What is Life

During a trip to Lubbock, Texas, I had the opportunity to chat and spend time with a friend of mine named Tyrell. The purpose for this trip was to support and cheer him on during a race competition and to have fun travelling together like old times. During the five hour drive, I asked if he would be willing to share something about himself for my blog; he said “sure”. So, let’s go ahead and dive-in and read Tyrell’s story. 

Originally from the Zuni Reservation, Tyrell and his wife currently reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When he’s not working or being preoccupied with his races, he and his wife like to indulge themselves with outdoor activities like rock climbing, biking, and backpacking; he states that outdoor activities allow himself to connect to God’s creation. He also enjoys playing his guitar for the pure act of enjoyment. I’ve known Tyrell for over a decade and this guy really likes to run. Like a lot. It’s one of his things. Like, you cannot separate the notion of running and Tyrell; it is literally quite impossible. In fact, that is one of his aspects of which I truly admire. To run in competition for as long as he has, requires dedication, discipline, and commitment. He is a true runner at heart.  

So about the race in Lubbock, Texas: it was the 2025 USATF Cross Country Championship 10K. And the purpose for this race was to maintain and improve his fitness for the upcoming Boston Marathon of 2025. See, he ran the Boston Marathon for the first time back in 2024. When asked if he planned to implement and improve his running in any way to prepare for the Boston Marathon, he said “My goal [for this race] is to run and compete and then to give my best effort and to also glorify the Lord in running”. Actively, he is partaking in multiple running competitions until the big race in Boston. He explained that previously he ran the Utah Valley Marathon in Provo, Utah and ended with a time of 239: two hours and 39 minutes. When he ran the 2024 Boston Marathon, his goal was to beat his running time from the Utah race. And he did. He finished the race at 237: two hours, 37 minutes, and 21 seconds. So now, his ultimate strategy is to aim for a lower time when he takes on the Boston Marathon again in 2025. 

Running is a big part of Tyrell’s life. Even in high school, Tyrell was always running. I remember getting to class and finding out that Tyrell had just finished an early morning run while I was still trying to wake up during first period. And then after a long day of academics, he would do another run after school. And then there were times when we would finish practice in either cross country or track & field, and I would learn that Tyrell went for another run post-practice. This guy is a runner. So, I asked when did he really first begin his running lifestyle? Tyrell replied by saying, 

“So I started running for fun in second grade. My teacher in second grade—she would let us run a mile each morning before we got to school and started classes; and so I just would run around the tank in Zuni with my classmates. And that kind of started the passion for running. My cousin, his name is Matthew, would invite me to join the cross country team at Dowa Yannale Elementary in Zuni. And from there on, I just kept running. In seventh grade is when I really started to want to be one of the faster runners. Getting through seventh and eighth grade—that kind of pushed me to continue to run and to enter high school [with running], where I would compete with Charles and with other teammates and give my best effort”. 

During his time in high school, Tyrell states that his primary focus with running was mainly just to get into college. He also says that after his sophomore year of high school, his motive changed in that he wanted to bring glory to God once he became a Christian. He said, “when I became a Christian, then running changed—the focus was to bring glory to the Lord. Prayer became an important part of running as I prayed on my runs”. After Tyrell finished high school, he continued running for Trinity College, where he competed with the National Association Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Post-collegiate, Tyrell is still competitively running. 

Another question I asked Tyrell was, Is there a difference between running in high school, college, and post-college? He replied by saying, 

“Yeah, I would say that the competition increases once you leave high school and into college running. There’s a lot of runners out there in the world that you are not exposed to in high school; especially in your own state. But when you go to college, you’re facing runners who grew up from many parts of the United States. You’re also competing at a higher level with people who also had that same goal of trying to be one of the best runners in their hometown, in their high school, and in their communities. When you bring all that together, then you’re for sure going to get a higher competition in college and post-collegiate. It’s also a higher level, in my opinion, because you’re also racing people who now have the experience of running in high school and college, and you have people who have the resources to get coaches that can get you into bigger races where they can improve yourself. You become better runners by the resources that these coaches have now that they’re adults. But it If you are a really good athlete in high school and in college, you’re for sure going to be still training hard, even more so as an adult. So I would say that you’re reaching your peak running ability somewhere between 28 to 32 years old. I’m like, right there at 29 years old, and I just enjoy running for the time that I have left at this age and to just still compete”. 

Do you still plan on running competitively post thirty-two?

“I don’t know. It depends on how my body holds up running marathons and running for a long time. [Running] can tax the body, but you just have to continue to have faith in the Lord. However long the Lord lets you use your gift—is I think, the best way to take it is to as long as you can do it. Just keep trying to bring glory to God in all that you do and not for really the eyes of men, because that can be a big trial as a competitor in sports—is running for the eyes of men, but to then focus on running for the Lord; that will get you through many years and to continue to progress in your sport at whatever level that you choose. And at this point, it’s also about personal goals, setting personal records for myself, and not really worrying about what’s going on around me, but to just worry about, like, what I can control; just continue to show up each day to run practice and give the best. And that’s really what it’s all about, in the end, is giving your best and to compete for God”. 

My last question for Tyrell was, Do you have any advice for those who are young runners, or for those just starting out their running journey?

“I would say to run for God and to make sure that you’re taking care of your relationship with the Lord and reading the Bible. You can incorporate your Christian walk with running. For example, I had preached on Psalms 121, and it was about getting your help from the Lord. And when you look at the running trails, and you look at the mountains around you, they seem really big; but the Lord is the one who created those mountains and he created all of heaven and earth. And so if you put your faith in God, then he’s going to help you out in your running and your goals that you set for yourself and for your life. I really want to emphasize walking with the Lord, because the Lord’s the one who gives you the ability to do what you do in all of your life. If you don’t have the Lord, then that would be difficult—at least for me, to have done what I have accomplished in my life”.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to read Tyrell’s story. Have a wonderful day and God bless!