Where are you from?

Dayton, OH

Current P.R.

3:28:44 (As of Sept. 2014)

Typical pace

3:30 – 4:00 Marathon

Number of marathons

11 and 8 ultras

Occupation

Social Work Student

Favorite marathon

Flying Pig

Hobbies

Organizing group hikes, running, making people laugh.

Favorite Running Food

GU Chomps, pretzels.

For ultras: Pb&j’s, pickles.

Post race: chocolate milk!

What are you reading now?

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. And textbooks. Mostly textbooks.

Who do you train with?

4 Seasons Training Team... a group of incredible people who make every long run feel like social hour! They’re pretty much a second family to me.

Personal goals

2015: Two 50-mile races and a 3:20 Marathon

2016: 100-mile race

A quotation you like…

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Roosevelt

Why do you run?

It started out as an attempt maintain my clever guise of sanity, but then I started running ultras and that put a stop to that. So now I run for fun, for pushing myself, for stress relief, for health, for time with friends, and for an excuse to be outside/in the woods for hours at a time.

Describe your best marathon memory.

I have two. One is my first marathon, which my brother (read: hero) signed us both up for and bought me a plane ticket to get to, and THEN informed me that I would be running it. I had never even considered running a marathon before that. Fighting through that first one with him was a fantastic experience. The other is when I qualified for Boston the first time. One of the team coaches ran me in, and the other met me at the finish – it was thrilling because I had worked so hard to get to reach that goal, and because I got to celebrate with the people who set me up to succeed.  

Why do you pace?

I love that moment when people realize they have pushed themselves harder than ever before, and as a result have achieved what they thought they couldn’t. I want to experience more of those moments, and I want to be part of what gets people there.

Tell us your best pacing experience.

Why should someone run in your pace group?

Pace groups are great because they can take your mind off the remaining miles, and the pressure off getting the timing right. I’ll add a lot of talking, some (often unintended) humor, and encouragement to the equation, and we’ll have a blast all the way to the finish line.   

Any tips for runners about to join your group?

Brace for impact! Just kidding. Remember what you did for your last long run that went well? Do all of that again for race day. Also, remember to smile, breathe, and enjoy the race.

Anything else you’d like to share?

What philanthropic activities do you have?

I like to use races to fundraise for organizations that support veterans. The two I’ve run for so far are Racing4Veterans and Special Operations Warrior Foundation.