2016 Philadelphia Half Marathon

In May of 2016, after a long break from running, I realized that my training was starting to come together, and I was improving rapidly. But I decided that I did not want to run a marathon in 2016. I'm sure I could have finished a marathon in a somewhat respectable time. But I didn't want to run a marathon until I could do the proper training to run an exceptional race. Instead, I chose the Philadelphia Half Marathon as my goal race of the season.

I started regularly meeting up with my running team, The Dashing Whippets, and developed great relationships with my teammates. I've never met such an incredible group of people. They motivated me, inspired me, and supported me on a daily basis. I was also in regular contact with my coach, Neely Spence Gracey. She provided invaluable guidance throughout the season.

As a result, my training in 2016 could not have gone better. I was consistently running 50-55 miles/week, and I reached levels of fitness I had only dreamed of. During the season I ran a mile in 4:59, a 10 miler in 1:03, and a half in 1:26. I felt absolutely certain that I would have an outstanding performance at the Philly Half. But things didn't go as planned…

I arrived in Philly on Friday morning, did a little bit of sightseeing and picked up my bib. I ran the Rocky steps and fulfilled a childhood dream of mine. After meeting a friend for dinner, I was in bed early, and woke up feeling ready.

I walked to the start line, did a 2.5 mile warm up, and got in my corral. My warm up felt great and reinforced my belief that this race would go well. In fact, I was certain of it. I headed to the start and waited in the corral for about 15 minutes before we took off. My plan was to start conservatively and settle into a comfortable pace for the first 3 miles. That's exactly what happened. The first 3 miles were 6:21-6:23 and I felt amazing. I was completely relaxed and controlled. I felt very confident that I could hold this pace (and probably a faster one) for the entire race.

Miles 4 and 5 were even better. I was completely dialed-in and could not have felt stronger. Then at mile 6 I climbed a hill that was the size of Harlem Hill in Central Park. I tried not to surge up the hill, but just maintain a steady effort. I was able to get over the first hill without any major incident.

But about 5 minutes later, just as I recovered from that hill, I encountered another hill unlike anything I had ever raced on before. It was twice the size of Harlem Hill and even steeper. I did everything I could to maintain control over this hill, but it absolutely broke me and I was never the same.

I simply couldn't recover from this hill, and just as I reached the bottom, there was another massive incline that shot straight up. By the time I reached the top of this 3rd climb I was toast. It was only mile 8 and my legs were done. Fried.

The next 5 miles were some of the longest miles of my life. Fading this early was devastating both physically and emotionally. I went into "survival mode" for the remainder of the race. The discomfort was off the charts and my body was screaming at me. I was in such intense pain that I felt like a trauma victim- simply trying to disassociate myself until it was over. I put every drop of energy into maintaining the fastest pace I could manage. And that pace wasn't much. I was in total agony and begging for the race to end.

All aboard the pain train

I crossed the finish line and nearly collapsed. It was obvious to the medics at the finish line that I was in rough shape. Two staff members held me upright until I caught my breath and regained some strength in my legs. I thanked them and had to assure them repeatedly that I was ok before they allowed me to walk off on my own.

Here are the splits. Just based off these it doesn't look like I had a total meltdown. But I assure you, miles 8-13 were disastrous.

I'm disappointed with the outcome of this race because the finish time does not reflect my fitness level. This was a goal race and I did not perform as expected. But it is well-established that success in this sport is based on long-term consistency and steady development. When I take a step back and look at the big picture, I couldn't be more satisfied with the progress that I've made and the direction that I'm heading.

Moving to New York has been a fantastic change for me on so many levels. But one of the best parts about the move was the opportunity to join NYC's running community. There is a palpable enthusiasm and energy in Central Park, at races, and among the running clubs. I've also landed myself on the most supportive and encouraging running team imaginable. I am amazed by the camaraderie, grateful for the friendships, and excited about continued training with this remarkable group of people.

2016 has been an unparalleled year for growth, new experiences, and successful training. I am eager to find out what 2017 has to offer.  

2016 Philadelphia Half Marathon

In May of 2016, after a long break from running, I realized that my training was starting to come together, and I was improving rapidly. But I decided that I did not want to run a marathon in 2016. I'm sure I could have finished a marathon in a somewhat respectable time. But I didn't want to run a marathon until I could do the proper training to run an exceptional race. Instead, I chose the Philadelphia Half Marathon as my goal race of the season.

I started regularly meeting up with my running team, The Dashing Whippets, and developed great relationships with my teammates. I've never met such an incredible group of people. They motivated me, inspired me, and supported me on a daily basis. I was also in regular contact with my coach, Neely Spence Gracey. She provided invaluable guidance throughout the season.

