Skilled staying power athlete, race director, environmental recommend, and healthcare practitioner Luke Nelson doesn’t take a break day.
Along with his far off ridgeline missions, quickest identified instances (FKTs), and ultrarunning podiums, Nelson is a father of 2, doctor assistant (PA) for a neighborhood orthopedics follow that he cofounded, volunteer ski patroller and teacher, and maximum not too long ago the founding father of a desert remedy industry. He’s additionally a mountain motorbike trainer for his youngsters’ college crew. Nelson may be one of the certain folks it’s essential meet, by no means complaining a wink and staying certain even within the face of stumbling blocks.
Luke Nelson. All footage courtesy of Luke Nelson.
Nelson, 43, has lived in Pocatello, Idaho, for twenty years, close to the place he grew up in Blackfoot. Another sports activities fanatic, Nelson grew up skateboarding, skiing, rock mountain climbing, and kayaking.
He first dabbled in path working in his mid-twenties, due to a gamble. Whilst running a shift at a ski and motorbike store, a chum mentioned Nelson wouldn’t be capable to run an off-the-couch marathon. It used to be August, and the temperatures had been sweltering. Nelson registered for the race, which came about per week later. He were given 3rd position in his age staff.
In a while, a couple of rock-climbing companions spotted he’d finished neatly on the race and invited him to head path working. Nelson hopped into a brief path working race a couple of weeks after that marathon. The next spring, he ran his first extremely, the Pocatello 50 Mile, in 2008. Subsequent, he ran the Endure 100 Mile, in 2009, and not appeared again.
Nelson finished his undergraduate level in out of doors schooling and Spanish from Idaho State College in Pocatello, Idaho. Proper when he began school, he met his now spouse, Tanae, via a mutual good friend. “She used to be roommates with considered one of my easiest pals’ little sisters, and the remaining is historical past. We began courting straight away, dated a yr, after which were given married,” he shared.
After graduating, he spent a summer time running as a river information, which he’d dreamed of as his occupation trail. On the other hand, after one season, he and Tanae determined the space aside would no longer be essentially the most sustainable trail for his or her courting and beginning a circle of relatives.
“I beloved the wilderness-medicine facet of river guiding, and that resulted in the trail of my occupation in remedy that still allowed the versatility for lifestyles. Being a PA grew to become out to be the appropriate trail,” mentioned Nelson. As a spouse in an orthopedics follow that he co-founded, Idaho Sports activities and Backbone, Nelson is within the working room for 12 hours, one or two days every week, beginning at 6:30 a.m. Every Tuesday and Thursday, he’s in medical institution, and maximum Fridays, he does no longer paintings. The remainder of his agenda is devoted to circle of relatives time and being a certified runner.
Luke Nelson (left) volunteering on the 2022 The Rut.
The draw to the scientific box is, “a double-edged sword. What attracted me to start with used to be the power to have an effect on folks’s lives in a good method and to assist folks. An increasing number of, conventional remedy has turn out to be much less thrilling to me. Desert remedy has stayed on the core of what I do, and I latterly began a industry educating wildness remedy and consulting in hopes of turning that into full-time paintings,” mentioned Nelson.
In 2021, Nelson introduced Alpine Staying power Drugs, which gives classes on desert remedy along services and products as a scientific guide for out of doors companies. In a special approach, the desert first reduction classes that Nelson designed are sport-specific and adapted to communities.
As an example, mountain motorbike groups and coaches can join a desert first reduction path for mountain cycling, the place they learn about the net content material after which meet for fieldwork whilst pedaling mountain motorcycles. On an extended journey, the scholars can follow eventualities which might be extra practical given their apparatus, location, and the provides they are able to elevate.
There’s a desert first reduction path adapted to path working, too. “We will follow eventualities within the settings the place we follow our craft,” mentioned Nelson.
Luke Nelson educating desert remedy for path runners along with his new industry, Alpine Staying power Drugs.
He added, “Now not numerous folks in the ones areas have first-aid coaching. My hope is to make use of game so that you can inspire folks to take the classes. For highschool mountain bikers, coaches wish to have desert first reduction coaching. You’ll get the baseline skillset as with all desert first reduction magnificence, however throughout the game. And for any individual who wouldn’t surrender time from their treasured coaching day, they are able to nonetheless cross mountain cycling and be informed this cool factor.”
Nelson additionally gives consultations and works as a scientific guide for out of doors firms — together with clothing stores and guides, race administrators, and other people with companies out of doors.
“I assist bridge the distance of what they’d wish to stay their shoppers and selves secure referring to tips on how to follow remedy. A large section is recruiting scientific pros to assist improve occasions, putting in protocols and risk-management plans for a corporation, refining protocols, and advising them on visitor well being. We speak about eventualities such as though visitors have sure well being prerequisites — must they be with the gang, and what precautions must personnel take note of, and what must they do if one thing occurs, corresponding to, tips on how to ship satellite tv for pc messages, as an example,” mentioned Nelson.
