day. I do I coach one athlete online. I would love to coach more. I'm just kind of getting that started. and I usually find that I can keep myself pretty busy regardless, just with things around the house. And like Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: I have sourdough, I read a lot of books, or all I like being available too. So when people are like, Can you get coffee? I can just be yeah, I can get coffee. That's been a really nice side effect. But really, I have a pretty regimented schedule, but it's built around like training and recovery and putting that first instead of like in college, it was like, I have my especially in grad schools, like I have my assistantships, I have my classes, every day looks different, every minute's full, and I just try to get eight hours of sleep a night and like fit my runs in basically. Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: Whereas now it's reversed. I'm like building my day around running and recovery. Yeah. Carrie: Good for you. Yeah. And it's just a moment in time where you can sort of do that too, you know? Sooner or later you get a little old like I do, and you know, there's other things that have to come first be before the run, but don't do that until you have to. tell me Cailie Hughes: Yeah, definitely. Carrie: a little bit about why you chose New York. I mean, it w I I know that you said Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: when Chris was out there, when Coach Lundstrom was out in Utah and he saw how well you were doing, you guys were like, Let's get something on the schedule. But Cailie Hughes: Mm. Carrie: We just saw Chicago. There's other races too that people see I am as a US championship this year. How come you chose New York? Cailie Hughes: Yeah, I think the spirit of New York fits well with the type of race that I enjoy. cause when we first started we thought, okay, CIM, Houston, but I really loved cross country I still really love cross country. Carrie: Yeah, and you're so good at it. Cailie Hughes: And yeah, I think New like I've heard people call New York more like a cross country race where there's ebb and flow, there's hills. And I think for my first marathon, I didn't want to worry about time as much as I wanted to just worry about competing against the field and really learning from that. so yeah, it was kind of funny because we didn't really have New York on the table at first, just with like knowing track season would run so late and I would need a tiny break. But Londo just kept bringing it back up. Or there's New York. Or there's New York. Carrie: Well, 'cause he loves it here. He loves it in New York. Cailie Hughes: I'm like, Yes. Yeah. And I the more I like thought about it and learned about it, I'm like, yeah, I think New York is perfect for me. I'm really excited about it. Carrie: What has he told you about that course? Because he he ran really well in New York. Wasn't he like third there one year with the US championships? Yeah. Cailie Hughes: Yeah. He was yes, yeah. Yeah, we I mean, he's just kind of thrown in bits and pieces here and there. We've definitely done a lot of hill training in this build. one of our workouts last week was like mile repeats, but one mile was like up the hill, one mile is like back down the hill. Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: but yeah, he's kind of just at moments in our training, like told us what we're preparing for on the course. and we've talked about like this will be a really good experience, like going into the trials to learn about making decisions in a marathon. Like, do I Carrie: Mm. Cailie Hughes: go with this pack? Do I stay with this pack, like do I fly solo? Just different things like that. so yeah, I probably need to ask him more about his experiences in New York personally as well. but I know I know I know Carrie: Yeah. He's got some good ones. I'll let him tell you. He definitely does. Cailie Hughes: Yeah. so I've been watching the course a lot and we've talked about like Queensborough's quiet, but then like that first I think it's first Carrie: Then it's yeah. Cailie Hughes: av is like loud. So we've talked about some of the contrast you get with the amazing energy and crowds in New York. which I'm excited for, but it's also good to be prepared for. Like this I think a lot of people have said, my teammates have really said like Queensborough feels hard because you can just hear your breathing and footsteps and like Yes, on that Queensborough Bridge. Yeah. Carrie: On the bridge. Yes. Yeah, it's Cailie Hughes: yeah. Carrie: it's really I feel like it's beautiful. I've never raced in New York. I've just talked about it. But I do think Cailie Hughes: Okay. Did you do the five K? Carrie: I'm trying to think if well, we raced different races because they had changed everything. So yeah, Cailie Hughes: Okay, that makes sense. Carrie: I had run a 5k, I had to run, you know, like they had something out on Staten Island. I think it was an 8K, like I run ran a lot of New York Roadrunner events. I did the Cailie Hughes: cool. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Carrie: Fifth Avenue mile. quite a bit. those kind of things. But yeah, we Cailie Hughes: yes Yes. Gotcha. Carrie: I never ran the marathon, which eventually one day maybe, but we'll see. I think if if you have a good day, what do you think that Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. That'd be awesome. Carrie: is for you in New York? Cailie Hughes: Yeah, I think I asked Lindo, like, how do I know what my marathon pace is? And he said, In New York, we don't worry about marathon pace, we just like race the field. so I think thinking about that as I mentally prepare, it'll be like some of those decisions that I make, but also just staying perpetually positive. I think, I've heard people say, like, when you run a shorter race, you feel like what you've run a race, and when you've run a marathon, you feel like you've had an experience. Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: so I feel like I've been really working on Like it's gonna get hard at some point and when it does, how do you like get yourself through Carrie: Do you react? Cailie Hughes: those moments and keep yeah, keep yourself positive and tough and just Carrie: Mm. Cailie Hughes: still enjoy e enjoying the the milestones. So I think if I'm able to Yeah, feel like I raced the people around me well, made good decisions, and then like stayed tough and positive when it gets hard. I think I'll feel successful. Even though that's not really an outcome, but I think I just don't know what to expect out of myself yet, in a marathon. Carrie: Yeah. It was neat. I was researching Benson Cabruto who won Cailie Hughes: Uh-huh. Carrie: here. You know, he's won all the American majors. Boston, Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: N New York, and Chicago. And last year he was in this big pack and then all of a sudden at the very end it was down to the I mean, it was like point three between him Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: and w starts with an I'm I'm forgetting the second guy's name right now, Makesha, I think. But anyway maybe it was Mateiko, all these names, right? Anyway. but it was interesting Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: to see Benson say, Cailie Hughes: Uh-huh. Carrie: I can win this, I can do this. Like he was Cailie Hughes: Mm. Carrie: telling us in a Post Race interview what he was telling himself. And the power of being Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: able to speak positively to yourself works for even the people that crack the tape. Like even the people that are trying for the top 10, even if you're trying to be top Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: 20, like it truly works to have that mentality like that. Cailie Hughes: Yeah. I've been one of my teammates says like every marathon build she reads Dina Castor's book and I was like I haven't reread really? I have it over here too, yeah. And I I haven't reread it in a while. So I was like, I'm Carrie: it's right on my bed right there. I have it. Yeah. my gosh, Tina, I love you. Cailie Hughes: gonna reread it in this build. And it's fun because she debuts in New York. Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: And she's doing a lot of marathon prep, and she's also really working on like I usually consider myself a pretty positive person. So sometimes you just take that for granted. You're like, I'm positive, you know, I'm tough, you know. But when you really and you kind of go on autopilot, but when you really work on something, you start to notice like some of the subtleties. And I feel like her book really encourages that. Even has a little workbook in the back where it's like, write Carrie: It's so good. Cailie Hughes: down a negative thought, replace it with a positive thought, like write belief statements. and just her story is super inspiring too. So it's kind of been what I Been reflecting on as I prepare to be be positive and tough in a marathon. Carrie: Well, we are so excited for you. Real quick, if you could just tell us a little bit about how you got into the sport, what your family's thinking, how's Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: your husband dealing with this marathon build? just give us a quick little background Cailie Hughes: This is a pick one. Carrie: on you and like something that you love to do besides run. Cailie Hughes: Mm. Yeah, so my parents met on their college track team and my since I was young, my dad has been coaching track and field in cross country. So I used to go to practice and love to run with the high school girls and I just wanted to be like the high school girls and had a lot of fun. Really because I thought they were cool. I thought running was cool. That's kind of how it went. but then yeah, started really like having my own goals around eighth grade. I actually got like I did seventh grade and had some success, got slower between seventh grade and eighth grade, and that's when I was Like, I'm training in the off season because that's Carrie: Ha ha ha. Cailie Hughes: how I'm gonna get better at this. and really just like enjoyed it and loved it, and love that it's something I got to do with my family. So, my dad was my high school coach. so I mean, yeah, it allowed Carrie: So cool. Cailie Hughes: us to spend a lot of time together as a family, and it's how I made some of my closest friends. So I just became like it's crazy I've been doing it half my life now, but it's just become something I I love that's just a part of my lifestyle. I met my husband running, we met in middle school, and he he would come on he would show up to morning weights to come on runs with me. He later told me he was like, I wasn't running the days in between. Like we were supposed to run every day of the week to get our weekly mileage. He was like, I was just coming on the days to run with you. but Carrie: That's so cute. Cailie Hughes: He's been, yeah, super supportive during this marathon. He you know, he was a runner in high school, and my parents too, so they like to celebrate the milestones with me. They'll text me after and be like, Did you make it through the twenty five miler? Like, how was it? and my dad'll tease me, he's like, You're about to break my half marathon time. We joke that we have like a family record board. My brother still holds the 10K record, so I'd really like to take that away from him. Carrie: What is that? Cailie Hughes: But Ooh, it's 31. No, no, it's 30 something. I I would be world class if I took it away from him, but I think I still Carrie: Let's go. You are world class. Cailie Hughes: want to, so yeah. yes. so yeah, it's a really fun thing. I just have one brother. Yeah, he Carrie: That's amazing. You just have one brother? Okay. Cailie Hughes: just graduated from South Dakota State. Yep. Carrie: Okay. cool. Cailie Hughes: One younger brother. so yeah, it it's really fun for us. My my husband in this marathon build has become a really proficient bottle boy. So he'll hop on his bike for Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: the long runs. Everybody piles their bottles in his backpack and he bikes around and makes sure everybody tries to make sure everybody's got their bottles and things like that. So yeah. Carrie: Great. What do you guys do outside the sport? Like what when you can want to be Cailie Hughes: Yeah. Carrie: as far away from running, is there something that you do? Are you like Cailie Hughes: Mm. Carrie: into water sports? Do you like to do anything that's safe but yet fun? Cailie Hughes: Hmm. We like to do stuff with our family. So like when Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: I'm on my break from running, we go back to Kansas and we don't live on the same schedule we do while we're here and we like to we do like to do outdoors stuff. I like we my husband grew up hunting and I like go f I don't hunt, but I've gone fishing and stuff before. Or just last summer our families took a vacation together. Both of our 'cause Carrie: Okay. Cailie Hughes: we grew up in the same town so our parents know each other to Colorado. and I climb we climbed a fourteen foot a fourteen footer there in Colorado Carrie: Yeah. Cailie Hughes: and that was really fun. It was I don't actually usually do a lot of stuff outside of sport that's like I'll go for walks or something, but I don't even like my husband plays pickleball and I'm like, I'm gonna sit this one up. Yeah, exactly. Like I don't want to hurt myself. Dakota's Carrie: Yo you can watch. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Cailie Hughes: told me stories of when she thought she was gonna be a professional pickleballer and then got like a minor injury or something. she does, yeah. Carrie: Yes. She likes to do all kinds of different things. Golf, pickleball. Now she's doing high rocks. I'm with you. Cailie Hughes: Golf, yeah, yeah. So my husband loves to golf and pickleball and I like to watch bring a book sometimes. But Carrie: Nice. That's just fine. Yeah. well, speaking of ha getting to know you a little bit more, we're gonna do some Rundot rapid fire questions, if you don't mind. And these are quick. You've done them before at our live events, but this one Okay, Cailie Hughes: Okay. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Okay. Yes, I know how they go. Carrie: here we go. Track spikes or road racing shoes? Cailie Hughes: Ooh, the fast R threes road racing shoes. Or fours. Ooh. Hills. Hills. Yeah, I don't get Carrie: okay, I figured. Hills or headwind? Would you rather run in the hills or into a headwind? Me too. I don't like headwinds. split shorts or half tight? Cailie Hughes: Mm split shorts. Carrie: Okay, pizza or pasta. Cailie Hughes: Mm pasta. Carrie: Cheetahs are dolphins. Cailie Hughes: What are doll like the gummies? Hmm Cheetos? I'm not sure on that one. Cheetos or doll I thought you said Cheetos, so I was like, what are dolphins Carrie: Like the fish I could kind of see you being a dolphin though. You just Yeah cheetos! No no no Cailie Hughes: then? Okay, no no. I think I d I hmm. Yeah, I'll stick with dolphins actually. I do like Carrie: Okay, okay. I could s I think of you more like a dolphin, to be honest. You're pretty and you're, you know, grace graceful. I'm probably more like a cheetah, like, just get it done what's fast. Okay. horror film or rom-com? Cailie Hughes: No rom com. Carrie: Chatty long runs or quiet long runs? Yeah, me too. Sweet or salty? Cailie Hughes: Chatty. Chatty long runs. Sweet. Carrie: Ooh, winter or summer. Cailie Hughes: Summer. Carrie: Cook at home or go out? Cailie Hughes: Ooh, I think c cook at home. Depends on Carrie: Yeah, that's nice. Cailie Hughes: how I'm feeling though. That's definitely a mood based thing, 'cause sometimes it's really nice to go out. Carrie: Yeah. I know, exactly. Okay. Do you like start lines or finish lines better? Cailie Hughes: Ooh. I have a lot of memories on start lines actually. Carrie: that's good. Like you're not too nervous. Cailie Hughes: I am, but I think yeah, there's a moment of like where I can appreciate. Yeah. Getting to be there, I guess. Yeah. Carrie: Yeah. I I love that. Okay. OTQ Olympic Trials Qualifier Cailie Hughes: Mm-hmm. Carrie: or just finish your first marathon. Cailie Hughes: Mm O T Q. Carrie: You wanna get that OTQ? Okay. Well, we will be cheering as loud as we can while I'm on air. I'm not supposed to cheer, so it might be in between, but go get We're gonna be cheering as loud, like I said, as we can from Minnesota and all over the country. I know lots of people are gonna be watching you and Just so much support is coming your way. I hope you have a really fun day out there. Cailie Hughes: Thank you so much, Carrie. I'm really excited. Okay. Thanks. Carrie: Keep getting after it, okay? All right, Kayleigh, thank you. Carrie Tollefson: Thanks so much for joining us today on CTALIRN and to my guest, Kaylee Hughes. We'll be cheering for you as loud as we can. Well, I can't cheer so much on the broadcast, but you know I'll be cheering for you as you enter Central Park and you become a marathoner. And thank you to everyone listening at CTALIRUN. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Share this conversation with a friend and send Kaylee some encouraging thoughts and words at her social. All you have to do is find her at Kaylee underscore low. That's Kayla. C-A-L-I-E underscore L-O-G-U-E. And you can also find us at Carrie Telefson and at C Tallyron. You can also check out our episodes at ctallyron.com and we are all over social Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube. Hey, listen, I want to give a big shout out to Rundot. They've been so good to me the last half a year, almost a year. my goodness, it's coming up on a year. And also I want to just give a big shout out to Sarah Burney and to Andrew Hart Hurley. They both have produced this show, but they also produce the Tri Dot and the Rundot podcast. So thanks so much, Rundot, for all that you do for CTALIRN. Thank you all for joining us today. And don't forget to get after it.