As a result, my training in 2016 could not have gone better. I was consistently running 50-55 miles/week, and I reached levels of fitness I had only dreamed of. During the season I ran a mile in 4:59, a 10 miler in 1:03, and a half in 1:26. I felt absolutely certain that I would have an outstanding performance at the Philly Half. But things didn't go as planned…

I arrived in Philly on Friday morning, did a little bit of sightseeing and picked up my bib. I ran the Rocky steps and fulfilled a childhood dream of mine. After meeting a friend for dinner, I was in bed early, and woke up feeling ready.

I walked to the start line, did a 2.5 mile warm up, and got in my corral. My warm up felt great and reinforced my belief that this race would go well. In fact, I was certain of it. I headed to the start and waited in the corral for about 15 minutes before we took off. My plan was to start conservatively and settle into a comfortable pace for the first 3 miles. That's exactly what happened. The first 3 miles were 6:21-6:23 and I felt amazing. I was completely relaxed and controlled. I felt very confident that I could hold this pace (and probably a faster one) for the entire race.

Miles 4 and 5 were even better. I was completely dialed-in and could not have felt stronger. Then at mile 6 I climbed a hill that was the size of Harlem Hill in Central Park. I tried not to surge up the hill, but just maintain a steady effort. I was able to get over the first hill without any major incident.

But about 5 minutes later, just as I recovered from that hill, I encountered another hill unlike anything I had ever raced on before. It was twice the size of Harlem Hill and even steeper. I did everything I could to maintain control over this hill, but it absolutely broke me and I was never the same.

I simply couldn't recover from this hill, and just as I reached the bottom, there was another massive incline that shot straight up. By the time I reached the top of this 3rd climb I was toast. It was only mile 8 and my legs were done. Fried.

The next 5 miles were some of the longest miles of my life. Fading this early was devastating both physically and emotionally. I went into "survival mode" for the remainder of the race. The discomfort was off the charts and my body was screaming at me. I was in such intense pain that I felt like a trauma victim- simply trying to disassociate myself until it was over. I put every drop of energy into maintaining the fastest pace I could manage. And that pace wasn't much. I was in total agony and begging for the race to end.

All aboard the pain train

I crossed the finish line and nearly collapsed. It was obvious to the medics at the finish line that I was in rough shape. Two staff members held me upright until I caught my breath and regained some strength in my legs. I thanked them and had to assure them repeatedly that I was ok before they allowed me to walk off on my own.

Here are the splits. Just based off these it doesn't look like I had a total meltdown. But I assure you, miles 8-13 were disastrous.

I'm disappointed with the outcome of this race because the finish time does not reflect my fitness level. This was a goal race and I did not perform as expected. But it is well-established that success in this sport is based on long-term consistency and steady development. When I take a step back and look at the big picture, I couldn't be more satisfied with the progress that I've made and the direction that I'm heading.

Moving to New York has been a fantastic change for me on so many levels. But one of the best parts about the move was the opportunity to join NYC's running community. There is a palpable enthusiasm and energy in Central Park, at races, and among the running clubs. I've also landed myself on the most supportive and encouraging running team imaginable. I am amazed by the camaraderie, grateful for the friendships, and excited about continued training with this remarkable group of people.

2016 has been an unparalleled year for growth, new experiences, and successful training. I am eager to find out what 2017 has to offer.  

2016 Bronx 10 Miler

I wasn't racing this at full effort since this race was just a tune-up and part of the training plan. My goal for this race to run the first 7 miles "conservatively". I wasn't really sure what that meant or what it would feel like. But I thought I'd be around 6:30-6:35 for most of the race, and then run hard in the final 3 miles.

Getting to the race was a bit of a hassle. I'm spoiled living so close to Central Park. Once I arrived, I did a 2 mile warm up and entered the corral. Inside the corral I linked up with a handful of teammates, including Jeremy. Jeremy is close to my fitness level and had a similar game plan for this race. So we agreed to run together at the start.

The gun went off and it was SUPER crowded, but it thinned out quickly. After a bit of weaving, Jeremy and I were able to settle into a rhythm. We were clipping off 6:30 pace pretty easily. I was very pleased with how comfortable I felt at this pace.

The course was hillier than I expected. Nothing too crazy, but some modest rolling hills. Throughout the race we saw a ton of Whippets. It was great getting cheers from them and also latching on to other Whippet runners for a few seconds as we passed them. We did not get passed once in the entire race.

At mile 7 Jeremy and I agreed that it was time to gradually start pressing. Now that the "training run" had ended, it was time to race. After mostly restraining myself for the first 7 miles, I was excited to finally open it up and let the horses out of the barn.

By mile 7.5 Jeremy realized that I was on another level, and he let me go. The last 2 miles of the race were incredible. I was blowing by people and feeling amazing. The pace was uncomfortable, but there was so much strength, energy and excitement in this relentless forward progression. There are few feelings in the world like closing out a race with such a big surge.

