Even by my standards, this was next-level last minute. Seeing the forecast in the low 50s for the morning of September 26, 2026, I had debated driving 40 minutes to Smithfield, North Carolina, to participate in the annual Run 4 Recovery 10K, kicking off at 8:00 AM. I read the online registration stayed open through the start of the event, so I went to bed without setting an alarm and thought, if I happened to wake up early enough unprompted and felt like racing, I would sign up. Indeed I woke up early, but, still drowsy, I did not roll out of bed until 6:30 AM. After leaning 95% toward going back to bed, I forced myself up and got ready, still unsure if I had sufficient time. I decided to drive and only register on my phone if I made it to the venue in time, which I did; if I had not, I would have run somewhere near alone.

Having nothing in my system aside from a bottle of BODYARMOR LYTE did not concern me for such a short race, albeit this time, with an unseasonably cool 50-degree start, I planned to really push myself. Logging a 7:42 first mile and feeling fresh, I had high hopes that this could be the day I break my PR of 48:42.8 from over 8 years ago, to this day one of the biggest speed outliers since I picked up long-distance running. Nevertheless, I reminded myself to keep the rhythm and not potentially blow myself up too soon, and I planned on switching gears in the last mile or two depending on how I felt then. At the 5K turnaround and still full of energy, I picked up the pace, and each of the remaining miles recorded substantially faster than the previous, leading to a significant negative split with a 7:40 final full mile and a 6:47/mile pace for the final stretch. I thought I had the PR in the bag, but I would not reach the finish line until my COROS PACE 2 hit 6.27 miles. My official time reads 48:54.11, just shy of my PR but still my second-ever sub-50:00 10K and sufficient for first place in my age group of 30-39. Going by the watch distance, this would be my fastest average mile pace, 7:49, out of all 121 races since March 2012, but I cannot truly count this as a PR, and I am uncertain if I am more elated or disappointed that I came so close. With summer out of the way and as the temperature continues to drop, I will carry on this momentum, so perhaps I will try again, even though my body is more accustomed to far longer and slower races.

PC: Fit & Able

Following a several-month hiatus from racing, as has been typical during the hotter months, I decided to return to Fit & Able’s Summer’s Done 1/4 Marathon, taking place on August 22, 2026, at Fred G. Bond Metro Park, in Cary, North Carolina. The course had to be modified this year to work around the preplanned baseball game in the same venue. Still warm and insanely humid thanks to sporadic rain, I did not set a greedy time goal, considering also I had not been running at a fast pace in the heat of the summer.

PC: Fit & Able

PC: Fit & Able

The event used staggered starts so that the participants would not cause traffic and inconvenience other users of the park. Once the race director shouted my bib number, I took off at a low 7-minute-mile pace, which often happens at the start of a race due to the adrenaline rush but one I knew I could not keep up in these conditions. My entire clothes were rapidly drenched in sweat, making me dread the drive home. I began dealing with minor stomach cramps halfway, and with 2.5 miles to go, I thought about grabbing a cup of water to fight the suffocating humidity but moved past the aid station to avoid disrupting my flow. Though I felt the effort, I kept a consistent pace through these two laps of just over 5K each. I crossed the finish as the second male overall, pleasant surprise, officially in 55.35.96, at 6.63 miles according to my ancient COROS PACE 2. After collecting my finisher’s medal and receiving a complimentary stretch, I stuck around to chat with fellow runners. Hot days are still ahead, but I expect to sign up for running events more regularly and plan to pick up the momentum of my speed increase from the cooler months shortly.

PC: Jay Proffitt

Remembering the beautiful scenery last year, I knew I would and did sign up for my second 50K at the New River Trail Races in as many years, hosted by Southwest Virginia Running in Fries, Virginia, on April 11, 2026. The differences would be that the course would return to the original–last year required a slight modification due to the ongoing effect of Hurricane Helene–and the much hotter forecast. For a couple of weeks, my legs felt fatigued not during but after each of my relatively short runs in my new snug ASICS sneakers, and I initially blamed the shoes being too tight and became concerned prior to realizing I likely just did not give myself enough break following the recent 25K race on a technical trail.

