I’ve been running for 15 years now dating back to my teenage years in Lakeland, FL. I competed in just about every sport growing up, but running was the one that stuck. I was blessed to have coaches and teammates throughout my time at Lakeland High School that made the sport so much fun. I was never a state title contender or anything like that, but some consistent progression over the years got me to the State Meet a few times and I was given the opportunity to compete in Track and Cross Country at the University of Florida, my life-long dream school. Go Gators!
My athletic experience in college was much like that of thousands of runners who try to aggressively make the jump to the next level and progress a lot in a short amount of time-doing too much too soon. I suffered multiple injuries in my first couple of years including two stress fractures in my femur.
Looking back those injuries were undoubtedly a blessing for a number of reasons.
First and foremost I experienced a lot of personal growth through the hardship, learning that running is just one of the things I get to enjoy in life, not who I am. It also saved me from a lot of the burnout that so many endurance athletes experience in their young adult years.
My last couple years of college were so fun and I was able to achieve some things that High School me never would’ve thought possible. I was also eager to continue to keep running after college. Lastly, the things I learned the hard way made me passionate about helping others achieve their goals without making the same mistakes I did.
After college I took some time just running for fun and jumping in races here and there. I ran my first half marathon and really enjoyed racing the distance. Running a marathon at some point had always been on my bucket list and running Boston became something that I knew I wanted to do some day. I ran my first marathon in 2019 on a warm, rainy September morning with the plan to BQ. I ended up having to run-walk the last 10K and finished in 2:53. Looking back it’s almost comical how little I knew about racing 26.2. It was shortly after this that I got connected to RunnersFix.
I got my BQ but never ended up using it because of COVID. I spent the COVID time training more consistently than I had since college and getting into the best shape of my life. I ran a HM in 1:08:57 in December 2020 and a 5K PR that I thought l’d never touch again the following spring in 14:55. Some time in the Summer of 2021 l started to get the itch to give the marathon distance another go. I ran a 2:36 marathon to get my BQ in Spring 2022 and a 2:34 that Fall in Indianapolis. After a 14:45 5K PR the following January I was ready for a really great marathon training block.
The 2023 Boston Marathon was probably the most fun l’ve ever had in the sport. It was my first marathon major and also the fittest I’ve ever been. The weather was nowhere near ideal (low 60s, rain, and a slight headwind), but it didn’t matter. I trusted my training and executed my race plan just about perfectly, dipping under 2:30 for the first time, running 2:29:40 and having an absolute blast along the way. High-fiving kids on the course.
Waving at people with funny signs. It was so, so much fun and l’d highly encourage anyone dreaming of running Boston to do what they can to make it happen. It’s a dream worth chasing.
My wife and I welcomed our firstborn in the Fall of 2023. Running has looked slightly different since then with a lot of stroller miles and certainly less sleep, but I’m thankful that I’ve been able to keep a decent amount of fitness, staying within reach of my PRs and really appreciating running as an outlet in an often-unpredictable season of life.
Coaching Philosophy
I can name dozens (maybe hundreds) of people who have had a tangible positive impact in my running career, including some great coaches. I am eternally grateful for the investments that so many have placed in me so that I can realize many of my dreams in the sport. It became clear to me years ago that I always want running to be part of my life and that I wanted coaching to be a big part of that. I started researching training methods and writing training plans for family members as early as high school, implementing things I’ve picked up from coaches I’ve had over the years. A few years ago I started hearing from friends of friends and acquaintances looking for help with their training and found myself becoming more and more eager to help as many people as I can.
I’d describe my coaching style as communicative and flexible. I don’t believe that there is one mode of training that works for everyone in this sport and I think that it’s a coach’s duty to guide their athletes with care, working closely to learn what works best for that specific athlete to help them reach their specific goals. I’m someone that understands that mileage is important, but that also has a conviction that training intelligently can allow someone to do more with less. I also believe that long-term consistency with sustainable progression can do wonders to prevent injury and burnout while also promoting keeping the sport fun-because distance running is a brutal endeavor if it’s never fun!
I’ve coached runners of all ages and ability levels in every distance from the 800m to the marathon. l’ve coached people who are just getting started in the sport and people who have been running for 30 years. Something I love about this sport is that while it’s fun to compete with the person next to you in a race, your ultimate competition is yourself. The biggest battle in running is against the voice in your head telling you that it’d be way easier to sleep in, stick to what’s comfortable, and shy away from striving towards goals that scare you. It is a passion of mine to help people win that battle.
Achievements
 | High School• Lakeland High School Class of 2014 College• University of Florida Class of 2017 Post Collegiate• 2023 Boston Marathon (2:29:40 PB) PBs• 5K: 14:45 |