COACHES
TJ David
TJ David is an Institute for Integrative Nutrition Certified Holistic Health Coach, recipient of the 2019 IIN Leadership in Health Coaching Award and Professional Mountain Athlete.
TJ incorporates focuses in restorative sleep, stress management, meditation, developing mental toughness, cultivating internal motivation, harnessing productive passion and overcoming performance anxiety into his coaching.
TJ will tailor his program to fit your individual needs while working with you to create ambitious but achievable goals. As a team, you’ll work towards those goals while exploring your passion for running, skiing, mountaineering – or whatever it is that makes you, you!
TJ is the course record holder at the Indian Creeks 50 miler, Telluride Mountain Run 40 miler, and Athens Big Fork Trail Marathon. He is the 2018 US SkyUltra Running Champion. He has set the Willow Lake 3 Pass Loop FKT, Back 40 Trails FKT, won the Indian Creek 55k SkyUltra Race and has set an elite USA qualifying time in the 50-mile trail distance. TJ is currently a sponsored professional Mountain Athlete.
Zoë Rom
Zoë is a Colorado-based writer and trail runner. Southern story-teller turned mountain-dweller, she starts every day with a cup of strong coffee and a good story. Her work has appeared on NPR, in Outside, REI Co-op Journal, Discover, Rock & Ice, Backpacker, and Threshold Podcast.
Zoë merges her passion for storytelling with her love of trail running in her work as the editor-in-chief at Trail Runner magazine. She currently hosts the DNF podcast from Trail Runner magazine.
Her running and coaching are powered by the belief that with smart, efficient training and enough self-belief, Earth is 97% runnable. She started co-coaching with TJ and Microcosm Coaching in 2019. Her bipedal accomplishments include the overall unsupported FKT on the Buffalo River Trail, FKT of renowned Colorado 14er Capitol Peak, 1st place at the Crested Butte 100k, two time winner of the Athens Big Fork Trail Marathon and two time winner of the the War Eagle 50k.
Kristen Schindler
Kristen is a creative copywriter, dog mom, and elite trail runner. She finds joy in the mountains, good books, and strong coffee.
Kristen’s love affair with running began when she was in grade school and has allowed her to explore the best and most vulnerable parts of herself over the past 20 years. She believes in sweating the details, showing up even when it’s scary, NOT having to do all the things, and finding the best way to connect, grow, and work as a team and as human beings.
Her passion for coaching stems from an inherent desire to encourage people to chase big dreams in beautiful places surrounded by an incredible community.
Her recent accomplishments include a course record at the Desert Rats 50k, and 1st place at Behind The Rocks 30k.
Kylee Van Horn
Kylee Van Horn is a Carbondale, CO based sports dietitian and running coach that believes that nutrition is a key player in sports performance that many overlook.
She seeks to provide individualized, but sustainable plans that work for athletes to help them achieve their goals. Kylee is a freelance columnist for Trail Runner Magazine and has contributed to Outside Magazine Online as well as Women’s Health Magazine.
Kylee works with athletes of all stripes as both a coach and sports-specific nutritionist. She is a certified USATF coach and registered nutritionist dietitian, 2:47 marathoner and finished top five at the USATF Trail Marathon Championships in 2019. Whether you are looking to complete your first race, dial in your fueling plan, or achieve big performance goals, Kylee has got you covered!
You can find Kylee and her pups, Ellie May and Lhotse running in the mountains around Carbondale, Colorado.
Drew Conner
Drew Conner is a husband, father, and has been General Manager of one of the U.S.’s top specialty running stores, Rush Running Company, for 13 years. He is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas with his BS in dietetics & clinical nutrition and letterman in Cross Country and Track.
His running philosophy is “mind over matter” and that with the right mindset and training plan, anything is possible. Drew has been running for over 20 years and a coach for over 10, he is an expert in working with both seasoned elites and total beginners. He’s a believer in work/life balance and a proponent of training with a ‘family first’ mentality. His passion is taking beginner runners nervous to take the first step and helping them grow both as a runner and a human being.
His recent accomplishments include a 1st place overall finish at the Joplin Marathon and a 1st place finish at the Dogwood Canyon Trail Run 50k.
Sarah Strong
Sarah Strong is a Colorado-based therapist, trail runner and mom with first hand experience balancing big running dreams with the responsibilities of work and kids.
A Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Sarah is especially equipped to support athletes in the mental health side of training including stress management, developing grit, and exploring athletic identity. Sarah aims to help athletes integrate running into their busy lives in a way that keeps the stoke level high and the risk of burnout low.
When she’s not chasing her boys up and down Front Range trails, Sarah’s probably making a delicious mess in the kitchen or polishing off a bag of gummy worms.
Sarah has been running for over 25 years and has raced every distance from 5k to 100 miles. Her recent accomplishments include 1st OA at Run Up For Air Staunton (2022), 3rd place finishes at Bryce Canyon 100 (2021) and Antelope Canyon 55k (2018).
