Patrick Martinez Not only is Patrick a native of Colorado, he is also a sprinter turned distance runner and our esteemed store manager. Patrick graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, running on the varsity track and field team in the 200m, 400m and 800m. Patrick describes "more than two laps as crazy," and when asked about his favorite race distance said: "Any race where my warm-up is longer than the race distance." Patrick utilizes his running experience, educational background and USATF Level 1 coaching certification as a coach for Solepepper F.I.T. Davidson Mesa and the Coal Creek Trail are two of Patrick's favorite running venues, but he also enjoys running anywhere there isn't snow or ice! A natural athlete, Patrick ran before he could crawl, running in college to see how far he could push himself but now to explore the Colorado landscape and because he loves the community of training partners running brings. When not running or working at Solepepper Sports, Patrick likes to rock climb, play tennis and mountain bike.
Andrew Letherby Andrew is our native Australian runner out of Adelaide, Australia. He has been here in Colorado with his wife Meg for the past 8 years via Georgia State University, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science. Andrew grew up in a running family as well, his mother was a competitive runner and represented Australia multiple times. That love for running has been passed down with Andrew running for the Australian team for the past 10 years and clocking his own impressive running resume as well, which involves a personal best marathon time of 2:11. Andrew's favorite running route around the area has been the Dowdy Draw-Eldorado Canyon-Mesa Trail area because of the spectacular scenery. Andrew's favorite distance to race has been the marathon but he has recently gotten into mountain biking and hiking.
Jenna Barber Van Horn Jenna joins us from Akron, Ohio but has been in Colorado for the past 3-1/2 years. Jenna received her Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University where she also played varsity softball. After college she took up running for a new challenge and the stress relief it brings. Jenna's favorite distance to race is the half-marathon but recently she has taken on the Chicago marathon and qualified for Boston in which she will be competing in 2010. Along with the rest our Solepepper club, her husband, TJ, and her 16-month-old, Chase, will be her support along the way. Jenna is all about the numbers so you can find her out on her favorite routes like Heil Valley Ranch, Marshall Mesa, and Teller Farms with her Garmin 405 to get all of her running info into her watch. Since Jenna has picked up running she has definitely liked not only the fitness benefits, but she has found the "love of it," which keeps her out there looking for her next challenge.
Britton Perincheril Britton began her running life when she had to train for an 3 week Outward Bound mountaineering course in Oregon in college and has been running ever since. Before that, Britton grew up as a competitive gymnast and went on to become an instructor. She has her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Education. Britton has been in Colorado for the past 9 years and has been married for the past 10. Her two children aged 7 and 4 can be seen bringing excitement to any race that Britton takes part in. As a mom of two, Britton loves the way running gives her time to take in the Colorado scenery while also being a very efficient way to stay fit with a limited amount of time available. Her favorite routes are around Waneka Lake and Coal Creek because of the close proximity and the ability to branch off into some neighborhoods to vary your distance. Britton's favorite race experience(s) is also one of the one's that supports the organization that got her into running to begin with, the Colorado Relay (formerly Outward Bound). She loves the team work involved and the logistical factors that each team needs to overcome in order to complete the event. "I was so uplifted by the sportsmanship of my other team mates and by the accomplishment of completing all my legs." She hopes to be back next year for another Colorado Relay.
Erin Watson Erin has been our head Solepepper F.I.T. coach since the very beginning. Originally from Iowa, Erin's athletic background came from being an elite level cyclist competing at the Junior and Espoire level. Erin was also a cheerleader and if she is not competing in a race of her own you can find her with signs and all, cheering the rest of us on. She has brought a great presence to our community and we are happy to have Erin as our head coach for Solepepper F.I.T. Her favorite running route around the area is Left Hand Canyon, which, "is a little sketchy with traffic, but I love feeling so fast running down the canyon." Erin has been married to Zach Watson for the past 9 years, who is still a nationally ranked cyclist. They just recently welcomed a new member the Watson family, Kelby Watson born February 2010, and we are all excited to welcome baby Watson to the community Erin has helped to build. Erin's race that she would recommend the most is the Coal Creek Crossing 10 mile because she is the race director for it.
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Alan and his wife Shayne, both members of the 2004 Athens and 2000 Sydney Olympic Track and Field teams, met while competing for the University of Colorado in Boulder. They have been married for 11 years and have three sons. They have lived in the Boulder area for over fifteen years and in the surrounding communities for the last ten, including Superior, Louisville and Lafayette.
Over the last decade as a professional, Alan has proven to be one of the most consistent and versatile distance runners in American history. Alan is a multiple time sub-four minute miler, with a personal best of 3:55 and is accomplished in distances ranging from 5k to the Marathon. In 2002 Alan ran his debut Marathon in a time of 2:09:41,which at that time was the American Debut Record. In only his second marathon Alan won the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials and later that year went on to finish an impressive 12th place in the marathon at the Athens Olympic Games. He also finished top five in the prestigious Boston Marathon on two occasions. He is a 7 time National Champion in Track and Cross County and his 27:33 clocking in the 10k is ranked amoung the top 10 All-Time American performances for that event. Along with two Olympic Teams, he also qualified 4 times for the World Championship Team.
Shayne has been one of this country's leading middle distance runners since her break through year in 1997. Along with qualifying for the Sydney Olympic Games in the 1500m in 2000, Shayne went on to run one of the top 10 American performances of all time in the 5000m, running 15:01 for that distance. In 2004 she won the Olympic Trails in thrilling fashion in the 5k, in so doing qualified for her second Olympic berth. The year prior she solidified her standing internationally by winning the Bronze Medal at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest Hungary. Shayne has won multiple Indoor National titles, has a personal best of 4:05 for 1500m and has the great distinction of accomplishing all this while also having three boys along the way.
