¶ Running, Parenting, and Twin Speak
and how are you Doing ? well , how about yourself Doing ? alright , man , It's kind of weird this new setup , and I appreciate you allowing me to have this learning curve on new equipment . What do you think so far ?
Oh , I like it . It's a great setup . I feel very professional .
Yeah , yeah .
I expected some more teacups in the teacup studio , but it's a good amount Yeah yeah , the teacup studio , man .
The reason why I call it the teacup studio is because I have no toys in here . I have movies , but it's mostly filled with girl toys , so I call it teacup studio .
So no , i like it . I've got a daughter who just turned one , so this is a bit of a glimpse of my future right now .
Yeah , yeah , that and girl stuff . And then , whenever you get a Barbie , how many kids do you have ?
I have a one-boy-one-girl Okay okay .
Well , when you have a Barbie , just know They're not going to stay fully clothed forever . The moment they buy them off , it's like are you kidding me ? All three girls have done it . It's like oh my God .
And then you never find the clothes again .
No . but then when they find clothes it's off of a stuffy , not a Barbie doll . They're like hey , can you put this on there ? I was like it's sagging , it's baggy clothing . They're like put it on . It's like this isn't the right clothing . Put it on , i'm like all right . So yeah , it's one of those things . It's a hit or miss . but then what's that ?
Oh , make it work .
Yeah , yeah , yeah , Make it work . And yeah , just the joys of being a parent man , especially with three girls .
I can't imagine . Yeah , yeah .
So , Kyle , you're known as the Speedster .
Speedster . I prefer old man Kyle .
Old man . Why is that ?
I'll just well , we both help coach , and then we'll recommend him .
Yeah .
One of my monikers is old man Kyle , It was before So yeah but we'd go on run , especially around Thompson Hill , the Southridge Desert Hills middle school area . Yeah , right now it's all developed . It's bubbles and highway or whatever . And when I was in high school back in my day it was a nice trail system . There's a creek that went through wasn't developed .
It's not one haunted old house , and now it's suburb .
Yeah , like a .
Walmart or something back there .
A dusty one .
A dusty one , yeah , dusty one , very dusty , say back in my day .
Yeah , so Kyle . I have to ask you , man , how old ?
are you ? I am 29 . Old man .
Kyle , old man , kyle , why ? Okay , man , you gotta , i gotta ask you what's the old man come from ?
Well , just you know , running with the kids , just saying back in my day .
That's what .
Back in my day we did that . You know , back in my day there was a vineyard between 10th and fourth in Kennewick , Okay , And now it's a suburb .
So okay , so that's all they go by . It's old man Kyle and you're okay with that . I'm okay with old man Kyle , because normally I would say I'm the old man , but you're 11 years , probably on those kids , correct ?
Yeah .
Yeah .
Since I graduated in 2012 and bit of hiatus for college , but it's good . Where are you from ? Born and raised ? here in Kennewick . Okay , tri-cities , you have like an accent . I get that . English is my second language .
Okay .
Yeah , i have an identical twin brother .
Uh-huh .
And we had our own language growing up , so I think that's where we pick up the accent . He gets the same thing where you have an accent . It's from our twin speak growing up .
Okay , So like when you say you had your own language .
We could talk with each other . We would understand each other , yeah . No one would have any idea And we would just have on full on conversations and whatever twin speak . It was Almost like Latin pig Latin . It must be , I'm not quite sure . The only word I remember is soda pop , which was , you know ? that's the name , the sound that soda pop makes ?
No , because it's almost like a New England and like Dakota and Minnesota accent . Yeah , it's like a mixture .
So I do get that a lot , that's yeah , yeah , that's my excuse , it's . English is my second language .
English is my second language , so you have a twin brother , and does he run too ?
Yep , yep , he ran Bloomsday today .
Okay , how did you do ? Yeah , good , speedster He ran 47 , 47 .
Speedster He went , you know , like any runner . he wanted to go a little bit faster .
But you can't do that in Bloomsday . Yeah , you can't do that .
But he was happy with it , so I'm proud of him .
Yeah , what was his place ?
I think he made top 200 , which is really good , yeah , yeah . But yeah he was , he was really happy . I mean , he's what he does in the crowd , but he's got three of his own kids , he's married and he's getting his doctorate in physical therapy at Eastern . So Oh , wow , he's got a good run . He can still find time to run and run fast .
So proud of him .
Yeah , does it run in the family ?
Only twins run in my family . Yeah , another bit of a joke .
Yeah , yeah , i'm getting what you're putting down , all right .
No , my sister , my younger sister , has started running as well as she did across country , but Kevin and I were the ones who took it like super serious .
Is Kevin in the coaching gig too , or ?
no , yeah , he helped that . come back until he went to .
Eastern as well . All right , so I know that you're throwing names out there . Not only are you a speedster , but you're also one of the younger coaches at Kamiakin . Yeah , how many coaches do you guys have there ?
So there's me . I'm an assistant . There's Ann Marie Grigg , who's an assistant , julian Brooks , who's an assistant , and then Rex is the head coach for the boys And for track . He's the head coach for the . He's a distance coach for boys and girls , and then during the fall we get Sean Sus , who in the spring he's over at Kenwood Kai .
Yeah , oh yeah .
And then there's one other Cal . I'm spacing out my name Brooke . Brooke , maybe Brooke . Yeah , it's okay . Yeah , i'm terrible at names . Yeah , no , you're good .
You're good , but no well , when did you get involved with Kamiakin ?
So my brother , i have six siblings . The middle child , brendan , was an art person and president of the art club at Kamiakin And they had a presentation at the thing called Brave Day , where the freshmen or incoming freshmen go to check out clubs .
And we went to go check out his booth because he made it up himself , and we walked by the cross country table and my dad was like , hey , you know what You guys are doing that . So that's how I first got involved . It was a bit of a forced deal .
¶ Coaching and Running in the Tri-Cities
When did you start coaching ?
Right after I graduated , I wanted to . I was going to CBC and I wanted to keep running And I wanted to , when I was done with CBC , walk on to a college program and I figured well , i know Rex , i know Rex is a good coach , so I'm just going to . They had great guys .
So I wasn't like official at that time , i wasn't really an official coach until I got back from college , but it was definitely pretty much all the runs and helping out time and when I could .
And you ran in college .
Yep at Central Washington Okay .
All right , so you got the roots around here .
Oh yeah .
So you've seen Kamiakin at . Maybe it's lowest , maybe I don't know . They've always had a good program , correct ?
Yeah , back in 2008 is when the rise really started , where we went from being a good program to a really good program qualifying for state . Best in the state . It's been a fun , fun rise to watch .
It's fun to watch , period . It's always like , okay , anybody but Kamiakin . But I or I say that just because it's like man , you guys are solid , you guys , you guys are stacked Like there's not . Your JV team is varsity , your varsity is elites .
It's just nuts how it's different than any other program in the area And to see that it's just like okay , you know , i was , i watch you guys . You guys are fun to watch , but I also want to compete . But I'm like man , these get , these boys are good , these boys are good And that that Teeples family man , they're the best out there .
They're incredible family .
Yeah .
Incredibly . I wish there was maybe five or six more of them .
Yeah , i bet , i bet . But man , you guys got some up and coming too . I've been watching the JV guys because I mostly do the developing of Richland and just watching the JV the top JV runners man for on track is just like what . But then you see the varsity guys . you're like that's why Okay .
Oh yeah , they got to run well because those JV guys are hungry for those spots . Yeah .
And in your program you guys have the largest program too in the area . Last cross country season , how many boys were on your team ?
We had 40 boys total .
Yeah .
Oh , anywhere from 40 to 50 on a good year which , besides right after COVID , we only had like in like 2021 , maybe about like 25 , but now we're seeing 40 again .
Yeah you guys are stacks man . The program is just unbelievable , man Yeah all that is just the head coach .
Yeah , he knows what he's doing and kids just love running for him . That's why I'm there is because I love Rex's just being around him . He's contagious . I know Suss .
Suss is pretty big too himself .
He's a great guy too .
Oh yeah yeah , And he's probably definitely helped change that around a bit and probably both Hall of Famers .
Oh yeah definitely , definitely .
But he's been in he's what 50 something , but he's been in for coaching for like 30 something years , he was telling me , man . I was just like wow , okay . But then I just found out this year that he coaches Kenwick and the spring . So it's weird , it's like okay , yeah , it's like hmm .
Some conflicting interests there . Yeah , yeah , yeah So . but running is running and I don't think there's any hard feelings or anything weird when his world like I mean you run with a bunch of people as well or we're all just kind of one big family .
at the high school level , like you'll see , i got for the races , kids fist bump in the competition and high five saying good job , and it's not . you know , when the gun goes off , it's never man for himself .
But , afterwards .
Everyone is just oh yeah , it's brotherly love . It's awesome .
Oh yeah , that's , that's what I loved about it , man , and that's why I was like I'm going to get back into it . You know just the camaraderie , the love , and you know I'll go up to you know your guys's Hanford guys , kenwick people , you know , and just hey , congrats , good job . Don't beat yourself up .
And then some don't want to hear it , but a lot of them do you know . So so , coaching Mike and Richlin , normally you don't talk about it , you know , but I'm glad I have a fellow coach , just because it was . It was good to be out there knowing that there are certain people are as loud as me .
You're one of them And I don't know if I'm as loud as you .
Yeah , I remember the first meet I saw you cheering was at the Walla Walla League meet this last fall . I'm like , well , no wonder why Richlin is doing so good this season . Like they got that guy like cheering from every day at practice .
No man , I appreciate it , That's a big step up for them .
Yeah , i mean , the kids responded and they could feel that passion .
So Blizzard's done a fantastic job man He's he's , he's been around too , but man , just the just the growth of . When the kids first met him , they're like ah , you know , you know he's all the time He doesn't know what he's doing . To now , man , they live and breathe his , his ethics , his dynamic , the whole system .
You know So , and I guess I help a little bit . I don't know , but yeah , that helps Yeah . Yeah , yeah , i appreciate it , man , he's . Another person that brings it to man is Erky's . Oh yeah , yeah , can we ?
Oh , yeah , yes , the bigger guy , yeah Yeah .
Yeah , he comes from a football program and he I got introduced with him or to him just because I'm a fellow loud person and he's like man . I love it Come from football . It's so good to see another person just be as hype . I was like , yeah , and that grew on Blizzard .
That took Blizzard by surprise because he's like , dude , this is like a gentleman's , you know sport , you don't get hype . I was like coach , you get hype . You get hype before you know . You pregame it , you get there , you get hyped , don't you psych yourself out , right , but you just , you know you're like I'm going to do this .
You know all positive self-talk and everything else .
And he's just like yeah , yeah , yeah .
And he's like no , Nick , you don't , you , don't , you don't do that . Well , he doesn't say that anymore .
Hey , when you see results , it works , it works . Yeah , man , it's great .
It's great . So back to running . There's a certain I would say maybe three to five people in this area that dominates road races . road races and then trail Which one do you prefer ? I prefer road .
Yeah , yeah , that's why I have a big climber .
That's why we don't compete against each other .
I'm scared to face you in the trail .
I'm just a big guy on a trail man , that's all . But the road . I like the road , but five Ks or half marathons , that's it . But that's why I don't see much of you . But I know of you being a speedster . I know you buy , you know results , i know what races you run because you have Instagram and you do .
You haven't done any races lately , i think your last one was February , right ?
Yeah , I did the run fest and then after that was the leprechaun dash .
Okay , yeah .
It's not really too much early spring in the Tri-Cities anyways .
Yeah , but when you do run , you broadcast it and man you're like oh , it's got another run and I'm like dude , do you see your time ?
I think part of the issue of being a speedster is I look at the time and then compare it to what I've done in the past and go . I'm not quite where I want to be , but where you are at where you're at and you just got accepted .
Yeah , yeah yeah , One thing about this community too the Tri-Cities is how I go off on it . I don't go so much on time in Tri-Cities , I go on place Time is when I go to Portland . I mean that makes sense , right , Because you never know who's going to come here . Like a couple of years ago , Ian Sherman came to Rational Run Fest and it was dominated .
I think Chris Albertson was with him as well . Not too many people can hang with Chris . I mean you can .
Chris is one of those crazy hybrids that can do the trail and the road race super well .
Yeah , yeah , when Ian , we're taking that show and it's just like , wow , all right , ian , every now and then you'll get like Max King , start at the Ritual Run Run Fest and whatnot . You get some big names but not a lot . But then you start seeing the guys that are actually Tri-Cities .
They're like , wow , okay , you're at an elite level but you just don't have the name . I start picking up on those guys and I'm like , okay , who's going to be the competition ? And I hardly do Tri-City runs man , just because they're out and backs out and backs out and backs out and backs . But I pay attention .
The one guy that I normally compete with and against really nice guy is Latin Brandon . Latin , Awesome guy . Have you talked to him ? Oh yeah , All right , I'm going to say this He's a great guy competitor . He talks the most crap of all people .
Man . But no , he's a great competitor .
But that's pretty much the only person I compete against in this area . just because we have the same mindset , to have the same mindset . But man , he talks so much crap Oh yeah , he's good at it .
Yeah , but one of the things he does that kind of and it doesn't irk me , but he's listening is he'll you know , you do a couple runs and then , like , just out of nowhere , i'll get a notification like oh , brandon Latin took your course record on Strava . Yeah , x , y , z segment . I'm like , come on , i'll look at it .
It's like just jogs , jogs and then this big old sprint And I'm like , ah , you do that just to troll us , brandon .
Yeah , no , it's good . but Yeah , i was on the trails with Dan and Ben yesterday and they were talking about Brandon and I'm just going to tell what he does .
Yeah .
I'm going to snitch on him .
So basically what he'll do , do sections he'll run like nine minute minute minute miles , you know , and his fun run or whatever , and then certain sections he'll go all out sprint , which in fact you or Chris or any other person that has the best time had that section or in more in like six minutes miles , you know He's got that one little bit .
He has the crown in the end . That's what really matters . Yeah , And they go . man , now I got to plan another like week just to get around being in that area going at that pace .
Yeah , but man you love to hate it Yeah , and he has tree trunks of legs and rocking . I compete with him on rocking and man he's , he's a savage man .
He's , he's . That's one thing I've really loved seeing is the the rocking races kind of growing . That's something I don't know if I could really get into , but I love to see it like a badger in it . There's another one , the fourth of July fun run that I can't patriot in pass .
Oh , yeah , yeah , you ever rucking Okay . Yeah , it's fun . Integrity takes it away , though A lot of people don't have integrity . Are they cheating ?
Yeah , oh , no Some will start with weight .
Some people will start some weight with the weight and then they'll you know it's rice , so they'll throw a bag out or something you know for a throw . It happens .
Really .
It sucks . But then there are some races that will check your weight at the starting line , but then some of it's water weight , you know so as you're going by .
Well then , it stays here , then , right ?
But it's supposed to stay in your pack . Yeah , yeah , but yeah , that's the only downfall of rucking .
At that point , though , you're just cheating yourself , like what are you getting out of it ?
Yeah , Yeah , that's how we think in our mindset is , you know ? but them they're like oh yeah , number one . Really , are you number one with the middle finger up , you know ?
question Yeah , that's kind of them one . Yeah , they're just the one finger .
Yeah , yeah , yeah . So you are part of track , but you're not .
Yeah Well , i've been mostly helping with the cross country team , but for the last few years just with my old job . I really didn't have too much time or as mostly just like the stack guy , the weekend guy , the morning guy and the meat guy .
And in December I started a new job with country financial , which gives me more flexibility , flexibility in my schedule . So I originally planned to be more involved in track but just you know , starting off with a whole new job with all commission Okay .
So I kind of want to build some business up or book up to make sure that come fall like I can be all in on cross country because I'm a big cross country guy .
Right , oh yeah .
And you know the stuff I'm right now six with six month policies will pay off again in six months , which is cross country time . So then I wouldn't be in situations won't be as dire , right Kind of my well hoping you can't really guarantee anything with sales , but Okay , Yeah , Right , Right , Yeah .
So speedster coach , family man like my , my wife . I told her that you know somebody's coming over . Like who's this person ? Oh , family man . That's all I have to say . So , yeah , talk about that man . How do you fit in ? you know , coaching , working full time and family and then running at an elite level How do you manage that ?
Well , big part is just getting the running early in the morning before everybody else wakes up , which sometimes doesn't happen , sometimes does happen , yeah , and then spend a little bit of time with the kids and wife before I go to work . And then go to work , and especially with the coaching bit , what I've been doing this last fall .
And even I went to practice yesterday and I just took my son with me and we drove around while some of the kids ran on the canal and then down by the river , So I had some waters out at the canal .
My son just threw rocks in the river and then gave some knuckles , which the kids like and he likes the knuckles , So you know you just try to mix and blend what you can every now and then , you know , try to get a run in while with the high school kids , while they're running
¶ Coaching and Running Goals
And it's . You just try to mix and mash what you can and be as helpful as you can , because we had just the one kid and my wife would love it when I would take him to practice , because it gets him out of her hair .
Exactly , she's free .
Have that break . You got to have a break .
Yeah , you know how it is . Oh yeah , yeah , yeah . So , and then , like every now and then I'll see like you'll go walking , you'll do walks with your kids and family . It's like , man , how did this guy have all this time ? You know , if people ask me like probably , like how do you do the podcast , i manage it through the week .
I'll either do a Tuesday or Thursday , you know , and honestly , this is the first Sunday I've done a recording and like months , man , so , but still , it's like I just want to try to figure out , like , how do you do what you do , especially in cross country season ?
man , it's just it's tough , Yeah , And again with the old job where I wasn't really able to be there during the weekdays . So this next fall I'll probably just do something similar where when we go to practice . I'll just and luckily , rex is very supportive of having the kid there because he doesn't really get in the way and he does a good job .
Kids like getting knuckles from James , so yeah .
So so do you compete with the high schoolers ?
