
What is your age, occupation, background, hobbies, and other sports?
I am 22 years old. I work at FedEx as a switcher part time. I used to play a ton of other sports but mainly soccer until 9th grade. Then I was completely focused on running. Soccer was a lot of fun, and I used my endurance to do pretty well in travel soccer. I never played for the high school team because that interfered with the running schedule.
I love sports. NFL football, where my team is the Buffalo Bills. March madness in college basketball is always a great time. College football and the college football playoff are wild. The World Cup in soccer is also amazing. NBA basketball is great too. Video games are also really fun for me, especially competitive games. I really like roller coasters, watching different shows and movies on Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Crunchyroll. Hiking is fun too and just being out in nature. I enjoy reading fantasy series as well.
When and why did you start running?
I started running when I was in 7th grade. Soccer was fun but I wanted to try something new and running seemed like an interesting experience. My dad Bill Davis was also a triathlete at the time, so he guided me to running.
What’s your favorite race to date, and why?
My favorite race is hard to pinpoint because there have been so many. I would say it would have to be in 11th grade (2016). We had our sectionals meet at Saratoga State Park and I ran 15:33 and got 8th place, which was my PR for that course. I missed out on states by just 1 place, but I’ve never felt so good during a race.
What is your approach to training? Do you follow a particular training plan, or do you work with a coach and if so, who?
My approach to training is to take easy days easy and workouts hard. By hard workout, I mean something that challenges my current fitness at the time. My main goal is to put a solid effort out and improve. It could be 1200 repeats, 800 repeats, 4-5 mile threshold workouts, I’m not afraid to do different things in a workout to challenge myself. Since I’m training for long distances, I prefer to have a continuous workout, where I jog in between reps instead of completely stopping. I don’t follow a particular training plan and mostly do my own workouts.
What is your weekly mileage in peak racing/marathon training season? What is your approach to the off season
My ideal mileage is 70 for marathon distance, however, I’ve noticed I start to have trouble once I get over 60 miles, so my goal is to stay around there. My approach for the off-season is to try and maintain my fitness but not push all that much.
During our cold winter days, do you brave poor weather conditions or stick indoors on the treadmill? If you do run outside, what safety measures do you take?
I would rather brave the outdoors. I personally find treadmills extremely tedious. The only time I would use one is if it’s extremely icy outside. I always make sure I’m wearing appropriate layers based on how far I’m running because being too cold or hot could impact a run/workout.
List your PRs: Race, time, year:
800: 4*800 relay 2:03, 2017
Mile: Suburban Council Championships 4:30, 2018
2 mile: Ocean Breeze Invitational 9:38, 2018
5k: Barn to Bridge 15:19, 2022
10k: Troy Turkey Trot 31:45, 2022
15k: Stockade-athon 49:26, 2022
Half-Marathon: Mohawk Hudson Half 1:11:45, 2022
Marathon: Miles on the Mohawk 2:49.24, 2022
What is your favorite distance?
I’m personally a big fan of the 5k and the 2 mile because they are not too short or too long. The longer races get really tough, but I know that I’m best at them.
Your favorite shoe for training and racing
My favorite shoes for trainers are the GT-2000’s from ASICS. I wore them throughout high school and continue to wear them now. For racing, my current favorite shoes are the Brooks Hyperion Elite 2s, which I’ve been using for road racing.
What are your favorite pre-race and post-race meals?
Pre-race I really enjoy oatmeal or waffles. Post race my favorites are some burgers.
What challenges / races / adventures are you planning for the coming year?
I’m planning on doing the Boston Marathon in April. After that I’m not really sure but I do plan to continue racing and staying fit throughout the year.
What is the greatest piece of advice you've ever received in the sport?
Be smart and run your own race. It’s so easy to get caught up in other people’s races but it’s important to focus on your own race. Not something I’ve always followed because I can get impatient but it’s important to follow.