David Ayala | Big Vert and Big Math
David Ayala grew up in mountains and desert of Utah with dreams of being a theoretical physicist. Running outside for fun and pouring over books, David was an only child and kept himself busy.
Now a Professor of Mathematics (here’s his CV and field of work), David has also found his feet on the trails in some burly, technical, and grinding races around the West. While his ultimate dream is a start at Hardrock, David Ayala has racked up some impressive wins at tough events from IMTUF 100 in Idaho to the notoriously challenging Bridger Ridge Run outside Bozeman.
We talk about Halloween costumes (wish I had a pic!), the fine art of juggling, and what he looks for in a race. Though David has been running since he was a kid, he had no structured training or identity as a runner until grad school, and since then, he’s been putting up some big numbers.
David Ayala Episode Notes
Here’s David’s abbreviated CV and here’s his ultra signup page.
Here’s a writeup in Trail Runner mag about the Death Valley fatass he did in 2012.
David mentioned his friend Kyle Ormbsy as influential in his running career. Turns out he’s a bit of a mathematician himself.
Here’s more on the Bridger Ridge Run.
Here’s a video of David’s run win at IMTUF from a few years ago. Looks like a great course!
Intro/outro music by David Rosales.
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