RAD - Real Athlete Diets

As the sport of trail running is growing at breakneck speed, so are the options for media.
Today alone I have received seven requests for my athlete roster.
Athletes racing for the win at BA/WS are there to race.
They are happy to do one or two interviews, but not six.
We intentionally booked media weeks ago in order to protect bandwidth.

Please keep in mind that athletes often have appearance requests from their brand partners.
On top of media interviews and brand requests, there are now Trail Con panels and pre race panel requests.
On top of all of this, there are a staggering amount of creatives (experienced and new to the space) reaching out to include athletes in whatever idea they have for a film.
This scenario is absolutely out of control.

I know how many hours a week I spend managing this for my team.
I cannot imagine the pro who does not have someone to say no for them.
When I decline media on behalf of an athlete in my care, the refusal is often not received well.
This needs to stop.
I don’t appreciate having to flip the tables over to be heard.
I hope that if you are reading this that you respect the word no.
Respect the word no whether it comes from an athlete, an agent or a coach.
And to be crystal clear, no response from an athlete IS a response.
No response, is a no.
*t

The next few months.
In no particular order, minus a few things in between.
*t

Regarding one of my athletes I was asked on repeat “What do you see in them that we are missing?”

Another, I was told was a liability. She was signed last week. I could literally hear her happiness through the phone.

One of them, “Wow, you sure moved fast to pick her up”, but the truth is, this athlete and I have intentionally been building our relationship for the better part of a year and waiting for the right time to begin work.
That time is now.

One I was told was, “simply a short course/sub ultra and not what we are looking for” and “we just don’t see a contract that big for her”. Six months later, she had 8 offers.

Another had no other offers. Just one. I was told on repeat “we’re looking for a racer, not a through hiker”, but one brand believed and went all in. This was the first ever pro I took on officially as an agent.

“Why, why, why?”
Becuase I believe in them.
I believe in belief for its own shining sake.
It’s not simply a yes, it’s a f* yes.
Every one of these athletes not only shows up but dominates.
They are a force.

To all the brand partners, coaches and athlete managers who said yes to the ride, thank you.
Thank you so darn much for your belief and trust.
*t

February was a whirlwind.
The first half had me feeding a cycling team in AZ.
From there I flew to HI to join Morgan and his family in Maui.
An absolute highlight of the trip was spending a day onsite with the Maui Nui team.
I have a bit to unpack still, but was left deeply impressed and affected by their team, mission and ethos.
Lots more to come, but be ready to learn more about them as we grow our partnership in 2026.
*t

Today someone on my team turned down a huge opportunity.
They saw beyond the shiny thing and stayed focused on the big dream.
Part of being professional is making professional decisions.
No doubts. Full send.
*t

The 10,000-hour rule suggests that roughly 10,000 hours of deliberate practice are required to achieve mastery in any complex skill. It emphasizes intense, focused training over raw talent, often requiring 7-10 years of consistent intentional practice.
This should not be mistaken for simply showing up for 10,000 hours with soft commitment.

After all, life comes from you not at you.
And we all know that hustle beats talent when talent doesn’t hustle.
Someone innately talented showing up half committed, will surely be usurped by the person without innate talent who hustles seven days a week to be their best. Make those 10,000 hours count.

Mistaking one’s presence for the event, rather than focusing on the spirit of excellence is pure ego.
Researching, troubleshooting, and putting method to practice is the work.
It is also vulnerable, in your face-kick the ego out the window when done so front facing in a race.

I applaud these two for the individuals they are and the team they have quickly become.
The goal is to be the best. To become so skilled and vigilant, that they cannot be dismissed.
It takes a great deal of peaks and valleys to achieve this.
To be excellent.
*t