PC: Kevin Combs

PC: Jay Proffitt

My COROS PACE 2, as has been the case frequently as of late, refused to lock my heart rate for minutes leading up to the run, so I had to start the watch without it; I did not care as long as my distance was accurate. Conservatively, I planned on running in the upper 9:00/mile pace until my body told me to slow down, but my legs would effortlessly carry me much faster, and I recorded the first half marathon just past 2:05. Nevertheless, around 15 miles in, my body abruptly felt heavier, and my slowing down became inevitable, evident beginning 20 miles. I spoke to many participants post-race who said the exact same, that they felt fresh for the first 15 miles then bonked, and we theorized our bodies were not yet accustomed to the heat this year, with the high likely reaching 80 degrees. The pebbles became more noticeably painful, and some sections felt hillier than I recalled. Like I do in all races, I continued to ask God for help and to send His angels my way to run with me. I found it entertaining that supposedly my bib number of 111 is a number that symbolizes angels or some such nonsense; I would take it more seriously if this concept originated from the Bible, which of course it did not.

We shared a lot of mileage toward the end!

On this original course, the initial turnaround came sooner at 15 miles and the segment that was omitted last year appeared at 25 miles, which felt to be all climbing. Here, I ran into a young lady running her first-ever ultramarathon, and we shared over 5 miles toward the end, conversing about a variety of topics. I can confidently say that, without her, I would not have pushed as hard. I crossed the finish line, 31.44 miles on my COROS, officially in 6:16:50.6, merely 47.9 seconds slower than the previous year and probably a stronger performance factoring in the new hilly segment and the temperature. I thank my Lord for this unique hobby that is such a powerful metaphor for life and always watching over me.

In my typical fashion, I signed up for the newly added 25K at TRAIL:30’s Cliffs of the Neuse Trail Run & Hike, taking place on March 21, 2026, mere minutes before the registration deadline, primarily as I had a couple of other races on my radar the same weekend. As I have not participated in many legitimate, technical, though runnable, trail races, I spent the entire morning leading up to the start asking people about the likelihood of getting lost. I had already decided to run slowly, or jog, assuming this to be a difficult trail with a significant elevation gain and abundant roots and rocks, which relieved some pressure.

The 25K and 50K participants would start together, the former running the loop twice and the latter four times. I figured I would have runners in sight the entire first loop and could learn the patterns of the white flags and signs I was to follow that way, which proved to be inaccurate; with frequent sharp turns, I was often by myself from early on. I had several close calls, the first being the entrance to a lollipop section these two distances had to complete. One lady passed by it moving straight instead of turning, and a man behind her yelled at her to come back, followed by my repeating the same. I could have easily struggled here without the man as well, for which I repeatedly thanked him. Secondly, albeit I knew I was going the right way, all of a sudden I saw countless runners coming my way from the other side, at first not realizing they were 4-mile and 8-mile participants who started 30 minutes later and making me question if I went the wrong way. Lastly, toward the end of the second loop, as I did the entire race, I went through the two white flags then saw two separate paths without any sign, so I ran in place, yelling where I am supposed to go, a few seconds after which I saw a couple of runners popping out from farther down that told me to keep going straight. Though this all worked out, my initial navigational concerns were justified. I even kicked a root so hard running down and barely saved myself from falling.

Lap #2! PC: Last Light Productions

I may have started out too ambitiously in the first loop, as I ran much faster than I intended and never took any walking break even in major climbs. Completing the first lap, I still felt strong, then after going up and around the picnic shelter and back down to begin my second lap, my body instantly felt heavier. The increase in temperature likely contributed to this, but I was relegated to walking here and there, especially during steeper climbs. I crossed the finish in a gun time of 2:45:51, with an elevation gain of 1,293 feet according to my COROS PACE 2. I had zero expectations going in, as I did not know how to strategize my pace without even knowing the difficulty of the course beforehand and not being an experienced trail runner. My legs felt fine, but my vomiting at a gas station on my way home tells me my body must have been fatigued. I simply take this as a learning experience and a fun long run.

PC: Fit & Able

My rapid increase in speed has remained consistent for the past several months, and I have been eager to put this to the test with a support of race adrenaline. For my first race of 2026, on Valentine’s Day, I debated between a 10K on a flat, easy course in Greenville, a 1.5-hour drive, and a 6.5-miler on a much tougher cross-country course, with an elevation gain of 433 feet according to my COROS PACE 2, in my neighborhood of Cary. I could not justify driving that far for such a short distance, so I chose the latter, to return to Sole Mates at WakeMed Soccer Park, hosted by Fit & Able Productions. This would be my fifth race on this exact course.

