Eliminate the hunger and take away all wars,
Break down all color barriers and bring equal rights to all.
People living in unison, all getting along.
This would make the world a better place for you and for me.
Maybe one day kids can play together and have some fun.
No war, no hunger, no racial wall.
Life could be so nice.
“The trouble with not having a goal is that you spend your life running up and down the field and never score”.
(Bill Copeland)
My 2022 Walk into the Future became focused on completing my first full marathon in December.
The 2022 Palm Beaches Marathon provided me with a new goal and a physical challenge to work towards. The 18-week training program provided me with flexibility with my runs, so I continued to look for ways to make training as exciting as possible. This included signing up for 5ks and half marathons to help me break up the training sessions.
My last long run before the Palm Beaches Marathon was scheduled to be an 8-miler. I graduated from the super long runs (18, 19, 20) a couple weeks earlier but wanted to test my fitness one more time before the marathon.
I signed up for the 2022 Orlando Utility Commission (OUC) half marathon back in December 2021 and decided to fulfill that commitment since I needed the miles. I also enjoy being back in Orlando to see my friends and the culture the Orlando area provides.
Rode over to Orlando the day prior to the race to pick up my race packet at Track Shack. Always love visiting the Track Shack running store since they are a one stop run store where I can pick up running gear and supplements. Started purchasing CBD gems (gels) at Track Shack because they have a huge selection with the best prices. Bib pickup was uneventful—I got there before the big rush and purchased a new running shirt.
Left Track Shack and headed back to Oviedo to check into my hotel. I stay in the same place since I’m a creature of habit and it allows me to spend more time in Oviedo. Headed to my favorite Italian restaurant, Café Panuzzos. Love the food and atmosphere there and always come back when I’m back in town: https://cafepanuzzos.com/
Got back to the hotel to relax and mentally prepare for the race coming up. I was still deciding how I wanted to attack the race from a strategic standpoint—do I go out for a specific time or just clock miles as part of the training plan? Decided to completely test my fitness to see what my training program accomplished.
Made my way downtown the next morning to toe the line for the 9th time for the OUC Half Marathon—guess you can say this is my hometown race now.
Things were going as scheduled until I got downtown Orlando. Normally it is easy to get downtown to park prior to the race. This year the Orlando police changed the traffic patterns and had cars lined up for miles. I finally got out of my normal parking garage line and found a surface lot two blocks down. This put me closer to the start line, but I lost about 45 minutes trying to get parked—never experienced this before.
Made it to the start line in time to hear the national anthem and the starter encouraging runners to have a good race. I was able to get a light stretch in and got into the back of the race corral behind the walkers and parents with strollers. Never been this far back so figured I was in for an experience during the race. Fun fact—I have never passed so many people in a race. I guess starting in the back does have some benefits. 😊
Made my way through the other runners from the back of the pack and started to get comfortable with my pace. Could not go out much faster since I had so many runners to navigate my way through. The weather was great—nice cool central Florida morning so put a smile on my face and then kept pressing forward.
Ran Mile 1 in 10:01 and did not feel pressed even though I had to weave my way through strollers and walkers. Felt good after the first water stop and decided to see if I could run negative splits (faster times) for each mile. Here’s what I got accomplished:
Mile 1: 10:01/ Mile 2: 9:57 / Mile 3: 9:43 / Mile 4: 9:47 / Mile 5: 9:40 / Mile 6: 9:45 / Mile 7: 9:54 / Mile 8: 9:37 / Mile 9: 9:57 / Mile 10: 10:34 / Mile 11: 10:19 / Mile 12: 11:18 / Mile 13: 10:36 / Mile .1 / 1:45
I laughed at myself when I saw my Mile 12 split because I got caught up looking around and sightseeing a bit too much and did not realize I slowed down that much. Had nothing to do with fitness or pain, I simply drifted off looking at Orlando scenario when I should have been bearing down to finish this race. Lesson learned. Completed the OUC Half in 2:12:52 which was my second fastest half of 2022—should have been my fastest but Mile 12 took care of that. LOL.