The finish line came into sight and there was a steep downhill in the last 300 meters. It was fun to sprint down it. Unlike most races, I didn't feel like I was desperately begging to cross the line as it approached. I didn't tighten up, I was relaxed, and even managed a smile as I crossed.

Mile 1- 6:36
Mile 2- 6:33
Mile 3- 6:29
Mile 4- 6:30
Mile 5- 6:21
Mile 6- 6:32
Mile 7- 6:15
Mile 8- 6:10
Mile 9- 6:00
Mile10- 5:36
FINISH- 1:03:33 (6:22 pace)

I couldn't be happier with the way training is going right now. I've got a great coach, a great team, and I'm staying healthy. I'm excited about this path I'm going down and feel as though the sky is the limit.

2016 San Francisco Half Marathon

When I registered for this race in April, I wasn’t planning for it to be a “goal race”. I was not very fit at the time, but my friend, Sarah, just moved to San Francisco and I had never been there. This would be a nice opportunity to catch up with Sarah, explore SF, and run a race for fun. However, May, June and July were very good training months for me. I was able to bump my mileage to 45-50 miles/week and had some outstanding workouts. As a result, I decided to “go for it” in SF.

My primary goal was to break my PR from 2013 which was 1:28:05. I was in very good shape back then, so I would have been thrilled with anything under 1:28 in SF. However, deep down, I felt as though I had the potential for something big. I thought MAYBE I could break 1:27.

After a 3.5 hour delay and a 6.5 hour flight, I made it to San Francisco. Sarah was a gracious host and an outstanding tour guide. On Saturday we ran across the Golden Gate Bridge, ate brunch at Sweet Maple, and went to the market at the Ferry Building. For dinner we met up with Steve, JD and Chrissie at Foreign Cinema in Mission. I hadn’t seen them since moving to NY in December, so it was great to catch up with them. JD and Chrissie also ran the half.

Sunday morning Sarah drove me to the race start as I battled a nervous excitement. I did a 1.5 mile warm-up and it felt terrible! I was sluggish and clunky. I just tried to shake it off and headed to the start. In the start corral I bumped into Miguel and Caroline, 2 running friends from Chicago. It’s amazing how small and close-knit the running community is. Any time you show up at a big race, you’re certain to bump into some running friends.

The gun went off and start of the race was an uphill climb for 3 miles. I probably didn’t do enough of a warm-up, because the sluggishness carried over into the start of the race. While the uphill climb ended up being not as severe as I had anticipated, I still felt heavy and out of sync in the first 3 miles. Nonetheless, I was able to maintain a 6:40-6:50 pace during that time.

Fortunately, by mile 4 I hit my stride. The course flattened out and I started to feel smooth and relaxed. I started clicking off 6:30 miles and was surprised by how comfortable I felt at that pace. It was still a “hard” pace, but the intensity was relatively low.

At mile 6 there was a MASSIVE downhill. I’d never run down anything this steep in my life. I tried to keep Coach Chris’ advice in mind about not losing control on the downhills. But the decline was so steep that I ended up flying down it and had to work to stay upright without tumbling down. I ended up with a 6:07 mile over that segment.

At mile 7 I saw Sarah who was on the course cheering for me. I gave her a quick high-five and kept plugging away. The course was scenic, but I found it difficult to appreciate the surroundings because I was so focused on the race. The crowd support was decent, but nothing extraordinary. I did notice that many of the course marshals directing traffic were part of a biker gang. The race must have hired the Sons of Anarchy to direct the runners.

Between miles 7-11 I just tried to maintain a rhythm and keep a steady focus on tempo. I ran 6:28 and 6:27 for miles 10 and 11. While the fatigue was intense, I still felt strong. I realized I was on pace for a huge result. As long as I could hang on, I would PR (and then some).

With 2 miles to go I was ready to push. I didn’t have enough energy to shift into high gear, but I could still press a bit. I didn’t get passed by any runners in the 2^nd half of the race.

With 1.5 miles remaining I reached the point in the race where the pain was searing. While it was some of the most miserable and excruciating agony I’ve ever felt, I thrive in this stage of a race. These are the defining moments, the point where my body is screaming at me to stop, but I have to dig deep and keep pressing. Where many people would submit to the pain and back off, overcoming it and pushing harder is incredibly empowering.

With 1 mile remaining, I made my move and broke away from a guy and girl I'd been running with. I didn’t have a monster kick or a huge sprint, but it was a good shift. I may have made this move a bit early because the last half mile was BRUTAL and seemed to last forever. I passed AT&T Park, and the finish line came into sight. I sprinted with everything I had and crossed the line with a huge first pump in 1:26:32. I was elated.

