Enjoy your family time!
Irie!
Author: WalkintotheFuture
-
Key Largo (Repost)
“Come to the Florida Keys, where sweating like a tourist is a rite of passage”.
(#MeltingAway, #KeysLife)
My Walk into the Future continues to allow me to seek and find new adventures in my life. The concept is to enjoy life at a relaxed pace but to always move forward. I need to remember why I created the blog name and make sure I follow through daily.
Took the relaxed pace concept to heart when looking for my next adventure. What better place to find relaxation than the Florida Keys. 😊
I am a native Floridian but never ventured down to the Keys before. I’ve thought about it a few times but never acted. My thought process was it was too far to drive but I never put anything into Google maps to see the distance and/or drive time. Told you I didn’t put much effort into this process. 😊
Google maps identified the northern Key (Key Largo) was a three-hour drive from my house in Fort Pierce. Key West was much further but I never had a desire to get that far south. Decided to focus on Key Largo and plan a trip down around the 4th of July. I took an extra day of vacation time so I could beat the holiday traffic and be in Key Largo before the fireworks started and people crowded the area. Mission accomplished on both ideas.
Didn’t know much about the Keys but wanted to get down to explore and experience something new. I’m a huge Marriot fan so booked the Courtyard right off US 1. This location put me right next to a marina with boat tours and several nice restaurants with fresh fish on the menu. This location allowed me to walk to multiple places of interest while in the Keys.
Made my way over to Snappers Oceanfront Restaurant and Bar on my first day to people watch and get fresh fish. Walked by the African Queen boat tour area on my way over. Didn’t know they had boat tours, but this was a popular attraction in Key Largo.
The next stop was Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill which was a lively spot with music and great western views. They had outstanding drink specials and the largest shrimp I have ever seen in my life. Highly recommend this spot if you love shrimp, great sunset views and cold drinks with a kick.
The Caribbean Club was identified as a spot for great live music. I was the most Caribbean person there and the band was an old school classic rock outfit. It was still a great little spot because they had outside chairs sitting right next to the water. The sunset views were better here because of the pawn trees—used them to frame a few of my pictures. Visited both places two days in a row so they had a very authentic vibe. Watched 4th of July fireworks from the Caribbean Club and enjoyed every second of the show.
The Key Largo Princess glass bottom boat was my next adventure in Key Largo. Saw the boat go out when I first arrived and was curious where it was headed. It’s a simple tour where the boat heads out to a coral reef and circles so passengers can get a great view of the sea life. The ship’s crew warned that some folks get motion sickness below deck while they circle. I didn’t believe them but had to head back upstairs because I started to feel weird. I was fine once I got back on the top deck and enjoyed the rest of the boat tour in the open air. We saw tons of fish, sea turtles and nurse sharks on the excursion. Great way to end my first venture in the Florida Keys.
Where are you heading this summer?
Irie!
-
Five Minute Thursday: 51st Student Leadership Conference
“Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow.”.
(Albert Einstein)
The Five-Minute Thursday writing prompt is back for another run. My friend Maria likes the concise nature of this writing prompt, so I decided to bring it back. 😊
I take pride in my Authentic Leadership work and share with anyone who will sit down to listen to me. I have worked with the Indian River State College Student Government Association (SGA) over the past four years. My work with these students centers on student development and leadership. The students are eager to learn, and this inspires me to work with them more.
My fifth prompt for Five Minute Thursday is: The 51st Student Leadership Conference.
I was approached by the organizers of the leadership conference to help students with their professional journey. The theme for this year was: Perseverance Towards Excellence. The intent was to provide students with foundational information to help them develop skills to move them forward. I have presented leadership workshops with these students in the past, but the organizers asked me to focus on life after graduation, the world of work.
I decided to focus on The First 90 Days on the Job for my presentation. I’ve had this content in my professional speaking library and modernized the content for this conference.
Most of the students know me from around campus and I was surprised with the number of students that attended my session. The students identified learning how to become professionals was an important skill they wanted to learn so that’s why they picked my session.
