When I turned 40 I wrote down a few goals for the next decade. One of the crazier goals was a big belt buckle (under 9 hours) at Leadville.

Crazy because I had (at that time) very little mountain bike experience and no experience racing at altitude. Needless to say, I had a lot to learn.

The first year I did Leadville in 2019 my time was 10:18:42 and I was 13th in my AG. Respectable but pretty far off that big buckle. Then a pandemic happened...

I raced Leadville again last year putting pretty much everything I had into the training. The result was a big improvement but still not enough: 9:05:29 and 6th in my AG. I was thrilled in many senses but also disappointed because I wasn’t sure what more I could do to improve. And, I was only getting older.

I am so lucky to be surrounded by great people though and many encouraged me that age wasn’t the factor that would hold me back. So in 2024 I threw my hat into the ring again.

At the start of the year I started working with Boundless Coach...

I’ll admit that I was skeptical about coaching as a 50+ runner. Especially as someone who had returned to the roads and trails only during the pandemic, since the gyms were closed, thinking I’d never run the kind of volume that I once did. I’d stopped serious running in my late 30s after a really bad ankle sprain in an on-campus intramural soccer match.

When I signed up for the mythic Leadville 100 trail run in late 2021, I’d never done an ultra-marathon distance of any kind and had no idea what I was doing during the 2022 race. I’d gotten through Hope Pass inbound, but bonked psychologically, and quit on myself.

That’s when I knew I needed help.

So, when I found Coach Jay Friedman’s profile on the Boundless Coach list, I knew instinctively I’d found the right coach. He is an MD, on top of run coaching, and I wanted that experience for someone who might need more guidance in physiology than my 30-something self.

That DNF in 2022 was the spark...

I had decided to do LT100 last summer but was not sure how I would make it happen...

My goal, like everyone else, was to go under 9 hours and earn that big belt buckle! I was not sure if this would be possible since I have not road much in the last 10 years and have primarily been lifting 5 days a week.

I started using TrainerRoad and did a ramp test last year (July 2023) and my FTP was estimated at 227. Well below where I needed to be for a sub 9!

In trying to figure out how to get a guaranteed LT100 entry I decided to sign up with Boundless in the fall. This was the best decision I could have made.

I continued using TrainRoad through the end of last year and then started following Coach Scott Tietzel’s programming after the New Year.

Training:

I followed Scott’s programming very closely doing almost everything he programmed weekly. I also planned on doing some races leading up to...

My experience with Boundless has been exceptional. The level of personal attention and engagement with Boundless is remarkable. Derek has been a constant source of feedback and encouragement. He adjusts my calendar regularly to adapt to my schedule and my improving fitness/goals. His commitment to my growth as an athlete, and his clear desire to see me achieve my objectives, is inspiring. I feel like I have a true partner and advocate in the training process. I felt that way going into Unbound - and then exceeded even my highest expectations at the event. So, I am a true believer! I look forward to continuing to work with Derek and Boundless through Leadville and moving forward as I seek out new goals and events!

A couple years ago, I thought it would be cool to push myself beyond the marathon distance as I saw a few events in my home state (Maryland) and signed up for a 50k and the JFK 50 miler as a challenge, but also as a bucket list sort of endeavor.

Part of my attraction to the JFK50 miler specifically was I saw that it was the oldest ultramarathon in the country and it happened to be driving distance from my house.

Another fun fact that I later learned about the race was David Goggins completed the event and was a recent participant. I thought, man, it would be pretty cool to finish a race that someone like David Goggins has finished, and maybe I'll be fortunate enough to meet him if he's there too. Well... I finished the race, but no Goggins that year, bummer!

After finishing JFK50, I was pretty beat up physically, but I was bit by the ultra bug and started looking up 100 mile events and I came across Nick Bare's YouTube video documentary about the Leadville 100. It was so inspiring to watch and I told myself, ...

On the morning of July 11, 2001, I was struck head-on by a Ford Explorer traveling at 40 mph during a training ride before a corporate off-site retreat.

My trauma team was amazed I survived.

That morning, I was training for my first race in a few years, having taken time away from competitive cycling and running to start our family. In a moment, our world was turned upside down and shaken violently.

During my recovery, I began to remove the "rocks in my backpack" that I had been carrying for years. It wasn’t easy, to say the least, and it wasn’t a linear process. It involved taking one pedal stroke or one step at a time.

Several years later, I pinned a number on again and in 2022, I rode my bike across America—with a total knee replacement, no less. In 2023, I rode across New York State on the Empire State Trail in five days.

This year, I'm easting the whole burrito with Unbound XL. I credit my practices in mindfulness, breath work, meditation, and visualization, for aiding my recovery and executive career.

In 2022, I launched the Pause...

Coach Jay,

As I sat this morning with a cup of coffee, thinking about where I was on race day just one month ago, I was struck with such a sense of gratitude for the entire experience, and the opportunity that I was given to run Leadville.

A significant part of that was gratitude for your help and coaching in taking advantage of that opportunity.

As I may have mentioned, the size of the task didn’t really set in until I got the call from Taylor letting me know that I had been chosen for this event. Candidly, I was not at all certain that I’d be able to get through the miles and to prepare well for the race, let alone arrive at the starting line ready to attempt to finish.

However, over the next couple months, my belief began to build that I could not only complete the training, but give a honest and respectful attempt for the event itself. Your encouragement and coaching was a significant part of that.

I wanted to write this note today to let you know how grateful I am for not only your expertise in helping me navigate the proper training plan, but...