Latest / C Tolle Run / 455 - Sydney Vaught: This is Everything We Worked For

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455 - Sydney Vaught: This is Everything We Worked For · C Tolle Run

• C Tolle Run: Hey every one, this episode is supported by Tailwind Nutrition, and I can't thank them enough. I was first introduced to Tailwind last year, and since then I've loved it. And I also love that other people and other athletes that I know use it as well. You know I love a good sweat, and it's summertime right now, and I am honestly sweating buckets right now. It is, it has been hot, it's humid, and even though it's getting towards the end of summer, what I like about Tailwind is that I know that I am being taken care of. Tailwind has been great for me. It is something that's easy on my stomach, it gives me steady energy. Don't make fueling complicated. Tailwind combines calories, hydration, and electrolytes all in one drink. So I just fill up my bottle and I just get after it. It's easy. So whether you run, cycle, ski in the winter, maybe you roller ski in the summer, whatever you do, Tailwind is for you. So I just want to say thanks again to Tailwind Nutrition for supporting. See Tolly Run. If you all want to head over to TailwindNutrition.com and use the code TOLLY20, that's T-O-L-L-E. Zero, you'll get twenty percent off your order. That's Tolly20 for 20% off at tailwindnutrition.com. Today we get to know one of the newest names on the professional running scene and your 2026 USATF 10,000 meter champion, Sydney Vott. A lot of us first got to know her as Sydney Thorvaldson during the days that she ran for Arkansas, where she was an all-American, an SEC champion, and one of the top distance runners in the NCAAs. But a lot has changed for Sydney over the last year. She got married, she turned pro this spring, she signed with Nike, and has continued working with her college coach And I would say the transition is going pretty darn well, considering she already has won her first US title. Sydney grew up in Wyoming and now lives in Missouri with her husband. Who just happens to be a real life cowboy and competes in rodeos? How cool is that? So we are definitely gonna get into that. we're gonna know. All about Sydney. She's gonna tell us about her results. We're gonna talk about her first season as a pro, what it felt like to win her first national championship, and also get fourth in the 5,000 meters. We talk about her transition from college to pro, training with Coach Burns, married life with two professional athletes, and what's next. So let's get after it. Carrie: Sydney, thanks for coming on C Tally Run. Sydney: Thanks for having me. Carrie: I am so excited. Like, you know, I've been able to call a couple different races that you've been in, but I've never really gotten to chat with you. And obviously you're newer to the professional world. So it's really fun for me to introduce you to my audience, but also just for me to be able to get to know you more. So when I call all these races in the future, I know you. So thanks for taking the time. Where are you right now? Sydney: Currently I'm in our little farmhouse in Cassville, Missouri. Carrie: Okay. Sydney: yeah, so we just got back this earlier this week we were in Wyoming visiting my family. Carrie: Uh-huh. Sydney: after USA's, we kind of I took my break, which was like finally since like last cross country season when I was still in college, like took Carrie: Right. Sydney: two weeks off, which was awesome. So it's awesome to be in Wyoming with my family and hanging out, but yeah, we just got back. Carrie: Yeah, well that's let's get into that first before we get into your awesomeness, like winning your first US championship. but I wanna know a little bit about you. So we know like a lot of people know that you went to Arkansas, but you just mentioned it. You know, you grew up in Wyoming, but now you're in Missouri for a little bit, but I Sydney: Yes, correct. Carrie: don't you know, so let's just start way back when first. Tell us all about Sydney: Mm-hmm. Carrie: you. How did you get into the sport? How'd you grow up? All that stuff. I know, we're going way, way back. Sydney: wow, way back. Yeah, I think like most people, I started running when I was really young. but honestly didn't take it that serious. My mom ran she played volleyball in college, but then kind of around the time that she was starting to have kids she was running for fun and she was doing I think she was training for probably like a half marathon or s or something. And I was probably eight or so and she would let me join in on like the last like she would do a lap around the block or something and I just really enjoyed it. I enjoyed racing like the kids at recess and stuff like that and then ultimately I just loved racing. Like I would do community races and I just had so much fun with it and there was never a sense of pressure or anything like that. and then I think probably probably more middle school when you could start doing track and it was like you could actually do running for a sport it was maybe a little bit more serious but still very just just for fun and I Carrie: Mm-hmm. Sydney: just did it because I loved it. And then I also did I did like all the sports. I did soccer and then I did volleyball, I did basketball, and I did basketball until like my s halfway through high school probably. Carrie: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Sydney: and would have continued doing volleyball as well if it didn't kind of coincide with I guess it would be outdoor track. So just loved doing all the sports and then I think got to high school and r realized that, you know, I I guess I kind of thought that I was good in like I could win like the state title for Wyoming, which like Wyoming isn't the most competitive in cross country by any means, Carrie: Mm-hmm. Sydney: but I I thought that would just be the coolest thing to win one state title. And my freshman year I won a state title. And it was just crazy. I it was kind of fluke that I ended up going to Nike