C.J.

Hard work + patience = results . These were some of the first few runs I recorded five years ago. After failing miserably at a Spartan race the year prior and barely surviving a year later, I was determined to finish one properly. The Spartan Sprint covered about five miles and I knew I’d need to start running to improve. So I would go out to the greenway and run for as long and as far as I could. A month later, I found F3 and the rest is history. The point is, we all start from somewhere and most of us are not ‘natural’ runners. It is not “easy.” It takes years of consistently showing up to make small gains that add up over time. The podium placements that you see are literally the tip of the iceberg that is supported by lots of hard work, setbacks, sacrifice, injuries, etc . There’s been lots of talk about sharing our “why” for running. I think it’d also be good to share your “how.” How have you arrived to where you are from where you were or how do you plan on getting to where you’d like to be from where you are? My how is I lost 40+ lbs, accumulated thousands of miles over the past four years, have established a purpose to every run (speed, endurance, recovery), and integrated it into my daily life. My plan is to work even harder in the years to come to get where I want to be which will always be better than where I currently am.

Five Years . On this date 5 years ago, on a hot Sat morning, I ventured to my first @f3nation_official workout after being pestered by a co-worker for about a year (which started during a job interview). I had attempted a Spartan race that March and barely survived. I was so tired after that I couldn’t change out of my muddy clothes because I couldn’t lift my arms. It took me an hour to walk to my car that was 10 min away. I drove home muddy and needed help up the stairs to shower. I turned 31 years old the next week and promised myself that by the time I turned 35, I would be in the best shape of my life . At my first workout, I wonder how these 50+ year old men were running circles around me. I wanted to be like them. I saw men like @joehowell262 setting the pace at workouts and runs for men 1/3 his age. I kept coming back because I was filling a void in my life that I didn’t know I had...which eventually led to me easily completing the same Spartan race that defeated me 2 years prior as well as the Super and Beast. I found I liked challenging myself with difficult things. The harder the better...which led to many more races and eventually completing my first marathon...the day before my 35th birthday. If you’d told the guy in these first pictures that he would be the guy in the last few pictures, he would’ve laughed at you. I can’t wait to see what the guy in the later pictures becomes in the next five years . This thing really is more than a workout. It has changed my small family’s life in so many ways (Amy has an even more impressive transformation than mine). None of those things would’ve been possible without the strong support of my brothers, who are some of the best men I know. They helped me fulfill my promise to myself that I didn’t know I was making back then. Yes. I’ve lost weight, gained muscle, endurance, etc. But most importantly, I’ve gained purpose, the ability to appropriately prioritize aspects of my life, and a desire to do things outside of myself. Thank you @f3nation_official !

Thank you again for the Community Unity Award yesterday. After @araej , @armani.mcdonald , and @mr_chandler surprised me, this (see the reel) is what I said and it feels fitting to post today on the sixth anniversary of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. Imagine how boring life would be if everyone looked the same, talked the same, believed the same, loved the same. Part of what makes life meaningful is the opportunity to learn from people who are different from us. The men who murdered Ahmaud were ignorant — not as a throwaway word, but in its truest sense. They had not done the work required to understand that although his skin was a different color, he had family like them, hopes and dreams like them... They were likely more alike than different. Instead, their ignorance cost them their freedom. It cost Ahmaud his life. And now we organize “Run With Maud” runs instead of actually being able to run with him. As a Black man who runs, this hits close to home. My wife requires that I always carry my phone with tracking ON. If you’ve run with me, you’ve been tracked by her — thank you @strava Beacon and @garmin LiveTrack. I rarely run alone before sunrise. I make a point to appear friendly when I pass people… just in case. I often hold my phone in my hand so I can call or record quickly… just in case. If I have to reach for it from my flipbelt, it could be mistaken for something it isn’t and then y’all get to read about what happened to me the next day. There are neighborhoods I choose not to run in…not because they are inherently “dangerous,” but because I’m aware that I might be perceived as a threat, and that perception can become dangerous for me. Unfamiliar things can feel scary. The solution is to get familiar. That’s why spaces like @blackmenrun (@blackmenrun_clt here in Charlotte) matter. Every time I show up, I get my heart rate up, I laugh, I engage in real conversation). Come join us!