Crossed the finish line feeling the best I’ve ever felt while running a half marathon. The full marathon training really helped me manage the lactic acid and pain. Felt fresh and ready to run more if it was needed.
I’m ready to tackle the 2022 Palm Beaches Marathon—let’s make it happen! 😊
Irie!
“A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at”.
(Bruce Lee)
“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink wild air”.
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Took my Walk into the Future on another road trip to my favorite beach location, the Crowne Plaza in Melbourne, Florida. Yes, I make a point to visit this beach location multiple times throughout the year but there was added emphasis for this trip.
September 11th continues to be a day remembered in America due to the events that happened on 9/11/2001. I will not document the things from that day, but it provides an opportunity for remembrance in this country.
I was stationed at Kadena Air Base, on the island of Okinawa on 9/11/2001. I viewed the second plane hit the World Trade Center tower live on TV while on the phone with my mom. At the time we thought the first was an accident but fully understood the impact once the second plane crashed.
I was on the phone with my mom halfway around the world because September 11th is my birthday. She called to wish me a happy birthday and we witnessed the world change at the same time.
Fast forward to 2022 and I ventured up to Melbourne to celebrate my birthday in a favorite spot and get a beach day in at the same time.
Started my adventure by heading to Costco to do some bulk shopping and get a few samples. I love a good deal and always find things I need there. I stock up on vitamins, Bio Freeze and Salonpas patches which really come in handy with my marathon training program. Need these things to help with my recovery and get me back out running.
Next stop was the Patrick Space Force Base Exchange for some tax-free shopping. Decided it was time to invest in another pair of Brooks GTS Adrenaline 22 running shoes. I’m routinely clocking 90+ monthly miles now so like to have another pair of running shoes to rotate into my training program. These shoes come at a reduced price on the base and there is no tax for the purchase. 😊
Left the base and headed to one of my favorite spots, Squid Lips for lunch. It is a laid-back spot overlooking the Indian River with great food and daily live music. Great spot for seafood, cold beer, music, and people watching:
Made my way over to the Crowne Plaza next to relax on the beach and listen to the live band. Turns out Sunday is the day for reggae so this put a huge smile on my face since I love reggae. The band and DJ were good and put out an authentic Irie vibe. The folks under the tiki hut were vibing and enjoying the sounds.
A highlight of the day was the Sky Dive Melbourne Beach 9/11 tribute event: http://skydivemelbournebeach.com/?fbclid=IwAR06kj3ItJyenYYDitGXbM8zD-f-NxNUjNF7oiJMWUMs6-ae74B0Ri3OGdE
It was exciting to see the sky divers make their way down towards the beach. Had to relocate my beach towel to get out of their landing zone. 😊 It was an impressive display and the crowds on the beach enjoyed cheering the sky divers once they all were down safely.
Finished my beach day off with wings, fries, and beer under the tiki hut with reggae coming from the band. Sounds like a perfect day, huh? 😊
Great way to spend a birthday!
Irie!
Where will you spend your next birthday?
“To escape and sit quietly at the beach—that’s my idea of paradise”.
(Emilia Wickstead)
“We learn a lot and each museum ends up having its own distinctive character and personality”.
(Richard Meier)
I was honored when I was invited to join the IRSC Student Veteran Organization (SVO) leadership board as they toured the Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida. I have driven by the museum, but this was my first time to enter the building and get a chance to review the history of the Navy SEALs. This trip has been the highlight of 2022 for my Walk into The Future.
It is great to have the Navy SEAL Museum locally in Fort Pierce and my visit will allow me to share with others.
