Adam Merry | 2024 Black Canyon 100K Pre-Race Interview

Finn (00:00.83)
Adam Mary, it is an absolute pleasure to have you back on the Singletrack Podcast. How are you doing today?

Dadam (00:06.426)
I'm doing great, man. My guy Finn, having an old dog on again. I don't know what it's this, number three or four? I appreciate it, man.

Finn (00:13.954)
I think it's I think you and Jeff Colt are neck and neck for the most appearances historically on the single track podcast. You might be edging him out today after this one. So I don't know, Jeff's gotta go run canyons or something to catch back up.

Dadam (00:21.986)
Okay, good. Shout out Jeff Colt. That's right, that's right. Yeah, great to see you though again, man.

Finn (00:32.886)
First half of last year was stellar. Like it, to me as an observer, it felt like a big time breakthrough in a lot of ways. You won Chuck and that golden ticket in stylish fashion at the Canyon's 100K. I mean, you probably could have done better at Western but a pretty solid debut 100. I'm curious, what did, because I saw you at Javelina pacing Kareem Mattadano's in the fall. What did the second half of last year look like for you and kind of what were the priorities?

Dadam (00:52.327)
Yep.

Dadam (00:58.522)
Yeah. So dude, here's the thing that people don't realize, you know, for a lot of people, if they're lucky enough to finally cash in and get that golden ticket, it has been a journey, dude. Like I was on that fricking treadmill of like nonstop. I am like just up and up and up and up in terms of fitness and racing all the time for like four years. And so I didn't really like consciously want to take a break, but I just like needed a break. And so.

After States, which was my first hundred, which I think also can kind of like take a lot out of you. Um, I don't know. I just had planned to go to Maine, which I haven't, hadn't done in a while. My son hadn't been there. So it was like, just took a little slow summer and then I'd already decided to not race CCC or UTMB, even though I could have with the Canyon thing. So I don't know, dude, to be honest, I think the first States just kind of like.

set me back a little bit physically. I felt like I needed a break, so I took it. And I was planning to race like JFK later in the year, but some other like, just like work life stuff. I wasn't like ready fitness wise and I was like, dude, that's you got to be like fit for that race. So I just, I just didn't, but yeah, kind of just a culmination of life circumstance being the reason for the lighter second half of the year, which is a bummer. Cause I agree. I was so stoked on the first half.

Finn (02:25.942)
Well, and also, again, I've talked with you a bunch to get a sense of who you are. And then I've talked with people around you and almost everybody universally says two things. One, it's hard to meet someone who's more generally stoked on the sport than you are. And then two, you're the type of person who when you set your mind to something, you're willing to go on this multi-year odyssey to really like self-actualize. So it's interesting that like you got the golden ticket, had the Western experience, and it's like, I'm going to just like reconsider things, at least for a moment.

Dadam (02:56.322)
Yeah, it's funny because like I didn't want to do that necessarily. Like two weeks later, I was already kind of like doing a fartlek and, um, Matt, who's like helped me a little bit with my training was like, dude, just stop. Like, don't do that. Just run easy and like, whatever. And I think my, my body was like,

Oh my God, we can like relax for a second. So yeah, I don't know. I think I needed it for the longterm for me, like to set me up well for the next, like few years that rest, uh, was super beneficial. And I've been like running and training and like doing fun adventures. Um, but yeah, I haven't raced since States. So

Finn (03:39.086)
Do you feel like the work you were doing before Canyons last year was largely experimental because I know you were putting up like 140, 150 mile weeks. Is that a place that you and maybe you've been doing it in this block? I couldn't really tell on Strava but how much is that going to be a part of like your training identity moving forward?

Dadam (03:52.145)
Yeah.

