#189 - WE ARE BRIAN REYNOLDS RUNNING ON BLAZING BLADES

Would you find it inspiring to listen to an episode about a guy who can run a 16:49 5K, a 1:17 half-marathon, and a 3:03 marathon?  Maybe a little.  How about if I added that he has done it as a double-amputee?  Oh yeah, that’s a lot different!  I randomly met Brian Reynolds last summer during the Leadville Trail 100.  We were both at Mitch Dulleck’s house on 4th Street not far from the finish line waiting in the cold wee hours of the night for a mutual friend, Tyler Andrews, who was on WASP episode #129 in May, to complete his first LT100.  We sparked up a spirited conversation and I quickly realized that this guy is a special kind of human.  Brian lost both of his legs below the knee when he was just four years old due to meningitis.  This tragedy never defined him, but not until the 2010s did he embark on trying to see what he could accomplish in the world of running.  The results have been impressive, and if he can overcome some injuries that have been plaguing him, he hopes to test himself at this spring’s Boston Marathon.  We discuss many of the unique athletic challenges he faces, as well as some incomprehensible barriers.  For instance, it baffles me to learn that there isn’t a track event longer than 400 meters in the Paralympics.  However, as you’ll hear, Brian has a very sunny attitude befitting a man who has seen many wonderous things happen to him in the last decade or so through athletics, including meeting his future wife and having three great kids.  I hope you’ll also feel uplifted listening to the chat Brian and I had.

Please consider donating to help Boulder County fire victims relief:
https://www.commfound.org/grants/get-grant/Boulder-County-Wildfire-Fund

Brian Reynolds
Facebook and Instagram @brianreynoldsrunner

Bill Stahl
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Facebook Bill Stahl
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