Podcasts about Flatirons

Are you loving the people in your life as well as they need you to? This past weekend, Jim Burgen challenged Flatirons with a bold call: stop playing it safe, and start loving like Jesus. Whether it's your spouse, your kid, a coworker, or a friend—you're being invited into a summer of intentional, no-strings-attached love. Not the kind that waits for a return or assumes “they already know,” but the kind that shows up—like Jesus did. Real love doesn't assume; it assures. And this summer, we're all on assignment.

Show Notes:Holly's Links:Holly's profile on The Mountain Guideshttps://www.instagram.com/hollyismackin/Episode Intro:Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast, happy Wednesday! This is your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas. Today, our guest is Holly Mackin.  When Holly was little, no one would have ever assumed she'd find her pursuits in the outdoors. Mostly scared of bugs and raised within the traditions of Catholic culture, it seemed highly unlikely she'd commit to a life living in and out of a van or tent. Something changed in high school when she needed an escape from the drama of her peers. She started running outdoors and practicing yoga religiously. She found herself going on mission trips abroad, which gave her more purpose.When she decided to go to college at the University of Colorado Boulder, she was exposed to backcountry skiing and climbing. Already a runner, she scheduled her classes around soloing the Flatirons so she could take her practice to more interesting places. Throughout college, she spent summers in Grand Teton National Park, where she later planted roots as a mountain guide.Her passion for rock climbing takes her to the Southwest every spring and fall, frequenting areas like Indian Creek, Red Rock Canyon, and Joshua Tree. In the winter, Holly is usually found in the Tetons, hunting for untouched powder and teaching snow science. She coordinates all women's backcountry skiing and climbing programs for The Mountain Guides under the Women's Network. This program also works to support newer women guides on their journey to becoming mountain guides.Holly followed her heart to become a guide, cherishes the connections she builds with her clients and fellow guides, and has big dreams to make an impact. Now, please enjoy this episode with Holly Mackin.Things We Talked about:From Kentucky to Colorado, following the love of skiingEnvironmental Anthropology and skiing brought Holly to Jackson WyomingInception of guiding and it all started at a juiceryIn college, Holly maximized her time being on the ski slopes and rock cliffsGot an internship at The Mountain Guides doing all sorts of chores and volunteering to shadow trips to get outdoorsRight now at Teton Valley guiding skiing and teaching avalanche coursesFeeling closer to her environmental goals guidingHolly's environmental takes and views and how she uses conversations to remind people that we are part of natureHolly loves being outside and human connectionsWomen's Programs with The Mountain Guides – guides development and clients long term progressionOutlook on guidingBeyond guiding, Holly wants to be an entrepreneur

Many leaders struggle with workplace dynamics that drain energy and hinder mission impact—but what if your culture could truly flourish? In this episode, Jesse DeYoung, Executive Pastor at Flatirons Community Church, shares practical steps to break free from dysfunction and build a thriving, Christ-centered organization.  Find full show notes here: https://bit.ly/431jessedeyoung Share the love. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it on Apple Podcasts and write a brief review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flourishing-culture-podcast/id1060724960?mt=2   By doing so, you will help spread our podcast to more listeners, and thereby help more Christian workplaces learn to build flourishing cultures. | Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on X https://twitter.com/allopus  | Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allopus/ | Email our host at al@workplaces.org

In this episode, Jim Burgen and Jesse DeYoung from Flatirons Church pull back the curtain on leadership transitions, developing leaders from within, and the power of trust in executive roles. They reveal what's working—and what they've learned the hard way in navigating conflict, prioritizing staff health, and the role of sabbaticals in sustaining long-term leadership. If you're leading in a church or nonprofit, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways for building a thriving, mission-driven team.

Is being single pointless? In this message, Flatirons kicks off a new series called No Strings Attached, focusing on the challenges of relationships, starting with singleness. Often, those who don't want to be single feel loneliness, frustration, or even inadequacy. But the heart of the message is that God never creates seasons without purpose. Singleness, as Paul highlights in 1 Corinthians 7, is actually a gift—an opportunity for undivided devotion to God and time to serve others. The real challenge isn't finding someone to marry but using this season to live with purpose and meaning.

can we truly reach out to those different from us? Jesus' resurrection changed everything, showing that God's love extends to all people. This series on the Book of Acts explores how the early church embraced this mission, despite challenges and cultural barriers. Discover the stories of key figures like Stephen, Philip, Paul, and Peter, and learn how their experiences can inspire us today. Whether it's understanding the courage needed to bridge divides or seeing the importance of inclusivity, these lessons are crucial for us at Flatirons. Join us as we learn to be a church that reaches out beyond our boundaries, just as Jesus intended.

On a sleepy summer evening in Boulder, Colorado, in 1974, three young Chicano activists sat in a car at Chautauqua Park at the base of the iconic Flatirons—the giant red sandstone rock formations that sit above the foothills. Then, at approximately 9:50 p.m., the car exploded. Two days later, another car in downtown Boulder exploded, killing three more young Chicanos. Their deaths came against the backdrop of the Chicano movement and the social justice activism of the 1960s and ‘70s. On this episode of Lost Highways, we'll look back at Los Seis de Boulder—the nearly-forgotten group of six activists in the Chicano movement who were fighting for student aid and representation on the CU Campus, and the unresolved mystery of their deaths.  

What an episode. Jon from Flatirons Tuning fown some time to sit down with us and chat about where he's from, where the shop came from and a bunch of other stuff. We go over the recent AOS issues he brought up and some great commentary on "Subaru on Subaru" violence within the community. Great chat!!

This episode is a little more on the serious side because a) I share a story about soloing the Diamond/Longs Peak Triathlon, which has taken me two years to process and finally bring to public light and b) it is way harder to make jokes when your only audience member is a judgmental cat who physiologically cannot laugh. I talk about some of my own climbing history, getting into highballing, soloing in the Flatirons, becoming a cyclist, and what my relationship status was before, during, and after the LPT experience. Low-fi intro still goin strong. My heater comes off and on. The audio shenanigans continue. Tell me what you liked and what you'd like to see more of! Comment here or DM me @sheneenagins. ASK BAD KITTY (I promise I will get back to answering specific questions asap): https://forms.gle/RLGkSC2P19gJ4GHW8 Thanks for listening!

“If you don't have a healthy elder board in a church, you might as well not have an elder board.” Meet Darryl, Justin, and Jonathan, three of the four Flatirons Elders. In a special group interview, today's episode gives insight into what honesty and integrity look like when played out on a healthy board. Find out why a healthy team does not mean “smooth sailing.” Welcome to Episode 096 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan.

We are called to be the light of the world in the darkness that is around us. Ben Chaves teaches on how Flatirons has had an impact on the world in 2023 and how we need to be the light in our worlds. How can we be Jesus to the people around us?

Ever considered hiking as a break from the hustle and bustle, but fretting over the sweat and strain? What if you could stroll through breathtaking landscapes without breaking a sweat? Join me, Craig thenaturalmedic, on an easy trek through the serene Flatirons Vista trail in Boulder, Colorado, where we relish the majestic Flatiron Range, expansive prairies, and the refreshing Ponderosa Pine Woodlands. Under the warm Colorado sun, we enjoy the tranquility and wonder of nature, with occasional breaks to recharge with some stroffwaffles and water.Transitioning from grassland prairies to woodland, the picturesque mountains of the Flatiron Range provide a serene backdrop, making this leisure hike a feast for the eyes. Despite the trail being fairly flat and not particularly challenging, it offers a fantastic opportunity to revel in nature's beauty. Back at the trailhead, we explore other accessible trails, hinting at numerous future adventures. This delightful 3.2-mile journey, completed in about an hour and a half, uplifts your spirit and inspires you to embrace more such outdoor activities. Tune in to share this hiking adventure with me and remember, the journey is just as important as the destination.Support the show

Looking for the perfect spot to spend Labor Day weekend? Try Boulder, Colorado! Join the Travel Brats as they kick off September with a trip to the renowned town of Boulder, Colorado. Boulder, a staple city in Colorado, is at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. From its artsy Pearl Street to the majestic Flatirons, Boulder is hard to beat, especially in September!

People haven't been leaving the church because of what Christians believe. They've been leaving in droves because of HOW they've been treated. They haven't seen the fruit of the Spirit in Christians, and so they gave up on Christ. What if our communities knew Flatirons was a beacon of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in a world where people are starving for that kind of fruit? 

People haven't been leaving the church because of what Christians believe. They've been leaving in droves because of HOW they've been treated. They haven't seen the fruit of the Spirit in Christians and so, they gave up on Christ. What if our communities knew that Flatirons was a beacon of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in a world where people are starving for that kind of fruit.

How do you build a big production team in a healthy way? What is the ethicality of hiring techs from other churches? Tyler came up at Bayside church and now he is leading the production team at Flatirons church. In this episode you'll hear: 1:00 Company culture, hiring patterns 6:15 Tyler Kaneshiro joins us! 9:30 Disney Princesses & Tyler's implants  12:00 From Bayside to Flatirons church 15:30 Beginning to build the Flatirons production team 20:00 How did Tyler recruit his recent production hires? 29:00 Is it ethical to “steal” techs from another church? 33:45 Moments you knew a hire was or wasn't right 35:00 Flatiron's campuses and staff 37:15 Building the Flatirons production team 41:00 Disaster Story on Dante Cards44:20 Tech Takeaway on Perspective Resources for your Church Tech MinistryDoes your church have used gear that you need to convert into new ministry dollars? We can make you an offer here. Do you need some production gear but lack the budget to buy new gear? You can get Certified Church Owned gear here.Connect with us: Follow us on FacebookHang out with us on InstagramSee all the ways we can serve your church on our WebsiteGet our best gear sent to your inbox each Monday before it goes public via the Early ServiceWhat if your bank account had a leak in it?If you have used production gear sitting in your storage closet, that is exactly what is happening right now. We paid churches over a million dollars in 2022 for their used production gear. Head to our site, make your gear list, and let us come pay your church.

