About Me

Intro

Hi!  I'm Will, a dedicated husband, father, ultrarunner, and follower of Christ.  A former fitness professional, I now support law enforcement, military, and intelligence agencies in the pursuit of justice. Outside of work, I spend as much time as possible on the trails with my faithful canine companion.  I created this site because I love writing and wanted a place to share experiences as I pursue ambitious endurance goals, including running a marathon (or ultramarathon) in all 50 U.S. states and completing the Western States Endurance Run, the world’s oldest 100-mile trail race. I am especially grateful for the steady support of my family along the way and hope you enjoy following the journey.

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Early Years

Growing up I played several sports and was verry into weightlifting, but also ate a lot of fast, unhealthy food.  Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease unfortunately all run in my family, and by the time I got to college, 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, and cigarettes (gross!), I traded for one that included more bottled water, fruit, and protein bars.  Eventually I started running, 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 my fraternity, and I graduated with honors weighing 190 pounds.  I also joined Bodybuilding.com and became a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist through the American Council on Exercise. Since then I 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 grad school 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 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 the following spring that caused me to shift my primary focus to running.  I have since completed almost twenty marathons and ultra marathons, including several 100 milers.  I know I will have to continue adapting as life changes, but I have no plans to slow down anytime soon.