A note from Freetrail: You know Ellie Pell from the Freetrail Fam Pod, but did you know she has an insatiable need to get to know you, and I mean REALLY get to know you? Like, what’s your favorite kind of cheese? “You Made it Weird” is Ellie’s brainchild because while she loves that these athletes are mega-talented she also wants to know what ELSE IS THERE?! Look for You Made it Weird every Friday.
You Made it Weird With Mason Coppi
Mason Coppi is a puppy. An energizingly adorable small mammal that you really should potty-train but it’s just SO STINKING CUTE when he chases his tail around for an hour so you let the little messes go. I first interviewed Mason for the Trail Collective back in 2022 and then spent ten hours with him in the middle of nowhere in New Jersey helping that same organization put on a race that had ten participants. He had the infectious charisma and kindness that I remember made me feel so optimistic and drawn to his style of running. Mason has proven himself countless times in tough short ultras and mountain races, it amazes me he is still smiling at the end. One of his first marathons was the Breakneck Point race, which is notoriously perilous and not for the faint of heart. He’s also shown up at Chuckanut, Loon Mountain Run and others putting up a fight with household names. Get to know Mason and watch for him running around the Colorado Mountains, coaching, and smiling and making people better. That’s what we all want right?
Find Mason on Instagram, Strava, and Ultrasignup.
Who are you and what do you do?
I am a wacky inflatable tube man who wished on a star to become a real boy. My passion project is running up and down really big hills while trying to eat as many sugary snacks as humanly possible while wearing a silly outfit and a fanny pack (to hold sugary snacks). I specifically like to run trails of the sub-ultra variety and have been known to partake in a bit of road racing when I’m feeling crazy. My
day job is telling and reminding people that they are awesome (personal running coach).
How many hours of sleep do you get per night? What are your nightly habits around your sleep (or lack of sleep…what things keep you up at night)?
I slip into bed around 10pm, reflect on all of my insecurities, visualize my most embarrassing moments over the past 20 years, panic about the heat death of the universe, and then the sweet release of Nature Made Strawberry 2.5mg Melatonin Gummies washes over me and grants me 4-7hrs of sleep.
Do any of your group chats have names? If so, what are you willing to share? How did they get that name? What is a major topic of discussion in them?
I have one group chat named “Distant Whales.” The name comes from my former Syracuse NY trivia team, “The Whales”, that I sadly had to retire from since I moved to Colorado (i.e., the distant element of the name). The major topics of discussion are memes related to cycling, triathlon, and running.
If you could change one thing about your favorite social media platform, what would it be?
I’d probably get rid of all social media entirely. Release me from the chains that bind me and let my people goooooooooo!!!
What is a book of fiction that you really enjoyed, for no other reason than you liked it?
I really enjoyed “Anxious People” by Fredrick Backman for no reason, really. I just liked it. See Question 2
What is one song you’ve been listening to on repeat recently?
“Aerodynamic” by Daft Punk has been living in my head rent free constantly since 2020. It is always with me.
What is one trend that started in 2020 that you love?
Working from home is absolutely fantastic! I get to work in a quiet environment where I am exponentially more productive, I don’t have to commute, I have a flexible schedule so I can get runs in whenever, and I get to hang out with my dog all day. Marvelous!
What is one trend that started in 2020 that you hate?
NFTs and cryptocurrencies! I don’t know what they actually are, I have no intention to learn about them, and any time someone tries to explain them to me my eyes glaze over as I escape to the recesses of my mind.
What is the last thing you bought online?
I just ordered some more Blank’s Hydration Custom Mix. My mix is called “Otter Pop Petrol”. It has 100g of carb, 600mg of electrolytes, and 75mg of caffeine per serving and it is the closest thing to gasoline I can safely consume while racing.
(BTW I am not sponsored, I am just a fan).
What is your most controversial food opinion?
Hot take for someone who grew up in California, In-N-Out is just okay. Their milkshakes slap, but their burgers and fries? Meh. Fun fact, my radical views put me on a political extremist list back home which is why I am legally no longerallowed to live in California.
What three videos are at the top of your YouTube recommended homepage?
American Cole Hocker pulls off a STUNNER in men’s 1500m Olympic Final
Hoka Tecton X 3 First Run Review by the Run Testers
Why did people wear powdered wigs?
Which Allie is your favorite?
Allie Buchalski! She is an incredible runner on the Brooks Beasts team and a wonderful human being! She actually recommended my favorite book ever “Inthe Shelter.” Go FU! ^FU = Furman University, not the expletive
What argument in mass media do you not understand or think is a worthless issue?
“They should make a version of the Olympics where people are allowed to dope.” Pardon my language, but whoever came up with this idea is a butt. You know these are human beings right? We shouldn’t incentivize athletes to put their health at risk in this way and make access to performance-enhancing drugs more widely available. Stop it!
