About the Coach

Living in Portland Oregon after grad school 20 years ago, the opportunities for adventure were endless with plenty of time to explore.  I spent my weekends mountain biking, skiing, hiking, and found a passion for climbing the glaciated peaks of the great northwest.

Just as I became certified to lead climbing teams, a business opportunity took me to Georgia over 12 years ago.  With no big mountains to climb, I fell in love with ultra-marathon distances, specifically 100 milers which are the closest thing to the all-night 24-to-36-hour efforts found in climbing.  I skipped right to the 50K distance and ran his first hundred shortly thereafter, the Pinhoti 100. Up to this point, my ultra-running experience was self-taught.  I knew no ultra-runners, had no idea how to go about training, or even what questions to ask.  Totally under-trained and not knowing what to expect, it was a painful and humbling experience, but I finished!  

I never want anyone to be in a similar position and I love to work with beginners and first timers of any ultra-distance as well as those looking to go to the next level.

I’ve finished 9 100-mile races: Western States, Hellbender, Pinhoti (2x), Georgia Jewel, Rocky Raccoon, Thunder Rock, Zion 100 and most recently Uwharrie 100, where I finished 10th overall!  Along the way I’ve coached and mentored and coached multiple runners to complete 100 mile, 50 mile, and 50K races.

Self-supported runs are also a huge passion of mine.  These adventures can bring you epic places races aren’t allowed to go, and you also get to run with friends the entire time.  My favorites are the Grand Canyon’s Rim to Rim to Rim, Palm Springs’ Cactus to Clouds to Cactus, and circumnavigations of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens, the Georgia Loop, and countless peaks up and down the west coast.

I have a wife of 20 years, two active teenage boys, and I’m a part owner of a sporting goods manufacturing business.   I understand time constraints and other responsibilities when training for endurance events and I pride myself on finding balance while training for ultras. I definitely strive to coach and train in a sustainable way, to make this a long-term sport, so you can achieve these adventures for a lifetime.

I currently reside in Georgia and you can often find me on the trails of the North Georgia mountains on the weekends.