The U cover art

The U

The U

By: The XC
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 A podcast about collegiate cross-country and track world, both in the NCAA and Canada's USports. Hosted by Alex Cyr, and a part of The XC network of running-focused podcasts.2020 The XC Politics & Government Running & Jogging
Episodes
  • The U SPORTS Year That Never Was, With Courtney Hufsmith and Eric Lutz

    The U SPORTS Year That Never Was, With Courtney Hufsmith and Eric Lutz
    Nov 15 2020
    Last year, we produced a regular podcast called The U - it was a look into Canada's varsity running scene. The podcast, much like the entire U SPORTS circuit, entered hibernation in the spring, around the time COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. But this week, we are bringing it back. After all, had sports not been cancelled, the U SPORTS championship would be happening this weekend. Here, our guests tell host Alex Cyr how training is going, how they both overcame pretty serious injuries, and who they think would have won the U SPORTS race this year, had it taken place. Aside from the running fodder, Hufsmith talks about why she chose to embark on a 100-day social media hiatus, Lutz talks about the time he met Scottish singing superstar Lewis Capaldi, and the trio shares what they each think about American media franchise High School Musical.
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    40 mins
  • Julie-Anne Staehli on Succeeding After School Ends, Plus Kevin Robertson on Training Solo

    Julie-Anne Staehli on Succeeding After School Ends, Plus Kevin Robertson on Training Solo
    Feb 7 2020

    Credit: @richiebee_

    It’s storm season, flu season, stay inside season. Fear not: here comes some entertainment. Alex Cyr hops on the mic (fear not, no singing this time) and catches up with two fantastic podcast guests.

    First is Julie-Anne Staehli from Lucknow, Ontario. She's a former Queen’s Gael and a five-time U SPORTS All Canadian. Now a post-collegiate athlete, the 26-year-old Staehli trains out of London with the Backroads Bandits, or as she calls the women's division, the Backroads Bandettes. Just over a week ago, she just popped a massive PB of 8:47:95 in Boston. It was the second fastest Canadian mark of all time, and World Athletics Indoor championship qualifier. Here, Alex chats with Staehli about her move to London, her entrance into coaching, and the key to her staggering consistency.Credit: Athlétisme, Carabins de Montréal


    Our second guest is Kevin Robertson, last year’s 1,000 m gold medalist at the U SPORTS championship. The 21-year-old middle distance runner does most of his workouts by himself at the University of Montreal, but his lack of training partners has not stopped him from clocking the fastest 1,500 m and 3,000 times in Canada’s varsity circuit so far this year. In Boston last weekend, he narrowly missed breaking four minutes in the mile, crossing the line at 4:00.25. Here, Kevin talks about the agony of coming just short of track and field’s most mythical barrier, the heartbreak of being a Montreal Canadiens fan, and which race distance he hopes to run at the U SPORTS championship.


    Featuring: The Twilight Zone with Julie-Anne Staehli

    Sometimes, we keep recording after the interview ends. Sometimes, the conversation just keeps flowing. So, this edition ends with Alex venting to Julie-Anne about student life, missing Windsor, and the craziness of downtown Toronto.

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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Kieran Lumb: Underdog No More

    Kieran Lumb: Underdog No More
    Nov 24 2019
    We all suspected that UBC’s Kieran Lumb might contend for the win at this year’s U SPORTS championship. He had run 5,000 metres faster than anyone in the field, and the last time he had raced on Fort Henry, he had won the Canadian junior XC championship. Still, he came into the race an underdog. That’s probably because the 21-year-old applied sciences student had yet to race a U SPORTS championship. We thought he might need a year of seasoning before beating more experienced varsity athletes. But, as Lumb opened his stride, spread the field thin and ran away from everybody with just a kilometre to go, we were collectively reminded that, U SPORTS experience or not, speed is speed. Here, the newly minted champion tells us more about his first year in Canada’s varsity circuit, his time spent in Singapore of 2018, and his moonlighting as an uphill runner.
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    33 mins
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