Guest Bios Show Transcript In 2020, Moriah Smothers thought her emotional and physical relationship with her pastor, Patrick Garcia, was an affair. She blamed herself and was ostracized by many in her church. Yet now, Moriah realizes she was the victim of adult clergy sexual abuse. And since Garcia has returned to preaching—and was recently featured in an article as a repentant and reformed pastor—Moriah is speaking out. In this exclusive podcast interview, Moriah and her husband, Jack, speak publicly for the first time since Patrick Garcia resigned from The Hills Church in Evansville, Indiana. At the time, Garcia confessed to engaging in an “inappropriate relationship, both physically and emotionally.” And he pledged to undergo a “season of restoration so that the root of my brokenness and dysfunction can be addressed.” Almost three years later, that season is apparently nearing a close. Garcia said recently that he's been able to determine what caused his crash. And, with the backing of mentoring pastor Bob Russell—pastor emeritus of one of the largest churches in the U.S.—Garcia is starting to minister again. This comes as a shock to Moriah, who says Garcia groomed and abused her, using his power as a pastor to keep her in a relationship she repeatedly tried to escape. And, in this podcast, Moriah and her husband, Jack, explain why they don't think Garcia should ever be allowed back into ministry. This podcast includes an interview with a pastor who served under Garcia at Crossroads Christian Church, where Garcia served until 2018, when he was fired. The Crossroads pastor says Garcia wasn't fired for mere “philosophical differences,” as previously announced, but for profound character issues. Also offering perspective is Jim Burgen, lead pastor of Flatirons Community Church in Colorado. Like Pastor Russell, Jim is a close friend and mentor for Garcia. Is Garcia a restored pastor, whose gifts shouldn't be withheld from the church? Or, is he a predator, who continues to deceive and manipulate, and shouldn't be allowed in ministry again? Multiple voices engage with these questions and provide understanding on adult clergy sexual abuse. Guests Dr. Moriah Smothers Dr. Moriah Smothers is an Associate Professor of Teacher Education and a former elementary special education teacher. She is also a survivor of adult clergy sexual abuse (ACSA). Dr. Jack Smothers is a Professor of Management and a secondary survivor. Their heart is to help other ACSA survivors find healing and community. They are passionate about educating church leaders to identify, prevent and respond to ACSA. They have two children and have been married for 15 years. You can connect with them at jackandmoriahsmothers@gmail.com. Show Transcript SPEAKERS JULIE ROYS, MORIAH SMOTHERS, JACK SMOTHERS, JIM BURGEN, PAUL LINGE JULIE ROYS  0:00 For a year, Moriah Smothers thought her emotional and physical relationship with her pastor Patrick Garcia was an affair. She blamed herself and was ostracized by many in her congregation. But Moriah says she now believes she was a victim of clergy sexual abuse. And now that Garcia is returning the ministry, she's speaking out in this exclusive podcast. Welcome to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I'm Julie Roys and joining me on this episode is Moriah Smothers and her husband Jack Smothers. Moriah has not spoken publicly since 2020 when Patrick Garcia resigned from the Hills Church in Evansville, Indiana. At that time, Garcia confessed to engaging in an “inappropriate relationship both physically and emotionally.” He added, no one is to blame for this repeated wicked behavior but me and he pledged to undergo a “season of restoration so that the root of my brokenness and dysfunction can be addressed.” Now almost three years later, that season is apparently nearing a close. In a Christian Post article last month, Garcia says he's been able to determine what caused his crash. And now with the help of mentoring Pastor Bob Russell, Pastor Emeritus of one of the largest churches in the country, Garcia is starting to minister again. He's also speaking out claiming the relationship he had with the other woman was an emotional affair, but the church forced him to say it was physical. He also claims the church didn't know how to handle his struggle with anxiety and depression, contributing to what happened. All this has come as a shock to Moriah, who says Garcia isn't telling the truth. She says Garcia groomed and abused her using his power as a pastor to keep her in a relationship she repeatedly tried to escape. She also says she's reached out to Russell and leaders at the Hills, trying to get them to acknowledge the abuse, but they've refused. On this podcast, you'll hear her story. You'll also hear from a pastor at Crossroads Christian Church, where Garcia served from 2016 to 2018. That's when he was fired for alleged philosophical differences. And you'll hear from a pastor who like Bob Russell, is a close friend and mentor for Garcia. You won't hear from Patrick Garcia. We reached out to him to hear his side of the story. He responded via email saying and I quote, “enough has been said about that part of my story. I'm in the season of accepting the Lord's forgiveness and moving on.” We'll get to this important podcast in a moment. But first, I'd like to thank the sponsors of this podcast, Judson University, and Marquardt of Barrington. If you're looking for a top ranked Christian University, providing a caring community and an excellent college experience, Judson University is for you. Judson is located on 90 acres just 40 miles west of Chicago in Elgin, Illinois. The school offers more than 60 majors, great leadership opportunities and strong financial aid. Plus you can take classes online as well as in person. Judson University is shaping lives that shaped the world. For more information, just go to JUDSONU.EDU. Also, if you're looking for a quality new or used car, I highly recommend my friends at Marquardt of Barrington. Marquardt is a Buick GMC dealership where you can expect honesty, integrity and transparency. That's because the owners there Dan and Kurt Marquardt are men of integrity. To check them out, just go to BUYACAR123.COM. Well, joining me now is Moriah Smothers, who is speaking publicly for the first time about what she claims was clergy sexual abuse by Patrick Garcia, former pastor of the Hills Church in Evansville, Indiana. Also joining her is her husband Jack Smothers, who has stood by Moriah throughout the turmoil and devastation of the past several years. So Jack, and Moriah, thank you so much for being willing to talk about what I know is just a really painful and difficult situation. MORIAH SMOTHERS  04:11 Thank you for having us Julie. JACK SMOTHERS  04:12 Thank you, Julie. JULIE ROYS  04:14 So as I mentioned in the open, Patrick Garcia resigned from the Hills Church in 2020, confessing to what the media called an affair. In the past three years you haven't said anything publicly about what happened. And now you are speaking publicly for the first time. So what led you to want to speak out now about this situation? MORIAH SMOTHERS  04:37 Julie, Jack and I have never wanted to, felt the need or the call to be public about any of this. Our heart was basically to disappear and heal up, figure out what happened, why it happened. And we have taken a few opportunities these past three years to for some educational reasons with some local church leaders, but really, we were very happy healing up in private on our own with some supporters as well. The reason that we're talking to you now is because of the Christian Post article that was recently released. We had no prior knowledge of that article, completely caught off guard by it. But after we both read it, we were deeply troubled by the fact that there was no mention of adult clergy sexual abuse in that write up. And even then I still didn't feel the need to say anything different than Patrick Garcia's story. But what really pushed us to reach out and say something and be public for the first time is I was so devastated and insulted for the survivor community, for other women that are your friends, and in a support group with now. I just felt the article was deeply disrespectful and tone death of everything happening in the evangelical church, between Ravi Zacharias and Hillsong, and the SBC, the Christian Post can do better and should do better. And so I felt like, I didn't want this opportunity. Jack didn't want this opportunity. But here it is. And we're really here to tell our story for survivors, and hopefully, for church leaders to know better and do better. JULIE ROYS  06:12 And so Leo Blair, who wrote that article. I know, Leo, he's a colleague, someone that I've talked to on numerous occasions, and has been helpful to me in stories. And he's done some excellent work. But in this case, sounds like he did not attempt to reach out to you, correct? MORIAH SMOTHERS  06:29 No, there was no attempt at all. Nobody involved in that story reached out to us or notified us at all. We were very surprised by it. JULIE ROYS  06:36 Okay. And I think he did reach out to the Hills' elders who did not respond to him. I guess they could have put him in touch with you. But that didn't happen. And I'm not sure that that was asked for even but a very regrettable situation. And so I'm glad that you're going to be able to tell your side of the story. Let's back up to when both of you met Patrick Garcia. As I understand, both of you were volunteers at Crossroads Christian Church in Evansville, Indiana. And that's where Patrick pastored from roughly 2016 to 2018. Would you describe your relationship with Patrick at the time? MORIAH SMOTHERS  07:16 Yeah, sure. Basically, Julie, there was no relationship. We started attending that church when Ken Idleman was pastoring it. We had a lot of respect for his preaching and teaching. And it would be classified technically, as a mega church; it was very large. We were serving and attending but the pastoral transition did happen while we were there, but there was no relationship of any sort. Our children are about the same age. So we might have walked past each other in a hallway but no kind of communication, no, no relationship of any sort, except he was the pastor. And that was it. JULIE ROYS  07:49 Okay, and I'm guessing you had impressions of him, though. He was your pastor. Jack, was there ever did you have any conversations with him at this point, or he was just the man up on stage/ JACK SMOTHERS  08:02 We had passing conversations. And I do remember, one time at Crossroads when Patrick was still a pastor there. I did say to Moriah, I have a bad feeling about him. I didn't have any evidence of anything, I just got a bad impression and asked her to keep her distance from it. That was the extent of our interactions. JULIE ROYS  08:23 So then, in 2020, Crossroads fired Patrick Garcia, and another Pastor Rick Kyle, over in this is what the statement said, at least initially was philosophical differences. That was the reason given. I've also spoken with Paul Linge who was and still is a pastor at Crossroads. And we'll get his take in a minute about what really was happening behind the scenes. But from your vantage point at the time, what did you think had happened and why Patrick Garcia was being fired by the church? 08:25 At that point in time, we were just congregation members very far removed from that inner circle with any sort of connection to Patrick or the elders. And I think that's an interesting question. It's something that churches should really consider deeply because for your average congregant, especially in a megachurch, that pastor, that teaching individual is going to be the person who your congregants feel more connected to. And we had a personal relationship, a friendship with another pastor by the name of Dave Bowersox, he was a friend. We love him and his family and he chose to resign from the church as a result of all that. And that, at the time, spoke volumes to us and we trusted him we trusted his friendship and I chose to side with them in moving to the Hills, which at that point in time, Patrick was not a part of, it had nothing to do with Patrick moving to the Hills. He didn't come on to staff  at the Hills until later on. But at that point in time, it was really because of our friendship with Dave. JULIE ROYS  10:04 Was there a narrative though? That was because I know that this cause major turmoil. In fact, it spawned, I know, an article in Christian Post back then, because I went back and read a lot of these articles. I wasn't aware of it at the time. I wasn't covering this sort of news, or I think my nose was probably in other stories at the time. But it sounds like it caused a lot of turmoil at Crossroads, several pastors resigned when Patrick was fired, there was a petition circulating. This was a major deal. And I'm guessing there had to have been trying to figure out which side is telling the truth, am I right? MORIAH SMOTHERS  10:40 Yeah, there was definitely it was highly contentious. The narrative I remember hearing, believing, understanding was that the elders wanted to lead in a more traditional way. And that the pastors that were being fired and or resigned and left wanted to be more progressive. And so there was truly what we believe the statement about philosophical differences in leadership. And again, at the time, we also believe that maybe Crossroads was wanting to be a bit more of a country club feel, then really reaching out to the needy, the vulnerable. So that was the narrative that was being put out there for people that were asking questions. That's what i remember. JACK SMOTHERS  11:22 You don't realize how gullible you are until after the fact until hindsight is available. But there was evidence that we could have looked into and chose not to, because of those connections and those relationships that we had those trusted relationships. And so those just exerted a profound influence over us. And then we regret that. JULIE ROYS  11:43 As I mentioned, I talked to Paul Linge, who currently oversees the counseling ministry there at Crossroads, but he served as executive pastor under Patrick Garcia. And this is what he told me about why Patrick was fired. PAUL LINGE  11:58 There were some fundamental character fissures in the makeup of his heart, his mind, his belief system, and those would leak out on a fairly regular basis. And while I never saw him act, to my knowledge, inappropriately toward a female, okay, that's too much that's inappropriate, that's wrong. But he would laugh at it just crude things. And unless they like for nudity, not that I saw but like pictures of like a shadow of It's a little embarrassing to talk about, shadows of a man's penis, and, and this was like early on, and he would laugh about it. And I was like, yikes, okay, something is a little off here. And I would confront him on it. And sometimes he would receive it. But it was dismissive as well. Basically, he was unteachable, he was young, he was still in his late 20s. I saw the way that he would posture himself in elder meetings, he was unteachable, he would not listen to men who are leaders in their areas of business and industry and are men of God. He had his own his official group of Crossroads elders that he was technically under the authority of, but he had his own private board outside of that. It was composed of guys who would tell him what he wanted to hear. And some of these are the Bob Russell's, and others, some of whom have had what appears to be great success in ministry. But they didn't have the nuts and bolts of the character of Patrick Garcia. And so I think it could be said that he came with what looked like a good pedigree; graduate of Cincinnati Christian University, the son in law of Dave Stone, who at that time was the lead pastor at Southeast Christian Church. And so it looked like good pedigree, but I don't know that the proper due diligence was done in tossing him the keys, so to speak, of Crossroads Christian Church. It felt like the keys were tossed to a reckless teenager rather than a mature man of God, who had in mind things of God. JULIE ROYS  14:02 That's Crossroads Pastor Paul Linge, expressing a perspective that it sounds like neither, you know, you, Jack or Moriah had at the time. I'm just curious, as you listen to that, what kind of thoughts do you have and feelings about what you just heard? JACK SMOTHERS  14:20 Gosh, it's hard to go back in time and put yourself in that place. Of all the information that we were ignorant of. What we know now is Paul Linge is a man of God like that guy that is truly the real deal. He is a committed Christian and I don't have insider information because I was not a member of the elder board. But I am not surprised by anything. Any comment that he made in that clip. MORIAH SMOTHERS  14:46 There was a lot too. Jack and I kind of were looking at each other like we've heard this before. There was a lot of weight put on Patrick's pedigree, and the people that he had surrounding him in ministry support. And again we didn't know, but we thought that must mean something because it was consistently put out there. A phrase we heard a lot was ‘he comes from good stock'. I bet we've heard that hundreds of times. And knowing now that he was going a lot on reputation, and I think we've heard a lot for different organizations. But it seems like we're looking at charisma more than character is something I've heard in other churches. And yeah, nothing Paul said was surprising to us knowing what we know now. But, Julie, you're correct. We did not have any of that information, when this split was happening. And we were trying to make a decision; we didn't know. JACK SMOTHERS  15:38 And I think that's important for churches to keep in mind when they are, I think Crossroads did as good as they possibly could have with handling that situation. But as a congregant, I think we probably needed more information to truly assess their rationale, their justification for letting Patrick go, because we essentially put ourselves into a dangerous situation. JULIE ROYS  16:04 Well, it does sound like some of the elders did try to speak up and they were pretty strongly censored by people for doing that. So I know it can be a very difficult situation. And I've often said when I'm reporting, it's like saying something bad about somebody's grandmother. Like, it may be true, but people just don't want to hear it. They want to believe what they want to believe. And it can be a very difficult situation. But as you guys mentioned, Paul Linge mentioned one of the difficulties that Crossroads had was dealing with these outside advisors. And like you said, this stock that he came from, he had this close relationship with Bob Russell, retired pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, one of the biggest churches in the country, very influential church. At the time, Patrick was also married to the daughter of Dave Stone, who was the pastor of Southeast Christian Church at the time, and Patrick, and Dave Stone's daughter has since divorced, but at the time again, he was Dave Stone's son-in-law. I reached out to Bob Russell for comments about the role that he's been playing in Patrick's life, as well as the role that he was playing at the time. He did not respond to me. However, one of Patrick's other advisors is Jim Burgen, and he's the lead pastor of Flat Irons Community Church in Colorado. And Jim was kind enough to grant me an interview. And here's what Jim said, regarding his understanding, at the time of why Crossroads fired Patrick. JIM BURGEN  17:31 My understanding is that he was trying to be very transparent, trying to be very real and authentic, admitting that he wasn't perfect and admitting he dealt with depression, things like that. And I do remember him telling me that the I don't want to be a gossip because I wasn't there, alright? So I know that Patrick was telling me that they didn't really want that image of their pastor. They wanted their pastor to be somebody who, because he had faith, and because he had the word of God, these things weren't really problems in their life anymore. They want him to stand on a pedestal and be an example, that you can overcome anything, which is a lot of pressure, but it also is, it's just not integrity. And so I read the same stuff you've read, but I've heard from Patrick, they didn't want that. They didn't want that. And then they parted ways over the I don't believe they parted ways over one thing, though, like, is just the overall, you have a different philosophy of ministry than we do. JULIE ROYS  18:28 So like then, or since you haven't really talked to any of the leaders at Crossroads? JIM BURGEN  18:34 No, not once. Or Hills. I've not talked to any of those leadership. JULIE ROYS  18:39 Again, that's pastor Jim Bergen who served as an advisor, I think he still is a mentor to Patrick. I like Jim, he was very gracious to grant me an interview. And we talked a long time. But I have to say when I heard him say that he hasn't talked to the leadership of Crossroads or the Hills, not once, that was concerning to me. Especially I know, he had Patrick come speak at his church in 2019. So this was after Patrick was fired from Crossroads. And it just doesn't seem from my vantage point, that there was respect for the local elders; enough respect to say, hey, what happened? But it seemed more like Patrick was, he's our prodigy. He's our guy. And so if he says this, I'm going with it. And if there's one thing in this story that even we've seen so far, nobody reached out to you to get your side of the story. Nobody reached out to these elders between these advisors to get their side of the story. I'm guessing you're feeling some similar things there. But do you have anything to add that you thought when you heard this from Jim? JACK SMOTHERS  19:50 I don't know if Jim is willfully and intentionally ignorant, or if Jim is confused, perhaps, or maybe I'm wrong, right? But in my opinion, that's the only thing that I can say. His statement about Patrick trying to be very transparent and real and authentic. What Patrick was actually doing is trying to manipulate other people into getting what he wanted. So my reaction to pastor Bergen is, I guess I should have gracious assumptions and say he did not apparently know the real Patrick Garcia. MORIAH SMOTHERS  20:28 My concern with his statement too Julie is, I think, a lot of times when these situations occur, the person where the blame should fall is excellent at isolating individuals so they can control the narrative. And I think that when that happens, it's really easy to spin the story that is in your favor. And so I think it was a real leadership failure to not have broken out of that vacuum, and have talked to other stakeholders like the Hills and Crossroads and other people involved in that. JACK SMOTHERS  21:03 Do you feel that the language he was using, the language that Patrick would use about being so real and authentic was really a way to justify his sin and normalize his behavior? MORIAH SMOTHERS  21:17 Yeah, I think the closest thing I've ever read that accounts for that is that Chuck DeGroat. He wrote When Narcissism Comes to Church. I came across the term I think he's the one who coined it, it could have been someone else, but called fauxnerability. That term exactly represented the culture of the Hills, and the culture that I believe Patrick wanted to create; that I'm going to be very open, vulnerable, transparent, but it's more transactional. And then I'm not really going to live that privately, which was a lot of the interaction he and I had together was horrible. JULIE ROYS  21:52 So within months of Patrick leaving Crossroads, he joined this new church that two former pastors at Crossroads started Dave Bowersox and Darrell Marin. Both of you decided to become part of this new church. What motivated you to do that? JACK SMOTHERS  22:11 Really was our relationship with Dave, we barely knew Darrell. But we were in a small group of Dave and his wife, Sandy, and really trusted them and loved their family a lot. And we also had kids about their kids age and Dave and I had a meeting at the university where Moriah and I are employed. And he mentioned, they were creating an elder board and said, I would be a great fit for that. That never really came to fruition while we were there. They created an advisory team and invited Moriah to be on that. I wasn't invited. We were involved with a discipleship ministry while we were at the Hills. But anyway, our relationship with Dave is what drew us there. JULIE ROYS  22:54 The not having an elder board, and having an advisory board with I'm guessing really had no teeth or accountability. Am I right? MORIAH SMOTHERS  23:02 That's exactly right. And so this advisory board they created had men and women that were all in with the church. Which I thought at the time, like what a wonderful demonstration like representation of the church. It was made very clear to the board multiple times that there was no accountability that pastors had to us. And we were never to be a decision making body. At the time I was there, it was very much, so we're gonna read you our stats, tell you the good things we're doing and you brag on us. And so it was a Yes-man and woman situation, let's cheer and say, rah. But no, there was no authority with that position. JULIE ROYS  23:41 And I will just say right now, and I do get asked this all the time. But people say like, how can you evaluate a church? And it's step one, look at the elder board. Are they truly independent or are they beholden to the pastor in some way? Are they staff members of the church? In other words, is the pastor their boss, so of course they're not going to buck him? Are they family members? This is another one that nepotism that runs in these. All of these things need to be looked at but what can they really do look at the bylaws. Do you have bylaws? If you do have bylaws, how is a pastor senior pastor going to be removed? Is that spelled out in your bylaws? Finances – do you know how much your senior pastor makes? And I don't care if you're at a small church or a large church, whatever. To me the fact that religious nonprofits and churches don't have to reveal what their top wage earners make, but secular nonprofits do, to me is appalling. Why should the church be less accountable to the people that give it money than the world right? than the secular nonprofits? It's these kinds of red flags that before I got into doing what I do today, I wouldn't have thought of either so I don't fault people for it. But I think we're in a season or a time in the church right now that's really somewhat of a crisis, with scandal after scandal coming out. And if people, if the church individuals, congregants, if we don't wise up, we're never going to see a change, because it's not going to come from the top, it's going to come from the bottom up. So, Moriah, it's my understanding that about a year later, so it was about October 2018, that you began on the advisory board at the Hills church. But then Patrick started communicating with you on an individual basis. And this is what you would say, is the early stages of what you believe is grooming you. Would you describe why you believe that this was a grooming situation and the beginning of abuse? MORIAH SMOTHERS  25:48 Before I get into that, Julia, and I will, is that one of the things that was revealing in the Christian Post article is that Patrick actually told on himself and said that he'd had a crush on me for three years. We had no interaction, we didn't know each other and knowing what I know now, I absolutely believe that I was targeted well in advance. I think he had been taking notes on me the times we had interacted. Jack and I lead a Bible study group with the pastors for a new curriculum, there were some things from that were a little unusual, but I just didn't think much of. So that communication initially, I would have considered very innocuous. It was really about the ministry Jack and I were helping run and so a lot of those emails early on, like I would have to discuss with Jack and things like that. But eventually, they turned into more texting, still some emails, but more texting. And I didn't loop Jack in on those, which was a huge error on my part. But it really a lot of it was just like joking and silly things that if someone had picked up my phone and read, they would have thought, that's odd, her husband sat on a bit, it wouldn't have been anything. So it wouldn't have been an obvious red flag. And so I let a lot of that go, even though I'm sure I had a gut check at the time, but it's my pastor, like, I've always had healthy, safe relationships with my pastor. So I didn't think anything about it. it fairly quickly turned into joking though. His demeanor is very polling. He described it like a very silly kind of teenager, he just joking. The first thing that really caught my attention, though, was like, that doesn't seem quite normal is he sent a gift to my work. And so he put a different name on it a pseudonym. And it was an inside joke about a logo from Flat Irons. I made the joke our son was into Pokémon, and I asked him, I said, Well, Patrick, you're wearing a Pokémon shirt. Matt, our son would love bat, like I didn't know you were a fan. And so he sent this to my office. And then that was the first time it caught my attention, texting, communication. And honestly, a lot of times it was about church. And so it was intermixed between what was happening at church and fake life, and then personal and personal questions and things like that. I didn't have any of this language then. But all of this was really heavily infused with love bombing, which I know now I didn't know at the time that just this excessive praise, this endearment that, honestly, it really ingratiates someone with you, you feel so valued and seen. But the intention there is for manipulative purposes. And so I really believed a lot of that. The more we communicated, the more he sought out my opinion on church issues. And I did I just felt flattered that he thought my perspective was valuable in that context, because I've never, that's never happened before within that kind of inner circle church group. Also, the thing that very quickly happened is he started depending on me for things. He would just often say, like how overwhelming his work is, and he's so far behind, and he's shepherding and writing sermons and doing all these things, and I'm a former Special Ed teacher, like teachers are helpers by nature. It's what we do. It's what we're good at. And so I thought, like, oh, my gosh, I have the skill set, I can help you out. Do you need me to proofread something? Pretty quickly, he said, You just take over doing all my emails for work. And I thought, well, I can respond to some of them, I guess, because it's what my pastor needed. And so that's really where it started. It clearly escalated into much worse, but I would say those are some of the initial grooming stages is the joking silly conversations, personal questions, and then it started creating that need of I need you to help me be successful in ministry. The other piece that I would feel maybe goes between if we're looking at severity or intensity of grooming, this one kind of straddles the line is he very quickly started sharing personal information with me about himself and about his colleagues and about the church. He told me some things about Crossroads. I mean, just things that I had no business knowing as a congregant, confidential information that he never should have shared with me about himself and others. And so at the time, I was giving advice and input, but I felt flattered that he wanted to share that with me as well. JULIE ROYS  30:14 And I'm sure as you know, now, your story is not an isolated incident. This is a pattern that plays out over and over again. And at least from sitting in my seat, the one characteristic that I see that makes people vulnerable is it's the ones that are really sincere, and helper type people. And it's so awful because it's actually such a virtuous thing that the victim possesses as a character quality that predators seem to be able to just sniff out and just be able to exploit. And I know that's how you feel, and what you feel Patrick did to you. When did you first realize, Oh, my goodness, this is a dangerous relationship? MORIAH SMOTHERS  30:59 Yeah, it was fairly early on, really. I don't know that I would have said dangerous, but I recognize that I was looking forward to him communicating with me. And so it was even small, but I thought, Man, that's not healthy. And I think a common belief is that anyone who is targeted , they're struggling in their marriage. Jack and I have a wonderful marriage. We did before I was groomed we were doing well during and praise the Lord, we have a wonderful marriage now. And so I'd like to debunk that, that it's only broken people or broken marriages that are targeted, because that's not true. But it was pretty early on, I realized I'm looking forward to him texting, and that was messed up. And this is the other spot that man, if I could do anything and go back, this is the spot I would go back and redo this is I thought I could handle it. Because I really again believed that my pastor would honor his fiduciary duty of putting me and my family's best interest above his own. And so I said, Hey, I need to talk to you about something, let's FaceTime. And so we hopped on a FaceTime. And I tell him, I said, This is so humiliating, I'm humiliated, and I know you're going to be embarrassed. But I'm looking forward to you contacting me, I think I'm attracted to you. And so we need to cut communication. And he reported this in the Christian Post very differently than what had happened. I think he said, I hooked him. But what really happened is that I asked him, I said, this is again, I didn't understand, I thought it was my fault. I said, we need to stop all communication totally like this has to be done and over. And he said your family is too important to our church, to the ministry. I love your family, we need to be in contact still. So do you trust me to pray about it? Absolutely. I'll trust my pastor at that time to pray about it for me. And I said, Sure, I understand that. I didn't want to lose our community. And that I trusted him to pray about it. And Julie the part I would go back and do is that was my moment in time to tell Jack, but I did not tell Jack about what was going on. Because Jack is a man of character and integrity, we would have been out of that church so fast. I didn't want to lose our people in our community group. And what I didn't realize is Patrick came back and I basically just opened the doors for full on grooming and abuse. And he said, Moriah, you know, I never do this. I never say this when I preach from the stage. But God has told me that if we stay above reproach, then he wants us to be together. And it was a strong implication of like, for ministry purposes. And I was floored by that. But Jack and I are happily married and we're doing great. I had no desire to be out of my marriage ever. And so I was really confused by that. But he was very convincing that this was a word from the Lord. So things accelerated from there in a really tragic way. JULIE ROYS  34:03 And this is spiritual abuse 101. It doesn't get much more blatant than God told me. And this should be a red flag for anyone. But again, we're not trained in how to identify these red flags. But when somebody says God told me, I mean, how do you argue with that, right? I mean, it's just really manipulative language that somebody would use. MORIAH SMOTHERS  34:28 He's my pastor, I trusted pastors, healthy relationships. My dad was a pastor, like, I had no reason to think there would be any kind of predatory behavior. Like none at the time. I clearly know better now, but. JULIE ROYS  34:43 So about this time is when the relationship progressed to you and Patrick meeting in public parking lots, which is kind of a next step. Would you describe the frequency of these meetings and the nature of them? MORIAH SMOTHERS  35:02 So I remember the first one he asked to me. So we could figure out this is a common phrase of how to manage the tension of being in communication, but it not being romantic. That was the first time we met. I vividly remember how sweaty my hands were. I knew I shouldn't be in this situation. But I also, truthfully, I still trusted him that, okay, if I meet with him, then we can figure out a way for this to be over. That didn't happen. And so we did on and off continue to meet. I would say it was, I honestly don't remember a number. I would say maybe once every couple weeks or so. It was almost always surrounding the situation of I tried to end it, he would say, let me figure this out, figure out a plan so you don't have to leave the church. And then let's meet as our last time. And so when we would meet honestly, like, we talk about church, we would talk about our personal lives. It was a lot about how he was struggling just being a pastor managing everything difficult relationships. I felt like I was his counselor most of the time, it was a lot of that. Sadly, it did progress. The abuse never became fully sexual, but there was hand holding and hugging things of that nature that happened. Yeah. JULIE ROYS  36:23 And he said, in the Christian Post article that at one point, you tried to kiss him, but he put the brakes on. True? Not true? MORIAH SMOTHERS  36:32 I don't remember that happening. There was embracing that happened. So I could see him thinking that's where it was going. JULIE ROYS  36:40 So you wrote in your timeline that you sent me that during this period, you felt like, quote, an addict living two lives. Would you explain that? MORIAH SMOTHERS  36:49 So the timeline I sent you I wrote in 2020, when things were very fresh. I had no language surrounding abuse, trauma, ACSA. And so that feeling was still is still correct of how I felt. What I know now, though, is what that is was trauma- bonding. That happens in a cycle of abuse of feeling like very affirmed, valued the love bombing, and then trying to end it. And it's like this very toxic cycle. And so that's what it was, is I, frankly, I hated who I was becoming. I love being a wife and a mom, and I love my job. So there were so many beautiful parts of my life. I loved the church I was serving, we were super engaged. So I felt like there were all these beautiful parts of my life. And then there was this really toxic, ugly thing that I didn't know how to get out of. Even as a grown woman educated, I didn't know how to get out of this. And so that's where I just felt so painfully torn. Because at this point, I knew things were bad. Like I knew they were very bad, because we were communicating every single day, multiple times a day, even when I would end the relationship, he would still use phrases from the stage to communicate with me that were like inside praises. He'd post on social media photos, but he put little photos like emojis in the corner that were messages to me, and the communication was all the time. So I now know it was trauma bonding, but the truth is, at the time, I saw no way out without imploding our life. And so I stayed in it, because I didn't know how not to. JULIE ROYS  38:30 And it's interesting. And I hear this all the time, the minimizing of the devastation that a relationship that didn't go there was no sexual intercourse, but had obviously a sexual component to it had this kind of grooming involved in this kind of trauma-bonding, love-bonding, I mean, all of these things, the devastation is massive, isn't it? MORIAH SMOTHERS  39:00 Yeah. And I think what's really hard to account for and if I'm just being really honest, I don't expect for anyone who hasn't experienced this or walked with someone to understand this. But physically, what happened was minimal compared to the emotional and the spiritual wreckage of feeling like your pastor should be doing the right thing, and he's not. I would say I ended this relationship. I use that term very loosely, it was abuse, but I ended it two or three times every single month. It was ongoing. That was most of our conversations with me trying to figure out how to get out of this. And there was a lot of communication in between as well but yeah, I think what's not accounted for when these situations come out, is just the emotional spiritual psychological damage that's left in its wake and it's horrific. JULIE ROYS  39:57 And Jack during this whole time, are you seeing red flags or things that are making you go, what's going on? Or was this pretty much hidden from your sight? JACK SMOTHERS  40:06 I had no evidence if that's what you mean. But what I did see was Moriah's natural demeanor is very light hearted, very life giving just a joy to be around. And that was stolen. She became darker she became her humor became vulgar, her language in terms of profanity that started to occur. And so I remember asking her one time, like, hey, something is changing about you, and I don't know what it is. Is it something that's wrong with our relationship? Or what can I do to get us back on track? But something is off, and I don't know what it is. And she couldn't answer because she was in a cycle of abuse at the time. MORIAH SMOTHERS  40:51 And Julie, so horribly as well that I would sometimes bring this home to Jack. Like I was so torn up about what was happening privately that I would put that on our marriage and say, but if you treated me like this, when it had nothing to do with Jack. Towards the end, I even started saying, let's move, let's apply for jobs, let's go somewhere else, because I thought that's my only way out of this. And so was pushing so hard to escape, but I made life pretty hard for Jack for a while, because I was not me anymore. JULIE ROYS  41:24 Moriah, eventually, your relationship with Patrick included sexting. In fact, that was the title of the Christian Post article, basically, How Sexting Brought This Pastor Down. Would you describe the nature, the frequency, who initiated the sexting? How did that happen? MORIAH SMOTHERS  41:46 But that also had a grooming process to it. I've never been a selfie person, I think I'm just old enough that I missed that kind of way. Patrick would send dozens of photos a day. And so I think there was a grooming process with getting me to that place. But the sexting did occur, it is incredibly painful to talk about still. I don't remember the frequency, it wasn't truthfully, many times what I would consider overt sexting. But the ongoing dialogue for us was highly flirtatious and inappropriate. What I would say was over happened, I don't know probably less than 10 times, and it was always followed by like, guilt, shame, that can't happen again. And then we were back there. JULIE ROYS  42:33 All of this did remain secret until May of 2020. And that's when this police report came to the attention of pastors at the Hills church. How was there a police report that made this apparent to them? MORIAH SMOTHERS  42:47 I honestly I still don't have all the information. Because when everything did eventually come out, we were very much so left in the dark. So I don't fully understand all the details to this. But my knowledge, what I do know is that there was a time we were meeting in a public parking lot. We'd met there several times, the people working in that location had noticed it. And so after so many times of meeting there they called the police to check because they thought it was odd that two cars were parked there. I think we were there after hours even. And so a policeman came out just said, Hey, what's going on? Nothing was going on. And so, it wasn't any kind of like, charges or anything. It was just documentation that we had been there. And so I don't know the process of how that actually got to the Hills, but it did. Once that happened, I didn't know anything about that. I think we were on vacation as a family. And what I've been told not being involved in that is that Dave and Daryl, the other pastors, met with Patrick, confronted him with what was in the police report, which wasn't much information, just that we'd met there several times, and it was documented. Patrick spun a story that there was nothing going on, that he and I had only met there once. And Jack and I haven't seen this report. So we're not really sure what's in it. That he said we had only met there once, and that we were handing off a binder or a book or something. And so he had been there before, but I hadn't. And so very shortly after that, Patrick was also instructed not to contact me because they wanted to verify his story. Patrick got in contact with me immediately said this is exactly what happened. I remember he said, I took a bullet for us. And so you're gonna get called into a meeting with Dave and an elder, and this is what you need to say to backup my story. And so I knew what was going on. We got home from our vacation. Dave called and asked me to a meeting, and I asked if Jack could go with me, and he said no, he cannot. And so I think again, I was still I was not in a good place mentally and emotionally. I think I was hoping that if Jack was there, it would come out and maybe I could be free from this, but Jack wasn't allowed there. And so I remember sitting in the parking lot of where I was going to meet the pastor and the elder. And Patrick called me and he said, these are the exact lies I told. If you want to save your family, my family, the church, and also they were fundraising for a new building at the time. And that money he indicated to me was associated with him, because he had raised those funds. He said, If you want to save all these things,  then you need to backup my story. And I consented, or I agreed to backup his story. And so I think in the Christian Post article, it read very much so like I eagerly and enthusiastically agreed to lie. But I felt very much if I'm gonna lose my family and my church, then I'll lie. And so I did lie. I sat down with the pastor and the elder. They very much so wanted to hear the version of the situation, I told them, so I didn't have to lie much, because they wanted to believe it. And so I did lie in that situation. JULIE ROYS  46:03 And did you volunteer to step down from the advisory board at this time? MORIAH SMOTHERS  46:08 I did. Yeah, that was the primary way Patrick had access to me just individually without Jack around. Otherwise, Jack and I did ministry together, we were pretty much always together. So I said, I'm happy to step down from that. I guess that's appropriate. And they didn't want to raise any red flags about why I was stepping down. So they told me no, please don't do that. JULIE ROYS  46:28 Wow. And you secretly were trying to get out. MORIAH SMOTHERS  46:33 I was trying to get out in a lot of ways. But except being fully truthful with Jack, which would have got me out. JULIE ROYS  46:42 So Jack, what was your response when you heard the rendition of the story that Moriah told you? JACK SMOTHERS  46:50 The story that I received was, she made a silly mistake and met Patrick in a parking lot to receive a binder about church. Sounds pretty innocent when you are in a loving relationship with someone who has, over a long period of time, established a firm foundation of trust, you're raised in a family where people treat you in a trustworthy way. It builds a lot of gullibility in a way and so I didn't really second guess it. I just said, Oh, man, that was silly. Let's just learn from it and move on. And in retrospect, that was maybe not the most loving thing to do. The most loving thing to do would have been to ask more questions, if I felt uneasy about it. Yeah. JULIE ROYS  47:33 Yeah. It's tough, though. You don't want to be the jealous husband, who doesn't believe. It's a very difficult situation to be in. At this point, Moriah, you asked Patrick to basically get some outside help, right? Like, I mean, you knew he had this outside Advisory Council board, whatever you want to call it, mentors that he looked up to. How did he respond when you asked him to get this help? MORIAH SMOTHERS  48:02 Yeah. So all the previous times I'd ended it, it was really just between the two of us and I just want it to be done. But this time, I said, clearly, I felt like this was, again, I was spiritually very twisted. But I feel like this is God telling us like this has to be done. This was our chance to end it. And he didn't feel like he could end it, that he needed me. And so I asked him to just, I begged him, I'd said, like, please just talk to somebody tell somebody what is going on. Because this entire time, I had some real questions like even like I said, this an affair, isn't it? Nice to no, because it's not physical like that it's not. And I asked him, I said, please just talk to somebody get their input. And so he told me, he did talk to a couple people. One of them was a former colleague and friend that was in his previous church in Texas. And then also he communicated that he talked to Jim Burgen about it. I didn't know either of these people at all. But he told me that he was advised by both of them to not share any of this information with people at the Hills, the other pastors, they just didn't need to know the details, and it would cause a difficult situation. And so I thought he had been advised by wise counselors, which is what I asked him to do. JULIE ROYS  49:19 And of course, you have no way of knowing whether that actually happened or not. But I did reach out to Jim Burgen, and asked him specifically about this, about whether or not he ever encouraged Patrick not to confess the details of his relationship with you to the church. And this is what Jim Burger said. JIM BURGEN  49:37 I knew they were having struggles. I didn't know he was meeting in cars with women. Not at all. And if I had known that, I would have absolutely done the opposite of what you're hearing; cover it up, don't disclose. It would have been the opposite of that is you've got to cut this relationship. You need to go to Savannah, you need to go to your leaders. I was fresh off the heels of sabbatical. I was on a sabbatical for six months at the end of 2019, dealing just with a lot of exhaustion. So at that point, I would have been really raw and open because I was in such a tremendous, intimate relationship with my elders. They knew the inside out of my heart. I would have pointed in that direction too. Whether he had that or not, I don't know. But that's what my advice would have been. I never, never ever in a million years would say, cover this up, keep it a secret, don't give details because basically what I've been counseling this keep going just don't get caught, which would be absolutely the opposite of what I would ever have counseled anybody. JULIE ROYS  50:36 Again, Jim Burgen weighing in on his perspective of what happened. It didn't take a long time after this whole police report surfaced for the truth to come out. So apparently, the church sends Patrick off on, I'm sorry, this study break. I've seen so many study breaks. For pastors, they get caught with things like this, you wish they would just be upfront with what's going on. But instead, it's covered up from the church. And I guess he needs to do more study about something. But during that study break what was happening between the two of you? MORIAH SMOTHERS  51:15 Yeah, so during the study break, keep in mind, I was still on the advisory board, because they hadn't taken me off. This was also not disclosed to the advisory board at all about what was really going on, their concerns. We were still in communication. I think there were attempts to slow the communication down, that it was frequent. There was also up until this point, things had been bad. But again, most of our communication was just like silly, everyday things, light hearted. Things got dark after this and really heavy in a way that it hadn't been. There was a lot of like power reversals. And I remember Patrick being very clear that like, I have control of this situation. And he would want me to like verbalize consent at that. There was a situation where some pastor I have no clue who it was, it was just in the news that he had probably an affair, which is the language they use, which would have been abuse. And I said something to Patrick about it. And I said, “Hey, I read this story. Did you read that?” He had. And I said, “Doesn't that sound like what's happening here?” And he like, forced me to verbally agree that's not what's happening here. This is consensual, and so it just got really heavy. He also started pushing to blame. He was like, let's reassess when we're gonna be together. And I mean, I remember the clearest time again, only in hindsight of being gaslit was, I was just feeling very convicted. And I said something like Patrick, I'm not leaving Jack, I have no desire to end my marriage. I'm not doing that. And he somehow flipped it around, and I ended up apologizing to him, that I would even think he might ask me to do that. And so just really, really sick, twisted. But the communication was still often. JULIE ROYS  54:07 And how old was he at this point? MORIAH SMOTHERS  54:09 So if this was in 2020, he was probably 32 ish? JULIE ROYS  54:13 Thiry-two. It's a lot of responsibility for someone extremely young, really. And he's in his late 20s and pastoring a church of 7000 previous to this. It's just a little bit stunning that someone so young would be given that kind of responsibility. In September 2020, then I'm guessing he comes back from his summer break. And you met in person a few times. Would you describe what happened in those meetings? MORIAH SMOTHERS  54:45 Yeah, so all of those were to wrap things up to end things like again, there was this kind of mounting pressure. It just has to be that and frankly, I was starting to be a mess. Like I had been able to keep my life together pretty much. He would actually say, I know this is hard for you. But just let me shoulder the pressure of keeping this together. I was not doing well at that point in time. And so we met in a parking lot. And again, naively thought, like this is the last time, but that was, every time I was nervous and felt like oh my gosh, would have foreseen and it was, it was scary. That was the first time that he scared me, at the way he was behaving, and I actually had the thought, like, I hope I'm able to get out of this car. And it was just, it felt like things were moving really fast. And so again, I was hopeful that maybe that was the last time. But communication just continued, even though there's so many last times that communication continued still. JULIE ROYS  55:46 So the following month, October 2020, Patrick's wife, Savannah, she discovered some of the messages between the two of you the sexting, I'm guessing she saw? MORIAH SMOTHERS  55:57 Yeah. I don't know exactly what was seen. You read those? Yeah. Yeah, it was a lot of it was just silliness. But then there were things that absolutely indicated that there was sexting and it was highly inappropriate. JULIE ROYS  56:10 You found out about this from Patrick, right, when Savannah found out what was his demeanor and reaction? MORIAH SMOTHERS  56:19 Well, I knew something was a little wrong. We had been communicating. And Julie, I don't think I mentioned this, but early on through the grooming, it was mainly text, emails, and then it switched through social media platforms. And so he was always very thorough, reminding me like, hey, delete our messages, delete our conversations. And we were communicating with an app Words with Friends. We were playing a game on there, and there's a chat feature. And so we'd been communicating, I gotten distracted with something, and had just left our conversation because something happened quickly. And when I came back, I messaged him again, and there was never a response. And so I knew something seemed different because he always responded. But he didn't that time. And so it was all through the evening. I never got a response. I knew something was going on. I think that was I shared maybe a little bit with you at that time. I've minimized I heavily minimized what was going on to Jack. But I did disclose a little bit to him. And it was sometime in the middle of the night, I got an email from a random email address. But the email address and how it was worded was like a lot of inside jokes between us. And the phrasing was really strange. It didn't the email it was from Patrick. We know now he had all this like technology taken. So I don't know how he did this. But he basically said that Savannah found messages. And then he included a bulleted list to say like, these are the lies we've told remember them and back them up about what it was. But the email sounded like silly, like almost joking. It was not like, devastated. It wasn't angry. It was a very strange message. When I knew that this had been discovered, I freaked out. And so I deleted the email, I never responded and I like permanently deleted it from my Gmail. And the next day, he sent another one from the same email and it was just, sorry, with a crying emoji and I deleted that one as well. I did end up telling Jack eventually that he had sent that. So I did know something was coming. But I didn't know the fallout that was about to happen. JULIE ROYS  58:30 Jack, how did you find out? JACK SMOTHERS  58:32 Moriah disclosed a little bit of what was going on. But really it was Dave Bowersox who called and shared the communication, the sexting conversations that had occurred, and in a PDF document. And so I read through those, and yeah, that's how I found out. Of course I was devastated at the time. But my really, I think God was very gracious over me at that point in time because all I could think about was our kids. Sorry. Two wonderful and amazing children that they deserve a safe home. They deserve to feel protected. And this was an attack on our family. We have a great example in scripture of Christ protects his bride, how Christ dies to himself to protect his family. So that's where we at. Sometimes protecting your family looks like getting on your knees and praying. Sometimes protecting your family looks like asking a lot of questions. listening intently. I was thankful that in our job, so in higher education, we are required to go through training. I believe it's every year, we're required to complete these modules just on what is Title IX, sexual harassment, all these things. There's one thing that stuck out to me. And it was where there's a power imbalance, there's no such thing as consent. And so I thought, okay, professors, student, doctor, patient, Pastor, congregant. These are all similar relationships where there's a direct power imbalance, there could not have been consent, and I'm smashing all this together. This was not all at one time, this was weeks or maybe months of reflecting and trying to absorb the information that we have. It wasn't until probably a year after it all came out that we really understood ACSA and that entire framework. MORIAH SMOTHERS  1:00:48 But Jack was the first person to raise this piece of information, like how is there consent there as your pastor? And some of the contextual things that I'd never recommend this for anybody, but we were quarantined at the time, with COVID. So we couldn't be with anybody. And so we can laugh about it now a little bit, but it was at the time, just heartbreaking. I was so broken and devastated and confused. It looked like I was coming out of a cult. Like there's this like trauma fog that descends. I didn't know what to do. I followed Jack everywhere in our house. I couldn't be away from him. And so he's grieving and mourning, and I'm following him around and we're quarantined and have little children that were trying to – it was a mess. So everything we did was over Zoom about all the disclosures. JULIE ROYS  1:01:41 So how did you feel the church responded to you, Moriah? MORIAH SMOTHERS  1:01:45 I don't want to over exaggerate this. And I can share details. The abuse from my pastor was horrible. The way the church responded was ten times more traumatizing than the abuse. JULIE ROYS  1:02:04 That concludes part one of my interview with Moriah and Jack Smothers, and we're ending on a bit of a cliffhanger. But this is something that I've heard over and over again from victims. The original abuse is horrific, for sure. But it's easier to understand that the church can have one bad apple than to realize that it's not just one bad apple. There's a whole system protecting and managing that one bad apple, often at the expense of the victim. And you'll hear that part of Moriah and Jack's story in part two, and it's such an important story. So I hope you'll be watching for that to release in just a few days. But thank you so much for listening to The Roys Report. And if you've appreciated this podcast and our investigative work, would you please consider giving a gift to support us? As I've said before, we don't have big corporate sponsors or large donors. We have you, the survivors, advocates, allies and church leaders who care about ridding the church of predators and making it a safer place. Also, this month if you give a gift of $30 or more, we'll send you Christy Boulware's book, Nervous Breakthrough; Finding Freedom From Fear and Anxiety in a World That Feeds It. This is such a great resource for anyone struggling with anxiety and panic attacks, or really any mental health issue. So to get the book and support the Roys report, just go to JULIEROYS.COM/DONATE. Also, just a quick reminder to subscribe to The Roys Report on Apple podcast, Google podcasts or Spotify. That way you'll never miss an episode. And while you're at it, I'd really appreciate it if you'd help us spread the word about the podcast by leaving a review. And then please share the podcast on social media so more people can hear about this great content. Again, thanks so much for joining me today. Hope you are blessed and encouraged. Read more

