A note from Freetrail: You know Ellie Pell from the Rest Day Pod, but did you know she has an insatiable need to get to know you, and I mean REALLY get to know you? “You Made it Weird” is Ellie’s brainchild because while she loves that these athletes are mega-talented she also wants to know what ELSE IS THERE?! Look for You Made it Weird every Friday.
You Made it Weird With Brad Miles
With a last name like Miles, Brad seemed destined to cofound a running related company – and let’s just say he knows how to elevate the ultrarunning game. He’s super fast, taking second at the Black Canyon 60km, and the founder of a company getting injured runners back in action faster with less impact. Though I dug a bunch for this introduction, I couldn’t really find any dirt on Brad, which means he’s either a robot or just a genuinely nice new dad still figuring it out.
Find Brad on Instagram, Strava, and Ultrasignup
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Brad Miles and I’m married to Jessica, and also the father to Max (4), Millie (2), and Cruz (brand spanking new).
I am the Cofounder and CEO of LEVER Movement, a Boulder based training, recovery, and rehab device for endurance athletes and medical professionals. We help injured folks exercise without pain, we help athletes find a new level of fitness, and we help Physical Therapists provide a valuable service to their patients with our body weight support device. I also run a little bit.
Do any of your group chats have names? If so, what are you willing to share? How did they get that name? What is a major topic of discussion in them?
We have a long standing group chat going with my wife, brother in-law and sister in-law named the Boulder Budz with a mountain emoji. Aptly named for when they lived in Boulder with us. However, they moved to Austin 18 months ago. I think about renaming the chat every time I see the group pop up, but we want them to see the name, miss Boulder so much and move back. To further that point, my wife and I send them pictures of our kids to remind them of how fun life was when they lived here.
If you could change one thing about your favorite social media platform, what would it be?
Although I just deleted my Instagram (on my phone, still access it on my laptop) for the next month or so, I would start by removing all ads on IG. The volume of ads consumed is nearly matching the amount of content I am on IG for.
What is a book of fiction that you really enjoyed, for no other reason than you liked it?
I don’t read much fiction, but The Richest Man in Babylon is one of my parable/fictional favorites.
What is one song you’ve been listening to on repeat recently?
Easy. My 4 year old’s favorite song: Brass Monkey by the Beastie Boys. If you are in my house around 5 pm, we are most likely having a family dance party to this song.
What is one trend that started in 2020 that you love?
I raced my first ultra! The Austin Rattler 66km. I ended up racing two years of Ironman 70.3s and did a Hyrox competition after this, but I’m officially back and focused on racing in the ultra world.
What is one trend that started in 2020 that you hate?
Hate is a strong word for this, but I’m very glad that at-home haircuts are a thing of the past. I had one at-home haircut… which ultimately resulted in a shaved head.
What are the last three emojis you used?
🙌🤒🤦♂️
What is the last thing you bought online?
Takeout dinner for sure. Deep into the newborn life at the moment.
What is your most controversial food opinion?
I don’t think I’m too controversial when it comes to the food scene. I love food. All types of food. Eat what makes your body feel good.
What three videos are at the top of your YouTube recommended homepage?
It’s all Blippi and Paw Patrol these days. We’re getting some Peppa Pig recommendations from YT, but just can’t commit to a third show.
Which Allie is your favorite?
Whichever one is the kindest.
What argument in mass media do you not understand or think is a worthless issue?
I think any of the ESPN argumentative/opinionated shows are pretty worthless… maybe a hot take??
When you go home for the holidays, what is the food or tradition that it wouldn’t be the holidays without?
Married to a Texan, so her family is big on biscuits and gravy for breakfast during the holidays.
When I say in-seam you say…?
Chafing
When has your ego caused you to do something you sort of regret but also would describe as wild and worth it?
I’m starting to think that signing up for Desert Rats 100km while having a newborn is a regret. Hoping I can turn it into a “wild and worth it” opportunity. Time will tell.
What was your worst running fuel decision? What was the surprising best?
The worst fuel decision I’ve made was not training with any fuel in any workouts before a 70.3 and then expecting my body to handle 3-4 sugary gels an hour during the race. Needless to say, those gels didn’t stay in the stomach for too long.
As far as the best fueling decision goes, I was on a run and was hitting a significant wall. I felt like I had very low blood sugar, foggy, and definitely not myself. One of my friends gave me their Daydreaming About Donuts protein bar by TruWoman and it was exactly what I needed. Their packaging is definitely geared towards women, but I still eat that protein bar donut to this day.
What is your death row meal?
Dang this is tough. But being from Philly, I’d have to say a cheesesteak would hit the spot for this occasion.
Out and back or looped course? Why?
Depends, I like them both. However, if the course is more than 2 loops, definitely out and back.
Barkley or 24H track race? Why?
Barkley. I’d rather get lost in the woods than count every second of a 24 hour day on the track.
When I say PTRA you say?
I check my mailbox every day for my invitation.
What is one thing that absolutely scares you? Why?
Not living up to the expectations I have for my life scares me big time. I think this is on my mind now because I want to set an example of living a good life for my kids. Fear can hold you back from living your true life and I want to model for them a freedom from that fear. Life is too short to put self imposed limitations on yourself.
What is a time you felt you didn’t measure up? How did you get through that?
Running in college was a difficult time for me. I won my Footlocker Regional race and state meet in HS, and had big hopes for competing at higher levels, but I never progressed in college. I had great friends in college and was dating my now wife, so we still had a lot of fun and it opened my eyes to realizing college wasn’t a success or failure just based on how I was running.
Who is another runner that flies under the radar that we should all get to know?
Beth Mckenzie. She’s the owner of Wyn Republic, a wife, mom of two, an ex-pro triathlete, and just got 2nd at Tarawera 100km at 44 years old. She is competing with the best of them in the ultra scene and she is just getting started!