Meet Ryan Kohler | Professional Endurance Coach and Sports Nutritionist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Kohler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Having grown up in a variety of athletic pursuits and finding happiness, fulfillment, and a pursuit of health through them, I have often wrestled with the feeling of giving up vs. continuing to go on. When I was in my 20s and doing a lot of adventure racing (e.g., multi-day endurance events through day and night) I had the pleasure of racing with a lot of older and more experienced athletes. There was one thing that a teammate said to me at a particularly difficult hour in the middle of the night when I wanted to give up. He said “constant forward motion.” When I heard that I realized that I was part of the team, there was really nothing “wrong” with me at the time (I was just worn out from hours and hours of racing), and if I wanted to find success and support my team its was my job to continue moving. So it was that encouragement and straightforward talk that resonated with me. Since then, over the next 20+ years of my life that has been a guiding principle and has not yet let me down. It carried me through parenting, when you realize that if you stop doing what you’re doing, you’re failing your child/children…so you keep going. In business or my Coaching with my junior athletes now, it’s the same thing. I encourage them to acknowledge struggles and then make a decision – do you stop or go? Because of my tendency for dichotomous thinking, I very quickly weigh the pros and cons on each side.

Do I give up because moving forward would put me or someone else in danger or an unsafe situation? If so, then yeah, giving up is fine (although I don’t like the words “give up” because of the negative connotation). If there is nothing really “wrong” or the risk isn’t so great, and I have a desire to challenge myself, create change, or feel accomplished, then I make the decision to keep going.

It’s simple really (at least in my mind). I weigh this against a general sense of happiness, humanity, balance, and accomplishment. If I can make something or someone’s life better by pushing on for example, why wouldn’t I do it? If I’m out on a big ride and I just stop having fun with it (and there’s really no consequence for quitting), then I might decide to bail out. I weigh the pros and cons within the context of the scenario and then make the call. In the end, I try not to feel bad about a decision to give up because I know that decision was made, and there’s nothing to do to change that. All that’s left is to learn from it, and maybe make a different decision next time in that scenario.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career as an endurance Coach has been a long and winding path. I often tell people that I got to where I am today by staying engaged in the field, keeping connections with those I work with, and being willing to evolve as necessary. This has allowed me to transition into an agile and adaptable individual that can see the big picture and not worry too much about the small stuff. I see many professionals in my field and others that have shaped my approach and philosophy. I believe being open to that change, taking in good information and using it to make yourself better, has helped keep me engaged.

I am most proud of how I was able to grow from an uncertain brand new Coach into a well-rounded professional that can help the competitive athletes, but also underpin my recommendations to focus on health first. I have shifted over the years to consider health as the foundation from which everything is built. If we are in physically good health, we can build from that foundation and go many different ways to find success, happiness, etc. So I try to keep the big picture and individual visions in mind for my clients so we can collaboratively shape the path to help them achieve goals.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Living on the Front Range, I have good access to the mountains and city. Starting with the foothills, I would take this friend on some of the beautiful hikes since there is so much to see. Depending on the experience we wanted, afterward I would definitely suggest some of the local Louisville, CO restaurants on Main Street where we could sit outside and enjoy the people walking around in the evenings. For a bit more excitement, we’re close enough to Denver that we could go to a great jazz club called Jazz at Jack’s. There is a lot of history in this area, so checking out the local history museum would be high on the list, and even going back to Denver to see the Botanic Gardens to experience the sights there.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I don’t think there is enough room to do a proper shoutout to every person, book, etc. that has helped, but one of the more influential individuals in my professional life has been Dr. Andy Pruitt. As someone who went from my boss to a friend over the years, I always turned into a sponge when he spoke about business, personal things, relationships, communication, or whatever the topic. Knowing someone with that much experience, and with the willingness to share and mentor, is such a significant thing for anyone that I would not have progressed as far professionally without his guidance.

Website: www.rockymountaindevo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockymountaindevo/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kohler-ms/