PEORIA'S ORIGINAL OUTDOOR STORE. SINCE 1971.

A member of the team since:
Spring 2007

What outdoor sports do you enjoy?
Adventure racing (of course), orienteering, running/ultras, mountain biking, kayaking, Xterra. Soccer, too, though that probably doesn't count for Bushwhacker, huh (especially indoor soccer!)?

What's your favorite product or brand in the store and why?
I'm a big fan of Pearl iZumi - it seems like every product of theirs I buy works out well for me, as well as our Stella headlamps.

What favorite competitions have you participated in?
Pretty much all our adventure races - Planet 36 Hr, LBL 24 Hr, Thunder Rolls 24 Hr, Berryman 36 Hr; Running - Farmdale 50 Mile, 8 Hr CRUD, Ozark 100 Mile, Eureka 5K :, Orienteering - Conquer the Crossroads 12 Hr Rogaine, SLOC A-Meet.

What's your greatest achievement?
Making it through the Ozark 100 in 2009.

What's your nickname and what's the story behind it?
Not sure if I have one (that I know of!). Maybe "the competitor," as Scott dubbed me.

What's a sport/outdoor lesson you learned the hard way?
Don't lean away from what you just ran into on a canoe.

What's the strangest/scariest thing that has happened during an event?
Aforementioned canoe flip during the wee hours of a race that started at 4 a.m. on a dark and foggy Meramec River that dumped Fredrik, me, and most of our stuff into the river. We lucked out since the team we actually ran into was able to save my pack and our maps, which we retrieved from them at the next checkpoint!

Tell us how many hours a week you train and how you stay motivated.
Training varies, I don't really have a set schedule for the most part. I'd say minimum 3-4 hours, maximum 12 or so. Motivation is the thought that I will have way more fun if I'm not suffering so much, as well as just attempting to keep fit and not turn into a couch potato.

Name the next item you're planning to buy from the store and why?
I'd really like a pair of Icebug shoes for my winter running.

What's your most useful advice for someone who's thinking about getting into your sport for the first time?
Depends on which sport - AR - I'd say start with a shorter race (say…the Bushwhacker Adventure-O…!) to make sure you like it since it's a gear-intensive sport. Ultras are not gear intensive, but are definitely mentally challenging, so I'd say be prepared to suffer! I guess that goes for AR's too. :)

What music do you chill to?
Currently The Black Keys, Mumford & Sons, and all the awesome Swedish bands Fredrik has introduced me too.

What music do you race to?
None - I tend to focus on my body and the getting to the next milestone in front of me/us

What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Eat as much as you can as early as you can in endurance events.

What's the most memorable event you've competed in?
Ah, so many. I'd have to say any of our USARA Nationals races, Planet AR 2009, or the Ozark 100 Miler

What is your favorite in race nutrition, whats the least favorite?
I tend to eat a lot of Hammer Gels during Ultras, but can't stand them during Adventure races. So they sort of count as both.

18. What new sport would you like to try and why?
I would like to try snow-shoeing and cross country skiing.