Areas we covered during the session:
- Understand Organizational Culture
- Communication modes and formalities
- Dress and appearance expectations
- Work hours
- Positive Work Behavior
- Review employee handbook
- Maintain professional demeanor (happy hours, social events)
- Ready to learn and strong work ethic
- Build Effective Relationships
- Find a mentor
- Align with positive colleagues
- Create goals
The students were receptive to these points and seemed eager to put these in play. I’m always excited to help students develop as young adults. This session will help them as they enter the world of work.
What points would you share with our students?
Irie!
- Understand Organizational Culture
-
2024 Chicago Marathon
“How do you know if someone ran a marathon? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you”.
(Jimmy Fallon)
Sweet home, Chicago!
This is how I felt when I finally arrived at my hotel in Chicago. Why the excitement? Well, I’ve chronicled my training for the past 18 weeks but didn’t know if I would make it to race day.
Hurricane Milton caused havoc on Wednesday of race week, and I didn’t know if my flight on Friday from Orlando was still going to happen. My original Friday morning flight was cancelled by Southwest Airlines, but they rebooked me on a later flight to Chicago. I decided to just enjoy the process and was extremely happy to be on my way to running the 2024 Chicago Marathon.
My flight was uneventful, but it got me closer to the end of this 18-week journey. I grabbed my bag after landing and made my way out into the Chicago night to head to my hotel. I am a Marriott brand fan, and my hotel was picked based on proximity to the marathon start and finish lines. I wanted to be able to walk around Chicago during my adventure without having to worry about traffic or waiting around for a ride. I checked into my hotel room late Friday night due to the airline delays. Made a quick trip to a corner store to stock up on water, bananas and bagels before heading to bed.
My original plan was to hit the 2024 Chicago Marathon EXPO on Friday since my arrival time was supposed to be 8:35 am. Again, Hurricane Milton changed this, and my true arrival time was 9:30 pm. No worries, I got up Saturday morning and walked over to McCormick Place for the Abbott Health & Fitness EXPO. This walk was an outstanding way to see Chicago neighborhoods and take in the excitement of race weekend. I have been a running tourist for a few years and experienced EXPOs in multiple states. Nothing prepared me for the sights from the Abbott Health & Fitness EXPO. This was by far the largest EXPO event I have ever seen. There were over 180 vendors with products from around the world. There were close to 20,000 people in the EXPO (runners, family, friends) and I felt the crush of people in the venue. Runners are a friendly group so that made it easier to navigate while in the venue.
Packets pickup was a breeze since the Chicago Marathon organizers sent each participant an event ticket. The ticket helped EXPO volunteers direct runners to the correct lines for bib pickup and corral assignments. This is the first EXPO that utilized a photo to ensure the correct person got the correct bib number. Technology is amazing!
I made my way around the EXPO to check out vendors, sample nutrition and get my photos while there. 😊 I wanted to enjoy the experience as much as possible but didn’t want to spend too much time on my feet the day before the marathon.
I headed back towards my hotel and wanted to check out the race start line area. This was my way to ensure I knew where to report on Sunday morning. The Chicago Marathon has a detailed process to place runners in corrals to ensure the start of the race is organized and gets runners out without overcrowding the roads. I was slotted for Wave 3 and Corral K. This means my time was projected to be closer to the middle of the pack which was exciting for me. I made a few more stops to take in the city and then headed to Pizano’s Pizza & Pasta for a pasta lunch. I still needed to add more carbs into my system to get ready for race day.
Headed back to the hotel to prep my running outfit for the big day, get off my feet and hydrate. I was able to get in a quick nap too. 😊 I left the hotel after my nap to get in another carb loading meal to finish off the process at Portillo’s. I did some light stretching and meditation to help me get ready for the big day ahead. I was a few hours away from running the 2024 Chicago Marathon!!!
I woke up on race day a bit anxious because this was the largest race I have toed the line for (55,000+ registered runners). I also had no real idea how the start line corrals would work—we were told to arrive two hours early, but this meant having to stand around in the corrals and wait patiently to start the race. My hotel was a mile away from the start line, so I leveraged this distance to stretch my legs with the walk toward Grant Park. I purchased a long sleeve shirt at Goodwill for $6.99 and used it to stay warm while waiting for my race to start. Race organizers provide ‘drop off’ areas where runners discard their warm clothing items prior to starting the race. These items are donated to homeless shelter by the race organizers.
