In February of 2026, while working on the Oscars, I started training for two major milestones: the Brooklyn Experience Half Marathon and a HYROX Doubles race. It would be my first time participating in both. To say I was nervous is an understatement, these events were bound to completely test my endurance. Running 13.1 miles is no easy feat (at least for me), and I had absolutely no idea how I would perform in a HYROX race, which forces you to tackle an 8K (4.9 miles) run broken up by eight grueling fitness stations.
But if you know me, you know I love a challenge.
Before diving into half-marathon prep, I had never run more than a 10K (6.2 miles). Truth be told, I still don’t care that much for running. Yet, I wanted to push my limits. I kicked off my training during a two-month work stint in Los Angeles, ordering a single 35-pound kettlebell from Amazon to handle my strength work in my room. With the help of ChatGPT and Gemini, I built a structured weekly routine: three runs, two kettlebell sessions, and a cross-training skate session on Sundays. To squeeze it all in around my hectic schedule, I had to lace up my running shoes before sunrise on weekdays and hit the pavement on Saturdays.
I was completely dedicated to the plan, until the Oscars countdown truly began.
As the show approached, work hours ballooned. I started working Saturdays, and my training schedule non-existed itself right out the window. Could I have dug deeper and forced myself to train anyway? Sure. But at that point, I valued sleep and sanity over mileage. By the time my training stalled completely, the furthest I had managed to run was eight miles.
I finally returned home at the end of March, with only one month left before the half marathon and two months before the HYROX race (which I’ll get to later). My immediate focus had to be the 13.1 miles. I got back on track… well, sort of. I managed to get a few more runs under my belt before race day, including one crucial 10-mile long run.
Completing that 10-mile run felt incredible. For the first time, I genuinely believed I could conquer the full 13.1 miles. I spent the final week before the big day resting up and making sure I was properly fueled.
But the night before the race, sleep completely evaded me. I tossed and turned, managing maybe four or five hours at best. The nerves were finally setting in: I was actually doing this.
My alarm went off at 4:30 AM, and it was game time. I stretched, forced down a bowl of oatmeal, and loaded up on water and electrolytes before heading to the train. I arrived in Brooklyn at 7:30 AM, with a long hour and a half to wait until my wave finally crossed the start line at 9:00 AM.
Once the race began, I stuck strictly to my strategy: start slow, pace myself, keep it nice and easy. “I’ve got this,” I kept repeating to myself. And for a while, I really did. I was making great time and feeling strong, until I hit Eastern Parkway.
About seven or eight miles in, my left knee started to flare up. At first, I tried to ignore the discomfort and push through the stride, but the ache quickly deepened until running was no longer an option. I had to walk. For the remaining five-plus miles, I essentially hobbled my way toward the finish line. It was incredibly frustrating because up until that point, my lungs and endurance felt amazing, but my knee had simply decided, nope.
When I finally crossed the finish line, a few family members were there to meet me. They congratulated me on a job well run (see what I did there?), but by that point, I was visibly limping. Thankfully, it wasn’t a sharp, agonizing pain—just a deep, stubborn discomfort. Once I finally got back home, I threw an ice pack on my knee. Within a couple of days, the knee felt completely back to normal, leaving me still wondering what exactly triggered that mid-race strike.
Despite the limp, I am incredibly proud of myself, and of every single runner out there pushing their limits. Looking back, I think this will be my first and last half marathon. I proved to myself that I could do it, but moving forward, I think I’m going to stick to 5Ks and 10Ks.
But my racing season was getting started. I had one month to get this knee right, because HYROX was coming for me next…