My first experience with the Navy SEALs was a 2017 visit out to San Diego for an Educator’s Tour while I was still at Florida State University. Select educators from around the country are invited out by the Navy to tour and see SEAL facilities to help with recruitment efforts. I have been on multiple Educators tours: Marine Corps (Quantico, VA.), Army (Fort Jackson, SC). The services like to bring educators in to show them what true military services looks like and answer questions to enhance recruiting efforts at universities and colleges.
My time in San Diego was to learn about the SEALs training efforts so I would be able to help students understand how their education would translate to the Navy and/or the SEALs. The training is recognized as a mental and physical challenge, this is why the SEALs are such a respected and elite group—they are truly the best of the best!
Fast forward to 2022 and my trip to the museum. We were able to walk the halls and view historical artifacts from SEAL missions around the world. The history of the SEALs is displayed throughout with emphasis on the tools used for success around the world. The central theme for me was the bravery of the SEALs and how they carried out missions with professionalism and precision.
I learned quite a bit during this trip and look forward to coming back with friends and family so they can see/experience this great history on display.
https://www.navysealmuseum.org/
“Everything goes great with some axe throwing”.
(Instagram)
The Walk into the Future blog allows me to capture my thoughts, adventures and, plans in a way that I can share with my readers.
Never sought out a venue to capture everything but this blog provides an opportunity to highlight things I do to continue to Walk into the Future.
My new adventure was a trip to the Hard Ax Lounge in Fort Pierce for a round of ax throwing. This was my second time in the Hard Ax Lounge—several of us from work made it to the lounge in December for a teambuilding activity. It was the same day as our ugly sweater party, and I never got around to capturing my thoughts on the original outing.
Turns out I picked up ax throwing fast as I was the ax throwing champion for our group back in December. Never imagined I would be good at throwing an ax but maybe my small-town upbringing in Jasper, Florida translated to becoming an ax man. 😊
Made my way back for round two with a smaller group of friends on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I did not have preconceived ideas that my first ax throwing adventure would translate to this session. Everyone must go through the safety training—ax throwing can be dangerous, and it helped to get pointers from the ax experts that work there.
There are different ax sizes, and each ax performs a bit different from the next. The instructors show all participants how to hold and throw the axes based on size and weight. They offer everyone an opportunity to throw each ax to get a better feel for which ax works best. I had a lot of success with the smallest ax during my first experience so decided to stick with what worked best for me in the past.
The first part of the throwing session is just getting familiar with throwing the ax and working on form and aim. The concept is like throwing darts, but the ax does a lot more damage when it hits the target. We went through several rounds of practice before the ax experts introduced the ax throwing competition into the session.
The ax board is numbered, and scores are based on the number your ax sticks to (8, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1). The first game introduced was a game of 21. You throw with the idea of hitting numbers that add up to 21 to be crowned the winner. If your throw total goes OVER 21 then you go back down to 12 and throw again with the intent to end up on 21. Pretty simple, huh?
Throws are rotated between everyone on your lane, so everyone gets a turn in the rotation towards 21.
My throwing technique is very basic. I grab the small ax, position myself on the lane and then let it fly—not rocket science but I try not to overthink this simple process.
Fast forward and my throws got me close to 21 multiple times, but I had to go back to 12 since I kept going over. Luckily for me, others throwing on my lane could not take advantage of me having to go back to 12 and win the game. We played three rounds, and I was able to win 2 out of 3 rounds and leave as the ax throwing champion for the day. FYI—double champion!
Ax throwing is a fast-growing sport, and it continues to get bigger in the Fort Pierce area. I’m sure this is not the last ax win for the Walk into the Future blog.
Have you ever competed in ax throwing?
“Throw your axe and have some fun”.
(Instagram)
“Adventure is worthwhile in itself”.
(Global Castaway)
Dictionary.com defines adventure as an unusual and exciting, experience or activity.
Well, my Walk into the Future provides plenty of opportunities for me to live out adventures.
