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Built in the mountains. Engineered for performance.

Alpine Performance Labs (APL) was founded with one goal: to redefine how mountain athletes train, recover, and perform. Born in the heart of the Rockies and powered by cutting-edge sports science, APL blends expert coaching, advanced lab testing, and evidence-informed training to help athletes at every level push their limits.

our mission

To raise the standard of physical preparation and performance for mountain athletes.

APL is built to serve the whole athlete. We combine elite performance training, nutritional services, lab testing, and education — all in a single ecosystem — locally and beyond.

Every athlete gets a personalized system designed to improve strength, endurance, resilience, and recovery.

We don’t just train you; we support every phase of your journey — from preparation to peak performance to long-term health.

With APL, you’re part of a high-performance ecosystem designed to help you push limits, be durable, and chase your passions.

How we coach

Consistency. Quality. Adaptability. Accountability.

At APL, we take a systems-based approach to athletic development. Our systems reflect the realities of mountain sport — complex, unpredictable, and unique. 

Grounded in the constraints-led approach, our coaching goes beyond sets and reps, it is a dynamic, iterative process. Every program is informed by assessment, built on the principles of sport-science, and guided by continuous feedback. We emphasize consistency, quality, adaptability, and accountability — ensuring you don’t just exercise hard, but train better with purpose and direction.

Our goal is to help athletes develop mastery.

Meet the coaches

Daniel Blake

Danny Blake is the founder and Director of Performance of Alpine Performance Labs. As an athlete, peer-reviewed author, and high performance coach, Danny specializes in integrating nutrition, physical preparation, and lifestyle with the unique demands of sport.

 

In 2020, Danny launched Dynamic Performance Systems in Carbondale, Colorado with a simple goal: provide high-quality, personalized training and performance services to the local community. As the work deepened, so did the reach—drawing in athletes across NFL, PGA, NCAA, FIS Alpine World Cup, USA Gymnastics, USA skimo, and professional trail running.

 

To further serve mountain athletes at the level they deserve, Danny founded Alpine Performance Labs: a purpose-built facility and ecosystem focused entirely on the performance needs of mountain sport athletes. APL represents both an evolution and a return to roots: a place where mountain sport is the standard.

 

Danny holds a Bachelor of Science from Plymouth State University and a Master of Science in Kinesiology from Cal State Fullerton, where he led research in biochemistry and molecular exercise physiology under the renowned coach and scientist Dr. Andy Galpin. Danny is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Certified Sports Nutritionist (C*ISSN), and former NCAA Division I skier who now competes in ultra-endurance and mountain races.

Elliott Bates

Elliott Bates is the Endurance Coach at Alpine Performance Labs. He was raised as a rock climber in Boulder, Colorado, where he started climbing at age 12, and went on to graduate from the University of Colorado in with a degree in Integrative Physiology. While at CU, Elliott was the lead coach for the highly competitive Team ABC youth climbing team, winners of multiple national championships, who also produced climbers who have competed in the Olympics and climbed 5.15.
 
He moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in 2016 and started SkiMo racing, and quickly found a passion and talent for endurance sports. After being a dedicated rock climber for over 25 years, Elliott shifted his focus away from the cliff, to moving over vast distances efficiently in the mountains.
 
Now an ultra-runner and SkiMo racer, Elliott has competed in multiple Grand Traverse ski, run, and bike events, earning a top-10 finish in all three disciplines, and podiums in the GT Triple Crown. With Danny as his coach, he completed the grueling 100-mile Ultra Trail Cape Town race in 2024, and in 2025 he and his wife Lindsay won the Coed division of the Power of Four SkiMo race.
 
Elliott is stoked to share his science-backed training approach with his athletes, as well as what he’s learned through decades of pushing his limits in mountain sports.

Daniel Blake

Danny Blake (MS, CSCS, C*ISSN) is the founder and Director of Performance of Alpine Performance Labs. As an athlete, peer-reviewed author, and high performance coach, Danny specializes in integrating nutrition, physical preparation, and lifestyle with the unique demands of sport.

In 2020, Danny launched Dynamic Performance Systems in Carbondale, Colorado with a simple goal: provide high-quality, personalized training and performance services to the local community. As the work deepened, so did the reach—drawing in athletes across NFL, PGA, NCAA, FIS Alpine World Cup, USA Gymnastics, USA skimo, and professional trail running.

To further serve mountain athletes at the level they deserve, Danny founded Alpine Performance Labs: a purpose-built facility and ecosystem focused entirely on the performance needs of mountain sport athletes. APL represents both an evolution and a return to roots: a place where mountain sport is the standard.

Danny holds a Bachelor of Science from Plymouth State University and a Master of Science in Kinesiology from Cal State Fullerton, where he led research in biochemistry and molecular exercise physiology under the renowned coach and scientist Dr. Andy Galpin. Danny is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Certified Sports Nutritionist (C*ISSN), and former NCAA Division I skier who now competes in ultra-endurance and mountain races.

Ready to train with purpose?

Whether you’re in Carbondale or remote, we’ll help you train better and perform higher.

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