Obviously I'm a runner and here is a bit about my running history.  I started running in Yuma, AZ at Cibola High School my freshman year in high school during the track season.  I ran throughout high school after that and then went to Arizona State University (where I did not run).  High school PR's were 800:  2:01, 1600 4:30 and 3200 9:56. 

The following year I attend a Junior College (Scottsdale Community College) and started running after a complete year off.  It was a rough first year getting back into running.  I ended up with a femoral stress fracture early in the track season that year and cross trained like a mad man.  I ended that track season running 1:58 and 4:06 in the 1500, bettering my high school PR's after a year off so I was pretty stoked to continue running.  The following year I ran 3:56 in the 1500 and 1:53 in the 800 and one bad 3k (8:56). 

After I ran those times, I figured It would be good to continue my running at a university and ended up chosing Northern Arizona University.  Due to various NCAA rules (degree completion, transferring, etc) I was not eligible to run my first cross country season at NAU a year when the guys were 3rd.  I did train with them and it took me a while to catch up while battling with an IT band injury, but ended up running the end of the season with the number 5 6 and 7 guys (good for me seeing as I was not a good cross country runner, not mentally tough enough).  The following track season, the highlight of track that year was being part of the DMR indoor team that won the big sky indoor conference title.  I ran the 1200 meter leg in 3:02 at altitude and was very surprised and felt amazing.  Though I thought I would have a great outdoor season, I ended up with awful achilles tendonitis.  I ended up setting a PR in the 1500 that year at mt. sac and qualfied for outdoor, but ran on a bum achilles (3:53).  NAU was under the command of Ron Mann my first year there, the following year John Hayes, moving in from the University of Texas became the new coach.  That year I finally ran a cross country season in uniform and was healthy.  It wasn't a great year, but we did make nationals that year riding on the tail of the team that was 3rd the year before and ended up a disappointing 24th, tho none of the guys from the team the year before were there.  I ended up being the number 5 guy at nationals and had a pretty good race for myself.  As you can Imagine, I was excited and ready to run track that year. 

That indoor season I ended up with another injury.  Again it was my achilles but this time it was the other side.  I ended up cross training like crazy again and after running for about 10 minutes a day for a week, I was asked to run the 1200 meter leg of the DMR indoors.  I did, but it was not good, I ended up running 3:12 or so, but it did not feel good.  We began training for outdoors and I didn't really know where I was fitness-wise, but ended up having a pretty solid year in the 1500.  I progressed pretty well and met my PR from the year before, and then all of a sudden at the Sun Angel Classic at Arizona State University in April, I ran 3:46.19 in the 1500.  I had no idea where I was prior to that race and it was amazing I was so excited.  I ended up running a PR for the 800 as well at our annual ASU-UofA-NAU duel meet and ended up running 1:52.06 good for second place.  After that I was sure I was going to run really fast for the rest of the season.  Two weeks later, we had conference in Flagstaff, and I was ranked well in the 800 and 1500, but failed to qualify for the 800 final and struggled to break 2:00, and the 1500 I barely broke 4:10.  Something was definitely wrong and I ended up having an iron deficiency.  As you can imagine I was not thinking this would bode well for Regionals that was coming up in two weeks.  I ended up taking more iron than you can imagine, sleeping, and relaxing and running some but made sure I took two days off after conference. 

I was ranked 22nd going into the West Region meet and was not sure how it would go, I wanted to make the final, but I wasn't sure if I would be strong enough to make it.  Regionals was at the University of Oregon that year, what a great facility.  Back to the races, the first two heats went off and weren't too fast, so I remember sitting there watching and thinking as I was running that if I ran fast in this heat I would be sure to make the final.  My teammate automatically got into the final in the second heat so I was feeling good.  There were a lot of good runners that year in the west region 1500 (2005).  Jon Rankin took the heat out in around 56-57 which was much faster than I was ready for and accustomed to.  I remember thinking I didn't feel relaxed that first lap and as we passed the timer, I understood why, it was a FAST pace.  We ended up slowing and I think it was a race to see who would die the least by the end.  We came through 800 in 2:02 (much slower), then I fell off and came through 1200 in 3:03.  I was 7th in my heat at that point and we were all strung out on the back stretch.  I was sure I was not going to make the final as the guy in front of me had at least 20 meters on me.  We came around the 200 and I thought I was a bit closer, then coming off the turn into the home stretch I remember the Stanford guy looking back and thats when I got a burst of energy and knew he was dying. I ended up passing him and making the final.  It was a great feeling, I wasn't sure how the next day would go but I remember getting in the ice tub with one of my female teammates (johanna nilsson) and we were pretty excited I made the final and I had hopes of nationals in my head.  As you can imagine I was beat the next day and it was rough on my body as well as psyche and with the injuries earlier in the year and the iron/fatigue problems, I did not make nationals.  I ended up having no gears in that final and ended 12th (last).  All was not lost tho, I had PR'd by a great deal and had hopes to continue running even though I had just completed my collegiate eligibility. 

The last two years I have been in Flagstaff working on a Masters degree and trying to run as well as teach a lab.  I'm still not completely injury free, I think I'm injury prone.  Last May I was having great workouts and had the best 400 repeat workout of my life before I ran the marathon club relay championships on May 20th.  I ended up with a stress fracture that hurt badly during that race and had to take 2 months completely off from running after that (so no chance to run a fast 1500 and get to USATF outdoor.  After that I bought a road bike, got in the pool and ran a little.  I figured I better cross train and being outdoors in the Flagstaff summer is awesome so I bought a pretty nice road bike.  I made some triathlete friends and they convinced me to enter a triathlon in Tempe AZ in september, it wasn't easy, but it was fun at the time.  I came from pretty far behind and had an off run but still won.   It was pretty awesome and I thought for a while I was destined to be a triathlete.  But, workouts came back around and I was running more and its not something you can just let go, I have goals and dreams I will not stop until I get them.  I can do triathlons whenever, but I can't run fast forever!

So as you read you can see it has been rough and I have had my high's and lows.  In the past two years the only race that I set a PR in since college (last year in Washington) I ran 8:11 for the 3k.  I was excited about that one and I know I can go much faster.  I am now a part of the locally grown and intrinsically operated and founded RunFlagstaff club team.  Its a nice group of guys who are living and working here in Flagstaff and we all have common lifestyles and goals, so its nice.  We were 4th at USATF club XC nationals our first year and disappointly 5th a this year (Dec 2007).  I had an off day.  We need to run together more as a team and work off of eachothers energy to make it more of a team dynamic because I haven't had much time to train with the runflag guys.  Most of the time i jumped in the workouts with NAU more often than not.  I trained with Lopez Lomong for two of his track seasons, it was fun to have someone faster to run with and it was also nice to keep him in close range.  I haven't been too motivated since collegiate running, but i am on the comeback.  I am ready to run the mile this indoor season and I will break 4:00.  I have the tools and the training to back me, it is time to get it done!  I'm excited for the upcoming year and the Trials and just ready to make my own waves in the running world.  I will have my first test on Jan 19th in seattle (if plans stay as they are)  I will run a mile and it will be fast.