I started this newsletter to document two journeys:
1. the building of The Garage Gym as a business
2. my personal journey pursuing 100%

We believe there’s a 100% version of you inside of you, desperate to get out… so the goal of this newsletter is to document our journey towards 100% and to encourage you to pursue yours.

If you received this by mistake or no longer wish to follow along, unsubscribe at the bottom.

BUILDING THE BRAND 005 - CATCHING YOU UP

We've been documenting the build of The Garage Gym on Instagram for a while now, but if you're new here, let's get you up to speed:

In the fifth edition of From The Founder, we’ll cover 005 (quick) & get back to today.

→ Delays, red tape, and more delays building TGG Little Silver.
→ What finding a bonus room is like (and why it wasn’t good).
→ Finally opening The Garage Gym Little Silver 🙏🏻

You can watch Episode 005 below:

The Garage Gym - July 2026

July of 2026 brought our first full time hire for The Garage Gym.

I’m incredibly proud and excited to introduce Julia Mosquera as Member Concierge of The Garage Gym.

Julia has been a member and trainer at our Westfield facility for over 4 years.

She’s long been core to our culture and to bring her on to the team full time is something all members should get excited about (because she’s great).

As Member Concierge she is the first point of contact for everyone experiencing The Garage Gym.

New member will apply, speak with her, and tour with myself (or her if schedules are tricky).

All active members will communicate directly with her via our members app / email.

Later, when our Little Silver Sauna facility opens, she’ll lead our Hospitality Team through a 25/10 experience for our members day in and out.

Her main responsibility is to make the day of each person she comes in contact with - which is simple when that is already how she lives her life.

Julia is relentless in the pursuit of the best version of herself, tireless in her support of those she cares about, and is just one of the best.

Julia, welcome to the team ! We’re lucky to have you.

PURSUING MY 100% - BADWATER 135

Day before the race

As this email gets sent out, in ~35.5 hours, I’ll be standing inside Badwater Basin counting down from 3 about to take off on a 135 mile adventure on foot to Mt. Whitney.

It’s funny when you dream about doing something for 7 years, get the opportunity to do it, train for 20+ weeks, fly to Las Vegas with your crew, drive to Death Valley, and head to the start…

in my head it’s crystal clear how we got here. 

But - as I spoke with a close friend the other day - he mentioned he didn’t realize up until recently the full 7 year story of why and how I set out to do Badwater 135.

If my close friend didn’t know, I realized many of you may not know it either, so it’s worth a recap ahead of go time if you’ve been reading along.

In 2019 I read "Can’t Hurt Me" by David Goggins.

It was a uniquely challenging time of my life and a very good book to stumble into as I went through a lot of change.

Inside the book he talked about this race called Badwater 135.

“The Toughest Footrace on the Planet”

At the time I was playing club soccer, in a fraternity, and not particularly in ‘toughest footrace on the planet’ shape…

but I was mesmerized about this sport of ultra running I just read about.

Over the next several years I got into 100 mile running, a number of random ultra adventures on foot, and made it a goal to do Badwater 135 by the time I was 30.

Very much so a shot in the dark… but I wrote it down on a piece of paper and got back to my life.

I did quite a bit of ultra running in those days… but Badwater is very particular about the races they deem ‘acceptable’ to qualify.

For example - 

I’ve run multiple ultras around a 1 mile loop (100 miles, 154 miles) that to me, we’re challenging and a great testament to my ability as a runner in applying for Badwater.

Well - 

Badwater doesn’t count 1 mile loop events as ‘races you can apply with’ ha.

It was early in 2025 when I realized that a good number of the events I thought I'd be able to use to apply to Badwater… straight up didn’t count !

So, I signed up for a 100 miler in Wisconsin in August 2025 as I needed to bolster my run resume to apply.

Flight got canceled prior, my mom, dad, and now fiancé Taylor all drove out to Wisconsin from New Jersey to complete the race.

(that is a long, long story made very short)

Fast forward to December 2025 I’m reviewing the Badwater 135 minimum qualifying standards as I prepare to apply to the 2026 event and, somehow, realized I was still short a 100 mile run on my application. 

To recap how Badwater works:

(you can read about the minimum qualifying standards and application process here).

reviewing my race history ahead of applying…

I learned my math was 1 short of the number of 100 mile events I needed.

so -

I stopped everything I was doing, found a 100 mile event in Arizona about 30 days out in January, made sure I had no plans I couldn’t cancel, and signed up.

THEN, I told my fiancé (haha).

We flew out to Arizona, took care of business, and the day after finishing - still a little brain fogged - formally submitted my application from a coffee shop to be invited to the 2026 event.

About a month later I was announced as 1/100 globally to be invited to the race. 

In 36 hours, we take off on something I've been wanting to do for almost 25% of my life.

For 7 years Badwater 135 has lived on the walls of my brain as an event to do and tomorrow my crew and I have the opportunity to do it. 

What I believe is the best part of ultra running is the opportunity it creates for you to craft the version of you that doesn't exist yet.

Reading about this race in 2019 was a version of Kieran that could not comprehend the version of Kieran today who gets to run it. 

The idea of pursuing the best version of yourself can at times sound and feel lofty and out of touch, but at the end of the day, starts and ends with ourselves.

Lofty goals and better versions of ourselves are crafted by the tiny decisions we make in each moment.

I couldn’t comprehend running Badwater 135 when I first read about it but as we approach the start line today, I’m ready to race it.

This pursuit has not just been a physical endeavor, but one that has left me a better human because of it. 

Fitness and running I’ve learned is a tool to pursuing the best version of yourself - and the more you do it (and the more intense it is) - the more you learn.

I’m grateful I picked up that book in 2019.

I’m grateful I gave myself permission to lean into the feelings inside me to tackle these challenges over the years, even when I didn’t really have the words to explain why. 

I’m very grateful to have parents, family, and now a fiancé who have supported it tirelessly from the start.

I hope you all allow yourself to find something that lights you up and commit to it 100%.

You don’t have to run 135 miles or get in to ultra running.

But you should lean into the voice inside you that begs you to do and be more...

and go for it.

If I can ever support you on that journey, just hit reply.

See you at Mt. Whitney 🙏🏻

THIS MONTH'S THOUGHT

Go for it.

Whatever it is that speaks to you, gets you excited, lights you up…

take a stab

The only failure is not trying.

PURSUING YOUR 100%

Our mission with this newsletter is to document our pursuit of 100% and inspire you to do the same.

If we can ever help you on your pursuit of your 100%, respond directly to this email.

I read every one.

Rooting for you,

Kieran Williams
Co-Founder & CEO, The Garage Gym