Race fuel:

3 hours from start:

• Water

• 2 slices of toast with jam

• 1 scoop of BPN electrolytes (strawberry)

1 hour out:

• 1 scoop of BPN G.1.M+ Sport (orange)

Miles 3 and 6:

• 1 BPN Go Gel (mango)

• 1 caffeinated BPN Go Gel (mixed berry)

Miles 9 and 12:

• Not taken; explained below..

Race Recap:

Pre-Race Thoughts:

At the Bear Creek 10 Mile Trail Race, I had the misfortune of learning what trail running provides. Read more about that here:

I took a week off to rehab the sprained ankle. Started back slow walking and biking. My ankle had minimal discomfort, and runs were short during race week. We are showing up to the half-marathon and we’ll see what the race holds.

Luckily I knew some parts of this course from my marathon back in November, which helped with being familiar with the course.

Hydration:

Nathan handheld with 1 scoop of BPN electrolytes (strawberry).

I will take water at aid stations. It’s supposed to be in the 50’s (feels warmer while running), but I’ve been training in lower temperatures so I might take my 600mL Nathan collapsible bottle for insurance.

Race Map:

Miles 1-3:

I used these miles to gauge how the ankle was feeling and determine pacing for good positioning. I had a nice downhill start, pacing with a friend until mile 3.

These miles had a couple up and downs with a straight section from mile 2 heading to mile 4.

Miles 4-8:

Settled in with a group of 3 runners for the miles to follow. If it wasn’t for this pack, I don’t think I would’ve held the pace I did.

I crossed the 10k (6.2 mile) split at 47:08 which would put me just a little over a 1:30:00 overall. I was satisfied with that split with no discomfort in the ankle.

These miles were all mental toughness with the bulk of the hills within these miles. Glad I took my Nathan collapsible for extra hydration.

Miles 9-13:

This is where I threw out my fueling strategy.

I was supposed to take 2 more gels at miles 9 and 12, but my electrolyte gels didn’t settle well in the previous miles so I opted to not use them. I pushed through knowing I had a rolling section before 5k left.

I told myself from miles 7-9, if I can just get to 5k left I’// be in decent position to go for a sub 1:30:00 overall.

After a climb up to mile 9.5, the course was mainly rolling hills with a downhill back onto the University of Richmond campus.

Finishing time…

1:38:41

The Extra Miles:

I’ll take this effort and continue rehabbing my sprained ankle to get ready for the first marathon of the year. Stay tuned for updates!

I need to work on my middle mile race endurance because I come alive later in races.

I didn’t feel the best with how I handled my nutrition and fuel. Everything was off for some odd reason, not sure why, but nothing seemed to settle well in my stomach. I definitely need to dial that in before the next race.

I came up with the idea of “The Extra Miles” to help summarize race recaps, review what worked, and adjustments needed for race day.

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Although I lived in Georgia all my life, a change of scenery in 2022 brought this chapter to a close. This new chapter would change my perspective. Moving can be unsettling as you reset and refocus, so I gave myself some time to find my bearings and get settled before exploring options for jobs and other opportunities. I found myself indecisive about what would come next. During those months of uncertainty, I missed being involved in sports and found a strong desire to translate my passion into coaching. I began talking with my mentor and old high school coach about the best approach to this new endeavor. Ultimately, this would consist of contacting coaches and talking to anyone I thought could help.

After receiving rejection after rejection, no responses, and flat out “no’s”, I finally got my breakthrough. I was offered a volunteer coaching opportunity for Fall Cross Country 2023 in Georgia. I knew instantly that this would be a great opportunity to get coaching experience, and perhaps even a springboard for involvement in college athletics or Parks and Recreation programs. I realized a year had passed in Virginia without any sense of direction, so I said “Yes!” and packed my car. That first cross country season was short and uneventful, but it motivated me to look for another program. I found a cross country and track/field coach that was eager to have me on board. This position allowed me a chance to stay in Georgia for a whole year. Unfortunately due to cuts in funding, there was no potential of extending my stay into the 2024/2025 season.

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May 2024 saw a new chapter unfold. That year in Georgia had me visualizing where I wanted to be versus where I was. As I reflected on the past year, I began to realize the expectations that didn’t go as planned. If you’ve never reflected, or done a year in review, I highly recommend taking some time over the next couple weeks to do just that. This article by Sahil Bloom shows that even if it’s only for 30 minutes, taking this time will transform your outlook on not only the past year, but the year to come as well. Doing this can highlight both the positives and negatives that lead to growth. Stop worrying about hypothetical outcomes because one choice, one decision, can change the whole trajectory of your life. Don’t live in fear of not capitalizing. Go out and turn your passions into reality one step, one day, at a time.

Day Before:

Shakeout Run: The day prior to stay loose; minimal effort

I do a timed run followed by strides, and a cool down; These vary depending on the type of race and distance.

Race Fuel:

2 hours from start:

• Water

• 2 slices of toast with jam and a banana

• 2 scoops of BPN electrolytes (strawberry)

1 hour from start:

• 3/4 scoop of BPN G.1.M+ Sport

15 minutes from start:

• 1 caffeinated BPN Go Gel (mixed berry)

• Half of a BPN Go Bar

Mile 3:

• 1 caffeinated BPN Go Gel (mixed berry)

Race Recap:

Hydration:

Used a 600mL Nathan collapsible bottle and a Nathan handheld for hydration. This race you had to provide your own cups for water stations, so I made sure to bring enough with me from the start. I drank the full 600mL bottle and had a little left in the handheld.

