My running career began in 1994, as a high school freshman in Chico, California. I joined the xc  team that fall because a) I wanted to get in shape for basketball and b) there was a girl on the team I found attractive. By the time my junior year rolled around, I had dated and stopped dating the girl in question and was no longer wasting my time trying to realize the impossible dreams of a 5′8 white basketball player. I continued running.

After graduating in 1998, I stopped running, started frying donuts late at night, and promptly put on 40 lbs.

I finally found the will-power to quit the baking job in Aug of 1999, and started the slow process of reaclimating my body to non-donut dinners and a normal sleep schedule. By early 2000 I had started running again, albeit very very slowly. I had agreed to be an Asst. Coach for my old high school’s xc team, and my being 185 lbs and unable to run a 7 minute mile would likely not impress my new “students.”

I coached through the 2003 season, running enough to ensure I’d be at least (almost) as fast as the top varsity guy. In March of 2004 I left Chico for Seattle, Washington.

In Seattle I forgot about running and focused more on my diminishing bank account as my job search proved less than fruitful. In late 2004 I made the decision to, when I turned 25 on February 14th of the following year, start training for the Seattle Marathon. I’d have 9 months. As planned, I began training on Feb 14. My first week saw me blaze through 18 miles. I trained alone.

The ultimate goal was sub-3 hours I ran a 3:10:43, easily missing my ultimate goal but qualifying by the length of my shorts for the Boston Marathon. I didn’t have any intention of running Boston, but eventually I caved and signed up for the 2007 race. I joined a running club, met some cool dudes, and got into possibly the best shape of my life (1:19 half marathon), but bombed on the big day, hitting 3:09. I soon signed up for Victoria Marathon and failed there too, hitting 3:06. At least I kept PRing.

Sick of failing at long road races, I decided to try out some trail runs in 2008, doing a few of the SRC Cougar Mtn races as well as my first ultra, the Northface 50k. All those races went really well and I signed up for the Portland Marathon in October, finally putting that damn 3:00 barrier behind me with a 2:58:58. I’ve yet to run another road marathon. It was around here that I learned how many damn great trail runners live and train right next door to me. I wish I started sooner.

In 2009 I added another 50k and my first 50 miler (White River). My performance there could be best-described as “first timer-esque”. At least I got to run in the footsteps of some of the best trail runners in the country. I learned a lot, let’s leave it at that.

Today I am open to more or less any and all distance, any and all terrain. I’ll run more 5ks, I’ll give road marathons another go, and who knows, someday I might try the ol’ triple digits. Most of the time I just try to maintain some level of fitness, and always be thankful that I no longer work in a donut shop.

PRs
Mile: 4:51
2 mile: 10:13
5k: 16:40
8k: 27:30
10k: 37:17 (Dawg Dash ‘06)
Half Marathon: 1:18:41
Marathon: 2:58:58

Ultras
Ultra PRs are not very informative with the varying nature of courses…so here’s simply a list of the ultras I’ve run so far, and my placement.

2008
1. Northface 50k, Bellingham: 5:54:12 (3rd male, 4th overall)
2009
2. Northface 50k, Bellingham: 5:00:47 (2nd male, 3rd overall)
3. White River 50 Mile, Crystal Mountain: 8:47:46 (29th male, 32nd overall)
2010
4. Mt. Si 50k, Snoqualmie: 3:44:43 (3rd male, 3rd overall)