Gideon goes over some of the most interesting and best teams upcoming in 1A, 2A, 4A, and 5A that he watched last year, stretching up and down I-25, including Fort Collins, Longmont, Windsor, Kersey, Denver, and the Ute Pass corridor. 0:00-2:26 Intro 2:26-18:59 Fossil Ridge HS (Fort Collins, Colo.) 19:00-29:36 Fort Collins HS 29:37-42:13 Rocky Mountain HS (Fort Collins, Colo.) 42:13-56:47 Poudre HS (Fort Collins, Colo.) 56:48-1:13:29 Longmont HS 1:13:30-1:30:43 Windsor HS 1:30:44-1:44:00 Bear Creek HS (Lakewood, Colo.) 1:44:01-1:56:44 Prospect Ridge Academy (Broomfield, Colo.) 1:56:45-2:09:39 Flatirons Academy (Westminster, Colo.) 2:09:40-2:25:43 Highland HS (Ault, Colo.) 2:25:44-2:39:50 Eaton HS 2:39:51-2:54:20 Platte Valley HS (Kersey, Colo.) 2:54:21-3:11:46 Manitou Springs HS 3:11:47-3:26:15 Woodland Park HS 3:26:16-3:37:43 Wellington HS 3:37:44-3:52:28 Timnath HS 3:52:29-3:54:20 Outro https://linktr.ee/PlaymakersCorner Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlaymakerCorner Tik Tok: Playmakers Corner Instagram: https:https://www.instagram.com/playmakerscorner/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlaymakerCorner Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUEcv0BIfXT78kNEtk1pbxQ/featured  Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/playmakerscorner  Website: https://playmakerscorner.com/  Listen to us on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4rkM8hKtf8eqDPy2xqOPqr  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cycle-365/id1484493484?uo=4  Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/the-cycle-365Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9mODg4MWYwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz

