Member Spotlight: Sydney Lambert
Sydney Lambert joined Trail Roots in 2021 in search of speed work consistency in a group setting. As a veteran to trail and ultra running, Sydney has some incredible achievements under her belt including being 3x UTMB finisher and ran the Leadville 100 and the Bear 100. Just to name a few. She started trail running in 2007 and tackles trails on the regular. When she’s not training or racing, she is raising her four-year-old son, Henry, and works for Patagonia (hello sample sale!). Sydney roots for everyone in the group and constantly gives kudos and shout outs to encourage others. She recently became a Trail Roots Ambassador and helps lead social events and welcomes new people to the group. We wanted to ask her a few questions about her journey with running and Trail Roots.
What inspired you to start running?
I moved across the country in 7th grade (Seattle to rural Iowa, it was not a vibe) and needed to make some friends. I tried out for basketball. The tiny school I attended had one coach for all girls’ sports, and he told me I was a pretty lousy basketball player, but that I’d better show up for track come Springtime. That was 23 years ago and I’ve been running ever since.
Why did you join Trail Roots?
I’ve been running consistently for years and years, but for the last decade I’ve been primarily trail focused, and my consistency with speed work totally fell off the map. I really wasn’t sure where to start and needed guidance and some folks to run with. I’ve known Erik and Jacque for forever and decided I’d procrastinated long enough. Enter Trail Roots!
How has training with a group helped you? How did your running change after beginning to train with Trail Roots?
I am mentally geared up to hurt on Tuesday mornings. I know that is workout day, and the people who I know will be there are what get me out of bed in the morning on those days. It’s gonna hurt, so I might as well hurt with friends? Someone put that on a t-shirt.
As a Trail Roots Ambassador, what do you hope to accomplish with the position?
I think what I want to empower in people is that every single person has an incredible amount of mental fortitude and by tapping into that, you’re unlimited in what you can achieve. I’m not saying everyone needs to go run 100 miles, but deciding to do something hard and just trying, is so fulfilling. I want to be around people who are motivated by that notion and have the opportunity to teach and learn from them, too.
“I think what I want to empower in people is that every single person has an incredible amount of mental fortitude and by tapping into that, you’re unlimited in what you can achieve. I’m not saying everyone needs to go run 100 miles, but deciding to do something hard and just trying, is so fulfilling. ”
You’ve done some big ultras, including the UTMB, Leadville 100, The Bear, Tour du Savoie, Canyons, etc., what draws you to those distances?
Good question. The answer to this has changed so much over time and is still evolving. At first, I was just in such awe that anyone could complete 100 miles on foot, I just had to feel it for myself. My first 100 (Leadville in 2011, I was 24, insert LOL) was an absolute death march. I didn’t know how to fuel properly, was just so green. But I finished and something in me changed and I realized that, me, a normal person, could do what I thought was completely unfathomable just a year prior. Over time I’ve chosen races that are in beautiful places, or are located somewhere new to me, or spots I just can’t stop going back to visit (European Alps never get old).
It is hard to put my finger on what makes me tick at this point. I just love digging deep and introducing myself to something within me each time that I’ve never been acquainted with before. It feels good to work hard.
How do you train for 100 milers when you work and have a family?
One. Day. At. A. Time. If I look at a full year calendar and see a race so far in the future, I get totally overwhelmed. I just take my training plan one week at a time, and make plans for fitting in each session, this makes things less overwhelming for me. It is hard, for sure. Lots of early mornings, lunch sessions, etc. Also – consistency wins over everything else. Just getting a run – any run – will lead to so much more fitness and adaptation over time. I think about lots of little 4-5 mile runs I’ve done and what they add up to. No more negative thoughts about those shorty runs! I also have a super supportive husband and he knows no one wants to be around me if I’m not running #truth. We are good about giving each other time to be our independent selves.
Do you have a race mantra or any mental tricks for when things get hard during a race?
Last year I was training for UTMB. Then I had an emergency appendectomy on July 30th, the race was on August 27th. So, I spent a month healing from surgery and then just showed up on the start line (Note: I am not a Dr – please do not do this). I’d finished the race twice prior, but knowing I’d been out of the game for a month left a lot of unknowns. My mantra then and now is to ‘be in this mile’. I don’t know what is going to happen in a year, or in 70 miles, so my focus is on the present, being kind to myself, and just working through whatever high or low I’m feeling. Becoming a mom has also really helped shift the focus to the present moment.
What do you love about doing ultras?
I absolutely love being in nature. I am someone who feels burned out really easily by all the screens and apps – I’m clearly living in the wrong century. Being on the trail is where I find most of my creativity and where I can unwind and just let my mind wander. I also love the trail running community. It is the antithesis of most other sports. If you’ve fallen, need a gel, etc., you can bet that a dozen people are ready to help and do it with a smile. As for the ultra side of trail running, I feel so alive (and sometimes dead) when I keep pushing. It is really hard to articulate the feeling. I guess I like a healthy dose of pain with a side of occasionally crying in the woods!
What other races or big goals are you going after this year?
Since Canyons in April I’ve just been running, not really ‘training’. Next week I’ll kick off training for the JFK 50 mile. It is America’s oldest ultra, located just outside DC. It starts on the AT, has some sections of flat fast trail, and then the last 8 miles are a run on the road. It should be different and full of beautiful fall leaves. Fun!
What advice would you give someone who is interested in training for ultra marathons or 100 milers?
The hardest part of covering that much ground is simply believing you can. Train all you want, but you have to finish it in your head, first. My other advice, which addresses all distances, is just to be consistent. So boring, I know. Run, stretch, do mobility, some strength, find a group, LAUGH. A little bit all the time, over time, is the recipe for sustained success. Another tip: cheer for everyone. I get such a rush of energy when I cheer for folks and then have mutual trail love. Try it, you’ll like it. Don’t take this stuff too seriously. I certainly don’t. I think that is why I love it so much.