regionals. Like a friend had kind of invited me and said she was going and I got into the elite race and I didn't think anything of it, qualified for nationals and I think that kind of kick started everything was just like I was like, I okay, maybe I am like a pretty good, I guess. Carrie: Yeah, yeah. Sydney: but I think at the same time I just kept it super fun and relaxed and just enjoyed it and did it Carrie: Mm-hmm. Sydney: because I loved it all through high school and was super excited for all the places that it took me, obviously. Getting recruited for Arkansas and and then continuing my career there was just spectacular. I feel like I'm still just like that little girl that's learning exactly Carrie: Mm. Sydney: like the the steps and like how how to run and like all of that. So it's been quite the journey. Carrie: Yeah, I mean it's fun to hear you talk about how much fun you had in it. I mean, you were you ended up placing pretty high up at at n Nike Nationals when you were in high school. Where what were you, second Sydney: Yeah. Carrie: or third? Sydney: Yeah, I think my best year, I think I was third, which Carrie: Third. Sydney: again, like, I think going into it, it's like I kind of always go back to this and I I s say this to a lot of people, but I truly just like I think it's so important not to compare yourself to other people, but like truly in that sense, like I I never once thought about like what these other girls were doing or kind of the backgrounds they had. Like in my head we were all just high schoolers and we're all just gonna race to the best of our ability and I I never thought of just like, well they've done this workout and I like I could never do that. I just like had never thought of that. And so like even going into those races where like I think in a way I was under prepared compared to a lot of my competition. But I just didn't know and didn't care to know and I think that was the beauty of it for me was Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: just like I I didn't I didn't keep track of my mileage in high school. I had no idea. I remember Coach Harder trying to recruit me and he was like, How much mileage? Like what's your weekly mileage? And I was like I I don't know. I honestly don't know. Yeah, Carrie: He probably love that actually. Sydney: I d I didn't know how to lap my watch until I got to college and they're like, Well you just hit this button and it laps it I'm like, Carrie: Ha ha That's great. Sydney: So I think like a lot of it yeah, it was just having fun. Carrie: Yeah. Did you stop your watch at stoplights? Did you have stoplights? I didn't have a stoplight in my hometown. So I never knew how to do that. Sydney: We had one or two. We had one or two. I th I did figure out how to stop stop and start the watch, but there was a lot of Carrie: Okay. Sydney: times like in my small town we had these routes that I d I didn't need a watch for most of my high Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: school career. I didn't know how to use it. I didn't understand it. I was like, Why why do you need a watch if you're just gonna be like this is the route. Carrie: Run the square, run the section around the farm. Sydney: Exactly. And we would do like especially in high school would be like, Okay, we're gonna run to we had like a super eight and it was part of our route and be like, Okay, run to the super eight and run back and then like the next time we do the run, maybe two weeks later, you go a little bit further Carrie: Uh-huh. Sydney: and so it was just like that sort of thing. Like there was no pressure, you didn't know how far, how fast you were going, you just knew, well, I did further than last time. So Carrie: Yeah, it's interesting that you talk about that. Actually, I was prepping for a live podcast that I have coming up in a couple of weeks. And one of the women on the show is like has a real hard time with some of the platforms that we have that we are able to log our miles on and share to the world. And, you know, they basically are saying they're gonna just not do that anymore because they're racing themselves. And then there's some athletes too, some pro athletes that are now throwing the watch off and saying, I can't do it anymore. Like I can't go. for an easy day and know that I, you know, run 630 pace normally on an easy day, but I'm trying to run 625s or whatever. Like it is interesting how some of us grew up in areas where we didn't really have watches or we didn't care about watches or we did just run around this farm or we did this gun colour or whatever it is. And sometimes Sydney: Mm-hmm. Carrie: I wonder if we should go back to that. Sydney: Yeah, I I think I would completely agree with that. I mean, there's been many times, especially now that I kind of know this area around Missouri where like it helps that I'm like in like these farm roads where like a mile each road. So I know exactly Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: how far I'm going. I and I've said like I I sometimes don't start the watch at all and I just go. I know how far I'm Carrie: Mm, good for you. Sydney: running and and I like those have been my best runs because I all I know is that I feel good. it's going Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: well. I have no idea like the pace or anything like that because it is so easy to get caught up in that and then again with like all of like the Strava and posting everything, like Carrie: Yep. Sydney: comparing exactly what you did to someone else and it's just I think it's probably a dangerous rabbit hole to start going down. Carrie: It can be. I mean, there are good things, there are perks, right? Of having all that information. Sydney: For sure. Carrie: But yes, I think that everyone has their own way of doing it and, you know, teach their Sydney: Mm-hmm. Carrie: own. But I see how sometimes it gets really hard, especially in the era that you all are in right now, being able to almost race yourself into the ground at times. Sydney: Right, right. And like even going down