Dadam (03:57.086)
Um, hope. So yes, it was experimental because I'd never done that before. Um, and I think the feedback was positive for me, like in terms of how I felt. The results didn't get injured. Um, so I think it will be more of my training later this year. I'm actually also signed up the other big like rock in my schedule is UTMB. So, um, like I definitely want to experiment with like higher volume in terms of hours in a week.

training leading up to that. But yeah, like, I don't know, I think I plan to do more of that for sure.

Finn (04:36.11)
Talk about the training for the last couple of months, because again, it seems like you've been to some extent Strava incognito. I saw one run in particular, kind of a glory 30 mile run, 640 pace with Matt Smokin. Has that been symbolic of the rest of the block? Was that a peak there? Talk about what you've been focusing on in the last couple of months.

Dadam (04:49.469)
Yeah.

Dadam (04:58.866)
Dude, so Finn, to honor what an awesome podcast you have created here and the authenticity, I feel like you're able to get out with your guests. I'm gonna keep it 100, dude. The last few months have been fucked up, so crazy for me, dude. I have this new job that I started five months ago, and so I've been ramping into that. It's been hard.

Having a son, guess what? It's actually hard to be a dad sometimes. It's just like a lot of work. Um, I like, we just moved across town. So like we're in the new place, but it's like, that was a big lift, uh, physically and metaphorically. Do my dad had a heart attack? Like the day before I did that run, um, which was like a big surprise to my family and so dude going into that run as an example, uh, it's kind of a metaphoric of the training I was like sitting in a chair.

Finn (05:31.167)
Yeah.

Dadam (05:54.166)
I hadn't thought about it all week. I'd been so freaking busy. Matt was coming in like 10 minutes to the house and I was like in my loungewear. You know, I was like, dude, I need to like get ready for this run. And I don't know what it was, but I was able to just like click into focus as soon as I started running and I've been doing good training and it went well. But it's funny because the kind of chaos and

weight of like a lot of the stuff going on in my life for the last several months, like has made it more challenging to do the high volume training that I might like to do. Like I haven't done 140 miles a week in this block. I think I've peaked out more like 110, but I don't know, man. Like it's been a good training block and I'm really proud of where I'm at from a training standpoint with all the other stuff that's gone on in my life.

Finn (06:27.158)
Yeah.

Finn (06:50.858)
I mean, I think the vast majority of this audience can relate in one way, shape or form to that. Yeah, man. One thing I'm curious about, like, because I know at one point in time, it could have been even up until Western last year, you were experimenting with the full time running thing. Maybe there was coaching sprinkled in there as well. In retrospect, did that end up working for you? Like, did you, and not in the sense of like financially, but like

Dadam (07:10.738)
Yeah.

Yep.

Finn (07:18.786)
Did you like existentially enjoy having running encompass every single, you know, waking hour of your life?

Dadam (07:26.342)
Uh, Finn, if there was a way for that to be financially viable at all, I would be all in dude, like it is fricking awesome. Like I'm not going to sugar coat that. Like the, I was also, I was also coaching, um, to supplement my income for sure. And it's something that I enjoyed doing, but you know, like, um, when I was getting ready for Chuck-a-Nut, I was on parental leave and it's like, man, it's amazing how fricking good you can be.

Finn (07:36.034)
Ha ha ha!

Dadam (07:54.358)
if you don't have to work a full-time job. You know what I mean? Like getting doubles in is no problem. Like I have plenty of time to recover, even with being a dad. So like that is something that I would love if it could be the case, but it's not currently the case. And that's no knock on my primary sponsors, Sokkeny, they're like really awesome. But just, I'm the sole income provider for my household. It's like just not really a thing right now. Who knows, maybe after Black Canyon, I'll cash out, but we'll see.

Finn (08:16.816)
Yeah.

Finn (08:21.35)
Yep. I feel you.

Finn (08:27.126)
By the way, I do want to acknowledge the family circumstances. I hope your dad's doing okay.

Dadam (08:31.642)
Hey, thanks man. Yeah, I appreciate it. He's all good. He's healthy now. So, yeah.

