Charles Miske

I'm at Hike Expo! and having a lot of fun. Yesterday, May 14 was B2B day, for the Exhibitors, Sponsors, and some of us Speakers. I was super stoked to have met so many fun people. People I've already networked with on LinkedIn and a few others. Looks great. I can hardly wait for my turn to speak, today May 15 on the Center Stage at 10:30. Will you join me? I hope to be able to record it, but there are a few tech issues so wish me the best. hikeexpocolorado.com charlesmiske.com

@JamilCoury I totally loved watching that last bit. So much vibes.

Performance of the Year

Though I don't consider myself a "Legend" I am among the speakers sharing what I've learned through trial and error, through grandiose misadventures, N of 1 Experiments (don't ask), through near disasters and just being in the right place at the right (or wrong) time. I'll be sharing my Ageless on the Trail Framework, extracted and condensed from my evergreen Amazon Kindle publication "Summit Success: Training for Hiking, Mountaineering, and Peak Bagging" ©2014, in which I discuss training for mountain adventures with weight vest and backpack training on a treadmill, stairmaster, box stepping and stairwells. I think it was somewhat controversial at the time, but this indoor-to-outdoor weighted training methodology has gained a lot of popularity and acceptance over the years, with several coaches including David Roche and Scott Johnston promoting similar protocols. I've tweaked it a bit now that I'm almost 67 and have had to make some adjustments for myself that I'm certain will make a big difference in the lives of other 55+ adventure lovers who are not ready to give it up yet, and want to get the most bang for the buck for their training and trail years. Check it out, May 15 at 10:30. And be sure to DM if you want to set aside some time to hang out, collaborate, share ideas or just say hi. Or just message if you want a link to preregister for the freebies. But I'd love to see you there. hikeexpocolorado.com charlesmiske.com

Happy Earth Day 2026! I'll be getting outside this evening at the Wasatch Trail Running Series opening event at Eagle Mountain starting around 6:30 pm. Great way to celebrate. Way back this area was pretty remote and we did a lot of mountain biking here when I was a coach for the Lone Peak High School Mountain Bike team. Eventually the trails were in good enough that the Utah League did several of their races here. A couple of my closest calls with a rattlesnake were on these trails. I rode escort for a special needs rider here a time or two. Many fond memories. Now housing is encroaching from the north, but most of the mountain bike, and by extension trail running, trails are still accessible. Last year it was my first trail race in a handful of years and I wasn't sure about a lot of things, but I stayed the course and ran the rest of the "9 Race Club Series" and got the finisher's jacket. I came in fourth in points over the series for my age group. Can I get third this year? Probably not. I'd have to average about 15 minutes per race faster for about half of them. But that's okay. It's a fun way to get in a Wednesday evening Tempo Run and practice race dynamics. I practice some of my Ageless Trail Framework weekly training achievements while using this as a stepping stone for my bigger and more important events over the coming year. What's your carrot on a stick? How do you measure small incremental goal achievements? Come hang out with me Friday May 15 at Hike Expo where I'll be presenting some of these key takeaways during my presentation Ageless on the Trail at 10:30 AM. Or if you're ready, pre-register for the framework workshop at charlesmiske.com Or if you'd rather read about the OG plan: amzn.to/4j4KEpm

I have discovered an app that maps porta potties and public restrooms. You're welcome, runners 🤣 apps.apple.com/us/app/portada…

Sundance allows uphill skiing now. That's exciting to me, as several of the resorts in Summit County CO (where I used to live when my wife was a Program Director for Vail Resorts back in the day) allowed "uphill travel" which was fairly flexible and allowed me to run up the nicely groomed corduroy ski runs in spikes or spiked trail shoes. Sadly, this is "skis/split skis only" so I'm out. I would have loved to have the opportunity to try skimo/touring when I was younger. I did do a lot of backcountry day trips on my skinny skis back in the day and know I would have enjoyed it a lot. With access to groomers as an accessibility issue I would have totally enjoyed it, as my Black Diamond days might be a ways behind me. Especially on wild snow. I had a local friend with a pair I could borrow, but sadly size 11, a bit small for me, or I would have taken him up on it. Maybe if they do it again next year I will have sorted it by then? Something to look forward to for sure. sundanceresort.com/activities/uph…