I made my way to the Wave 3, Corral K start area around 7 am. My group was scheduled to start running at 8:35 am. What do runners do for an hour and thirty-five minutes? Great question! We sat on the pavement like grade school kids to conserve energy and get off our feet. Thousands of adults just sitting on the ground quietly and listening to music to pass the time. Our group was called to start moving towards the start line around 8:30 am and running the 2024 Chicago Marathon got real at that moment. I tossed my long sleeve shirt into the clothing donation area and started to get myself mentally ready to rock the Chicago Marathon. A sense of pride came over me at this point because I knew I had trained better during this cycle and wanted to see how this translated for this marathon. Said a quick prayer and it was showtime!
My goals for the marathon were to enjoy the process, run a controlled race and improve my time from my last marathon. Well, two out of three is not that bad! 😊 I enjoyed the process and set a marathon Personal Record (PR) at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. The one goal I missed was running a controlled race. I’m not complaining considering I ran a PR time here. I fault the crowds, and the energy generated for my lack of control during the race.
So, what was the problem with my pace? The crowds were so hyped that they energized me beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. My first mile was run in 9:45 (nine minutes and forty-five seconds. My second mile was run in 9:45. My third mile was run in 9:31. See a pattern here? 😊 The funny thing is I knew I was moving too fast, but it felt great! The fourth mile was run in 9:42. At this point I decided to just run the damn race and see what would happen regardless of my intended pace. The cooler weather, the crowds and the flat racecourse felt right so I just ran. I had a huge smile on my face for the first 23 miles. Lactic acid kicked in after that and I lost my smile for a bit. I looked at my watch and knew I was well ahead of my previous marathon times—I just needed to hang on. I mentioned to several friends that I wanted to run 4:44 this time out. I realized I would not hit this pace, but a PR was well within my reach. I gave myself a pep talk at mile 24 and then got my mind right. Finished the marathon in 5:23:35 (five hours, twenty-three minutes and thirty-five seconds). This is a 25-minute PR for me. My 4:30 am training sessions paid off nicely! 😊
Race results below:
Participant
Name (CTZ) Williams, Calvin (USA) Bib Number 59296 City, State Fort Pierce Division 55-59 Gender Man Short CW Race Info
Start Time 08:37:57 Totals
Place Gender 25103 Place Age Group 1478 Place Overall 43983 Finish Time 05:23:35 My Runner
Add/Remove Race Status
Race Status Finished Last Split Finish Pred. Finish – Pred. Finish (Time of Day) – Splits
Miles Kilometers
Split Time Of Day Time Diff min/mile miles/h 05K 09:09:07AM 00:31:10 31:10 10:02 5.98 10K 09:42:31AM 01:04:35 33:25 10:46 5.58 15K 10:15:07AM 01:37:10 32:35 10:30 5.72 20K 10:49:30AM 02:11:34 34:24 11:05 5.42 HALF 10:59:06AM 02:21:10 09:36 14:05 4.26 25K 11:27:12AM 02:49:16 28:06 11:36 5.18 30K 12:08:21PM 03:30:25 41:09 13:15 4.53 35K 12:53:06PM 04:15:09 44:44 14:24 4.17 40K 01:41:38PM 05:03:42 48:33 15:38 3.84 
Thanks to everyone who reached out to me during my training cycle to send encouragement. Also, thank you to my friends who I couldn’t hit Friday night events with because I needed to go to bed so I could get up and run on Saturday mornings. Thank you to Walk into the Future blog readers for following my training updates and sticking with me on this forum. Appreciate all ya’ll!!! 😊
I will shift gears towards my half marathon schedule for the next few months. I have the 2024 OUC Half Marathon in Orlando the first weekend in December. I follow that up with the 2024 Palm Beaches Half Marathon the following weekend. I will not run the full marathon down there because of humidity—I learned a valuable lesson last year.
