Dave Mackey, 42, Boulder, Colorado
Physician's assistant and father of two

Living in Boulder makes squeezing in a training session outdoors a lot easier. But that doesn’t mean it’s cake, especially when you’re juggling 60-hour-per-week clinical rotations and playing dad to a two-year-old and a four-year-old. But Dave Mackey has done just that while crushing it on the ultra-endurance circuit. So far this year he’s run seven ultramarathons, setting the master’s course record at the Western States 100 in June and winning the Miwok 100K in May. “I admit I get a lot of support from my wife, who’s a stay-at-home mom,” says Mackey. “But when people say they’re too busy, I don’t buy it. It just takes some priority shifts. Stop playing golf on the weekends or
put down the remote and get outside.”

PLAN, BUT DON'T OBSESS: “I have a schedule of how many miles and how much vertical I want to run each week, but I don’t track my runs or have a log. Mountain ultrarunning is not that precise a sport.”

MULTISPORT WHEN YOU CAN, RUN WHEN YOU CAN'T: “This year it’s been tough to find the time, but I love to go mountain biking and rock climbing. I’ve been working nonstop, so running is the perfect exercise for small windows of time. You can do it anywhere—just throw your shoes in your bag and you’re ready to go at a moment’s notice.”

SIGN UP FOR RACES—LOTS OF THEM: “My training consists of 50 to 70 miles of running per week, which is low by ultra standards. I get in two or three two-hour runs, plus a few 30-minute runs. But I do a 50 or 100-mile race every other month, so those are my long runs.

GO SHORT TO GO LONG: “Once you’ve got a solid base, instead of logging mega miles, keep the intensity up. Tempo runs with quality leg turnover are great. If I could do a 10K trail or road race every weekend, that would be the ideal training schedule. Those races keep the intensity high and make longer events easier—you kind of have another gear.”

GET DIRTY: “Ninety percent of my running is on trails. The only pavement I run is whatever road is the straightest line to a patch of dirt. Seeing the mountains and the hills, the adventure that’s always out there—it keeps me motivated.”

DEAL WITH IT: “The only things that force me inside are wildfires and electrical storms. If it’s raining, wear a shell. If it’s cold, wear a layer. If it’s warm, hydrate beforehand. Just go out and do it.”

REMEMBER WHY YOU'RE OUT THERE: “There’s a competitive side to this, but mostly it’s pure enjoyment. That’s the primary reason I train and race. You’re not going to stick with it unless you’re having fun.”