Finn (08:34.046)
Um, yeah. Okay. Um, dude, so like generally though, do you, do you feel healthy? Do you feel motivated? Do you feel like you've done like minimum viable training necessary to get the best out of yourself at black Canyon?

Dadam (08:52.134)
For sure. I mean, dude, every one of these races, I feel like every time you've got things dialed, you maybe reach a new level. And so then it introduces this, well, I don't know if I am ready to do what I did before now that I'm at this new level, but I don't know, yes, I've definitely done minimum viable training. One thing I have this time that I haven't had before is, dude, because of how busy my life has been, I'm genuinely just like, I can't wait.

to be like lining up at the start line. And like all I'm going to do today is run through this beautiful desert course with all these, all these guys. I'm going to see my friends and I'm just going to rage for a hundred K. Like I'm excited. I'm not like kind of burnt out on running. Like I'm really excited to get, to get to run a hundred K for sure.

Finn (09:49.886)
Yeah, yeah.

Dadam (10:10.507)
Hmm.

Finn (10:10.886)
maybe in the next couple races that I attempted out again, there could be some bad days, but I'm generally confident in what I can do. Which bucket do you fall into? Like, do you feel like, you know, you belong, or do you feel like you're constantly needing to re-prove?

Dadam (10:25.906)
Um, that's such a good question. I, uh, I feel like I belong. Um, I know that I represented like on the first half of last year, like, dude, I didn't have the States that I wanted, but like, just being there and like doing that race, completing it, like, uh, I got a lot of feedback afterward that likes. I kind of showed up, you know, so I, um, I feel proud of that.

It is the case though that like, I definitely don't feel like, I don't feel like I'm resting on my laurels. Like it's not like I'm like, Oh, I already got a ticket. Like I don't want one again. Or like I'm, you know, I deserve this. It's like, I definitely want to run States again and like have the performance I know I'm capable of. So like, I'd like to get it again. But, um, if I happen to not get it at black Canyon and maybe we'll talk about this, maybe we won't. Like.

It's not, I don't like identify too much with that. It's like, dude, there's like 50 dudes who could get a ticket. I don't know, like maybe I'll get one. Maybe I won't, I don't know, you know?

Finn (11:22.198)
Yeah.

Finn (11:32.586)
I mean, because one of the things that I think about too is like, like you train amongst ultra running royalty in the sense that like every day, you know, you're grinding with Drew Holman, Seth Ruling, Matt Daniels, the list goes on and on. And so, you know, at what point did these types of, did these levels of the sport become expectation versus fight? Like, I think about that all the time when you're, when you're, when you're in a group where excellence is the norm.

Dadam (11:45.17)
That's right.

Finn (12:00.291)
how do you function on these races? It's just fascinating to me.

Dadam (12:04.002)
Yeah, well, it just becomes normal and like, hopefully that helps me perform at races like this. Um, but yeah, I mean, dude, it is weird because you, I never feel an inflated sense of like ego or like how good I am. Like I always am like, damn, I'm gonna drop again. Or like, Oh, like I feel like shit. Cause the training loads on or like I put a big effort in on this segment here in Boulder and I didn't even crack the top 10. So yeah, it's part of being in the presence of greatness.

Finn (12:36.74)
All right, we got to talk to actually a couple more questions with Black Canyon. Why for you was it Black Canyon versus running it back at Canyon's 100k again?

Dadam (12:39.9)
Yeah.

Dadam (12:47.798)
Um, dude, I've run black. I have run black Canyon twice. People probably don't know cause it was early in my ultra running career, but, um, it's a beautiful course. I love the course. Uh, love the style of the course. And, um, I wanted to, I want to get back into States and it was like, dude, that Canyon's turnaround is fricking brutal. Like

I don't know, I got sick right before States last year and it just like, you gotta thread the needle on that turnaround and so I didn't. But like, I think this gives me the best chance if I'm able to get a ticket to like have a good, a great Western States.

Finn (13:24.814)
Um, talking about the Boulder boys stuff, this has been, I feel like the motivation or shouldn't say the motivation, but, um, just things have been growing and you can kind of feel a sense of energy around it. So talk about that. Like what, what has been the evolution in the past couple weeks, months, if any,

Dadam (13:48.078)
Yeah, well, it's been cool, man. I don't know, like number one, start off on the personal level. Like, I don't think we would all train as well and get them as much out of ourselves if we didn't have each other. Like there's so many times where I would not do the run that I do if it wasn't like, oh, I'm meeting up with the guys. And so that's like such a benefit to training with your friends or with a group.

It is really interesting, like again, that it's even, there's even like a name for it, but like, dude, people in Boulder, like, it's just weird. Like they, like these people clapped when we went by the other day and we're like, go Boulder boys, you know, it's like so funny. It's just like really cool. Um, so yeah, I mean, I don't know what that means, but, um, certainly I feel excited by what all of my Boulder boy friends are doing this season.

Um, and we certainly help like build each other up, lift each other up when we're low and, uh, try to keep each other super motivated. Oh, that's another thing. Seth and Matt are coming out to crew me at, uh, Black Canyon. So I feel like we're all pretty stoked on what we're doing and, um, yeah, try to get it done as a team.

Finn (15:00.77)
Do you build this in the image of the cocaine, you know, cowboys? Is it something different? Is it a meld of the cowboys and something else? How do you think about that part of it?

Dadam (15:06.814)
Ahem.

Dadam (15:10.962)
Dude, it's so funny. I was like such a big Coconino cowboy fan when that was like, you know, like a thing. Um, I don't know, maybe we're like Coconino cowboy 2.0. I don't know, but like, you know, I feel like to really be able to call yourself the Coconino cowboys. You all got to like, you know, kind of coalesce on a race you want to do that's extremely competitive and then all show up with tickets and ball out. So like, we haven't done that yet.

We've got some ideas in the works on things we might want to do in that spirit. But yeah, I mean, I don't want to be presumptuous. Those guys are like freaking legends. And so, um, I don't know.

Finn (15:53.646)
Well, I guess to that point, do you see it happening anytime soon where everybody in the group organizes around one race? It could be UTMB later this year, it could be Western States 2025. Is that a strong possibility?

Dadam (16:08.43)
Yeah, I think something in 2025 where we all try to, you know, show up at a race like Western States or maybe try to make a team of some kind is in the cards.

Finn (16:25.862)
like worlds, worlds in 2020, probably like the Spain event.

Dadam (16:29.114)
I don't know man, you know, I don't know. It could be something like that. It could be something like that, but who knows.

Finn (16:31.062)
ADK Team.

Finn (16:38.178)
How does that work? Because I know you played football back in the day, like team sports have been kind of integral to your athletic upbringing. Are you somebody that like, you're not, I don't wanna say intimidated, but like, do you get the best out of yourselves in these team environments? Talk about that.

Dadam (16:54.202)
I think so. I mean, I don't know. Yeah. It's, uh, it is interesting. I haven't like raced, um, with a team, uh, like as a pro runner. So we haven't all gone to the same race and then tried to like play off each other in the race really, but certainly in training, like, like I was saying, like we lift each other up and drag each other along so that I think we're getting the most out of ourselves from a fitness standpoint. And I, like when I tell people like my guys, I'm going to like be at the run.

I'm at the run, which helps hold me accountable to in training when times are tough.

Finn (17:29.586)
Yeah. Talk about the podcast too. We were talking about this before we went live. I'm very excited about this. I've always felt like there's a need for, if there isn't one already, like a truly defined players podcast where people who are like in the sport competing at the highest level, they're kind of commiserating, they're observing the sport, they're commenting on it. So I guess start with how did this idea originate and how does it happen?

Dadam (17:38.913)
Okay.

Dadam (17:52.89)
Yes.

