My background is not typical—I didn't run in high school or college. Like many of you, I picked this sport up during COVID. But over the last five years, I have spent thousands of hours training, studying training theory, and transforming myself from a non-runner into a dedicated mountain athlete.

My first couple years were tough. I experienced almost every running injury you can think of because I lacked the years of base running needed to toughen my legs. Over time I learned: there are no shortcuts in endurance training, and staying healthy is the only way to compound training over months and years.

I've developed a training style and specific techniques that may not be quite the norm, but they are highly effective for mountain running and ultras. They have kept me healthy and consistently gotten me faster and stronger for running in the mountains.

Every day, I think about how to become a faster and stronger mountain runner. The people close to me are probably sick of hearing the phrase, “I need to keep getting faster.” When you train with me, I will have that exact same mentally towards helping you.