Welcome to my blog, The Optimal Runner. Ever since running in my first competitive race when I was in 4th grade, I have greatly enjoyed the sport of running and all the experiences I have had along the way.

My running journey began with began with a 400m race on a school field day. I finished a close 2nd that day, but the excitement of rounding the final corner into the homestretch is one I still feel to this day. Throughout the rest of my school years, I competed for my school’s track team, qualifying for the Ohio state track meet in the 1600m in 2010 (finished 10th place). 

Running took a backseat through my years at college, as I was blessed to play collegiate soccer at Grace College in Winona Lake, IN. I ran to stay in shape for soccer, but didn’t really commit to it full time. I ran some 5k’s in the summer and even did a couple triathlons in West Milton with my younger brother.

After graduating from college, I looked for something to work towards and Hannah (my lovely wife!) told me about all the fun she had training and running in the Indy Mini Half Marathon. Upon her suggestion, I decided to give it a try and signed up! Having never ran much more than 7 miles, I didn’t really know what I was doing, but managed to hold on and hit my goal of sub-1:30. I enjoyed the atmosphere of a big race and the next spring decided to take the plunge and signed up for my first full marathon…

Having recently moved to Cincinnati, I decided upon the local Flying Pig Marathon. Early on in my training while shopping for new shoes, I stumbled upon a local running club, Mojo Running Club. I showed up for the weekly long run the next weekend and found a supportive running community that I could not have ever imagined! My first marathon was a success, finishing the hilly course in 3:30. 

I learned a lot from that first experience and since then I have gained a lot of knowledge from my experiences and from others that I have met in the running community. My hope for this site is to pass my knowledge to each of you to improve your own running. Given my interest in analytics, I am always looking for ways to grow towards being The Optimal Runner.

Thanks for joining me on my journey!