I clutched my knees for a good 30 seconds, got light headed, and stumbled around for a bit. But I regained my composure quickly. Sarah spotted me as I was walking away from the finish line. I gave her a big sweaty hug in return for all her support.

After the race I reconnected with Miguel, Erica, Leslye, Lisa, Caroline and Wendy. We went out to brunch and had a great time catching up. After brunch Sarah and I saw the Painted Ladies (Full House houses!), went to Fisherman’s Wharf, hung out in Golden Gate Park, and had dinner in Mission. It was a packed weekend and everything I could have asked for.

Here are my splits. They ended up being relatively consistent despite the hilly course. I couldn’t be happier with where my fitness is at right now. In 2 months I improved my half marathon time from 1:32:30 to 1:26:30. While I’ve put in some great work for this race, I know that there’s so much more work to be done. I’m excited to see what the future holds as the training continues to build.

Mile 1- 6:38 (uphill)

Mile 2- 6:51 (uphill)

Mile 3- 6:49 (uphill)

Mile 4- 6:28

Mile 5- 6:30

Mile 6- 6:37

Mile 7- 6:11 (downhill)

Mile 8- 6:07 (downhill)

Mile 9- 6:35

Mile 10- 6:28

Mile 11- 6:27

Mile 12- 6:22

Mile 13- 6:19

0.1-  0:35

FINISH- 1:26:32 (6:36 avg)

2016 AirBnB Brooklyn Half Marathon

In the weeks leading up to the Brooklyn Half Marathon I was brimming with eager anticipation. My training was starting to click and I'd heard such rave reviews about the race. However, I was not as excited about the 3am wake up call on race morning. My dog was even less enthusiastic.

But despite getting 2 hours of sleep, I was pumped up and ready to run. It was one of those races that I entered with a ton of confidence. Based on recent training, I felt certain that it would go well. Showing up at the start line of mega-races has always been a fun moment for me. There's a palatable energy and excitement.

While I felt confident that the race would go well, I wasn't certain about pacing and where my finish time would end up. My plan was to run conservatively for the first half of the race, and gradually increase my pace if I was feeling good.

The first 6 miles of the race twisted and turned through Prospect Park. I felt good and found a comfortable pace, but it was difficult to maintain a steady rhythm because of the rolling hills. I found myself looking at my watch and checking my pace far too often. But I held a 7:10-7:15 pace as best I could, and was still able to enjoy this part of the course. I felt relatively relaxed here and just tried to run within myself. I hear that term thrown around often- "run within yourself." But what does that even mean? Can you run outside yourself?

After exiting the park there is a flat strait-away for 6 miles down Ocean Parkway. With the hills behind me and 6 miles to go, I was prepared to steadily press on the accelerator.

Around mile 8 the fatigue began to set in. I kept telling myself to relax. I just tried to maintain focus. I was running a sub 7:00 pace, and despite the very significant discomfort, I was able to keep pressing on the gas and increasing my pace.

By mile 10 the pain was searing and intensity was off the charts. This is the point of the race where my body is pleading to slow down. It's also the part of the race that requires a ton of courage (and maybe some craziness). I have to constantly reassure myself that everything will be ok, that I can keep pressing on the gas and I'm not going to fall apart.

I was able to dig deep in the last 5k and put forth everything that I had left. It always hurts so badly and yet somehow I feel thrilled in these moments. At mile 13 the race turned onto the Coney Island Boardwalk and the finish line came into sight. Running on the boardwalk was cool, but would have been more enjoyable if I wasn't experiencing mind-blowing discomfort.

Mile 3 vs Mile 13

I crossed the finish line with a tremendous sense of satisfaction (and exhaustion). Throughout the 2nd half of the race I passed a lot of people, and didn't get passed once. I found this to be both good and bad. It was motivating to catch people, but it would have been nice to be pushed by others.

While I'm not yet in the best shape I've ever been, I'm not far from it. I'm optimistic that my training is heading in the right direction.

Mile 1- 7:25
Mile 2- 7:14
Mile 3- 6:58 (downhill)
Mile 4- 7:09
Mile 5- 7:19 (uphill)
Mile 6- 7:12
Mile 7- 6:50
Mile 8- 7:01
Mile 9- 6:54
Mile10- 6:54
Mile 11- 6:48
Mile 12- 6:43
Mile 13- 6:24
0.1- 6:12
FINISH- 1:32:31 (7:03 avg) 

This was the first race I ran with the Dashing Whippets Running Team. I am so grateful for the way this team contributed to my race experience. I was surrounded by teammates from the moment I walked out my door at 4:00am until I got home at 3:00pm. During the race it gave me a huge boost to see the blue and yellow singlets on the course. At the post-race party it was a blast to meet new teammates while exchanging race stories and words of encouragement. I'm looking forward to more races and training sessions with this group.