02/03/2026
I ran my first OFFICIAL half marathon Sunday at with my family in support of fighting breast cancer 💗 Spoiler: I cried about 6x.
It was 23°F and felt like 10°. My face mask froze solid, there was ice on the roads, and my fingers were numb until mile 6. All very foreign for a native Floridian. And somehow it was the time of my life.
I finished in 2:13 (2:12 on my Garmin 😅). My goal was 2:00, but considering my only previous unofficial half in 2023 was 2:40+, this felt huge.
Around mile 3, I ditched my throwaway sweats and locked in with a 2:15 pacer group using the Galloway method (1:30 run / :30 walk). I stayed with them the whole time and am so grateful I did. It let me recover, talk, and truly be present.
I probably could have pushed harder, but then I wouldn’t have met cancer survivors, people honoring loved ones, runners currently in chemo, and a great grandmother who paced me for miles. It was incredibly moving and grounding.
The support was unreal. Music, fuel, candy, tissues, decorations, and nonstop encouragement everywhere.
I also need to shout out for standing outside in this freezing weather and being full team dad energy to cheer us on. I am endlessly grateful for you 🤍 and thank you to for braving the weather and being the best supporters of us all as well!
So thankful I got to soak it all in while supporting a cause so close to my heart. Would 100% do it again next year 🥹💗