Nelson’s inaugural extremely race, the Pocatello 50 Mile, persevered to be a motif yr after yr in his working follow. Via 2012, he and Tanae followed the race. The identify of the development was Scout Mountain Ultras, and the 2 now co-race direct a 100 miler along the standard 50 miler, plus 50-kilometer and 21-mile races.
In March 2023, the couple introduced they had been committing to no less than 50% of the sphere within the races being girls, femme, or non-binary athletes. They shared in a statement, “Because it stands, on the time of this [announcement], the full share of girls within the race is 42%. Consistent with distance, the fields are 38% within the 100 mile, 25% within the 50 mile, 43% within the 50k, and 55% within the 21 mile.”
The entire Nelson circle of relatives on the Nelson 2022 Scout Mountain Ultras (l-to-r): Brynlee, Luke, Chloe, Tanae, and Anders.
To improve the inclusion, Nelson defined the array of methods they’ve carried out. “We each felt in point of fact strongly that ultrarunning wishes higher illustration and the one method to do this is to cut back as many obstacles as conceivable. We requested the mountain neighborhood what’s making it difficult. Our neighborhood considering Scout Mountain mentioned that the number-one barrier is price, so we carried out a scholarship program, the place we took access charges from the 100 miler and minimize the access commission in part. Runners that had already entered, we gave them the method to put that towards scholarships for different runners [rather than receiving a partial refund], which all of them opted to do,” mentioned Nelson.
The entry-fee improve created a vital spice up to participation within the 100-mile distance.
“An extra barrier we heard used to be neighborhood improve. Numerous girls didn’t really feel that they had a neighborhood of girls to respond to questions and assist with coaching and crewing,” mentioned Nelson.
They arrange a gaggle at the Discord platform known as “Ladies of Scout” to attach and to find every different on-line. Additionally they made positive they met all of the Path Sisters necessities: equivalent illustration and equivalent prize cash, menstruation merchandise in any respect reduction stations and in porta potties, and female attire. They organized for lactation stations and a nursing personnel, even though no feminine athletes wanted the provider within the first yr of its implementation. They arranged a few night seminars led by way of feminine visitor audio system speaking about vitamin, evening working, crewing, and pacing — adapted to ladies.
The overall assists they plan to supply are: “providing childcare at races and a scholarship for girls runners who want monetary assist for childcare for coaching and we’re running on enforcing that for subsequent yr,” mentioned Nelson.
5 years in the past, Nelson’s oldest daughter, Brynlee, who’s now 16 years outdated, were given concerned with the native mountain motorbike crew — the Pocatello Pioneers — when she entered 7th grade. Nelson has been alongside for the journey ever since as a trainer. His youngest daughter, Chloe, is 13 years outdated and now additionally mountain motorbike races. His son, nine-year-old Anders, may sign up for the crew in heart college, too.
Anders Nelson within the 2022 The Rut Runts Run.
“It’s our neighborhood’s mountain motorbike crew for 3 prime faculties and likewise 3 heart faculties within the space, with 100 youngsters at the crew. It’s so a laugh. I feel there are 40 coaches that rotate via,” mentioned Nelson.
To get mileage in for coaching, he both runs or rides his motorbike to paintings, which is 8 miles every method, year-round.
“In my thoughts, motorbike commuting provides me extra quantity the place I don’t have time or the bodily capacity to do extra working quantity. I’ve to get to paintings, it doesn’t take me that for much longer to journey my motorbike than pressure, so I will slip in additional quantity and it’s in point of fact complementary,” mentioned Nelson, who switches up the motorbike he makes use of relying at the day’s wishes. He every so often pedals an e-bike and different instances a gravel motorbike. On training days, he’ll journey his mountain motorbike. “It’s all about slipping in no matter further I will within the margins.” mentioned Nelson.
The entire circle of relatives is concerned with working, too. “Tanae has run a pair 100 milers, Brynlee and Chloe did The Rut 11k in combination final yr. And Anders is a runner, too, and undoubtedly enjoys mountain cycling,” says Nelson.
Brynlee (left) and Chloe (proper) Nelson on the 2022 The Rut 11k.
Nelson even determined to dabble in a mountain motorbike race in 2023. He signed up for the El Doce 12 Hour. He had handiest raced one different pass nation mountain motorbike race in the past — the Pocatello Pedal Fest, in 2022. He took moment position in El Doce.
“I had all forms of fascinating issues happen — I’ve by no means spent that lengthy on a motorcycle prior to. Your expectation can be that your butt would harm, which I didn’t have hassle with. I had important cramping that began seven hours in. My proper foot were given sore the place my pedal is. Whilst downhilling, my triceps gave out, and I had hassle hitting my face at the handlebars. It’s as a result of I run an excessive amount of and feature little triceps — Tyrannosaurus fingers,” mentioned Nelson.
Luke Nelson (proper) at the 2023 El Doce 12 Hour males’s podium.
