The Opening Stride

Hey man, did you forget about Week 5?!

Nope! The draft has been sitting there, patiently reminding me every time I log into Substack that I have an outstanding article to publish. In fact, this past week I got my mileage back up to 40 miles and felt like I was actually making progress in my training.

The second week of August was an absolute pressure cooker. From Monday morning at 5:00 a.m. until Sunday morning at my annual Airborne 4-miler, the heat and humidity only grew in intensity. It’s as if Mother Nature herself is doing her absolute best to create a diamond.

Comfort is a lie!

As much as I wanted to seek comfort during week 5, my desire for a new Marathon PR in Chicago is greater. I know, from experience that these summer runs will yield incredible results in September and October when false fall arrives, if only to give us a small glimpse as to what running in cool weather means before another week in the 90’s. Eventually North Carolina succumbs to the will of Mother Nature and Fall arrives sometime in mid to late October.

Seven of my eight runs throughout Week 5 were with friends. I’m extremely grateful for all of these opportunities and people. Running with friends truly is better than solo running.

London 2027 w/TeamRWB

True friends help keep you accountable by telling you the truth. Truly this is an act of love and mutual respect with the intent of helping. So when Robert tells me he’s been reading my publications, as I’m sure after reading this posting he’ll follow up with an accountability text. This was a week to bring training into focus.

MONDAY morning started like so many others, with the Early Risers. These early mornings are difficult, having friends to meet up with who also have a shared love of running is truly a unique experience in this life. Everyone in this picture is there by choice, of their own free will to willingly take on a five mile run when the rest of the world around us is sleeping.

Some morning runs are better than others. Some runs you feel light on your feet while others you simply feel heavy. Monday morning was one of those runs where the humidity was thick, the air was heavy and all attempts at efficient movement and breathing was near to impossible.

Summer running requires so much more than just discipline, tenacity and consistency in motion. It requires a faith, a belief that summer running is “worth it”. Why else would we subject ourselves to these conditions to run when we have other options? I mean, I’m a free, red blooded American. I can do what I want.

And that’s it. I do what I want. I want to run with friends at 5:05am, so I do.

TUESDAY was ZERO DAY. It was just one of those days where it didn’t work out. That’s alright; days like this happen, and sometimes it’s just unavoidable. Maybe I could chalk it up to a lack of discipline or continue to beat myself up for not having motivation, but that’s simply not what happened today. Life got busy; work demands were numerous, and I simply didn’t have the time.

Days like this happen. At this point in my training, they are a one-off and not something that is consistent or habitual. This is going to happen to you too. Life happens; things that are unexpected take place, and your effort and attention are diverted elsewhere. Use this as an opportunity to give yourself some grace and recognize that maybe your attention truly was needed elsewhere.

Stay healthy and keep pushing forward, even when things take a side-step. If you can wake up the next day, you’ll have another shot at greatness.

So if I woke up on Wednesday, I knew what had to be done.

WEDNESDAY is hump day, and it felt like I was simply trying to get over the hump, yet again. I feel like Mother Nature is forcing my writing to turn into a broken record, repeating over and over again how hot and humid it is. Yet again, here we were on a Wednesday morning, in the pressure cooker of August, and yet again we were going to tackle hills!

Wednesday turned into a two-a-day when my friend Jim reached out to me about starting his running journey! He’s got a goal of running a Marathon and he’s fast approaching 50 and wants to get it done before the years stack on. It was great running with a new runner, especially a man I’ve shared the Rugby Pitch with. He finished the 5K distance on his first night out! Not an easy feat, but I expected nothing less from a man who also enjoys the controlled violence of the Rugby Pitch!

THURSDAY was a busy day of work followed an incredibly hot run through town. I clocked in my 5-miles at an easy pace with an increased heart rate brought on by the ever present heat or maybe it was the humidity. Damn, I’m a broken record.

The day was just another day of stacking bricks in the build. Day over day, mile over mile without giving in to the heat and bitching out. This was the week I was realigning my efforts with the requisite miles to have a great Chicago Marathon.

Help me run London 2027!

FRIDAY. I consider this a Two-a-Day because there is less than 10 hours between when I stopped running on Thursday evening and when I start running on Friday morning. I was thankful and appreciative that we kept this Friday to a “Flat Friday” mantra and kept the miles easy.

SATURDAY was a “double feature” starting with a destination run hosted by my friend Dilon. He’s in preparation for the upcoming City of Oaks Marathon and wanted to get in a preview run along the course.

I had already made some previous plans for a TeamRWB Flag Run later that morning and since I had to be on that side of Raleigh, I figured I might as well link up with Dilon and Jesse and run a new route I hadn’t seen.

The route had just enough hills and thanks to Jesse, he planned a great 10-mile loop that allowed us to run with Dilon for the first 7 before we split paths.

Dare I mention the heat and humidity? Yes, it was still there.

The route followed greenways filled with wildflowers, and also a native Copperhead Snake that Jesse had to last minute bound over and nearly a dozen white tail deer that seemed oblivious to our efforts.

Overall this was a good run that felt solid and I was thankful that Dilon planned the event and Jesse planned a shorter route so I could get to my second event for TeamRWB.

My second run of the morning was with TeamRWB and the monthly Flag Run I host in Cary, NC. I was blessed to be joined by another Raleigh Eagle and we shared some great stories about life and adventures while finishing 3-miles along greenways and sidewalks.

It’s always an honor to wear the iconic TeamRWB Shirt while carrying the flag. We get a lot of waves, salutes and honks from cars. American’s love the Flag and love to see Patriotic (Veterans) carrying it along the roads. I witness it every month!

NATIONAL AIRBORNE DAY

SUNDAY, August 16th, 2026 is National Airborne Day!

I’m proud to say I was once a Paratrooper and a Jump Master in the 82nd Airborne Division. In fact, when I graduated Jump Master School, I was the youngest Jump Master in the Division at that time, just 20yrs old. I couldn’t even buy a beer. Looking back on it some 25 years later and I think it was crazy!

For the most part I did enjoy my time in the 82nd Airborne, spending 12 of my 13 years in that organization.

To commemorate The Division, I decided to run 4-miles within the “Airborne Standard”. This is an annual bench mark in my life. The standard is to run 4-miles in 36 minutes or less while maintaining a 9min mile or better.

Easy work for this POS (Paratrooper off Status)

I ran it solo and enjoyed the run through the humidity. I didn’t push hard and just went with the flow and ended up with negative splits across the four miles.

Mile 1: 8’11” | Mile 2: 8’07” | Mile 3: 8’07” | Mile 4: 7’58”

Total: 32 minutes & 24 seconds.

Well above The Standard.

My life has changed dramatically since those days running down Ardennes. I no longer associate my Military Service as the defining experience that articulates who I am. Today I am much more than just a “Paratrooper” or “Veteran”.

Who I am today I define by the actions I take daily. By how I treat the people I interact with throughout the day and throughout my life. I am a Christian and believe in the Holy Spirit and the resurrection of The Christ. I am not defined by the Uniform I wore or the deployments I participated in.

Who I am today is not who I was then. While I’m proud to have served in America’s Guard of Honor, I don’t let that service direct or dictate my life.

Only on National Airborne Day do I see if the Beret still fits and then go for a 4-mile run and when it’s done, it’s done.

When it was all done and said, week 5 resulted in 40.34 miles. It felt great to be back up at the 40 mile mark and I have plans for going beyond that in Week 6!

The Opening Stride

We’re in the Dog Days of Summer where the heat and humidity is relentless. You can almost feel the pressure of the elements, pushing down on you, squeezing every ounce of water from the skin like a sponge. We know from Charles’s Law, with increased pressure comes increased heat. Mother Nature is bearing down on us and I fear the only natural phenomenon to relieve this much pressure and heat would be a Hurricane.

Week four started with my friends at the Early Risers and continued in a Northwest orientation towards Indiana where I ran in both West Virginia and Indiana. No need to stop in Ohio except for gas on this road trip to see my daughter.

London 2027 w/TeamRWB

I was hoping a few days over the weekend in Indiana would provide some respite from the everlasting southern humidity. I was wrong. The “heat dome” seems to be covering most of the Continental United States of America. There is no escape! All you can do it suck it up and do the work. Many of you are, I see it on Strava and your notes on Substack! It’s inspirational.

This week originally called for 50.0 miles of running. I barely accomplished 60% of that. Some of it my own doing with lack of time management in the front half of the week, the rest of it consumed by driving and spending quality time with my daughter. I knew this Marathon Build was going to be a struggle. The struggle isn’t in motivation or discipline, but rather in time allocation and management.

If you missed my last publication in The Long Run, I have some great news! I’ve been accepted into the “Soaring Eagles” program with TeamRWB and will be representing the organization and raising funds for U.S. Veterans by running the 2027 London Marathon (Saturday).

Change Lives by Donating

I encourage you to read about TeamRWB and my efforts in serving my Veteran community and how you can help in in this cause!

Now, let’s dig into Week 4 of my Chicago Marathon build and how I managed to run 29.86 miles in three different states.

MONDAY morning started like most. I was startled awake by the silent, vibrating alarm on my wrist. This is my own ninja tactic to wake up in time for the Early Risers run without waking up my incredibly beautiful wife who supports me in all my running, as long as I don’t wake her up at 4:30am!

I’m not sure how long it takes, but I’m 18 months into running with the Early Risers and each time my alarm wakes me I start questioning my sanity and the rationale behind these decisions I’m making.

The former is not at easy to answer as the latter. It’s an easy, rational decision to wake up in the wee hours of the morning in a vain attempt to “beat the heat”. Unfortunately the humidity sticks around like a splinter under the skin you just can’t dig out. It’s a constant reminder that Summer is here, for a while.

Despite my mind trying to coerce me into sitting on the couch reading with a nice cup of coffee, my body seemed to mindlessly execute the tasks required to get out the door and start running. I know what this is, this is the result of training. Hours upon hours of training my body to get up, lace up and get out the door.

I’m glad I did and I’m glad I ran with friends. I got in five miles before the sun crested horizon.

TUESDAY was going to be my day to add miles in the aggregate. I had a 20-mile run planned for Saturday in Indiana but I was willing to sacrifice that time for more quality time with my daughter. Did I mention I only see her once or twice a year?

I was determined not to let the heat and humidity squeeze the life out of me. I had a plan to run 3 miles with the Run Club at 6:30pm but I also had important meetings to attend at 8:30pm. My time in the evening was valuable, thus I had to start running early.

Before meeting up with the Clayton Area Runners I stepped out early to get in five miles before the group run. I knew Mother Nature would attack and my response would be pints, nay liters of water left on the pavement. My only counterpunch was to wear my running vest loaded with water and electrolytes and simply get after it.

My solo run was slow and easy. I still lost about a gallon of water!

It was nice to get in the last 3 miles with the club. I have to admit, I was a little jealous on how fresh everyone looked and smooth their running appeared. I felt like I was swimming through a pond and barely keeping my head above water.

WEDNESDAY is “Hump Day” or better known amongst the Early Risers as “Hill Day”. I was going to put that name to the test because over the last few weeks I feel like the group has been avoiding the hard hills scattered around our small town.

The Wednesday run was an absolute sweat fest! From the first step in the direction of the hills to the final step at the parking lot, it was downright miserable. The air was so thick we almost needed a machete to clear the way ahead of us.

Heat and humidity is easy to feel, but here in The South you can literally see it in the street lights. The yellow lights form a near perfect inverted pyramid, shining down on the street. This image is courtesy of 100% humidity and a dew point high enough to kill the mere mortal.

The runners who tackle this heat aren’t normal.

THURSDAY morning I woke up in the great state of West “By God” Virginia. This isn’t my first time through the State Capitol, Charleston, but this would be my first time running along the river. I woke up early on Thursday and took to the trail.

By all accounts this should have been a picturesque run through the Wild and Wonderful terrain of West Virginia along the Kanawha River.

Unfortunately, like many state capitols, the river trail was scattered with homeless people who appeared to be in different states of drug induced psychosis or just natural mental struggles.

I know West Virginia joined the Union in the Civil War but the humidity firmly plants this state in The South! There was no respite from the Summer temps, so I sucked it up and continued on down the river.

Help me run London 2027!

I’m glad I did!

The Capitol Building was decorated for the 250th Anniversary of America and I had the place to myself. Coincidentally it was also the halfway point and turn around for my morning run!

FRIDAY morning I was in the cornfields of Indiana and the wheels fell off! Nothing went as planned. Not my pace, not the route, not the effort. Everything felt heavy and every step was a struggle. I’ve experienced this before and know that it’s a short ordeal and by tomorrow I’d be feeling back to normal.

I had planned on a 5-mile run, some of which along the backroads through the cornfields to recon my upcoming 20-mile route. Once I got on the roads I soon realized it was extremely dangerous.

The cornfields butted right up to the road, that was marked for two lanes but that was a stretch. There was no shoulder for me to jump onto to avoid being hit and I didn’t want to cars to make the 6” swerve over into the oncoming lane. In addition, I’m certain most drivers had never seen a runner on those roads and thus would not be on the lookout. It was simply too dangerous.

TeamRWB supports Veterans

I opted to run around the local grocery store parking lot and think about how I was going to tackle my long run the following morning.

SATURDAY would be the last day that I’d run for the week. This was also my planned 20-miler. I’m 100% confident I could run 20-miles right now as it’s not an intimidating number. I had all of my gear ready for this run.

I prepped everything the night before in the hotel. I had my shorts, socks, shirt, vest, gels and gu’s, water bottles and watch at the ready. I found a route I could run along a greenway that provided restrooms and water points.

This was the run that wouldn’t be.

It wouldn’t be 20 miles. It wouldn’t even 13.1 or even 10. This run wouldn’t even break past the 4-mile mark.

I was happy to get a 5K done.

This run was cut short for many reasons.

• I was feeling heavy, dehydrated, and out of sorts.

• My mind was everywhere but on the task at hand, running.

• I woke up late and actually turned off my alarm without noticing.

• I was on a serious time constraint because we chose to go to the Indianapolis Zoo that morning, hitting the road by 8:30am.

This run was downright miserable. I couldn’t believe it! If the wheels fell off the day before, today the engine seized up. I think I walked part of every mile and couldn’t get it together. It was a miserable experience.

On this day, I did not enjoy running. I was glad it was over.

However, I knew this feeling would pass. I just needed to get some good food in me, decent rest and get back home.

Low Mileage for a Marathon Build

Adding up all my running mileage and walking miles I completed 33.38 miles for Week 4 of the Chicago Marathon Build. This is still 17 miles short of my 50-mile goal, so that’s a bit of a let down. I’m not letting that derail this build and my goal is still unchanged at a 3:30 Marathon. Right now my COROS prediction places me at a 3:28 Marathon and that prediction is usually pretty close to reality.

While this week wasn’t a complete success, it wasn’t a total failure either. Just five years ago I remember being happy to have hit 30 miles for the entire month!

I’m looking forward to Week 5 and hitting my stride as best I can. Mother Nature is doing everything she can to dissuade me. Temperatures are in the 90’s all week with high humidity and a “real feel” of 100 or greater nearly every day!

Donate Today!

I’m proud to announce that I’ve been accepted in the Team Red, White and Blue “Soaring Eagles” initiative to run the 2027 TCS London Marathon on a charity bib!

This is an absolutely incredible opportunity where my passion for running has aligned nearly perfectly with my purpose of helping my Veteran community. I love helping my friends and community and I also love running. While I don’t have any plans on obtaining the 8-stars of the Worlds Majors, this is a good start and a great way to support an incredible organization and run London with fellow Eagles.

TeamRWB is a nationwide 501(c)3 organization that enriches Veterans Lives by hosting in-person events through local “Chapters” led by local volunteer leaders. These events range from running, rucking, cycling, hiking and rock climbing to social events and service events such as volunteering. The heart and most effective efforts of the organization happen at the Chapter level where local leaders build individual relationships and community.

Donate today to help Veterans today!

TeamRWB additionally hosts virtual events that build community through shared activities and friendly competition, such as pushups, rucking, yoga, and more. The organization goes above and beyond by providing in-person expeditions to incredible places such as the Dolomites in Italy and hiking Everest Base Camp and more. Each of these in-person and virtual events does two things that we find Veterans searching for after service. Finding purpose and people.

I’m proud to serve my Veteran community as the State Coordinator for North Carolina. In this position, I am able to serve Veterans from Manteo to Murphy by providing guidance, resources, and direction to the eight chapters across the Tar Heel State.

• Fayetteville / Fort Bragg

• Sandhills / Camp McCall

• Camp Lejeune / Jacksonville

• Wilmington

• Raleigh

• Charlotte

• Asheville

• NC-NC: Covering all geographic areas not covered by any of the Chapters above.

You can find all Chapters across the United States along with all Virtual Events and Expeditions within the TeamRWB app available on Apple and Google or logging in on the website.

Donation Perks!

I know that many of you reading this may have the calling on your heart to give to a veterans organization. Your money is valuable, and I implore you to do your research. I’m confident you’ll find that TeamRWB is an open and honest non-profit with incredible leaders and volunteers doing incredible work to enrich veterans’ lives.

In addition to having a calling to give, some of you may want some other incentives and perks to donate. So I’ve come up with a few initial offerings to entice you to give to my particular charity bib. You have a lot of runners and charities to choose from, so why choose me?

• $10 Donation - Receive a Thank You card and an RWB decal sticker.

• $20 Donation - I will mention you by name on my Instagram reels or post thanking you for your generosity. (Only if you approve)

• $50 Donation - You will receive a genuine souvineir from London.

• $100 Donation - TBA (Still thinking on this one. Do you have an idea?)

• $200 Donation - I will write a dedicated article on my substack where you are the main feature! This article will be written by me, no A.I hacks and will be an article worthy for print and sharing with your friends and family. You’ll love it!

• $300 Donation - I will be your personal “Hype Man” at your next race. (*Prior coordination required). I will have a loud speaker, megaphone, signs and never-ending words of encouragement throughout your race!