I'm too old for that 29 . I'm too old for that If I was a freshman in college , maybe you know , I don't have that . I don't have that . You go to prove anymore . I've been humbled one too many times .
All right , i'm just going to wait faster than me . now I have to ask you do you , do you hang with Teeples in the top top five guys ?
Not really , no , no , when I run with them , i mean they already have each other . So , like on during the summer they'll do shelter belt , so I'll jog with like a jogging stroller Okay , take it , go through there .
And I'm usually in the back with the kids who need some company , because , you know , i don't , i don't need to go six , 30 pace every day , i like . I like eight minutes , 30 . That's one thing more casual . Yeah , i don't feel like garbage after it . It was a good day .
Yeah , yeah , they're , they're fast .
They're great kids too . Great personalities , great heads on their shoulders .
Anything wise . What's your , what's your main goal , man ?
So cross country for me , you know , i swear I really kind of found myself and had was surrounded by a bunch of great guys and great coaches , and I just want to kind of bring that same environment to the other kids where , when they just feel like they have a support system around them , it's like you know they get rewarded for doing hard work and , you know
, can be themselves and , you know , have a safe environment . And that's something I have growing up and I want to give back to the other kids And yeah , so that's coaching for me is just making sure that it's a great environment and keeping a tradition , keeping a solid work ethic which they can use for later in life , keeping kids accountable .
Head coach if you had the opportunity anywhere , anywhere or would you stay at Kamiakin ?
I would . I mean , i'm pretty loyal . So I would stay at Kamiakin if I wasn't the head coach . If , when Rex's retires , whoever takes his spot , i'd I'd support him . We have a lot of great assistants like a Amory and Julian Brooks . If they wanted to take the spot , i'd support him . If it was me , i'd support me . You know , i'd support just about anybody .
So if Southridge or Kennewick ever came open , you'd be like nah nah , I'm , I'm , I'm good at holding grudges .
I , I'm big into rivalries . I'm , I'm like a Mike and Mike and brave .
I got you .
I got a buddy .
Scott .
Davis is a coach at Kennewick .
Oh yeah , he's a great guy Yeah .
Great guy , and yeah he's . We have a . I'm going to say right a little bit , but we , you know , we give each other a hard time every now and then Yeah Yeah , he's the only three I actually cheer for . Yeah .
Wait when you say the three ?
you talking about the Kennewick skills . You don't cheer for Mike and come on , you're four eight , oh yeah , oh three . Four eight , yeah , three eight , three eight , kennewick .
So yeah , he's like okay , we're not going against each other , okay , i can actually cheer you guys on .
He's like I will , too , my tier list . The first I cheer for , like the Northwest , i get there's a national competition in the Northwest . Yeah , i'm cheering for it , and then it goes . But for in the Northwest I'll cheer for the Washington team and they'll cheer for the East side , and then , you know , try cities .
Yeah .
Come on Right , like so for state meat . it's like Hey , that's a Hanford kid , you get a Manford kid or Richland kid , you'll go get him , but at district me I'm saying you beat that Richland kid .
Yeah .
You beat the Hanford kid . What are you doing ?
Yeah , exactly , this year was kind of different , though People were on you guys , man , you know it's .
yeah , The summer wasn't , as you know , great , but kids worked hard and we had oh yeah , every year there's some hiccups , and we had a couple more hiccups than what we would like , so but kids stuck through it and they stayed mentally strong the whole time . So really proud with how a lot of them handle it .
It's a dynasty , though . Oh yeah , you guys have a dynasty and it's fun to see Hanford coming up with all those kids coming in , and then Richland is coming up . It's just , it's great to be part of that , or just see it , or in here about it .
Oh yeah .
You know , but you guys , you guys have been the head program for since 2008, . Right In the state .
Maybe not in the whole state , but we've been contenders .
Yes , Name , a couple Name , maybe three teams that can like just you guys can compete with , but they outcompete you guys .
Well , like in this last year , i'd say , but overall , like if you look at like dominance in for Washington state within the last decade , like North Central one from 2000 , and I mean they won 12 consecutive state titles from like 2005 to 2017 or 2004 to 2016 . I mean they were a team that none of that as dynasty isn't there Like what it used to be .
but what team ? And North Central , north Central , okay .
But you know we Central Valley and Spokane's gone toe to toe with us , yes , clark State , mead , mead , mead's good . Oh , mead is really good . Yeah , mount Spokane too . Coach D'Arthur up there . He's done a really good job this last year .
But most of those are three , eight , though , yeah .
So Central Valley's foray , though They haven't been as competitive because they opened up a new school which kind of split some of the runners , okay , but then there's Issaquah .
They come over here and dominate .
It's like oh my gosh , i thought Eastlake was going to win foray this last year . And then to see Issaquah , who's been on the podium for the last like five years but just never gotten that number one spot to finally get in it Like yeah .
You know I'm sad We didn't win , we didn't continue the streak , but seeing like the joy and the excitement on the coaches , and the kids faces is like okay , this is what the sports are all about . Like it sucks . We didn't do as well as we usually would like , but like that's awesome .
We'd love to see it . Well , i don't want to go too far into coaching . I know we did , but , man , i just love the fact that we're able to talk about it , because it's like you know , don't really have that much time to talk when you're out in the field . You know , hey , how's it going ? Oh yeah , good , good , oh man , he's a great runner .
You know that kind of thing . Oh , gotta get going . Yeah , you gotta get going . I'll see you next time . Get the mile too . Yeah , It's the other side of this park . See you in a bit .
Yeah , so what are your goals ? running wise ?
Right now I would like to do all six of the World Major Marathons . I just did Boston , two weeks back , you did .
Boston . Yeah , okay , what was your time ?
I was 259 , which I was hoping for a bit faster time , but those hills I was . I thought I was ready for them , but they were brutal .
Yeah , they were very brutal Heartbreak , kill , right , yeah , heartbreak kill .
Right before heartbreak kill , there was like two other big ones that set you up for heartbreak kill 259 .
That's still good , man .
It's about 647 average , which , yeah , again , i wanted to be below 250 , but about halfway through I realized I'm not going to really get there . So not that I dogged it , but I went on a pace where I could enjoy the crowd support , because there was just , i mean , for every foot there was three people just cheering and yelling at you . It was awesome .
Yeah , 259 . I mean you said casual , okay , okay .
I have big expectations for myself . I don't know how to reach them .
Right , right . I hear that You ever have a race . not go your way . Oh , yeah , oh yeah , Handful couple what ?
I think , well , in 2018 , i heard my achilles really bad and rather than take time off on recovery , i just tried to kind of keep push through , so and kind of ever since then I haven't really had the same kind of pop , i think just due to my achilles kind of always being a little sore .
So I mean I can do that in 2018 , a handful of not so great races , and even this last year , like at the run fest , i didn't run as well as I was hoping .
What was your time ? You know how I do this .
It was like 122 , which I was hoping to be like 119 at the last A half Yeah for the half . Yeah , it's like 618 average .
Yeah , people would kill for that time , but okay , yeah .
But it's all about building . It's all about building and having a good time one way or the other . I had a great time .
But you're making these numbers seem like you know just walking the park . They're not . You're a family man . You coach , You work , I mean , but dude , you're an elite level runner .
You're a tri-city elite runner . I mean the guy who won the tri-city the half marathon ? Mike Williams , who's a Richland alumni . He was like 106 . Yeah , so like 66 minutes . He averaged like 520 . And even he was upset with that time . So it's kind of that running mentality .
I'm sure you see it's coaching , you'll have a kid or PR by like 20 seconds And then it's like they're still upset .
Yeah .
If I'd just done this and like I want to go PR by 25 seconds , I'm like you , PR it by 20 seconds .
Let's enjoy this , come on , not by a fifth , a second or something .
Exactly , and I'm still in that mentality , all right .
Anything else , you're just going to stick with
¶ Ultra Marathon and Trail Running Transition
road . Have you thought about moving up in the ranks to ultra marathons ?
I mean , i'm on the podcast where you have a bunch of ultra runners , i figure I have to do one now .
No , you don't have to do one . It's a change , Oh yeah .
It's a change of pace for sure .
Yeah , definitely , and you know , signing up for that 100-mile or definitely change the pace of like how I train and how I go about doing it , you know , and right now it's just time on feet , time spent on feet . I wish I could be like , hey , let's go get a run in , but man , there's no way .
I could probably , like , over time , probably outrun you , but dude , i won't be able to just out pace you at all To tortoise and hare situation Correct . Yes , tortoise and hare . And definitely what am the tortoise ? you'll be the hare , but dude , it's a different mindset , it's totally different and it takes a whole different mentality to switch it up to .
From fast pace to 10 , 12-minute miles consistently . You know , yeah , it's tough .
Oh yeah .
And once you get over that , you know that mentality of like .
Damn .
I'm slow . That in itself is a beast , because then you're like , okay , am I going to be slow this whole time , forever . Now What ? like , am I getting too comfortable ? What you know , and yeah , it's different . So would you be able to make the transition to running and trail , or Or running on road and trail , or what ?
