OUR STORY
Endure began as a result of a need Drew and Brent saw while working as physical therapists. They were treating athletes that had been injured during their training for triathlons, marathons, mountain bike races, cross country ski races and canoe races. Many of these athletes did not have a coach, a proper training plan, a good awareness of performance nutrition, and were not focused on cross training or recovery. They recognized that active communities like Grand Traverse Country and Leelanau County were missing something. So Endure started to fill the void and bring high quality, holistic coaching that focuses on improving health and prevention of injury to Northern Michigan. This is a need across the country though, so Endure provides virtual training to reach athletes in any area.
The name Endure came about because it is the root word of endurance. The definition couldn’t better describe what we experience as endurance athletes. This definition is simple: suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently. To suffer patiently. That sounds pretty accurate for our extreme endurance events such as marathons or IRONMAN races, doesn’t it? No matter the sport or the distance though, we suffer patiently throughout our training in order to achieve our goals. At Endure, we believe that in order to most successfully endure, you must exercise your mind, body, and spirit. The body is very regularly the only area addressed in training plans. This is why Endure encourages using its individualized coaching services over pre-made or even custom training plans. It is difficult to train your mind and spirit through a written down plan as every person is unique and at different points in their life. The mind and spirit need a regular personal connection to develop and this can be made through your personal endurance coach. Many athletes can make significant improvements in their mental game. This can be through positive self-talk or self-beliefs, encouragement, or mental preparation for potential negative scenarios to help you endure. The spirit is where your joy and love comes from. Through mindfulness, mediation, or prayer practices you can deepen your relationship with the spirit to be more well balanced and find more meaning in your training.
The Logo
The Endure logo is a green oak leaf along with five activity icons that represent common endurance sports: running, biking, swimming, cross country skiing, and paddling. The oak leaf is a traditional celtic symbol for strength and endurance and was chosen because of Drew’s Irish heritage. The green leaf is also a reminder of the beauty of nature and the incredible opportunity we have to experience it. Spending time away from phones, TVs, computers, and our busy lives and getting out in nature does wonderful things for our health. It improves our health physically in a number of different ways. Being outdoors and active helps to lower our risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and many other conditions/diseases, but also allows for the absorption of sunlight and production of vitamin D. Being in nature and physically active improves our mental health as well by lowering stress and anxiety, and significantly reducing depression. And finally, the time we spend exercising is an incredible way to deepen our spiritual relationship by being mindful and thankful for the beauty around us and for the ability to exercise.