• $500+ : You’re amazing! I’ll pace you at your next race in NC,SC or VA! (If I can keep up) (*Prior coordination required)

Message me! Let’s figure out how I can be your dedicated Hype Man at your next race ($300 donation) or how I will pace you at your next race ($500) located in North Carolina, South Carolina or Virginia.

An Article All About You!

The London 2027 Build

If you’ve read this far, I hope you’ll continue reading as I write about my London 2027 build starting in January. Through this publication, I capture all of the training highs, lows, and realities of training for a Spring Marathon.

As of this publication, I am currently in Week 4 of my 13-week build to the Chicago Marathon in October 2026. My training is coming along nicely with a few hiccups here and there but enough miles to make the race interesting!

If you make a donation of any amount, I will acknowledge you in my weekly publications and will gladly link your social media, company, or profile in any of my posts.

Thank you for your time, and if you donated, THANK YOU!

The Opening Stride

Week 3 of my 13-week build to the Chicago Marathon had serious time constraints as I had obligations beyond just training. I’m not a paid runner, not a professional, and certainly not a paid “influencer”. As much as I’d love to get paid to run, the reality is I have other work obligations, family commitments, and service to my Veteran community that is important to me. Each and every one of those requires a resource that I am ever losing: time.

With so much iron in the fire, getting in my weekend “long runs” was near to impossible. Instead, I used my time to volunteer and to engage Veterans and fellow TeamRWB Eagles throughout the Spartan: Asheville race weekend.

I knew I’d be short on mileage. In fact, I was just 11.5 miles short, a distance I could have easily done had I not had time constraints.

There are limits to what we do. Often, those limits are self-imposed, and more often than not, we can push beyond those limits given the right friend or coach by our side. In my case, my c-worker is a Disabled Veteran and unable to run, so instead of taking off solo for my long runs, I decided to spend quality time with a fellow Eagle and foster a friendship that can result in helping thousands of Veterans across the state.

My limits this week were, in fact, self-imposed. In fact, I made the choice to spend time with a fellow Veteran, and the consequences of that choice meant my weekly mileage was short.

Leave a comment

Monday: Summer Slow Down is Real

I started my Monday like I do most Monday mornings. Waking up, thanking the Good Lord for air in my lungs and blood in my heart, and asking for the strength to carry out His will. Then, my next thoughts are, “Is this really what you need me to do, to run at 5:05 a.m.” Apparently, the answer is yes, because for some unknown reason to me, I have the strength and discipline to ignore that inner bitch and go run.

It’s not the waking up at 4:15 a.m. that is great, nor is it the drive to the start that is exciting. During those moments, my mind makes every attempt to betray my body and convince me that I’m better off mentally and emotionally with drinking a cup of coffee and relaxing on the couch with two fur-critters we refer to as house cats.

Really, the best way to start my week is seeing my friends and doing something hard together, I.E: running 5 miles at 5:05 a.m. I may not be all with it for the first 10 minutes of the run, but eventually, I am fully awake and accepting of the reality. I accept it because I know at 5:55 a.m., when we are done, I will feel better for having chosen to do the hard things in life as opposed to taking the easy path.

Tuesday: One and Done.

I had planned on Tuesday being a two-a-day, but alas, work took it out of me, and I spent the majority of my day behind the computer screen, earning a paycheck.

Back to getting paid to run, if you think I could be an “influencer” in the running space, let me know, because clearly I’m too old, fat, and slow to be a professional. Those days are long behind me.

This week was the closing week of the Tour de Clayton, and I was just two stages short from finishing my 3rd year in a row. With limited time at the end of the day, I jumped in the Jeep and scooted down to the city park to complete Stage 9 of the TDC.

This wasn’t a terribly hard run, and I didn’t push the envelope because this year, unlike the previous two years, I wasn’t trying to win. I’d be happy with simply finishing the TDC!

Wednesday: Double Down

AAs you’ve read already, this week had some serious time constraints that I knew would reduce my weekly mileage. I already knew Saturday and Sunday were a wash, so I had to make up some time on feet when I could. Wednesday morning was that day!

I grabbed my running vest, kitted up, and met up with the Early Risers on Wednesday morning at our usual time. The only difference this go-around was that I’d be continuing on for another five miles to make it an even 10.

The August humidity is heavy and fills the lungs. When I’m yearning for a breath of cool, crisp air, alas, it’s a heavy mass of water that inhibits my breathing and makes me question summer running.

This run was a slow grind, traversing well-worn paths along streets I’ve memorized. In my vest, I had one soft-bottle full of straight H2O and the other mixed with BPN electrolytes. Over the course of 10 miles, I did a 2-to-1 ratio of sipping H2O and Electrolytes and ate a few fruit bars. This strategy was perfect as I never felt dehydrated and low on energy.

This was just a long, slow, easy 10-miler, and I was okay with it.

I was supposed to double down on Tuesday and failed. So Wednesday was my day, and I took full advantage of the time I had. After 10 miles in the AM, I was back at Fare Game with my Run Club for another 5K. This was again a very easy pace, and I was satisfied with getting more time on my feet.

Thursday: A Brush with a DNF!

This was it! The final day to complete the Tour de Clayton, and I only had ONE stage left! Unfortunately, that stage is located in a local nature preserve, and it closes when the trails are wet.

It had also been raining nearly every day for the last 10 days. The trails seemed to be permanently closed.

Fear was setting in that I would DNF the TDC! I’m not even sure how that’s possible since I am the damn Race Director!

Luckily, my friend Rhonda, who also needed to complete the stage, went out and spoke to the local Ranger! He would allow us a 2-hour block of time to run the stage! So with just 15 minutes to spare before the 12:00 p.m. deadline, I made it onto the trail, met up with Carlos and Jessica, and we knocked out the final stage for all three of us!

In the evening, we had our annual TDC Finale celebration and awards ceremony. While this was a very informal event, everyone had a great time with a lot of conversations and laughs!

I ended up running the Deep River 5-miler per usual and afterwards held the microphone for the awards ceremony. It was absolutely incredible to see so many people enjoy this friendly competition this year. The heat and humidity were absurd, and running outdoors at times was on the verge of insanity!

Even with those grueling conditions, we had 50 finishers out of the original 96 people who signed up! Truly, this was a good time.

It was such a good time that I didn’t end up leaving the Brewery until well after 9:30 p.m.

Why is that such a big deal? Because I’d be back on trail at 5:05 a.m. the next morning.

Friday: Flat Fridays

This would be my last run of the week. I knew it, but nobody else did.

We have an agreement with the Early Risers that Fridays will be flat, but nobody said anything about requiring an “easy pace”.

So without any discussion on pace, I stepped it out the first few miles before dialing it back to average the pace out to 9’05”.

This was the perfect bookend to my week of running. It started with my friends at the Early Risers and ended with my friends at the Early Risers.

It’s really such an incredible and rare thing that I’ve found a community of runners who are willing to voluntarily show up at 5:00 a.m. for a hard run before the day gets started and life gets hard.

I recognize how incredible this is and often wonder, “How did I get so lucky?”

Saturday & Sunday: Volunteering!

My weekend was spent at the Tryon International Equestrian Facility, where the Spartan: Asheville race was taking place all weekend.

If you didn’t know, I am the State Coordinator for TeamRWB in North Carolina and often find myself with the pleasure and opportunity to engage with Veterans of all eras and cheer them on when they tackle hard things, like the Spartan Race.

While I didn’t do any running this weekend, emotionally I was filled with gratitude and love from engaging with so many people.

My immediate supervisor and leader within TeamRWB, “Sal,” flew up, and we finally got to meet in person. For a man who covers all of the Southern States, for him to make time to meet in person was invaluable and appreciated. It was great getting to meet him and learn more about TeamRWB operations and the future of the organization.

The Opening Stride

Who want’s easy anyway? NOBODY.

My training plan for week two called for 52 total miles of running, to include a 16-mile-long run. In all honesty, I haven’t run more than 10 since May 3rd, at the Mountain Goat 10-miler in Syracuse, NY. Mentally, I was prepared for this week; physically, I knew it was doable, but emotionally, I wasn’t sure I was ready to dig deep into training. 50+ miles a week takes sacrifices, not just from me but from my wife. Running takes time, time on the trail, and often time away from my wife. Despite my worries, I have a supportive wife who knows my passion for running and understands the importance of running the Chicago Marathon.

You may be thinking that my 13-week training block is pretty short for the Marathon, and conducting a 16-mile run in week 2 is aggressive. Under normal conditions, you may be correct, but my monthly running is anything but “normal”. This week, I hit 25 months of consecutive 100+ miles months; consistently running has become a normal part of my life. I’m comfortable running a half-marathon without worry of pain, injury, or a DNF.

I was excited to start this week, knowing most of my runs would be with friends. The miles go by quicker with conversation, and my pace becomes better regulated. This would be a good week of running.

Monday: A Run with the boys.

I’m a free American Citizen, a grown man, I can do what I want. I could choose to stay home and drink coffee. Yet I refuse.

It’s been nearly 18 months since the start of the Early Risers. A group of runners who voluntarily meet up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:00am for a 5-mile run or more. It’s hard to even fathom that this has become a “normal” part of my life, waking up at 4:15am and on trail at 5:05am.

The plan this morning was for 6.5 easy miles, which meant I was going to keep my heart rate below 130bpm and enjoy the run at an easy conversational pace. Luckily for me all of the women took the morning off, because each of them can run

Tuesday: Rx “Zero Day”

Earlier this year, I hit that most important age when my doctor looked down at his chart and then looked me straight in the eye and asked if I wanted my colon inspected, you know, for cancer. Without any hesitation, I said yes. After all, I do have a family history of cancer. Better safe than sorry.

I started my mandatory fast on Sunday evening after dinner and went all of Monday without eating. Tuesday morning, I finished my last Rx of laxatives to clean me out, leading to my procedure at 1 p.m. At this point, I’ve spent nearly 40 hours without eating and only on a clear liquid diet!

My voluntary examination went off without a hitch, and I’m happy to say everything came back clear with no concerns from the doctor. I’ve been given the clearance to wait another 10 years until I go through that process again!

The worst part of the entire process was fasting and the laxatives!

The Doctors Orders were no physical activity for the next 24hours, an order my wife was adamant I would follow. This means no evening run on Tuesday, no morning run on Wednesday with the Early Risers.

I spent the remainder of my day on the couch hanging out with my wife and our very affectionate cat “Jinx”.

Wednesday: 4 Runs in less than 3hours.

My 24-hour ban on running ended at approximately 2:00 p.m.!

Work and vacation have taken up at least a week of this month and set me back on my quest to complete the Tour de Clayton. I figured Wednesday evening I’d knock out a few more stages of the TDC along with participating in our club’s weekly Wednesday run.

The training plan called for 8.5 miles. My plan was to split that up into four separate runs, each completed back-to-back.

My first run of the day was a 2-mile time trial. I was rather excited for this because during my time in the Army, our Physical Fitness Test (APFT) consisted of 2 minutes of pushups, 2 minutes of sit-ups, and then a 2-mile run for time. I would consistently run my 2-miler between 1:30 to 1:30. I honestly haven’t put forth a dedicated 2-mile effort in nearly 15 years. This would be a first!

Amazingly, I finished my 2-mile run in 1:30! This is the same pace I was completing this run nearly 20 years earlier! It felt great to know I could knock out that pace double the age from when I was a young paratrooper pounding the pavement of Ardennes St.

I followed that 2-mile effort up with a 2-mile interval run of 3 minutes of running and 2 minutes of walking. It was a great way to recover and lower my heart in 90°F summer heat.

My third run of the evening was “The Beast”! A short 1.87-mile stage of the TDC that featured a prominent uphill portion that serves as the origin of the name. I took this run very easy and didn’t push myself at all. I was able to run about 1/3 of it with friends, and throughout my effort, I saw more runners completing additional stages of the Tour de Clayton.

The final run of the evening was with the Clayton Area Runners at our standard Wednesday 5K. I was able to run with a new runner and talk about running, life, and got to share my passion for the club and the enjoyment I’ve found in running.

Honestly, I don’t think I was fully hydrated from my near 46-hour fast, and that first 2-mile effort took all the wind out of my sails. The remaining three runs took all I had to finish. I was cooked.

Thursday: To the Front!

Our part of North Carolina has been in a severe drought all summer, but on Thursday morning you’d think it was all resolved. It felt as though the Great Lakes themselves were dumping onto the sandy soil of the Tar Heel State. Flash flood warnings were sounding all day long.

The Week 4 Bonus for the Tour de Clayton was to be in the front row of the Thursday evening Run Club photo. I made sure the club knew that we’d be taking the photo, no matter what the weather conditions were. Rain or not, we’re taking the bonus photo!

As fate would have it, we arrived for the Run Club photo and the rain had ceased! Nearly 30 people lined up for the bonus photo! Even better, nearly 90% of those in this photo completed the 5-mile course, because it too is part of the Tour de Clayton!

Usually, 75% of the group completes the 5K route, but tonight after the rain had cleared out nearly everyone was going for the 5-mile!

I had a good run, spending most of it running with new-to-the-club runners and finishing up the run with my friend Jennifer who is the admin side and keeper of the Leaderboard.

After finishing up the Deep River 5-miler I went back out for another mile to hit my planned 6 miles on the day.

Friday: It was a lie!

Comfort is a lie!

After a great evening at Deep River, my alarm was vibrating on my wrist and waking me up at 4:15 a.m. As soon as I took my earplugs out, all I could hear was the torrential downpour of rain hitting the roof.

I made my way to my office, sat on the floor to lace up my running shoes, and all I could hear were these giant plops of rain smack against the roof. Just when I was contemplating running in the rain at 5 a.m., my cat Wren made her way into the room and decided the best thing to do was to plop next to me and turn her purr box on high.

That’s when I capitulated to comfort and decided I was not, in fact, running in the rain on a Friday morning.

It was a mistake. I should have gone.

Only later, around 6:30am did I see that the dedicated group of Early Risers did show up, and the rain had stopped just before they started. As soon as I saw the morning picture, I knew immediately that choosing comfort was a lie! I should have gone.

To make up for this lapse in judgement, I made my way to the YMCA and decided 5 miles on the treadmill was sufficient for missing out.

I set the treadmill to 1% and 6 mph (10’00” pace) and stepped off to complete the 5 miles.

Saturday: Runners in the mist!

A small group from the club linked up Saturday morning for a long run. I had 16 miles planned for Sunday, so my run Saturday morning was only for 6 miles.

The weather was about as perfect as it could get for a July morning run! Despite the humidity hovering at 100%, we ran in a cool mist in 68 degrees that kept you cool enough to keep running at a good clip. At one point, the mist turned into heavy rain, but it didn’t last long, and the mist was back. The air can only hold so much humidity before nature lets it go.

I got in an easy 6 miles at a conversational pace that set me up perfectly for my Sunday run.

Sunday: A Double Down 18-miles!

I put out an open invite to the club to join me on the American Tobacco Trail, located on the west side of Raleigh, for a Sunday Long Run. For me, this would be 16 miles that was broken up into an 8-out and 8-back along a trail with multiple water points and a few restrooms along the way.

As the week wore on, it was clear there were not a lot of people interested in trekking 30 minutes across the city for a 16-mile run. It’s July, it’s hot and humid, and with so many trails to run closer to home, it honestly wasn’t too surprising.

I was fully expecting to run these miles solo; however, the American Tobacco Trail is always full of people, so I wouldn’t really be solo.

To my surprise, my friend Alyssa showed up following a long night at a concert. Despite her apparent tiredness, she was ready to roll at 7 a.m. I was happy to hear she’d deal with my slow pace of 9’00” for the first few miles. Her goal was 11 miles total, but when we hit the 5.5-mile mark, she was willing to go another mile to reach the park with its water and bathrooms.

After a short break at 6.5 miles, we split ways, her returning in the direction we just approached, and me continuing on to my 8-mile turnaround.

My hydration, electrolytes, and nutrition were on point. At no point did I feel tired or out of it. No cramping and no gut issues. The only issue I ran into was getting my music to play from my Apple Watch.

The miles continued to tick along as I passed many runners of all abilities and was often passed by runners going much faster than me. Although every time I was passed, I convinced myself they certainly were not running 16 miles!

I finished my run feeling good and decided I had the time and means to get back on my side of town and attend the Tour de Clayton, Stage 10 trail run organized by my friend Renae.

TDC: Stage 10 on the trails.

Had Renae not organized a trail run for the club, I honestly would have just gone home. While the 16-mile run wasn’t terribly difficult, I was ready to get home to shower and eat.

However, I had the time, so I made my way to the State Forest and met up with friends. It was great to see so many people showing up at 11:00 a.m. for the meetup and to knock out this 2.08-mile stage through the woods.

In all honesty, I was depleted. This run was much harder than expected, and I was just happy to get through it. I walked the hills and even took a spill when leaving a wooden bridge. Luckily, I didn’t injure anything and walked away from the fall.

It was a great way to close out the morning and round out my weekly mileage beyond 50 miles.

The Recap

Of the 52 total miles planned, I ran 51.03 miles (a 98% completion rate). I’m happy and satisfied with that effort and even more encouraged as I did it with no pain or discomfort. The only real suffering was derived from my 46-hour fast and dehydration.

Mentally, I am all in on this training block. I know what I want to do in Chicago and I know what must be done. This will be my fifth marathon and I’ve learned so much on the previous four that ignorance is no longer an allowable variable to derail my goals.

Emotionally, running 50+ miles a week is challenging. I really do enjoy spending time with my wife. In fact, one of the primary reasons I do run so much is that I want to live a long life, spending all of it married to the same woman. The more fit I am, the longer I’ll live and the more time I get to spend with my wife. Running is a means to that goal. I’m very lucky that my wife understands I’m not “running away” from her or using it as an excuse to spend time apart, but instead using it to cement a greater possibility of a longer life with her.

