It all started like this… I was just a coffee farmer living in South Kona, Hawaii.

For 8 years, I did not dare go downtown during that big week every October. That’s when the fittest athletes in the world gather for Hawaii Ironman.

I’d never done a triathlon. But somehow I knew the Almighty Ironman had plans for me. I just wasn’t ready to “get bit and branded” yet…

Well, in 1998, I finally gave in. I volunteered at the Mile 18 Run Aid Station at the 1998 Hawaii Ironman.

Yes, I got bit. And, I got infected. A month later, I did my first triathlon – the local Thanksgiving Day “Turkey Tri”.

Eleven months after that, at 6:55 am, October 23, 1999 I was treading water at the starting line of Hawaii Ironman. I was damn lucky to be there because that Ironman quest for glory had almost killed me.

The day after Hawaii Ironman, I started writing a book.

It was published as “Zendurance, A Spiritual Fitness Guide for Endurance Athletes”. I wrote it to examine and resolve the discrepancy between the glorious athlete and the ordinary human being. I had to write it – I had survived the experience.

“What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger and wiser.”

I strive everyday to use this gift of life, and the strength and wisdom I have gained from my successes and my failures.

The relentless pursuit of excellence.

The “theme song” of my life

Emotion follows motion. Science has determined that your brain accesses your body’s physiology, and then mirrors the corresponding emotional state. Happy looks and feels different than sad. Graceful and serene moves and feels different than awkward and stressful.

Activity shapes your mind. The quality of your body’s movements affects the quality of your mind’s thoughts.

My college education attests to this. I majored in confusion until I took my first Modern Dance class. Studying movement sharpened my intelligence far more than listening to lectures and reading books. I learn more by moving than I do by sitting.

Here’s the real clincher

I have practiced T’ai Chi for 35 years, and I’m self-taught. Six years after beginning this practice, I read a book on Taoism and I had a startling realization: (Now, I was just a young hippie-artist in the US – I knew nothing of Chinese culture or history.) But somehow I knew and understood everything in that book! Simply practicing the movements of T’ai Chi had endowed me with the wisdom and insights of Taoism – even though I never sat down to study it!

This union of movement and mind is what I love to teach others. This is the essence of “zendurance”.

I have worked with hundreds of athletes – from novice to elite and pro:

• Bike fit and cycling technique
• Swim technique
• Life coach and counselor

Education Highlights

• 1976-present: Mindful running practice
• 1977-present: T’ai Chi practice
• 1980: B.A. Modern Dance, University of Maryland
• 1987: A.A.S. Forestry, Paul Smith’s College
• 2004: USAT Level 1 Coach Certification
• 2005: Serotta Bike Fit Certification
• 2008: Total Immersion Swim Coach Certification
• 2009: Serotta Advanced Bike Fit Certification

Occupation Highlights

• 1980-85: Artist-In-Residence, University of Maryland
• 1985-87: Artist-In-Residence, Paul Smith’s College
• 1986-88: Forester, Landvest
• 1987-1991: Wildland Firefighter and Helicopter Manager, US Forest Service
• 1991-2003: Kona Coffee Farmer
• 2003: Author of “Zendurance, A Spiritual Fitness Guide for Endurance Athletes”
• 2004-Present: Author of more than 25 magazine articles: Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, USA Triathlon Life, Hammer Nutrition Endurance News
• 2005-Present: Bike Fitter
• 2008-Present: Total Immersion Swim Technique Coach
• 2008-Present: Founder, Head Coach, Zendurance Cycling
• 2010-Present: Total Immersion Swim Master Coach (train and certify TI Coaches)

Race Highlights

Does not include numerous 10K’s, half & full marathons & ultra’s, does not include numerous sprint, Olympic & half-iron tri’s, or open water swim races.

