Meet the Team:

Dr. Blake Dircksen
PT, DPT, CSCS
➳ Physical Therapist
➳ Running Coach
➳ Strength Coach
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Dr. Blake Dircksen
​PT, DPT, CSCS

Owner, Backroads Endurance Company

Blake has competed at the high school and college level and has raced distances from 400m to 50k ultras. He's assistant coach at Noblesville High School and works with a handful of runners each year. He's coached and rehabbed every level from complete beginners to professional athletes. 

Blake maintains client care in New York throughout the year, lives in Indiana, and travels to Colorado each summer to work with Team Prep USA, a high altitude running camp. He's training with the high school boys, and can still (just barely) make the top-7 varsity roster. 

​Blake took his curiosity for endurance performance and turned it into an Exercise Science Bachelor's degree from Indiana University. Grad school took him to New York City where he received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from New York University. 
Follow Blake!
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  • ​Member of the State Championship 4x800m team at Noblesville High School
  • Ran Cross Country & Track & Field for the Indiana Hoosiers
  • ​Current Assistant Coach at Noblesville High School, Indiana
    • Coach to school records in the 800m (1:53), 1600m (4:10), 3200m (9:10), 4x800m (7:48), and 5k (XC) 15:01
  • Works specifically with running clients & running related injuries
Certifications & Licensure
  • New York University, Doctor of Physical Therapy
  • Indiana University, Bachelors of Science
  • ​Licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) in New York State, Colorado, and Indiana
  • Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) - NSCA
  • Functional Range Conditioning (FRC)
  • Kinesiology Taping, Fascial Movement Taping Certified - RockTape
  • Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization - IASTM Technique
  • Basic Life Support - American Heart Association
  • Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support - American Heart Association
Diane Johnson
MS, RDN, CSSD
➳ Nutritionist
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Diane Johnson
MS, RDN, CSSD

My role is to build a fuel plan to support your unique eating style and performance goals, while providing accountability throughout.
I provide nutrition support and services to athletes looking to enhance their training and performance.  I am a Saint Louis University grad with a Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics with an emphasis in Physical Performance and a former D1 XC and T&F athlete at the University of Arkansas. 

I worked alongside Senior Sports Dietitians in T&F and Swimming at the Olympic Training Center, providing nutrition assessments and consultations with athletes and coaches to aid in training and competition.

Additionally, I am working towards becoming a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor to help individuals overcome over-, under-, emotional, and restrictive eating.

​I offer nutrition services to teach you how to eat to achieve a healthy weight and lifelong relationship with food.  I want to help you manage your weight the right way and supercharge your energy to gain optimal performance.  I offer 1-on-1 nutrition assessments to better understand your nutrition related goals and follow up consultations to ensure I have made the right meal plan for you. 

​Additionally, I offer quick and healthy recipes, grocery store lists, and accountability through MyFitnessPal to help make nutritious eating relaxing and fun!
Contact us to get started with Diane.
Shannon Thompson
➳ Sports Psychologist
​M.A.P.P.
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Shannon Thompson
Sports Psychologist, M.A.P.P.

My role is to develop skills, strategies, and habits to build mental durability. Mental toughness is required in this sport, no matter the distance. Those that have it possess an edge over their competition.

​Just like run training, getting mentally fit requires thoughtful daily practice. 
Shannon Thompson M.A.P.P. has worked with some of the world's top endurance athletes, including the top-ranked Division 1 Northern Arizona University XC/Track teams, HOKA NAZ Elite, and Under Armour Dark Sky teams. 

An interest in the psychology of achievement led her to completing an undergraduate degree in psychology and a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Below are some places where Shannon's made an impact: 
Contact us to get started with Shannon.

Backroads Endurance Company

➳ Contact
​➳ Email: [email protected]
➳ Call & text: (646) 360-0799
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