like like you said, it's not all bad. Like I think in Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: high school I loved having people that would post like their workouts or their runs because I had no concept of what Carrie: Sure. Sydney: was good and bad and so at the same time like I do think it can be a wonderful resource as well. Carrie: Yeah. I wanna still dig into this your career, you know, going to Arkansas and stuff like that, but I do wanna talk a little bit about being here in in Missouri where you are now. You are married, so you are a n well, a year. I I'd still think a newlywed. It's has it been a year? Sydney: I know, almost. We are like two weeks away, so it feels like just yesterday. Carrie: That's so fun. And your wedding pictures on your Instagram are just gorgeous. So cool. Now Sydney: Thanks, thanks. Carrie: so you are married to a real life cowboy, a rodeo guy, a a professional athlete. Sydney: Absolutely. I know, it's crazy. Both of us look at us. Carrie: I know. And did you know him? Like how tell us your love story a little bit. Sydney: I just I don't know if it's much of a love story, but let's see we met kind of well, we met online, first of all. Which is yeah. But y yes. I know. I'm always like Carrie: You did. Cool. Which is new and now you're old school and running, but maybe fast forward in in life. Sydney: mm but It was honestly kind of a really tough time for me just because Carrie: Okay. Sydney: at that time I was super hurt but still trying to run. It was during Carrie: Hmm. Sydney: like this cross season where we just needed a fifth. And so whether I was first Carrie: Yeah. I know. Sydney: over the line or the last one, like they just needed a body and so i yeah. That's what we'll say. It Carrie: They needed you. That's the thing. They needed you, which is a lot of pressure when you're hurt. Mm-hmm. Sydney: is. And especially like at the time I I would consider myself a leader for the team and so Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: I you know, it was really important to me to be there and try and do what I could, but at the same time I knew that like as soon as I hopefully cross the line at Nationals that it was gonna be a long road of recovery ahead. It's just a hu like micro tears and the Achilles and just a bunch of other complications from that. So anyways Carrie: Yep. And let me just iterate iter interject here that this is Sydney: Mm-hmm. Carrie: when you're still at Arkansas because those that were listening to my open, she just Sydney just turned pro this in the winter. So she was running for Arkansas up until what was it that you s when did you sign with Nike? Sydney: mid March. It was like the day after indoor nationals. Carrie: Yes. So she was with so she's talking about being at Arkansas this fall. Sydney: Yes, yeah. And so and this was I can't remember the exact season, but it was a little while ago and I was just super struggling and struggling with honestly running. just kind of we were in transition with coaches. I just I I felt like I couldn't really just run the way that I wanted to and just mentally just checked out and I remember just kind of being like, This this might be it for me. I just I'm not enjoying it anymore and I remember kind of just like, you know, saying like I I almost just needed like a miracle, just something else, just like kind of help me out and I I met my now husband and he kind of was like I think really helped me during that time because I needed something that wasn't running and I needed something that was like still very genuine but that had nothing to do with running and I didn't tell him that I ran for like the first few dates, like I didn't want that to be the basis of anything. and I think he just kind of like kind of helped me deal with all of that and kind of just reminded me that like there's more to it than just running. Like you're not just a runner and like you can still enjoy doing other things. And so we met and it was kind of just like an instant kind of attraction and we hung out. We're basically inseparable ever since and then he proposed last spring and we were gonna have our wedding this summer but just couldn't wait. So got married and and Carrie: So you guys were engaged for how long? Sydney: it was probably three months. Carrie: Love it. We were engaged for five months. So we didn't have much longer than you guys. Yeah. Sydney: So yeah. I loved it though because everyone was like, How are you gonna plan a wedding? But Carrie: Mm. Sydney: it was almost easier because I didn't have to worry about well in a year is that still gonna be what I want? Is it still gonna be available? It was perfect. I was like, No, this is great. Carrie: Yeah. I do too. I liked it too. Yeah. And you guys were outside. Were you on one of your farms? Like or were you at a venue? Sydney: No, we actually did like almost a destination wedding. We went to Texas and Carrie: you did. Sydney: yeah, found a venue and it was perfect for us. Like it was like you could have your wedding party stay there for basically the whole weekend. So our wedding weekend was just like a huge it was so much fun. It was perfect. Carrie: Whoa. Yeah. But you still had like in obviously in Texas, you know, you still had that like cowboy kind of type feel. Like it was very country and real rustic Western. There we go. I needed the words. So cool. So yeah, Sydney: Absolutely. Very rustic western. Mm-hmm. Yes. Carrie: so you're married to this great athlete himself. I've seen some of his posts and wow. I mean awesome. I love how he what is it called? When he's roping the Sydney: rope he's yes, he's very impressive to watch. Carrie: Did I just say the right word? Is it rope it? Sydney: Mm-hmm. Carrie: right! I know more than I think I do. I love it. I haven't been to a rodeo though in a long Sydney: You got it. Carrie: time. We used to go growing up, and actually I think my kids would love it. But we just haven't, you know, life has just been busy with other sports and stuff, but I do think it would be really Sydney: Yeah. Carrie: cool