PEORIA'S ORIGINAL OUTDOOR STORE. SINCE 1971.

A member of the team since:
2008

What outdoor sports do you enjoy?
Orienteering, Cycling (on and off road), Paddling

What's your favorite product or brand in the store and why?
Smartwool Socks and Patagonia Capiliene shirts: You just can't beat great footwear and base layers when you spend over 12hrs straight in them. They feel awesome, even when they are nasty... And I have never had blisters. I also love my Ellsworth MTB, going full suspension has renewed my enthusiasm to ride MTB.

What favorite competitions have you participated in?
Every adventure race (even the ones with bad memories), 24hrs of 9-mile MTB race, and many road bike races back in the day.

What's your greatest achievement?
Being on winning racing teams when there is strong competition, (24-9, To Tell & Back, Bonk Hard Chill), and bonking at 2010 nationals (I had never "bonked" before in a race, only puked, so I was happy I bonked because I wanted to eat everything)

What's your nickname and what's the story behind it?
Nothing so far.

What's a sport/outdoor lesson you learned the hard way?
How to dress for the weather. You assume activity will keep your body heat up, but at night, it is much more difficult, so an extra warm layer is a good thing, even if it is extra weight. Layers is definitely the key, non-cotton layers. When you are comfortable, you just race faster, forget "being tough".

What's the strangest/scariest thing that has happened during an event?
I got hauled off the race course by an ambulance at the Sweatty Otter race in WI. It was about 90 degrees outside, and I was shivering cold (severe dehydration). At another race, a teammate was within a couple inches of getting plowed into by a bounding deer, I was right behind him.

Tell us how many hours a week you train and how you stay motivated.
I don't train enough; I probably train about 1-6hrs per week at the most. Yeah, my performance shows it... Motivation comes from the excitement for the next race, and the competition among friends.

Name the next item you're planning to buy from the store and why?
Probably some more Smartwool socks... they are just so awesome.

What's your most useful advice for someone who's thinking about getting into your sport for the first time?
Just jump right into it. Don't be intimidated by the time and distance, it's not as difficult as you think. Flat out speed is not what wins these races. The ability to keep going even when you are tired is more critical, but the most important part is good navigation skills, the better you are at that, the easier it is physically because you don't waste as much energy going the wrong way. Start with a shorter race and go at your own pace so you enjoy the experience.

What music do you chill to?
Music for leisure time? What is that? Probably Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and other fun filled action songs. (new daddy we think)

What music do you race to?
Whatever is in my head... let's see... Johnny Horton, Bon Jovi, Beatles. Then of course what you don’t want in your head, but you can't help it... Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Spears, etc... Why is that? Why can't I get Metallica or Rage stuck in my head? Is that so hard?

What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Never ever do any work that doesn't directly benefit you (or your team).

What's the most memorable event you've competed in?
There are so many... I'd have to say definitely Berryman 2009, where I started puking 4hrs into the race, didn't eat or drink anything for the last 12+ hrs (of a 32hr race) while puking steadily, and having my teammates dragging me to the finish line to complete the course and finish 3rd place simply because we were one of the few teams to not quit.

What is your favorite in race nutrition, whats the least favorite?
Favorite race nutrition is anything I can eat. I mostly like potato chips because they are loaded with yummy salt.

18. What new sport would you like to try and why?
I don't have any time for new sports, I'd just like to have fun with the ones I do now.