You know I've always been a little apprehensive of doing trail But like those guys like Jesse laying out there who can do both , he can crush the like the cascade crest when it every year , and then come , you know , do the shoreline 10k and run like 30 , 30 minutes for a tank . Yeah okay , maybe like if you do the trails running slow . Quote on quote .
I'm doing quotation marks , yeah . I'm gonna slow for 100k . You can still come back and run fast for a tank case . So yeah , you know he's a different breed , though .
Oh yeah , he's , he's an animal and I just don't understand how he's not sponsored or , you know , being paid as an elite runner . He just does it for fun , as I'm shaking my head and everything else is like he just does it for fun .
Just neat . He needs the one million social media followers . That's what it is .
Yeah , but he doesn't even do that .
He needs to do a tiktok dance and When I went , a hundred k-race and then you'll get the sponsorship right . He needs to do what Dan does just show off a bit do a couple memes .
Dude Dan and his memes . I love him , he's , he's . I'm like man , this guy's gonna give me in trouble , but nice , he's a funny guy . He's a funny guy . I sent him . I sent him something the yesterday and that's when it was He sent that meme . It puts lotion on the skin , kind of thing . Oh no . Yeah , Yeah , yeah yeah , yeah , yeah it was .
It was a funny ha ha joke inside joke . And then he just puts out a meme . So anything funny in the group happens , He makes a meme .
Keep everyone up to date on the gotta be careful story guy .
It's like I'm surprised you sure that like yeah , i know So , but Tril run it , yeah , in the future .
I mean my ideal trail is Badger Mountain where it's just nice gravel , pretty much a gravel road . It's my kind of trail , okay . So I mean I will never say no . I mean I love , love the Badger Mountain challenge . I love the well leak races at the Renus of the sage . Does a Chris does ?
yeah , yeah , you're part of that too , right ?
Oh yeah , i've done a lot of stuff with him . I really like about him . He , chris , does the those relay races . He'll set up team to do like the hood to coast races . Ragnar races .
He does that .
Well , he doesn't set him up , he'll like set up teams , like , hey , we're gonna . Okay , we need five guys for , you know , this relay and hood River , who's down ?
Oh , i didn't know that . Oh yeah , it's a lot of fun , a lot of fun . I know it does runners of this age . I'm gonna go run that , run that race and Joseph .
Yeah .
Memorial Day weekend I'm gonna go out there and run the five-miler Try trying to get the speed back , but it would . it won't be on pace , it'll just be on in place .
I say you place , that's it . Yeah , just race it , man . You race it , that time will come , oh yeah .
Yeah , i was a running with Dan and Ben yesterday and time wasn't too bad . It's just not flat , you know . So , yeah , but all right , so trail Maybe what you did Boston . I didn't know you did Boston . Why didn't you put that on your Instagram ?
Truthfully , my boss isn't gonna listen to this . I Took am you to the job gotcha and Was out of town for like two weeks . I'm like I'm really not gonna publicize that . I'm not two weeks , all right . I'm in a different office than where the manager is . That so he doesn't see me every day .
So I brought my work computer and , you know , logged in some time but Didn't really want to , so I'm gonna probably do some photo dump on Facebook and Instagram here in a bit make sense .
Okay , your next big race .
That's a good question . If they have it , i'd love to do the Tri-City marathon , but I don't mean they . They haven't had it since 2019 due to the COVID , but they did the run the river . Yeah , they did the run the river . I wish I was in town for that . I was at Florida for a wedding . That looks really fun .
It sounds like they're gonna do it again next year . So , oh yeah , i love to have like a Almost , like a draft where we get like the top , you know whoever 12 people and then Have like captains , and then they just draft these 12 people's and then we have because they have a relay , yeah , I mean relay .
So just have you know three teams of Well , yeah , three teams of four , and have a little draft for have to select people . I think that'd be a lot of fun .
So relays , oh yeah , i love , as as Lilian , saying hi .
Yeah , yeah , sorry about that , are you okay ?
she , she's not used to so many people coming in the house , or It . Normally it was like a weekly thing and she just come in , but now it's like dad , you're doing a podcast , somebody coming over , somebody coming over , no , so somebody's actually here , she's trying to show off a bit .
So so the relays you're thinking about , they do the draft , or you're thinking about well , like say so suggestions or something .
Oh yeah , well , like say so . like that , everyone with the Bear I got named Bear Breach and Al Moreno , so like we'd be like the team captain , i know Marino . Yeah , he's a fast guy , He's awesome . Yeah , just qualified for Boston , which is really cool . Okay , nice .
So the three of us , and then they're nine other runners and we just , like , you know , draft them like , like a football type , yeah , and then , you know , have the best team win , you know , maybe put Adult drinks on the line . Yeah some money on the line for the winning team . Just kind of have have fun with it .
¶ Running, Races, and Random Topics
Support the local run and what's your next race that you signed up for already ?
I haven't signed up for anything , and just the tricycle marathon , if they have it . If not , there's another marathon And Hood River . That's on my birthday in late October , so so they can't go wrong with Hood River .
Oh yeah , can't go wrong with that . It's just different going from ultras to Road man so you're switching it up on a bit man . Talk about curveball , All right .
I'd love to do some type of trail race , but there's not not a lot in town after I mean after Badger , there's not really much .
Yeah , i mean Chris does a few , but but that's during winter time .
I don't think he's doing it this year . No , now he , yeah , combined his November run and the March run into just one run in March . That's right , and then or is that March of February , one of the , i think , late , early March ? yeah , yeah and I Think for the one in November he's just gonna do a little league , Yeah , the league Okay .
So not quite sure what his plans are , so but that's what he mentioned for this year , that he was just combining all of them . So for like in In typical years , in the March run he would just have the 11k and the 4k . Yeah .
I remember that blizzard , that one Yeah , oh , were you there for that ? Yeah , oh that was awful .
That was awful . That was I lost . So I I'm already not really get a trail where I lose to a bunch of people I usually beat Yeah and that year I lost to people who would never even see me finish on a road race . I'm just like , i'm just gonna enjoy it . Yeah just so different .
Yeah , going down a goat hill on ice not fun , not fun .
I should have brought like I saw people like with the garbage bags and they should just like done that and slid down . It would have been so much faster than trying to stay on my two feet , yeah .
Yeah , yeah , yeah .
He'll in . Yeah , It was crazy . I don't think I love it . It's fun because I don't think I'll ever do a race like that again . It fun . Just look back at photos and go Oh yeah .
Yeah , that was not fun . Yeah , that was not fun . All right , man nutrition . Don't like talking about it , some people do , but I got to ask you , man . There's only two episodes that I had recently that I did not ask this question and they really got on me . Do you eat peanut butter jelly sandwiches , man ?
Oh well , so all four years of high school Pretty much just ate one type of food , and that was peanut butter and honey sandwich . Okay , all four years . So I'm not big into jelly , but honey , honey honey , Oh yeah .
And just all the peanut butter you can get on one piece of bread and then okay , of honey , so like a 90-10 , because honey is like oh yeah .
Very little honey , enough to where it's kind of drip . If you have the , the sandwich , at any sort of angle , yeah , honey kind of drips out . Okay , just enough honey for that , and then just You know , pretty much as much peanut butter as there is bread . What kind of peanut butter I Mean ? crunchy go creamy crunchy Okay .
Jeff crunchy , that's always good bread . You do the white bread wheats grain . what man ?
Like the high school . My mom made the bread , so it's all homemade bread , which Was really good , really good .
Yeah , but I don't do that now .
So it's just like Dave's killer bread .
Dave classic the thin slices .
Have you had that ?
Whatever like that Okay yeah , dave's , dave's pretty good . Didn't he go back ? didn't he go back to prison , did he ?
yeah , i think , he went back to prison . I'll look into that . I didn't even know . Is Dave killer bread actually like a killer ?
Well , he started . He started the bread in while he was in jail , in prison . And then he got out started making big bucks because Dave's killer bread and then I think he Got in trouble for embezzlement or something , something similar to the Portland marathon that I used to run .
That's the only run , a road race I would religiously run the Portland marathon and Yeah , it's just . Yeah , they changed it up . They had like one person or a group of gals take over one year after the embezzlement charge .
That didn't go to Do too well , and then they have somebody like a , a big group out of Salt Lake City , take over it And it just hasn't grown . I think the embezzlement and that the last two years of Portland marathon , of the actual Portland marathon , it was going out and back .
They weren't paying enough for Services for , you know , the cops and everything else , so they did out in backs and it was just like what , i'm paying this much money for this , but then come to find out you're paying money because they can .
Gee here . So there was something similar that happened here in the tri cities . Oh , I didn't know . That's what kind of sparked the runfest was . There was happy , if I can think , three or four years . It was called like the tri city half marathon championship , hmm , where this guy from out of town put on the stress .
He had a bunch of volunteers come out and he said hey , you know , stop by and you know , have a table , bring the water , bring the cups , and I'll donate , you know , whatever amount of money to your cause to . Cadillac to You know , tri City pregnancy network . Yeah cancer network and then they never saw any of the money .
