I grew up in New England but I moved around significantly.  While I was growing up, I also loved the outdoors and "little" adventures.  When I was 8 years old, my Mom and I packed up into a camper and spent over a year traveling the Eastern United States.  We would visit different campsites and points of interest.  I would swim, fish, hike, and play.   I eventually moved back to Massachussets with my Father when I was 10 years old and we lived there till my junior year of high school.  We moved to Austin, Texas where I would enjoy the awesome trail system there.  After high school, I joined the United States Marine Corps.

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While in the Marines, I learned to rock climb and repel as well as mountain bike.  You could say my outdoor adventures began here.   I spent almost 6 years in the Marines and was honorably discharged so I could go to college.  I would continue to run and play sports in college, but my outdoor adventures diminshed to almost nothing.  I attended undergraduate in San Marcos, Texas.  I joined the US Army after undergraduate to go to Physical Therapy School through the Army.  During Graduate school, my time was devoted to studying the human body and preparing for our weekly exams. 

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After Graduate School I was stationed in Virginia, where I enjoyed recreational running (as well as running as part of my Army job).  I was deployed to Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division. While in Iraq, my fellow medical officers and I would come up with "feats of endurance" almost daily.  One of our favorites was running in the middle of the day (average temp 120 degrees) out 3-4 miles to get water and then run back.  We would also challenge ourselve by running in our combat vest or packs.  The idea was to see who could do it without "dying!" or quitting.  The quitters would be berated soundly. 

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