Final climb and sprint to the finish. I was thinking, “Please, move out of the way!” 😂 PC: Fit & Able

PC: Fit & Able

Starting downhill, I clocked 7:36 for the opening mile; I cannot recall running such a quick full mile in any of my previous races, but I was not surprised based on my recent runs. In spite of the continuous rolling hills on uneven trails, some steep and some muddy, my pace never fluctuated wildly, as I pushed harder climbing, often passing runners, and relaxed coming down to catch my breath. I was encouraged by the noticeable improvement in my running economy. Perhaps greedy, I even asked myself multiple times during the race if I actually could have set a new personal best in the 10K had I chosen to participate in the other flatter event. Conquering the final 0.3-mile climb with relative ease to conclude the race, having to go around countless 5K walkers occupying the entire path that likely cost me a second or two, I crossed the finish in 53:46.27, nearly 5 minutes faster than my second-fastest time on this course and sufficient for 1st in my age group. It may not be a stretch to consider this performance comparable to my 10K PR of 48.42.8 from 2018 on completely flat concrete. I know running at this pace will become difficult once the temperature spikes in a month or two, so I would like to squeeze in a couple of shorter (than ultra) races prior. Happy Valentine’s Day!

PC: Laurie Matecki

PC: Laurie Matecki

With a minor illness that initiated a persistent violent cough that has lasted over a week, albeit not sick, I was concerned the day before if I could even participate in the inaugural Cape Fear Holiday Run, held on December 13, 2025, at Cape Fear Shiner Park that I registered for the evening of the online registration deadline. This event would replace the longstanding The Nutcracker Endurance Run in the neighborhood I took part in last year. I chose the longest of the three timed events offered, 9 hours, an odd one to figure out how to pace. I simply hoped I could come close to 40 miles.

Shared a lot of mileage with these kind folks!

I opened up the first three laps of 1.17 miles with a kind gentleman who recently picked up ultrarunning, talking about the different races and distances we have finished. After a little while, this slower pace made running more difficult, so I let him know, sped up drastically, and spent the next handful of miles alone, observing nature and rarely listening to music. Here and there I ran into new runners with whom I chatted extensively, helping take my mind off the suffering, which I have become accustomed to ignoring. When alone, I would continue to pray, thank God and His angels for protecting me, and think of my father who recently went to Heaven and my mother who has been alone; this event coincidentally took place on my mother’s 71st birthday. Shockingly, I remained #3 male overall for over 6 hours, which made me push harder and run more than I intended to at this stage of the race to try to maintain that position. Once I was overtaken, I felt relief and started confidently incorporating walks that I planned to begin much sooner. I recorded the first marathon distance almost right at 5 hours as well as one of my fastest 50K splits, around 6:10. With a couple of hours left, I was relegated to mostly walking. With an hour and a half to go, I realized, because of the “.17” next to “1,” officially securing at least 40 miles became verging on impossible. I completed my final lap of 34 with nearly 16 minutes to spare, bringing my total official mileage to 39.78, while my COROS PACE 2 reads 40.55, but I did not have enough left in my legs to try to squeeze in another loop before time ran out. I am still beyond grateful and content that I was even able to run for the entire duration without any issues, let alone virtually achieve my goal. Now to continue to focus on Advent, reflecting on the arrival of the Savior of the world.

A turkey trot the morning of Thanksgiving has been a tradition for many years, and for 2025, I decided to return to FS Series’ Skinny Turkey 10K in my city of Raleigh for the third time in four years. I had been under the weather for a couple of days, so I became concerned if my body would allow me to hold my standard pace on these intense rolling hills. Clocking 8:06 for the opening mile, I got my answer early on. Just over two miles in, thanks at least partly to the heavy wind, I dropped my left earbud that felt loose in my ear the entire race, ironically after telling myself this would never happen because it never had in my last hundreds of runs. I turned around, retrieved the earbud, and sprinted forward to catch up to and pass the runner who had been right in front of me, and I needed the following half a minute to catch my breath and regain my composure and rhythm. In spite of the continuous ups and downs, my pace never fluctuated wildly, and I recorded my fastest mile of 8:01 in the final full mile, pleasantly surprised by how little fatigue I felt.