Huh , and so The three RR , the three of a road runner group , heard about that and like , well , that's not really good on like the running community , yeah , so they put up a race that same weekend that he would put on the His half marathon championship , just like , and just told everyone do not go to that one , go to our one .
Yeah , and he tried nobody signed up The first year . They did the runfest ever did the runfest rather than his run and he hasn't been back since . So people caught on . Yeah , people caught on , and it was like a few years It's a bit better now where it was hard to get volunteers for stuff Right .
All people within the running community support on the running community , because this guy just burned so many bridges .
Oh yeah .
Huh , there's some tri city history here . Yeah , yeah , yeah , huh Okay the first year the runfest was like 2000 . I want to say 13 .
Okay , so that was the .
I ran , i kicked him out All right , i think that was the first , though Maybe that was a second year . Hmm , i didn't first thing . It was the first year I did . it was 13 . I don't know if I did the first year .
Favorite Adam Sandler movie man Oh .
You know I haven't really lost . I can't remember when I asked Adam saying the movie I watched , There was one That came out recently that looks really good .
I want to watch The one he's like the hustle , the hustle , yeah , that one , that's really good . Like that's good , it doesn't look like it's typical movies . No , it's really good , it's yeah , it's good , it's like uncut , jim , but better not not as violent , like a lot of water .
Lot of boys , one of them right . That's the sport .
Yeah .
Yeah , that one's really funny .
Okay .
I wasn't right . I was there for the peanut butter . Down the peanut butter jelly question after Adam Sandler .
Hey , I have to throw curveballs .
Oh yeah .
What's your end goal , man , as a runner , i think , just enjoy it .
Go to different places like running has introduced me to so many cool different people and Taking me to so many different places I never thought I'd go . Yeah , and it's just been a really fun ride And I like to keep it going and hopefully get my kids into it now that they're You know , that's why I've been taking my son to cross-country practice .
I gotta start that indoctrination early , not indoctrination .
Yeah , i gotta have him be faster than me . You gotta , you gotta . Let him enjoy it , though . Enjoy a minute .
That's another thing Now he's gonna do soccer first to develop his Short speed muscles , and then you'll do cross those fine fibers and the feet Oh yeah , exactly .
You got it going . You got it going , besides the , you know , the six marathons around the world . Right Yeah , what's what's on your bucket list , man ?
As actually look at this the other day . There's that website . The FKT fest is known time .
You've been , i'd like to do .
I'd like to do if I was to do an ultra . It may not be a conventional , like you know . Sign up for this a hundred K . It might be like Do this a hundred mile trail , yeah , and be the fastest person recorded to do it . That would be , that'd be a fun one .
Yeah , one that like shepherd , yeah , shepherd .
Yeah , I was actually . He has one that was kind of looking at from those from Cheney to Pasco . I'm like mm-hmm . I can't looks like , didn't that ? So I'm such a new to long distance , like 26 miles is already really long . I can't imagine like a hundred and twenty-three miles but like , oh , he went like 18 minute pace , that doesn't .
That seems pretty doable . I was like , uh , i can't , i can't say that's doable when I've never gone past 26.2 miles . So I'm gonna gotta respect the distance .
Did you listen to Jason ? Jason's , i think , number two episode here ?
He talks about it .
He did it . Yeah , Julie's husband . He talks about it and there's a reason why Matt did eight minutes . Yeah it's tough . Oh yeah it's on train track rocks dude .
Oh yeah , well , that's what I'm used . I'm used to like the rocky canal run , so if it's anything like that . But those are .
That's not gravel gravel . These things were like dang okay , they're bigger .
Okay , yeah , Jason , that episode .
Jason really put things in perspective . Man , it's just because it's like alright , man , because I was thinking about doing it , not the FKT's , no , but just doing it because that's that's my goal . I've been training to do , you know , circumnavigate , tahoe , Rainier , you know that kind of thing . Have you done that ?
already .
No , but I've been in that training for so many years that you know I can just , if I want to , i go . You know , i just have to find the right time time here , time there . You know that kind of thing . But Yeah , i just want to go out there and pick it up , but then , after talking to Jason and I think a lot Brandon , brandon law .
That's why I preference it like I don't know what I'm talking about but yeah , yeah , yeah . No , I check . I don't know what I'm talking about .
Yeah , I've also thought about doing the Palluse to The Palluse trail . Oh yeah , to Cascades cascades . Yeah , yeah , it's like 200 something miles . I was thinking about doing it like 100 miles section . That'd be awesome , but yeah , that's . That's like on mine , my bucket list , nothing too big .
Have you had anything big like that before ?
Uh , basically I , when I go to Tahoe , that's where I Basically do the big ones , just myself , no time , just you know , at the end like start early in the morning , finish end of the day and like right before it gets dark . But one of the ones that I did enjoy was North to South Lake and Bishop Bishop , california .
It's 64 miles and Elevation games through the roof . It's like John Muir pass JMT . Yeah , that that was fun . Yeah , it puts things You're very small in a big world Very beautiful , very beautiful . But that was the first time I actually had a . I got elevation sickness and I normally Train central Oregon . Tahoe is my , my , my joint , you know , and .
I'll go up in Northern California before I go to Tahoe . To you know , get acclimated . You go 9,000 feet to 12 in a matter of a couple miles . You start getting sick .
It was that for like a race or you just that was just for fun . That's what I do .
I do a lot of , yeah , i do a lot of that kind of stuff .
Yeah , i , i'm is that just to test yourself ? Yeah , that's all .
that's why yeah , so so I don't know . I don't really talk about it much . I talked about it once on somebody else's podcast , so do you want to listen ?
I'd love to yeah , all right , so this is probably that space like how do you get there ?
Yeah , yeah , so so I , i , So here's the thing , man I the reason why I test myself a lot Is because I had it all taken away from me when I was in the military . When you said thank you for your service , I was in the military . I had five shots of the anthrax shot right and It just tore my body up .
It basically had everything , but like the deformity I had , you know , it almost had like skin patches and everything else . I mean basically all the briefings they gave you about . You know the good things about anthrax shot and the bad things I had , but the deformity , Thank goodness . But I had to train myself . I couldn't walk .
I had to train myself how to go from you know , wheelchair to assistant , crutch to yeah to some kind of assistance to where I'm at now . So what I did was from the time I was getting out , 2008 , to 2010, . I spent so many years in physical therapy , even outside the military , spent so many years in physical therapy . That's why I despise physical therapy .
Too many years of it , too many years of it . But I taught myself . I was like you know what I can't just soak up in this and , you know , just hate life . So what I did was I was like I need to go back to where I was happiest . You know , when I was running cross country in high school .
When I was running you know , running in the army and everything else That's when I was just brought so much joy to me . I'd
¶ Overcoming Hardships in Mountain Running
go out . I conquered mountains even in high school and outside in college , and so I was like you know , i want to get back into it . So I taught myself how to walk where I'm at right now with a .
I got a weird gait , but it's okay , you know , it's not like it used to be but went from basically train myself to go from an elliptical , you know , because it's not too hard on the body and to walking on the treadmill , to running on the treadmill or jogging on the treadmill to running on the treadmill to where I'm doing 100 miles or 100 Ks and Badger
Mountain Challenge . That's awesome . Yeah , so yeah .
That's gonna be something else , where you were like on that super low and now you go to like California and get like the highest peaks for what you feel sick .
Yeah , there's times , man , that , you know , there's a lot of emotions , you know , certain things that will just take me back . I'm like I can't believe I did this , you know . I can't believe , you know , i had this hardship and I turned it around , you know .
And so , basically , basically turned my whole life around , and that's why Jason's in the picture , because he helped me , because , you know , he's a big part of this community , the running community , and he doesn't pass any judgment You know what I mean And the only person that was passing judgment was myself , you know , because I'm like , oh , nobody wants to see
me , you know . No , no , no , i'm just some random guy that's just trying to run again , you know . And so he sparked it a bit and was very thankful for him and being part of my life and whatnot . But so every setback like 2018 , back surgery , 2020 , 2021 , i think it was and I think it was Torminuscus , yeah , yeah .
And now last year I did a mountain race . I did a mountain race , blew down the downhill in Hoodsport , blew out my ankle took me seven months . Seven months . I'm still trying , you know .
I'm good now , but it took seven months just to get back to where I want to , then pushed myself a little more and then the Badger didn't finish Badger , last two years I've completed three out of eight races . So you know , and it's just like , oh God .
And so mentally I just been dogging myself and I shouldn't , but I just I picture myself going back you know a couple of steps , just because it's like I pushed myself . I pushed myself to the limit or to the point that it's like I'm gonna lose it again . you know , and I don't want to lose it again . That's just my mindset .
And it's tough and that's why , you know , with those conversations with Jess Mullen and Eric Sinsman , i utilized those conversations to see what runners like yourself you know what you guys go through . You know if you guys have a hard race , do you guys down on yourself ? you know , is it just me So ?
yeah , it's fun . Think about like with that ankle . That doesn't . Not only are you hurt , but your body has to recover . And if you , never , really let it get to that recovery point it's never really gonna get better .