WEDNESDAY! We have a full summer house solo recap from this weeks episode! Lindsay and Carl's housewarming party and ANOTHER Danielle and Lindsay fight. This is pure silliness and i only mention Vanderpump Rules twice and THAT, my friends, is progress. If you want to hear all of my Summer House recaps head on over to the patreon for all the episode recaps patreon.com/sobaditsgood. Have a great Wednesday! Timestamps 3:40-Show Notes 9:32-Summer House Episode 10 recap! -This week So Bad It's Good is sponsored by Quince! Shop with Quince today and discover the affordable luxury you deserve. Right now, go to Quince.com/sobad to get free shipping and 365-day returns on your next order. That's Quince.com/sobad for free shipping 365-day returns. -Go sign up for the patreon for over 250 episodes NOT on the main feed! patreon.com/sobaditsgood Also, So Bad It's Good has merch now! Go to www.sobaditsgoodmerch.com to order yours TODAY! If you're enjoying the insane amount of blood, sweat and literal tears of this pod consider telling a friend or rating us 5 stars on iTunes! Special shoutout to Maritza Lopez (Insta: @maritza.gif) for all of her insanely hard work creating these beautiful pieces of art on my instagram and patreon page!!  Instagram: @sobaditsgoodwithryanbailey, @ryanbailey25 Twitter:@ryanabailey25 TIKTOK @sobaditsgoodwithryanb Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last weekend the N. American IM season kicked off with Oceanside 70.3 and this weekend Super League Pros race in the London Arena Games. Bill, how's Carbondale, Colorado?   Show Sponsor: UCAN Generation UCAN has a full line of nutrition products powered by LIVESTEADY to fuel your sport.   LIVSTEADY was purposefully designed to work with your body, delivering long-lasting energy you can feel. LIVSTEADY's unique time-release profile allows your body to access energy consistently throughout the day, unlocking your natural ability to stay focused and calm while providing the fuel you need to meet your daily challenges.   Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly!  Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co   In Today's Show Discussion - Life Hacks for the Time Crunched Athlete Endurance News - 70.3 Oceanside Pro Results, Arena Games London Saturday, What's new in the 303 - Pro Tips for Boulder 70.3 and What Up in Carbondale? Video of the Week - 70.3 Oceanside Highlights and Lowlights   Discussion: Life Hacks for the Time Crunched Athlete: I was recently invited to be a guest coach on the TriDot podcast. Every week they have a Warmup, Main Set and Cooldown with a TriDot coach. I was asked to describe my coaching specialty, which I feel is helping beginner to experienced triathletes overcome plateauing factors, overcome confidence issues and work/life/train balance, especially for long course athletes.   Life Hack 1 - During one of my IM training long rides, I took off at 9am and told my wife I'd be back at 4. When I got home, my wife said 'I thought you would be back in 4 hours'. I reminded her that I said 'back at 4pm' and we decided to agree to disagree. I went to the Office Max and bought one of those "Will Be Back At" window clock with the plastic hour and minute hand that the pharmacist or barber puts on the door at lunch hour. We put that on the garage door to make sure I was setting expectations. Life Hack 2 - When I was in the peak of IM training I had tight windows of time to squeeze in my workouts like a 1 hour swim in the morning. If I didn't get to the pool right at 5, I wouldn't have time to complete the swim before 6am in time to get home, showered and ready to take the girls to school on my way to work. When you get to the pool at 5am and realize that I left my swimsuit at home I would be devastated. My house is only 10 minutes away, but it would be 30 minutes before I could be back at the pool. I learned to keep a spare swimsuit in my glovebox and that saved my workouts that I otherwise would have lost.   Endurance News:   Oceanside Corrections Taylor Knibb was in the broadcast booth instead of toeing the line It was an in water start in the bay and not a beach start into surf as it was in 2022   9 Takeaways From the Pro Race at 70.3 Oceanside TIM HEMING    Ironman 70.3 Oceanside marked the start of the North American Ironman season. Located just up the coast from the birthplace of triathlon, and with a packed field of professionals, expectations for Oceanside were high – and the race delivered.   It might have been a cold morning, but the action soon became heated. After two enthralling races, we were left with some red-hot run splits and two deserving new champions. Leo Bergere carried out his plans for a smash-and-grab win in California, breaking the tape in 3:45:25 on his long-course stopover en route to Paris 2024, while Tamara Jewett laid down a blazing-fast run to push her way to the top podium step in 4:08:09.   Here are nine things we're taking away from the race as we blast off into the 2023 season.   Missed the action in Oceanside? Outside Watch has made the replay of the race broadcast free for all. See the race from start to finish by hitting the button below:   1. No one made the same (freezing) mistake twice. The weather in most of the United States has been miserable of late, and despite it being Southern California, the early start of the day – with the pro men going off at 6:40 a.m. – made for chilly conditions. The water temperature was just 57 degrees F, and the ambient conditions not much more. But whereas a host of athletes were caught out (and near-hypothermic) in similar conditions at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Utah last year, lessons had clearly been learned.   Notably, Holly Lawrence ditched her normal high-cut racing suit for additional layers, and swapped blue lips for blowing past a chunk of the men's field. Perhaps the decisions of 70.3 world champion Taylor Knibb had been noted from St. George, where the the number-one priority for the now reigning 70.3 world champion was to be cozy for the start of the bike leg. (Although there were no such considerations for Knibb here, as she wasn't racing – instead, was wrapped up in the Ironman commentary booth.)   https://twitter.com/IRONMANtri/status/1642188291368787969   2. The payout isn't as big as you think. This was a high-profile curtain-raiser to the North American Ironman season, with almost 100 names on the pro start list, 3,500 amateurs and a live broadcast to boot. Yet the prize money at just $50,000 was derisory, especially compared to other pro prize purses offered by other race organizers. Some quick math on the $1,200 Ironman pro license shows that if they race on average four times a year, then around $30,000 poured into Ironman's coffers for this race from their license fees alone. Essentially, the pros are funding much of their own prize pot. The age-old problem is that although there is huge value in the pros for below-the-line marketing of the Ironman brand – i.e., the pictures that sell these races – Ironman prize purses may not necessarily align with that value.   3. 5-star performances are the norm, not the exception. https://twitter.com/IRONMANtri/status/1642188291368787969 (Photo: Donald Miralle/Ironman) From early on, it was clear that there were only ever five women in this contest, and all of them had a chance at the win. Paula Findlay led early and faded late, while Tamara Jewett held on early and hammered through at the end. There were no surprises in Chelsea Sodaro, Kat Matthews and Holly Lawrence, either – they were in the mix, and moves from all three made for more exciting racing. The pro women's field has some bona-fide superstars right now. The rest of the season, whether it's PTO racing or Ironman, comes laced with anticipation. The rest of the pack must work out how to catch on and catch up.   4. Bergere was brilliant – but won't be back. As was befitting a reigning World Triathlon Championship Series champion, Bergere was a class act from first to last in Oceanside, leading the swim, staying upfront on the bike leg and then leading through the half-marathon. We shouldn't be surprised. We found out before the race that he's done the work dialing in his position on the time trial bike, he's won over this distance before, and he's an Olympic medal favorite for Paris – so speed isn't a problem. That's even true with Jason West marauding through the field. The 26-year-old Frenchman just stayed cool, checked his watch, looked over his shoulder, and eased to the tape.   But if you're looking for more non-drafting action from Bergere, you'll have to wait. It's now full focus on Olympic qualification and a return to the World Series. The French short course men have the strongest depth of talent in the world currently, and he needs to make sure he's on the team for next summer on the banks of the Seine. If people weren't sure of his name in Oceanside, it's likely to be a household one after Paris.   5. The runners are getting into position. There has never been any doubting the running pedigree of USA's Jason West and Canada's Tamara Jewett. For many observers, they are the two quickest runners in middle-distance triathlon right now. If they're in the mix come T2, they're strong favorites for the win. Even a 30-second blocking penalty on the bike for Jewett was shrugged off as a minor inconvenience as she plowed her way out of T2 and into first place. With superbly executed swims and bikes, the case as contenders has been well and truly proven for both. If the dime hadn't already dropped, the idea of them being allowed to (legally) sit in on a paceline without being attacked in future has dissolved just as fast.   6. About those run splits… In the 13.1 mile run leg, West clocked a 1:07:41, and Jewett 1:13:00. West and (particularly) Jewett's half-marathon splits blew up on social media with no filter to the hyperbole that was flowing. They were fast and deserved the praise, no doubt, but take a look at the historic performances of both athletes and you can see it's in the same ballpark as they've regularly been clocking for 70.3 runs over the past three years. All it proves is that this isn't a one-off, and in many ways, that makes it even more exciting for what's to come.   7. Three minutes is not enough between pro fields. Having the professional women start three minutes after the pro men, when the men's field is saturated and the threshold for being a pro man isn't high enough, is a recipe for a mashed-up mess, with pro women forced to swim and bike through the back end of the men's race. Getting separation between the two races may not always be easy, but there has to be a better option than than a measly three minutes.   8. Emotion is rocket fuel. Oceanside was awash with emotion even before the cannon went. Particularly, Matthews – returning from a bike crash that almost took her life before Kona – and Sodaro, who admitted to debilitating mental health struggles in the wake of her Ironman title triumph in October. Emotion has long been the intangible dimension that adds jeopardy to the result. How both Matthews and Sodaro, and even Sam Long – who saw this as a redemption race after a controversial penalty in St. George – responded showed they have the maturity not just to process emotions, but harness them into a performance to be proud of.   9. Chelsea has the final word. After 4 hours of intense racing, Sodaro used the post-race interview to reaffirm her pre-race commitment to give her prize money ($5,000) to Moms Demand Action, a grassroots movement trying to address the nation's culture of gun violence. Her simple message: “I just want to be able to drop my child off at school with the knowledge that I'll be able to pick them up again.”     American Couple McQueen and Sereno Both Hoping to World Championship Titles in London April 5, 2023   /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – American golden couple Chase McQueen and Gina Sereno are hoping to complete a unique World Championship double as they race in the final of Arena Games Triathlon powered by Zwift in London on Saturday (April 8).   McQueen, one of the USA's greatest short course hopes, and Sereno, who also holds down a full-time job at the jet propulsion laboratory at NASA, had the dream day when the Colorado based couple both won at Arena Games Triathlon Montreal.   That means they sit joint top of the World Championship standings alongside Arena Games triathlon Switzerland winners Henri Schoeman and Zsanett Bragmayer heading into the final at the London Aquatics Centre at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (17:30 local time).   If they can master the short, sharp and intense unique hybrid race format of real life and virtual racing one more time each then they could boast a pair of World Championship titles to take back home.   Chase McQueen said: “To see Gina win and execute the perfect race I was just so proud of her. I don't know if it was excitement or happiness and pride, but it took a lot of pressure off of me and I would go out there and do what I could and I would still be really happy because of the race that she had. To both come home with gold medals in a race like that…it's rare to have a good day like that in the sport, and to have a good day on the same day as her in the same spot is really special and for sure a memory I will remember for the rest of my life.   “I am heading to London with the expectation to try and win a world title, but to manage that together helps a lot. There are a lot of really good people there and people that aren't competing for the overall Series but we are both going there to win and hoping to come home with world titles.”   Gina Sereno said: “I was so excited to win (in Montreal). I didn't know if that would be possible but as the rounds went on I felt relaxed and felt comfortable in the heats. Chase did so well in his heats and I felt he could win as well. Watching him bike so hard and his face and thinking about all the times we ride on our trainers together I knew he was going hard.   “It will be really fun to be in the finals in London and see what I can do at this next level. I didn't get to leave it all out there in Montreal so being in an environment where there are better people and more challenges I am really excited to see what I can get out of myself and my goal is to win.”   Schoeman's story is also a remarkable one as the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist and 2018 Commonwealth Games champion from South Africa battles back from nearly three years out of the sport with health and injury issues which almost forced him into retirement.   Hungary's Bragmayer, meanwhile, is looking to go one better than her runner-up spot in 2022 and will again race alongside her teammat,e 15-year-old Fanni Szalai, who produced a sporting fairytale to make the podium in Switzerland at her first ever elite level event.   Also competing in London but not in contention for the title are the likes of British star Beth Potter, Cassandre Beaugrand of France who won this event in 2022, and Gustav Iden, the current Ironman World Champion.   What's New in the 303: Learn From the Pros: Set a PB in Boulder Brittany Vermeer IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder is a classic race set at foot of the Flatiron Mountains. Here's how to race your best. An oldie but goodie, IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder will celebrate its 21st anniversary this year. On June 10th, triathletes from around the world will gather at the triathlon mecca of the US to compete on a challenging course set at the foothills of the iconic Flatirons.   Nobody knows this area better than the triathletes who live there, so we have two local pros and a coach to give us the inside scoop on everything you need to set a PB at IRONMAN Boulder 70.3.    Endurance coach Lauren Vallee has competed at IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder once and IRONMAN Boulder three times.   “You can't beat the views at this race,” she says. “Even though I've lived here for seven years now, I'm still awestruck when racing this course. The other thing that's unique is the community support. It's likely you'll see legendary athletes like Dave Scott, Joanna Zeiger, or Simon Lessing cheering on athletes.”   Professional triathlete and IRONMAN Now commentator Dede Griesbauer also calls Boulder home. “The whole experience of being in Boulder for a race is a memorable one, from swimming in ‘the Res' to biking and running on its iconic roads,” she says. “Once your day is done, athletes will often take a dip in the Res to cool off, tell stories of the day, and cheer other athletes across the line for hours on end.”   Another Boulder local, professional triathlete Justin Metzler has raced IRONMAN Boulder 70.3 three times and IRONMAN Boulder once. “In 2021, I was fifth at the IRONMAN 70.3. Last year, I was second. Now, I have to come back in 2023 for the win. If I don't win this year, I'll keep coming back until I do, because this race is a big one on my bucket list.”   Athletes begin their journey with a one-lap swim in the Boulder Reservoir, aka “the Res,” before exiting by the boat ramp and heading into transition. Metzler anticipates the June swim will be chilly—between 60 and 65 degrees F.    “Boulder Reservoir is a calm, safe body of water, but the one thing I've made critical errors with in the past is going out too hard,” he says. “Even though I live here at altitude, it's easy to go above threshold early, and you end up paying the price five times over.”   Gaining an extra 30 seconds in the swim isn't worth putting yourself in the hole at the start of a four to six-hour race. To resist the temptation, Metzler suggests taking the first two buoys as a warm-up and building in effort.   Concerning swim gear, Vallee recommends using tinted goggles because athletes will be swimming directly into the bright Colorado sunshine.    The new and improved bike course will take athletes on a two-loop, fast, rolling bike course. From Diagonal Hwy towards Foothills Hwy, athletes will have some short rollers until they make a right onto rural Hygiene Rd. towards 75th St. At that point, it's downhill and fast.   Once you find your way back onto Diagonal Highway, continue past the Reservoir gates for the second lap, with one more loop of the above rollers and fast descents. After athletes complete their two loops, they will merge back into the Boulder Reservoir through the gates along Diagonal Hwy and into transition.   The route features 2,700 feet of elevation gain, complete with stunning views of The Flatirons. Despite the climbing, our experts described this as a fast course.     “Be prepared to time trial, climb, and descend,” Vallee says.   Because Boulder is at altitude, expect your heart rate to be higher than normal and your power numbers to be lower. Metzler says rate of perceived exertion is the best method for pacing this course.   “One advantage we have at altitude is there's less wind resistance, so the bike times are notoriously quite fast,” he says. “Despite the challenging conditions, it's a good place to try for a PB, as long as you have all your ducks in a row with preparation and pacing strategy.”   This two-loop course is unique because the majority takes place on hard-packed dirt and gravel roads. Because of the varied terrain, Vallee cautions runners not to get frustrated if their pace fluctuates.    “The road conditions can mute the ‘pop' runners normally feel on concrete or blacktop,” she says. “Though the run looks fairly flat, it's deceiving. While running the out-and-back on Monarch, you can easily have a 20-second per minute mile swing in pace. Don't let that get in your head. Trust your plan and stay confidence in your pacing.”   Also, be thoughtful in your footwear selection. “Super high stack shoes without any stability will be more challenging because the road is mostly on crushed gravel and dirt,” Metzler says.    Although there's not much gain (318 feet), it can be hot on Dam Rd., so having a well-planned hydration strategy is a must. “This run is one of the more challenging on the circuit with the uneven terrain and the heat,” Metzler says. “I've raced here in June and August, and we've had very warm days.”   However, the spectator-friendly nature of the two-loop course will provide a motivational boost for athletes. “The run is a course that athletes love to hate and hate to love!” Griesbauer says. “For the bits around the Res itself, you're fully exposed with little shade, so if it's a hot and or windy day, prepare to put up a fight. But the amazing Boulder crowds will carry you through.”   In June, the average air temperature in Boulder is 86 degrees F and the water temperature is 66 degrees F, so athletes should expect a chilly start and a hot finish. On top of that, Boulder sits at 5,318 feet above sea level, so altitude is another factor to take into consideration.   “Don't panic if you're coming to altitude from sea level,” Vallee says. “Simply keep in mind that it will take longer to recover from surges, so be smart with pacing.”   Metzler has a tip for those who train at lower elevations and will be traveling to the race. “Everyone responds differently to altitude, but my recommendation would be to come up as late as possible, if you're coming from sea level, to try to retain some of that sea level oxygen you have in your day-to-day training,” he says.    Finally, when racing in Boulder, Metzler has one cardinal rule: respect the heat. “It's something I've always had to manage here. The sun is really oppressive, so you have to stay on top of core body temperature, fueling, hydration, and sodium.”   Lauren Vallee: “Be prepared for hot, dry, and exposed conditions. Don't panic if your run pace is slower than other IRONMAN 70.3's you've done.”   Dede Griesbauer: “There are few roads leading into the Boulder Res, so pack your patience and leave a lot of time on race morning.”   Justin Metzler: “Use rate of perceived exertion, rather than the numbers you see.”     Video of the Week: Ironman 70.3 Oceanside 2023 Highlights and Low light!   The Crawl - Sian Welch & Wendy Ingraham (1997)   Closing: Thanks again for listening in this week.  Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment.  We'd really appreciate it! Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

