About Me
Intro
Hi! I'm Will, a dedicated husband, father, ultrarunner, and follower of Christ that lives in the D.C. area. Formerly a fitness professional, I work in the technology sector with U.S. Federal law enforcement. When not supporting a critical investigation, I can often be found out on the local trails with our faithful dog, Bud. I created this site because I love writing, and thought it would be a fun way to share experiences and insights as I pursue my goals of running a marathon in all 50 U.S. States and completing the Western States Endurance Run, the world's oldest 100 mile trail race. I am so grateful to have my beautiful wife, Sarah, and our sweet little girl supporting me along the way. I hope you enjoy following our adventures!
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Early Years
Growing up I played several sports and was very active, but also ate a lot of unhealthy food and struggled with my weight. Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease unfortunately all run in my family, and by the time I got to college at Virginia Tech, I weighed 240 pounds. During my sophomore year something happened that would forever change the course of my life though: my father had triple bypass surgery. Given our family history you would think I would have known better by then, but it was in that moment, when I saw him in his hospital bed, that it became real for me. I simply decided to fight back.
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Transformation
I started out small at first, making a few incremental changes to my daily routine. Rather than a diet that consisted mostly of beer, pizza, soda, and cigarettes (gross!), I traded for one that included more bottled water, fruit, tuna, and protein bars on the way to class. Eventually I started running a few times a week, which was another big step in my journey. As the months went by and the pounds rolled off, I developed more confidence in all areas of life. My energy levels increased, my grades improved, I became President of the Virginia Tech Interfraternity Council, and I graduated with honors weighing 190 pounds. I also joined Bodybuilding.com, immersed myself in the world of fitness, and became an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist through the American Council on Exercise. Since then I also added a Spartan SGX coaching certification to the list, and have always done my best to educate and inspire everyone I meet.
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Adaptation
Although I no longer work in the fitness industry, my passion for fitness has never waned. I got into obstacle racing in 2011, as I had just completed my MBA program and was looking for a new challenge. I was also getting used to working at a fortune 500 company, which included long hours, stress, and the sedentary nature of a modern office job in corporate America. My role at the time required frequent travel to manufacturing locations where there were few healthy dining options and no gyms to be found. As a result, I had to improvise and adapt in order to keep a healthy lifestyle as a young professional. I invented new workouts in my hotel rooms, I ran the stairs during lunch, I did burpees in airports, and I always packed nutritious snacks. Whatever it takes!
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Performance
Over the years I have completed numerous endurance events and overcome many of life's obstacles. After finishing strong at the 2018 Spartan Ultra World Championship, a brutally technical 24-hour obstacle race held in the snow-covered mountains of Iceland, I suffered a major shoulder injury in the spring of 2019 that caused me to shift my focus entirely to ultrarunning. I have since completed over a dozen marathons and ultra marathons, including several 100 milers. My fastest time to date for the distance is 21.5 hours, which I accomplished at the 2022 Yeti 100 miler, a race where over 50% of the field dropped out due to torrential downpours and high winds from Hurricane Ian. I know I will have to continue adapting as life changes, but I have no plans to slow down anytime soon!