FYI—Lauren and I signed up for the 2025 Chicago Marathon and are waiting to see if we get in next year. There may be another marathon training program in 2025—get ready because I’m starting to figure this marathon training out. Who knew I could get faster as I got older. 😊
Irie!
“When your legs get tired, run with your heart”.
(Unknown Runner)
-
2024 Outrun Hunger 5k
“Running isn’t about being the best; it’s about pursuing your personal best”.
(Runkeeper)
My Walk into the Future allows me to pursue adventures in multiple ways.
Running is one of the ways I found 12 years ago, and I have not looked back.
I started running Orlando Track Shack and Front Running Sports races when I moved to Oviedo, Florida from Warner Robins, Georgia back in October 2010. I never thought the local 5ks in Orlando would lead me to become a running tourist and multi-time marathoner. Big things start with small steps.
I have focused on the half marathon as my preferred distance over the past 4 years but still lace up my running shoes for 5ks. The Treasure Coast running community is not as large and visible as the Orlando running community. We have races but they are not as large as the Track Shack productions and most don’t have beer at the finish line. It seems like a small thing, but true runners are looking for beer and donuts once we cross the finish line. I still run a few local races but find ways to travel to the Orlando area for Track Shack events.
The Treasure Coast Food Bank hosts a September 5k and I have run this one for the past three years. It’s a small race but it is a great way to help stock the local food bank to help our residents with food insecurity needs. I also leverage this 5k as a speed session to help me prepare for longer races. This year the 5k fit nicely into the Chicago Marathon training program and allowed me to test my fitness and work to get faster leg turnover.
The race starts and ends at Causeway Cove on Hutchingson Island in Fort Pierce. This location makes it easy to get in and out without a ton of traffic or waiting around when the race is over. I also park on the mainland side of the Seaway Drive bridge and use the bridge as a warmup before the race. I get a slow jog in crossing the bridge and then stretch once I make it to Causeway Cove.
Again, it’s a small race crowd so I normally post up in the middle of the starting pack to avoid undue stress moving through runners. I didn’t enter with a specific finish time in mind but wanted to go faster than my last 5k back in August (Celebration of Running 5k). Always surprised I don’t know many people in these races even though I live in Fort Pierce—this is not a tight running community.
My goal was to run a controlled race without much deviation between each mile split. I’m happy with my finish time of 28:29 which equals 9:10 per mile. This was a faster time and splits than my Celebration of Running 5k outing. I ran the entire 5k with a smile on my face because the pace felt good, and I knew I could maintain this for additional miles. I didn’t feel the need to push much faster considering this was a 12-mile training day as part of my Chicago Marathon training program. I was surprised to see that I won my age group for this race. I have placed in the Top 3 of this race in the past but this was the first time I was the ‘Top Old Dude’. 😊 I decided to stick around the race village to collect my additional award and get some extra pictures taken on the top step of the podium.
I took my prizes and headed back over the bridge. I still needed to get in an additional 9 miles to complete my long run training for the day.
Feeling good about my mental and physical fitness as the 2024 Chicago Marathon draws closer.
Irie!
-
Playdoh into the Future!
“If work isn’t fun, you’re not playing on the right team”.
(Pinterest Pin)
What’s your fondest memory of Playdoh?
This is not a trick question but one I have been asking people in my orbit lately. Why? Great question!
I purchased a can of Playdoh one day on a trip to Dollar Tree on a whim. Thought it would be fun to have around the house and to make forms in between laying down tracks for the Walk into the Future blog. Well, after two weeks I had not opened the Playdoh and decided to take it to work as a simple distraction in between meetings. I placed it on my desk with designs to pull it out when needed to have a little extra fun at work.
The first time the Playdoh came out was an impromptu meeting. My Vice President and another Associate Vice President were in my office catching up on things that happened on campus. The meeting was sidetracked as soon as they saw I had Playdoh in my office. We immediately grabbed a handful of Playdoh and started forming shapes. The funny thing with this process is we had the most productive meeting we’ve had in a long time while forming Playdoh.