to go to. Sydney: Yeah, they're so much fun. It's hard because you know, his kind of peak season is also typically my peak season, so sometimes Carrie: Same. Yeah. Sydney: I feel like we're kind of both gone. But Carrie: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Sydney: no, he's awesome and he's hoping to kind of join a different pro circuit. Hopefully we're looking at moving so he'll join a different circuit and yeah. Carrie: Okay. I know I wanna hear all about that too. I guess we you just talked about it, so let's hear about what are you thinking of d doing? Sydney: Yeah. we're really not sure. We are having just like super open minded about everything, but obviously I really feel like I benefit from training at altitude and so that's kind of been the next big thing for me is just going getting back to an altitude place and seeing if there's any groups around that I might be interested in or I I know that I train well on my own as well, so if that's what works, I know that my husband He wants to continue doing pro rodeo too, but he also Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: really enjoys coaching. So, he's hoping to coach a rodeo team and I Carrie: Okay. Sydney: think he'd he'd be excellent at that. So, we're kinda just looking. Carrie: So like is there certain spots like could could you go to a boulder? Are there are there places for him to coach there? Could you go to Utah? I mean, I feel like Utah would have places I don't know of like where he could go that would also complement you. Sydney: For sure. I think we we looked at kind of Colorado area, Carrie: Mm-hmm. Sydney: or even just like southern Wyoming, like right on the border. Carrie: Okay. Sydney: could be could be a cool place, could be an option, or we haven't looked at Utah much, but I'm sure there's there's something. It's it's honestly just a lot of also finding land for his horses because Carrie: Sure. Sydney: with what he does, he has horses and Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: all of that, so that's kind of half the battle too. But I we're very open minded in Boulder area. Definitely not like Boulder itself, but definitely the outskirts. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Thank you. Carrie: Uh-huh. Right. Outskirts of it. Yeah. Well we'll put that into the atmosphere for the universe, whatever you say, for you too, because I think that's really cool. So right now, your coach from Arkansas is still coaching you. Sydney: Yes, yeah, Mark Burns is coaching me and he's wonderful. He's great. I think that was also a huge turning point in my career was when he came to Arkansas. like I said, it was like during a time when I was honestly thinking that that was kind of gonna be it for me in the sport and I Carrie: Okay. Sydney: do think a lot of runners reach a point like that in their career, but I was just so Carrie: Totally. Sydney: thankful to have been at that point and then been able to have someone that still believed in me. Cause I mean, when he met me, I was not running well at all. I don't think I was even running at the time. I think it was a lot of cross training. He saw my cross season and I was like, yeah, that was not good. And you know, he just like truly turned it around for me and went back to like like the things that I enjoy about it and was super open to kind of a really flexible schedule after I got married. being in Missouri and then still kind of competing for Arkansas, like making it down for practices and stuff, he was very flexible with all of that and super supportive. we work really well together. So, yeah, that's just been truly a blessing. Carrie: It is so nice when you have a coach that understands that life outside of the run is more important. I mean, obviously you and I both, like this was my profession, it is your profession. It is something that we live for, probably think of more than anything in life is when our runs Sydney: Absolutely. Carrie: and how we can be better and all that. But I really appreciate when a coach or your team around you understands that your marriage is more important, your family is more important. Like even sometimes another career isn't necessarily more important, but it is important. And You know, I I find that if you have that relationship with a coach that understands that, it gives you that joy back to really want to race hard and work out hard. Sydney: Yeah, absolutely. And that's like exactly what it was too, is just like I I think he even knew that I was kind of on that fine line of like, I don't think I wanna do this anymore. Like I just Carrie: Yep. Yeah. Sydney: I'm not enjoying it. And I think he kinda was like, But what if you keep trying and like what what if like something great happens and what if it doesn't? Like you're Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: still gonna be okay, but like is it a risk kind of worth taking to you and just absolutely wonderful and kind of was great about me getting married in September because again when we were planning the wedding I was like, well, not gonna have cross country to worry about. I'm I'm done. And and then come to find out that he's like, No. Yeah. And then he came to the wedding. So it was great. Carrie: And he was like, No. We're you're not done yet for Arkansas. We need a little bit more. that's and you know what? I've heard that college coaches kind of have to either be like, all in and go to all their co or all their athletes' weddings, or they say no to every single one of Sydney: Yeah, so he might have started started off bad there, but he came to mind. So Carrie: That is so funny. So let's talk a little bit about Arkansas. You are you've mentioned quite a bit of it, but you still had did you still have some eligibility when you turned pro? Sydney: No, I actually used it all. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Carrie: You are done. Okay. Okay. Sydney: Yeah. I had I guess it would just been a cross season and an indoor season for like a fifth year. That's all I had. I used all my outdoor. Mm-hmm. Carrie: Okay. You did, okay. So it was pretty easy for you to decide to to go pro and to have Mike stay as your coach? Sydney: Absolutely, yeah. It was it was pretty it made made sense after all Carrie: Mm-hmm. Sydney: of that. It was just like, yeah, this is the perfect situation. It was kind of funky. I think not a lot of people go pro after that weird like in March. So I think it was just kinda weird Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: because it was like one day I was in college and then one day it was like you're a pro now. Like there was no transition whatsoever. Carrie: Yeah. Yeah. Sydney: But but I think it was good, just throw me to the wolves. Carrie: And you've done a little bit now as a pro. You've run a little on the roads now and then you've been on the on the track. So what do you like? What's what's your favorite? Or don't or do you like it all? Sydney: probably I don't know. I really like them both. I thought that I would love just absolutely love the roads more and I do. Carrie: Mm-hmm. Sydney: I love the roads so much and I think I've found a bunch of great success there so far, especially as I Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: kind of l learn how it works and you know I love kind of having challenges that aren't just like a flat circle. I like the hills and the turns and just like the conditions. I think I really like that. But I actually found some success in track too, which I I think was Carrie: Gosh. Sydney: k kind of unexpected. track has kind of been one of those things where either I'm on or I'm not on. And Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: I I felt like this year I was just in a great spot, especially going into USAs and thought, why not? I'm I feel good and I I haven't raced a ten K on the track since it had been over a year at that point and so had some fun with it. Carrie: I mean I would say. So you get on the track and you're running in New York City at USATF. You had some confidence coming into it though. I mean you've had you had some good results. Sydney: I think so, yeah, I was excited going into it and I had just spent about a month and a half at altitude so I was like, Okay, I I have all the benefits that I would need, I suppose. So yeah, I felt really good going into it. Carrie: So when you were at altitude, where exactly were you? Sydney: I spent most of my time in Rollins where I grew up. It's around seven thousand feet. Mm hmm. Carrie: In Wyoming. Okay. it's that high there. Sydney: It is, yeah, it's like high plains desert, so it's just windy desert in the mountains. Carrie: And then tell me about who you run with. Anyone or are you strictly on your own? Does your husband run with you at all? Like does he bike? Ride his horse? Sydney: It's it's we talked about that. We thought maybe we should start doing that. Carrie: Do you know Julia Stamps? I don't know if you remember that name. She was a stud. She's a little bit younger than me. Ranford Stanford. She's quite a bit older than you, but she won Foot Locker twice. And Sydney: I think I might I like I recognize the name. Carrie: yeah, she used to train her mom used to ride her horse in front of her. Or on Sydney: Really? Carrie: the side of her or something like that. But yeah, it's an idea. Sydney: Wow. Wow. No, but for me it it's just me out there, really. occasionally my husband will bike with me sometimes. He Carrie: Okay. Wow. Okay. Sydney: will do that on if I'm really bored. but yeah, I I really enjoy running alone anyways, so Carrie: Hm. Sydney: it works out great. But that's exactly how what I grew up doing, so I feel like I just really wanted to go back to my roots Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: and kind of go back to what made me enjoy it so much and and I think it accomplished just that. I I really loved getting to go back and run my old old routes and kind of be back with my family and you know, hometown stuff. Carrie: Hmm. It's so cool to see how you ran that ten thousand meters. I mean, you ran it like the first half you were with peop with everybody, right? And then you just cranked it out. It was slow and you had enough Sydney: So slow too. Carrie: wherewithal to like calm yourself, not be Sydney: Yes. Carrie: the one to jump out and start pushing the pace. Like this was the national championship. It how hot was it that day? Sydney: Honestly, I don't even Carrie: J Mather. Sydney: remember. I I feel like I was trying not to think about it. If it was gonna be hot, it was gonna be hot. But then I was so thankful. Carrie: 'Cause it w there was some there was some heat to deal with out there that weekend. Sydney: Yeah, absolutely. It w it was warm out there, for sure. but I think it was almost nice when we started out slow 'cause I was like, this will be great. We won't get too hot right off the bat Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: and we'll just hang out for probably about like eighteen minutes. So Carrie: Huh? That's crazy 'cause I I read I don't know where I read it, but you were like during the middle of the race, you were like, Wait, I can win this thing Sydney: I think maybe everyone thought that. I don't know. We were all there together and I was like, this is this is nuts. But I mean it was awesome and I I felt really good and I think I just had so much confidence going into it too that it was like, Carrie: Mm-hmm. Sydney: no matter who makes a move, or if I make a move, like I'm gonna be okay. I just need to be right here and ready for it. And then it was kind of like I I think I just kind of was like I'm strong and I feel good and let's see who can hang and make it hurt a little bit. About five K to go. Carrie: That's so cool. was your husband there to watch you? fun. Hmm. Sydney: He was. Yes. He hasn't been able to watch one race yet. He's watched them live, but he hasn't been able to be there in person until that one. It was really special. He was there. My family flew in from Wyoming as well, so I had a huge tearing crowd. Carrie: What was that like when you crossed the finish line and you know, to know you are a first time pro, like this is your first US championship as a pro, and you you win the whole thing. I mean, it's a big, big deal and it's something that you will be able to say for the rest of your life. So what was that like for you? Sydney: I mean, it was just incredibly special. I think even it took me a few days to even kinda register what had happened just because going into that race it was like I I want to win, I'm gonna compete like I can win. But at the same time, I I'm a rookie and these girls have been racing and they know how to race in these championship situations, but it was just kind of throughout that whole final five K it was like this could be anyone's day, honestly. Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: Like, you never know, but I f I knew I felt really good and it was super cool to yeah, have my my husband there and my family there. I think that just gives you a whole another level of like push when you really Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: need it is just knowing that they're there, they came all this way to watch you and and I think with probably about eight hundred to go, I just felt just like almost just like a sense of like I'm I feel really good. Like this is hard, Carrie: Mm. Sydney: but like I think I can do this. And just rounding like that final turn, it was like I knew. And I think that was just so special. It's like going down the final stretch, being like like this is everything we worked for this season. Just so special. So yeah, and then obviously getting done and looking over and my dad was jumping up and down, my husband was there. So yeah, just so special to have them all there in person. Carrie: Yeah, for real. you didn't stop there though, you came back and ran the five thousand meters. Sydney: Yes, yeah, I was a little nervous about it. I think the day after the ten K I was like, Yeah, I don't know. But but then again I was like I basically only raced a five K at that point. So I think I just needed a day, did some easy running, some good New York style pizza, it was great. Carrie: Nice. Sydney: And then, came back and again just was like, I have nothing to lose at this point. I think I'm training really well and like if nothing else from the ten K I feel like I gained just like a sense of like I do belong on the start line with some of these people. Carrie: Mm-hmm. Sydney: And then just going into that five K I honestly felt really good and then it was kinda like, you know, when when it really started burning, I think I still probably had some lactic in there but Carrie: Sure. Sydney: it was it was so much fun and honestly a really great race. I don't think I it could've played out much better aside from maybe having a little bit more speed there at the end when Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: I needed it. Carrie: Well, it's interesting. I mean, I wanna know how you felt towing the line Sydney: Okay. Carrie: with someone like a Shelby Hoolihan and an Emily Mackay and a Parker Valby and those are the top three in the race and you were right behind Sydney: Mm-hmm. Carrie: them. So like what was that like when you towed the line? Were you like, Okay, here I am one of the best from the NCAAs or here I am USA TF champion? Sydney: Right, and I like I think that's that's it is like a whole new like I d I do belong here on the line with them. I mean, those women are incredible and like it's just crazy to even be on the same start line as them. I think that was just a dream growing up. Like these are people that I've looked up to. And so like being on the same start line with Shelby was just like This is crazy. Like this is a dream right now. So I was just like so honestly grateful to even be there that I think you don't even I mean, surely I'm intimidated, but at the same time it's like this is so cool. Like you just kinda wanna soak it up and and be able to race behind them and just see how kinda like how they do it and then see myself be right there. It's it's like a confidence booster as well, but it's just so special to kind of be in the same field as them and and race with them and then be able to talk to them after the race and and they they talk to you like you're a friend and I think that's so special. Carrie: It is the it's the best part about our I don't know if it's our country. I feel like it's a lot of the coun different countries around the world that we race against, but our sport, but that camaraderie that we have afterwards, even if we really wanna beat each other, you know, really bad, we still Sydney: Mm-hmm. Carrie: have that respect for each other and and I think the more you go through this, the more friends you're gonna get that you're still gonna want to beat like crazy. It's it's a really cool place to be and and it's it's really fun. I'm excited for the future. tell me a little bit about the future. Like I was sort of I'm really proud of you for sticking to your guns and taking a break. It's really hard to say no to races and there were some races that you could have definitely jumped into. So what is next? Sydney: Mm-hmm. Carrie: Like are you racing at all this fall? Are you going to just back off now and and get going again? Sydney: Yeah, I think I think my plan as of right now is to hopefully maybe try and do a half marathon. Carrie: Okay. Sydney: coming up this fall. maybe Novemberish. We'll see. We'll kinda see how it goes. I'm definitely taking this comeback from my break super slow, super easy, just doing like very simple, easy runs so far, nothing crazy Carrie: Mm-hmm. Sydney: at all. Which has been really nice and I've even like been able to do like Some trail running and stuff like that that I don't usually get to do because it's yeah, exactly. Just like some fun things like that. but nothing serious. I think that's been a huge thing for me is just being able to take a break and kinda like you said, it is so hard and it it is incredibly hard actually to just be Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: like especially when I feel like I was coming off of