Additionally, moderately close to his house is the Pebble Creek Ski Space, the place he volunteers as ski patrol doing avalanche mitigation and educating avalanche categories, in addition to Out of doors Emergency Care — which is a ski patroller’s Emergency Clinical Technician magnificence. He first were given considering 2008, as a resume spice up for PA college, however saved the provider paintings going and loves it. He does 13 days of volunteer patrol every season, along with 4 a.m. avalanche regulate routes, together with bombing and ski cuts, which racked up 25 days final season. The medical institution days at paintings don’t get started till 9 a.m., so he can squeeze within the ski space hours.
Luke Nelson running Pebble Creek Ski Space, Idaho, ski patrol.
Past training and dealing on the ski space, Nelson may be concerned with Offer protection to Our Winters, as a founding member of the path working portion of the Athlete Alliance, which introduced in 2018. He’s traveled to Washington D.C. to assist foyer for local weather change-based rules, and finished talking occasions at neighborhood runs and retail outlets in regards to the local weather substitute affects he’s noticed in path working and answers for the way the neighborhood can assist.
Whilst Nelson has stood on many podiums, received many races, and set adventurous FKTs right through his occupation as an athlete — a couple of days shine in reminiscence.
“Probably the most memorable staying power efforts I’ve had, and one of the crucial poorest understood routes by way of the neighborhood at massive, is the Teton Heart Punch Traverse. It’s a introduction of Kelly Halpin, who is a great ultrarunner and mountain badass. The path follows a hydrological divide (the place the water is going to each side of the ridge) and is a sustained ridgeline that creates the spine of the variability. It covers the best issues of the Tetons from north to south, and it’s depraved arduous. I did that during 2021 with Jared Campbell. He’s been my journey spouse for a very long time now. For all of it, he’s been one of the crucial go-to journey companions,” shared Nelson.
“It used to be lovely impressive. It’s an insane and wonderful line. The combos of skillsets you wish to have to have is wild,” elaborates Nelson. “There may be off-trail motion, important sections of technical scrambling, and it’s in point of fact lengthy. We had been available in the market for 36 hours in one push. Kelly and Fred Maximum have finished it two times. It’s so burly and particular on account of that.”
Luke Nelson at the Teton Heart Punch Traverse path.
At the different finish of the spectrum, considered one of his favourite adventures in 2023 used to be mountain climbing Mount Borah, the best level in Idaho, along with his daughter Brynlee.
“The hike is round 8 miles roundtrip with 5,000 toes of mountain climbing and is tremendous steep. It takes most of the people a complete, 10-hour day, and we did it in a bit of over six hours. It used to be tremendous a laugh to head speedy on. My daughter is a path runner and she or he’d describe herself as a mountain biker,” says Nelson.
Whilst the marathon distance didn’t stick as a favourite, he determined to head for his moment ever marathon within the 2023 summer time. He skilled and hit a private file within the Eugene Marathon, completing in 2:38:50, getting a moment position within the masters department, and qualifying for the Boston Marathon, which he’ll run in 2024.
“I took it lovely severely. I feel it helped my base for ultrarunning. I’ve been path working for a very long time and it’s arduous to peer large good points or giant adjustments, however doing a unconditionally other coaching cycle, I noticed adjustments that had been superb. Once I first began with the educational, I may just slightly run a mile in 6 mins and 15 seconds. Once I completed, I ran 6:05 minute/mile tempo for the entire marathon. I skilled for 12 weeks,” he mentioned.
Lately, in September 2023, Nelson skilled his second-ever DNF (Did Now not End) on the Endure 100 Mile. He began having ache at mile 25, which used to be very early in a race for him, and pulled out at 61 miles. “I had dangerous muscle breakdown, known as rhabdomyolysis, and I don’t know why but. I felt extra sore than even after working a 200-mile race. One thing used to be improper. I nonetheless had to stand within the working room for 12 hours at paintings the week after, and I used to be in tough form,” he mentioned.
Tanae Nelson (left) and Mindy Campbell (proper) on the 2022 The Rut 50k.
How does he have compatibility all of it in? Nelson defined, “My agenda is a shifting goal and wishes numerous flexibility across the seasons evidently. I do numerous coaching at midnight, within the early morning, or past due at evening. I attempt to construction my agenda in order that I’ve Sunday devoted as just a circle of relatives day and not using a coaching. Saturday is difficult to steadiness when the women are doing their lengthy coaching rides and that’s after I’m seeking to do lengthy coaching runs, which means that I may do a three- or four-hour run at 4 a.m, meet them at follow, and do every other 3 hours at the motorbike after.”
Whilst Nelson suits in all kinds of athletic, skilled, and philanthropic objectives, he’s a circle of relatives guy at center, and mentioned, “I need to be ingenious to get what I would like across the time that they want from me.”
Name for Feedback
- Have you ever had the excitement of assembly Luke Nelson? Let us know your tales!
- Have you ever finished any the Scout Mountain Ultras?
Luke and Brynlee Nelson at the summit of Mount Borah, Idaho’s prime level.