I didn’t know if the Playdoh and productive meeting was a coincidence, so I doubled down and purchased more and brought it to work. I let people who enter my office select their preferred Playdoh color and take it back to their offices. I also let them know they have to bring their Playdoh back with them if they need to speak or meet with me. Yes, I’ve mandated Playdoh play dates at work! 😊
Again, I have been surprised with the productivity we have been able to get since Playdoh was introduced into the work environment. I started as something we did in my office, but I started traveling to other meetings with a bag full of Playdoh. I place the cans on the table and let my colleagues select a color and we form shapes while solving the world’s problems. The shapes I created were not very artistic, but I quickly discovered I needed to step up my game because my colleagues have Playdoh skills. I’ve watched folks make some outstanding shapes and characters during our sessions. The productivity of our meetings remains high, and we are having fun with the process.
Here are a few of the shapes created in our sessions:
So, why do YOU think Playdoh has been such a success in my work environment?
My take is most of us were introduced to Playdoh at a young age and these happy memories translate directly to how we remember the smell, feel and form of Playdoh as adults. Simple concept—Playdoh reminds us of a simpler time in our lives and we didn’t have a worry in the world. These memories all come back to us as soon as we open a can of Playdoh in the work environment. Happy people = productive people!
I’m looking to purchase a larger selection of Playdoh colors to bring into the work environment. It may seem like a small gesture, but our productivity has gone up and we are having fun with the Playdoh! Not sure how long this phenomenon will last but I’m enjoying it daily! 😊
What are your memories of Playdoh?
Irie!
“Work hard, have fun, and make history”.
(Jeff Bezos)
-
Chicago Marathon: Time for some action!
“A marathon is hundreds of miles. The finish is the last 26.2”.
(Running Quotes)
This quote identifies my current Walk into the Future. I started the Chicago Marathon training cycle on 6/10/2024 and have logged 561.89 miles to date. I’m flying to Chicago tomorrow morning, so I have completed all the prescribed miles on my training plan.
There have been a lot of early mornings to beat the Florida heat and humidity but I’m feeling good about the work I have put in this year. I used lessons learned from previous training cycles to improve my mental and physical preparation to ensure I get to Chicago in great shape to compete with my fellow runners.
I started this training cycle at 207 pounds and have been as light as 192 pounds. I tipped the scale this morning at 194 pounds right before I start the carb loading process. I will toe the line at the Chicago Marathon lighter than my last marathon and this should translate to my performance. Again, I decided not to take any short cuts this time around and made sure I put in the work mentally, physically and with my diet. Feeling good! My friend Lynn keeps saying that I’m skinny now—not sure I buy that but have lost three inches on my waist and none of my pants fit me now. Will have to see if I maintain this weight before I invest in a new wardrobe. 😊
I touted being 32 – 0 during my last Chicago Marathon update. I never thought I would remain undefeated throughout the entire training cycle, but I wanted to maximize each run to ensure I performed well at the Chicago Marathon. Well, let’s cut to the chase—I missed a few sessions either due to travel or illness. I missed an entire week of training when I returned from the Virginia Beach 10-miler. This may also explain why my time in the race was slower than last year. Imagine that I completed a 10-mile race while I was sick. 😊
Here’s my weekly miles update:
Week 9 37.39 Week 10 34.49 Week 11 26.03 Week 12 34.58 Week 13 2.03 (Sick this week) Week 14 42.7 Week 15 30.85 Week 16 33.77 Week 17 27.11 Week 18 5 Total 273.95 
I’m flying up to Chicago tomorrow to get acclimated to the city and weather. I’m excited to go to the race EXPO for the opportunity to meet some of the elite runners scheduled to be there. I’m sure I will not see them much on race day so will enjoy the opportunity to share the same venue with them. There are a few Orlando Track Shack runners coming up to Chicago and I want to catch up with them at the EXPO as well. Friday will be my day to get some sightseeing in and deep-dish pizza. I will stay off my feet as much as possible on Saturday to conserve energy and keep my legs fresh. There will be an organized shakeout run on Saturday morning, but I have not decided if I want to participate. I’m sure it will be exciting and a great opportunity to meet runners who have gone through the same experience as me to get ready for the Chicago Marathon.