Trail EAffect with Dawn Packard of Blue Sky Trails – Women in Trail Building #110 How Dawn got into Trail Building as an intern with Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Cracking down on Illegal Bolting for Rock Climbing Building an access trail to the Flatirons for Climbing access Working with Dick Lyman Working with Jim Angel and learning the trail building trade “People Don't Need Trails - The Land Does” – Jim Angel and Dawn's explanation of this quote Extractive Recreation Being recruited to be the Executive Director for the Headwaters Trail Alliance from the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative Connecting Communities with Non-Motorized Recreation in Grand County CO Moving a section of trail out of Wilderness Designation so bike use can be allowed Introduction to Mechanized Trail Building Sweco 480 Mechanized Trail Builder Retreat in North Carolina, with Rich Edwards as her instructor Learning through failure with the Sweco Starting Blue Sky Trails Moving to North Dakota as work started booming in 2008 North Dakota Trails – 100's of miles of trails What Dawn prefers to build in terms of trails and trail projects Becoming a PTBA member in 2004 and the Evolution of the PTBA Women in Trail Building Women in Trail Building gathering in Bentonville during the 2022 PTBA Conference Words of Wisdom by Dawn Packard – Fly Low Under the Radar and Get Shit Done… Closing Comments and Thank You's Dawn's Bio: Dawn Packard has worked in Resource Management since 1990, starting her career as a Ranger for City of Boulder Mountain Parks and Open Space. While with the City she worked with the legendary trail designer Jim Angell, designing and implementing climbing access trails on Dinosaur Mountain. After ten years with Boulder, Dawn was hired as the Field Programs Coordinator for the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI), serving on the design team and overseeing construction on summit trails on many of Colorado's 14,000' peaks. From CFI, Dawn spent five years as the Executive Director of Headwaters Trails Alliance (HTA) in Grand County, Colorado, coordinating multi-agency and public-private partnerships benefiting trail development throughout the Middle Park region. Dawn founded Blue Sky Trails LLC in 2003 and has been a member of PTBA since 2004. Blue Sky Trails LLC offers a wide range of trail construction, design, and planning services to professional land managers. (Source: Trailbuilder.org) Links: Blue Sky Trails LLC: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064031945840 Professional Trail Builders Association: https://www.trailbuilders.org/ Headwaters Trail Alliance: https://headwaterstrails.org/   This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services Trail EAffect Show Links: Trail Effect Podcast Website: www.traileaffectpodcast.com Contact Josh at evolutiontrails@gmail.com Support Trail EAffect through donations at: https://www.patreon.com/traileaffect You can also reach out and donate via PayPal or other means if you feel so inclined to do so.