I wrote about my journey to Atlantic City, New Jersey for the 2022 Atlantic City Rock N Roll Half Marathon and time spent with my friend Lauren Apgar.
I also wrote in an earlier post about my refrigerator magnet collection and how I make sure to get one from new locations. My time in the Air Force gave me the travel bug and I have visited 37 states so far. I review my list yearly to identify how/when I can visit a state I have never been to so I can cross it off my list.
Where I’m I headed with this? Great question!
Delaware is about 85 miles from Atlantic City, and you are correct, I had never been to Delaware. I did not know if I would ever be back in this area so decided to venture over to Delaware to explore a bit and then get my refrigerator magnet. My original reason for being in this area was to run another half marathon but decided to take advantage of the proximity to Delaware and get a visit in so I could cross the state off my list.
Made my way back to the hotel after all the half marathon activities and breakfast with Lauren and Reese. Needed to get some rest and get off my feet for a little bit and recharge myself for the next adventure.
I double checked the distance to Wilmington, Delaware one more time to determine if this was an adventure I really wanted to take on. I needed to visit Delaware to add to my states visited list so did some leg stretches, grabbed some water, and got in my rental car to head west towards Delaware—my magnet and adventure awaited. 😊
The route from Atlantic City to Wilmington was a straight shot but needed to drive through Philadelphia to get to Wilmington. Took the Atlantic City Expressway West from Egg Harbour, New Jersey. This route took me directly through Philadelphia and I got a chance to see downtown Philly from a fantastic vantage point.
The Walt Whitman Bridge is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River and leads directly across the state line. The views of downtown Philly while driving on the bridge were great. Wished I had the ability to get a few pictures from this vantage point, but I was driving. You will have to take my word for how spectacular the views are OR visit Philly yourself and drive across the Walt Whitman Bridge. 😊
Traffic was not too bad as I made my way through Philly and then ventured a bit south towards Delaware. I leveraged Google Maps to get me to my destination and had no trouble getting into Wilmington.
I did not have a set adventure in mind but wanted to explore a bit since I made the drive over. Followed Google map directions towards downtown Wilmington to get a better view of the city. The only thing I knew about Wilmington is Joe Biden has a residence there but had no interest in finding this. Drove around downtown a bit and discovered some pretty rough neighborhoods in the city. Never thought of Wilmington having an inner city look/feel but it does—lesson learned.
Decided to find a spot where I could collect my refrigerator magnet and then head back to meet Lauren and Reese for dinner. Found a shopping plaza with multiple stores and ventured into a Hallmark store to search for Delaware souvenirs. Told the salesperson what I was looking for and she directed me to the rack with Delaware swag. She asked if I was interested in the Biden residence and seemed shocked when I said no. Guess visiting the residence is a big thing when people visit Wilmington—magnets are a bigger deal for me! 😊
Got my magnets and headed back towards Atlantic City. Made good time and was able to meet Lauren and Reese for dinner on our last night in the area.
Happy I could get over to Delaware to add to my list of states visited and collect my magnet. I have already signed up for the 2023 Atlantic City Rock N Roll Half Marathon so I will be back in the area next year. I have no need to visit Wilmington again. 😊
What adventures do you have lined up for the rest of 2022?
Irie!
“Do more than just exist”.
(Pinterest)
FYI—the 2023 Atlantic City Rock N Roll Half Marathon has been cancelled. The Rock N Roll folks decided not to continue to host the race. Luckily, I made it to Atlantic City in 2022.
The 2022 NACE Conference was held in Portland, Oregon this year. This was our first in-person conference since 2019 and there was a lot of excited and anxious people in attendance. Safety protocols were taken to keep us safe, but you can never truly feel safe with over 1,700 people in attendance.
I have been a member of NACE for the past 15 years and have continued to look for ways to expand my role within the organization. I have served in multiple roles which have allowed me to grow a network with professionals across the world.