When you go home for the holidays, what is the food or tradition that it wouldn’t be the holidays without?
Each year for Christmas my family makes brunch together. Everyone comes together to work in the kitchen and is in charge of their own “signature dish”. It’s my favorite family tradition because food is one of my love languages and there is just something special about the whole family working together to make a wonderful meal. I make the aebleskivers (picture pancakes but spherical)!
When I say in-seam you say…?
In shmeam? Workshop a better joke
When has your ego caused you to do something you sort of regret but also would describe as wild and worth it?
What started out as a joke between friends to do a Mountain Dew Mile (same rules as a beer mile but you have to drink a can of Dew each lap instead) swiftly turned into one of the most competitive races I have ever done. Some of the best high school runners from all around the country actually flew in to do this event. Turns out I can’t say no to a good race and once I start the race I can’t help but to
give it my all. It didn’t matter that I never drank soda or consumed caffeine, I absolutely sent it! I ran surprisingly well and finished second with a time of 6:03. But I felt terrible for the rest of the day and couldn’t sleep at all the following night. It was worth it in the fact that I learned I can consume just about anything while running and not throw up and in the fact that I can now say I have beaten
Cooper Teare in a race.
What was your worst running fuel decision? What was the surprising best?
My junior year of high school I used to choke down concentrated beet juice shots before all my cross-country races for those sweet, sweet, enhanced blood flow gains. And I thought if some beet juice is good, then more beet juice would be better. So, right before a big XC race I tossed back 3 bottles of beet juice thinking it would give me superhuman speed. However, what it ended up doing is making me feel very weird all race and then making me pass out after I finished. Turns out my blood vessels got so vasodilated that my blood pressure dropped through the floor which actually ended up impairing my body’s ability to deliver oxygen. So yeah, that’s the time I OD’d on beet juice.
My surprisingly best fueling decision, was when I decided to start eating cinnamon toast before all my morning runs. Think about it. It is the perfect pre-run food. It’s easy to make, easy to digest, it’s delicious and helps start the day off with nostalgic memories of Saturday morning cartoons. 10/10 would recommend!
What is your death row meal?
Chicken Mole! For those not in the know, Mole is the national dish of Mexico and has been deemed a cultural treasure by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Mole sauce basically has everything in it. We are talking all the dried chiles and spices you can get your hands on, orange juice, onions, almonds, raisins, and chocolate.
Out and back or looped course? Why?
Looped course! You get to see a lot more that way and there is something incredibly satisfying about creating and executing a perfect looped course. I am sure we’ve all experienced the ecstasy of finally drawing the perfect loop on all trails to get you to your exact planned mileage.
Barkley or 24H track race? Why?
I like running fast and having fun. Put simply, neither of these events sound fast or fun to me. If you love these kinds of events, that is awesome! But at this point in time, they don’t fulfill any of my racing values, so they are going to be a hard pass for me.
When I say PTRA you say?
Dyslexia! I really struggle with acronyms.
What is one thing that absolutely scares you? Why?
Besides the heat death of the universe and uncertainty about what happens to us after we die? Probably eels. They just really terrify me. I can’t watch the live action Little Mermaid because of how afraid I am of Flotsam and Jetsam.
What is a time you felt you didn’t measure up? How did you get through that?
I am going to go with my entire last year competing at Furman. I came into college with big a lot of big goals. Things started off great my freshman year but after that my progress stalled. The next few years were marked by a lot of races where I would blow up right at the end and have to limp it in. My coaches convinced me that what I was physically feeling wasn’t real and that it was all in my head, because of course there was nothing wrong with the training they were writing even if the problems I was facing wasn’t uncommon across the team. By my final year the narrative in my head was I was self-sabotaging and a waste of potential. When my last race went south, yet again, I remember feeling incredibly stunned. My coaches wouldn’t say a word to me or look at me afterwards. There were no more chances for redemption or for a fairy tale ending. I had failed to reach my goals and that was that.
Getting through this was a process and took a complete reframing of my outlook on running. Working with my new, and current, coach David Roche I worked to get myself to the point where I could trust myself again and accept that who I am is enough. Shifting to trail racing played a big role here too. Trail running helped me prioritize fun and adventure over competing for competition’s sake. It has
definitely been a long process though. It took me over a full year after college to even get to the point where I could touch a running track and another full year before I could bring myself to actually do a workout on a track. Honestly, I am still getting over it. To this day I can’t watch NCAA competitions without having painful memories.
Who is another runner that flies under the radar that we should all get to know?
I am going to go with Frank Lara. Frank is one of the best road marathoners in the US, has the fastest known out and back time on the legendary Magnolia Rd., and has been sending people to the Yu-Gi-Oh! shadow realm way before Noah Lyles made it cool. Maybe this isn’t the best platform to bring up Frank considering he is a road and track athlete. But gosh darn it, Frank the Tank deserves more attention!