Two of my strongest motivating drivers are here in this pic. About 15 years ago my mom had a major medical event and my sister, her caregiver, had exams so we went down to help out. She'd been sick for a while so it wasn't totally unexpected. Here she's maybe a handful years older than I am now. Very sadly, though she came out of this event in decent enough condition, it never really got better and just over a year ago now she passed. On the left is my youngest child. When she was born I'd been involved in tech startups, working 80+ hour weeks, and letting myself go for the greater good of the greater cause of making founders more and more profit. I'm not going to rail on them, it's all good, let bygones be bygones, but it led to me realizing that if I were going to see my child married, play with the grandchildren, I needed to do something and do it now. In my past I hadn't been athletic, avoiding PE and being a nerd for the most part. In the Air Force I met a guy who offered to let me ride a spare bike and taught me the joys of riding. That evolved into becoming a cycling commuter, year-round when possible. The 100 mile weeks added up and I was actually quite fast on the trails when it came to hiking. That disappeared when I had to evolve into the sheer stress load of building startups and managing teams. But looking into my child's little eyes, I saw that I could bring that back and make it work even though it was maybe 15 years since I'd ridden fast and frequently. I focused on mountain adventures like the Seven Summits, and did some volcanos in Ecuador and Mexico. I did Colorado 14ers, and even did Quandary in the winter a couple dozen times. I did Rainier three times. I started trail running and sky running and became a certified mountain bike coach for high school athletes. I managed to lose 60 pounds and kept it off for several years. Then came another wave of stress. Layoff after layoff as the tech industry imploded. My fulltime job became finding a fulltime job and it was every bit as stressful as 80 hour weeks at a startup. I caught myself letting go again, and this time I nipped it in the bud early and I'm actually now another 10 pounds lighter. I understand letting yourself go. I understand watching your parent lose mobility and freedom. I understand watching them leave us behind. I understand wanting full participation in the lives of your children and grandchildren, and I understand bucket lists of amazing adventures. I understand dreaming of competitive adventures in trail running and mountain biking. Over the years I'd been asked several times for training advice, tips and suggestions. I wrote a book about some of these, originally intended to be called "Couch to Colorado Fourteener" but evolving into "Summit Success Training for hiking, mountaineering and peak bagging" and it's still one of my most sold books on Amazon. Hear more at Hike Expo in Denver May 15, on the topic of "Ageless on the Trail". Register for HikeExpo and Pre-Register for the complete program: charlesmiske.com/home.html

@DavidDack Totally. I usually need one because I'm slow enough that the aid stations aren't close enough.

I’ve seen people roll their eyes at hydration vests on short runs. Like if it’s “only” a 5K, you’re supposed to just tough it out. But there are a lot of real reasons someone might wear one. It might be brutally hot. They might sweat a ton. They might be coming back from injury and running slower than usual. They might be practicing race day gear. They might not have water stops nearby. They might just feel calmer knowing they’re covered. Not every choice is about looking serious. Sometimes it’s just about comfort, preparation, or peace of mind. Have you ever worn something on a run that made sense for you… but didn’t fit someone else’s idea of “normal”?

The ancient iPhone XS couldn't quite handle the dynamic range of yesterday's sunrise, but the work for the Speedgoat 30k doesn't wait for a film crew. 🌅 At 66, I've learned that showing up is 90% of the battle. Audio drops? Lighting dark? these miles still count. Just posted a new 'Dog Walk Talk' VOD from the Wasatch Front. Are you getting your miles in today, or is it a recovery day? Let me know in the comments. 👇 youtube.com/watch?v=chBS-v…

@JasonFitz1 FR. I'm going through this struggle now after finally getting a maximal VO2 Max test - I know the harsh reality of my numbers now. On the good side though I know if I stick to it there will be great progress to be made.

For most runners, there's nearly unlimited potential to develop your aerobic fitness. If you're consistent, you can keep building endurance for more than a decade. Now compare that to anaerobic fitness, which can plateau after a few months. I know where I'm focusing.

Are tests indicators of longevity or something else? open.substack.com/pub/reclaimyou…

@JasonFitz1 about every third week in with the mix, though they're a little easier to recover from, at my age you take it down a notch to accommodate recovery as needed

More and more, I think hill sprints are a game-changer: - They build more power and injury resilience than strides - They're safer than sprinting on flat ground - And they force adults to sprint, something few of us do regularly How many of you run hill sprints weekly?

TikTok. Screwed up my business/personal settings, can't post from Metricool. Can't even see my vids in my profile. All my stats emptied. Haven't tried posting from the app or studio. I guess that's one way to protect us from that mythical threat.

@JasonFitz1 Totally. I'm 66 and a few weeks ago hit < 6 during some strides. Feels good.

One of my clients - a 41 year old woman who trains for marathons - hit 4:19 mile pace during a session of strides. Don't ever let anybody tell you that you can't run fast. All it takes is practice!

@StrengthEwa I really feel this. As an older athlete working on building my business it's a struggle having to deal with expectations based on influencers with resources I don't have.

When I come here to post something, it’s not to make you stop and think “wow, she looks good.” It’s supposed to make you stop and think “holy fuck, I need to move!!” I’m not here to post mirror selfies from a changing room nobody cares about. I’m not here to shake my hair in front of a camera, stare straight into the lens, and tell you I feel “blessed today.” I’m not here to film myself walking to my car because it’s snowing, as if that’s a personality trait. Let’s be honest: the majority of influencers are producing absolute shit content. Not to add value. Not to inspire growth. Just to be admired. And that’s the problem- there’s no real reason to admire them!! Admiration without substance is empty. Attention without purpose is narcissism. If I show up here, it’s because I want to motivate you to do something. To act. To build. To move. Not to scroll, compare, and worship people who are doing nothing but performing for validation. You don’t need more faces on your screen. You need more fucking fire in your life!!!