Now

"Every action you take is a vote for the person you want to be." - James Clear, Atomic Habits

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Running.

As I write this in November 2022, I am reflecting on a year that was largely stagnant from a running standpoint. I registered near all-time lows in total workouts, long runs, mileage, and time on feet. I ran way too much in isolation when I should have been social. At times, I was on good training streaks - like in the lead-up to the Canyons 100K - but even then, I dealt with injuries and other setbacks and ultimately underperformed on race day. I struggled to set goals, raced 1.5 times (I can barely count Speedgoat) for the year. In retrospect, I attribute this stasis to my investment in Singletrack. I realized at the beginning of the year that I wanted to fast-track the podcast to full-time status and to do that, I needed to invest full-time energy which meant long nights and long weekends around my then 9-5 job. I believe it was worth it in the end because it got me to where I wanted to be. But I’m also very sensitive to the biological clock. I’m not getting any younger. In fact, I’m probably on the back-end of my prime right now. So this is the moment to re-invest in running. I am confident 2023 will resume the trend of improvement/progress.

Here's what I'm excited about when it comes to running:

Getting into the best shape of my life. The time is now. I have the freedom of schedule to get out the door first thing each morning and make the run the most important part of my day.
Big goals. I am signed-up for the Black Canyon 100K in February where I'll aim for a top-10 finish. After that, plans are a little murky. I'll either combo the Millwood 100 and 100 Mile Wilderness FKT attempts in June/August or another race like the Wasatch 100 or the Leadville 100 which I have a deferral entry for. I'll know more after Black Canyon.
In general, being more transparent about my participation in the sport. I plan to be more descriptive with my Strava uploads, I intend to blog and v-log more about my thoughts on the website. And so on. I am a big supporter of people being as public as possible about their experiences. But it feels wrong not do walk the walk. So, I'm doing it.

Living

I'm currently based in Salt Lake City, UT. It's the greatest city in America. I can't think of a better one. It's easy to get around, the access to trails is unparalleled, the people are adventurous and forward-thinking. I could go on. I am not trying to keep it a secret. If you are reading this, I encourage you to move here.

Here's what I'm excited about when it comes to living:

Getting better at cooking. I bought a few cook books recently. My goal over the next few weeks and months is to cook a “real” dinner each night. By “real” I mean purchasing all the ingredients from the perimeter aisles of the grocery store (fruits, vegetables, legumes, meats) and just getting that muscle built and habit in place to a point where it feels second nature and the thought of eating out or buying something out of a box or plastic bag sounds unappetizing.
Making Salt Lake City a better place than when I found it. Once you find a place you want to settle down in, that's when the real work begins. I am a big believer in public service. My contribution will be to the trail community here.

Working.

As of October 1st, I am working full-time on the Singletrack Podcast. What does a typical day look like? I try to dedicate the mornings to “deep work”. By this I mean, doing research and writing questions on guests and topics for upcoming episodes, doing research and building sales decks for prospective partners/sponsors, and at least 30-60 minutes dedicated to continuous learning around a particular marketing channel that I can leverage for the business. At the present moment, this is Youtube. In the afternoons, I am typically conducting interviews, catching up on emails, checking analytics around podcast and social media performance, and spending at least 30-60 minutes networking with someone relevant to Singletrack - this last part might be my favorite part of the day. At this point in the day, I’ll usually be pretty tired but in this case I get to head out the door, go for a walk around my neighborhood and phone some who’s equally passionate about trail running and working in the space to some extent. It keeps the “stoke” alive for my course in life, gives me new ideas for what to explore and focus on with Singletrack, and in many cases, creates new friends and partners in the community.

Here's what I'm excited about when it comes to working:

Seeing if I can “make” it on my own. I’m no longer collecting a reliable salary from an employer. For the foreseeable future I have to go out and find every single dollar for this business to meet costs and hopefully create a surplus (profit) that I can reinvest into the future vision. It’s “sink or swim” time. Frankly, I love the pressure and I’m excited to see the impact it has on the work I do and what I’m able to accomplish.
Seeing what happens when I invest my full energy into the trail and ultra running community. Who and what do I attract? Who and what do I repel? What opportunities arise? How does Singletrack change or look the same in the months and years ahead?
Seeing if I can accomplish my largest, most ambitious long-term goals. Within the next few years, for example, I want to become a Race Director. I’m inspired by the ability to directly impact and improve the livelihood of the trail community here in Utah and I think an event is a great conduit for that. Am I able to rise to the occasion? Can identify a course of action and achieve small wins day after day in pursuit of that goal? Can I stay faithful to it? It’s exciting to think about. The same goes for even more far-fetched dreams - like testing out ultrarunning in the summer or Winter Olympics.