I am currently finishing up my role as a Co-Chair for the Mentorship Enhancement Task Force. I received a phone call from the incoming NACE President in July 2021 to talk about the task force and the importance he placed on mentorship. He asked me to Co-Chair this critical task force and work to revamp the program and increase awareness/participation for NACE members.
Fast forward to the NACE conference in Portland and my task force was provided a session to discuss the work we have been doing for the past 12 months and highlight the improvements we recommend to the Board of Directors.
I have attended past NACE conferences in Anaheim, Chicago, New Orleans, Dallas, and Orlando but this was my first opportunity to present to my colleagues. We were given a prime slot on the second day of the conference to present our work and recruit new mentors into the program.
My Co-Chair who is based out of St. Louis, Missouri and I spent multiple Microsoft Teams virtual sessions going over the presentation format, slides, and flow. We decided to give a big overview of the program changes and then jump into a panel discussion with current NACE mentors and mentees to get their perspective on the impact of mentoring for each of them.
We soon discovered the NACE conference committee booked our session in the LARGEST room at the event. We had no preconceived perspective on how many people would attend our session, but we did not imagine we could fill every seat in this large space. NOTE—we did not get close to filling all seats. 😊
No worries! We had a very good crowd, and the folks were able to get a more personal touch from my co-chair and I. These folks were able to ask the panelist questions and we had on the spot sign-ups for new mentors and mentees.
We shared the work of the task force and identified our strategies and marketing plans to create a world class mentoring program.
The new program will have 3 mentoring layers:
Mentoring research identifies Reverse mentoring and Mentoring Circles are unique ways to increase mentoring awareness and participation. We discussed the benefits of each mentoring model and introduced the software we recommended to match mentors with mentees. The current matching process is manual and does not consider the demographics of the mentor or mentee. This software matching process was a big hit with the NACE board and folks in attendance during our session.
The marketing plan will utilize all social media platforms and the NACE website to promote the changes and encourage NACE members to join the program.
I was excited to see the NACE President, David Ong in attendance during our session. This was his pet project for the year, and he was extremely happy with our progress and excited to roll out the new program to the general membership.
David gave us a by-name shoutout during the general session late that day to thank us for the work we put in over the year. This was the highlight of the conference for me and got more members wanting to discuss the mentoring program and to sign up. I walked around with sign-up sheets for the rest of the conference and got many mentors and mentees signed up.
My official Co-Chair role ends on 7/15/2022 but we still must complete one more project before our term ends. I have decided to take a year off from serving on another NACE committee or task force. This was my second national commitment to the career field in the past two years—time to take a small break and concentrate on my local duties.
I plan to get back into the national work of our career field in 2023 by either serving on another committee/task force or taking a larger step up to become a NACE Board Member. This would provide me with additional leverage within the career field as we set policy to keep us relevant.
Yes, I’m still dreaming big! 😊
My 2023 conference travel plans will be less than this year. The 2023 conference will be held in Lake Buena Vista (Disney World) so I do not have to endure another 7 hours of traveling. My travel time over to Disney World will be just over an hour and I don’t have to worry about flight layovers in Salt Lake City or Minneapolis.
Look forward to getting the band back together next year.
Irie!
“To me, Texas is Austin, a bunch of cool people trying to make a difference”.
(Bill Hicks)
My Walk into the Future journey allowed me to venture to Austin, Texas in June to attend the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) annual conference.
I was nominated for an Excellence in Leadership award by my institution and my trip to Austin was needed to get recognized and receive the award. An expense paid trip to Austin was a welcomed addition to the Walk into the Future adventures.
I visited Austin multiple times when I lived in Texas during my time in the Air Force. My first assignment was at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth. I returned to Texas a few years later for an assignment at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio. I always loved to explore and made multiple visits to Austin for football games, track meets and to just take in the music scene while stationed in Texas. Never imagined I would be back in the city for a leadership conference decades later but that’s the catalyst for this latest adventure.
