Dandelion Dilluvio-Scott – Lander Running Coach

Description

Dandelion Dilluvio-Scott is a Lander, WY running coach, working with advanced beginners to seasoned athletes on ultra running, mountain running, technical adventure running (running combined with mountaineering), race preparation and strategy, fastpacking, and DIY Running Projects.

*** Winter Special: 50% off your first month – Coupon Code: 50%winter***

***Dandelion wants to ensure the best fit before runners work with her, so please reach out to her first before signing up for coaching.***

Contact Dandelion

LEVELS: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
TYPES: Trail
DISTANCES: Marathon, Ultra
TRAINING PLATFORM: Training Peaks Premium
TRAINING PLAN: Individual, customized training plan
COMMUNICATION: Unlimited email, unlimited text, unlimited phone
RESPONSE TIME: Within 24 hours
LOCATION: Lander, WY

SPECIALTIES

• Ultra, Sky, Mountain & Trail Running
• Technical Adventure Running (running + mountaineering)
• Fastpacking
• Personal Running Projects: supported, self-supported & unsupported
• Event preparation, gear, nutrition & strategy
• Extreme Environments: Altitude, Heat, Cold, Wind, Sand, Mud, Rocks & Snow
• Strength Training & Injury Prevention
• Working with athletes involved in other mountain sports (skiers, mountaineers, climbers, etc.)
• Advanced Beginner-Seasoned Athletes

Much like training plans, coaches are not “one size fits all.” Every coach has their own unique style and it’s important for athletes to work with a coach that fits their personality and expectations. I am most compatible with motivated athletes who love the outdoors and are seeking a coach who will not only provide a training plan, but also play a mentor role. I have a direct, “no nonsense” style of coaching, but also believe in laughing often and having fun! Running can be a serious endeavor, but it is imperative to find positivity in the face of adversity. Athlete accountability is significant to me as a coach, but I view listening as equally or possibility even more vital. Athletes are more than just metrics; they are people! A successful coach-athlete relationship is a team effort and not a one-sided association with me telling the athlete what to do. I encourage my athletes to be actively engaged in their training plan and also with their physical and mental well-being. For me the athlete always comes first; not the goal objective or the training program.

Although I reside in Wyoming, I have lived and/or played in many locations throughout the USA. I work with runners from all over the United States and other countries as well! I love tailoring training to suit the unique landscapes, surfaces and terrain my athletes have regular access to.

I encourage prospective athletes to read my coach bio and contact me before signing up so we can ensure we are a good fit. Thank you for your consideration!

PHILOSOPHY

I believe that honesty, clear expectations, communication, consistency and teamwork are the foundations of a successful coach/athlete relationship. Training should be challenging and push the athlete beyond their comfort zone. People are usually capable of so much more than they give themselves credit for. I also consider training for mental toughness to be just as important as physical training. Finally, running doesn’t always have to be serious. It can be enjoyable!

It is of utmost importance for a coach to be adaptive. A training plan needs to be constantly tweaked and updated based on the results of previous workouts, the athlete’s feedback, unforeseen events or schedule changes. A training plan is always a work in progress. A coach must also adapt to the athlete they are working with. No two athletes are the same. And, therefore, no two training plans are alike. It is essential to create training plans based on the individual. Some athletes can handle back-to-back hard training days and some need a recovery run in-between. Some athletes can devote 30 hours to training per week, while others can commit to 8.

I think it is important to laugh. Some ridiculous things happen when you’re on mile 82! You start seeing polar bears in the middle of the desert. You forget how zippers work. You finally forgot about stubbing you right toe on that hidden root because you stubbed you left toe on a random rock two miles later. Being able to laugh a little when you’re suffering is part of mental toughness and an important tool not just in running, but also in life.

I believe that strength training is imperative to creating a resilient, well rounded and balanced runner. I create ergonomic and/or corrective strength training programs that compliment running based on the type of exercise equipment the athlete has access to and their personal requests. If you only have access to bands, I can work with that! If you want to include Olympic weightlifting, I can work with that too!

It is also my philosophy that if an athlete has other athletic passions those disciplines should be built into the program as cross training. In addition to being a runner, I am a rock climber, boulderer, ice climber, backcountry skier, cross country skier, skate skier, canyoneer and alpinist. It is important for athletes to continue to be involved in other sports that bring them joy. This can be very helpful in preventing burn-out and keep training diverse and fun. Balancing multiple disciplines can be a challenge though! I have the understanding and knowledge to help athletes select running goals and events that fit into their ambitions with other sports.