So yeah , so I don't know if you know Gretchen Walla . Well , i hit her up because I was , you know , it was just a tough spot . And I hit her up after a badger . I was like , hey , or just a couple of weeks ago I was like hey , i don't want to crash your race , but can I run it ? You know she's like yeah sure .
So I run it and it's that 12 hour run . I did what I had to do , felt good , felt great . Ben was like dude , who is this guy ? Who is this guy ? Because just a couple of days before that I was like dude , i'm getting burnt Cause I'm just like mentally wasting myself , you know , just doubting and everything else , wondering if I can still do it .
And I go there and I was like you know what , let's give me a shot . She gave me a shot and was probably . I asked her before I left , how many finishers were there ? out of like a hundred something , there's only like 20 , 23 , 12 hour finishers . So that put light into you know my goal .
And then , going the whole 12 , i didn't stop , i just kept going , whether it was hiking it or not . you know , felt good and felt accomplished . So I'm like these are my kind of races , i think . But nah , she gave me a shot , i took it and shot it , man , and it was definitely redemption .
But yeah , it's always that doubt that comes around and defeats me . I shouldn't have it , but it's there .
I just don't ever want to lose what I have again , cause it sucks It sucks And you worry about like hurting yourself again And then you get your back to that low point .
Yeah , yeah , yeah . And right now I'm dealing with back pain and it's just like ah , one thing , it's another . Yeah , yeah . So , and I dealt with the back pain . During the 12 hours I just didn't sit down .
I mean , I literally did 12 hours just nonstop , And the twice that I stopped was just to change my socks once And to eat some noodles a couple of noodles , That's it . That was the only nutrition you got .
You had a peanut butter jelly sandwich , right ? No , no , no , i had a lot of nutter brothers .
It was like a lot of stuff on the go and then head out , because it was a lap to 2.3 mile loop And with that it was like 300 something gain . It was just like you can't get a rhythm . It was just and it's a single trail . Oh gosh And horse . So it's like you got that divot the whole time .
So me being not small and bigger guys , they had a hard time just running in that divot . Oh yeah , but no , my next race , like I said , i'm doing the Hurricane Creek Chris's race , and then I signed up for a 32 hour .
Oh , wow .
Bellingham that's another . I think at 2.6 mile trail , just a loop and just go as long as I can for 32 hours And thinking about doing a mountain rain year . It's like pick your distance , kind of thing a 24 hour , one Holy cow . Yeah , yeah .
And that's next month .
I believe that's next month . I think that I'm going to try to go for it . But yeah , it's six different trails . Each trail has its own point system And they just have you do it however you want it . You just pick it . Like , if you want to do the three mile , it's like five points or three points , you know .
If you want to do the 18 mile , it's six points . So it's like I'll just my strategy would only be the 3.5 out and back so many times , because at night , at night in the woods , it's a different beast . Oh , yeah , it's a different beast . It gets dark , no matter what kind of headlamp you have or anything .
It gets really dark and then it gets cold And in the meadows it's so dewy and wet You start hearing things .
Every twig snapping is a cougar or a brown bear or something .
Oh yeah , Yeah , yeah , You think about that , but then you're like okay , man , there was a hundred people on this trail earlier . No , no , no animal wants to come around here .
But you don't think that rationally yet . No 2 AM , when you've been on your feet for 12 hours or whatever .
No , you too start thinking and hearing and believing different things when you're out there , no matter how sleep deprived you are . If you know , somebody slept until the start of the race , nighttime is nighttime , oh yeah .
Those irrational fears start really coming out .
Yeah , yeah , yeah . So no man just conquering . that was just like okay , no more doubt . I think I found my niche . I'm going to stick with it for the coming up years . If there's a fast race coming up , like the five mile that's coming up , i'll do that .
I've trained my body so so long that I can do that , i just have to get a shot , you know , Yeah exactly Gotta give each other a chance .
Yeah , yeah , yeah , that's awesome .
But no , I had it taken away , man , and don't want that again . That's why I'm so hard on myself and going back to physical therapy . It just brings another mindset and it's just like okay , how am I going to find time with this ? Is it going to be ruining my training session ? You know ?
it's just priorities . It's always not like when you get her . getting healthy is part of getting back , So something like physical therapy really isn't like a setback . It's getting you that next step forward to where you need to be . But you know that's from someone who's never been to physical therapy . I've always been the idiot . It's like I know this hurts .
I'll just take a week off and then try again . If it still hurts , another week off .
Yeah , every time I even you know approach the VA and say I need physical therapy , i'm just like damn . all you're going to hear is you got to work the core . How can you work the core when you can't work your back ? You know it's like you can work your core very slowly , hesitantly , but Do they assign you a physical therapist ?
Is there one ?
No , I'll go , i'll go see Kyle Kyle's uh .
Stuart , not me . No , no , no .
He's a nomad . He does some races , but yeah , he does a therapeutic associates in Pasco .
Okay , shout out to him .
Awesome Plug in .
But , now .
he helped me with my ankle , so I'm going to go back .
Okay .
Yeah , he's a great guy . Yeah , i ran last year when I did the Ruck . He was doing the 50 mile , or not Ruck , but just the miler , the badger , yeah , and he was going through some tough times too , you know , just injury , but yeah , it's , it's quite the , it's quite the community man .
Oh yeah , yeah , it's really growing too , with the Tri-Cities , Like you know , first started off with the nomads and then there's been a bunch of other .
I guess I guess There's the .
Wolfpack now , yeah , the Wolfpack . Yeah , i want to . That's such a cool name .
Yeah , yeah , yeah . The Wolfpack , yeah , the Wolfpack , the Wolfpack , yeah , there's a lot . And Newton man , those guys are man . You seen them ? Oh yeah , they're great guys .
I mean I look at my Strava after my run and they've been . they've been up for way longer than me . Yeah , that's all .
Yeah , they , they love those 200 milers . Man , they're fast too , Like they don't . They don't mess around . No , they don't . And you know they walk when they have to and they run when they need to , and and with that training to , you know , not just fast paced , but you know trail running at like 12 or 10 minute miles .
You know you have to learn or teach yourself how to walk uphill and not be , you know , like basically tearing yourself down because it takes a lot . Man , just mentally focus . Okay , it's okay to walk uphill , it's okay , it's okay to hike uphill and uphill . It's okay to walk a little on the straight or fast walk or run downhill .
And when you go straight uphill , it's okay to walk , you know , even if it's like 13 minute miles . Yes , that right there , but they're great at it . That's a lot of the 200 mile or ultra endurance runners . That's what they do . That's crazy . And talking to Philip Lowry really put things on the mark , that dude .
Talking to him , he says he walks , but talking to Scott Jenkins , he's caught him running . So you know these guys really tell on each other man It's pretty funny , man . It's pretty funny . It's great to just understand the community as a whole and how the camaraderie is there and everybody's there for each other .
The competition You think it's more competitive , but dude , everybody's there just to complete the . You know the trail , the conquer what's in front of them .
And it's all camaraderie . It's everyone trying to do the same thing .
Yeah , But you know , as opposed to back in the day cross country , it was like each man for himself .
Hey , it depends on the race . It's like , oh yeah , beat that kid , but the state meets like , yeah , go Hanford .
Man . So you know Alan Webb right .
Oh yeah .
Yeah , So I ran the same district as him Did you really . I was able to see him . That's incredible . That was a different beast man . He was the man . He was the man . He's the guy that , if he's running , you stopped everything you did just to watch him right . So , yeah , i got to see him . But , man , have you checked out track lately ?
Oh yeah , i keep up on the pro scene . It's incredible .
No , not so much the pro scene , but the track here , which track The MCC .
Oh yeah .
Not so much the distance , because obviously Teeples is in there , but have you checked on the 100 meters , 200 meters , 400 ?
Not on that . No , I'm pretty distance focused .
¶ High School Sports and Coaching Passion
Take a step back and go look at the guy from Richland . He came from Mead , Double scholarship track and football . That dude is one of those showstoppers .
What's his name ?
Keenan Coons , that boy is bad , that's crazy . Yeah , like I said , alan Webb , right , that's one of those showstoppers . You stop everything . This guy , these kind of athletes come out , maybe four to eight years tops .
Yeah , it's like once in a generation to have a talent Dude you got to check this kid out . It's good I'll stay there at the district I'm looking forward to it .
You stop anything . I don't like the 100 or the relays and everything .
I'll stop for this guy .
I'll stop for this guy . I'm just like I'm not worthy to him . Great kid , great family . I think his mom is dealing with brain cancer right now , but she was an elite runner at Richland . She still holds the record .
Oh , wow , yeah , man , hopefully he gets one of the records and gets up there with mom That'd be awesome , yeah , well , i believe he did . I believe he did . Yeah , he's doing like no , what was it ?
I think , he was up there in Oregon He was like he ran third . but that boy in Idaho , gatlin Bayer Gatlin .
Bayer Gatlin , you better be quick .
Yeah , they go together and it's just , there's nothing like it , just seeing it .
I'm not a sprinter guy .
I love it , i love the art , i love just running in general . But man , effortlessly , like he does , day in , day out , there's nothing like it . Check it out . I know I don't want you to think I'm biased , because if he was in Kamiak and I'd be like dude , you got to check that guy out .
