2021 is when I completed my first half marathon. It wasn't until I moved to Boston in 2023 that I started seeing running as a sport and considering myself a "distance runner." Wild to even type that!

April 20, 2026, will be my first Boston Marathon. A decade ago, I prayed the prayer, "I want my doctorate from Harvard." One year ago, I whispered to myself, "I will find a way to run Boston 2026." It was a deep prayer that I held close. When my nana passed at the height of training for my very first marathon, the miles carried me through the grief of losing her. Running became more than a sport — it became how I kept going. On April 16, I will defend my doctoral capstone at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Four days later, I will stand on that start line. Two prayers answered four days apart. Crossing Boylston Street will be an honor to the woman whose beauty lives through me, and a reminder that the life you dare to believe in is the one that finds you.

What excites me the most about being a distance athlete is that the journey is always changing. You never know what you're going to experience when you are deep into your miles. When I hit the wall, I get angry. A fire and a fury that I don't get to release anywhere else in life. The range of emotions that you get to experience as a distance athlete is something I've only found through running.

LET'S GO!!! During my first marathon, I was listening to a podcast featuring a fellow runner from TrailblazHER Run Co., and she said, "Take it all in. Take a moment to stop and celebrate with your community." Of course, I did not do that. I was so focused on finishing that I missed the moment. So, fellow athletes, the training was the work. Let the race be the moment to celebrate and take it all in!