Socially, I couldn’t ask for a better group of people or a better run club to be with during this training block. On many occasions, I’m running with people whom I’ve completed earlier training blocks with. Runners like Renae, Anthony, Dwayne, and Ken. In addition, this summer training block has me sharing the miles with new friends as they build towards their next race.

This was a successful week of running. One I’m proud of. I haven’t logged a 50+ mile week since March and I feel confident going into the approaching weeks where the mileage will continue to build and the workouts will continue to get more difficult.

Leave a comment

The Opening Stride

Did you really eat 10,000 calories a day?

This was a real question asked to me this week, referencing my 4-day vacation to the Bahamas, which included an overindulgence into all things food and drink. Had I tracked my caloric intake over those four epic days, I may have come close to setting a new PR on total calories consumed in a 96-hour period.

I was concerned going into Week 1 carrying all this extra weight from the buffets. As if the tight clothes and bulging stomach weren’t enough, Mother Nature decided to turn the air into soup by ramping up humidity to near 100% with the near-record-setting temperatures. In all honesty, it’s absolutely brutal and oppressive to stand outside, let alone run. Shade provides no relief, and it’s nearly impossible to drink enough water to replace lost fluids. July is tough.

My Marathon plan called for 45.0 miles this week. I haven’t run over 40 miles in a week since May.

Add all that together, and I was a little apprehensive about going into Week 1 and overly cautious about injury. Despite all of this, I was less than three miles short of my training plan. This week I logged 42.37 miles and included one-zero day spent at the lake.

Monday: Vacation is Over.

24 hours prior to this run, I was walking through Epic Universe in Orlando, FL, eating and drinking my way through all the lands. Running was the last thing on my mind. I was in full vacation mode and enjoying it.

Eight hours prior to this run, we were arriving at Mickey’s Corporate Office (MCO) to catch our flight back to Raleigh. Just three hours prior to this run, we were walking back through our front door and accepting that we were back to real life.

Then I had to run.

My wife couldn’t believe it. It was incredibly hot and humid outside, and we just got home. Here I was talking about my “Marathon Build” and how getting in the miles is a non-negotiable.

The Marathon is Fucking Hard. I’ve done four of them, and I’ve never finished one and felt great when it was over. Training is required, time on feet is mandatory, and the miles must be run. So that’s exactly what I did.

With a few extra pounds of water weight and legs rested from four days on the water, I hit the trail for an easy run along the greenway.

My wife wasn’t surprised I was back to running; she was surprised I was going solo. She knows me so well. As soon as I’m home, I’m usually back to running with friends.

Tuesday: Tour de Clayton 2026

We’re in the midst of the Tour de Clayton, and having been on vacation for a few days, I fell behind a few stages. So in good form, I reached out to Robert to see if he’d run in the AM with me, and without hesitation, he was in for this 3.29-mile run at 6:00 a.m.

Unfortunately, he should have had some hesitation. His “bad knee,” which he had surgery on, is not his “good knee,” and the other one, which was good, is no longer good. Damn! What can I say, running in your 40s has risks; unfortunately, alternating knee pain is one of them. I’m just hoping this one doesn’t require surgery followed by six months of recovery and rehab! I need my friend on the trail.

Despite the pain, Robert pulled through, and we tackled the hills and stepped it out down the hills.

Overall, this run felt good for only being my second time lacing up after the vacation. It was clear on this run that my digestive system was still playing catch-up from the onslaught of calories!

Two-A-Day Tuesday

I hadn’t planned on Tuesday being a double-header, but after receiving multiple messages from new runners who would be attending Run Club on Tuesday, I felt it necessary to get out and show my face. I also hadn’t run from Vinson’s in probably two months, so it would feel good to get back to seeing friends and running a known route.

One particular young lady was turning 13 years old and was celebrating by running 13 miles all over the region! The Tuesday Run would be the final four miles of her goal, and I wanted to be there to help her and her crew with directions and some motivation.

I spent the entirety of this running traversing between packs of new runners, making introductions, providing some motivation and overall guidance to the route and the club.

While this run was rather slow as compared to my normal average pace, when it comes to marathon training, I’m happy to get more “time on feet”. The more time on feet I can get, the better off I’ll be in October. It’s not about the pace or distance, it’s about time.

Wednesday: The Early Risers

I’m amazed every week! Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, a group of runners meets up at 5:00 a.m. to get in a 5-mile run starting at 5:05 a.m. Before joining the Run Club, I might have been able to name one or two other people with the infliction of being an early morning runner. Somehow, in the past 18 months, we’ve garnered roughly 20-25 people who consistently show up throughout the year to run so early.

I decided to use this time to complete another Tour de Clayton stage, and that’s exactly what I did. With a new runner, Arec, on site, I asked if he wanted to tag along since he wasn’t familiar with the downtown region. It was a good run, getting to know this fellow soldier and hearing about his life and running. Certainly, he’ll be a great addition to the Early Risers.

The TDC Stage 8 was short of the 5 miles, so once I finished the miles, I started up another run to round out the morning.

Thursday: With the Run Club

Raise your hand if you’re doing 5K. ~98% Raised their hands.

Raise your hand if you’re doing 5 miles. ~2% Raised their hands.

Like running through soup. The humidity was thick enough to scoop out of the air and put into a zip-lock bag for professional analysis. Coupled with heat, this was a downright difficult run.

I’m not sure what phenomenon is happening this week; maybe the heat is driving people crazy, but we keep getting more and more new runners! That’s a great thing, of course. Whenever we have new-to-the-club runners, I try my best not to let them run alone. In the process of running with the club, I talk about the route, life, and what the club is like. All in hopes they continue to show up.

This run was no different. I spent the first two miles with a couple of new runners, and I stayed at their pace. Again, I was focused on ToF and not so much pace for the first couple of miles. Where the 5K and 5-mile routes split, I was one of five people who went the further distance and started my log plot down the route.

Completing five miles isn’t an issue. I had my water, and I was feeling back into the groove after a few days of running. However, every quarter-mile was a challenge, and the heat seemed to be relentless.

I finished last in the entire club. This isn’t the first time this has happened, and honestly, I’m okay with it. This is about time, not necessarily about miles.

The post-run beer and street tacos were the perfect way to end the evening.

Friday:

The Tour de Clayton had over 90 people sign up! With certainty I can say that we’ll have less than 40 people actually complete all 12 stages. At first it sounds easy, 12-stages to complete in 30 days. Surely anyone can find time for those runs, but the weather and heat and life always pose such incredible hurdles that our attrition rates rise!

One of those athletes who will complete the 12 stages in Ashley. She reached out to me and asked if I could run with her through downtown because she wasn’t familiar with the area. Of course I said yes, and with that my Friday morning run was pre-determined. I’d be doing Stage 8 again on Friday.

Ashley and I completed a run/walk iteration for the 3.52 miles of TDC Stage 8. Once that was complete I linked up with Maureen and her daughter for another two miles. They were finishing up eight miles on the morning and I finished right at 5.40 miles.

This was yet again another run that was well below my median pace, but that’s alright because I’m building the base and that comes from many Zone 2 runs. I was happy to help my friend finish her stage while also accumulating more time on my feet.

Saturday: ZERO DAY IN THE WATER

Saturday was an absolute ZERO day! I was hosting our Run Club’s 4th annual Lake Day Social. This is a non-running social at a nearby lake where we have a potluck BBQ and spend the day on paddle-boards and in tubes.

I didn’t eat like a complete asshole, but I did have a few hot-dogs and other items laid out across the table. One such item was the Gluten Free - Sugar Free Berry tarts that a fellow runner made. They were absolutely incredible!

It was a long day on the water and when I got home at 6pm, I was dehydrated and tired. I was sure my plan for running 14-miles tomorrow was shot. I had to come up with another plan! There was no way I was going to do the entire distance outdoors.

Sunday: Monthly Flag Run

I’d planned the Monthly Flag run with TeamRWB well before my vacation. Luckily, my friend Dave showed up, and we stepped off for a loop route of 3 miles while carrying Old Glory and representing TeamRWB.

Or so we thought. I mean, I had the route on my COROS Pace Pro.

After the first mile, we got turned around and took a branch off the Greenway and just kept going. Sure enough, after some time, I looked at my watch and realized we were much further away from the pre-planned route than expected.

In fact, we were going in the opposite direction.

Once we realized our error, we turned around and got back on course.

Throughout the run, we had multiple honk their horns and wave hello. Americans still enjoy seeing Old Glory out and about. It felt great to represent Veterans and TeamRWB on this run.

When it was all done and said, we turned a 3-mile run into a 5-mile run. The good thing is it wasn’t much longer than that because I would have required water, which I didn’t bring with me.

While the longer distance was unexpected, it meant I had fewer miles to complete later in the day.

I simply felt obligated to finish these 14 miles I had on the calendar, and I made the decision I would absolutely not do these outdoors. So I headed to the YMCA after a shower and a protein shake and hit the treadmill.

The benefits of running indoors outweighed my absolute disgust for the treadmill. I had water and a toilet nearby in addition to air conditioning and a steady breeze from a fan.

You’d think all of these creature comforts would make me comfortable; however, it was just the opposite. I was ready to call it after 1 mile! I was sweating more than expected in the climate-controlled gym, and the treadmill became extremely monotonous after the first 5 minutes.

That’s when I scrolled through all of the options, found a “YouTube” app, and did a quick search for the London Marathon. I found a GoPro video from a runner who completed the 2026 London Marathon, all 26.2 miles, and decided to put that on. Then I just started running.

Like Forrest Gump, I just kept going. Fellow runners and walkers hopped on and hopped off the treadmills while I remained. I saw people come and go from the YMCA and get in full workouts in the amount of time I was running.

My determination to complete nine miles and thus round out the day on 14 miles was unwavering. One foot in front of the other, I just kept moving and finished it out. Of course, all of it was at a 1% incline to mimic road conditions as closely as possible.

The Recap

At the beginning of the week, I was apprehensive, but as the miles stacked on and the week progressed, I fell into a groove and got back into the game. I think the Zero Day on Saturday really helped. I also went to the climbing gym and got in multiple climbs on Wednesday evening. It was a humbling experience that exposed some serious weaknesses in my fitness.

It’s never good to be a one-dimensional athlete. Rock climbing exposed this fact.

Despite my inexperience on the walls and lack of forearm strength and climbing technique, I had a great time meeting fellow veterans and getting back on the walls. I hadn’t climbed in nearly 20 years! It made me want to get back into the sport!

Overall, I’d call Week 1 a success, despite being short on miles. I ran with a lot of friends and helped new people get oriented to the Run Club. I also got to do two TeamRWB events and meet up with fellow veterans.

It was an extremely busy week, but that’s my life. I choose this life.

I choose to run and I choose to run the Marathon.

Not because it’s easy, but because it’s REALLY FUCKING HARD.

Did you hear that laughing?! That was God while you were making plans.

I thought I had a solid plan in place for my 13-week Marathon Build to the 2026 Chicago Marathon. My PTO was approved, vacations planned, and my spreadsheet was filling out nicely with weekly mileage goals and enough long runs to make me nervous. I do enjoy planning, not nearly as much as executing, but planning is exciting because it is very much an exercise rooted in numbers and driven by optimism.

I’m still on track with my original 13-week Training Build going into the Chicago Marathon. I have a solid base and can currently run a sub-two-hour Half Marathon without overexertion or injury. I’m still comfortable with this shortened training block and believe I’ll have a successful Chicago Marathon come October. However, things have changed, and my build requires serious modification. But before that, let’s look at the last 30 days leading up to this build. It’s been a while since I’ve shared anything.

For the past month, I’ve been running mostly solo as I’ve been traveling across the country. I’ve run in the beautiful spring weather of upstate New York and then the high heat and elevation of the Mojave Desert. I am very much a social runner and enjoy logging miles with friends and helping new runners find a passion and joy in the sport and community. So when I find myself with consecutive solo runs, my overall mental and emotional health wanes just a bit.

June was a difficult month, spending nearly 80% of the month on the road and not home with my wife or logging miles with friends. In addition to the solitude at the hotels and solo miles, a good friend, leader, and mentor succumbed to his battle with cancer this month. It always hurts when God calls home the good ones. I’ve experienced a fair amount of loss in this life, like many of you reading this, and this one universal fact always echoes in my heart in times like these.

The hurt is so great because the love was so great.

I was fortunate enough to make one final phone call to my friend Darin J. Hendricks. His son put me on the phone with him, and despite his growing brain tumor, he was laughing, conversing, and looking forward to days ahead. For one last time, I was able to express my gratitude and his impact on my life, thanked him for everything, and told him that I loved him. Darin’s time in my life was relatively short, just a few years, but those years were pivotal and impactful moments in my life. I really believe God placed Darin in my life for a specific purpose; it couldn’t be coincidental; the impact was too consequential. His impact on my professional life and career is immeasurable.

Eventually, I was able to close out June with 111.11 total running miles! Throughout all of it, I kept discipline, kept lacing up, and continued hitting the pavement.JULY: CA → NC → FL → Bahamas → FL → NC in 13 days.

This was all part of the plan leading into the Marathon Build. My work schedule was locked, followed immediately by our four-day MSC cruise to the Bahamas. My time at home was very short before departing again, this time bound for Port Canaveral with my wife. Once I touched down in North Carolina, I was back on the road within five days, this time driving south for a much-needed vacation.

I haven’t run on this vacation at all. Not one mile, not 500ft. I haven’t even laced up my running shoes. I took it off 100% and replaced all those running miles with calories! I’ve successfully eaten my way through four days of vacation. No doubt my run this evening is going to be rough, but I’ve got 6 miles on the calendar and that’s what I’ll do.

For a last-minute surprise for my wife, I booked us a hotel near Universal’s Epic Universe and decided to hit the park for the day. For the better part of 10 hours, I walked just over 20,000 steps and ate nearly as many calories per step.

This was another incredible adventure with my wife, Elizabeth. She is so much more than just my wife; truly, she’s my best friend, travel companion, confidant, and soulmate. Here we were riding Yoshi’s Adventure while overlooking Super Nintendo World!

We have more adventures planned for this year. All of which take place within the next 13 weeks. All take place during my Marathon Build to Chicago, and none of them make it easy to run!

Week 1: Day 1 (July 13th, 2026)

So here we are, finally at Day 1 of Week 1 of 13 for my 2026 Chicago Marathon!

I woke up this morning at the Tera Luna hotel at Universal Studios, and as I write this, I am on a flight from Mickey’s Corporate Office (MCO) to Raleigh-Durham. So, let’s dig into Week 1 and what’s supposed to happen this week!

• 7/13 - Monday (today): 6.0-mile “Easy Run” - This is not determined by pace or heart rate, but rather “easy” is a feeling, and I have a feeling this evening’s run is going to be rather difficult given the 40,000 calories I’ve consumed over the last 4 days.

• 7/14 - Tuesday: 5K at Race Pace +/- 15 seconds. For me, this will be in the range of 7’45” - 8’15” per mile.

• 7/15 - Wednesday will be 8 easy miles with the Early Risers at 5:05 a.m.

• 7/16 - Thursday is my standard 5 miles with Run Club, with extra effort up the hills and easy pace on flats and downhill.

• 7/17 - Friday features an easy 6 miles with the Early Risers at 5:05 a.m. This will be an easy pace leading into the weekend’s “Long Run.”

• 7/18 - Saturday will be a short 3-mile run before attending the Lake Day Social with my Run Club.

• 7/19 - Sunday is the day for a 14-mile Long Run at a very easy and acceptable pace well below race pace. The restraint on this run is a pace between 9’30” - 10’45”. This is approximately 90s to 165s slower than my race pace.

Again, with the optimism! This plan is approximately 45 miles in Week 1, a very achievable workload that is not beyond my capacity and won’t push me into the zone of potential injury.

That’s what is supposed to happen. Did you hear that laughing?

A “Go Bag” of a Different Kind.

A “go bag” may have different purposes for different people and circumstances. A quarter century ago, my “go bag” as a Paratrooper was a Ruck Sack, packed and ready to be wheels up within 18-hours for a no-notice worldwide deployment. Back then, my only hope was it’d be hanging between my legs as I exited for a Combat Jump into some foreign land to assert American Presence when called upon. I never had to use that Go-Bag.

For my wife, a Go-Bag is a solid piece of luggage that is perpetually 40% packed that she’s ready to cart-off to the airport for a short-notice girls trip. For survival and a quick getaway far from the impact area of our local Nuclear Power Plant, I have a Go-Bag with food, water, medicines, first-aid, and more. Thanks, Netflix, for making Chernobyl feel so real. I’m out before the sky is glowing.

For my Chicago 2026 build, I will need a Go-Bag of a different order. One filled with running shoes, shorts, shirts, electrolytes, and water bottles.

Of the 13 weeks planned for this build, I will only be home for four of them.

Where will I be, you may be wondering? I recommend following this publication as I travel, run, and write. I will give you a glimpse into what is to come. I’ll be traveling across North Carolina on multiple trips, then onward to further destinations such as West Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Canada, Alaska, and Hawaii. Some of these are work trips, while others are simply for vacation, and at all of them, I will be incorporating all of my marathon training.

My “Go-Bag” in this case will be a dedicated piece of luggage that holds nothing but my running gear.

For the next 13 weeks, I will be posting at a minimum every Sunday to close out my week of training. In those posts, I will capture my running plan, nutrition, and delve into the physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects of training for the Long Run.

Subscribe now

It’s a phrase that I think we’ve all seen. More recently made famous by Des Linden after winning the Boston Marathon in 2018. The words are simple and the phrase is short, yet taking these seventeen letters and putting them into action takes a lot. Some days it takes all you got, other days it doesn’t take much at all. Yet when combined and put into practice, over time, the results can be incredible.

To get better at anything in life takes practice, repetition, trial and error. Running is no different, to get better takes an accumulation of effort over time. Conditioning the body and increasing cardiovascular capacity and muscle strength requires increasing stress on those systems. This is the good stress, the kind that triggers cellular growth and solidifies the gooey adhesive that keeps the mind and emotions connected and in rhythm. This type of stress is controlled, measured and introduced into our lives on purpose, however this doesn’t make it any more comfortable.

