Where are you from?

Naperville, IL

Current P.R.

3:04:47

Typical pace

7:30

Number of marathons

20+

Occupation

Researcher

Favorite marathon

Boston Marathon

Hobbies

Running, Hiking, Golf, Photography

Favorite Running Food

Banana

What are you reading now?

K2: The Savage Mountain

Who do you train with?

Dick Pond Racing Team
and Wind Runner Group

Personal goals

3:00

A quotation you like…

To win is not important. To plan and to prepare is crucial.
- Eliud Kipchoge

Why do you run?

As a great way to reduce stress from work, and
to connect with wonderful groups of runners with positive minds and resilience.

Describe your best marathon memory.

It was actually the first “un-official” marathon in 2019 that I helped organize with our local Chinese running group.
We called it “The March Wind Marathon” in Naperville. It was my own first marathon distance run, and the purpose of it was to help non-marathoners overcome the fear of venturing into marathon distance for the first time. We designed the route, made our own race banner, bibs, and ordered finish medals to mimic a real marathon race. It was an absolute blast.

Why do you pace?

Being a part of our local running group, I have always helped other runners in weekly group runs either encouraging individuals to do some speed workouts or accompanying them to finish their long run assignments. At marathon race time, as a pacer, I could help other runners in achieving their goals and share my training and race experience with them.

Tell us your best pacing experience.

The Fall BQ2 of 2023, the weather was beautiful, the entire pace group kept together closely with good conversations for the first 18-20 miles, and then some started to move ahead beyond their planned “BQ” time. It was wonderful to see how the early even paced discipline had paid off, and for so many to accomplish their goals.

Why should someone run in your pace group?

You will enjoy the mile-by-mile even pace with good conversations and more likely to achieve a target that you have been training for.

Any tips for runners about to join your group?

Review your workout runs during your training, especially those high quality tempo runs, and use that to plan your race target time. Then rest well, and enjoy the race without worrying about the target, just follow the pacers.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Your hard work of training is already done, race is just the time to have fun.

What philanthropic activities do you have?

Help runner friends in their charity fund raising activities.