Nearing the end, already knowing this was my fastest time yet on this course motivated me to push even harder in an attempt to blow the previous two comparable times out of the water. Maneuvering around countless 5K participants, I crossed the finish officially in 52:13.810 with an elevation gain of 489 feet according to my COROS PACE 2. Albeit far from my PR, considering all of my PRs came from much easier and flatter courses, I do not believe reclaiming my speed from just over half a decade ago to be out of reach. I will have to find out in the next several months, before Raleigh becomes insufferably hot again. Happy Thanksgiving!

PC: Mayberry Half Marathon

For the past month or two, my speed noticeably increased, and I would have to go back many years to find this level of consistency; consequently, to put this to the test, I was eager to participate in the Mayberry Half Marathon in Mount Airy, North Carolina, for the third time, on November 8, 2025. However, the weather irritatingly decided to turn on this one day, with the feels-like temperature forecast to reach nearly 70 degrees, and I almost did not sign up until reasoning with myself I would regret more if I let this opportunity go. I woke up just before 4:00 AM and drove to the race venue over two hours away, and, seeing the unanticipated dense fog that made driving inconvenient and lasted through the first several miles of the event, I knew I was dealing with nearly 100% humidity in addition to the temperature spike.

I trusted my fitness and enthusiastically started out fast and clocked 8:10 for the first mile. For the majority of the race, my pace did not fluctuate too wildly. Suddenly, with four miles to go, my body felt much heavier and slowed drastically, and I attribute this partly to the weather. The short inclines here and there near the end became more challenging than I had anticipated. My focus shifted solely to running the entire way, no longer caring about my pace, and I had to continue to search for positive thoughts to keep going. I expected to run significantly faster than 1:58:07.7 (gun time), but I was relieved to at least score another comfortable sub-two-hour finish.

Memorably, a high-school girl with an inhaler ran in front of me for the first four miles. After she waved at her family, she suddenly had an asthma attack, and I was caught off guard and reacted, “Oh, no.” I was concerned for her, until I saw her not too far behind me at the 7-mile turnaround. After she finished (her first half marathon!), I checked up on her, and we congratulated each other. On my way back to the shuttle, she came over to say good job again, and I gave her a hug and chatted with her family and friends. I also at the starting line ran into the race director of the Danville Half Marathon, a race I’ve completed four times including just three weeks ago, and we cheered one another on throughout. This is what I love about the running community and continues to have me register for races nonstop.

My fourth Danville Half Marathon since 2021, on October 18, 2025, in the titular city of Virginia, became my first race back since my most recent ultramarathon over six months ago, a long hiatus by my standards but not odd factoring in the inevitable insufferable heat and humidity during the summer months where I reside. The conditions felt almost identical to last year, starting in the mid-40s and shooting up 15-20 degrees throughout. Because I have not entered a half marathon for an entire year, which is not far if I run slowly as during an ultra, I became anxious about how to efficiently pace. I would have been content with a simple sub-2:00, so I was pleasantly surprised when I, without exerting much energy, started out in the mid-7:00/mile pace and could maintain a mid-8:00/mile pace for the vast majority of the run, albeit I unsurprisingly decelerated the final 5K. I set a goal to run my fastest time on this course, which seemed doable considering I never ran a fast time here, and I managed to do so, officially in 1:56:59.2 and first place in my age group of 35-39, more than content for the day.

This marked my first running event following my father’s recent sudden passing from his earthly body and into his heavenly body, worshiping and rejoicing in the presence of Jesus. In addition to continuous prayer, I spent a lot of this run reminiscing about my father’s final moments. Though I know he is more alive than he has ever been and has more joy than I can ever imagine in this world as a foreigner, I as his son cannot help but still feel a vast void and sorrow in my heart; nevertheless, far greater has been my gratitude to Jesus for giving us eternal life by dying in our place, not because of anything we did but by his grace alone and our faith in Him alone, that He chose to reveal Himself to us so that we never lose hope and we as family in Christ will all see each other again one day, this time for eternity. God’s thoughts and ways are higher than I can fathom (Isaiah 55:8-9), and it is His purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21). Without Jesus, everything is meaningless, and all I care to do in my brief moment in this earthly body is meditate on His Word, pray, seek and do His will on Earth as it is in Heaven, and glorify Him in all I do. I find peace and comfort no matter the circumstance, resting in Jesus’ faithfulness.