COACHING EXPERIENCE

Throughout most of my professional life I have worked in the areas of education, advisement and instruction. I was an alpine rock and glacier mountaineering instructor for nearly a decade and also worked as an Interpretative Park Ranger for Yellowstone National Park and Gateway National Recreation Area.

I’ve been training as a self-coached ultra, trail, mountain and adventure runner since 2018. Around that same time, I also became my friends’ resource for information on running gear, training suggestions, race courses, etc. Some these friends began to point out that my natural tendency to research, plan and teach fit the profile of a running coach and suggested that I take on coaching professionally. I took their advice and began coaching for Team RunRun! Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work with an amazing group of diverse athletes. I’ve coached runners taking on their first race as well as experienced pro-athletes looking to improve their skill-set. I am dedicated to the success of my athletes and consider myself extremely fortunate to have a career that happens to also be my passion.

ABOUT ME

All I wanted to do as a child was wander in the woods and catch frogs. Years later I am still playing outside… and, yes, I still catch frogs whenever possible! I began long-distance hiking while working in Yellowstone National Park. Later, I moved to Washington and became a student of mountaineering in the Cascade Range. The more skills I developed, the more mountains I could climb and the further I could travel into the wilderness. After mastering rock and glacier, I continued to further my skill-set and learned ice climbing, backcountry skiing, aid climbing, bouldering, cross country skiing and long-distance backpacking. Along the way I met Damien while climbing Eldorado Peak and, a few years later, we were married on top of frozen Colchuck Lake.

Damien and I are partners in life and in the backcountry. However, a few years ago we discovered a problem with our outdoor lifestyle. There was never enough time! With limited vacation time and only 48 hours on weekends we were limited to objectives closer to the trailhead. Our solution was to get our packs lighter and move faster. This led us to fastpacking, technical adventure running, unsupported ultra-distance runs and, later, ultra-races. As a bonus, we found that running has made us stronger, both physically and mentally, in all the other mountain sports we practice. Suddenly, cross country skiing 25 miles while pulling a sled through negative temperatures doesn’t seem so bad. At least it’s not 100 miles!

After over a decade exploring the Cascade Range, Damien and I relocated to foothills of the rugged Wind River Range in Wyoming. I love training at altitude on technical terrain and running in the extreme environmental conditions that this wild playground has to offer!

Admittedly, mountain sports and training are the center of my life, but I dabble in some other endeavors. In addition to catching frogs growing up, I was also involved in both performing and fine arts. Although I no longer have the time to dedicate to hours of rehearsal, I still love singing musical theater in the car and on occasion find time to paint or draw. I also love the art of storytelling and can easily lose myself for hours writing a detailed account of a weekend adventure. Finally, I love listening to audio-books while I’m doing chores or driving to the trail. Learning something while carrying out a tedious task always makes the time go by.

Last, a fun fact! My trail name is Alpine Start. In alpinism, getting an “alpine start” means beginning the route well before sunrise. I wake up between 3am and 4am on a regular basis on weekdays and often even earlier on weekends. I love beginning my day before the sun is up!

BIG INFLUENCES

I think it is exceedingly important for both runners and coaches to continuously learn about the discipline. This means keeping up to date with the latest scientific studies as well as learning from others whether they be professionals in the field, the person you shared a few miles with during a race or your best friend who doesn’t run at all. Inspiration and learning opportunities can be discovered nearly everywhere.

I find myself inspired by athletes who have overcome personal adversity, relish in the sheer joy of running, find humor when things get difficult and embody what it means to be courageous. This includes runners like Hillary Allen, Deena Castor, Catra Corbett, Courtney Dauwalter, Jenny Jurek, Scott Jurek, Dean Karnazes, Brendan Leonard, Allie McLaughlin, Sally McRae, Pam Reed and Corey Reese. Additionally, as an athlete with a mountaineering background, I am stylistically impacted as a runner by the accomplishments of Kílian Jornet and Ueli Steck.

Finally, I would be remiss to not mention my husband, Damien, in this section. It was his idea to combine mountaineering with running. I was hesitant at first so he bought me a running vest for my birthday and thus began my journey as a runner. Additionally, I need to acknowledge my friend and training partner, Stephanie, who observed back when I was casually fastpacking that I had the personality profile of someone who would someday register for a 100-miler. I thought she was crazy at the time. I wasn’t even interested in racing back then. A few years later she ended up being a pacer in my first 100-mile race!

