My how the time flies
When you look back and wonder
How did we get here?
When did that happen?
The promise that was promised
Had diminished over time
And left the wonder of why
And can the path be adjusted
To fulfill the destiny of the wonder
That was first wondered by me
“Life is short…running makes it seem longer”.
(Baron Hansen)
September 5, 2021 is coming! This date may only be circled on my calendar, but it has importance to my Walk into the Future.
The Virginia Beach Rock N Roll Half Marathon will take place on 9/5/21. This year’s race marks the 20th anniversary of the Rock n Roll series in Virginia Beach and will also be the last time this race is run. Received an email last week stating the city of Virginia Beach and the Rock n Roll series agreed to make this the last hoorah. This is my first visit to Virginia Beach, and I will have to make the most of it.
The date of the half marathon is significant to me due to my training program. I did not have a huge half marathon training focus in 2020 due to COVID-19. I got miles in but never found my training pace because most races were cancelled due to COVID protocols.
Fast forward to 2021 and races are slowly coming back and the running tourist in me is excited to hit the road again. I am looking forward to exploring new locations and testing myself against courses I have only read about or seen pictures.
So, what’s the problem you may ask? Great question and thanks! The problem is: it is HOT down here!!! 😊
I will not get into the concept of climate change, global warming, etc. but this south Florida heat and humidity is impacting my training program.
I officially launched my half marathon training on 6/28/21. This put me two months out from the Virginia Beach Rock N Roll half and should be plenty of time to get mentally and physically prepared to run. I am getting my runs and bike rides in but struggle to extend my miles due to the heat and humidity in my current location. My long runs top out at 7 miles because I want to be mindful of the impact the heat has while training.
I get up earlier for my weekend runs but the temperature hits the mid-80s by 9 am and only goes up from there. Not complaining because most of my runs on done close to the water so I can always stop and make it a beach outing when I am done with my runs.
I did not think the four-hour drive from Tallahassee to Fort Pierce would make much difference on my running program but there is a different level of heat down here. Again, not complaining but stating a fact. This is a fact I must come to grips with soon to keep preparing for future races. I targeted several local 5ks to keep my competitive juices flowing but need these short races to get me race ready.
I added more bike rides (gym and outside) to get more miles on my legs to build up the threshold needed to run and complete a half marathon. This is a new approach for me but a safe way to extend my training without having to deal with the south Florida heat.
I recently added treadmill runs to my training program. I am not a fan of running on a treadmill, but this equipment allows me to log miles and push myself to get ready for the actual process of running a half marathon. My new training routine consists of morning miles on my regular route near the beach and then a treadmill session with equal miles.
The one treadmill trick I started using is to cover the time/distance/speed display. Running on the treadmill is a mentally draining exercise for me and I believe it is because the display does not match what I THINK I’m accomplishing. Simply put, it feels like I have run further than the display shows so I get frustrated with the process. Covering the display allows me to forget about the distance and time and just put in the work. I see multiple people who appear to enjoy their time on the treadmill, and I am amazed watching them. I need to get over my treadmill DREAD and just put in the work.
Looking forward to cooler weather so I can get back to longer outside runs again. Did I mention it is hot in South Florida? 😊
“Don’t be a jogger. They are the ones who find dead bodies”.
(RuntotheFinish)
“To travel is to live”.
(Hans Christian Andersen)
Happy to report the Walk into the Future adventures continue. I am excited to get back to regular excursions again with more and more people being vaccinated. COVID-19 put a halt to most outings, but I am getting comfortable being out and about again.
Decided to explore a familiar area recently and ventured back over to Winter Park, Florida to spend a day on Park Avenue. Park Avenue has an eclectic feel and provides multiple places to shop, dine and entertain yourself without having to get in and out of your car.
My day started with a trip to my favorite run shop, Track Shack. I make a point to visit Track Shack whenever I’m in the area because the staff makes me feel at home. They also update their running gear selections, and I am always looking for new training ideas and gear. I wear Track Shack gear during my races and wanted to see if they had new color schemes to add to my wardrobe. I did not buy new gear on this trip but picked up some CBD gel caps.
I added CBD to my training program last year to help with soreness and inflammation from running. My run friends recommended CBD and I finally decided to add to my program to keep me running. CBD has allowed me to continue to train hard and not miss sessions due to soreness—it also helps me relax and sleep better. Give it a try!
Made my way over to Park Avenue after leaving Track Shack. The Winter Park Farmer’s Market is a huge Saturday attraction, and I made a stop to see what the vendors had for sell. The kettle corn vendor was the most popular vendor of the day—it is amazing to see folks buy the huge bags of kettle corn. I like kettle corn but could not make myself buy the supersized bags the vendor had.