I did not know much about NISOD but quickly discovered this is a huge organization within the 2-year college space. My institution has been a member for years and supports the overall mission of NISOD.
The annual conference is held at the JW Marriott in downtown Austin. This location put conference attendees in the middle of a great environment for culture, food, music, and sightseeing. Yes, I made a point to exploit each of these opportunities.
The hotel was within walking distance to the state capitol, The University of Texas, Congress Avenue Bridge, restaurants, and music. Austin is designed to be a walkable city and has an impressive bike/scooter street setup. A lot of the residents and visitors in downtown Austin jump on electric scooters to get around town. I did not jump on a scooter but leveraged walking to different Austin venues.
Cooper’s Old Time Pit BBQ was a frequent stop for me on this trip. I received recommendations prior to arriving for this BBQ joint and it was only steps away from the hotel. I made this my first stop in Austin and the food was as good as advertised. The setup is designed for customers to select their meat order which is sliced when ordered. You follow-up with premade side dishes (potato salad, green beans, etc.) and deserts as needed. Meat portions are huge and surprises most people when ordering. I tried multiple selections over my time in Austin but highly recommend the smoke sausage—very good.
Made a few trips over to the 6th Street music venues to listen to live music and experience the Austin music scene. Got a chance to hear a few local bands that were good. This Austin music scene is different than Nashville—there are multiple places to listen to music but it’s not as vast as what Nashville has to offer. The venues were a lot smaller too, so the atmosphere was more laid back as well.
The Texas State capitol was about a mile from the hotel and was easy to reach even with the high Texas temperatures. Decided to venture down to get a few pictures on the capitol grounds and experience the monuments. Explored the grounds and marveled at the architecture of the capitol building. Got a chance to view the monument dedicated to black Texas history and some of the important black pioneers.
“I love Nashville. It seems like everywhere you walk, there’s great music coming out of every wall”.
(Imedla May)
I am always looking for a clever quote to help me get started with the writing process.
My friends and family know I love Tennessee and Nashville is one of my favorite places to visit. I did not realize it has been almost 3 years since my last visit to the Music City.
The 2019 Rock N Roll Half Marathon and NFL draft weekend was the last time I was in Nashville.
https://walkintothefuture.blog/2019/05/23/nashville-and-the-wild-horse-saloon/
The 2020 Rock N Roll Half Marathon was cancelled due to COVID-19. The 2021 Rock N Roll Half Marathon was moved to the week before Thanksgiving. I thought about using my race credit and running the fall version of the race, but it would have kept me from exploring the Smoky Mountains. Got to have priorities in life! 😊
It looks like I will be able to run Nashville again in April 2022 with the Rock N Roll crew again.
Back to present day Nashville.
I decided to visit Nashville prior to Christmas for a trip to explore the city in a different way than I normally do. Most times I am in Nashville for an event (race/football game) and get focused on the task at hand. I have a regimented eating pattern when I am in town for a race. I also must keep track of how much I am on my feet prior to a race so I can conserve energy to compete.
I went full tourist mode for this trip so I could explore different areas and venues without worrying about how much time I spent walking or standing up.
Booked a convenient downtown hotel which was only half a mile from Broadway which is the main entertainment center in Nashville.
This easy walk made Nashville more accessible to me since I did not have to worry about finding a place to park. Nashville is like most big cities where parking is a premium and of course you pay a premium to park. I simply left my rental car in the hotel parking lot and got my steps in while enjoying everything Nashville had to offer.
Ryman Auditorium
I have been to Nashville 10 times over the years but never visited the Ryman Auditorium. I have walked by this historic music venue multiple times but for some reason never tried to go in.
