DR MATT LAYE Q&A
Facebook Live Q&A with Coach Matt
Other Questions
1. Coaching accomplishment(s) you’re most proud of and why?
The accomplishment I am most proud of is getting an injury prone athlete to finish a 100 miler. When I started working with this athlete I could not get him to stay healthy. We experimented with a bunch of different approaches and settled on a five days of running two days completely off schedule. Once that was figured out he was able to finish his first 100 miler in under 22 hours. Each athlete is a puzzle and some athletes take a little bit more time to put together, but it’s extremely rewarding to eventually figure out where all the pieces go.
2. Most exotic personal running experience?
While I have since run on more amazing trails it was the my first introduction to trails that probably seemed the most exotic to me. In college we would escape the heat of the central valley in Davis, CA and stay at the hostel at Point Reyes National seashore. It was about 40 degrees cooler and felt very exotic compared to the farmlands and dirt levies of Davis running. It was on the last day of camp when we did our long run with a 1,500 ft climb (that felt very exotic and tough) in which I just wanted to keep exploring that really hooked me on the trails. While those trails no longer feel foreign, they remain special.
3. Favorite local trail?
I moved to Boise in 2015 from the Bay Area where I had plenty of favorite trails. In Boise those my favorite trails are the foothill trails that are a half mile from my house (yes that is part of the reason we moved to Boise). Hundreds of miles of trails that wind along as single track and fire road from the valley all the way up to 7,000 ft. Of those trails my favorite trail is the Watchmen, a mostly flat trail along the ridge with views of downtown and fantastic flowers in the Spring.
4. Favorite cross training activity?
In the last few years I have gotten more into XC skiing. Our local hill is 15 miles up the road so we have good access and it’s a great workout and a lot easier on the body. I started with skate skiing and am hoping to pick up classic next season.
5. Personal running accomplishment you’re most proud of and why?
50 summits of Mt Tam (in the Marin Headlands of the Bay Area) in a year. It is not a race, but represents a process. That accomplishment was a commitment to community and consistency which led to some fantastic results. PR’s in the half marathon, marathon, and a win at Rocky Raccoon 100 miler in 13:17.
6. Most unusual coaching issue you’ve had to deal with?
Figuring out how to turn a former national level lacrosse player into a trail runner. One of my first athletes, Paddy O’Leary, showed great promise in setting several course records in his first ever trail races. However, like so many newbies he needed guidance on how to break up a week, when to hold back and rest, and how to progress to a longer race. Nearly five years later Paddy is a sponsored athlete and running 100 milers.