a place where that was the fittest I've ever been. And it's Carrie: Right. Sydney: like it's so like taunting that it's like, well, like Carrie: Mm-hmm. Sydney: could race another race and just keep going, but I really have been going since cross country in college, like last Carrie: Yeah. Yeah. Sydney: fall, and I just felt like it was like your last cross season, well now it's your last indoor season and now you're a pro and so it was like one thing after another. So I I do think it was important to take the break, but yeah, I'm just gonna take the the comeback a little little slow and Carrie: Mm-hmm. Sydney: not too stressful and then jump in a race if I feel good and then kinda go from there. Carrie: Well come to Minnesota 'cause the US ten K championships are October well, maybe that's a little quick, but it's like October third or something like that. Then I'd get to see you here in person. Sydney: We'll see. Yeah, well that'd be fun too. Yeah, I mean I'm definitely on the lookout. I I love racing, so I Carrie: Yeah. Yeah. Sydney: that is one thing is I f if I could race every weekend, I think I would. Carrie: I know, I know. what I have next is some fun questions that I think we'll get to know you a little bit more. It's kind of between you and your husband. So it's runner Sydney: sweet. Carrie: or cowboy is what I named it. They're rapid fire. yeah, Sydney: yay, okay. Carrie: Ron Dot is the sponsor of my rapid fire questions. So I'm gonna give you two different kinds this week. The first section is runner or cowboy, and the second one is my normal rapid fire. So are you ready? Sydney: I'm ready. Carrie: So this is you or your husband. Who's more competitive? Sydney: Me runner. For sure. All the way. And it makes me mad because sometimes Carrie: okay. Sydney: he's very good at his stuff and I'd like Carrie: Yeah. I love it. I love it. I I would like to be a fly on your wall. Okay, who spends more money Sydney: Ha ha ha. Carrie: on their sport? I figured. Sydney: Cowboy. One hundred percent. Carrie: Who travels with more gear? Sydney: Ooh, cowboy. He has a he has a whole trailer and all that Carrie: I think a lot of this are gonna be cowboy. I'm sure. Sydney: stuff, so Carrie: Yeah. Who gets more nervous before competing? Ooh, the runner. Okay, who has He doesn't? How do you not? Sydney: Me runner. P doesn't get nervous. Mm mm. I know. P is just like whatever. Carrie: my gosh. I suppose he has to be kind of fearless. Like you have to be. Sydney: He I guess like his reasoning was like your horse can sense if you're nervous, so Carrie: so you have to keep it calm. Okay. I train with a couple jockeys. Sydney: Yes. Carrie: Well, they former jockeys, and it's just fascinating to hear. Like they lived in Louisville, and it is so fun to hear how they, you know, train their horses and things like that. Yeah. Sydney: Mm, yeah. It's very very different, I've come to find out. Carrie: Yeah. Okay. Who has a more dangerous job? When I was thinking about this, I was like, there are some you know, running doesn't seem very dangerous, but then there are some dangerous things. Sydney: I'd probably say him mostly because Carrie: Okay. Sydney: I do think he could lose a finger any day and I just feel like that would be unfortunate. Yeah. Carrie: from the rope. gosh, okay, forgot about that. who Sydney: Yeah. Carrie: is more likely to train when they're supposed to take a day off? Runner Sydney Sydney: Me. Yeah, that's and that is I've tried to be better about it, but Carrie: Okay. We'll let that go. But d as you get older you need to make sure you take more rest days. You can get away with it when you're younger. Okay, good. Good. Okay. Sorry, big sister came up. Okay. Who Sydney: Okay. Yeah. I'm definitely doing yeah, I'm doing a whole lot better than I am, but it's just that mindset. Carrie: has the crazier fans? Runners or cowboys? Sydney: Ooh. That's a tough one actually. I Carrie: Really? Sydney: I almost feel like runners would, and I say that because I do feel like there are plenty of people that know my stats more than I know my stats. And I feel like that just probably makes you probably a crazy fan. But Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: I will say there there's a lot of rodeo fans. There's probably mmm, I don't know about more, but there's there's a lot. But I I feel like running has Carrie: I feel like there's probably more like fangirls for your husband. It's funny. I mean, who doesn't like a cowboy? Sorry. Whenever my husband like comes Sydney: Yes. certainly. Certainly. Yes. Uh-huh. I know. Carrie: home from like he he used to be in landscaping and I would love it. He'd be like dirty and he'd have his boots on and be so tan, so cute, and then he'd come Sydney: I know. Carrie: out in his running clothes and we'd go for a run. And I'm like. It was much cuter when you were in your dirty jeans, you know, but I love that he could run with me as well. Sydney: for sure. Yeah, yeah. Carrie: Okay, last one on run or cowboy. Who would be better trying the other person's sport? Sydney: That's interesting 'cause I do actually feel like both of us kind of dabble in each other's sports. Carrie: Really? Sydney: yeah, like he he's been doing some running. He'll run. He's been running pretty consistently actually, so he'll kind of run, but I also ride. So and he's teaching me how to rope. So it's you know, it's like it's Carrie: That's so cool. Sydney: a little bit of both. I think that could be either. That could go either way. Carrie: Okay, okay, I like it. Well maybe he'll have to run some of these races and we'll get a camera on him too. Okay, now these are my normal yeah, we should. Sydney: Yeah, I'm trying to convince him. Okay. Carrie: These are my normal rapid fire. So it's like this or that. Bulls or bikes. Sydney: Bowls or bikes? Carrie: Mm, would you rather ride a bull or a bike? Sydney: a bike. Hundred percent. Carrie: have you ever tried those electric bulls? Sydney: Actually no. Carrie: I've tried it once. It does not good. It it was not good for me. Yeah, me too. Sydney: I'm too