“I grew up playing soccer but transitioned to running recreationally in college due to 2 ACL tears. I was consistently running about 3-5 miles several days a week for years. Then, I ran my very first half marathon in 2018—basically untrained (because I really had no idea what I was doing) with a goal time that I missed by 4 minutes. This was supposed to be a “one and done thing.” But, fast forward a couple of years later, I started working with Benson to meet my goal time.
I easily met that goal in my very next half marathon, and quickly my goals became bigger and bigger. Benson believed in me. He knew I could run a much faster half and that I could do more miles if I wanted to. I have now run more half marathons than I can count (many of which are 10-13 minutes faster than my original goal time) and completed 2 full marathons. I have yet to meet my goal marathon time, and I’m so excited for Benson to help me get there in 2025.
Benson sets up my training from week to week, including base mileage, speed work, and a long run. He also includes strength training and stretching plans. He helps with the logistics of each race (bib pick-up, etc.) as well as racing strategy regarding weather forecasts, elevation gain/loss, and fueling. He takes the guesswork out of training and frees my mind. As a mother of three, it’s nice not to have to mentally figure out and plan all my training runs; I just have to complete the workouts as prescribed—I show up for training, and he makes sure I’m ready to go for race day!
Not only have I gained a mentor through working with Benson, but I’ve also gained a friend. He is an amazing and humble person, and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with him these past few years. I am excited for our work together in the coming years as he helps me crush my goal marathon time!”