My name is Matthew Laye and I am a College Professor at The College of Idaho in Caldwell, ID in the Department of Health and Human Performance.  I have recently retired from a very diverse 20 years plus years of competitive running.  I’ve competed in 800 meter races indoors, on the track in 5k-10k and cross country at a collegiate athlete at UC-Davis.  I’ve competed throughout the US and Europe in road marathons from Big Sur to Amsterdam to Boston.  I’ve started my trail ultra career in the Midwest, but have raced in the Alps, UK, and much of the West coast.  I’ve loved it all.  Each distance, each event has its only psychological and physiological challenges.  While I am sad to leave my own competitiveness behind from a traumatic fall and subsequent cartilage damage, I am super excited to continue in the sport and focus on coaching.

My 10 years in higher education science is also diverse.  From working in animal models during my PhD, to a postdoc in Denmark, and a second post-doc at The Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Marin County studying aging.  I’ve finally come full circle and get to teach Exercise Physiology, Nutrition, Biology, Health and Wellness and more at The College of Idaho, a small private liberal arts school west of Boise, ID.  It’s a dream job that combines the challenge of teaching and motivating 18-23 year olds and having the freedom to do the science that I want without the pressures of obtaining serious extramural funding.

All these different experiences have shaped the way I approach running and science…and essentially my life.  This blog is a platform to share the insights and experiences from running and science in a practical and not-too-serious manner.  Hopefully, you will gain some knowledge and be entertained.

In addition to my day job as an academic, I am an online coach for people from Australia to the East Coast and the in-person coach of the Boise Billies here in Idaho.  I write for Ultrarunner Magazine on the science of ultrarunning.  I am always up for an interview on the science of performance and running, chatting with potential coaching clients, or just discussing the latest science on performance.  Interested in reaching out about anything you see on here, feel free to email me.