Not everyday is sunny and 70℉.

Showing up when it’s sunny and 70℉ is easy. It’s easy when you know your friends are all meeting up at the Brewery in October for a 5-mile run. When the setting sun drops temperatures from 72 to 65 and the miles seem to just disappear as a friendly conversation ensues. It’s easy and enjoyable. Your light on your feet and the air is easy to breathe. These types of runs make it easy to show up. These runs count. They all count.

Yet not every day is sunny and 70℉. More often than not, the days we want to run are not our ideal or perfect running conditions. For instance, my perfect running conditions are 45℉, low humidity in the early morning 60 minutes before sunrise. Those conditions only exist in North Carolina a handful of times throughout the year; the rest of the time I’m running in less than ideal conditions. So will you.

Comfort is a lie.

I often feel like I’m living through the story of the Odyssey. The sirens call to me, their songs woven with the sweet honey sound that coffee is better for me than running. Their seductive songs try to lull me back to sleep when I’m making the best effort to roll out of bed at 4:17 a.m. They are tricksters, making every attempt to convince me that I can achieve my goals through comfort, that improving cardiovascular capacity can happen on the couch, and muscular strength and endurance only need those workouts in the air-conditioned gym.

The reality is those are all lies. Their calls of comfort will not help me achieve these goals that I have set nor prolong my life. If you want to get better at running, you’ve got to keep showing up, putting in the miles, and getting in the reps. You’ve got to get out there and do the work, precisely when you don’t feel like it or want to.

Get comfortable, being uncomfortable.

Every runner, no matter how experienced, no matter how many miles they’ve run or can run, will have a “great” run every time. There are simply too many variables involved that create the conditions for a “great run” and too many factors that can disrupt even the best of conditions. All of these things affect how your run will feel: sleep, stress, anxiety, nutrition, hydration, sickness, recovery, temperature, humidity, wind, altitude, and more. Odds are one of those factors is going to throw you off.

But here’s the good news.

There is a phenomenon with running that is experienced across the wide spectrum of runners and athletes.

Often, it’s precisely those runs where everything feels off—the first mile is terrible, and Mother Nature seems to be personally attacking you—that yield some of the best runs of your life. Don’t give up or surrender when putting on your shoes is difficult, getting in the car is cumbersome, or you arrive at the trailhead late. Stay persistent and go anyway. Just Keep Showing Up. You might find that it’s after those runs that your entire mood shifts to the light, and you feel a sense of accomplishment for doing the hard things, even if they were just putting on your shoes and getting to the trail.

Don’t expect a miracle on race day if you haven’t put in the miles.

Great performances at races are the result of the training leading up to the event. It’s not about racing to secure a place in your age group or overall podium position. Instead, it’s a race against yourself—you vs. you. This involves setting realistic goals and having a clear vision of what you want to achieve and how to accomplish it. It’s about having clear expectations of your performance based on the training effort you’ve put in. You must consistently put in the reps, the hard work, even when no one is watching, when things are challenging, and when everything feels off. Simply put, you must keep showing up. Only then can you expect a solid performance on race day. Only then do Miracles happen on race day.

Just Keep Showing Up to Run Club.

I say this to every new runner who I talk to at Clayton Area Runners. The more you show up, the more faces you’ll recognize and the more names you’ll know. Over time you’ll start identifying other runners that are in your pace and distance cohort and you’ll start to find runners that inspire you and those whom you can seek for guidance and advice.

With nearly a decade of running with the club, I’ve made two observations that continue to repeat themselves over and over again. These two phenomena are bound to happen; I’ve seen them many, many times.

Two things are bound to happen:

You will make friends.

You will become a better runner.

It’s inevitable. Simply by putting in the reps and staying consistent in motion, you’ll get more fit, and when you do this with other people, you’ll absolutely make new friends.

**It should go without being addressed, but the saying “Just Keep Showing Up” does not mean to keep running if you are hurt. There is a distinct difference between pain and being uncomfortable. Don’t use this motto or publication as a justification to run through pain or to ignore injury for the fantasy of improvement because it won’t happen.

It’s hard to fathom it that less than 30 days ago the Early Risers were meeting up on a Monday morning and actually complaining about the 46℉ morning temperature. Since that early morning on May 15th, our temperatures have risen to a record-setting 103℉ in the afternoon. Our Early Risers runs had an average of 72℉ at 5:05 a.m this week.

I’ve been living in The South for nearly 30 years and every year I know the high heat and humidity are coming, but somehow I’m still always surprised how quickly the change happens. It seems like Mother Nature just decides to flip a switch and without notice we go from Spring into days upon days of 90+ weather with a relentless humidity that would suffocate a Hippo.

I’ve spent this week hydrating and taking in electrolytes throughout the day leading into my morning and evening runs. The evening runs being the absolute worst throughout the week with heat indexes well over 100. Summer running takes planning, preparation and an understanding that your heart rate will be up while your paces will be down. It also takes a belief that your consistency for the next 100 days will lead to some very fast and fun runs this fall.

During the week I got in a Wednesday Run and Thursday run with the club and both days were incredibly hot. In fact, Thursday set a new High Heat Record at Raleigh-Durham Airport with a temperature of 101℉. With record heat and a 6:30pm run I decided to help out the club by placing a cooler with ice and water on the course where our 5K and 5M routes diverge.

I’ve been making it a habit over the years to bring a cooler with ice and water when temperature is predicted to be over 95° at any of our club runs. Not only is this a physiological necessity for water, but it’s a great morale boost and mental boost when you find yourself in the hot sludge of a summer run.

This week has felt like a serious struggle. My weekly mileage goal is 30 miles per week and as I’m writing this I am still three miles short of hitting my goal. Before this post is published I will get out on trail and begrudgingly get the remaining miles completed to hit my goal. I know of a good shaded path that will help keep me semi-cool for this effort.

The best part of this week was our Friday Early Risers run made a changeup and switched locations of a neighborhood north of town. The best part was that the nearby Coffee shop opened at 6:00am, just when our run finishes. In this heat and humidity their iced coffee’s were a great relief and there renovated interior had plenty of space for us to sit around and talk while taking in a post-run meal.

The rest of the group got a kick out of my running hat. I saw it sitting on the shelf and felt it was appropriately created just for runners like me. I’m glad it got a smile and laugh out of a few people as that’s always a good way to start the day.

Men’s Mental Health

For a few moments this week I really thought I was having a hard time in life. I have a lot of obligations and responsibilities and sometimes it feels suffocating. The actions I need to take daily to be successful start to feel more like a burden on my life than a blessing. There are two things in my life that never feel like a burden, my family and running. I had to focus on that fact throughout the week and continually remind myself that these responsibilities are a result of my own actions and that these responsibilities placed upon me results in making peoples lives better.

This week I spoke to multiple Real Estate Lawyers along with my family and I’ve been praying over what decisions to make that will affect the lives of my siblings and their kids. These decisions and their consequences weigh heavy on my mind and soul. It’s a constant stress on my life that isn’t getting any easier.

I’m the oldest of four siblings. So much older in fact that I remember changing all of their diapers and remember them all walking for the first time. There is a natural and inherent responsibility that falls on the oldest that feels like it never really fades, no matter how old we all get. However, the older I get the more I realize there truly is no responsibility for other adults, siblings or not, but that doesn’t diminish the sense of responsibility.

In addition to all of that I am still running a small business, on where other peoples livelihoods depend on the success of the business. It’s a massive weight of responsibility to run a business that provides for employees.

Then comes the responsibilities to my Veteran Community and my Run Club and of course my duties to my 9-5 job that pays me the most.

Even with all of that, I didn’t even touch on my PTSD symptoms that seemed to have impacted me more this week than previous weeks.

And through all of that, all I want to do is run.

Running gives me an hour where I am in complete control of my pace, effort, distance and social interaction. I can choose to run with others, talk or have some runs in moments of silence. It’s a 60 minute window where I practice meditation through movement. It’s important to my mental health to allocate time to running. The stronger I am mentally, the better off I am across the spectrum of responsibilities in my life.

This brings me to Men’s Mental Health Awareness month.

The situations and responsibilities I described above may be unique to me, but the mental and emotional effects of that stress are common for most men. I’ve seen many of my friends go through serious ups and downs, mental battles and emotional wars and one thing is for certain, it’s never easy alone. A good friend will be a confidant and a source of good morale guidance and encouragement. For men, sometimes that nudge we need is as simple as “Quit being a bitch. Hell, it ain’t that bad”

And that’s exactly what I told myself this week. Just when I thought I was having hard go of it, I put things into perspective and changed my mindset.

I have a friend who is dying. At a very pivotal and influential time in my life the man provided me with phenomenal Leadership, Mentorship and Guidance through his actions and words. His sons and brothers are looking after him in these final days. Now that is a man, a family having hard time.

Often I find that all it takes for me to adjust my mood is to change my perspective of my conditions and then start to take action that propels me forward. I naturally don’t do well with sitting still and I’ve found doing something, anything is helpful in these times that feel heavy.

Mental health is another reason why I enjoy writing this publication. It provides me an opportunity to think deeper on topics, evaluate my perspective and develop my thoughts and emotions into meaningful words that I hope have impact on you, my readers.

We are exactly four months out from the 2026 Chicago Marathon! I was extremely fortunate to have won the lottery back on December 11th, 2025, and have been looking forward to this race for the last seven months. Last year, I had a few friends run the Chicago Marathon, and each of them explained just how incredible the entire event is.

This will be my first World’s Marathon and may be the last. Not my last marathon, just my last World’s because I still want to run Paris, Big Sur, Coeur d’Alene, and a few others. This will also be my second Marathon in 2026!

My wife and I visited Chicago for the first time last July and really enjoyed the city. For this race, my daughter is coming up to cheer me on! I’ve secured a hotel that is on the course and just two blocks from Grant Park, where the start and finish are located.

What’s even more exciting than simply running the Chicago Marathon is that I will be on course with a handful of friends from Clayton Area Runners! My friends Shelby, Kevin, and Amanda are all locked in for Chicago. Running in a marathon with friends is an incredible experience, but what I’ve come to realize is that it’s not the race that makes it so special; it’s the weeks upon weeks of training and the shared training miles that make the experience so amazing.

Each of us is on our own training plan and has a specific build that is tailored to our specific strengths and weaknesses. We each have our own individual goals for a finishing time but we have one shared goal to enjoy the race!

My specific build will be 13-weeks-long and starts on Monday, July 13th, 2026. I’m going into this build in a better state of fitness than all previous races. I’m consistently running 30-40 miles per week without pain or discomfort and I am confident I can run a 1:45 Half Marathon. Honestly, the only thing difficult about that mileage is finding the time to run, not the running itself.

This build is far beyond “normal” by any measure. It takes place across multiple weeks of travel and I’ll be completing TWO Ultra-Marathons during the build. Yes, you read that correctly, and yes, I know it sounds downright ridiculous, but I’m doing it anyway.

The Build

This will be my 5th Marathon and I’m going into this build in a better state of fitness than all previous races. I just completed a 10K in 48:04 (7’44” pace) that wasn’t too pressing and I finished knowing I could have done more. I am consistently running 30-40 miles per week without pain or injury and I am confident I could run a 1:45 half marathon. I will also begin this training build at my lowest weight in decades although I still have an excess of bodyfat to shed to reach full potential and speed.

This build starts with 45 miles total on Week 1 and the peak-week clocking in near 75 miles. Training will be a mix of easy long runs, interval training, tempo runs and strength training. All of this is for naught if I don’t support the effort with proper nutrition and hydration. This training build is built with a holistic approach with focuses on Nutrition, Running, Strength, Stretching and Swimming.

• Week 1: July 13th - 19th | 45.00 miles

• Week 2: July 20th - 26th | 48.00 miles

• Week 3: July 27th - August 2nd (Asheville) | 52.50 miles

• Week 4: August 3rd - 9th | 43.00 miles

• Week 5: August 10th - 16th (Charlotte)| 53.50 miles (Copperhead Strike 50K)

• Week 6: August 17th - 23rd | 59.50 miles

• Week 7: August 24th - 30th | 63.50 miles

• Week 8: August 31st - September 6th | 66.00 miles

• Week 9: September 7th - 13th (Alaska) | 54.00 miles

• Week 10: September 14th - 20th (Alaska) | 47.00 miles

• Week 11: September 21st - 27th | 75.00 miles (Hinson Lake 24hr / 100K Ultra)

• Week 12: September 28th - October 4th | 50.00 miles

• Week 13: October 5th - 11th: (Hawaii) | RACE WEEK

My goal for Chicago is to run a 3:30 Marathon and enjoy the race, the scenery and the experience of running through this incredible American City.

More importantly, I hope to have a great Marathon Build with friends and fellow runners from Clayton Area Runners. I’ve learned in the previous four Marathons that training with friends is a remarkable and amazing experience.

Running and Writing

Starting with Week 1 this publication will transition back to a weekly accountability format to highlight how my week of training was executed as compared to how it was planned. The weekly post will include stories of success and failure, highs and lows, and, hopefully keep you entertained as I explore the physical, mental, emotional and social aspects of training for The Marathon.

I had a really great week of running and racing, facilitated mostly by great weather. I hit my weekly mileage goal and logged a couple of runs in the 7’s and set a new 10K Personal Record on Saturday! All of this while completing 99% of those miles by myself. It was an absolutely great start to my summer running.

As much as I love running with friends it felt great to get in a week of solo runs. It gave me the space to think and reflect on many things. In those moments between deep thoughts I found myself taking in the explosion of life that was happening all around me. After a harsh winter, Mother Nature was painting a picture full of light, colors and movement highlighted by the smell of wildflowers and the perpetual movement of life.

Morning temperatures were in the 50’s with evening temperatures reaching as high as 78 with very little humidity, no clouds and just the faintest of breezes. Each and every day I hit the trail there were more and more people outdoors. It’s always great to see people getting active outdoors!

This past week was a variety bag of running. I ran on paved roads and trails next to a lake, a trail run through the woods and a 15K race through shaded neighborhoods. There were some fast runs in there and some slower, more relaxed runs. It really was a great week of lacing up and doing what feels most natural, running outdoors.

One of the perks of being so far north is that it was bright enough to see clearly by 5:10am and the sun was up by 5:45am. No need for a headlamp when running early this far north! On Tuesday I was up and on trail by 5:30am and enjoyed a 5-mile run along the water with the sun at my back for the last 2.5 miles. The illumination of the park as I was running into the green was an incredible sight and feeling.

After a full days work I had a choice to make. More running or take in a AAA Baseball Games at the Syracuse Mets. The choice was easy on Taco Tuesday when the ballpark enticed me with three tacos for $14! I decided 5-miles was enough running for the day and with the weather being so incredible I had to take in America’s Pastime during our 250th year. I’m glad I did!

Wednesday morning provided an opportunity to explore some more trails. I’ve worked in Syracuse enough that I’ve damn near run all of the nearby trails and didn’t want to go put in more miles on trails I’ve already worn a path into. So with a little help from my friends at TeamRWB and Google Maps, I found the Beaver Lake Nature Center.

This place truly is a hidden gem in the region. Located just 30 minutes outside of Syracuse and provides nature trails a learning center and a concession stand in the summer that features all of the snacks a kid would love on a hot summer day.

The Nature Center features a walking trail that circumnavigates Beaver Lake with multiple ancillary trails to enjoy the surrounding forest and marsh land. With some time restraints my only option that morning was to complete the 3-mile Lake Loop which would be enough for me.

The trail was a mixture of boardwalk over marshland and wood chips. While not explicitly marked for wheelchair access, I do believe you could get around well enough. There were no roots, rocks or impediments that hindered my running. It was a smooth, flat trail that allowed me to take in wild flowers, animals and ferns instead of focusing on the 10ft in front of me.

Wednesday was also “Global Running Day” with the local Fleet Feet store hosting “The Big Run” at the nearby park where I’ve ran hundreds of miles. With such incredible conditions continuing throughout the day, I had to link up with the local TeamRWB Chapter and enjoy another 5K run that evening.

Fleet Feet Syracuse hosted a great event with food, drinks and a planned out-and-back 5K course along the park roadway. It was great to see so many runners gathering together to enjoy this shared sport.

Thursday was a complete rest day with zero miles or time in the gym. I wasn’t sure what was going on, it had to have been my diet because I was feeling lethargic all day. My wife claims I simply do too much, which can’t be true, no way! It felt great to take the entire day off and just relax.

Rest Days. They are essential. Just like a “cut-back” week. They can really reset things.

Friday was a travel day and the best way I know how to start a travel day is with a morning run. In fact, it’s probably the best way to start most of my days, especially if the weather is near-to-perfect for a run.

I was up early just before sunrise and stepped out for my 5-mile run along the same lake path I’d been running all week. The road and trail was pretty empty at 5:30am despite plenty of light and the sun on the horizon. It was a cool and easy run brought on by a full rest day the day before.

My route was an easy out-and-back route that was 2.5 miles each way. I knew there were restrooms available at the halfway point and I figured I’d need them at my turn around.

I really didn’t understand how badly I would NEED them.

On my way out the roads were empty however I did pass one runner going the other direction. It was Christine, whom I met just the day before at The Big Run and pictured above.

She seemed surprised to see me on trail, maybe she thought I was lying when I said I run everyday. I can see how it would be reasonable for someone to look at me and make that assumption.

Regardless, we crossed paths and I kept going to the turn around as planned. Then at Mile 2 I had an urgent and immediate need to sit down in the porta-john. Unfortunately it was still a half a mile away! My friend Heather’s advice was ringing in my ears: “You should take Imodium before you run.” This is advice from a Nurse of 20+ years and fellow runner with thousands of miles on her feet.

I thought I could make it to the porta-john! I thought I had the mental power to overcome and to stop the physical expulsion of what had already coursed through miles of my intestines. I couldn’t. I didn’t make it!

