I Used To
Hate
Running.
Somewhere along the way, the thing I used to hate became one of the most important parts of my life.
David
Founder · MileBuilt
Somewhere along the way, the thing I used to hate became one of the most important parts of my life.
I was never really a runner, and after my younger years in martial arts, I drifted. By 2020, I had reached 275 pounds, and the complications that came with it — including a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis — made clear that something had to change. I was sick of being sick. Tired of sweating from doing nothing. I was carrying a portable fan into air-conditioned rooms just to survive them — not exactly the version of myself I wanted to be.
I called my trainer and coach, Robert, who owns Florida Muay Thai in Winter Park, and started training again. When Robert challenged me to do a 5K, I was not exactly thrilled. Running was not my thing.
At first, I could barely run to the end of the street. Then I made it 10 minutes. Then a couple of miles. Then a 5K. Then longer distances. Somewhere along the way, the thing I used to hate became one of the most important parts of my life.
Everything else came after...
To push myself to run even longer distances, I joined Track Shack's MarathonFest in 2022 for early Saturday morning long runs. That fit the way I was already trying to build discipline.
My average wake-up time is around 3:30 a.m. so I can get my runs in before the Florida heat has a chance to make bad decisions for me. I also know that if I wait until later in the day, I am giving myself too many chances to talk myself out of exercising. So, I try to get my workouts done first thing. Not because I always feel motivated, but because I know myself well enough to remove the escape routes.
Running gave me discipline, drive, consistency, and a way to push through discomfort. It became a guardrail that keeps me from falling back into old habits. I keep more than a few races on the calendar because I know myself well enough to know that I need something to work toward.
What I love most is not just running long distances. It is the challenge of coming back and doing it again — the next day, the next week, or week after week. That is where I believe character is built: showing up tired, adapting, pushing forward, and discovering what you are capable of.
Running didn't just change how I looked. It changed how I operate — how I show up, how I work, what I expect from myself every single day. MileBuilt is that same standard, applied to every runner willing to come back tomorrow.
That mindset became the foundation for this company: I clock in, keep moving, discover my strength, and clock out stronger. It is not about being the fastest or having perfect conditions. It is about showing up, adapting, putting in the work, and proving to yourself that you can get it done.
Central Florida needed something different. Not another race built around spectacle and extras. A race built around repeated effort — the kind that asks you to come back tomorrow when you are tired and sore and would rather not.
The back-to-back race format exists because that is where the real test is. Anyone can show up once. Returning is the discipline. Returning again is the commitment. Doing it consecutively, day after day, is the Streak.
MileBuilt is grassroots by design. Small events. Simple logistics. Bare-bones operations that keep the focus on the effort, the distance, and you doing the work.
No-nonsense.
The payoff is in the work.
When I show up for a long race, I think of it as clocking in for a long day of work. You may be tired. You may be sore. You may not be moving fast enough to impress anybody. You may even question your life choices a few times. But you clock in, put in the miles, and do not clock out until the work is done. That is the heart of this company.
I do not know where running will take you. But if you are willing to show up, put in the miles, and keep moving when it gets uncomfortable — you will discover something about yourself.
If you are ready to test yourself and find out what you are capable of, I will see you at the start line.
If you are ready to test yourself and find out what you are capable of, I will see you at the start line.
The personal story brought MileBuilt to life. The vision, mission, and values define what it stands for — and what every runner who shows up is a part of.
Read The MileBuilt WayClock in. Keep moving.
Discover your strength.
Clock out stronger.
Keep showing up. The work is waiting.
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