The Ryman Auditorium is steeped in musical history and transcends multiple genres. It is the original home of the Grand Old Opry and music fans from all over the world converged there to see their favorite artists. The Ryman Auditorium started as a house of worship but expanded to host political rallies, plays, conventions and musical acts. I was surprised to see how many rock, pop and R&B acts played at the Ryman Auditorium. The Grand Old Opry moved out of the Ryman in 1975 to the current location in Opryland. The Grand Old Opry show returns to the Ryman Auditorium on a regular basis, and they continue to attract national headliners. Josh Turner was playing the same day I took the Ryman Auditorium tour. Highly recommend adding this tour to your Nashville travel plans.
Country Music Hall of Fame
The Rock N Roll Race EXPO is right next to the Country Music Hall of Fame. I have walked by the building a thousand times but never made my way up the stairs to see the exhibits. ☹
This trip was designed to be a true tourist, so I made my way up the stairs and entered the Country Music Hall of Fame. It did not have the same nostalgic feel of the Ryman Auditorium, but it was a great place to see and relive the history of country music. The exhibits included subtexts to ensure everyone knew what they were seeing to include instruments and clothing country music stars wore in their videos and on tour.
A surprising aspect of the exhibits was how small most of the country artists are. A lot of artists look bigger than life on TV but most of the female artists based on their outfits are 5’ 4” or shorter. Even the BIG country guys are not as big as they appear on TV based on the outfit that were on display. My favorite artist is George Strait and I thought he was 6’ 3” or 6’ 4”. He is 5’ 10”—never would have guessed that before seeing his exhibit in the Country Music Hall of Fame. I made my way into the Hall of Fame Rotunda to view the plaques for everyone who has been elected to the Hall of Fame. Got to see all the legends in the rotunda but made sure to get a shot of George Strait’s plaque. Highly recommend a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
https://countrymusichalloffame.org/
Wildhorse Saloon
The Wildhorse Saloon is one of my favorite places to visit when I am in Nashville. The food, atmosphere and music venue are all first rate. One of my targeted activities at the Wildhorse Saloon is the chance to get in some line dancing. The staff at the Wildhorse teach multiple dances throughout the day and then get everyone on the dance floor. I have learned quite a few new dances over the years. Sadly, the Wildhorse Saloon was closed while I was in Nashville. They decided to give the staff some time off before Christmas and I respect that. The gift shop was open, and I was able to pick up a few souvenirs before heading back over to Broadway for music.
Broadway
Broadway is the main drag in downtown Nashville if you are looking for entertainment. I have covered almost every inch of Broadway over the years and still discover new places to listen to music.
There is no cover to enter the Honky Tonks so there is freedom to roam and change venues. I love this aspect because I move around depending on the bands playing and how good they sound.
I hit most of the Honky Tonks on this trip but found myself gravitating to The Stage, Whiskey Row, Jason Aldean’s Rooftop Bar and Tequila Cowboy. The sound stage in these spots were better quality and I enjoyed the bands playing. The food at Jason Aldean’s was good so why I kept going back. 😊
https://dierkswhiskeyrow.com/nashville-tn/
Nashville is a great place to visit if you have never been. Looking forward to getting back there in April 2022 for the Rock N Roll Half Marathon and line dancing at the Wildhorse Saloon.
“We’re playing your song”.
(Tennessee Department of Tourist Development)
Running Friend (n): One who listens, does not judge, and somehow makes two hours of running fun.
(Pinterest)
Yes, I made the trek over to run the Orlando Hometown Half Marathon again this year. This is becoming my favorite half marathon due to the course, weather, proximity, and the great Track Shack staff.
The is the 8th time for me running this half marathon and it may have been the most enjoyable. I signed up for the race in December 2020 with the intent to target a Personal Record (PR) during the event. I made an adjustment to my mindset during packet pickup to just enjoy the course, the spectators and, great December weather in Orlando.
I still wanted to beat my 2020 time but did not overemphasize the concept of a time-based goal. My training has been good but nothing like the miles or training sessions I put in in 2019. The hills in Tallahassee helped prepare me for races so I knew where my conditioning was before every race. Targeted race times were easier to predict due to hill training.