To state simply. IT WASN’T GOOD.

In the process of taking care of things in the confines of the plastic commode, my friend Christine must have passed back by because I never saw her again while finishing up my last 2.5 miles.

After some last minute packing, a shower and a change I was back in the air with the Atlantic to my left and The South to my front.

Run the Quay: 15K Challenge

This is my third year running this race and it’s become an annual occurrence now. I really do enjoy this course as it winds through the shaded neighborhoods of Fuquay-Varina, NC with its always changing elevation. The hills are nothing intimidating and the flat spots are just long enough to catch a stride before your back uphill. As with most routes in this part of the state, it’s downhill to a creek, then back up hill with a possible flat spot between undulations. I like it. It breaks up the Monotony.

The first of the two races in the challenge is the 10K with a start time of 7:00am sharp. I’d already decided that I was not going to “Hammer Down” and truly race this event. My goal was to go out strong, keep a consistent effort and let the pace fall wherever it does. That’s exactly what I did, but what happened completely shocked me.

While there was only 20 people in the above picture, we had nearly 50 runners signed up for this event. Let’s be honest, getting a group picture at a race is difficult!

Of those runners who signed up were my friends Anthony and Jon. Both incredible runners who I view as much superior to me. I’ve always viewed them that way, I still do.

As for Anthony, I didn’t see him until the follow on Social at the local brewery where he disclosed that I beat him! He saw me, gave a valiant effort to catch me but said it just wasn’t happening.

I was shocked. To have run a faster 10K than my friend Anthony feels like I’m living in the Twilight Zone. It doesn’t make sense.

As for my friend Jon, he has higher priorities in life other than running. A father to a new Baby and working full time leaves little time to dedicate to running. Regardless of that, I never thought a day would come that I would race a 10K faster than him.

The first mile is all downhill. I was stepping it out and clocked that first mile at 6’59” and Jon was still ahead of me. I did my best to keep him within eyesight and by Mile Two he was nearly an entire city block ahead of me. I chalked it up that I wouldn’t see him again until the finish line. That’s just the way it’s been for years.

Something happened on one of the hills and Jon downshifted just as I was gaining momentum of the hill. I passed him. I couldn’t believe it. For the next four miles I never turned around to see if anyone was behind me. I kept my focus forward and ran with the knowledge that at any moment Jon would come running past and putting the universe back in balance.

Alas, that moment never arrived and I finished the 10K just ahead of him.

Mark it on the Calendar! I finished a 10K race faster than Anthony and Jon.

Following a short break the 5K started at 8:30am and off we went. By this time temperatures had increased another 7 degrees and the sun was noticeably higher. I stepped off and kept a pace that wasn’t comfortable but wasn’t overtly demanding.

I passed some people but mostly got passed by others. That didn’t bother me. I was grateful to simply be on trail and enjoying 15K’s of running in freedom instead of working.

Before the 5K started to dial up any discomfort it was over and I was on my way to the local brewery for the post-race social.

One of the best surprises of the day was for my friend Kean. His wife and daughter surprised him at the race by showing up! It was unexpected and another great opportunity to meet his family. My friend looked happy and ran fast! There must be a direct correlation between feelings of happiness and race performance.

After the race I was laying on the couch and using the percussion gun for recovery when my son approached me with a very scientific observation and recommendation. I told him achieved a new 10K PR and how fast I ran.

He wasn’t impressed. Are our kids ever impressed?

Here was his response, verbatim as he patted my stomach.

You know. If you want to run faster you need to lose weight. From my perspective, you can lose an additional 10-15lbs, especially from your stomach.

He’s not wrong.

My 20-year old son who resides on the Autism Spectrum really does care about me, just when it comes to scientific, evidence based observations there’s no need for emotion. The facts are there and he felt it necessary to tell me.

He wasn’t beating me up, in fact he was trying, in his own way to help me be a faster runner. I just wish he could have had more tact about it. Regardless, I love the young man and he’s not wrong.

As you’re reading this I’m on the way to the YMCA to get in a 2-mile recovery run followed by an hour of lap swimming. It’s been a year since I did any lap swimming and I’m anxious and excited to see how this goes!

Maybe with this extra body fat I’ll float a little better! We’ll see.

Today is the first Wednesday in June, meaning it’s Global Running Day! A day to celebrate the sport and culture of running. A day to encourage all people to get outdoors and get active, to continue the journey towards wellness by incorporating running into their regimen.

Running is natural to human development, instinctual and hard-wired into our very being. We all wanted to run as toddlers, and many of us still have that yearning to run well into adulthood. Nobody had to teach you how to run. Most likely, running came so naturally to you that you wanted to run into the road, run in the house, and run into parking lots and danger. In fact, that’s when adults started telling you to “stop” running. So you did. You went against your instincts to be compliant and safe.

Running is a natural antidote to the stresses of life, nourishing the human spirit and helping us feel better. Running releases endorphins into the body that reduce stress, the feeling of pain, and help you feel calm and relaxed. In addition to these endorphins that overall make your life better, the body releases additional chemicals into the brain that alter your mood and well-being.

Dopamine

• Helps you feel motivated and rewarded

• Gives you a sense of accomplishment after a run

Serotonin

• Helps regulate mood

• Can reduce feelings of anxiety and sadness

Norepinephrine

• Improves focus and attention

• Helps your brain handle stress more effectively

The physiological effects of running are real. They are real for me and millions of others who have made running a regular part of their lives. This isn’t just about becoming physically stronger, faster, or more capable of running further. Running for many is about mental health and emotional resiliency.

The Running Community

The running community can be absolutely amazing. Full of and representing the entire spectrum of people who live on this Earth. The culture of running has an inherent and shared understanding and knowledge that running can be hard, and to get better takes discipline, consistency, and effort. Those actions and choices that are necessary for the development of improvement cannot be bought, downloaded, or upgraded. To be better, you must do better, and that takes an immense amount of effort.

Effort is an individual action. It’s not predisposed by race, creed, religion, or region. All people of the world who embark on a running regimen share this hard-earned knowledge. Running unites us all in this shared suffering. This shared experience of elation when hitting a goal. This shared improvement in our mental health and emotional resiliency. When we do better individually, our community does better collectively.

This is why it’s important to celebrate and cheer our fellow runners when they set a new personal record or personal best. The time or distance of their PR or PB doesn’t matter; what matters is we bear witness to our friends and those fellow runners and recognize that through hard work, they are better today than they were yesterday. We recognize that hard work takes discipline and often sacrifices. We know this because each of us experiences it through our own individual relationship with the sport. While our experiences in running are individual, they are not unique.

Closing out Global Running Day

I decided to close out the day by attending the Fleet Feet sponsored “The Big Run” here in Syracuse, NY. The weather was absolutely incredible with a Carolina Blue sky, a slight breeze that barely moved the leaves, and temperatures in the upper 70’s. It was truly a gift from God to experience 6 miles today in these conditions.

Community. That’s what running is to me.

It’s seeing my friends every week. I couldn’t imagine my life without them.

It’s seeing my friends in TeamRWB, who I do my best to see every time I’m in Syracuse, NY. It’s getting in miles with incredible people and having incredible conversations.

Back home in North Carolina, my local run club and friends gathered together to get the miles in. It all started at 5:05 a.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. At both runs, we had new runners show up and join Clayton Area Runners for their first run with the club.

Community. That’s what it’s about.

Making friends because running with friends is best.

I hope you got outside on this Global Running Day, and I hope you find a love of movement, but more importantly, find your tribe.

This is why I started this Substack! To explore the physical, mental, social, and emotional aspects of running.

Running really does have serious impacts on each of those important aspects of your life.

With Memorial Day now behind us, we enter the 100-days of Summer that run from now until Labor Day on September 7th. Summer running takes preparation, planning, and a little bit of humility. You should also know that the Summer Slowdown is real, and if you’re not ready for it, it can cause confusion and frustration.

Yet, if you can persevere through these next 100 days, your performance this Fall will reflect your persistence, planning, and tenacity.

The “Summer Slowdown”

The summer slowdown is real. You’ll see your paces slow down despite putting forth the same perceived effort as your winter and spring runs. A run that was relatively “easy” in the spring will feel downright miserable in the summer.

I’ve found that while the summer slowdown is real, with proper time management and planning, I can continue to increase my mileage throughout the summer. In fact, my highest mileage months in 2024 and 2025 were August, a month famous for high heat and thick humidity. In 2024, I logged 162 miles; in 2025, I increased it to 218 miles. This August, I plan on breaking through 220 miles. I do this through proper planning.

The Summer Slowdown is real. It’s caused by real physiological effects on the body.

The reasons behind the Summer Slowdown are science based, facts derived from the Law of Thermodynamics. It’s physiological, not psychological, so don’t beat yourself up the next time your summer run is slower than expected and harder than anticipated. In fact this known phenomenon happened to me on my Saturday Long Run.

When we run, or do any physical activity, our bodies produce heat. The human body, like all machines are extremely inefficient, we produce large amounts of heat as a byproduct of cellular respiration.

A Marathon runner producing 900-watts of metabolic energy may only use 180-watts of that for movement. The remaining 720-watts of energy becomes heat. The faster you run, the longer you run, the more intense your pace, the more heat you produce.

Running → Heat Production → Increased Sweating → Decreased blood volume and electrolyte imbalances → Blood is diverted from the muscles to the skin → Increased Heart Rate → Nervous system triggers an increase in Perceived Exertion → Pace Slows → Early onset of Fatigue → Reduced Performance → Feelings of confusion and Frustration. THIS IS THE SUMMER SLOWDOWN

When humidity rises and airflow falls, the body’s cooling mechanisms become less effective. You will experience this as elevated heart rate, increased effort, slower pace, and accelerated fatigue.

The remarkable thing is that these sensations are not signs of weakness. They are evidence that the laws governing stars, engines, and weather systems are also operating inside every runner. (An Open Thermodynamic System)

Every bead of sweat, every increase in heart rate, and every decision to slow down on a hot day is the body’s attempt to satisfy the immutable laws of thermodynamics while continuing to move forward.

High heat and humidity typically mean higher heart rate, higher sweat rate, higher perceived exertion, faster glycogen use, greater thermal discomfort, and earlier fatigue. The effect is magnified during long runs, races, low-wind conditions, direct sun, urban asphalt/concrete environments, poor sleep, illness, inadequate acclimatization, dehydration, and aggressive pacing.

I experienced all of this on Saturday when my planned 10-miler Long Run was reduced to 8 excruiating miles.

PPP=PPP

“Piss Poor Planning results in Piss Poor Performance.” Old Army Adage

I can't tell you how many times I heard this saying while serving in Army. My leaders were adamant about Training and Preparing for War. They expected and demanded professional Warfighters. They wanted Technical Experts and Tactical Practitioners. They knew, as I know now, success in these aims required proper planning and adherence to strict and rigorous training.

“Don’t expect a miracle on race day if you haven’t put in the miles”

That same philosophy is universal and applicable across the spectrum of life’s endeavors, especially in running.

Planning for a successful run in the Summer takes preparation not hours before the run but days. It takes discipline and a constant reminder that what you put into your body directly affects your performance.

If you haven’t started yet, your planning and preparation for your Summer runs should start immediately. The three areas of consideration are “Before, During and After” the run itself.

BEFORE:

• Hydrate! Water with electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium)

  • 16-24oz at least 2-3 hours before the run.

  • 12-16oz 15-30 minutes before the run.

• Nutrition: Prioritize easily digestible carbohydrates. (30-60min Before Running)

  • Banana

  • Toast with Honey

  • Oatmeal

  • Apple Sauce

  • Low-Fiber Cereal

DURING:

• Drink Regularly. (Don’t wait until you're thirsty. Drink Often)

• Electrolytes: Add electrolytes to your drinking rotation. Water alone won’t cut it.

  • There are many options out there. Try different brands and flavors to find what fits just right for you.

• Carbohydrates: 30-60g per hour.

  • This can be in the form of Gels, GU’s, Banana’s, etc.

AFTER:

• Start preparing for your recovery before the run even starts. Keep these items readily available and on hand for immediate use and consumption.

• Rehydrate: Drink Water immediately following the run! This will increase blood volume which in speeds up muscle recovery.

• Within 30-60 min After the Run.

  • 20-30g of Protein

  • 40-80g of Carbohydrates

  • Sodium to replenish losses during sweating.

  • Examples:

    • Greek Yogurt with Fruit

    • Chocolate Milk

    • Protein Shake

    • Turkey Sandwich with Electrolyte Drink

    • Scrambled Eggs

    • Rice and Lean Meat.

In addition to the hydration and nutrition aspects to Summer Running, there are additional measures to take to ensure 100-days of Success.

• Bring a Towel with you for a post-run wipe down.

• Baby Wipes or Dude Wipes are always great to keep on-hand.

• A dry-shirt to change into post run.

• Flip Flops / Slides / Crocs for a post run change. Often I find my socks and shoes are wet and soggy after a long run.

• Sunglasses and Sunscreen as needed.

• A Small Cooler with COLD waters available after a run, especially after a long-run.

The Summer Slowdown hit me hard on Saturday and my pace was significantly slower than expected and my perceived rate of exertion was much higher than similar runs. It’s easy to forget the science of the Summer Slowdown and simply chalk it up to weakness or underperforming. However, looking back on this run, I do believe cutting the mileage down from 10mi to 8mi was the right decision on my path to high-heat acclimation.

My Marathon training begins in the middle of Summer, on July 13th, where there will be no respite from the high heat and humidity.

Closing Out May this week.

I’m a creature of habit, even if that habit has me waking up at 4:15am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for a 5:05am Run. The Early Risers runs this week were not terrible and the only one that presented any challenge was Friday morning. The early Friday run was difficult, not because of the route or the pace, but the fact I was running and enjoying a cold beer from Deep River Brewing Co just 10 hours prior.

My ability to ingest alcohol and then run the next day has drastically declined over the years. There was once a time in my life where I could be drinking Jim Beam and Coke until 1:00am and then be up and running hard at 6:30am without issue. It was so bad you could taste the Jim Beam in my sweat. Looking back on it, it was pretty incredible! Those days are over and honestly, I’m glad they are. Two beers is enough for me.

Memorial Day was on Monday and I logged just over 10 miles in remembrance of all those who paid with their lives in the cause of Freedom, Duty and Service to our great nation. The day started off with the Early Risers and a 5-mile run that felt like running through soup! The humidity was high but nothing that would stop us from the miles ahead.

Following the early 5-mile we made our way to Town Square for another 5K with more runners from Clayton Area Runners. I believe the best way to honor the dead is to live an honorable life.

From there I made my way to the local Veteran’s Memorial to conduct a 3-mile Ruck with TeamRWB. It was a rainy day and conditions were tough. Despite the conditions we walked the same track as PFC Henry Sanchez (KIA- IRAQ) did where he lost over 150lbs in order to join the United States Marine Corps.

The rest of the week was full of miles and as I write this I am at 40.6 miles complete with another 5K on the schedule this evening to close out the month of May. It’s been an incredibly busy month and week with work, family, running and more. The only way I accomplished 160+ miles this month was through sheer perseverance and discipline along with some incredible people who I look forward to seeing every week.

My Chicago Marathon build starts in 43 days! I’ll have a few more posts before that date but once I start my formal build to Chicago I will transition this blog back to a Weekly Recap of my training week and a Preview of the coming week.

I hope ya’ll had a great weekend and look forward to another week of great running and fitness.

Memorial Day is a time to recognize, remember and honor those who gave their last full measure of devotion while in service to our great country, the United States of America. For many Americans, myself included, this National Holiday kicks off the Summer season, often with family gathering’s and BBQ’s. Many more are spending time at the beach, camping, or hanging out at the baseball field or racetrack.

In my youth, Memorial Day was always spent at a Baseball Tournament somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. It was a weekend spent with friends on the diamond and jumping in the pool at the end of a long day of playing ball. The ballpark where I spent many warm summer days and nights is named War Memorial Stadium, located in Sandpoint, ID. Many of the boys I played ball with had grandparents that served in World War II and the Korean War. I didn’t know anything about War and knew even less about Memorial Day. This would change very quickly in my life.

My perspective of Memorial Day shifted in my 4th year in the U.S. Army. The year was 2003 and I found myself at Camp All American located at the base of the ATC tower at Kuwait City Airport, preparing for a Combat Jump into Iraq that never happened. Just a few short weeks later I found myself in a foreign land conducting the Invasion of Iraq. It was the first time I accepted my own death and it wouldn’t be the last. The importance of Memorial Day and the immense sacrifices made by my fellow Warfighters and their families became crystal clear and very real.

The Ultimate Price

It needs no explanation because it’s so powerful, so incredibly profound an act that it pierces through the physical world and tears at the soul in a way nothing else can. Your heart can recognize it without any explanation or subtitles. When one person sacrifices their life—placing themselves in a life-ending position so that the lives of their friends may continue—it is the absolute act of love. Often when a Soldier loses their life in the act of saving others they receive our nations highest honor, the Medal of Honor. It takes bravery, courage, integrity and a love of others so deep that it can’t be measured. We can only witness it in those moments of incredible heroism.

Memorial Day isn’t just regulated to those who have been recognized for their heroic actions. It is for all Service Members who gave their lives in service of our great Country. The decision to serve our country in the Armed Forces means you are voluntarily accepting and will execute the lawful orders of the officers appointed over you and to always place the mission first. The reality of war is that this Oath to Protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States of America may require your life.

Serving in the United States Military is an act of Selfless Service. It’s easy to see the moral differences between a selfish person who sacrifices others for their own personal gain and a selfless individual who sacrifices their own time, effort and life for the benefit of others. This is natural to the human spirit to recognize which is good and which is evil.

This is our day to recognize these sacrifices and acts of selflessness so that we may honor them through recognition, ceremony and living an honorable life.

Honor through Action: Living an Honorable Life.