The weather is projected to be in the mid-40’s and warming up into the low-60’s. This will be a welcomed change from the Florida heat and humidity. Really looking forward to see how my body adapts to running in cooler weather without humidity.
- https://www.chicagomarathon.com/
- https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/Chicago+IL?canonicalCityId=51327091448a763db3e0093b240009381d87952467e6c2ba8bad55f1328ec986
Well, the training is done! It’s time to put all this effort into action on race day to see how well I perform.
Thanks for coming along on this journey with me! Will see you on the other side of the 2024 Chicago Marathon finish line! 😊
Irie!
-
First Day of School Vibes!
“The first day of school is the beginning of a new chapter in life”.
(Unknown)
What’s the best that can happen? This is one of my new mantras for 2024. I started leveraging this within the work environment and decided to expand to the Walk into the Future blog.
This is a simple question with the potential for huge returns in daily life and activities.
I decided to bring this concept to life for the first day of the 2024 – 2025 academic year. The first day is always filled with excitement and the promise of big things happening with campus partners, students and employers looking to hire talent.
I made a promise to one of my friends to wear a tuxedo on the first day of classes last year. We laughed at the concept at the time but agreed we would rock tuxedos and walk around so students could see how great we looked. This would have been out of character for both of us, so we were sure to get some weird looks and questions from students, faculty and staff. Why are you wearing tuxedos to work? Well, the first day of school came and went last year but I did not wear my tuxedo as planned. My friend Frank passed away unexpectedly, and I didn’t feel right wearing my tuxedo. I didn’t want to have to explain why I was wearing the tuxedo—thought it was too soon to complete the agreement and didn’t want others to feel bad.
So, fast forward to this year and my mindset has changed. What’s the best that can happen? Wearing the tuxedo was a great way to honor the agreement I made with Frank and put a smile on the face of others. Not many people knew about the agreement so my tuxedo entrance at work caught a few people off guard in a good way.
The ironic aspect of my first day of school outfit was the impact it had on different generations.
People close to my age focused on the tuxedo, my shirt and tie. They were extremely complimentary of my formal outfit and how it made me stand out.
What’s the best that can happen? The students had a completely different view of my outfit. I decided to add a little flair to my outfit by rocking blue and white Air Jordan 1’s instead of formal dress shoes. Wanted to have fun with the outfit and the Air Jordan 1’s gave me a way to enhance my outfit and create conversations at the same time.
Students that never would have approached me kept coming up to introduce themselves and ask me about my J’s (that’s what young people call Jordan Brand shoes). Had no idea what they were talking about but played it off since they were interested in talking to me. The students did not view me as an Associate Vice President but a fellow sneaker head who likes to wear formal clothing while rocking J’s. 😊 The day was filled with smiles, laughter and bonding over my decision to finally wear my tuxedo to work.
My colleagues were curious as to why I was wearing a tuxedo to work and were understanding when I told them the true reason why I wore the tuxedo. I decided it was time to honor an agreement I made, and they fully supported it once I let them in on the secret.
What’s the best that can happen on the first day of school? Rocking a tuxedo with J’s is a great way to get multiple generations talking and sharing experiences. I had the most fun just walking around and saying hello to people—the outfit seemed to disarm folks and made them want to chat.
The experience was great for me and I’m happy I completed the pledge. Will I rock a tuxedo again next year? Yep, I will bring the outfit out again to connect with the next wave of students. What’s the best that can happen? You decide!
Irie!
“The first day of school is a blank page in the journey of education”.
(Unknown)
-
2024 Virginia Beach 10-miler
“I’ll have a side of beach with my morning coffee”.
(Unknown)
My Walk into the Future continues to provide me with travel and adventures. These are major reasons I decided to embark on this journey back in 2018. Not sure how long I will chronicle my walk but I’m happy this concept came to me, and I still have content to share. The term ‘Walk’ is there as a reminder to slow down and enjoy what’s coming. There are days when we are in too much of a hurry and sometimes miss out on opportunities to enjoy life and the little things.
