Where are you from?

Clinton, MD

Current P.R.

2:59:10

Typical pace

4:30km/min

Number of marathons

20

Occupation

AI Solution Architect

Favorite marathon

Boston & Sydney

Hobbies

Board Games, Travel

Favorite Running Food

Pasta

What are you reading now?

Looking for my next read….

Who do you train with?

20% Run Groups, 80% solo

Personal goals

To eventually raise a stable, loving family.

A quotation you like…

How you do one thing, is how you do everything.

Why do you run?

Running is a privilege, and I’ll never again be as young as I am today.

Describe your best marathon memory.

I was running in the Sydney Marathon, I had started with the 3h10m pacer,. Before the start, I told him I’d do my best to stay with him, but that the pace was just on the outside of my abilities.
Surprisingly, I did keep up with him. Till around mile 14. I wasn’t paying attention, and realized he was gone. I panicked, I thought, “How did he pass me? I don’t even see him, how far is he ahead of me??”

Panicked, I increased my pace, I had to catch up him. Slowly, I worked, 2km passed, 5km, 10km… where was he? How did I miss him and the bigger pace group? I kept going, and eventually I saw a pacer flag far infront of me. Finally I thought, there they are… keep pushing, gotta catch up….

Eventually I made it to the tail of the pacer group and moved up to the front. When I looked at the pacer, it was not the same guy. I looked up at his flag, it read 3:05 :p. OMG.
I realized that it wasn’t my pacer who passed me, but the other way around. We were now near the end, so I made one final kick, and passed the 3:05 pacer as well :p

By the time I crossed the finish line, I realized that I not only got a massive PR, but that the race was my ticket to Boston :-)

Why do you pace?

I pace because I want to help others with that tiny .1% that might help them to reach their goals in a race that they’ve spent months preparing for.

Tell us your best pacing experience.

I was pacing the Berlin marathon. It was a much more conservative pace than I’m capable of, and in -act it seemed to be the same for many in my group. It was an uncharacteristically warm day, so many weren’t going for PR’s, at least not in the 3:45 pace group.

With a few runners, we chatted for most of the race. Time flew, everyone got to know each other and we commented on the beauty of the city landmarks that we ran by. It was a race where I wasn’t chasing a PR, I realized that the experience didn’t need to be a struggle. 42k is 42k, fast or slow, it’s about the journey, not the destination.

Why should someone run in your pace group?

They should run in my pace group to hear about the keys that I’ve learned though the years of running, to be encouraged to keep going and exceed their goals over time.

Any tips for runners about to join your group?

Decide what you are going for, to enjoy the race, or chase a PR. Maximize your choice, once you’ve decided on it.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Feel free to say hi before the race. I’ll share the pace strategy for the course, and any tips I help you get the most out of the race :-)

What philanthropic activities do you have?

Big Brothers, Big Sisters in the DC metro area.