This morning the Clayton Area Runners held a Memorial Day Remembrance Run to honor and remember all those who have died while in service to our great nation. We gathered together at our local Veteran’s Memorial for a few words about the day and its meaning before stepping off on a 5K route with Old Glory.

This morning I remembered SSG Ronnie L. Sanders. I was there when he was KIA just north of Baghdad, Iraq in 2007.

Others shared names and stories of family members and friends who have been killed at War.

It was a moving moment.

The start of this post is from John 15:13, and I believe it to my core.

“There is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his brothers”

Yes, you may hear different variations of this exact passage, but the meaning is yet the same.

It’s not a coincidence that Christ gave up his life for us. He laid down his life for us. An act of love so profound, it’s known around the world.

The Opening Stride

Throughout the brutal winter I’ve been looking forward to running in the warm embrace of our southern Summer heat and humidity. My desires for warm weather running were delivered early! North Carolina broke Heat records this past week and on each of those days I was outside, running. It was like an early Birthday present!

But not all presents are great gifts. This early gift of humidity means I had to ramp up my hydration and electrolytes, ensure I had a towel and extra dry shirt ready for after a run. New issues presented themselves like trying to use 10c toilet paper with wet hands. This all requires additional planning and preparation before even stepping out the door.

Continue reading this publication through August and bear witness to my pleasure of running through the southern soup we refer to as “humidity”. I guarantee I won’t be as enthusiastic as I am now. As much as I love running in the heat, it is not subject to the rule that “You can never have too much of a good thing”. My Chicago Marathon build begins on July 13th, just as the season is hitting it’s melting point.

What’s the best and worst things about Summer Running for you?

Leave a comment

The Foundation

“Never miss a Monday”

Like many Monday’s before this one, the week started with a 4:15am wakeup. It’s gotten easier over the past 17 months to get my body moving and running at 5:05am, however my mind still has a hard time accepting this reality. Often through my morning ritual of getting kitted up to run, my mind wonders and explores the realities that I’m a free American citizen and adult. I can choose to do other things in my life. I can choose to drink coffee and enjoy a slow morning before the world wakes up.

In economics, making a choice in purchasing a good or service involves “Opportunity Cost”. The thought processes being, what else could I spend money on that would provide the same amount of happiness or near the same utility? We all make these decisions daily. What else could I spend $6 on that would bring me as much happiness as this fresh Cappuccino?

With my time, I think what else could I do with these two hours in the morning that would provide as much happiness or health benefits? Honestly, I can’t think of much.

Who wants easy anyway? NOBODY!

It is with trust in the universal understanding and truth that the pathway to what’s most real is through the hardest things you can do. I’ll admit it, waking up every Monday, Wednesday an Friday to run five miles at 5:00am is not easy. Often, it’s much harder than I admit to anyone. Yet I know it must be done.

There’s another truth that’s evident here, one that transcends running and taps deeper into human survival. The truth that love is best when shared. That life is better when the adventure is shared. When going through the rigors and difficulties of life, it’s easier to go through it with a family member or friend by your side. Before departing for Afghanistan I asked my friend how I could increase my odds of survival should I be captured by the Taliban; “Don’t get captured alone! Drag someone with you.”. His immediate response shocked me a little. However, the statistics and analysis for survival is clear. Those taken POW with someone else have exponentially increased odds of survival.

I’m not looking for survival in the immediate sense, but I am looking for longevity of life. Moreover, not just to live longer but to have the highest quality of life possible for as long as possible. I do believe the pathway to live a full life, authentic and true is to do those things that are hard. For me, it’s running in the early mornings.

Running the Social Mile(s)

Monday’s brutal heatwave set a new record at the Airport at a blistering 96°. This incredible high pressure system left the sky clear for a straight impact of UV rays directly onto the skin. It was bright, it was hot and it was near miserable for running although great to strip the Jeep down to it’s bones.

My Marathon coach Amy, over at RunWithYourHeart.net was often fond of telling me that “Easy is a feeling, not a pace” when programing my weekend long runs. I can attest that same principle doesn’t always apply to having a downright “horrible” run. On Tuesday morning I ventured out for a four mile run around a local park and every step was trouble. Every mile was a disaster and by the end of it, I had only completed a 5K.

I really wasn’t sure what was going on Tuesday morning. I must have been dehydrated with an imbalanced blood sugar level. It wasn’t terribly warm but the humidity was there to induce sweating from the first few steps to the very end. It was a downright miserable run. Despite a heart rate around 110, I found myself out of breath and struggling to move. At Mile 2 I had to make a 100m sprint to the nearby bathroom to prevent complete disaster. I didn’t lose my socks, so that’s a win. I struggled through to finish up a 5K then went home to recover and rehydrate.

By Tuesday afternoon I felt the need for a redemption run! I joined the club run at 6:30pm where the sun was still a scorching 94°. With the heat I decided to alter the route, run to the Splash Pad and return. The Splash Pad is located almost exactly at the halfway point for this out-and-back 5K and provides an opportunity to cool down, drink water and use a restroom if needed. It only makes sense to take that route in these conditions. I was lucky that most of the club followed along.

I was feeling much better at the Tuesday evening run and had hopes that the week would continue to improve.

Just Keep Showing Up

The heat wave continued through Wednesday and Thursday with temperatures near 70 in the morning and well over 90 in the afternoons. I refused to let the heatwave stop me from hitting my weekly goal of 30-miles and continuing a 23 month streak of running 100-miles or more per month.

The heat continued through Thursday leading to a very hot evening run with the club. We had 50+ runners show up and I was able to get in a few miles here and there with new to the club runners and many people I’ve yet to meet up to this point. I always find it interesting to hear peoples stories about how they got into running and where they are in their journey. I always find it interesting when people tell me they are “slow”, as if such a thing exists in a noncompetitive social run.

In science, we do not measure “coldness”. We only measure varying degree’s of heat, from absolute zero and up. Science does not measure “darkness” either, there is no metric for the absence of light. We measure how much light is visible or how illuminated something is. I view running “speed” the same way. There is no measurement of “slow”, only varying degrees of speed from zero being on the couch and moving upwards from there. Einstein would have you believe “slow” and “fast” are relative and I agree with him.

On Thursday, I felt “faster” than I’d been all week.

Luckily for everyone the cold front arrived Thursday evening and brought some much needed rain to our area. Friday mornings run with the Early Risers had us avoiding large puddles and running through humidity that was so thick the street lights illuminated each static water molecule floating in below it. Friday morning was a good run and I was feeling 95% better as compared to Tuesday morning. Hydration and Nutrition can make a world of difference in athletic performance. So does mindset.

I went into the weekend thinking I’d run 13.1 miles and enjoy a long run along the greenway Saturday morning. However I decided to shorten that distance to an even 10 and enjoy getting into the double digits this weekend.

Our group of 14 runners gathered together for a shared start before breaking off into our own individual efforts an distances. In the picture above we had runners ranging from four miles to 16 miles with paces on the spectrum from walking to 6’45”. I’ll let you guess who in the picture was doing what distance and pace. I’d bet if I told you, you’d be surprised. These people are absolutely incredible. I’ve learned never to underestimate anyone.

We started as a group and as the miles ticked along I picked up the pace and spent the entirety of the run with Andrew. It’s now dawned on me as I write this that the longest conversations I have with people are during long runs. Andrew and I basically had a 90-minute conversation about life, work, running and society during our run. At no other point in my personal or professional life am I having 90 minute conversations with people. Often those conversations are through e-mail or text and when there are conversations in person, rarely do they last more than 15 minutes.

Why do runners establish great friendships? More than a shared passion for a sport or a shared understanding of pain, the true reason may be from the real conversations that happen during The Long Run.

The cool weather and slight fog across the river created near perfect conditions for a long run. The sun stayed dormant behind a thick cloud cover and while humidity was high, one handheld water bottle was enough for this 90-minute run.

It felt great to get some negative splits on the final 40% of this run.

• Mile-by-Mile Breakdown:

  • 9’38” | 8’59” | 9’23” | 9’03” | 9’09” | 9’47” | 8’57” | 8’54” | 8’49” | 8’33”

As of the time of this posting I have completed 39.60 miles this week with plans for another 5K this afternoon to close out the week.

It’s been a roller coaster of a week. Some runs felt great, some absolutely horrible. Most days the temperatures and weather were scorching hot while Friday and Saturday morning had some people near shivering at the start. It was a week full of work before delving into the long Memorial Day Weekend. Truly this week has been all over the place.

If I had four hours, I could run them in the dirt! If I had three hours I would have hurt them. If I had two hours they’d be broken and if I had one hour, they’d be shocked at what I could do.

But I only had 15 minutes.

Only 15 minutes to get in a hard workout with an incredible group of Marine’s from MCAS Cherry Point. Those 15 minutes opened up my eyes to a serious gap in my fitness. Exposed a serious fault and revealed that my sense of capability is false.

My upper body strength and core strength are incredibly weak.

So weak that if I had to get into a physical altercation, my best bet would be to run. Not from cowardice, but from an exposed reality that my upper body strength has atrophied to the point of being disgustingly helpless.

Exposed from a simple 15-minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)

The intent of this workout was to build teamwork and community with a group of young Marine’s. To showcase TeamRWB to their unit and encourage them to stay active and seek community, both in and out of service.

The intent was met, but the second order effects left me in a state of despair. I was wrecked!

My week home started off great with the Early Risers on Monday morning where we logged another 5-miles at 5:05am. Conditions were near perfect with a mild temperature in the 50’s and spirits were high. It was a flat run that felt like it was over before I got a chance to get into my stride.

Monday turned into a two-a-day as our run club ventured north to run with the club from our neighboring town. The best part of this run was that I got in 5-miles with Robert! If you’ve been reading this publication for a while, you’d know I’ve logged no less than 1,000 miles with Robert over the years, then it all slowed down when he had knee surgery last October. After a long seven months of recovery and rehab, the man is back to running 5-miles, pain free. It’s good to have my friend back on trail!

On Tuesday I made my way down to Fayetteville to run with the local TeamRWB Chapter for an out and back 5K. The people there are incredible and I paired up with the President of the Fayetteville Run Club, who is also an Eagle and a Army retiree. It was a good run that extended out from three miles to five. The run was easy and by the end it felt good to have 15 miles completed by Tuesday evening.

Who want’s easy anyway? NOBODY.

Wednesday was the day. The day I was invited down to MCAS Cherry Point to talk about TeamRWB with a company of Marines and then do a workout together. There’s something about working out with people that forges friendships and community.

But before I get to that afternoon AMRAP, let’s talk about Wednesday morning.

The morning kicked off with the Early Risers at our standard 5:00am meetup.

I knew I was working out with a bunch of Marines later and I knew it would be an absolute struggle. Upon waking up, an immediate thought filled my head, I can just take it easy on this mornings five-mile run. Keep it flat and easy. I figured the group would welcome the idea. It felt like a good idea. I rationalized the idea of choosing “easy” because I had more to do later in the day.

Unfortunately that thought had a voice, and it sounded like a little bitch.

I shrugged it off made my way to the start. I’d figure it out once I got there.

At 5:00am I started the discussion with the group on what route we wanted to do. We all know that Wednesdays are the days we hit the hills, so when I asked the question, Maureen recommended not hitting all the hills, but a route that would tackle a few.

In that moment the realization that I was being a little bitch hit me like a bag of bricks.

After hearing Maureen’s recommendations, I decided we were going to hit all of the hills. Not only would we tackle these hills, but I had it in my mind we’d run up some of them backwards. Why? Because my inner bitch was trying to take over my decision making process and I simply couldn’t let that happen.

After a quick departure we started the up-and-down process of running downhill to a creek, then back uphill to a peak, before heading back down to a creek. It’s the only way we can get elevation in a place with no mountains or hills. In total it was nearly 500ft of elevation gain in 5-miles.

We conquered the hills and it was exactly what we needed in the morning. Especially running backwards up a few of the hills.

Then I made the trek down to MCAS Cherry Point to conduct a 20-minute AMRAP.

20 minutes seemed just right. An even, round number that is easily split into ten-minute halves. In my mind this wasn’t going to be terribly difficult. It’s only 20 minutes and the workout wasn’t terribly challenging.

• In Teams of Two: As Many Rounds as Possible

  • 200m Run while the other holds a plank: Then Switch

  • 10 Synchronous Burpees

  • 20 Pushups (I go, You go)

  • 30 Situps. (One person works, the other holds)

After talking about TeamRWB for a short stint, we were running out of time so I shortened the workout to 15-minutes. I figured it’d be rather easy.

The Marines split into teams and I paired up with the “oldest” Marine on deck. A 37yr old Gunnery Sgt staring retirement in the face. I was the only one there with grey hair. I probably held the record for the highest weight. It was clear I was the old and fat veteran making an attempt to workout with young Marines. This was going sideways quickly.

At 7 1/2 minutes in to the workout, I was falling apart! I’ve done similar and harder workouts in my life. Hell, I have my own garage-box with all of the CrossFit gear. I admit I haven’t used it in a few years as I’ve focused on running; what a mistake!

Somehow the Gunny had enough patience to deal with me as I struggled through 1x complete round + 1 iteration of running. I was smoked.

The winning team completed 4x rounds plus an additional run. They were absolute studs.

Everyone was challenged, some more than others. I’m convinced we finished last.

But who wants easy anyway? NOBODY.

I woke up Thursday morning and everything hurt!

My abs, ribs, shoulders and chest. Of course my legs were good, I’m a strong runner.

That short 15-minute AMRAP wrecked me! I was struggling to put on my shirt in the morning.

The harsh reality of my current state of fitness was felt in every movement. My only strength at the moment was running. All I can do is run.

It’s embarrassing.

So what did I do Thursday evening. I went and ran.

It’s all I could do. I would laugh about it, but my abs were so sore it hurt to laugh.

I might as well run. It’s all I can really do at the moment.

Thursday was sunny & 70F! Not all days are like this and when they are, we have to take full advantage! The group was big and we had a few new runners joining us for the first time. It was great to see all my friends at the run. It’s been three weeks since I was last at Deep River for a run. Conditions were near perfect.

I logged another five miles, spending time talking to and running with different people along the course. Talking to people is both a gift and a curse passed on to me from my late mother. I can seem to talk to anyone, and sometimes I talk too much I think.

Regardless, I got in a good fives miles in ideal conditions and followed it up with a cold beer and a good conversation with a fellow Veteran who joined us for the first time.

Just eight hours after leaving Deep River following my five-mile run, I was back with the Early Risers for a 5-mile run on Friday morning.

Honestly, I’m not sure how I got dressed because my shoulders, chest and ribs were still incredibly sore from DOMS. I was struggling! Yet I showed up.

My friend commented that in the picture above it looked like I was grumbling under my breath. Funny because not only was I sore, but it was 45℉ again and I was over the cold weather. This may sound insane, but I’m ready for some summer running.

This was a relaxed, flat Friday run where most of us stayed together and enjoyed much conversation over the duration of the five miles. It was easy enough and just what I needed.

After these early five miles, I had successfully ran 5-miles on every single run, Monday through Friday. It felt good to have that type of strength, unfortunately the soreness in my chest and shoulders reminded me that strength encompasses more than running.

Going into Friday evening I had no idea what kind of run I was going to do Saturday morning. I looked at the forecast and we are heading into a 5-day streak of great weather and Saturday morning would be clear and in the 50’s. It seemed like a perfect day for a trail run.

My abs were still sore. Coughing, laughing or simply getting up off the couch still brought about extreme soreness that was uncomfortable. I knew trail running was going to require more core strength than a simple trot down the greenway. I was going into this knowing it was going to be difficult.

I posted the event and invited others for an 8-mile trail run followed by an on-site post run social of Kodiak Blueberry Pancakes and other items people were sharing.

Our youngest runner got in 5K with her mom and our own Mary, who recently finished the Sedona 125 was out walking with her dog. Others got in distances from 3 miles to 13 miles on the trails. It was a near-perfect morning to be on the trail as the temperatures were still cool and humidity was low.

Beyond the cool air, easy trails and perfect conditions, it was all the other runners who made this morning run and follow on breakfast so great. We had great conversations on trail and the follow on breakfast social was great. The only thing better than running with amazing people is breaking bread with them.

As I’m writing this, I’ve logged nearly 40-miles this week and none of my runs have been under 5-miles. Despite the PT with the Marines and overall feeling destroyed all week, I feel like I did well. It’s been a humbling week and one where I identified a serious flaw in my fitness. Not only do I need to tighten up my nutrition, I need to start lifting weights and implementing High Intensity Interval Training.

**SUNDAY UPDATE**

Sunday was nice and relaxing. I posted an impromptu meetup at the local brewery to see if anyone wanted to join in for a 5K or 5mile walk, ruck or run. I was graced with the presence of Dilon and Zoila who both arrived at different times and we all departed for different distances and paces.

With another 5K in the books and also my shortest run of the week, I successfully completed 42.56 miles over the course of the last seven days. By August I’ll be well past 50-mile weeks while in the midst of my Marathon Build to Chicago.

It’s been a busy week and taxing, as evidenced by the nearly 10 hours of sleep I got last night. A true rarity for me as I usually log just six hours of sleep per night. My body was taxed and needed some recovery.

Tomorrow morning at 0500 kicks off another week. This time with some built in strength and H.I.I.T Training.

The Opening Stride

They say if you do something twice, you do it all the time. If it happens three times, it’s a pattern. This is my third published article in the last three months. Once a month and each one following a race. It looks like I’ve fallen into a predictive behavior pattern, one that I’m not so proud of because I really do enjoy writing. Looking forward a month, my next race is on June 6th and I vow to break this pattern by publishing multiple posts before that race recap. I hope you look forward to reading them and even more my aspiration is that you’ll find some motivation and encouragement to start or continue your running journey.

This past April was one of the busiest months I’ve had in a long time. It was full of travel, both work and personal, a new Marathon PR, a trip to the Emergency Department, a Wedding and finally celebrating my annual trip around the sun.