Oh yeah , We had something like that When I was in high school . There was a kid from me and a kid from Wenatchee . This was back when the Tri-City schools were in the same league as the Wenatchee Yakima schools .
They're thinking about putting it back in . Oh , are they really ? Yeah , i heard about that .
Keep going I kind of like just being away from those other . Yeah , i did not like going to Eastmont driving four hours just to do an 18 minute race , but anyways , yeah .
They had just these two guys who did the 200 and 400 and they were like the best in the state , best in the nation , and then go out after each other like every other week , at like invite at Spokane and invite in Yakima and all , and then districts and regionals .
Yeah , just be kind of a watch . It's the talent that you know the showstopper . you don't get it that often , but when you do you enjoy it .
That kid is it man , That's awesome .
Yeah , yeah , there was that Pasco , invite recently . There was a couple of kids from Seattle Academy coming out of nowhere . Keenan just blew past them just like the heck . But not then that guy from Seattle Academy , the Junior Next year dude's gonna be dominant , dominant , dominant dude .
It's just crazy , man , this is crazy .
Never thought I'd get it . It's so excited on high school sports . But dude , here I am .
So look at you and the coaching . I mean you ran in cross country and you're here . I did , i did .
I always wanted , you know , honestly , i tried since living here and this is the longest I've ever lived in one place I tried to coach . I tried to go to Kennewick .
I tried to go to not Kamiakon because , yeah , you guys are saying you guys are hardly ever looking for anybody but tried to go to Pasco , tried to go to Chihuahua and never really got the opportunity . I applied to Richland like three times , you know , prior , and I changed jobs . I would now work at Richland . Opportunity came up .
I was like , yeah , let me , i'll do this , you know , and have the opportunity got it . I don't want it to go away . So that's what got me in coaching . I just always wanted to do it . I love running fast , slow , whatever . I just love the art of it and just wanted to get others to love it as well . And that's where my cheering comes , you know .
Oh yeah , oh yeah , yeah .
So You're loud , i can hear you from the other side .
A lot of people say that .
Especially near the finish , like ah , that's what it engraved in my brain . I need to get . I saw you yelling . I need to get at that level , yeah .
Like I don't know if I can , but It's a lot of water and a lot of fluids , man . Yeah , because there's sometimes like a track . I'm a little quieter in track , kinda . But yeah , man , i've been hitting puberty these days And so I'll just laugh at myself .
I'm like , oh God , that was really great . I mean you were doing it for the top kids , but also for the kids that were way in the back , because there's a lot of people that don't do that . Yeah , no , i do it . There's a lot of people that don't .
That's my goal . I was like you know what ? I just want everybody to enjoy it . I believe I'm doing that , i'm setting the example And whether you're first or dead last , i'm gonna cheer you on until you finish And that's never gonna change . And when that changes , that's when I'll not coach anymore . But I love the sport . I can watch it for days .
I mean I watch Coca-Cola . You know , just on the leaderboard , did you watch that ? Yeah , i watch . I mean it's a sick habit but it's fun . But stats and just getting to know how others love the sport is my goal , man . Just that's what I've been trying to spotlight this whole time .
Could you see yourself being head coach ?
Head coach if the opportunity came . Yeah , if the opportunity came Now it would be if , if it was the right school maybe , but I'll stick with Richland , i do . there's nothing like it . just like the Braves . You have to be a brave .
I never went to a school that was so loyal , as Richland , you know , and man people were like I'm a bomber , i'm a bomber , i'm a bomber .
Good tradition there .
Yeah , i never realized how deep it is until I started working there . man , i'm like dang all right , so a bomber .
You've been living in the tri-cities for 10 years . What do you think of the mushroom cloud logo for Richland modelers ?
So that's another thing . Yeah , I've lived .
It's controversial .
Yes , yes , I've lived here since 2010 , so 13 years 13 years .
sorry , No , no , no .
It's the longest I've lived The cloud ,
¶ Family News and Sports Jerseys
all right . So I said this once and it probably rubbed the person the wrong way because I knew where they sat . I don't sit on either side , i don't really care . I'm very open to anti-government because of all the crap that goes on . So the cloud I know the history of it . I don't prefer it on my body .
Okay .
If you see my clothing or my attire , the cloud is probably only on my body , on a windbreaker , because there was no other option . I have a cloud beanie that I will wear , but not often Other than that . I know where people sit , why they hate it , why they dislike it .
I totally get that , but I also know is a different part of the scene and why I get it , I get it but I don't prefer it on my body just because I'm a neutral guy when it comes to that kind of stuff . It's just not my thing . It's mostly the bomber that I'll put on the plane .
The plane yeah , I'll rock that .
But when it comes to the cloud , that won't . Maybe one or two things that I own . That has that on there , okay .
I guess , for people who don't know , that's the nuclear cloud , the explosion .
Yeah , yeah , yeah . The Manhattan Project . I totally get that . I totally get why people love it , but also know how or why it's so controversial . Yeah , And they're getting away from the nukem saying and the football games yeah that too . But just to play it safe for myself , the bombers all I deal with . That's fair , i respect that ?
Yeah , yeah , yeah , is that the ?
kind of answer you're looking for .
Well , i mean , i don't the mushroom cloud doesn't bother me that much . When I was in high school , that was their logo , was the big R with the mushroom cloud behind it . I didn't really even really notice that they were slowly phasing that out for the plane until they said , oh , now it's the plane I'm like .
Oh , back in my brain it's always gonna be , that The cloud The mushroom cloud .
I don't really have any issues with them .
I'm born and raised here , so it's just cool , yeah , but people , it's a proud part of our history , but it's a big part of our history and why the Tri-Cities is what it is .
Oh yeah , I mean , they played a huge part of the Manhattan Project , which brought thousands , if thousands and thousands of people to work for them . It still brings people here , yeah , yeah , yeah , i mean half the people my age that are here .
Are here because they either grew up here or in . The other half is here because they're working at Battelle or PNL or whatever . Yeah , yeah .
But no , that's my thing . I have a windbreaker and a beanie , all the other stuff , just rich on bombers . I mean that's it , respect that That's a good .
there's a lot of emotional responses . I like your response with it . Oh yeah .
Especially with your military background . Makes sense Well yeah , and the last thing you wanna do is not inform yourself and be like yeah man bombers , let's go to the cloud .
Everything's right .
Yeah .
I mean , i can definitely . I can understand both sides of like yeah , it's part of our history if I support it And I understand that we kind of killed some civilians , a lot of civilians .
Yeah , yeah .
Maybe we should support that .
Right .
I can understand both sides . It's very unique . I don't think there's any other bombers in the entire nation , or as a local , or a mascot , or whatever .
Maybe in Tennessee , where the other part or the Manhattan project was . Maybe , maybe , who knows ?
Another question what do you think of the ? I call them the sick bumblebee jerseys , the track jerseys for it ? Kids love it man Yeah . Kids love it . It's a classic .
Kids love it because it stands out . You don't look like the . you know another person in the area , oh yeah .
Anyway , in the entire nation And you can spot a richland Jersey .
Kids love it . Oh , the bumblebee . Yeah , yeah , yeah , yeah , yeah , yeah , it's hideous . Yeah , but man , it really gives another look to the boys and the girls , you know , and just yeah , it's fun . It's fun just to know that they're gonna run in that and regionals or districts , it's like yeah .
Yeah , we had a kid who found somehow found one at a goodwill and bought it And I'm like , oh man , i was so jealous and it's such a unique look .
Yeah , yeah , yeah .
And it's iconic Yeah .
It's expensive .
It hasn't changed in like years .
That's expensive too . Yeah for that . Yeah , All right , man . So any more family members coming in ?
I think we're done with two . I think two is a good right now we're . We had two under two , the oldest is two and a quarter and the other one is just turned one , our youngest . So I think , congrats , man . Yeah , it's been a journey , i think , especially with our second kid she had as a radiogenetic disorder .
So I think we were like , oh , let's cap it , cause we wanted to have two kids that were close together in age , just cause my wife and I had kids that were close in age And it was a lot of fun for us growing up Playing . A lot of fun for our parents is what we're realizing . Yeah , yeah , yeah . But yeah , just had a .
We actually did a fun run in April to raise funds for the genetic research that for the genetic disorder my daughter has , and it wasn't I made sure when I designed like the race , it wasn't an out and back , it was a unique loop just to kind of break the .
So you're in charge of that .
Yeah , I did the KCNQ2 . It was called the KCNQ2 two mile fun run awareness .
Okay .
A lot of people showed up . We had an online version , a virtual version and in person . We had 63 people for the in person and about 20 people for the virtual . So it could not bad . for the first year We had to share the weekend with the clot trucks .
Clot , yeah , that's why yeah , okay , Yeah , which .
When I my defense , when I picked the weekend I planned this out , It was the Saturday before my daughter's birthday . When I went to the city of Richmond I was like , is there any other events going on that weekend ? There's nothing else going on that weekend . So I , and then they released it , which the clot chart has changed weekends year in and year out .