I toed the start line this year with the intent to get/stay close to a pace so I would complete the half marathon in 2:15 (two hours and 15 minutes). This would be ten minutes slower than my PR but obtainable without stressing my body too much just to hit a number. This is personal growth for me because I normally beat myself up if I do not hit a certain number. Decided to listen to my body and have fun since that is what this is all about.
I crossed the finish line this year in a time of 2:18:58 (two hours, 18 minutes, and 58 seconds). Close but extremely happy with this time. Why you ask?
Great question! 😊
I knew my tree branch, Daniel Botero was signed up for the race and we texted to make sure we connected prior to the race start. Always great seeing my tree branches and this was the first time Daniel and I have seen each other in-person since February 2020. While catching up and stretching Daniel asked me what my targeted time was for the race. I gave him 2:15 for my targeted time and he asked if he could tag along.
Looking at past articles on my training program and race schedules highlight I run alone. This is mostly by choice but also because not many people in my Fort Pierce circle exercise or run. I happily accepted Daniel’s request to run with me and embraced having a tree branch running with me. I was surprised when he identified he would try to keep up with me—made me laugh a bit too since I am a lot older than him.
We agreed to run together until it was no longer practical. Happy to report I got to run the first 5 miles of the half marathon with Daniel. We kept a decent pace of 9:30 per minute over this distance before going our separate race strategies.
I traditionally run 8 smaller races within the half marathon. I find it easier mentally and physically to leverage this approach and it has helped me gets faster.
Example: The water stops are approximately 1.8 miles apart for most half marathons.
I run to each water stop and then walk through the area to drink water and Gatorade. Please note, I do not stop moving forward but take about a 20 – 30 second walk break to replenish my fluids. I take off running to the next water stop after getting my water and Gatorade. This concept creates 8 smaller races and helps me stay strong throughout the half marathon.
There are other running strategies for success, but this works well for me.
My pace stayed consistent for the first 8 miles, but I began to slow a bit when the lactic acid in my legs started to get away from me. I incorporated beet and tart cherry juice into my diet to help with the lactic acid buildup but there are times when it just jumps up and grabs you by the quads. This was one of those times!
I carry nutrition gels in my running belt and started taking them at the 8-mile mark. The gels help get more carbs into my system and helps with the leg pain. Yes, I spend money, time and, effort to put myself in pain—runners are a unique breed.
A new adventure for this race is I ran with the 2:15 pace group for a good portion after mile 8. The pacer was an experienced marathoner and paces half marathons for fun—again, we are a unique breed. 😊
I was happy to have company again and stayed with the group until my quads told me to slow down—I did! My goal at this point was to stay ahead of the 2:20 pace group that was further behind me—I refused to let them catch up with me. I stayed between both pace groups as I made my way back downtown Orlando. The crowds were huge at this portion of the course and having people cheer for me gave me the extra inspiration to finish strong.
Yes, I was able to fake wellness and sprint across the finish line with a smile on my face. This was a forced smile but smile I did. Looked down at my watch and was happy with my effort and time for the day.
Track Shack ran a 3-year series and every runner that completed the OUC Half Marathon in 2019, 2020 and 2021 got an extra medal to go along with the normal swag. I did not realize I was in this elite group but happily accepted my additional bling.
Made my way to the runner’s village to get some refreshments and recover. I wanted to stick around to cheer Daniel across the line and make sure he was okay. He came across the finish line in good shape and I directed him to the medical tent to get some ice on his legs. I always get ice to begin the recovery process and it helps with pain and inflammation caused by a 13.1-mile race.
Got a couple beers to replenish carbs and Daniel and I parted ways with a new memory for our growing friendship. Hope to run with him again in 2022!
My plan is to run the OUC Half Marathon again in 2022. Who is going to join me?
Irie!
INSTAGRAM: @jayla_brianna
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