RWR:MEET DAVE AMES of 'AME FOR IT'

Today I am really excited to introduce you to my dear friend and fellow coach, Dave Ames.  Back in 2015 I joined the Skechers Performance team and at the time, Dave was our New England team manager.  He and his (now) wife, Gregoria, lived in Brookline, MA and through our running and coaching connections we became fast friends.  When we first met, Dave was knee-deep in marathon training and using the same coach as I was so we'd often meet up for long runs or workouts as well as various races throughout the year.  He was also doing some personal coaching for family and friends on the side but his main gig was working at Skechers.  Over the next few years, however, he started to take on more and more athletes and without really realizing it, his coaching business began to grow both rapidly and exponentially.  Finally, in 2017 he left Skechers to focus full time on his true passion which he now calls Ame For It Run Coaching.  'Ame For It' is a worldwide run coaching service in which Dave helps runners of all abilities achieve their goals and dreams from the 5K to marathon.  It's pretty clear that Dave also happens to be a running junky himself.  He maintains his love for the sport by continuing to race and train for the marathon.  This fall, he will be shifting his focus onto racing his first 50K and 50 Mile ultra distances in CA and TX, respectively.  Sadly for me, Dave and Gregoria left the Boston area and moved across the country t0 Long Beach, CA this past winter.  Which means no more training runs or general heckling from his end on a regular basis.  We do, obviously, stay in touch and I know we'll always maintain our strong connection through running and coaching.  Dave also happens to be a huge music fan, which in addition to telling you about Ame For It, was one of the main reasons I reached out to him for this series.  Okay, so enough from me.  Let's meet Dave, a super cool cat and a RUNNER WHO ROCKS.

RWR:MEET DAVE AMES

Name: Dave Ames
Where you From: Central, NY
Where you reside now: Long Beach, Cali
Age: 36
Occupation: Owner & Founder of Ame For It Run Coaching
Website:  www.amefortiruncoaching.com

HARD AT WORK

ON RUNNING & MUSIC:
What do you love most about running:  
Running is my “me” time.  Rarely do I run with others.  I enjoy training alone.  We live in a world full of expectations, social media infatuation (I am addicted, I’ll admit it) and trying to compare ourselves to others.  Running is my time to challenge and push myself.  No one is there to judge, compare or critique.  It’s just me and the roads, or preferably trails.  I’ve been in a lot of dark places in my life in my younger years.  I mean rock bottom, man.  Running saved my life.  It will always be my way to let go.  To feel alive.  There is no better “high.”

What do you love most about music:  
They say people who get the chills when listening to music have something special inside them.  I don’t know what it is, but I get that.  I connect really well.  Like now, I’m currently listening to a song called “Alone in the Dark” by Flaer Smin.  It’s lounge/chill music and written just beautifully.  It takes me places.  Music is a journey and when you listen to it, you can be anywhere you want to be inside your head, or in this world on the outside.  I’m a huge fan of Jazz.  It’s hands down the most complex form of music out there.  It speaks from the soul.

w/ some of his Ame For it Athletes

DAVE'S FAVORITES:
Band:  Pink Floyd, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Radiohead, The Doors.  There’s just too much.
Album:  Wildflowers by Tom Petty
Race Venue:  Utica Boilermaker 15K (Utica, NY) - - It’s where I learned to be a warrior.  I learned how to compete.
Music Venue:  Man, I’ve been a ton of places.  Honestly, I just saw Moby on Sunset Blvd, in West Hollywood at the Echo.  One of the best concerts I’ve seen in my life!  I was literally in front of him.  The place didn’t hold more than 200 people.  I’ve been going to shows since I was 14.  I gotta say, that place rocks.
Race Distance:  10 Miles.  A dying breed in the road running world now a days.  I want to tell you after I complete my first few ultra’s that I will love that, but I have a good feeling I’m gonna hop all aboard the pain train!
Show you’ve seen live:  The Beastie Boys (Madison Square Garden)
Ice Cream Flavor:  Strawberry (soft serve from Upstate NY only!)

THIS OR THAT?
Sweet or Salty:  Sweet
Live or Recorded:  Live.  No other way.
Coffee or Tea:  Trax is gonna hate me here, but I haven’t had a cup of Joe in over 4 years.  Tea.  
Summer or Winter:  I live in SoCal now.  It’s killer every day!  But nothing beats training in the snow.  I learned to get tough on the roads in the snow.  As the great Bill Bowerman once said, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just soft people.”


MORE MUSIC INFO:
Which band or artist would you go see tonight if you could:  I just saw Nine Inch Nails in Vegas a few weeks ago with my wife.  It was one of the best shows I’ve been to in my life.  We are huge Nails fans.  We were just talking about our next show for them earlier!  I need more NIN in my life right now!
Which band or Artist (wait...but no longer alive or playing together) would you go see tonight:  Can I have 2?  Jim Morrison and The Doors.  Layne Staley and Alice in Chains.
Which band or Artist would you like to have dinner with tonight:  Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode.  I absolutely idolize the man.
Which band or artist would you like playing along side you in your next race: New Order

NINE INCH NAILS

Today, I feel like….(fill in the blank):
I’m grateful.  I wake up each and everyday with the ability to do what I love to do.  Coach runners.  I hope that I can be the small change in someone’s life daily.

Top 5 Songs for Running:
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Runnin Down a Dream (call it tacky, it makes you step on the gas!)
Filter – Hey Man Nice Shot
Don Henley – The Boys of Summer
EMF – Unbelievable
Lo Fidelity Allstars – Battleflag


Last 5 songs you listened to today:
New Order – Age of Consent
Flaer Smin – Alone in the Dark
Morrissey – Everyday is like Sunday
The Cure – Friday I’m in Love
The Cult – She sells Sanctuary