Are injuries inevitable in endurance sport? Is every runner going to face knee pain? We discuss the biases that we bring to debate of what level of exercise is healthy? Plus we discuss the tradeoffs between local vs Ironman branded races, what we missed at the Endurance Exchange and Rich's FOMO on the TriDot Coaches Retreat.   Show Sponsor: UCAN Generation UCAN has a full line of nutrition products powered by LIVESTEADY to fuel your sport.   LIVSTEADY was purposefully designed to work with your body, delivering long-lasting energy you can feel. LIVSTEADY's unique time-release profile allows your body to access energy consistently throughout the day, unlocking your natural ability to stay focused and calm while providing the fuel you need to meet your daily challenges.   Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly!  Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co   In Today's Show Discussion Are injuries inevitable in endurance sport? Endurance News What is the secret new bike tech? IRONMAN Announces New Event on Long Island 70.3 What's new in the 303 Go4Graham Cycling Team and Why it Matters Video of the Week 5 Reasons Why You DON'T Need A Super Bike!   Endurance News:   ‘There's nobody missing' – Gentle says PTO Tour rivals 70.3 Worlds By Tomos Land 26 Jan 2023 After a stellar year which saw her clinch victories at both the PTO Canadian and US Opens, Australian Ashleigh Gentle finished 2022 at #3 in the PTO World Rankings.   Talking to TRI247 as she reflected on the campaign, the Olympian explained her decision to miss the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in St George, Utah and commended the PTO for assembling the best fields in the sport.   POPULAR STORIES RIGHT NOW Global Triathlon Awards 2023: Iden and Duffy named Triathletes of the Year Jan Frodeno up and running as comeback gathers pace RaceRanger draft detection system goes into competition this weekend PTO vs IRONMAN 70.3 Worlds When quizzed on the reasoning behind her absence at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in 2022 when she also had the important matter of a wedding to prepare for back home, Gentle was candid with her answers.   She told us: “At the PTO events, there isn't anyone missing, it is a world class field, with the best athletes at the distance turning up and performing at the events.”   Ashleigh Gentle PTO Canadian Open 2022 finish Photo by Darren Wheeler (www.thatcameraman.com) To further prove her point, in St George the podium was Taylor Knibb, Paula Findlay and Emma Pallant-Browne, all of whom Gentle had got the better of throughout the course of the 2022 PTO Tour in Miami and Edmonton.   For Gentle, the strength in depth that the PTO Tour can offer, along with its importance with regards to world rankings and prize money, makes it a worthwhile substitute for the IRONMAN 70.3 Worlds.   “Apart from the title of being ‘world champion', the PTO Tour has everything you need to feel like you're one of the best in the world if you win. There's nobody missing and you're racing the strongest athletes in middle distance triathlon.”   2023 Worlds dilemma Next year, the PTO Tour heads to Asia, where Singapore will host the PTO Asian Open on August 19-20. A week later, the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships take place in Lahti, Finland for the first time.   Gentle, whilst unable to confirm if she would either be racing or missing the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships, did however flag up the potential issues that could keep her away.   She explained: “Obviously the race is just a week after the PTO Asian Open in Singapore, and the World Championships are in Europe, which is quite a lot of travel for race week and also two very different climates for racing.”   Wherever she races in August, Gentle will be one the main athletes to beat in middle distance triathlon this season.     What is the secret new bike tech behind LAB71, Project Black and 795RS? We go codebreaking... What we know so far about the unreleased bikes and components from Cannondale, Specialized and Look... Specialized Project Black Roval integrated aero cockpit Vittoria Corsa Pro Tires Cannondale SuperSix Evo 4 Look 795 RS Thanks to the internet and social media channels, not much remains under wraps these days, from politicians' tax dealings to celebrity affairs. The same is true of new race bikes and related components.   Fortunately our seemingly insatiable appetite for yet more unreleased bike tech is whetted often during the early part of the season, with off-season sightings given a clearer perspective now that the racing is officially underway. Even the brands themselves are happy to play along, with covert releases given code names as though they were part of a John le Carré novel.   With the Tour Down Under completed and the Vuelta a San Juan Internacional, among others, in progress, we've had the chance to dig a little deeper, look for new angles, and here's what we've found…   SPECIALIZED PROJECT BLACK Specialized remains deliberately vague about its development tech project, only saying that it enables its sponsored teams and riders to test “advanced pre-production products in real-world applications”, and that after receiving feedback “some of these design elements and products eventually show up in future retail product offerings. We call this Project Black.”   The cloak and daggers approach is an intentional marketing ploy, and leaking a few images of unreleased products encourages us to speculate further. Specialized did so in the off-season, with a few products cropping up on the team bikes being used in training camps. Now that the season has begun it's time for them to earn their racing stripes.   S-WORKS TIRES WITH NEW TREAD PATTERN The sighting of a new S-Works Turbo tire is especially interesting given that Spesh released an updated Turbo line-up a few months ago. So what do we know about this Project Black edition?   It was spotted on the Tarmac SL7s of Soudal-Quick Step's Kasper Asgreen and Yves Lampaert and the two riders are perhaps our first clue to its suggested application.   Both riders are one-day specialists, with Asgreen a De Ronde winner no less, and the tread pattern on the tire suggests that the less-than-perfect surfaces and weather patterns of Northern Europe in spring could be the reason for its creation.   Whereas the recently released Turbo tires have a slick centre to help reduce rolling resistance, these 28mm offerings feature both rectangle knobs on the shoulders for improved cornering as well as micro dots running down the crown.   As for the tire's construction it appears the same as the existing Turbo 2Bliss dual-compound tires, including tan sidewalls complete with silver label.   Could these debut at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in February?   S-WORKS MIRROR SADDLE Next up is a fresh shape for the US brand's 3D-printed Mirror saddle, currently available as the Power and Romin Evo models. The third shape, which again broke cover on the Soudal-Quick Step team bikes, appears longer in profile, with a more rounded rear.   The pressure relief channel too looks longer than on the current Mirror models, seeming to take its cue from Spesh's Phenom mountain bike saddle. The surface perforations, which are a component of the 3-D printed saddles, also look a little different, both smaller and spread further apart. Meanwhile, the honeycomb structure, again a result of the 3-D printing tech, is only visible in the cut-out areas.   Trying to spot the unreleased Mirror saddle at the recent Tour Down Under and San Juan races proved a little tricky, given the riders propensity for sitting down on the very piece of kit we were trying to identify!   CUSTOM SHIV TT AERO BARS These were spotted last year on Remco Evenepoel's TT bike but photos released from Soudal-Quick Step's recent bike fitting session with Retül offer more detail.   While the standard Shiv bars are aimed at a wide range of users and feature adjustability to match these demands, professional riders need only be concerned with finding a single optimum position   Once achieved the adjustment can stop, allowing for the creation of a 3D printed bar with custom geometry for each individual rider - highlighted by the different profiles between Julian Alaphilippe and Remco's TT bars, for example. The integrated computer mounts are a particularly nice touch.   We're still awaiting our first TT of the WorldTour calendar so we've yet to see any of the custom aero bars being used in 2023.   ROVAL INTEGRATED AERO COCKPIT Another Soudal-Quick Step rider, sprinter Fabio Jakobsen, gave us a fleeting glimpse of what appears to be a new, and yet unreleased, Roval handlebar via his Instagram account. The integrated cockpit then appeared on Lotte Kopecky's ‘gram, with a clear point-of-view shot showing the product in question in some detail. And this week Jacobsen gained his first win of 2023 at the Vuelta a San Juan Internacional, with the bars still seemingly attached to his Tarmac SL7.   The cockpit in question will likely replace the two-piece Roval Rapide bars and take design cues from the Spesh sister brand's Alpinist lightweight bars, which are also a fully integrated affair. Riders who prefer to stick with traditional bar and stem set-up will do so using PRO components, just as Evenepoel and Michael Mørkøv are doing at the Vuelta a San Juan.   Judging from the images available Jakobsen isn't the only rider who appears to be using the bars in Colombia, with Bora-Hansgrohe's Sam Bennett winning stage one with what looks like an identical cockpit. It's likely the bars will use the same cable routing as the Alpinist but feature increased aero properties. Whether we see them soon as part of a Tarmac SL8 reveal remains to be seen.   VITTORIA CORSA PRO TIRES The new tires from Vittoria received their first airing at the Jumbo-Visma winter training camps. The ‘Corsa Pro' logo printed on the sidewall was the giveaway that something new was a foot - and one that didn't require Sherlock Holmes-like powers of deduction given that, to date, Vittoria don't have a ‘Corsa Pro' in its race tire line-up.   Since then the tires have been spotted on the race bikes of Team DSM as well, and will be presumably been used by all the Vittoria supplied team. Jumbo-Visma's Rohan Dennis used them at the Tour Down Under to great effect, picking up a win on stage two of the race. Here's what we know so far.   They appear to be tubeless given the tubeless valves - a tubeless valve nut is visible on Dennis' Tour Down Under race bike. They also feature tan sidewalls, which makes them the first Vittoria tubeless race tire to do so. Given the colour of the sidewalls, can we assume that they're of the unvulcanised cotton variety, as used on the Italian brand's other top-tier race tires? And will they replace the current Corsa tires in the line-up albeit with improved rolling resistance à la Corsa Speed?   CANNONDALE SUPERSIX EVO 4 The cat's out of the bag regarding the updated SuperSix Evo, with its appearance on the UCI's frameset list (opens in new tab)adding credence to the number of pictures already seen. The Tour Down Under gave yet more exposure to the latest iteration of Cannondale's all-rounder, with three teams using the bike in Australia.   Race images clearly show the frame's aerodynamic enhancements as well as dropped stays, which seem even lower than the outgoing model, and the use of a threaded bottom bracket.    Interestingly, while the bikes used by the EF Education teams featured the Lab71 decal, those ridden by the French Women's Continental team St Michel-Mavic-Auber93 did not.   The UCI list showed that the SuperSix Evo 4 would feature three models, including a Hi-Mod version. While currently the Lab71 ‘project' is little vague, with the brand describing it on its website as “Cannondale's best, done better”, perhaps in the case of the new SuperSix, its inclusion on the frameset denotes that it's the top-tier offering, while St Michel are riding one of the lower tier frames?   LOOK 795 RS The Tour Down Under also gave the unreleased and still unnamed Look bike(opens in new tab) (possibly the 795 RS), ridden by Cofidis, some more air time. In fact, it racked up its first WorldTour victory, as did the man riding the bike, Bryan Coquard. A pro for ten years, the man from Saint-Nazaire had won 48 times previously but none at the sport's highest level.   As for the bike it does appear it will be Cofidis' day-to-day machine. Where does this leave the 795 Blade and the 785 Huez bikes we're not yet sure? Given that the bike looks to be an aero all-rounder - integrated cockpit, deep and sculpted headtube, D-shaped seatpost and dropped stays - could the French team use the latest bike in a similar fashion to the likes of Bora-Hansgrohe and Soudal-Quick Step, who rely heavily on the Tarmac SL7 rather than having dedicated aero and climbing bikes?   IRONMAN Announces New Event on Long Island with IRONMAN 70.3 New York – Jones Beach Triathlon January 25, 2023   - Inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 New York - Jones Beach triathlon scheduled to take place Sept. 23, 2023; General registration to open Feb. 1, 2023, and can be accessed by visiting, www.ironman.com/im703-new-york - IRONMAN 70.3 New York - Jones Beach first IRONMAN branded event to come to Long Island and only 40-minute drive from New York City or 30-minute train ride from Penn Station JONES BEACH, N.Y. / TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 25, 2023) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The IRONMAN Group announced today that Jones Beach State Park and the southern shore of Long Island will play host to the newest IRONMAN® 70.3® triathlon. The inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 New York – Jones Beach triathlon is schedule to make its debut on Sept. 23, 2023. Athletes will take on a journey as they will embark past some of Longs Island's most beautiful areas such as the Jones Beach Theater, the iconic Jones Beach Boardwalk, and Nassau County's Wantagh State Parkway. General registration for the IRONMAN 70.3 New York – Jones Beach triathlon will open on Feb. 1, 2023, by visiting, www.ironman.com/im703-new-york.   “We could not be more excited to bring an IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon to Long Island for the first time,” said Dave Christen, Sr. Regional Director for The IRONMAN Group. “With some of the most beautiful beaches in the Northeast, we know our athletes will enjoy the stunning scenery, beautiful weather, access to New York City, and friendly communities here on Long Island.”   IRONMAN 70.3 New York – Jones Beach will treat athletes to a 1.2-mile swim in Zach's Bay at Jones Beach State Park, a scenic 56-mile bike ride along the Wantagh State Parkway, culminating with a 13.1-mile run along the world-famous Jones Beach Boardwalk that stretches down the coast with a unique finish line experience on the beach itself.   “The IRONMAN 70.3 New York will bring an electrifying competition – and thousands of athletes and fans – to the beautiful Jones Beach State Park,” Erik Kulleseid, Commissioner, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. “Long Island's most popular state park will be a great stage to showcase these athletes' incredible determination and skill.”   Located on the southern shore of Long Island, Jones Beach State Park is a national treasure just 40-miles outside Manhattan and New York City. The soft sand beaches emerge from within the vibrant energy of New York City and showcase some of the best reasons to discover Long Island. With three international airports to fly into and the Long Island Rail Road, visitors can reach Jones Beach easily and experience many areas in Nassau County, Long Island and the greater New York City region. The Jones Beach Theater hosts some of the largest musical acts and tours throughout the year and the area also plays host to one of the largest air shows on earth. Athletes who come by plane, train, or automobile will have plenty of offerings to enjoy and support your experience on Long Island at IRONMAN 70.3 New York – Jones Beach.   General registration for the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 New York – Jones Beach triathlon will open Feb. 1, 2023. The 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 IRONMAN 70.3 New York – Jones Beach triathlon will offer qualifying slots to the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship taking place in Taupō, New Zealand.   For more information about the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 New York Jones Beach triathlon www.ironman.com/im703-new-york. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, please visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.     What's New in the 303: Go4Graham Cycling Team and Why it Matters Team Sponsor Becky Furuta on what makes Go4Graham matter so much to her. By Becky Furuta   I had five minutes. That's all the time the doctor would allow while she was under supervision. Five minutes to deliver her toothbrush and pajamas, a phone charger, and some slippers to keep her feet from freezing on the cement floors of the ward, and to hear her tell me why she had tried to kill herself. She couldn't look me in the eye. She has slash marks on her arms and legs from years of cutting herself. And underneath a long hospital gown, my little sister disappeared – swallowed up by the darkness in her mind and her own, brutal thoughts.   Go4Graham is a community-based movement to shred the stigma surrounding mental health. We promote mental wellness through cycling and outdoor sports in Colorado and beyond. It was started to honor Graham Stingley who died in 2005 age the age of 23 after battling depression and anxiety for most of his short life. If you want to join this movement please check out Go4Graham.org or @Go4Graham on social media, or will@Go4Graham.org.   At the time, I couldn't imagine wanting so desperately to die. I had no idea what it was like to silently drown in the shadows of life. The feelings that attached themselves to the most pivotal moments of her life defied any language I knew to identify them.   And then came December 2019.   I left for work around 6:30 in the morning, knowing I wouldn't hit many lights. Wouldn't be much traffic, either. I left my neighborhood and drove the highway along the Flatirons because I liked the view and because there was one section of road with a long, dangerous-looking rocky slope. If the roads were covered in ice, it seemed like everything could end right there.   And that morning, it was where I decided to kill myself.   I can't explain how things had come to that point. I was successful. I owned three businesses, all of which were doing well. I was not unhappily married, and my kids were healthy. I had a career as an athlete, and people looked up to me. I was traveling the world, racing a bike, surrounded by fans. My social media was a sea of ‘likes.' And all I wanted was to die on that stretch of road.   I was in the worst possible place when I called my team director, and slowly, I backed away from the cliff and toward the sound of her words as she promised me that we would figure things out. The team went to work finding me the resources I needed. They saved my life. Cycling saved my life. And it continues to every day.   Exercise has been proven scientifically and anecdotally to improve mental health. Cycling forced me to get up on days when I didn't want to, and it brought me outside and into the world. It gave me a sense of connectedness and joy. I could stop thinking about everything else when I was on the bike, and focus on my body and my efforts. It was peace.   I was sitting at a tiki bar in Claremont, FL having just attempted to break a record on Sugarloaf when my buddy, Taylor Ross, started talking about Go4Graham Foundation. Taylor's enthusiasm for the organization was palpable, and he talked at length about growing up not thinking about mental health or understanding that our mental wellness is dynamic and requires care. He spoke of people being trapped under the waves without seeing an end to the hardships, and how important it is to know that things will change in time. He talked about how sports and community can save lives. I was sold.   Go4Graham was founded following the death of Steven Graham Winter Stingley, who died in 2005 after a fatal interaction between the antidepressant medication he had been taking and an OTC cold medication. Graham's brother, Will, founded the organization both to honor his brother and after confronting his own mental health challenges.   “I've come to terms with the fact that (depression) is something I will have to manage for the rest of my life. But it gives me perspective. It helps me prioritize my life. It has motivated me to adopt a healthier lifestyle.” And, although Will won't say it so directly, his work with Go4Graham has given purpose to others.   Go4Graham has created a network of athletes and ambassadors who use an evidence-based program designed by the University of Colorado Johnson Depression Center to conduct training to help diminish the stigma behind discussing mental health issues and to intervene in times of mental health crisis. The foundation partners with mental health professionals to conduct workplace wellness programs around suicide prevention and stress management. Runners, cyclists, skiers, and other athletes get peer support and engage in storytelling to elicit mental health conversations and to erode the challenges of talking openly about mental health issues. They encourage the use of physical activity as a mechanism to improve mental wellness and gain a sense of community.   Team member Kit Hinders explains, “The unspoken bond between us all is a beautiful support system. We have all loved and lost someone to negative mental health consequences. That experience unites us to ‘Shred the Stigma' that surrounds mental health. I wish we could walk around with swords slicing through cultural norms, but our athletes and ambassadors are much more tactful. Join us. You just might find out that it rewards you as much as others.”   It took me time and therapy and a lot of support to calm the chaotic thoughts in my brain. My first meeting with my psychologist was the most awkward staring contest of my life. Eventually, I unfolded the saddest parts of my life to her, learned some coping mechanisms, started eating better, and stopped focusing so much on the bike as a career and instead on finding my love of the sport again. And to be honest, I still struggle from time to time with a kind of panic I can't describe, thoughts of inexplicable sadness, days of exhaustion and nights when I'm haunted in my sleep. My teammates with Go4Graham can often relate, which makes it easier to get through.   Go4Graham empowered me to share my challenges with mental health, and to do it in a way that helps build support for others struggling with mental illness. All of us, together, are conveying that mental health conversations shouldn't be stigmatized, and that people shouldn't risk suffering in isolation because they are either afraid to be vulnerable or unsure how to best access help. In so many ways, athletes within Go4Graham are reassuring people in their lives that we won't let them sit alone with the thoughts troubling them. We're making space for the emotions often pushed to the margins.   Of course, that doesn't mean that the team isn't serious about sports. Hinders explains, “The variety of athletes creates a culture of acceptance and exploration. On any given ride, we combine roadies, mountain bikers, gravel specialists and elite cyclocross racers. Having ‘a little bit of everything' helps us push our limits as athletes and as humans. I've never been part of any team that does so many sports so well.”   Athletes with Go4Graham consistently stand on race podiums all over the state. There are weekly training rides and team trips to race or train together. These events are marked by acceptance and support, but also a lot of laughter and the kind of silliness you would expect from people clad entirely in Spandex.   Four years ago, I decided to commit my business, Avenue Vision, to sponsoring Go4Graham. Last Thursday night, I hosted Go4Graham athletes and fellow sponsor, Cuore Cycling, at the office. We threw down hot carbs from Woody's Pizza a few beers as cyclists and runners tried on kits to ensure proper fit and placed orders for new sunglasses. The kick-off was designed to guarantee that everyone had the apparel needed to start their season and to introduce new athletes to those who have been with the organization for many years. For me, it was an opportunity to hug old friends and hold hands with some of the humans who walked me through my toughest times and to talk about the season ahead. Athletes have lined up everything from marathons to the country's biggest gravel races and a skimo challenge or two over the course of the next twelve months. There are big, audacious goals on the table.   I've been in this sport for so long that I don't know what, exactly, is up ahead for me. I do know that Go4Graham will be part of that picture for a long time to come. I know how hard it is to pretend everything is OK when it's not, and I know it's no way to live. I know that running, cycling and skiing are my sanctuaries where things just seem to work. I am glad to have the opportunity to help change the way we all talk about and address mental health, and that purpose feels really good. Aligning that mission with my interests and my business feels even better.   If you're interested in joining the movement or participating with Go4Graham, feel free to contact the organization. info@go4graham.com     Video of the week: 5 Reasons Why You DON'T Need A Super Bike!     Closing: Thanks again for listening in this week.  Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment.  We'd really appreciate it! Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