So that's no offense to them , That's just .
You're gonna keep the race ? I think so .
We raised about $3,600 .
Honest .
After the expenses and all that . So I like to keep doing it .
I think we will . And what month ? what ?
day . The plan right now is to always keep it around my daughter's birthday , so the weekend before Saturday , before April 23rd , just to kind of commemorate cause .
Nice .
Yeah . You know , I don't know if you've had like a kid and Nicky or anything like that , or .
I can have . There's plenty of people who have .
But it's you know . We went from having a totally healthy baby to three days later we were in Seattle children .
So that's , scary .
It's super scary . Everything's fine , thankfully , but Yeah , there's a lot of people that don't have that . So kind of raised funds , support , awareness and money towards research for that , which is really cool .
Well , let me know when that comes out , man , Or when you know registering . Yeah , I'll put it on blast and on Instagram and everything else . Do my part and definitely run it .
Oh yeah .
Probably wipe everybody else out , but it's okay Yeah .
I just can't imagine Like we just had so few people 60 people , there's a bunch of people when compared to , like , the Adger Mountain Challenge . Right , i have what Jason was , i guess , both Jason , jason Heidemann and Jason Rutherford , julius' husband .
Yeah , yeah .
Like what they do . I can't even imagine what those phrase directing just like for those huge events . It's oof .
Good luck trying to get them a week prior . Oh yeah , it's not existent , not existent , not existent . You gonna be out there the Saturdays race . What's going on Saturday ? That TapTill or the Greenway ?
I haven't heard about that .
Yeah , It's a fast one . Jesse always wins it If he's running it . This year he won it by several miles .
We'll see . I'm just starting running again after boss and I took like a little over two weeks off just to kind of just to keep healthy , because the last marathon I didn't take enough time off and I paid for that . Getting old sucks , oh yeah , getting old sucks . I'm 41 man . Yeah Yeah , beats the alternative , but getting old sucks , yeah .
It's that one 50K The tap . I think it's TapTill , taptill , yeah , and it's paddle .
Paddle and the other 50K . Okay , i do know that one . Yeah , the paddle or the run . Yeah , 50k might be too far from me . Yeah , especially paddle . Yeah , yeah , but no , i'd float that .
Yeah , check it out though , man . I think it's right before regionals . Yeah , it's before second day of regionals . This would be there to watch .
Excuse me , watch districts in Pascom . We're looking forward to that .
Yeah , i am too , because I don't have to like really participate . Yeah , i'm more of a spectator when I go to that Mm-hmm Are you helping with tracks
¶ Running, Family, and Overcoming Challenges
Not working ?
Yeah , helping with tracks , yeah .
Yeah , volunteering , but mostly when they're at friend-rish I take care of all the distance .
Mm-hmm . Well , you guys have a handful of kids like in the mile and the 32 .
Yeah , but not as much as you guys . Man Dude , we did the Twilight original Twilight Man , kamiakin boys , man , they're just like shh .
Stacked . Half of them didn't want to run it but like , hey , just have fun with your teammate . And then they all ran really well because they were just . Hey , that was actually a lot of fun doing . Elapsed because I was just with my buddy .
Yeah , it's like the top 13 . If you're top 12 , 13 , you couldn't run that . But you guys had like 20-something kids running in the distance .
You never even love distance kids Yeah yeah .
But then I see some of those boys and I'm like how's this kid not varsity ? You know , he's like running 10 minutes , two miles , ok , all right . Well , yeah , you guys got it man .
Yeah , that's something where I'm really proud of , especially those JV kids , because I was the eighth or ninth guy on my high school team .
Really , i was really good Yeah .
You know I could go toe to toe with you know , back in my day with like Hanford's number one or Southridge's number one . I could go toe to toe with them , but I never got to go toe to toe with them because it's JV . Which is a lot of well , it wasn't crazy fun , but it was kind of a bragging right .
It's like you know , I'm number eight , but I could be your number one Right , yeah , exactly . Some of my ego when I went to college and then I was like a middle of a pack for some of these bigger races . I'm like oh . OK , no , I am not . I'm actually not that great .
But it's easy to think that way when you're by top three in like a local race here . Oh yeah , And then you go to those bigger meets and go maybe not .
Yeah , I went out for college and they told me to lose a few pounds . I was like , no , I'm done .
Yeah .
I was done . So I just did it for fun and climb mountains , man . Were you like a bigger runner , bigger runner . You know I always had those people in the crowd saying , oh , you're letting this big guy beat you . I'm like dude . But you know , i was religiously five and seven . Between five , six and seven in the school I was like OK , I can't , whatever .
So I had to go through that .
That's why I always like wonder why people run and do their thing and what sets them up .
So , my buddy , in college we called ourselves the big boy club because we were the two guys only on the team that were over 160 pounds , right , So we had our own little club that everyone else wants to be a part of Right , yeah , the next closest guy was like 135 and we were 160 . Yeah , that's right .
Yeah , big boys , get it done 160 , 175 for the longest .
And then college hit and hit the weights too hard . I hit some weights in the high school because you had that opportunity , weight training or weight class . I was like I didn't want to know brain or you know . So I was like whatever . And I just did what I did and bulked up a little too much in college and trying to lose that ever since .
So yeah , and then come to find out It's almost 20 years since I graduated college And I'm just flies by .
Yeah , it does , Especially when you have kids .
I feel like Yes , and I'll let you know , man . I'm pretty sure you already see it yourself . But having kids is great . Yes , it's tough , but , man , seeing them grow into the person that you not trained them , but you set the example , dude , it's the most beautiful thing . So enjoy it , man . Oh yeah , enjoy it .
And when I said to my wife that he's a family man , she gets it . When I say family man , athlete coach , you know she understands . I don't put any stranger in here in the teacup studio , not in the teacup studio . So , kyle , did I miss anything , man ? I ?
think we've just about hit it all , just about give or take .
Yeah , yeah .
Did I miss anything with you ?
No , no , i like the questions , man , especially the cloud . Definitely I don't get too many questions asked .
Eric Sensman asked me a few , but you know You got to share your story Because , i mean , that's really inspirational where you were and where you are now and where you're going . You have to . People need to know that , because there are people who go through . They think they're in dark places and they're alone , and they're not .
There are people around them who are willing to listen .
Yeah , yeah , i appreciate that man , but yeah , yeah , i shouldn't say . But The thing is that was a dark place .
Oh yeah , I can imagine I was .
I was , there was a lot of painkillers , a lot of pain , a lot of mental stubbornness , a lot of addiction , a lot of growing pains as a whole . Let's just say that . And there are my kids don't know . My wife of you know , 17 years , she knows , and I just , every now and then something will trigger and bring something back .
But I don't want to ever go back to that . They I stopped a lot of things because of my kids . Man Kids changed my world . That's why I think , why I love coaching so much and just having them enjoy the small things . So I might , i've thought about it . I appreciate you allowing me use this platform .
Your episode to you know stay a little more than I have But listen to most of your episodes .
I'm like he does not talk like I don't about it himself , i don't open up to the listeners .
I do . I do to an extent . I keep it . I'm a social worker , so I keep it . As social worker , i get so much . The other person , yeah , yeah , yeah , yeah , i get so much . I just don't say anything about myself .
But now that that's one of the things that I've been trying to just come to terms with and maybe , hopefully , one day share my story via book or those podcasts . So yeah , man , i appreciate it .
Yeah , of course , Kyle , this is a great , great talk to you .
Yeah , man . you're always welcome here , man , especially when that run comes up , for you know to commemorate your daughter and everything else . But she's still alive . It's just supporting the Yeah .
There is putting on a fun run in honor of somebody or for somebody . People I got a lot of like oh wait , what happened to her ?
I'm like she's still alive Well it's the awareness part , man , I'm all about it . you know , mental health , anything , The clot , the run . I've done that a couple of times .
Oh yeah , that's a great one . I love that one .
Yeah , i don't do fun runs though . It's like out and backs and fun runs . That's all you get around here . Oh yeah , just , but I'll definitely put yours on blast .
And that's why mine is just a loop , it's a Yeah , I got you Because . I'm right there with you . How many times can you do an out and back from Howard Aiman or Columbia ?
Point like OK , thank you .
I'm , i'm done . That's what's great about these trail races , like the rattlesnake and like the Badgemont Challenge . Yeah , least it's not down by the river .
No , no .
¶ Recreational Running and River Running
So yeah , i even told Jason , jason , i was like , dude , i'm not a river runner . Yeah , i'm not a river runner .
I hate it but I'll bash it . But for the last like 13 years I've been doing like pretty much the exact same . Yeah , my house is like , because you know , running from Kamayakin , we go down to the river a lot and where I live now and where I grew up are too far apart , so I'll do the same exact loop or the same thing that I did in high school .
I'm like well , i don't like to race the same thing , but day to day it's not .
Yeah , so bad .
So I guess I can't really complain .
All right , well , keep in touch , kyle , and I hope to run with or against you .
Hopefully it's on a ruck or anything . Yeah , anything over 26 miles .
Yeah , until next time , Kyle . Thank you .