scared. Carrie: Okay, boots or heels. Sydney: Boots. Carrie: they're so cute. I love it. Hats or bandanas? Sydney: Hats. Carrie: Bandanas are coming in though. Sydney: They are, they are in, but I can't figure out how to tie it cute, so Mm. Carrie: Me neither. They'd be cuter on you 'cause you're younger. I'm an old lady, it's not so cute. But cowboy hats will never go out of style. Okay. More nerve wracking. The click of the gate, like from your husband, when you hear that gate go, or a starter's pistol. Sydney: Mm-hmm. starter's pistol. All the way. Carrie: Yeah. You don't get real nervous for your husband? Sydney: I do, but I know that he's not nervous, so therefore like I'm less nervous. But Carrie: Yeah, that's nice. Sydney: when the race is about to start, it's like this is on me. Like I gotta do this. Carrie: Yeah. And I bet he's really nervous for you too. Yeah, yeah. Okay, Sydney: Yeah, maybe. Maybe so. Carrie: mountains are flat. Sydney: Mountains. Carrie: Mmm, eighties rock or reggae? Sydney: eighties. Carrie: Watch races or watch rodeos? Sydney: Rodeo. Carrie: really? You'd rather watch that. I s I mean you have to kinda say that. Sydney: I think so. Yeah. Carrie: Bake cakes or cookies. I've heard that you like to bake. I was reading p somewhere. Sydney: I actually just baked both. One of my friends just got engaged and I did a cake and cookies. So this is really tough. I'd probably Carrie: Guys. Sydney: say I'd probably say cookies though because they're more like grab and go. I like Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: cookies. Carrie: Love it. Okay. Pre-med, which I read that you were gonna do, or vet tech, so stick with animals. Sydney: Vat tech. Carrie: Yeah, that's cool. So you're doing that sort of, right? Like you work with horses. Sydney: Yeah. Yeah, I I actually I own my own equine bodywork business. So it's like I work on horses and I do like massage and laser and cryotherapy. It's super cool. Yeah, it's awesome. I do that and then I'm also getting my vet tech right now. So hopefully Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: I'll have that and I still love working with animals. I feel like that's what I do in Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: my free time. So yeah, I'm I'm really excited about that. But I was Carrie: That's r what Sydney: looking at vet school actually when I was in college. Carrie: Okay. Sydney: is what I was going to do and then with running and everything. Just Carrie: Mm. What did you end up graduating with? Sydney: animal science degree. Mm-hmm. Carrie: you did. Okay. So I must have read an old bio that said pre med. Sydney: I was pre med when I first went to Arkansas. I definitely was Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: gonna go more physician route. Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: But then I kind of realized that I I loved medicine and I love like Carrie: Sure. Sydney: the medical sciences and stuff like that, but I was just not compelled for like anything in that field. My mom's a nurse and so Carrie: Okay. Sydney: I I really I liked the idea of that, but just kind of it all came back to like I I really enjoy working with animals, especially large animals like livestock and stuff. So yeah, it just was like a natural choice, yeah. Carrie: That's so cool. Yeah. I love that it all came together. I mean really you're still helping just a different species, you know? Sydney: Yeah, yeah. Carrie: Okay, last one. Run fast times or win races. Sydney: That is a tough one. Carrie: Mm-hmm. Sydney: Probably I'd probably say win races and not because it's about winning, but just because I do feel like there's plenty of races where you're not running fast but it's like a hard course or it's like Carrie: Yeah. Sydney: something there's like a cool story behind it. I feel like, you know, yeah, Carrie: I'm all about that. Yeah. Sydney: you run through your first four hundred in a hundred seconds in the ten K at USA Nationals, yeah, that sort of thing. Carrie: Yeah. Yeah. I sort of hate when people ask me for my PRs because I was like, if you knew me as a runner, that really wasn't something I ever chased. I had to chase the clock Sydney: Yeah, I mean Carrie: for the Olympic trials, you know, or the Olympic Games. but still even Sydney: Mm-hmm. Carrie: then I was hoping that my place would just come with a good time. Sydney: Absolutely, yeah. And I I mean, in theory it should, but at the same time like I was hoping I think my ten K PR on the outdoor track is it's not terrible, but it's not it was from like my sophomore year and I haven't been able to run a fast time since, so I Carrie: Yep. Mm-hmm. Sydney: was almost hoping that USAs would be fast so I could kind of do better with that, but well. It'll be alright. Carrie: y you'll you have plenty of time, lady. And we can't wait to watch you continue on in your early stages of this pro career. Congratulations on everything. And good luck to your husband as well. Keep getting after it, you guys. Sydney: Thanks. Thank you. Absolutely. C Tolle Run: Thanks so much for joining me today on CTolyron. My guest today was Sydney Thorvaldson VOT. You can follow Sydney at Instagram at Sydney underscore VOT underscore. Her last name is spelled V-A-U-G-H-T. Before we go, a big shout out to Rundot for supporting the show and to Andrew Harley and to Sarah Bernie, the amazing producers behind not only CTALIRON, but also Try Dot and Rundot. And another big thank you to Tailwind Nutrition for supporting this episode. If you'd like to give Tailwind a try, head on over to TailwindNutrition.com and use the code TOLLY20 for 20%. Off your order. And finally, if you love this pod, we'd love your support. Take a minute to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and share CTALIRun with your friends. It really does help people find our show. As always, you can find us on YouTube, Facebook, X, and Instagram at CTALIRun or at Carrie Tolson, and you can visit us anytime at ctolerun.com. Thank you so much for joining us today. And don't forget to get after it!