Enough on the meaning of the blog title—let’s jump into Virginia Beach! 😊
My first venture to Virginia Beach was for the now defunct Virginia Beach Rock N Roll Half Marathon. This was one of the premiere race locations on the Rock N Roll running series, but the locals did not like for an outside running organization to come in over the Labor Day weekend and take funds from local running clubs. Not sure if this was a real issue but the Rock N Roll series race in Virginia Beach was canceled the following week. The Rock N Roll press release identified they could not reach future agreements with the city of Virginia Beach and decided not to host an event there anymore. I thought it was a fantastic race location and didn’t know if I would get a chance to run there again.
Well, the J&A Racing organization picked up the pieces and created a Labor Day race weekend that includes a 5K, 10-Miler and kids races with beach concerts. J&A Racing is local, and registration money stays local and helps charities in the Virginia Beach area.
I ran the inaugural 10-miler last year and enjoyed the experience. The course was pretty much the same as the Rock N Roll half minus a few neighborhoods. The 10-mile race is not a standard race distance, but it was a fun experience, and the beach concerts were great. I was lucky last year, and the finish line was half a block from my hotel, so I got a chance to enjoy the beach and music and only had a short walk to my hotel when done.
I am a creature of habit so decided to fly to Virginia Beach on Friday so I could enjoy the area, free live music and great food before race day on Sunday. Most of my readers know I love outlet malls and that was my first stop after picking up my rental car. I didn’t really need anything but made my way to the Nike outlet and picked up new compression shorts. Hit a few other stores but mostly just window shopping and sightseeing.
Made my way to the Virginia Beach Convention Center to pick up my race packet and explore the EXPO. There were a few more vendors at the EXPO this year so did a little bit of shopping—mostly nutrition I would need during the race. Got my customary EXPO photos before heading to the boardwalk and hotel check-in.
Decided to explore the Virginia Beach boardwalk after checking into my hotel. Did not have a specific location in mind but wanted to hit a few bars and find live music. This is very easy considering the number of great bars and restaurants on the boardwalk. Catch 31 is one of my favorite spots on the boardwalk so settled at the outside bar for people watching, beer and live music.
Got up the next morning for a quick shakeout run on the boardwalk. Wanted to stretch out my legs and get a feel for the humidity prior to the 10-miler on Sunday. I was able to get in a 3.4 mile run with pace on the boardwalk. Saw several of the 5k participants heading back to their hotels after completing their race earlier in the morning. Most had smiles on their faces and seemed to have enjoyed the experience. Got in more carb loading and beer drinking after my run. Posted up at the 27 Ocean Bar and Grill to catch the Florida Gators play the Miami Hurricanes. This may have been the worst part of my trip since the Hurricanes completely outclassed the Gators—it’s going to be a long season for the Gators! ☹
Race day started at 5:30 am for me. The 10-miler started at 7 am and the start line was only two blocks away from my hotel. I was able to get my stretch routine in, take my supplements and light jogging completed before the race. Virginia Beach is a friendly place, and crowds were already forming to cheer on runners. A police officer volunteered to take a quick picture for me before the race started—nice people!
I was slotted in Corral #1 for this race—not sure how I got in this corral but was happy to avoid the crowds at the beginning of the race.
I shared with several friends that I wanted to get a personal record (PR) for this race—the goal was to beat last years’ time of 1:36:46. Had designs on 1:30 (one hour thirty minutes) for this race.
First forward—my first mile was 8:40 (eight minutes and 40 seconds) and my tenth mile was 10:10 (10 minutes and 10 seconds). The finish time was: 1:40:06 for a 9:56 per mile pace. Not bad but a bit off from my time last year and not a PR for the 10-mile distance. Still felt good with my training and effort during the race. Made my way to the beach party and started drinking ice cold beers. There were multiple food options to include sandwiches, pizza and cake for something sweet. The music was not as good this year, but they got people up and dancing on the beach. Spent an hour at the after party before heading back to my hotel for my nap.
Enjoyed my Virginia Beach experience so much that I’ve already signed up to return next year. 😊
Irie!
“The smell of the ocean never gets old”.
(offthehookadventures.com)
Walk Into the Future 