I took a total of seven zero days off from running, the most I’ve taken in any given month in nearly three years. Despite these multiple travel days and work days that deteriorated my consistency, discipline proved essential once again and I logged 119 miles of running.

Going headfirst into May has proven no less busy as I started the month in Syracuse, NY. I’m here for work and keeping in my normal pattern behavior, I signed up for a local race. Every time I visit this city for work, I sign up for a local running race.

That’s one of the many facets I truly love about running. It provides the opportunity to get outside, meet new people, race new courses and enjoy the city from within. There’s something about seeing a town from your feet that is so much different and tactile than simply driving through.

As you read this edition of The Long Run, I want to impress on you the importance of discipline and consistency and the long term effects of choosing to be active.

The Mountain Goat 10-Miler

First things first, let’s dig into what I just accomplished this past weekend at the Mountain Goat 10-miler.

As with many of the races I do out of state, this was an impromptu sign up while traveling for work. You see, I’m not one to sit around the hotel room stagnant and I always enjoy the adventure of exploring a new city or town on foot. I also enjoy a good road race on a course I’ve never ran. There’s something intimidating yet exciting about stepping off on a course without knowing the landmarks, benchmarks or hills. Unfortunately this also means I don’t know where all the restrooms are located and for me, that can turn into a real emergency. While I didn’t lose my socks on this race, I did lose some precious time at the only porta-john on the course.

The race is a 10-mile road race that highlights public parks, neighborhoods and a few peaks located in Syracuse, NY. The local Chapter of Team RWB had a team registered and I jumped on board to represent the America’s leading community for Health and Wellness for Veterans. It also helps that the people in the chapter are absolutely incredible and I always enjoy seeing them again when I’m in town.

From discipline and my consistency of actions arose the confidence to run this 10-mile race without having a thought of “Could I?” but rather “How fast, could I?”. It’s been nearly three years of 100+ miles months and from those daily choices and early mornings my body has grown familiar with and comfortable with the 10-mile distance. I’m also familiar with the pain and comfortable with the unpleasantries of hills, courtesy of the Early Risers! Thank you.

My co-worker decided to go along and check out the running festival and overall take in the race atmosphere. My wife always appreciates when I have a co-worker tracking my location and condition given my medical considerations and distance from home. The starting line runners festival was great and I quickly found the local TeamRWB tent and reconnected with some Veteran’s I’ve met throughout the years. It’s not surprise to me that the only people carrying Old Glory on course were Veteran’s. I’m proud to be associated with such an Organization.

Conditions at the race were near perfect! Starting temperature was 42℉ with clear blue sky and just a slight breeze. It was warm enough for shorts and a shirt but cold enough I opted for gloves to keep my fingers warm.

My A-Goal was to earn the Sub 80-minute lanyard. Without knowing the course or the grade and length of the hills, I knew this was going to be tough. It’s also been a few weeks since I’ve ran 10-miles.

The race kicked off after the National Anthem and for the first mile I slowly made my way through the crowd until I found my cohort. It was around mile two that I fell into a groove with nearby runners who were at my similar pace. For the next 8-miles I did my best to grind up the hills while also making up time sprinting down the steep declines. It was a great race under incredible conditions, unfortunately I missed my A-goal by a mere 73 seconds!

The race was well put together, supported by the community and overall a good exploration of the city of Syracuse. Of the hills on the course, only one small section approximately 1/3 of a mile really put a hurt on me. However it wasn’t the uphill climbing that posed the greatest difficulty, but the steep downhills that required strength, balance and a fast turnover of the feet to keep from toppling down the hill.

Those downhill efforts also made my legs pretty sore for a day, but it quickly flushed out and I was back to normal by Wednesday. Overall it was a great race and when it was over I feel confident I could run a solid Half Marathon if I wanted.

My next race is in less than 30 days where I’ll take on the Run the Quay 15K challenge where I’ll run a fast 10K followed by a short break and then the start of the 5K. Keep an eye out for that next month!

The Consequence of Consistency

In the last two weeks of April I was only home for a week before hitting the road again and embarking on another work trip that would force me to run solo. Before departing for upstate New York I stayed as consistent as possible with the Early Risers and getting in as many miles as possible before heading into the cold, miserable North.

Each morning I logged five or six miles starting at 5:05am with this incredible group of runners and friends. Some mornings are better than others, but all mornings start better once the run is complete. Over the past 15 months, I have yet to attend an Early Risers run and left feeling upset that I actually did it.

Some mornings I show up feeling great and ready to go. Most mornings I’m there by pure discipline and will power. Often I have the same mental struggle and internal conversation at 4:15am when I wake up.

“I’m a full grown adult American man. I don’t have to wake up at 4:15am, I don’t have to run at 5:05am. I can do what I want damnit! I can stay in, drink some coffee and enjoy a slow morning before the real job starts.”

Before there can be a proper debate about it, I’m in the Jeep and barreling towards the meetup and the only thing crossing my mind is “Fuck it, I’m already in the Jeep. Might as well go run.” and so I do. Consistently. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The consistency pays off. It’s lead to a new Marathon PR without any formal build and now a solid performance at the Mountain Goat 10-miler.

Throughout the week I continued to show up at the evening runs and get in the miles when I could. Some days faster than others, some slower than others, but a consistent choice of action each day.

I’ve continued to incorporated traditional strength work under the barbell and dumbbells along with time on the Stair Mill. I have a plan following this latest work trip that will incorporate High Intensity Interval Training.

Runners that only run, get injured and stay hurt.

I’ve said it before, strength training is an injury prevention protocol and should be folded into your weekly run regimen. Strength training should be as important to your running as hydration and electrolytes.

With strength training and running taking priority throughout the week it was finally time for me to depart to New York and earn a paycheck. I wasn’t too happy about it.

Running with friends is the “norm” for me. Of my 7-9 runs I complete each week, at least 6 of those are with friends. Having people around to talk to and run maintains my inner peace and homeostasis. Disruption to that is generally upsetting.

So when I got to New York for a long work stint, I knew the only way to maintain was through discipline.

I really don’t like running solo nearly every day. Especially when it’s cold and windy and out of the 14 days total in Upstate NY, we had one day that was 70 & Sunny. The rest of the days were usually cold, windy and grey. It’s rather miserable.

Since my last published post back on April 17th, I’ve logged a total of 80 miles and I’m on track for another 100+ mile month which is my goal leading into my Chicago build that starts in July. At the end of June I’ll officially hit 24 of consecutive 100+ mile month.

I’ve got one more race on the calendar in the next 30 days that will launch me into the summer slowdown. I’ve got a short vacation planned in July before the official launch of my Chicago build on July 13th.

Between now and the build to Chicago, my goal is to continue being consistent, building the miles and enjoying life as much as possible. Yes, running a fast race is exciting and I’d be lying if I didn’t like the feeling of accomplishment but honestly I’d rather be consistently running with friends than running fast solo races.

The Opening Stride

I signed up for the Coast Guard Marathon out of moral obligation to do what’s right as a leader. I credit this unwritten adherence to a code of ethics to my Leaders in the Army so many decades ago. I credit many things in my life to those select few who really set a high standard for excellence as Paratroopers and Leaders. I hope they read these words, I hope they can look back and have pride in knowing they did it right.

As you may have read previously, I am the State Coordinator for Team Red, White and Blue here in North Carolina. I don’t take the position or responsibility lightly. So when the opportunity to represent Team RWB at the Coast Guard Marathon was presented, I had no option but to do what’s right. To lead from the front. To sign up for The Marathon.

I signed up for this Marathon just weeks before stepping into the starting chutes, and without a proper Marathon build leading into the race. I was relying solely on my weekly mileage being sufficient to produce a performance worthy of acceptance and pride. Deep down I had a desire to break the coveted four-hour Marathon, but realistically I knew that would be challenging. The Marathon is fucking hard! This harsh reality kept a steady hum in my head as I had illusions of grandeur at finishing with 3:59 on the clock.

As you’ll read, I had a plan and it was executed near perfection. That plan resulted in me running my best Marathon! A performance I’m proud of despite not breaking the four-hour mark but I did somehow squeeze out a new PR!

So how is it my “best” Marathon didn’t result from a dedicated training plan? No Runna plan, no Marathon Coach, no strict diet, No COROS plan. How did this happen?

Without a “build” how did I complete a Marathon?

We are 15 weeks in to 2026 and in that time I’ve logged +430 miles on my feet, with over 90% of that running with the remaining with a Ruck Sack on my back. It’s been a consistent grind of early mornings during the week and long runs on the weekends. You see, I didn’t go into this Marathon “untrained” per se, but I did go into it without completing a dedicated training block designed to produce the best performance. I knew going into this race that my performance will not be exceptional and I’m ok with that.

I’m committed to the Chicago Marathon later this year in October and will have an official Marathon Build starting in July. I’ve already won the Marathon entry lottery and committed to a serious build, so when I signed up for the Coast Guard Marathon I wasn’t concerned with a finishing time or performance metrics.

The Marathon is Fucking Hard.

This is a universally accepted truth amongst even the most dedicated of runners. I’m currently reading a pre-release copy of The Long Run by Martin Dugard and within the first few chapters outlining the history of the race, it’s clear it’s been fucking hard since its inception.

Knowing this full well, with three Marathon medals already hanging in my office, what would compel me to believe that I could accomplish this distance yet again? More importantly, complete this distance without any formal training plan.

The answer is simple.

Consistency.

Early Risers, C.A.R and F.A.R

For the past 14 months I’ve been showing up at 5:00am to run with the Early Risers from Clayton Area Runners every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. These early morning runs usually consist of a 5-mile run with an average pace around 8'45” although the distance and pace may increase as my friends go through different training blocks.

We incorporate hills on Wednesdays and keep our Fridays to “Flat & Fast”. The morning group has turned into a source of great friendship and support in the midst of training blocks or simply showing up to become a better runner. My friend’s presence and their consistency helps keep me accountable and motivated to “Just keep showing up”. It’s not peer pressure per se, nor is it a feeling of trying to impress anyone. I want to be better because my friends want to be better. I want to be there at 5:00am because my friends are there. I also like completing hard tasks first thing in the morning.

My hometown Run Club hosts eight to nine scheduled runs a week and is open to all runners of all abilities, distances and paces. With so many options, it’s nearly impossible not to meet up with some incredible people and get in the miles.

That’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Week in, week out. Simply showing up.

Starting in July of 2024 I started running 100+ miles per month. I’ve kept that streak going ever since. In less than 100-days I’ll hit the 2-year mark of 100+ mile months with no intention of reduction. In 2026 alone I’ve ran 141 miles in January, 152 miles in February and 154 miles in March. Leading up to the day of the Coast Guard Marathon I’ve logged just over 450-miles in 2026.

Consistency is key!

The Coast Guard Marathon: 2026

So now you know why I signed up for the Coast Guard Marathon (moral obligation). The defining factor that propelled me to the finish line (consistency). No, let’s delve into how this was my best performance at The Marathon and how the race actually played out.

It certainly wasn’t the air mattress I slept on the night before in a tent next to the river with a constant wind shaking my humble abode throughout the night.

It wasn’t a new pair of carbon plates super shoes. I wore the same shoes I did at the Wineglass Marathon where I set my previous PR.

The headache that had developed in the center mass of my grey matter certainly wasn’t helping things at the start line nor the first few miles.

It was my mindset going into this race coupled with not letting down my friends and fellow Veterans.

I felt grateful to be able to run. Thankful to the Good Lord for allowing me to be at this place, at this time with these people. I went into this race with a full heart and open eyes and acceptance that this distance is hard and I was willingly putting myself on the path of pain. It was a privilege and I was aware of it.

Since my overall finishing time wasn’t too important to me, let’s just jump to the end result. A NEW PERSONAL RECORD by 52 seconds.

Honestly, I didn’t know this was a new Personal Record until I was searching for the image from the Wineglass Marathon! I was rather surprised to see that I had beat my PR by a whopping 52 seconds. The reason I was confused is because often my COROS and STRAVA times don’t coincide with what the official race results are. I had a belief that my PR was 2:14 because that’s when my COROS watch recorded 26.2 miles, however the finish line was a little bit further.

However, there must be a recognized “official” time, so despite my route and watch consistently tracking my 26.2 miles before the finish line, we must all accept the official results from the bib.

Now let’s get into my mindset.

I’m happy to be there and lucky to have friends there with me.

I was there representing Team RWB but I was also there with my friends from Clayton Area Runners. Of the CAR runners, I was the only one doing the Full Marathon and everyone else completed the Half Marathon on Sunday.

For Joe, this was his first Half Marathon after taking a 10 years hiatus from the distance! Moreover, he too set a new Personal Record for the 13.1 while also completing the “challenge” by racing the 5K the day prior. He put in an incredible performance.

Team RWB “Eagles” showed up from all over the East Coast and even a handful that flew in from Wisconsin and even further locales. I was able to speak individually to everyone in the photo. Each person had an incredible story an incredible service to our country and to our organization. There were a father-son duo on course, a few couples and even a solo runner who has completed well over 100+ races consisting of Marathons and Ultra Marathons. This was an incredible group of people. Each of them put in a performance worthy of personal pride.

Running with the iconic Team RWB shirt on has a psychological effect that prohibits any thoughts of quitting or being weak. When representing Veteran’s and this organization, it must be done through kindness, strength, consistency, tenacity and discipline. I was determined to have a great run and do it with strength, no matter the finish line time.

I decided the week before that I was going into these 26.2 miles with the mentality that it would be just another weekend “long run”. I was going to keep my heart rate low and my pace “easy”. If I needed to wait for a latrine, I’d simply wait and not stress the time lost. If I needed to walk, I would. If I wanted to stop at a water station or eat some gels, I would. All without worrying about the overall finish time.

I was going to enjoy this run. Encourage people and enjoy the sights throughout.

That was the plan and I was determined to execute it.

The Race

I loaded up my shorts with five different gels to include an extra in my handheld water bottle paired with a packet of salt-lick tablets. I drank plenty of water in the 24 hours before the start an enjoyed a curated pasta lunch by the Coast Guard Culinary team. When I walked up to the starting corrals I was ready to go. I had a slight headache emanating from deep within my cortex, but it wasn’t inhibiting anything and honestly just figured I’d run through it. That plan obviously played out well!

By the time I crossed the starting mats I was near the end of the 1800 person crowd that was spilling out of the corrals. I had no desire to be up front and with no pressing desire to hammer down for 26.2 miles it was a good place to start. This also allowed me to see a handful of fellow Eagles on course, however many more were well ahead of me and would finish up to 45 minutes before me!

My pace started off slower than my expected 9’00” as I was fully integrated into the Party Pace crowed. Despite our mindsets being the same, we were there to enjoy the run, although our paces were slightly different. Once I found a clear path ahead around mile two, I decided to pick up the pace to even out my overall pace to a 9’00” even.

I did my best to keep my average pace at or near the 9’00” mark and felt GREAT up until mile 20. That’s when the direct sunlight and heat started to wear on me, yet didn’t beat me down completely. I implemented the Galloway Method and continued on to the finish line. Overall my mind, emotions and body felt good throughout the entire run!

Mile-by-Mile

You may be curious why my “COROS” time is nearly four minutes faster than the CHIP time. That’s because on my first three porta-john breaks I paused my watch. If I wasn’t running, I wasn’t tracking it. As the miles continued stack up I eventually disregarded pausing my watch and just went with it.

The route was flat and fast. We ran on main roads and around the Coast Guard Air Station with the highlight being a C-130 parked facing the runners where the course split for HALF and FULL distances. (See the photo at top of this article)

We ran through nice neighborhoods, next to the water and through farmers fields. Periodically we’d get a HH-60 flyover and at one point we were running on a old runway lined with training aircraft from a local flight training company. It was great to have the support on the course.

Throughout the course I gave encouragement to runners who looked like they were struggling and saw many runners who I engaged with at the expo the previous day. One particular UNC-CH student was really excited to complete her first Marathon, but when I saw her at mile 17 she was having a full on breakdown. Jogging through tears and having a really hard time. I slowed and gave her some encouragement and motivation. I later saw her at the finish line and she had a strong finish after hitting an emotional wall.

I ran into a handful of Team RWB Eagles on the route and we shared stories and expectations of the miles to come. I shared a quick moment with my friend Tina who was completing the Half Marathon, again. Her son is a Coast Guard veteran and she’s ran this race many times before. It was great to spend a few moments on the route with her.

This 26.2 mile run was full of talking to people and encouraging others. At one point I was running next to a couple from Miami who had originally planned to run a Marathon in Italy. Unfortunately their flight was cancelled and they decided at the last minute to jump into the Coast Guard Marathon. He was an accomplished Marathon runner with a PR of 2:45 and she was attempting a sub 4:00 race. I caught up with them later and they finished at 4:01!

One of the highlights of the race was when we ran around an old World War II Blimp Hanger! It’s currently used by a private company for Aerostats, but back in the 1940’s, this was one of the biggest buildings in North Carolina.

At one point I even ran upon a woman dressed as a lifeguard, and not just any lifeguard, but Wendy Peffercorn! In a short discussion I learned she lost a bet and this was the punishment.

Overall this race was exactly what I planned on, it was just another “Long Run”. I stopped at the water stations and drank water and thanked the Volunteers. When I needed the porta-john, I stopped and used them. I ate all my gels and drank the electrolytes when I planned.

It really felt like I executed my hydration and nutrition plan as planned and I let the miles stack up with a smile on my face.

How It Happened.

Physically I’ve been stacking up the 100+ mile months for nearly two years. I’ve been running six days a week on average and having multiple two-a-day runs throughout the week. I’ve maintained my weight and went into this race at 205lbs. I suppose that unofficially places me into the “Clydesdale Class” of runners.

I went into this race with a clear mind and not worried about a PR or hammering down for 26.2 miles. There was no intentions of qualifying for future races and no self-imposed stress to “leave it all on the course”.

Did I walk on this Marathon? Yes, and that was part of my plan. Did I stop to use the porta-johns? Yes, and that was part of my plan. Did I slow down to converse with fellow runners and provide some words of encouragement? Absolutely.