For those who've contributed to or read Alpinist over the last 18 years, Katie Ives needs little introduction. Ives started at the magazine in 2004. After reading the Chicago Manual of Style cover to cover, she took on the roles of overqualified intern and copyeditor. She became editor in chief in 2012, a position she held until 2022. Ives is regarded as a tireless researcher, and as a mentor to the many writers she collaborated with during her nearly two decades at Alpinist.  Katie has earned renown for her command of written language. Her book “Imaginary Peaks: The Riesenstein [REE-zen-stein] Hoax and Other Mountain Dreams” was published by The Mountaineers in 2021. It received a Special Jury Mention at the 2022 Banff Mountain Book Competition. Katie recently moved to Colorado to be closer to the American Alpine Club Library while she works on her next book.  In this episode, Katie takes us on a journey through her 18-year Alpinist tenure. She brings us to some of the imaginary peaks she  explores in her book, and the Flatirons looming outside her office window today. She laments all the books she left behind during her recent move West, and reminds us that not all answers can be found on the Internet. This episode is brought to you by The North Face. Alpinist Magazine Website | Instagram | Facebook Host: Abbey Collins Guest: Katie Ives Producer + Engineer: Mike Horn Photo by: Chris Weidner

"What are YOU currently learning about YOUTH MINISTRY?" Sean Lord from Flatirons Community Church in Denver, CO jumps on the YOU*TH Podcast! Thanks for listening to Season 2 Episode 7 of the YOU*TH Podcast. Season 2 includes 10 interviews from youth pastors and young leaders across America talking youth culture, leadership, and some other stuff. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and a rating! *DON'T LET YOUTH MINISTRY STEAL YOUR YOUTH* --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jordan-mcclarnon/support

Flatirons Church Lead Pastor, Jim Burgen, and Executive Pastor, Jesse DeYoung, talk candidly and openly about how a toxic leadership culture developed at Flatirons, how Jim ended up fusing church size and growth with his personal identity, how the weight of leading a large church became crushing, the impact of a forced sabbatical, and how Jim came back to a different, healthier and more humble kind of leadership. Get more on this episode by going to https://careynieuwhof.com/episode515.

Big show today! We have Mark Allen with us today to talk about coaching and training on the TriDot training platform. We are going to ask Mark a few training and racing questions which I expect Mark will help us all get a little smarter at both.    Show Sponsor: UCAN Take your performance to the next level with UCAN Energy and Bars made with SuperStarch®  UCAN uses SuperStarch instead of simple sugars and stimulants to fuel athletes.  UCAN keeps blood sugar steady compared to the energy spikes and crashes of sugar-based products.  Steady energy equals sustained performance and a faster finish line!   Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly!  Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co     In Today's Show Feature Interview - Mark Allen and TriDot Training Systems Endurance News Norseman Extreme Triathlon August 6th Riders furious with Vuelta a Burgos mass crash: 'To allow a finish with a speed bump is a disgrace. Unacceptable' What's new in the 303 Boulder 70.3 moves to June in 2023 Video of the Week  Tim Hola interview before Norseman   Feature Interview: Mark Allen and TriDot   Last Spring, friend of the show Matt Bach introduced us to TriDot. I started using the platform and learning how it works. I leaned how it takes data from my training and racing and uses it to adjust future training so that I get the most perfect training workout, structured in the perfect way, and with the exact intensity for the temperature and altitude the workout is being performed.    As an athlete, it's a no brainer. As a coach, I started to realize the way it could help me spend more time with athletes on the qualitative aspects of helping athletes with things like swim technique, video analysis, nutrition, bike handling, etc.   Fast forward to about a month ago when TriDot announced that Mark Allen was joining TriDot as a coach. During the announcement, Mark shared what he chose to partner with TriDot and bring his athletes over to the platform. I also took the opportunity to be coached by Mark.   If you tuned in last week, you heard us discuss the "Ask Me Anything" event last week with Mark and his answers to some excellent training and racing questions. It is with that backdrop that we head into our feature interview with Hall of Fame triathlete and coach, Mark Allen.   Let's get into our interview.   POST INTERVIEW COMMENTS: When Mark said TD takes into account temperature, humidity and altitude to make sure you are training at the right intensity. Explain Environment Normalization Training Zones are as accurate and current as your last test and tests are done every month Use the link on my profile or click here to try a two week app.tridot.com/onboard/sign-up/richsoares       More Mark Answers:   Question: What is the mental strategy when you want to skip a workout?   Answer: It's important to identify the key workouts each week. It's more important to balance the sport with the rest of your life. You don't want to lose all the other things that are important to save 3 minutes on the bike. If you find those key workouts, they will give you 80-90% of what you need. The other workouts will help, but they only get you the remaining 10-20%. If getting all your workouts in causes stress in other parts of your life, that's not the goal. If you are feeling like not training, you need to ask yourself if you are recovered enough. Listen to your body. There's no device or metric that can replace how you feel. I like to get out the door and if after 10 minutes you feel like you're full of lactate or feeling lethargic, then turn around and go back home.   Question: What are some of your mental strategies during tough spots in IRONMAN?   Answer: How you deal with it starts long before the race. There will things that will come up that you couldn't have expected. You don't need a perfect race to race perfectly. If your goggles get kicked off, put them back on. You drop a water bottle. Shake it off and get an extra the next time. When you get to the whining phase, I have to change the channel. Get to a mental state where you take a big breath, stop the voice in my head, and analyze what's going on. Maybe I can walk a bit and be steady quiet and engaged. What ever my potential attention and energy I can bring, bring 100% of that. What's my purpose? Do I drop out? My body is working at 20% capacity. If I can give 100% of the 20%, I'll do that. You will be proud of the peace, purpose and quiet and strength to finish.   Question: What is your inner dialogue when you are racing? Do you have a phrase or mantra?   Answer: You should have the positive affirmation. Early in my career I tried that. When you do fall apart, I was never able to remember the mantras. I'm not light as a feather on the marathon, I feel like an elephant. The most powerful place to race from is a quiet mind. In a way you tune everything out but yourself and your process and engaged in the moment and not judging. Try to lock in and give everything I have. There's a magical switch point where all of a sudden you realize you are giving everything I have that day.   Question: Tips for older athletes and taking days off.   Answer: I'm 64 and I don't take days off. You need to be tuned into your body and take a day off and recover and regenerate. You need to eat a little more good quality protein to stimulate the body to rebuild. Strength training is also key. It can be body weights and cords. If you just swim, bike and run.  20 year study on Boston Marathoners. 1 group just run. 2nd group that did strength and running kept all their muscle mass. Sleep and recovery. Protein and strength training.   Question: What hydration / nutrition to avoid cramps?   Answer: Different cramps have different reasons. Early in the swim your feet cramp - typically when you are under high stress. Your body excretes sodium and magnesium when under stress and your adrenal system kicks in. Okay to have a little anxiety. As best as you can load up on sodium and magnesium. You need to keep on top of magnesium all year. If late in the race the quads cramp, it's because you are putting more load on the quads during the race. Do strength work so you have extra muscle to utilize. Calf cramps come from being under stress for a long time. When your adrenal system gets depleted you get calf cramps. Side stitches come from fast shallow breathing. Slow down the breathing and take deeper breathing. Otherwise rub your knuckles on the sternum.   Question: What gets you most jazzed about the future of the sport?   Answer: Seeing this whole new generation of pros and redefining what is possible. We've had several generations. You can tell some of these great athletes like Daniel and Alistair are on the way out. The way these new athletes like Kristian Blummenfelt and the Sam Longs and Laura Phillips are a new generation that want to race the top folks. Not like it used to be were the new pros were scared cats.     Our News is sponsored by Buddy Insurance. Buddy Insurance gives you peace of mind to enjoy your training and racing to the fullest. Buddy's mission is simple, to help people fearlessly enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle.    Get on-demand accident insurance just in case the unexpected happens. Buddy ensures you have cash for bills fast.  This is accident insurance not health and life insurance.  Go to buddyinsurance.com and create an account.  There's no commitment or charge to create one.  Once you have an account created, it's a snap to open your phone and in a couple clicks have coverage for the day.  Check it out!   Endurance News:   Norseman Xtreme Triathlon, August 6th in Norway. The Norseman Xtreme Triathlon is a gruelling challenge that's not for the faint of heart.   You're halfway up a mountain. The wind has been trying its hardest to stop you for 14 long hours, since you plunged into an icy fjord at around 5am. The past hour has been fuelled by adrenaline alone, carrying you on your way.   The annual event features a 3.8km fjord swim, a 180km cycle ride through the mountains and a 42.2km run/climb to the top of a local mountain. Phew! Let's take a look at the event, and how it came to be.   When it comes to Norway and multi-sport events you probably think of the biathlon. This unique combination of cross-country skiing and shooting is a tradition that arose in Scandinavia and is certainly still very popular in the region. However, the triathlon is growing in popularity every year, in all regions of the globe, and Scandinavia is no exception. But even when they're jumping on bandwagons, the Norse people like to do things a little bit differently.   People who know it, talk about the Norseman Triathlon in hushed tones of reverence and awe. Those who have won the black jersey – the only prize for finishing – are revered as Gods among men in athletic circles.   Riders furious with Vuelta a Burgos mass crash: 'To allow a finish with a speed bump is a disgrace. Unacceptable' As the Jumbo-Visma trio of Timo Roosen, Edoardo Affini and Chris Harper rode unchallenged across the finish line of stage two at the Vuelta a Burgos, securing the team all three steps on the podium, they celebrated what they thought was a dominant victory.   However, they were unaware of the carnage that had ensued behind. Their teammate David Dekker had hit a speed bump just 700m from the finish resultign in a mass pile-up.   Jumbo-Visma were looking to lead out the sprint for Dekker in the closing stages of the race, but, after a short descent and the pace ever-increasing, the Dutchman hit a speed bump and lost control of his bike, creating a domino-effect of riders falling behind him.   What's New in the 303:   IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder to shift dates on the calendar beginning in 2023 21st edition of long-standing Colorado event to take place on June 10, 2023; Presale registration to open on Thursday, August 4, 2022 by visiting, www.ironman.com/im703-boulder-register BOULDER, Colo. / TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 3, 2022)/ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – IRONMAN today announced that the 2023 IRONMAN® 70.3®Boulder triathlon will be moving to a new date on the calendar beginning in 2023. A staple in Colorado and on the IRONMAN calendar since 2002, the long-standing event will now take place on Saturday, June 10, 2023, with presale registration opening on Thursday, August 4, 2022 by visiting, www.ironman.com/im703-boulder-register.   “We're proud of the legacy that has been built over the last 20 years here in Boulder,” said Tim Brosious, Northwest Regional Director for The IRONMAN Group. “Anyone that has raced here over the years can attest to the unforgettable experience that racing here on the footsteps of the Rockies offers. There isn't a much better venue to host a summer race than here in Boulder and we know this new June date will continue to showcase the beauty of Colorado. We are very grateful to the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau, as well as the City and County of Boulder, for their endless support of this long running and popular IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder event.”   For nearly two decades, athletes from around the world have been embraced by the welcoming community of Boulder, Colorado.  Boulder provides an outdoor playground for endurance athletes. Boulder caters to the outdoor enthusiast and not only provides epic trails and outdoor activities but also world-class dining, shopping, events and craft beer and spirits. Boulder gives you a taste of everything Colorado.   The 20th edition of the IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder triathlon scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 6 will begin by taking athletes along a 1.2-mile swim in the Boulder Reservoir. After transitioning to the bike, athletes will ride through the rolling hills of Boulder County with stunning views of the Flatirons before starting the run. The 13.1-mile run course takes place along the Boulder Reservoir, up 63rd Street to Monarch, and all along the Dam Road. Most of the course is on dirt gravel roads.   Presale registration for 2023 edition of the IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder triathlon will open at 12:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. The 2022 and 2023 editions of the IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder triathlon will offer qualifying slots to the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship® race in Finland.   For more information on the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 Boulder triathlon, visit www.ironman.com/im703-boulder.  Athlete inquiries may be directed to boulder70.3@ironman.com. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.     Boulder 70.3 Preview and Athlete Information - Athlete Guide General: 20th Anniversary of this epic race! Fun changes and swag in store for you to help us celebrate this historic event. Swim start will be back on the beach this year! Friends and family can cool off in the swim area on the beach between 10:30am and 5pm. There will be kayaks and SUPs there for them to play around on as well! Finish line is now in front of the Visitor Center building! Be sure to continue onto the beach where we'll have a picnic lunch available for athletes, as well as the option for spectators to purchase as well. The beach will once again be a beer garden to help you celebrate your finish!   Parking and Shuttles   Course Swim starts from the swim beach and is a clockwise rectangle. Swim exit is at the marina by the boat ramp and the transition area Bike start in the res out to the parking lot and do the lollipop loop and then back past the bike out to hwy 119 where you head south to 55th and then hairpin to Oxford and hairpin then to 63rd do the right turn on Monarch and do a 180 back and turn left on Niwot and then you hit the first aid station. Continue on Neva to hwy 36 and north to Nelson and head east. Turn north on 65th. West on St Vrain. Back on 36 north to Hwy 86 to 75th and then south. Cut over to 73rd and then 71st head south on hwy 119 to the res. Run - same as last year. https://cdn1.sportngin.com/attachments/document/e798-2462512/2022_70.3_Boulder_Athlete_Guide_rs.pdf Nutrition on course - AID STATIONS Aid stations are approximately every 15 miles on the bike and approximately a mile apart on the run. The general offerings are as Follows   BIKE: Water Gatorade Endurance Formula (Flavor: Orange) Red Bull Maurten Gel 100 Maurten Gel 100 CAF 100 Bars Fruit - Banana   RUN: Water Gatorade Endurance Formula (Flavor: Lemon Lime) Red Bull Cola Maurten Gel 100 Maurten Gel 100 CAF 100 Bars Chips Pretzels Fruit - Bananas & Oranges   Upcoming Multisport Events in Colorado (runningintheusa.com) Upcoming Classic Runs in Colorado (runningintheusa.com)   Video of the week: Heading back to Norseman.       Upcoming Guests:   Tim Hola is joining us to talk about the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon when he gets back in August.     Closing: Thanks again for listening in this week.  Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment.  We'd really appreciate it! Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

Today's conversation is with Amanda Brown, the Missions Pastor at Flatirons Community Church in Colorado. The vision of Flatirons is to bring the awesome life of Christ to people in a lost and broken world, and Amanda's passion is to see the church develop lasting relationships with their missions partners in order to see that happen.Want to learn how your church can partner with OneChild to bring HOPE to kids living in hard Places? Click Here!Amanda reminds us that it's critical not only to offer something to our missions partners around the world, but but that they have a great deal to offer to us as well. Partnership is built off of really leaning into each other's strengths.Amanda shares how that while COVID and lockdowns have forced Flatirons to get creative about how they cultivate relationships with missions partners, they've realized they can't sit back and become dependent on ZOOM meetings and virtual missions trips. It's time they start thinking about how to get face to face with their missions partners again, because you can't replace the power of that type of connection.And finally, when Flatiron's chooses a missions partner, they do so based on shared values and passions, and then commit to long term relationship with them. Doing this makes it easier to extend grace to each other when things get hard or don't work out as smoothly as they'd hoped. Relationships require commitment, so choosing the right partner in the first place is critical.Learn more about Flatirons Community ChurchLearn more about OneChild HERE!

