It Started with a Stop Sign

My story starts in the gym. For many of my early years, it was all about weights: big arms, big chest, and chasing abs that never really showed up. I was in the gym 4-5 days a week. Then, I was asked to run a St. Patrick’s Day 5K. I figured I needed some cardio, so I hopped on a treadmill to run for 15 minutes.

It was absolute torture. I thought, “Running on the road has to be easier, right?” Nope. I would run down the hill to the stop sign—about 3/4 of a mile—and have to walk back. That lit a fire in me. Why? I was in shape. Why couldn’t I freakin’ run down a hill and back up?

Here is a great interview I did with Peregrune my go to runners multivitamin! It tells my entire story but more has been added in the last 2 years! YouTube Interview

The IT Mindset Meets the New Dad Reality

By day, for the last 25+ years, I’ve been an IT Professional. Troubleshooting, problem-solving, and digging for answers to help others overcome technical issues is a true passion of mine. I am 100% a geek at heart; I love gadgets and technology.

Fast forward to the birth of my daughter, and the real journey began. There was no way I could skip off to the gym for two hours—I could hardly keep my eyes open for two hours! But sitting on the couch flipping channels isn’t in my blood. My wife and I made a plan: while the baby napped, I hit the road. That run to the stop sign became a necessity, and I was determined to bring my problem-solving skills to the table to figure out why I sucked at running.

An Unknown Passion

My gym workouts shifted from weights to bootcamps—high-cardio “banger” workouts that left puddles of sweat. This was all thanks to my wife saying, “Hey, you should jump into one of my gym’s workouts… but make sure you eat something during the day.” 🤨

After getting my butt kicked for a few weeks, it turned into, “We are doing a Spartan race in NJ and you should sign up.” Twenty-plus Spartan Races later—including five Beasts, seven Ultra Beasts, and the Spartan World Ultra in Iceland—I found my passion for endurance.

Evolution of the Run

Short runs became long runs. I started to crave the trails; a “quick run” became crushing five miles before dinner. Signing up for races became a game of scrubbing the internet for the most ridiculous thing I could find.

The “Pain Cave” and I became close friends. I started checking off boxes: 30 miles, 50K, 50 miles, 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours… and here we are.

The Mission of RunSafeGear

I have learned a lot through the years, and I’ve helped many runners go from “Hell no” to tears at a finish line. RunSafeGear started as a simple conversation that quickly turned into a nightly project. I founded RunSafeGear.com to bridge the gap of the unknown.

Just like in life, we don’t know what is around the corner. Run Safe. Be Safe. has a deep meaning behind it. Every time my wife or I head out for a run, we always say: “See you soon. Be safe.”

There is nothing more important than returning home from your run. We can’t live in fear of what’s around the corner, but we can do many things to better our chances of success. My goal is to bring you the concepts, products, and reliable information you need to come back stronger and better equipped to achieve whatever goals are ahead.

Run Safe. Be Safe. Preparation for success.