About
Why I wrote this.
Running Legacy is what I wish someone had given me when I was young; what I wish I'd known as a coach before I made mistakes with athletes; and what I'm learning every day as a parent trying to get this right.
It started with my dad and a stack of 10Ks.
My dad took me to local 10Ks and half-marathons before I understood what a finish line was. What stuck wasn't the racing — it was that running was something joyful you shared with people you love. That carried into high school cross country and track (middle distance, relays, and pole vault), and it never really stopped.
Then I chased the long stuff.
Over the years I've lived this sport from every angle — athlete, competitor, coach, and now parent. Here's the experience the book is built on:
Endurance athlete
Multiple Ironman triathlons; Ultraman World Championship finisher three consecutive years (2011, 2012, 2013); the 10K Bridge-to-Bridge open-water swim; California's Death Ride (129 miles, 15,000+ ft of climbing); 14,000-ft summits across North America; an attempt on Aconcagua.
Certified coach
USA Triathlon Level 1, USA Cycling Level 3, and USA Track & Field Level 1.
Student of people
Studied psychology at the University of Arizona — how people learn, stay motivated, and get past obstacles.
Parent of three runners
Three young runners (6, 8, and 11) — which means I see the sport through their eyes now, not just my own.
The mission: develop runners, not just winners.
Somewhere along the way I watched the three joy-killers — overtraining, burnout, and drudgery — quietly end more running careers than any injury. I came to believe what the long-term athlete development world has been saying for years: development over performance, the long game over this season.
But the real thesis is simpler: athletes, parents, and coaches have to see through each other's eyes. When they do, they build something that lasts — kids who are still running at 30, 40, 50.
That idea started as a book. It needed somewhere to live, so it became a platform — first for one club, my kids' middle-school team, and now opening up to clubs, teams, and families everywhere.