Our Amazing FITniche Crew

I started running sophomore year in high school. I really didn’t love it at first, I tried to quit multiple times, my cross country coach in high school didn’t let me quit though and told me I had a future in running if I chose to put my whole heart in it. I ended up having mediocre seasons until my senior year when I finally had a personal best at 17:04. Since high school I have dabbled in every distance from a 5k to ultra distance and even a sprint triathlon. I also married my beautiful wife Lindsey and we have a wonderful daughter named Blaire. We also have our fun loving and playful beagle named Cooper.

I started running my sophomore year of high school to get in shape. I’ve ran 14 half marathons and 3 marathons and qualified for the Boston Marathon. Currently, I am a sophomore at Florida Southern College majoring in exercise science and I run cross country and track there. I love running in all types of shoes, but my favorite has to be New Balance. I run in the Zante, 1400, and also my XC spikes are NB as well! College and running take up most of my time, but in my free time you’ll most likely find me sipping on a pumpkin spice latte while reading a good book or watching and cheering on the Tampa Bay Rays and Lightning.

Finding my fit, and reclaiming my fun to me looks like working hard and helping others to work to their full potential! Leadership is very important to me by encouraging others to not only make them feel proud and motivated, but helps me to know that i have influenced them in ways that will benefit and lift up both myself, costumers, and peers. Being a competitive dancer for 13 years, and captain of a cheer team for two years in high school, helped me obtain some of these characteristics, and also now being  involved in Krav Maga, as not only a fitness and self defense sport/activity form, but a way of leadership and discipline.  

I started running because my life had gotten pretty stagnant, and I wanted to create some new goals for myself. Running has changed my life in more ways than I could ever have imagined. I’ve been running for about three years now. In December 2016, it’ll be three years from my first marathon. I’ve enjoyed almost every race I’ve done, but if I have to pick a favorite I’ll go with the Boston Marathon. It just takes the marathon experience to a new level. My favorite shoes to train in right now are the Newton Gravity V and the Saucony Kinvara 7. I typically race in the Newton Distance. When I’m not running or working at FITniche, I’ll be honest with ya, I don’t do a whole heck of a lot. Running consumes a lot of my life. Occasionally, I’ll hit up the dog beach with my adorable three-year-old black lab, Porter. Other than that, I just enjoy hanging out with good people.

I’ve been running for as long as I can remember. Growing up we always had foot races with the neighborhood kids and that developed my competitive spirit. Although I was a sprinter by nature, my Sophomore year in high school I joined the XC team to stay in shape for basketball, and my love of endurance running quickly developed. I even finished my first marathon by the end of my Senior year. While I’ve dabbled in triathlons, my true passion is the marathon distance. In 2016, I moved from Indiana to Florida to turn my hobby of running into my career and haven’t looked back since.