Today, we will talk about building an outdoor race schedule. My view on races has changed and evolved over the years and especially heading into another Olympic Cycle, things are starting to look a little different. From 2017 to 2023, I followed the same routine: a fall training buildup, indoor track, outdoor track, and the relentless pursuit of world standards for a shot at making a world team. Everything hinged on this. As my running career has evolved, I’ve started to look at things differently. The goal is still to make world and Olympic teams, but the path there doesn’t need to be the same as everyone else. And who knew that trying new things could 1) keep me excited, and 2) work on my weaknesses so I am in fact— a better runner (therefore giving me a better shot to reach my goals).

This isn’t a race-by-race breakdown—more a look at the bigger picture and what I’m truly excited to pursue in 2025 and the years ahead.

Staying excited - what the heck am I training for?

Before I talk about the races I want to run, we need to explain my character arc over the next few years. I sort of soft retired from the 1500m in 2024. After watching the US go 1-3-5 in the Olympics, I sort of knew my time in that event had come to an end. That doesn't mean I’ll stop running it, but it will be a secondary race for me. I’ll probably start to use it more as as a tune up for 5ks/10ks and to have fun in the Summer when we are spinning the wheels more. The great thing about the 1500m is that if you’re strong and maintain some speed throughout the year, you can still run well—as evidenced by my 3:33 last year with little to no prep. 

So after a solid 5k/10k campaign in 2024, I felt like my future was in those races the next few years. I’m aiming for a sub 13 minute 5k and sub 27 minute 10k so lots of what we’re doing day in and day out is with these goals in the back of my mind. Let’s be honest, you don’t get a ton of chances to run a really fast 5k or 10k in the US. You have BU over the winter (got COVID a few days before — classic dad with toddler move) and maybe one solid 10k. Most of the other fast 5ks are in Europe right before USA championships, so not an ideal time to travel. Chasing the world standard gets harder and harder every year, so what else can I do to ensure I am feeling good by the time USA rolls around. Well, let’s talk about it.

Road races (fun)

With the introduction of a world championship for road running, it feels like the sport is starting to move in that direction for the future. Now, before you all get your hopes up—no, I am not running a marathon. But after attending enough marathons and events like BOLDERBoulder, I know our sport can capitalize on: (1) generating revenue, (2) building community, (3) benefit from new shoe technology (4) integrate the masses into the event, and (5) move beyond the traditional Olympic cycle narrative. Let’s talk about those.

1) MONEY MONEY MONEY, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. Okay it’s not all about the money, but it sure helps if the event you host doesn’t lose you millions of dollars. And as a pro, it’s nice to walk away from a weekend earning some cash if you had a solid result. If you don’t believe me, just look at these numbers from Bolder Boulder. Not only does the race itself do incredible well, but the infrastructure around it creates jobs, helps a local city, and builds a model that benefits everyone financially. More funding means better pro races, larger prize money, stronger initiatives, and a deeper connection between running and city culture.

2) COMMUNITY. This word has become somewhat cringe to me the last few years, because showing up to a random brands run club where you just want a free water bottle isn’t community (sorry, not sorry.) Building a real community—whether online, in person, or a mix of both—requires a strong foundation of trust, shared purpose, and consistent engagement. Road races have the potential to do this, especially when you have a big running community all involved in that race. Plus, doing something challenging and hard together is hugely inspiring for everyone— and a road race is the epitome of that. Road races meet people where they are, literally and figuratively. You can host the the race in the heart of the city (impossible with track.)

3) SHOES. Eliud Kipchoge’s impact goes beyond just our sport—he’s a global icon. Watching him glide through a marathon at 4:30 per mile for two hours is so astonishing that anyone who sees it, whether in person or online, can’t help but be inspired. The shoes have absolutely changed the game for road races, and it’s why everyone and their mother wants to do a marathon now- because they can! I remember the days when we reluctantly ran road workouts—usually thanks to snow—and felt sore for a week afterward because of how hard they were on our bodies. Now, we willingly choose road intervals and, dare I say it, sometimes feel even better than after workouts on softer surfaces. RIP Cross country (sad.) Technology has changed and the shoes are pushing everybody to sign up for a local road race.

4) INTEGRATION OF THE MASSES. BOLDER Boulder is so cool because the entire community runs in the race and then they all drink beer and watch everyone finish in the stadium. It makes the pros feel like rockstars and it makes the masses feel incredible accomplished because they just got to participle in the same race as the pros. But it’s actually deeper than this… track and field is the number one participated sport in high school (both genders.) But after they graduate, the interest clearly dies. Why? Track can be confusing—even I struggle to understand the point system at times. How does qualifying for each country work? Is this a league or just a series of random races? And the really exciting stuff (Olympics) is every 4 years… Who has time to wait for that? But how easy is it for us to understand the narrative behind a race if you’ve run it? Pretty easy. Everyone suffers the same distance, can relate to what the pros do, and this creates a deep emotional investment. We’re one of the only sports where participation can drive interest!

5) MOVE BEYONE OLYMPIC CYCLE. The Olympics are great, I'm not a hater. I will give my left kidney to qualify in Los Angeles. However, we have to celebrate these amazing athletes outside of this time window if we want the sport to grow. And having athletes participating in road races where there are tons of people is a great way to highlight their success. I get it, but showing up to a BU race to run really fast 3x every indoor season isn’t how you grow a sport. I think it’s a symptom of the system in place, as standards are the ring of power or maybe I’m just salty because I ran a bad race at BU in front of a crowd of 3 people two weekends ago. Alas, I want racing to be fun. And road races are fun!