“The leadership lesson was that it all happened on my watch. It wasn't all my fault, but it was my responsibility as a leader to shepherd my staff well and I wasn't doing that.” Meet Jim Burgen from Flatirons Community Church in Colorado. In one of the most heartfelt and vulnerable episodes of our show, Jim opens up about what triggered his six month sabbatical and how God used it for Jim to come back as a better, healthier & stronger leader, just before Covid hit. Jim shares what he learned about himself, about the team at Flatirons, and how all of those lessons were imperative to setting him up well for a succession within the next five years. “I learned that I better be investing in Jesus and my wife, because they will still be there when I'm no longer at Flatirons.” Welcome to Episode 061 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan.

Lee and Jeff continue the conversation about toxic church culture with Jim Burgen, Senior Pastor of Flatirons Church. Jim shares his story of unknowingly creating a toxic culture, and how he and his team worked their way out of it. We know you'll love hearing his wisdom and hope that you'll integrate some of their learnings into your team. Enjoy!

Kodey ducks dips and dives through a 1A Northern league that has been cast to the wind following the changes in schedule, competition, travel, and personnel in order to best determine performances in the fall season while spotlighting some names you will be hearing more. Timestamps: 0:00-8:01 Intro/Basalt Longhorns 8:02-15:15 Moffat County Bulldogs 15:16-22:48 Flatirons Academy Bison 22:49-30:08 Estes Park Bobcats 30:09-37:49 Highland Huskies 37:50-43:41 Prospect Ridge Academy 43:42-52:33 Strasburg High School 52:34-59:00 Steamboat Springs Sailors 59:01-1:00:00 Outro https://linktr.ee/PlaymakersCorner Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlaymakerCorner Tik Tok: Playmakers Corner Instagram: https:https://www.instagram.com/playmakerscorner/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlaymakerCorner Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUEcv0BIfXT78kNEtk1pbxQ/featured Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/playmakerscorner Website: https://playmakerscorner.com/ Listen to us on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4rkM8hKtf8eqDPy2xqOPqr Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cycle-365/id1484493484?uo=4 Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/the-cycle-365 Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9mODg4MWYwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz

When what you had going on gets interrupted, is it possible that God is trying to get your attention, to redirect you toward a better way of life? Lead Pastor, Jim Burgen, challenges us to focus on finding our way to the heart of God's truth through obedience.

If you have found the answer to everything you've been waiting, hoping, and looking for in Jesus, then it's time to challenge your friends to Come and See Jesus for themselves.

What would it take to let God radically change your life? Join us as we walk through what spiritual formation is, and how we can start inviting God to change us every day.

by David Yezzi

We take a look at who we are as a church, what we have been doing, and where we would like to be going.

We take a look at who we are as a church, what we have been doing, and where we would like to be going.

God's love, expressed in the awesome life of Jesus Christ, is the best gift anyone could ever receive. Join us as we look at how Flatirons will share that gift with the Next Generation.

  Matt Samet is the editor of Climbing Magazine, the author of several books, a prolific route developer, and a very strong and dedicated climber. He's also a friend of mine and someone I respect a lot, so I've been wanting to interview him for a while. He's a father of 3, works full-time, and just sent a 5.14 project a couple days before his 50th birthday, which is the same max grade he was sending 20 years ago. It's always inspiring to me to see people just make it work in climbing, even if they have a million things going on in their lives and are at an age many climbers believe to be limiting. Another notable thing about Samet is that he battled an addiction to benzodiazapenes and other psychiatric drugs for over a decade, and he still deals with neurological consequences of that. He's had to alter the way he trains and his expectations of himself, and yet he still gets out climbing and trains more often than most of us ever will. In this interview we talk about his dedication to route development, how his training has changed over the years, his stint with anorexia and how he's overcome it, among many other things. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.   Matt Samet Interview Details Why he loves route development so much How route development can be a thankless job (and why he doesn't care) Gender bias in route development How he's doing now since being off all drugs since 2006 Long-term nervous system effects from psychiatric drugs How he makes time for climbing while being a dad and working full-time How his wife deals with him wanting to climb all the time How having kids changes your relationship How age plays a role in his climbing at 50 His decades-long bout with anorexia How he's changed his eating and how that affected his climbing What he hopes to achieve going forward (he's not slowing down)     Show Links Instagram @phorrizzler6514 His book about Benzos: Death Grip: A Climber's Escape from Benzo Madness The Crag Survival Handbook: The Unspoken Rules of Climbing  The Climbing Dictionary: Mountaineering Slang, Terms, Neologisms & Lingo: An Illustrated Reference His article in Outside Magazine about benzo addiction: “Beauty in the Breakdown”     Photo Credit Photo of Matt on Nephson (5.13+) at Hillbilly Rock in the Flatirons by Ryan Pecknold   Please Review The Podcast on iTunes Please give the podcast an honest review on iTunes here to help the show reach more curious climbers around the world.    

Our guests this week are the founders of Talnua Distillery in Arvada Colorado. Patrick and Meagan Miller fell in love with the traditionally Irish, Single Pot Still Whiskey on a honeymoon trip to Ireland. They aimed to recreate the style of whiskey featuring malted and unmalted barley, but with an American twist. Talnua created the first Single Pot Still distillery outside of Ireland. They wanted to bring this style of whiskey to America and imbue it with the nation's terroir while  honoring Gaelic distilling traditions, the immigrant soul, and the pioneering spirit of the American people. Enjoy this week's episode and check out this newer style of American Whiskey. We are thankful for everyone who has supported us. A huge shoutout to our growing Patreon Community as well! We'd appreciate it if you can take the time to give us feedback on our podcast. If you enjoy our content, consider giving us a 5 star rating on your favorite podcast app, leave us a review, and tell a fellow bourbon lover about our show. Follow  us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.  And please check out our Patreon to learn how you can support our endeavors, earn Bourbon Lens swag, be part of future barrel picks, and more. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please email us at TheBourbonLens@Gmail.com. Visit our website BourbonLens.com to check out our blog posts, or even purchase your own Bourbon Lens tasting glass or t-shirt. Cheers,Scott & JakeBourbon Lens About the Talnua Brand: In 2017, we embarked on a mission to define a new chapter of American whiskey with the introduction of our American Single Pot Still Whiskey. True to gaelic-style distilling practices, and unique to the new world, our spirits are produced using a mashbill of raw and malted barley and triple distilled in copper pot stills. Located on the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, the altitude, changing seasons, crystal clear mountain water, and local barley all lend a uniquely American terroir to our spirits. About the Founders: Patrick Miller Founder, President & Head Distiller: Denver, CO. Patrick began his distilling career at Breckenridge Distillery's Distillation and Production School in June of 2015. In August of 2015, he started working as a Distiller at Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey. After spending nearly three years on recipe development, brewing, and distilling for Talnua, Patrick distilled the first batch of Single Pot Still whiskey in the US in 2018. Prior work includes: Chemist, Fluids Engineer, and Database Systems Manager for oil and gas companies. {Brewing, Distilling, Barreling, Bottling, Sales} Meagan Miller Founder, Vice President & Sales: Denver, CO. Meagan (“the Nose”) has worked with Patrick every step of the way on brewing, distilling, and recipe development. Meagan's background is regulatory compliance, rule making, and policy development. This government affairs experience provides a key asset in working with Federal, State, and Local agencies on permitting, licensing, and reporting. Meagan also provides front of house experience in the service industry and manages day to day distillery business functions. On October 18, 2019, she was elected to serve as the next President of the Colorado Distiller's Guild. Where it all began: In a Galway pub on their honeymoon, Patrick and Meagan sat watching the 2011 Ireland vs. USA Rugby World Cup Match. An eager bartender was thrilled to share with them the first Single Pot Still Whiskey to be released in decades. He regaled them with the history of this nearly extinct style of whiskey and with the passion that one day, Single Pot Still would regain its rightful place on the world stage. The love affair was instant, and the couples' passion was forever ingrained in the story of Single Pot Still Whiskey. With family history rooted in Irish ancestry, the couple returned to Ireland every year and knew that single pot still whiskey would forever be a part of their story.  Knowing that Single Pot Still Whiskey was not yet available in the US they set out to create the first Single Pot Still distillery outside of Ireland. They wanted to bring this style of whiskey to America and imbue it with the nation's terroir while  honoring Gaelic distilling traditions, the immigrant soul, and the pioneering spirit of the American people. Our Name: Talnua. Our name is born of the Irish-Gaelic words ‘Talamh', meaning ‘Land', and ‘Nua', meaning ‘New'. In a word, it's our story, and tells of our passion for bringing an old-world style of distilling to the new land that is America. Our sigil shows our native Big Horn Ram on the Flatirons of Colorado's Front Range. It is looking back on a triskele moon, which represents the Irish-Gaelic old world, home to the distilling traditions we honor.  Faugh a Ballagh. Our motto means ‘Clear the Way' for the new American Single Pot Still and explore a whole new world of character and flavor. Show Links: Whiskey Distillery | Talnua Distillery | Arvada, CO | United States Shop Talnua Distillery  Talnua Distillery Turns Two With Big Plans For the Future Talnua Distillery in Arvada Makes a Whiskey Style Rare Outside of Ireland Talnua Distillery Brings Single Pot Still Whiskey to Denver on St. Patrick's Day Weekend 25 New Colorado Spirits to Drink in 2021 and Beyond Effects of Climate Change On Whiskey Taste Being Studied By Distilleries Climate change may be changing taste of Irish whiskey Top 10 spirits marketing moves in September 2021 – The Spirits Business

The #1 Way to Run Better that Most Runners Will Never Do   – The MOVEMENT Movement with Steven Sashen Episode 098 with Jason Fitzgerald   Jason Fitzgerald is the host of the Strength Running Podcast (the #2 running podcast in the US of all time) and the founder of Strength Running, an award-winning running blog with hundreds of thousands of monthly readers. A 2:39 marathoner and USATF-certified coach, he's coached thousands of endurance athletes to faster finishing times and fewer injuries with his results-oriented coaching philosophy.   He's the winner of the 2011 Morraine Hills Half Marathon, 2012 Maryland Warrior Dash, and the 2013 Potomac River Run Marathon. During his collegiate career, he was a member of the 2002 National Championship-qualifying cross-country team and a top ten finisher in the steeplechase at the 2006 New England Championships.   Jason speaks at industry conferences and for major brands like Anheuser-Busch and frequently delivers presentations and coaches at fitness retreats and running camps. His work has been featured in the Washington Post, Runner's World, Health Magazine, Lifehacker, The Huffington Post, and other major media.    He lives in Denver, Colorado where you can find him trail running in the nearby Flatirons or at the playground with his wife and three children.   Listen to this episode of The MOVEMENT Movement with Jason Fitzgerald about the #1 way to run better that most runners will never do.   Here are some of the beneficial topics covered on this week's show: How runners need to do strength work to help prevent injuries. Why having a modern-day sedentary life doesn't prepare bodies for running. What a dynamic warmup is and how runners can use it to prevent injury. How doing squats and deadlifts can make people run faster. Why running fast is one of the best ways runners can improve their form. Connect with Jason: Guest Contact Info Twitter @JasonFitz1 @StrengthRunning Instagram @JasonFitz1 Links Mentioned: strengthrunning.com    Connect with Steven: Website xeroshoes.com jointhemovementmovement.com Twitter  @XeroShoes Instagram  @xeroshoes Facebook  facebook.com/xeroshoes

Amie Stepanovich joins the podcast to discuss the Silicon Flatirons, a research center analyzing the intersection of law, technology, and entrepreneurship. 

What a shitty day in America. For the second time in less than a week, a sick person with a gun he shouldn't have had access to took a whole bunch of innocent lives. I said last week that the pandemic gave us a respite of sorts from mass shootings. If this is what a return to normalcy brings, I say we're better off hiding at home from the virus...and the bullets. Yesterday it was the formerly idyllic town of Boulder Colorado that came under attack... Now most people will think 10 dead when they hear Boulder, instead of the natural beauty of the Flatirons or the charm of the Pearl Street Mall, they'll remember 10 people gunned down in the grocery store. Coincidentally, the Senate Judiciary Committee had a hearing planned for today called "Constitutional and Common Sense Steps to Reduce Gun Violence". There's other news happening too, and we may hit on some of it when I'm joined by Dave Johnson, who'll do his best GottaLaff imitation today as Laffy is still dealing with a painful case of tendinitits....

Roger Daltry meets Elijah Dr. Jim Keck was at the WHO concert in Boulder Colorado in 1982 and happened to look over at the Flatirons during “Won't Get Fooled Again” and it changed his spiritual trajectory. Join us this Sunday for a sermon that explores the mystical “Still, small voice” of the Divine and also celebrates Pete Townshend arm-waving.

Jen interviews Angela on her recent trip to Colorado and her experience rock climbing outside for the first time.  Listen to our PODCAST: https://linktr.ee/magicalmommymondays   Follow us on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/magicmommonday   Follow us on INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/magicalmommymondays   Follow us on TIKTOK: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJrrqBGD/   Check out our BLOG:  https://magicalmommymondaypodcast.wordpress.com EMAIL us: magicalmommymondays@gmail.com   FOLLOW JEN https://twitter.com/jenillo https://twitter.com/dillosdiz   FOLLOW ANGELA www.instagram.com/angela_dahlgren https://twitter.com/angeladahlgren   Music produced by: Matt Harvey

6 Months ago, Jim Burgen, the pastor of Flatirons Community Church stepped away. During the months on his absence, a few things transpired at the church, and this weekend, Jim made his return. In this episode of the podcast, Dustin and Peyton discuss Jim's return and their thoughts on the status of Flatirons Community Church.

I interview Mackenzie Fly, a Digital Nomad and World Traveler, in this episode. We talk about: Transitioning to nearly full time travel from a corporate gig How she makes money while traveling Being flexible and letting things happen Connect with Mackenzie Check out Mackenzie’s YouTube channel here Follow Mackenzie on Instagram It was great connecting with Mackenzie since she’s from Colorado. I first saw the Rocky Mountains in the Boulder area, and that’s where Mackenzie is from. So I have fond memories of driving into Boulder for the first time and seeing the Flat Irons, then heading up to Estes Park where I lived for a couple of summers in college. We’re actually moving to her home town the week this episode is published! Anyway, go check out Mackenzie’s channel and some of her adventures and travels.

I interview Mackenzie Fly, a Digital Nomad and World Traveler, in this episode. We talk about: Transitioning to nearly full time travel from a corporate gig How she makes money while traveling Being flexible and letting things happen Connect with Mackenzie Check out Mackenzie’s YouTube channel here Follow Mackenzie on Instagram It was great connecting with Mackenzie since she’s from Colorado. I first saw the Rocky Mountains in the Boulder area, and that’s where Mackenzie is from. So I have fond memories of driving into Boulder for the first time and seeing the Flat Irons, then heading up to Estes Park where I lived for a couple of summers in college. We’re actually moving to her home town the week this episode is published! Anyway, go check out Mackenzie’s channel and some of her adventures and travels.

Episode 4! Today on the show we have a special guest (our friend Dustin), who provides insights into the struggle of trying to find a partner who is also a climber, in a world where male climbers still outnumber females by what feels like 100 to 1. We may have accidentally come up with a new dating App called 'Bouldr', exclusively for climbers living in Boulder, Colorado, who have shared interests in things like, gourmet pour over iced lattes, and soloing in the Flatirons. We talk about one of the best parts of the climbing roadtrip: meeting new people who have homes near climbing destinations. Once again, we delve deep into the differences between men and women in climbing, tell another story for our ongoing segment "Things we've seen at the crag" and in this weeks special pop-culture climbing trivia segment, hosted by Anna, we bought buzzers! (this may have been a mistake). Check out WoolX products on their website, they really do make killer apparel. As always, check us out on our website or follow us on InstaGram @badbetapodcast and don't forget to follow @annaoutdoors as well. Like us on Facebook and please.... for the love of god, email us, give us a review, a heart, a thumbs-up.... something!  

Following the example of what Jesus did, Flatirons must remember that lives begin to change AFTER a person is accepted, friendship is offered and forgiveness is extended. It's Truth AND Grace.

Men's Pastor Dan Foote shares his vision for Wake Up Call—the Flatirons Podcast for Men. Getting to hear, day after day, what God is doing in the hearts of men who call Flatirons home is the best part of Dan Foote's job as Men's Pastor. In this introduction, Dan speaks about his heart for men's ministry and his desire to share some of the great stories he hears over coffee.