Dadam (17:59.098)
Well, thanks for the opportunity to talk about it. And I agree. I have also wanted that, which is, I think, part of the motivation to do it. And not to take more credit than is due, this is really Seth Ruling's baby. He has brought it up consistently with us and got us all together to do it. So shout out to Seth for making it happen. But yeah, man, we.

often have such rich kind of interesting conversation when we're on runs. Um, and we're all professionals. So like we have a unique take on the sport and like experience, have parallel experiences as pros, but that are different, you know, like whether it's with like respect to what it's like with this is a topic, a little teaser for the episode zero of our first, uh, podcast episode that's dropping soon. Uh, in the next couple of days, like.

Finn (18:55.169)
Yeah.

Dadam (18:55.814)
talking about what it's like to be a pro at the end of the year, you know, and like what that's like from a contract standpoint, how that feels, how the pressure to race, to not race. Like, um, so I dunno, we thought that like all these conversations we had on runs were like, man, like it's so, so interesting. So like maybe we'll record it and see if anyone wants to, wants to listen along. So, um, yeah, it's exciting. It's fun. It's supposed to be like reflective and authentic of our personalities. Like

It's pretty lighthearted. And so we may have like other guests on in the future just to chop it up, but hopefully it's enjoyable for people to listen to.

Finn (19:33.346)
know if you listen to the coffee club podcast on the track and road side of running, but it's like the on athletic club guys. I wonder if this could end up evolving into like coffee club, but for older trail.

Dadam (19:38.649)
Yeah.

Dadam (19:44.846)
You know, uh, Finn, if you, when, when Seth hears this, he's going to lose it. Cause that's his favorite podcast, dude. So if this turned into something like that, I think he'd be over the moon thrilled.

Finn (19:59.358)
Like I said, I think it's, I think it's filling a gap in the sport, but I also am of the mindset that we still don't have nearly enough content that we have in the sport, like the, the demand for content versus the supply of content out there, there's a huge gap. And so I mean, the first thing I got to say is I just salute you guys for getting into the content arena, taking time outside of an already busy schedule where you're focused on training and racing at a high level to create this stuff. And, um,

Dadam (20:15.715)
Yes.

Finn (20:29.438)
Yeah, like just hats off. Is there going to be a cadence to it? Like, is it going to be like a weekly thing or like kind of when you have inspiration, when that strikes, like, how's it, how's that going to work?

Dadam (20:37.078)
Yeah, well, thanks, man. And I totally got to saying this off air before we started recording, but like, dude, I'm always like checking my feed and it's like, did a new free trail podcast dropped a new single track podcast drop, and I'm like waiting for it. So hopefully like people might look forward to our podcast and we can help fill the void of content. Um, but yeah, we're going to have a cadence. We're kind of thinking like.

Not to under promise or we want to honor under promise nervous builder. So like at least once a month, but like maybe biweekly would be very nice. So we'll see if we can make the biweekly thing happen. But yeah, that's what we're thinking.

Finn (21:15.182)
on. Well, Adam, always a pleasure to have you on the show. Really excited about Black Canyon. Equally, I should say, maybe even more excited about the pod. I know, like, honestly, like, I think this pod is an amazing idea. I cannot, I can't, I will be the first subscriber willing to it in the show notes. I think this is going to go live shortly after that episode goes live. So we'll promote it for you. And yeah, thanks for just being an awesome presence in the sport. Appreciate your style. Appreciate kind of your outlook and glad that you're still able to get after it at a high level.

Dadam (21:23.506)
Haha.

Dadam (21:33.758)
That's right.

Finn (21:45.234)
with despite other commitments in life. It's inspiring.

Dadam (21:48.994)
Yeah, Finn, thank you so much, man. I really appreciate coming on and for all that you do for the sport. And so maybe I'll see you at Black Canyon. I don't know if you're going to be out there, but if not, we've got to catch up soon.