Napa to Sonoma 2024 changed the trajectory of Kyle’s running journey. Because that’s where he first learned about the Golden State Challenge. Kyle and his wife Jen came out for him to run the 5k and the half marathon in a pairing combo weekend – and within minutes of hearing about the Golden State Challenge run series, they were hooked. The next few races lined up perfectly schedule and training wise and what was originally a one-time thing suddenly became a real journey for them both, forever connecting them to the Golden State Challenge family.
“The minute I found out about the Challenge, I signed up – it’s a way to hold myself accountable, when the other three races lined up. Including writing on the ‘wall’ which races I had coming up – I can’t leave the wall unsigned!”
This was not the only success of Kyle’s 2024 Napa to Sonoma weekend: he went on to win his age division for the 5k AND win his age division for the half marathon. Not bad for someone who just started really running in the summer of 2023…
Over the last year+ Kyle has become an inspiring and exciting runner, coach and pacer. The running world is better for Kyle and Jen’s infectious love for the sport. Anyone talking to Kyle about a race coming up or a course he just ran will be inspired with the contagious enthusiasm.
And it’s all because of a grilling mishap. Kyle was kickboxing for more than two years by the time summer of 2022 rolled around. Competitive by nature, he was feeling good and strong and had decided to do more sparring and take a fight, including working with a coach to get him ready.
“I felt confident about my kickboxing ability and loved the sport, it was getting me in shape and connecting me with cool people.” He spent a year dedicated to getting to eight and being comfortable in a fight scenario. Then he decided to show off his 4th of July grill master techniques just a month out from his first fight.
Long story short, accidentally grabbing a cast iron pan off the hot grill with a bare hand instantly changed Kyle’s kickboxing plans. Having completely burned his hand, he quickly knew there was no way he could wrap his hands to box and needed to put the fight on hold to heal. Now what?
Not one to sit around, and still feeling competitive, Kyle thought about the fact that his dad started running around age 40, when Kyle was 10. Kyle’s dad loved running and often paced others in races through the Dallas Running Club (DRC.) Maybe it was something Kyle could try too.
So, Kyle started running 1-3 miles a day – run to the gym, run home. Running was so new to him, he was running 12-minute miles and was gassed – just wanted to lay down when he got home. But he was finding joy in it, really starting to love it. Getting excited to get down to 10-minute miles.
Kyle got the bug. And then some. Still wearing hand-me-down shoes from his dad, he got his time down to 9 minutes. And started educating himself – including getting his own shoes (finally understanding how important the right shoe is to each runner) and becoming a member of the DRC, just like his dad. Because “this is what runners do!”
Kyle’s goal became “stay consistent” so he ran every day and learned about and applied easy, tempo, interval, long pacing techniques. He truly got hooked – getting more and more miles in and wanting to challenge himself to join his dad at a race. There was one coming up in November of 2023 that his dad had invited Kyle and Jen to spectate, watch how it all plays out.
At the last minute, Kyle decided to surprise his dad and run the Sunday half with him. “He didn’t yet know I am built for this now and he was pacing the 1:45 group, and my game plan was to stick with them the whole time.” Kyle’s dad was surprised and warned Kyle oh, just go out and warm up a few miles. He kept telling him *this* is where you should turn around otherwise, you’re running the whole race with us. But Kyle kept going and his dad soon caught on to what was happening – a mile 6.5 he said, well even if you turn around, that’s a whole half so you might as well stick with us.
Kyle wasn’t perfectly prepped for the race and not in the attire he needed to be in, but he started to get proud that he came out to do this and with his dad. It was emotional. And then at mile 12, it became shaky and wobbly – the decisions of the day before, the lack of hydration, lack of nutrition caught up with him and he had to wave his dad on. “To this day, I still think it was mental,” Kyle shared. It wasn’t a great first half experience, but he ran a 1:51:50 and something clicked.
It clicked for his dad too. He told Kyle “I think this is something you could be really good at – start thinking about if you want to actually train. The first 10 years are learning about what the body can do, what limits that you have, what you could be capable of.”
And for Kyle, having this bond with his dad meant the world especially after losing his mom at a young age and being to connect to each other through running became incredibly important and also healing. Kyle knows he’s making his mom proud through both his prowess as a runner and how he and his dad have connected through their shared passion for running.
Kyle’s dad is pouring everything he’s learned about running over the last 15 years into Kyle – in Kyle he sees what perhaps would’ve been possible if he himself started at a younger age. He pushes Kyle to take the training both seriously AND enjoy it all in the commitment of it.
2023!
Kyle finished 2023 with more miles and started 2024 with a relay with his dad training for a 1:40 pace group they would run at a half marathon in April. They’re spending every Tuesday and Saturday together, tweaking Kyle’s pace.
“What can I do at a half when I actually train super intentionally?” Kyle keeps asking himself. Well, in the Spring of 2024, while training for Napa to Sonoma, with his dad and Jen cheering him on, Kyle found out: he ran a Coeur de Lane half in 1:25:50. That was a huge moment for Kyle – in less than a year, he changed the trajectory of his running significantly.
While celebrating this success, his uncle suggested a few California-based races and Kyle and Jen chose Napa to Sonoma knowing they get to enjoy themselves running AND relaxing in a beautiful place.
“Napa to Sonoma started my passion for the Golden State Challenge. I’m a big proponent of not only having goals but also having dreams in sight. The goals along the way are going to get me to those big dreams.” And having Napa to Sonoma be so successful for Kyle ignited even more for him.
Some of Kyle’s dreams include an Ironman and Olympic trials. He’s fallen in love with the sport of running, you make it your own, make it social or make it into something where there’s a challenge you put yourself up to do. It’s something to focus on, it’s hard, it’s hard to do – but you get to push yourself and it’s worth it.
“I get to bring my full competitive side out – going to the race weekends, going to put my toe on the line and say, ‘I am racing today!’ I love that feeling.” And Kyle hit a new PR in his fourth GSC race, flying in at 1:22 just before receiving his 4th medal.
Kyle is so proud to be part of the culture of camaraderie of runners and on this ‘big dreams’ journey, and we’re so proud of him too. And he’s bringing a whole bunch of Dallas runners to the 2025 Golden State Challenge. We can’t wait to experience it all with you and Jen, Kyle!