Two days before I was sick with a sore throat, but committed to the race anyway.

Miles 1-3:

Less than a mile in, while going down the first downhill, I lost my footing and wiped out. What a great start.

The first half was technical with several logs, fallen trees, and other obstacles to navigate. Along with a few creek crossings and rainy conditions making it slicker and not getting proper footing (I was wearing road shoes).

Miles 4-6:

Mile 4 took a turn when I had to jump from a huge log to continue on the trail. I couldn’t see the surface underneath and sprained my ankle when landing on the uneven terrain.

Took a minute to process what happened and to assess the damage; See if I could continue (trail running you’re in no man’s land with no immediate medical help). I decided to take it slow and walk a couple sections before beginning to try and run again.

After contemplating if I should notify a course marshal to get medical or a DNF, I stayed the course and toughed it another 6 miles through the pain (didn’t really have options).

Between miles 5 and 6 I took time to nurse the ankle and shed some clothes in a field while I could, instead of doing it while traversing the trails, since it was so wet and muddy.

My ankle miraculously didn’t affect my running too much. The creek crossings were kind of nice, getting it soaked in the cold water.

Miles 7-10:

I played it safe with my ankle, until around mile 8, then put on a little surge to stay on a sub 1 hour 50 minute pace. I really had to pay careful attention with my footing in some sections to avoid doing more injury and walked when it was necessary.

I knew this part of the course, so I used this to my advantage as I picked off several runners one by one, which really helped with my confidence. While others struggled, I used my training in these conditions to excel.

While the whole race was a muddy, rainy, and slippery mess, the last section felt the worst. I literally had no traction, sliding and couldn’t get a strong footing, but that’s trail racing!

I got to 10 miles, which apparently wasn’t the end. Someone miss calculated the distance and we had to run more mileage, an extra 0.3 miles to be exact.

I crossed the finish line with a time of…

1:48:23

The extra miles:

I wasn’t sure how I managed to run my first trail race on a sprained ankle and not feeling 100%, on top of the not ideal conditions. It rained the entire race with some sections more bearable than some, but we finished a challenging start to the 2026 racing season.

I’ve really worked on my mindset the week of the race to eliminate stress and anxiety the day before the race and while on the starting line. I remind myself that it’s just another run, you’ve put in the work prior and whatever happens, happens.

While injuries are unknown, we’re going to do everything in our power to be prepared to race. These times require patience, as much as you want to train and get back to enjoying what you do. You have to be mindful that there’s plenty more left in the year, missing a training session or race isn’t going to define your season.

It’s not always easy not knowing what you want to do in life. I have always been kind of an outlier when it comes to running, living in a family with no running experience. Growing up I played baseball and some pickup basketball/soccer with friends on the weekend. When baseball didn’t seem to be a comfortable place, I took up gymnastics. It’s still a team sport after all, but with a focus on individual performance; I could succeed at my own pace. I enjoyed that for a few years, it was a good way to explore my interests. It was going great until I broke my collar bone in a tree climbing accident with my brother. At that point we realized gymnastics may no longer be a good option, but I was encouraged to join cross country. That was my first experience with running. I wish I had started running in middle school, but at that time it wasn’t something I thought I would be interested in.

The years went by, not capitalizing on my potential in running. Then, heading into sophomore year of high school, some friends persuaded me to come out for cross country in the fall. This was a reality check for me, I had never run that much. It opened my eyes to what I was able to accomplish, both individually, but also as part of a team. Despite only having that one cross country season before changing schools, I had a great time. It left me wishing I had done track/field in the spring.

After living in the city of Atlanta all my life, my family traded the city life for a more rural lifestyle about an hour south of the city. Once I started in my new high school, everything just felt right. I wasn’t really enjoying my previous high school environment, bus some things you just can’t control. It was quite nerve-wracking showing up to that cross country interest meeting not knowing a single soul, but I was blown away by the reception I received. I felt like I would be a great addition to the team. Everyone was super nice an I quickly made friends, which made the transition a breeze.

Despite all this, I still didn’t feel like I had that passion for running. I was doing it to be involved with a team and to make friends. I hadn’t run but maybe 3 or 4 times all that summer, and twice before the 30 minute time trial to gauge fitness level. Like I said, I wasn’t big into running, so I didn’t commit fully. My beat up Nike tennis shoes had seen better days, that’s for sure. The following weeks were fun in spite of navigating persisting injuries, shin splints then achilles issues. That cross country season taught me a lot about myself. That’s why I continued with track/field in the spring.

I often struggled mentally with the quality of my practice. I would do tempo/repeats with varsity, but that didn’t seem to translate into competitive pacing on race day. Instead of just going in stride, I found myself overthinking my times, and putting too much pressure on myself to perform. During my tenure as a high school runner, I ran varsity only a handful of times and never qualified for the state meet. I wasn’t the fastest, but you could say I was the teammate providing the funny moments, the energy, and the entertainment.

This is TotsRunsFast.

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