It was all part of the race plan and it all worked out.

After the race I had a 3-hour drive back to the house. I stopped and stretched when I needed to and even stopped for my Double Bacon Cheeseburger on the way home. I was sore following the race but I wasn’t wrecked. I even flew across the country on Monday and was able to work out a lot of the soreness walking through the airports. Overall this was a great event for me an I enjoyed talking to so many people and finishing the 26.2 miles with a smile.

**A special shout out to my friends from Clayton Area Runners! Each of the people in the photo above are absolutely incredible. Heather who took the photo, tracked each of us and captured many pictures as we crossed the finish line. Thank you to Heather (Bib 5040) for the big hug after the race and to Heather (photographer / Joe’s wife) for checking on me as I was laying in the grass thanking the Good Lord for another Marathon finish.

The Opening Stride

This adventure was initiated back in June 2025 when my friend Ozzy reached out to me to asking if I was interested in joining him and two of his close friends on this 26.4 mile Ruck March through the New Mexico desert. Of course I was in, 100%.

I had originally signed up for The Army’s Premier Endurance Event back in 2020 only for it to be cancelled days before the start due to the COVID-19 shut downs. It took six years and an invite from an old Army buddy to finally put my feet back into the dirt of New Mexico.

This event was also a forging moment for Danny’s son James. Just days before, the young man turned 14-years old and now he was surrounded by grown men, all of whom are Combat Veteran’s ready to take on this feat with 40lbs on our backs.

My training for this event started back in December of 2025 with a 25lb ruck and slowly building up to more miles with more weight. I maintained running 100+ miles per month in addition to rucking and kept my expectations real while respecting the 26.4 mile distance in the high-desert.

Just days before the start of the 37th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March the Garrison Commander made the difficult decision to reduce the distance from 26.4 miles to 15.6 miles. This decision was driven by the forecast predicting temperatures nearing 95℉ during the march. I was prepared for the full 26.4 miles. While I was slightly upset for this modification, I’m aware that 15.6 miles in the direct sun at 4,000ft+ elevation is no easy task.

Getting to White Sands Missile Range, NM is no easy feat. The closest city is Las Cruces with the closest major airport sitting 60 minutes away in El Paso, TX. While organizing this event I made the recommendation we stay in the mountain village of Cloudcroft, NM. I’m glad the guys took me up on this idea. This mountain village is a high altitude oasis that provides respite from the high-heat of the desert and a change in scenery with it’s evergreen tree’s and alpine aura. Located just 16 miles from the desolate desert floor, our rented house provided cool evenings and incredible views.

I was the last person to arrive at the house late on Thursday evening. It was great to meet the men and catch up with my friend before calling it a night. The following day started with a great breakfast burrito from a local food truck followed by a trip to the store to pick up non-perishable foods that would double as our ballast weight and food donation to the local food bank.

The day was spent relaxing and preparing for the long walk the following morning. We had a lot of conversations about life, war, service and everything in between. Once the Rucks were packed we set out on a 2-mile hike in the high altitude to test our packs and make any last minute adjustments or modifications. The day was full of camaraderie and relaxation with plenty of hydration and eating.

A couple of decades ago we’d meet up at an all-you-can eat pasta joint called Fazolli’s, in fact I think there is still one located in Fayetteville, NC. We’d all meet up before a big event, carb load on unlimited pasta and wash it down with a couple of beers.

Drink two beers and you’re carb loading. Drink three or more and now you’re just having fun. -Old Army Saying

The night before March we ate Spaghetti and Fettuccini with white sauce, shrimp and some bacon paired with a Cesar salad. It was a pretty good meal if you ask me. After a great meal and a final look over our Rucks and gear for tomorrow, we called it early.

With an 80min drive to the start line and clear orders not to show up after 4:30am, it was going to be an early morning! I refused to wake up with a 2:XX on the clock, so we all agreed a 0300 wakeup was appropriate and be on the road by 0330.

We arrived on WSMR on time without issue and into the starting corral by the 6:00am show time. There were multiple categories at this event and we all agreed to enter the “Civilian Heavy” which meant we could wear civilian clothing and use a civilian rucksack however it must weigh at least 35lbs - dry.

To meet the dry weight of 35lbs we each loaded up on bags of rice and canned goods which would be donated to the local food back at the end of the March. My ruck with a full bladder of water weight in just over 42lbs. This is a weight I’m comfortable with and carried over thousands of miles.

We had nearly an hour of standing around and relaxing in the cool desert morning before the formal start of the march. WSMR did a great job of their opening ceremonies, playing the U.S. National Anthem along with the Philippines National Anthem and recognizing our purple heart Veteran’s that were participating.

With the opening ceremonies complete, the Garrison CSM read the famous poem Battling Bastards of Bataan by Frank Hewlett (1942)

The Bataan Memorial Death March is a living memorial and not a race. It’s easy to forget that fact when they give us a bib to wear to track our time and distance. In our welcome packets was another bib provided by Memories of Honor, who donated thousands of bibs that contained the names, pictures and date of birth/death of those who have gave the ultimate sacrifice in the last 25yrs of conflict.

It was a sobering moment on trail when my friends Ozzy and Ian recognized a memorial bib of a Special Forces Soldier they both knew. Each of the four of us served in the Army for many years, each with our own accomplishments, experiences and sacrifices. It was a reminder of how blessed I am to have deployed to Iraq three times and never lost anyone on my team. It is also a testament to their character and their resiliency to face death and hardship and yet still continue on with successful marriage, parenthood and career.

We stepped under the starting point around 6:58am and continued on, foot in front of foot for hours. The initial few miles were crowded and the natural separation of pace groups took much longer than at a running event.

The desert is absolutely incredible at sunrise, sunset and the middle of the night. We were able to experience an amazing sunrise with cool temperatures in the mid 50’s and amazingly, zero wind! In fact, for the duration of the 5 1/2 hour march the only wind we experienced was a cooling wind that didn’t cut through us and honestly was a nice feature once the sun was cooking us.

In all honesty, there isn’t much to write about to describe the march itself. It was a consistent grind of one foot in front of the other. Often times our group would rotate as to who was up front leading the pack and who was in the back ensuring accountability and doing wellness watches and checks. I found myself walking with everyone and having great conversations and one point or another. Honestly, for me this was a great time. The weight in my ruck wasn’t overbearing and the distance was acceptable and doable in my mind. This truly was just a long walk with friends.

However, for the young man who was forging into manhood with his father, this may have been more than a walk with friends. The young man was exemplary in his actions and words. Never once did I hear a complaint about the weight, which was approximately 25% of his overall bodyweight. By comparison, my Ruck at 40lbs was only 19.5% of my bodyweight. The young man carried the weight and made it look easy and never complained!

Our pace varied as the terrain presented deep sand and a few miles of an uphill climb. The water points were well staffed and offered oranges and banana’s along with a great atmosphere to make some adjustments to gear. When we needed water, we stopped and refilled our water bladders or bottles. When we needed food and nutrition we ate. Especially at mile 9.5 where the local ROTC program was cooking up Hamburgers for $5 ea. I took two!

Mile over mile, we walked and weaved. We would pass those going slower than us and form columns to squeeze between teams that would successfully create a moving roadblock. We were consistently checking on each other. When one had to pee, we’d all stop and wait. When someone needed more water from the Army provided water buffaloes, we waited. This was a team effort to walk through the high desert.

In our group, three people were from Massachusetts, one from Tennessee and myself from North Carolina. All of us from flat-land and most with little exposure to the desert in the last 6-months. In fact, Mass had one if it’s worst winters in decades and training was asymmetric and dynamic.

Our lowest elevation was 3,979ft and our highest elevation walked was 4,488ft. I was expecting some degradation of performance with elevations approximately 3,500 ft higher than my home in NC, however I felt no diminishing effects throughout the walk. I 100% attribute this to my weekly running and resulting cardiovascular fitness.

The final 5K of this march was getting brutal. The sun’s rays were directly assaulting us and the outside temperature was increasing by the minute. We started this March at 58℉ and in the last 5K we were at or near 90℉. We saw many people falling to the sidelines and waiting for medical support. Many simply couldn’t walk it any more and were taking breaks leading up to the finish. Had the Race Director not shortened the course from 26.4 to 15.6, I do believe there would have been a lot of medical evacuations across the course. I’ll admit, had this course been 26.4 miles as initially planned, my last 5K would have been a struggle.

As for our group, we were led into the finish line by Danny and his son who were both looking strong. Nobody in our group was limping, leaning or complaining! I couldn’t have asked for a stronger group of men to do this challenge with.

I’ll admit, this event may be a one-and-done for me. It took me two attempts and six years to finally complete the March and this year leaves me with an asterisk. I’d absolutely do another endurance event with my old friend Ozzy and new friends Danny and Ian. Although I just met them, it was clear to me they are men of high moral character who seek to do hard things in the pursuit of living a full life. This is something I can connect with and identify with immediately.

If I ever find myself working on WSMR during the Bataan, I would most likely run it and chalk it up as a true Running Marathon instead of a Ruck March.

While God did design me like a pack mule, I truly do enjoy running.

At the end of the March I had no blisters, no soreness or pain in my back or shoulders and the only discomfort I had was some soreness in my feet. Nothing to stop me from running less than 24hrs after crossing the finish line.

Who want’s easy anyway? NOBODY!

I encourage each of you reading this to seek out those hard things in life. Rather it be continuing your education or completing your first Couch-to-5K. Taking on endurance events is a great way to measure your fitness and challenge your mental and emotional resilience. More importantly, doing hard things with friends builds camaraderie and team cohesion.

The Opening Stride

Woah! It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 days since my last publication. The significance of that number is not lost on me as we are in the middle of Lent. While my writing was on hiatus, my running was not. I’ve completed 217 miles in the last 40 days, logging miles in Washington, Arizona and of course my home state of North Carolina.

The top three photos are from Washington State where most of my runs were cold and usually wet, in fact it snowed on me one of those mornings. Fast forward just a few weeks and I was enjoying early morning runs in Arizona where the temperatures were near-to-perfect and always dry.

No matter where I was, running and getting in the miles was a non-negotiable. Yes, I did have a few zero days spread out across a short month, but I still got in as many miles in as possible. How did I get in these miles while traveling and working? Simple, I planned ahead, packed accordingly then relied on discipline to get me through the day.

Why am I continuing to run on the daily? Because I want to be physically fit, mentally tough and emotionally resilient. I also want to be ready for future events, such as the two Marathons I’ll be completing within the next 26 days. Yes, you read that correctly. I have two major events within the next 30 days.

• Bataan Memorial Death March

• Coast Guard Marathon

Before I get into those two events, let me refocus your attention back to February and let’s see what was accomplished over those short 28 days.

February 2026

Running in February is for the hardcore.

Here in The South, February is usually the worst month to be outdoors with cold winds, arctic blasts, false springs and rapidly changing weather patterns. Our morning runs are always cold and often wet. Evening runs continue to be dark and often with a biting wind so sharp it cuts through nearly all winter running gear.

On occasion we got a short warm spell that allowed us to wear shorts and t-shirts only for the bitter cold to be back within 24hrs. Mother Nature really likes playing head games with runners. Just when I think it’s time to pack up all the cold-weather gear and I’ve accepted the fact that warmer weather is here, she pulls the rug out from under me and I find myself layering up for yet another cold run. The back an forth is tiring.

Despite this yo-yo effect throughout February I managed to complete 152.95 miles on my feet. Those miles were a split between running and rucking and all of them outdoors.

Of the 28 days in February, I had two ZERO days where I did absolutely nothing. In both cases it involved traveling across the country where my time and space was limited. These zero days weren’t from a lack of discipline, but from a desire to make my flights and get back home to my wife.

My longest run of the month was 16.0 miles through Umstead State Park while helping a few friends get in their last long runs of 14-miles in preparation of their first Half Marathons.

In addition to physically and mentally dealing with the ever changing conditions in February, the month is often one of the hardest throughout my entire year. The first two weeks of February are the anniversaries of the death of my Mother, which is a story that could be it’s own 3-part series full of emotional turmoil that would be considered a tragedy. Then just a few days after that is the remembrance of the killing of SSG Sanders in Iraq while on my 3rd tour to that country. It was a massive Improvised Explosive Device (IED), more specifically an Explosively Formed Projectile (EFP) that was supplied to our enemy by Iran. These two events back to back in February take a heavy emotional toll on me. Often I am impatient and restless and find myself getting upset or angry over little things that would otherwise have minimal effect on me.

Running for me is more than just a modality to be stronger or more physically fit.

Running with friends is better.

Running is as much social as it is physical with me. The vast majority of my friends are runners. I look forward to seeing everyone in the pictures above every week and often more than once per week. If you are reading this and also pictured above or in this publication, thank you. Your presence in my life is impactful, even if you may not sense it.

As taxing as February was, overall it was a great month of running with friends and continuing the trend of running 100+ miles a month. This now makes 20-months straight of hitting the century mark and I have no plans on slowing in March.

• January: 141.14 miles

• February: 152.95 miles

In just a few days I will be traveling to White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico to participate in the 37th annual Bataan Memorial Death March with a group of fellow Veteran’s. This is a grueling 26.4 mile Ruck March through the high desert of New Mexico while carrying 35lbs on my back.

This is a major event in Las Cruces, NM and WSMR bringing in more than 8,000 marchers. This years event will be one of the hottest on record with temperatures expected to be in the mid 90’s. It’s going to be hot, sandy and unrelenting.

I was invited to this event by my friend Ozzy, who coincidentally was the one who initially got me into running and actually enjoying it. You can read about Ozzy in my post titled “The Trailhead” and how running went from a forced activity into something actually enjoyable.

Thankfully I have experience with endurance events and have been logging so many miles month over month for nearly two years now. This has allowed me to “stay ready” and I’m going into this event feeling strong and confident. I will have another full write up on the Bataan Memorial Death March this Sunday as I travel back home.

MARCH 2026

The month started in Arizona where I was able to enjoy the desert in those short moments at sunrise and sunset that really do feel magical. Logging my miles in Arizona meant very early mornings running to roads and evening runs after a long day at the job site. Simply put, it wasn’t easy. In those first seven days of March I only logged 15.42 miles and even clocked a ZERO day on Monday. It was a tough week trying to carve out time to run.

At the very top of this post, you’ll see six pictures. The three final pictures in shorts and T-shirts were all taken in Arizona. The early morning runs were incredible! There was zero humidity, a cool breeze an temperatures were in the 50’s during morning runs.

I was in Arizona just long enough to take in a few majestic sunrises and sunsets before departing back to the house to go on some much needed PTO.

Following a short week in Arizona of just 15 miles, I returned back to North Carolina and kicked off my highest mileage week 2026 with the Early Risers at 5am. It felt great to be back home and running with friends! As magical as the desert can be, I’d much rather be The South with my friends. They are far better than any illustrious sunset or picturesque sunrise.

Last week was my highest mileage week so far in 2026 with 53.33 miles. Even more impressive was I did that will having a ZERO day on Tuesday!

Here’s how the week broke down:

MON: 7.55 | TUE: 0 | WED: 8.33 | THU: 5.03 | FRI: 7.09 | SAT: 19.15 | SUN: 6.17

My weekly high-mileage was bolstered by finishing up 19 miles on Saturday. It was a combination of a 16-mile run with the Saturday FAR crew followed by coaching the C25K group for another 3.14 miles on Pi(e) Day!

The best part of last week was going out to the American Tobacco Trail Marathon and hyping up the runners and my friends as they completed the Half Marathon and Full Marathon distances. The Run Club had roughly a dozen runners on the course going both distances.

For the better part of the morning we set up chairs and music and cheered on the runners as they made their way down the trail!

We were set up precisely 5K away from the finish line for both the Marathon and Half marathon. For both races, this is when things get extremely difficult and we agreed that helping them get across the finish line strong was essential to a great race.

The first two go go past were Jake and Steve, both going fast for a new Half Marathon PR. I run with both of these men at the Early Risers morning runs and have seen both of them make significant gains in their running.

First by was Jake! Kean jumped on trail proceeded to pace Jake to a new Half Marathon PR, spurred on by completing his 2nd fastest 5K ever in the last 5K! The Half Marathon is a great distance because it’s a 10-mile long run followed by a 5k race!

Shortly after Kean and Jake crossed the finish line, Steve set a new Half Marathon PR and met up with Jake and Kean for a great finish line photo. Kean then made the 5K run back to our cheering section where we were waiting for the Full Marathoners to cross our paths.

I was waiting for my friend Jackson. This young man was going for his first Marathon ever and I knew he’d be in the hurt locker at mile 23! I was going to pick up Jackson and ensure he got across the finish line.

Jackson had an incredible first race with a finishing time of 4:46! It was great to be able to pace him the final 5K and keep him moving in our alternating walk/run effort into the finish line. I’ve seen him transform from a weekly recreational runner to a Marathoner! It’s been incredible.

Overall, last week was full of running with friends. I ran with nearly everyone from the C25K training group to the Early Risers, evening runs and finally pacing a friend at a Marathon! When it comes to running, you really couldn’t ask for much better.

WHAT’S NEXT?

My next Road Marathon will be the Coast Guard Marathon taking place on April 11th in Elizabeth City, NC. While I’m not going to push hard on this race, I do plan on setting a new Personal Record and if conditions are right, a sub-4hr Marathon!

While that race is just over three weeks away, I have even more efforts to get done between now and then.

This weekend is the Bataan Memorial Death March on the 21st.

On March 28th, I’ve committed to pacing my friend Ken at the Umstead 100 Ultra. I’ll be getting in a 12-mile loop with him at some time between 2am and 4am.

Then just two weeks later, I will be in Elizabeth City running my 4th Marathon.

My writing will continue this weekend as I capture all that I can with the Bataan Memorial Death March! Then the publication will continue with my final preparations for the Coast Guard Marathon.

My hiatus from writing is over! I’m excited to be back and in the deep of the writing process!