bio
My speciality is working with runners as massage therapist, yoga teacher, strength and running coach. However, over the years, I’ve come to consider myself less running-exclusive and more people-who-use-their-bodies inclusive. I’ve worked extensively with beginners to elites and Olympians in not just track and field, road and ultrarunning, but also triathlon, cycling, CrossFit, weightlifting, powerlifting, obstacle course racing, gymnastics and paddlesports, among others. I also deeply appreciate the physicality of musicians, artists and laborers performing repetitive motions and heavy lifting.
growing up
About the time I was supporting myself on two legs, I was running and cross country skiing. I hold dear vivid memories of being a five year old running laps around the house and (in my mind as a dreamer) standing on the Olympics’ gold medal podium, providing interviews to the eager media. My love for simple endurance activities grew as I traveled to my father’s Nordic skiing and bicycle races most weekends throughout grade school, and during road trips to Canada and Colorado to watch the pros in cycling and cross country skiing.
In fourth and fifth grades, our high school cross county coach held a mile run and invited the top runners to the team’s banquet at the end of the season. I couldn’t wait until sixth grade when I could join that team!
Throughout middle and high school, I participated in cross country running, track, soccer, cycling and cross country skiing. After high school, triathlons, backpacking and especially climbing were explored deeply.
Thoroughly enjoying the many 50km and 50 mile endurance runs I’ve trained for and participated in as an adult, I’ve also embraced yoga, CrossFit, kettlebell sport, powerlifting and general strength training.
I understand the movement you love because I love it too!
massage therapy
Introduced to massage as a slightly injury-prone high school runner, I immediately noticed the positive effects in my body. My interest in providing massage professionally developed when I received a sports massage book while in college.
I completed my first formal massage training in Minnesota at Eagle’s Nest Institute in 1996 and spent the following few years reading textbooks and practicing massage on friends. After moving to Seattle in 1999, I studied at Seattle’s esteemed Brian Utting School of Massage, graduating in 2001 and moving into full time practice.
yoga
In the late ‘90s in Deadwood, South Dakota, I was introduced to yoga—deeply instruction-based Iyengar classes. Upon moving to Seattle in 1999, I was fortunate to live near a studio that offered month-long, 5 day per week immersion hatha yoga study. I smiled through these practices, and returned home after each eager to open journals and books to further study the poses. I feel very fortunate for this foundation.
Over the years, I ebbed and flowed into and out of practice, but have always returned, and in doing so have been introduced to many styles as the modern availability and popularity have changed (Iyengar, Jivamukti, Ashtanga, Baptiste).
I love a home practice—building and studying sequencing to practice alone at my own pace. And I’ve also been very fortunate to study and practice with many amazing teachers in Seattle including Theresa Elliott, Tory Lucero, Lara Ederer and Dikla Kafka. I completed my 200 hour teacher training with Lara and Dikla at Bala Yoga.
strength
In high school in the ‘90s, my team was in the weight room consistently—even us runners. As a climber in the late ‘90s, we’d put in solid lifting sessions before going out to climb for the day (yes, I know—I have no idea why we thought lifting immediately beforehand was a good idea, but even poorly placed it was likely helpful). Strength training has always been important to me!
To support my running into my 20s and 30s, I used strength and accessory work from more of a physical therapy standpoint. Later I fell in love with CrossFit, which led me to amazing coaches in and around the strength and conditioning, weightlifting and power lifting worlds.
I’ve also spent some years with kettlebell sport, where most commonly, jerk and snatch are performed for 10 minute sets each—fluid movement with the goal of efficiency and max reps. I was fortunate to have been coached by Markov Ivan.
running
I’ve been around my first and best love of running since the 4th grade. From middle and high school cross country and track, by senior year I’d found love for the trails—the solitude and easy long miles felt like home. In1996, when I was 20, I ran my first trail 50km and 50 miler.
Continuing to compete while helping others with their running careers, from 2003-2007, I co-hosted multi-day trail running camps and clinics, helping runners with form, strength, stretching, mental preparation, training philosophy and programming.
In addition to private client coaching, I coached track at Mercer Island High School in 2018 and track and cross country at Garfield High School from 2019-2022.
certifications
I'm licensed to practice massage in Washington State by the Department of Health, am a Charter Member of the Washington State Massage Therapy Association, as well as a Professional Member of the American Massage Therapy Association and Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals.