“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
(Aristotle)
Self-awareness is the ability to recognize your own thoughts, feelings, behaviors, strengths and challenges (Understood.org).
Why am I leading with self-awareness when the title of this article centers on a half marathon in New Jersey? Outstanding question, Maria! 😊
I originally signed up for the 2026 Atlantic City Marathon, but self-awareness allowed me to determine that I needed to pull out of the full marathon and concentrate on the half marathon instead. I signed up for the full marathon earlier this year with the intent to put my 18-week training plan into action to help with my preparation similarly to how I have done for the past 5 years.
My training got off to a great start, but I experienced a few bumps in the road that let me know that starting and completing a full marathon was not in my best interest. I experienced some minor physical issues and never could ramp up my mileage like I have in the past. I’m sure I could have completed the marathon, but it would not have been my best effort, so I requested the race officials to downgrade my event to the half marathon before heading up to New Jersey.
Fun fact, I enjoyed the New Jersey run community last year, so I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to get back up there and run another event. Mission accomplished! 😊
I made my way up to Atlantic City via Breeze Airways this year. Breeze has increased the direct flights from Vero Beach and Atlantic City is one of the new destinations. I didn’t have to drive to Orlando, West Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale to get to a popular east coast destination. I plan to leverage the Vero Beach airport for more Walk into the Future adventures in 2027.
The flight to Atlantic City was drama free and quick. I normally get a rental car when I travel but decided to use a ride service to get to and from the airport. This was because I didn’t need to drive since everything on the Atlantic City boardwalk is within walking distance to my hotel. A rental car would have just sat in a parking garage and serve no purpose except transportation to and from the airport.
I remain a creature of habit and stayed in the same Marriott property as last year. I decided to make my way over to the race EXPO after getting settled into my room. The EXPO is not huge, but it provides a place to meet other runners and do some light shopping (gels, headbands, etc.) I met a local New Jersey runner who has outstanding Instagram content. I’m not sure if he knew who I was through social media, but he made a point to chat me up and get a picture. Maybe it was my Track Shack shirt that got his attention. 😊
I made my way back to the hotel to carb load and get off my feet for a bit.
I was able to get some outlet mall shopping in on Saturday and continue to carb load. My food destination of choice was Dave and Busters which was one block over. I was able to get a good meal and Bud Light drafts while watching the Florida Gators play. The weather was cooler than last year, so I wanted to ensure I got my body acclimated before heading back for an early bedtime.
The hotel was about a half mile from the start and finish line. I leveraged this distance as my initial race warmup and to gauge my ability to handle the cold weather. Race day temperatures were in the low 40s, but the sun was out. I wore my throw away sweatshirt to the start line to stay warm with the intention to leave at the start line to be donated to a local homeless shelter.
I got my normal pre-race photos and found a spot in the middle of the start corral. I didn’t have a set time, pace or goal for this race. I just wanted to enjoy the weather, course and the crowds that were out cheering on the runners. The course was the same as last year, but it appeared to have more hills this year. I know that’s not true it just showed that I was in a better physical and mental state when I ran Atlantic City last year. Yes, I’m happy I decided to run the half marathon instead of the full—great decision by me! 😊
Fast forward, I struggled from mile # 8 until the finish but I was able to muster up a relative fast last mile with a smile on my face. This was not my best effort, but I started, finished and drank beer at the end—a successful race! 😊
I’m not sure I will venture back to Atlantic City for additional races, but this event is well run and there are a lot of friendly folks that support the running community. I recommend giving it a try if you are looking for a running event.
Here are a few pictures from my Atlantic City weekend:
Irie!
Calvin Williams, PhD
“Look outside and you will see yourself. Look inside and you will find yourself.”
(Vironika Tugaleva)
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