This was an absolutely awesome interview with THE Dave Menapace!!  We hit on so many different parts of his life chronologically that I think you're really going to enjoy.

For those of you who don't know Dave's basic background, he actually grew up in Holliston for the majority of his life (the coolest town in the U.S.).  Growing up, he was always a super active kid, never being able to sit still.  He tells a story about how his parents bought him and his sister an Xbox for Christmas one year, and the kids actually asked the parents to return it because they didn't want one!  Dave goes on to also tell us a couple funny stories about scavenger hunts, potato cannons, and an incident with the cops that ultimately ended up being a misunderstanding.  However, this mishap brought him temporary fame in high school, as you might imagine ;)

Throughout high school, Dave really took to football.  He graduated from Holliston High School in 2006 where he was able to play under the legendary coach Todd Kiley.  Dave reminisces about how throughout sophomore year, Coach gave him much unknowing confidence that helped him excel the following year at the running back position.

Dave claims that hindsight is 20/20 when he discusses how he would have approached post high school plans differently.  Taking a more proactive stance on his life after high school is one of his bigger regrets in life, BUT everything happens for a reason!

He ended up attending UMass Dartmouth.  He was on the football team all 4 years, but unfortunately wasn't able to play his senior year due to an injury.  Dave makes a very interesting comparison of high school versus college football.  He tells us how in high school, the coaching staff continuously preached how you play on the field is how you carry yourself off the field as well.  In college, there was much less motivation and lessons taught by the coaching staff with a somewhat unorganized structure making it not nearly as fun to play as high school football.

Upon graduation, Dave immediately started working.  He felt his first true sense of independence in the real world when he moved in to Boston with some friends a year later.  His high school encounter with rock climbing inspired him to try it out again later in life, and he got absolutely addicted!  Him and his buddies have taken trips all around the country just to climb other mountains.  Eventually, Dave found his new high... CrossFit ;)

Dave gives us a play by play on his amazing first date with his wife Kim (another Firewaller who was also on the podcast, episode 25).  They both agreed that in some point in their lives it'd be cool to try to live somewhere else other than Massachusetts.  A year or so into dating, they decided to move on out to California where they also purchased their first Great Dane, Sunny!  Eventually they decided to move back to Dave's home town and start a family.

Towards the end of the podcast, Dave shares with us a crazy ghost story.  Be sure to stick listen for it!  We also dive in to how his life changed once his son, Logan, was born including how Dave and Kim now run their life somewhat like a business!

We were running tight on time at the end of this recording, so we weren't able to spend as much time as we would have liked on the topic of Zone 2 Training.  Below is a link if you're interested in learning more about this specific type of training to increase your workout capacity!
https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/zone-2-training-for-endurance-athletes/

Dave, we can't thank you enough for coming on the show!  Your calmness, transparency, and positivity shine throughout this interview.  Thank you for always spreading the love at Firewall, and keep inspiring everyone you workout with!