Today, I had the honor of receiving the Community Unity Award, presented by Feetures, selected by Charlotte Running Company, and bestowed by last year’s recipient, Alex (one of my favorite people in the world). Over the years, I’ve been blessed to serve Charlotte’s running community in several capacities — as a @runcharlotte_ ambassador, a @charlotterunningclub board member and treasurer, a coach with Run NC, a coach to my incredible athletes (past and present), and now as the proud captain of @blackmenrun_clt . Charlotte is special. We have nearly 100 group runs happening every week — mornings and evenings — creating daily opportunities to connect, grow, and belong. When Harry asked me what destroys community, my answer was exclusion. Most run clubs are welcoming. But sometimes, the exclusion doesn’t come from others — it comes from ourselves. We talk ourselves out of showing up. We avoid the unfamiliar. We skip the uncomfortable. But discomfort is where growth lives. So here’s my encouragement: Show up. Introduce yourself. Run with someone new. Stay uncomfortable. That’s how community wins. Let’s go! 💪🏾💪🏾

📰 🎥 Grateful for @wcnctv for sharing the journey of one of our very own members @mattnolan93 One of our OG Barn Burners who was there with us on that first night back in May ‘22, @mattnolan93 , is using the Boston Marathon to fundraise for Blood Cancer United @bloodcancerunited in memory of his Mom, whose battle with pancreatic cancer concluded in December. This is Matt’s first marathon, and his fundraising effort is currently in 2nd place out of 2,691 (!!). He is doing more than INSPIRING CHANGE, he’s affecting it. How can you help? Check out the fundraising link in our bio #barnburners 🔗 Fundraiser: /project/matt-raising-funds-for-the-leukemia-and-lymphoma-society-massachusetts-chapter-111113

Double post week!!! After waiting several days for my NYC Marathon pics to load to find ‘good’ pics to share, I realized that it’s time for another real post. Typically, there are lots of photographers on these courses that take hundreds of pictures of us. They match the pictures to our bib numbers and we wait for the pictures to load to decide if we’ll buy them. Most of these pictures never make it to social media because they aren’t flattering…either we are spacing out, on the down step (I think that’s bad?), or it looks like we are suffering because…we are! I decided to go through my albums from the past few years to share some of those pictures. Don’t be fooled by what you see on the internet. It’s not easy for anyone including back of the pack runners or serial Boston marathoners. Keep going.

2025 NYC video. On to the next one.✌🏾

The New York City Marathon (Marathon #14) — 3:06:58 This was a race I once dreaded because of its logistics but dreamed of because of its reputation as the biggest and loudest. I ran Indy in ’23 as my virtual NYC, deferred in ’24, and had to use or lose the entry in ’25. Six months ago at Boston, I thought, “I wish I was signed up for a faster course this fall,” but I decided to train for a PR anyway — why not? I trained hills all summer and hit workouts faster than ever. My goal was 2:57–2:58, to go hard early and hammer the second half. Around mile 15 on the Queensboro Bridge, I felt the first twitches of cramps and mild abdominal pain. I pulled back rather than risk walking parts of the race. The 3:00 pacer passed, and my average pace drifted from 6:51 to 7:00, but on 5th Ave I decided I’d finish under 7:05 pace. I crossed in 3:06:58 — about 8 minutes off plan. I’m not upset at all. I’m proud I took a chance, adjusted, and finished strong. Great training doesn’t guarantee perfect results, but it puts us in position to learn and grow. Four years ago, I dreamed of running this time as a PR and I did it on NYC’s tough course five min shy of my current PR. The past versions of me would be amazed. I hope to keep making them proud. Huge thanks to #teamultra for the VIP treatment, Jamila, Jordan, Alex, Henelle, Vanity, Toya, Lummy, Lindsay, Shaun and everyone who cheered in person or virtually. To Amy— thank you for your love, patience, and support through every training block. None of this happens without you. What’s next? No idea (and I love that). On to 2026 — still chipping away.

Boston 2025 video. On to the next one. 💪🏾

The Boston Marathon (Marathon #13) - 3:01:52 I’m truly amazed by how this one turned out. The training block for this race came off the heels of me taking close to a year off from running workouts due to mental burnout (the mind needs as much rest as the body). My time trial in Nov ‘24 showed I was capable of well below a sub 3 marathon and then exactly a month later, I hurt my back picking up our dog in his crate. I remember thinking “Is this the end?” when the sciatica would flare up. Thankfully, I was able to overcome that and execute one of the craziest training blocks ever, moving my mid-distance workouts to Saturdays followed by long runs on Sundays (think 15 miles with long intervals followed by 20 miles the next day). I remembered the heat from ‘24 so I made sure those harder runs were during the hottest parts of the day. My plan was to go out slightly faster than marathon pace going into Newton, knowing it would slow down a few seconds per mile going through the hills, and then pick that pace back up on the backside. I managed 6:48 pace into Newton, crested heartbreak at 6:53, and was never able to regain 6:40s. I missed sub 3 at the marathon distance by 20 seconds due to poor tangent running (I ran 26.44). But I am super proud of my effort. 7+ min course PR, 2nd BQ earned in Boston (6th in total), and 13 seconds off my marathon PR that I ran on a flat course in cooler temps. With all the celebration around this race, I think people forget that it’s a HARD course. Congratulations to everyone that completed their race this year (especially the first-timers). Special shoutout to all the people that came to cheer in person and who tracked from home. On to the next one. 💪🏾

From around September 2018 until February 2024, I would wake up every morning thinking about how to improve my running. I meticulously reviewed my HR, mileage, splits, etc. I tracked every mile on every shoe that I own. I ran eight marathons within that that five year window and PR’d all of them other than Boston 2023, cutting down my times from 3:40 to 3:01. After each race, I’d take seven days to celebrate while taking a week off from running and then I’d get right back to it. Actually, I used to only allow myself one day to celebrate until Amy asked me to please allow myself more time to enjoy my accomplishments. Fast forward to February 2024…I was out on Little Sugar Creek Greenway halfway through a workout alone in the dark after a long day at work when it hit me and I asked myself out loud…”what are you doing?” I immediately stopped the workout and jogged back to my car. That was the last workout I did until Friday morning. I realized that I’d been so focused for so long that I was just tired mentally and needed to back off and give myself a break (physically and mentally) before I start to hate this thing I’d grown to love over the years. The lesson I learned is mental breaks are as important (if not more important) than physical. After eight months of maintenance, I’m starting to feel that itch again. I asked my coach to start adding workouts back to my plan (hi @run4prs.coachmeghan !). Eight miles total with 4x1 mile intervals. It took me a few miles to get comfortable with pushing the pace, as can be seen by the progressive intervals, but the workout went very well. I’m looking forward to seeing what the next six months will look like…let’s go!

Whether it’s The Boston Marathon or a jog around the block, I’m thankful for the gift of running and the many ways that it’s enhanced my life. I feel better than I’ve ever felt, I have met some amazing people, and I’m working every day to grow into a better version of myself After watching this video (especially the finish line), I’m especially thankful for the many volunteers and medical professionals that support us during these races. Adequate hydration and prompt responses to medical emergencies could be the difference between an athlete smiling at the finish line as their picture is being taken or waking up in the hospital…or worse. I have no idea what my fall is going to look like at this point in time and, although I’ve taken somewhat of a mental break from the training and my own planning, I’m starting to get the itch again. I’m looking forward to lots of summer training to prepare me for what I hope will be a strong fall!