Why This Race

This training block is centered around the San Diego Beach & Bay Half Marathon, which takes place on April 11, 2026—the same day as my friend’s birthday.

We have been running together since high school. He was one of the people who pushed me to take running seriously early on, and over the years we’ve continued to motivate and inspire one another through training, racing, and life transitions. When we realized that a half marathon fell exactly on his birthday, it felt like the perfect excuse to reconnect in the most familiar way possible: by going for a run together.

This race marks a turning point for me. My last major competitive effort was a 25:01 XC 8K at NIRCA Nationals, and since then my focus has expanded to include advanced coursework (real analysis, probability theory), senior thesis work, and long-term career preparation. This block is about finding balance—training seriously again while remaining a student first.

The goal is ambitious: 1:08:00 for the half marathon. Whether or not I get there, this build represents a return to disciplined, intentional training.

Race & Training Links

Training Log

You’re welcome to see what I got cooking up for this block here