Road racing excites me. It’s the future of our sport, and I’m ready to embrace it. Let’s see where this new path takes me. 

Work on my weaknesses (training)

I've heard the same advice over and over and over again throughout my career but there is a reason you hear it. Something along the lines of “You have to be strong.” And unforuntely, I am just not strong enough- for anything. But that’s okay, we’re working on it. And how do I get better at that? Work on strength. How do you do that? Same thing people have always done- long runs, threshold intervals, longer track repeats, higher weekly training volume, etc…

My logic the next few years is that if I can get stronger for longer races, then everything else will get a little bit easier. My 5k pace won’t feel as bad, my 10k stamina will improve, and I will continue to stay in touch with my speed because I’m not grinding out 130+ mpw for a marathon. So, naturally as I start to work on these things, I hope my 5k/10k will continue to drop. Every year I think I am “strong” and of course, I am getting better and better. But I still watch guys effortlessly pull away from me at the end of races… because they’re less tired than me. I sort of reflected on this in the off season but I asked myself, what stuff am I bad at? What stuff do I get dropped on by my teammates? Well, the answer to those questions were:

1. Longer repeats- Anything over a mile I really start to struggle on. So, we implemented 2 mile repeats every other Monday, that seems to help a bit.

2. Longer runs- My body is DESTROYED after doing a longer run. I am sore, feel like I have the flu, and struggle to recover for the next workout- what’s that all about?

Naturally, we have got to work on these things if I want to close the gap on my competitors. If anything else, these are really good things to work on day in and day out of practice. Showing up eager and excited to tackle these challenges keeps training fresh. 

Work on my weaknesses (racing)

I will be running lots of longer races in 2025. To start, I’ll be heading back to the Sound Running 10k on March 29th. This is where we got things going last year and I am ready for more. After a 4th place finish at last years Olympic Trials, I really want to keep knocking on the door of this event. What’s nice about the 10k is you have a really solid base build up for this race throughout the fall/winter and then you can sort of pick what direction you want to go afterwards— longer slower races or shorter faster races. Remember, at this level you have to be good at everything now- training for the 10k sets me up well for the year. A week after the 10k, I’ll be heading home(ish) to DC and running Cherry Blossom 10 miler. This will be my short over distance race season, and I will take a light break after these races before really heading into the Summer where the focus will be on shorter road races (5k/10k) and then some shorter track races (5000m and 1500m.)

I have a lot to give on the track, but we’re taking a top-down approach to racing. I’m just not really worried about my speed as a limiting factor anymore— it’s being strong enough. So I want to keep exploring these longer road races in the future and see if these help with my 5k/10k on the track. Will it work? I have no idea. But I believe in it—and I’m an all-in kind of person. So for now, we’re committing to the idea. I also want to keep things fresh. Bolder Boulder and Cherry Blossom have been on my bucket list for a while, and there’s no better time than now to chase them.

The final thing I want to mention about building a proper race schedule is momentum. I think this is without a doubt the least talked about factor for guys who have great summers, make teams and are successful all around athletes. It’s REALLY easy to get into good shape— just run a bunch of hard workouts for a few weeks. It’s REALLY hard to get into peak shape, at the right time while avoiding illness/injuries/setbacks while staying mentally engaged for a long summer of racing. You see the difference? Some athletes are at their absolute fittest in January/February— you see this as most peoples personal best over 5k/3k come from races in indoor track. But, to hold this peak for another 6 months? Damn near impossible unless you’re doing something sketchy. However, there are ways to build a race schedule that set you up well so that when you want to be ready, you’'re ready. Josh Kerr is the master of this in my opinion. He doesn't race all of the Diamond Leagues, or participate in every big race. He circles the World Championships or Olympics on the calendar and says “That’s the one.” And then he sets up a racing and training schedule that has him ready, when he REALLY needs to be ready. Everyone is different, but having momentum on your side for a lot of your racing can really help if the guy next to you on the starting line is cooked and you’re rearing to go.

Racing in 2025 is about more than just hitting times—it's about staying excited, evolving, and setting myself up for long-term success. The sport is changing, and I'm leaning into that change. Road racing, training smart, and keeping my eyes on the big goals—this is the plan. Whether you’re a runner chasing a PR or a fan of the sport, I hope you’ll follow along as I figure this out in real time. See you on the roads and track this year!

Alright, I want to mix in some more fun stuff in these newsletters—so here are 5 random things I think you need to know about.

1. My post travel routine. This is super niche, but it’s been an absolute game changer for me over the past year. I do it every time I travel, and it’s made a huge difference—especially when it comes to shaking off that sluggish, post-flight feeling and getting my body moving again.

2. Performance book. I really connected with a lot of what was shared, especially the parts about learning to separate your identity from your sport. Steve always delivers.

3. The Thule Urban Glide 3 is hands down the best run stroller out there. I put together a quick video for them—yes, they’re my sponsor, but honestly, it’s a product I genuinely love and use all the time. Check it out!

4. I gave up social media for Lent, and it's been enlightening, to say the least. There’s so much overwhelming noise out there, and I’ve realized how much these platforms feed into a cycle of anxiety and negativity. If you’re constantly feeling on edge or projecting doom into your life or the world—seriously, try deleting the app. It’s been a breath of fresh air. I’ve also been leaning more into my faith lately with the help of an objectively great app: Hallow. Highly recommend.

5. On my last newsletter we did a giveaway, S/O to Jake Edholm for winning the giveaway. He won a pair of METASPEED SKY PARIS.