RACING HISTORY

When I first began trail running, my main focus was fastpacking, adventure running, self-supported DIY ultras and the occasional virtual race. It took several years for me to find the courage to sign up for a live race. I can still remember the moment. I was on day two of a fastpack along Section H of the PCT on a ridge shrouded in mist. My husband and I sat on a rock hoping to find internet service. The bars popped up on our phones and we both registered for the Bryce Canyon Ultras 50 Miler. Then we put our phones back on airplane mode and carried on with the miles.

Several months later, I sat in the dark at the finish line of the Bryce Canyon Ultras 50 Miler freezing despite my many layers and trying to remember how to open rice cake packaging. I recall having this conversation with myself: “Wow, that was hard. I can’t believe how hot the hoodoos were. My fingernails somehow hurt…how is that possible? Yikes, if I was running the hundred-mile version of this I would only be halfway done with the miles. That’s crazy! I can’t imagine getting up and doing all that a second time! Yep, I will definitely never register for a 100-mile race. I am sticking with 50-milers for sure. How the heck do I open this rice cake!?”

Less than a week after sitting at that finish line I signed up for the Oregon Cascades 100. When I completed that race, a different dialogue went through my head: “My feet are getting really puffy. I should look up other 100-mile races that I might want to do in the future during my recovery. I wonder if my crew ate all the pizza.”

Races & Personal Running Adventure Highlights

• 2018 The Wonderland Trail, fastpack, 93M/22,000ft, unsupported
• 2019 PCT Section G, fastpack, 52M/9000ft, self-supported
• 2020 Japanese Gulch, Aravaipa Strong Virtual Race, 50K/6500ft, self-supported
• 2020 UPWC Buckskin Loop, Virtual Ultra, 44M/10,000ft, unsupported
• 2020 UPWC Devil’s Dome Loop, Virtual Ultra, 43M/13,000ft, unsupported
• 2020 PCT Section H, fastpack, 138M/29,500ft, supported
• 2020 PCT Section I, fastpack, 99M/18,300ft, unsupported
• 2020 UPWC Loowit Trail, Virtual Ultra, 50K, 7500ft, unsupported
• 2021 Bryce Canyon Ultras, live race, 50M/6,800ft, supported
• 2021 PCT Section J with Pete Lake Exit, ultra-run, 60M/14,000ft, unsupported
• 2021 Mount Olympus, adventure run C2C, 44M/7,400ft, technical, unsupported
• 2021 Mount Rainier Northern Loop, ultra-run, 33.5M/10,500ft, unsupported
• 2021 Oregon Cascades 100, live race, 100M/12,000ft, supported
• 2021 Grand Canyon R2R2R, ultra-run, 43M/11,000ft, unsupported
• 2022 Enchanted Valley Hemlock, ultra-run, 50K/4,700ft, unsupported
• 2022 Wy’East Wonder, live race, 50M/9,000ft, supported
• 2022 Teanaway County 100K: “Skyrun” Edition, fastpack/adventure run, 100K/20,000ft, self-supported
• 2022 Tatoosh Traverse, adventure run C2C, 19M/8,940ft, technical, unsupported
• 2022 Desolation Peak, ultra-run, 45M/9,100ft, unsupported
• 2022 Mount Rainier via Disappointment Clever, adventure run C2C, 16M/9,000ft, technical, unsupported
• 2022 Oregon Cascades 100, live race, 100M/12,000ft, supported
• 2022 Run the Red Desert, live race, 100K/4,500ft, supported
• 2023 The Drift 28 Miler Run, live race, 28M/2,350ft, supported

CERTIFICATIONS

• UESCA Ultrarunning Coach Certification (#12998)
• UESCA Running Coach Certification (#13209)

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

• 4th Female, 8th Overall, Top Female Time Performance 6th // 2022–Run the Red Desert 100K
• 1st Female, 7th Overall // 2023–The Drift 28 Miler Run

CONTACT DANDELION

Finding a coach who is a great fit for you is really important. We encourage you to email your coach prior to signing up so you can connect, communicate, and ensure a good athlete/coach fit.

PUBLICATIONS

• The Drift 28 Miler Race Report – 3/12/23
• Running at Elevation: Will an Altitude Tent Help you Prepare?
• MountainAir Altitude Tent Review
• Run the Red 100k Race Report – 9/24/22
• Cascades 100 Race Report – 8/27/22
• Ultra-running for Ultra-positivity
• Wy’East Wonder 50 Mile Race Report
• Bryce Canyon 50 Mile Race Report
• Running Safely in Bear Country
• Scat Belt GRIZ Gear Review

SOCIAL