• 1997: Honolulu Marathon (first marathon)
• 1998: Run to the Sun Ultra Marathon
  Peaman Thanksgiving Day Triathlon (first triathlon)
• 1999: 100K Ultra Marathon
  Hawaii Ironman
• 2000: Lavaman Tri (2nd in AG)
  Brasil Ironman (9th in AG)
• 2001: Lavaman Tri (2nd in AG)
• 2002: Hawaii Ironman
• 2004: Lake Placid Ironman (first person to complete an Ironman on PowerCranks)
  24-Hour Solo Mountain Bike Race (4th OA, 1st in AG)
• 2005: X-Terra East Coast Championship (7th in AG)
  Odyssey Off-Road Half Iron (1st in AG)
  JFK 50-Mile Run
• 2006: Lake Placid Loppet 50K (first nordic ski race)
  Lake Placid Ironman
  Ultraman Hawaii World Championship (12th OA, 5th in AG)
• 2007: Mooseman Half Iron (4th in AG)
  Lake Placid Ironman (19th in AG)
  USMS 2-Mile Swim National Championship (5th in AG)
  24-Hour Triathlon (8M swim, 141M bike, 45M run) (1st in AG)
  Virginia Double Iron
  JFK 50-Mile run and (7 days later) NCR Trail Marathon
• 2008: Mooseman Half Iron (4th in AG)
  Musselman Half Iron (1st in AG)
  ITU Long Course Tri World Championship (8th in AG)
  USAT All-American
• 2009: American Zofingen Long Course Duathlon (2nd in AG)
  Rev3 Half Iron (2nd in AG)
  USAT Long Course Nationals (4th in AG)
  USAT Honorable Mention
• 2010: American Zofingen Middle Distance Duathlon (1st in AG)
  Musselman Half Iron (4th in AG)
  ITU Long Course Tri World Championship
  Survival of the Shawangunks
  Virginia Double Iron
  USAT All American
• 2011: Spring Dual Against CF Sprint Duathlon (1st in AG)
  American Zofingen Middle Distance Duathlon (4th in AG) (Broke toe early in race)
  Musselman Half Iron (4th in AG)
  Shawangunk Double
  USAT Long Course Nationals (6th in AG)
  NCR Trail Marathon (Boston Qualifying time)
  USAT Honorable Mention
• 2012: Spring Dual Against CF Sprint Duathlon (1st in AG)
  Fly By Night Duathlon (1st in AG)
  Keuka Lake Triathlon (2nd in AG)
  Mussselman Half Iron (1st in AG)
  USAT Olympic Distance AG Nationals (20th in AG)
  2012 Triple Ultra: 3 multi-day ultra triathlons in 30 days: Shawangunk Double, Zendurance Ultra Tri Camp, Virginia Triple Iron (3rd in AG for Day 2 of Shawangunk Double: Survival of the Shawangunks)
  NCR Trail Marathon
  USAT Honorable Mention
• 2013: Ithaca Skunk Cabbage 10K (3rd in AG)
  Spring Dual Against CF Sprint Duathlon (1st in AG)
  Ithaca “Tri for the Y” (Sprint Tri) (1st in AG)
  Columbia Triathlon (Olympic Distance) (6th in AG)
  Keuka Lake Triathlon (Olympic Distance) (2nd in AG)
  Blackfly Challenge MTB Race (40 mile) (22nd in Category)
  New England Trifest (Olympic Distance) (1st in AG)
  Musselman Half Iron (4th in AG)
  Wilderness 101 MTB Race (101 mile) Finished! (Whew!)
  Cayuga Lake Triathlon (1st in AG)
  Peasantman “Steel” Tri (144.6) (1st in AG – OK, there were only 2 of us!)
  Survivor of the Shawangunks (2nd in AG)
  Savageman Half Iron (7th in AG)
  USAT Long Course Tri National Championship (5th in AG)
  USAT All-American
• 2014: Spring Dual Against CF Sprint Duathlon (1st in AG)
  Fly By Night Duathlon (1st in AG)
  Columbia Triathlon (4th in AG)
  USAT Long Course Tri National Championship (8th in AG)
  Musselman Half Iron (6th in AG)
  Cayuga Lake Triathlon (6th in AG) (Flatted)
  Shawangunk Double:
  – 07 Sept: American Zofingen Long Course Duathlon
  – 08 Sept: Survivor of the Shawangunks
  – 28 Sept: XTERRA Epic ASP (2nd in AG, oldest finisher)
  2014 Autumn Run Spree:
  – 22 Nov: JFK 50-Mile
  – 29 Nov: NCR Trail Marathon
  – 06-07 Dec: Cajun Coyote 100-Mile
  – Yippie!!
• 2015: May: Cayuga Trails 50-Mile Run
  June: Trans Mass Ultra “Moving Beyond A.L.S.”
  – Day 1: 6.3-mile swim, 94-mile bike
  – Day 2: 137-mile bike
  – Day 3: 60-mile run
  July: Oregon Double Iron: 4th place male: 38 hours, 14 minutes, (and oldest finisher in its 2-year history)
  August: Cayuga Lake Triathlon (Olympic Distance): 3rd in AG (2 weeks after OR Double)
  13 Sept: Survival of the Shawangunks: 3rd in AG
  19 Sept: Virgil Crest 50-Mile Run (Finished!) Over 11,000 feet of elevation gain/loss
  2015 Autumn Run Spree:
  21 Nov: JFK 50-Mile Run
  28 Nov: NCR Trail Marathon
  05-06 Dec: Hitchcock 100-Mile Run (oldest finisher) 20,000 feet of elevation gain/loss, 17 finishers)
• 2016: 04 June: Cayuga Trails Marathon
  15-19 June: “Moving Beyond ALS” Kaizen-durance 500: 12-mile swim, 400-mile bike, 88-mile “run”. Under 99 hours, with over $8600 raised for ALS Association