There was a vendor at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market selling jerky—this is not a revelation but was surprised with the selection available. Most people know about beef, turkey, and alligator jerky. The surprise for me was this vendor had kangaroo jerky. I had no idea people ate kangaroo and did not expect it as a jerky selection. I am not a huge jerky fan but wondered all day why anyone would eat kangaroo jerky—may have to try it next time I am at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market.
Took the short walk over to Park Avenue to explore the shops and dining options available. Track Shack hosts multiple races in this area so I am familiar with Park Avenue—the races start and end in the heart of the entertainment district here.
Found a corner breakfast spot that I had never visited before. The Croissant Gourmet Bakery has a great menu and provides the perfect spot to dine, and people watch at the same time. This spot is right off Park Avenue but gets a lot of foot traffic. Most people came in for baked goods, but several stayed for breakfast and the coffee. The Croissant Gourmet Bakery layout reminds me of a New York style bakery—the staff was friendly and got people in and out. I had a traditional breakfast (two eggs, potatoes, bacon, toast with coffee). They had a fantastic raspberry jam I would recommend if you visit the Croissant Gourmet Bakery—well worth the trip. I plan to visit this spot again when I am back in Winter Park.
One of my reasons to visit Park Avenue was to venture into the Wine Room again. The Wine Room provides a unique experience where you can purchase a wine card and then explore wines from around the world. Insert your wine card and then decide if you want a sip, half glass or full glass. This is a great way to try multiple wines and not commit too much money if you decide you are not a fan. I strategically visited the Croissant Gourmet Bakery first to ensure I ate something prior to exploring wine options. 😊
I am a novice wine drinker, so the Wine Room allows folks like me to try different wines without committing too much to the process. I favor the sweeter wines but experiment with others by purchasing by the sip. This process helps me determine if I like the wine and not waste time or money if I do not. I tried multiple wines that caught my interest, and most were very good.
I made my way back to the sweet Italian wine section and found one I really enjoyed. Decided to go all in and purchased a full glass to enjoy. The Wine Room is a great place to enjoy wine and get some people watching in. There were several folks there who really knew wine and it was interesting listening to them describe the wines to each other.
Will leverage their knowledge on my next visit to the Wine Room and explore additional wines—one sip at a time.
The most talked about wine during my visit was the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon. It was very good, and I will try it again when I am back in the Wine Room:
https://www.abcfws.com/caymus-cabernet-sauvignon/234305
Left the Wine Room and got some window-shopping in. There were a lot of people out for the afternoon, and everyone had smiles. This was a fantastic way to spend the day and I enjoyed every minute of my time on Park Avenue. Look forward to additional adventures on Park Avenue—this may turn into a monthly getaway for me. 😊
Where have you wanted to visit? Give Park Avenue a try if you are in the Orlando area—highly recommended.
Irie!
https://orlandodatenightguide.com/2016/09/guide-perfect-afternoon-park-avenue-winter-park/
Really?
Black Lives Matter you say
Is that real or just a cliché?
Cannot believe we have to scream this everyday
Just to be heard, seen, and protected
From the brutal society trying to stamp us out
The daily body counts continue to rise
With no end in sight, we fall
Does not matter if it is a southern thing
Northern thing or western thing
Black lives continue to be extinguished
With no end in sight
So, I ask again, do Black Lives Matter?
When will you step up to make this true?
Simply saying it with no action makes it a hollow cliché
Something woke to say?
Time for action, some type of display
Marching is fine but there cannot be additional delay
Let us put more meaning to Black Lives Matter
Do it today!
“Surround yourself with people who are only going to lift you higher”.
(UK Wired)
Dictionary.com defines inspiration as a divine influence directly or immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.
I have multiple Walk into the Future blog posts discussing superpowers and why they are important in our daily walk. Here is one of my favorites where I introduce my readers to Inspiration Man. 😊
My move to Fort Pierce has allowed me to make a difference but it is more of an organizational difference so far. We have adjusted work product and flow in my first 14 months. It almost feels like a complete overhaul of the organization based on how we revamped our services, products, and delivery methods. I did not expect this level of adjustment when I arrived, but we have made steady progress on modernizing our services and delivery.
The concept of Inspiration Man came up to highlight how I make an impact in the daily lives of others. Inspiration Man has been doormat, but this all changed when I received an email from a colleague in Orlando who works with the Central Florida Economic Council (CFEC) and Christian HELP.
Both organizations work to help people in Central Florida get back on their feet—job search, housing, food, etc. My friend is the Division Director for these organizations and asked me to speak at their May 2021 Job Fair. I did something similar 10 years ago and she remembered my positive impact on job seekers and wanted me to share my knowledge again. She does not know about my alter ego, Inspiration Man but she was about to unleash the superhero on the Orlando area. 😊
I quickly accepted the opportunity to move the crowd and share information with job seekers. The topic given: Job Searching in 2021—How to Adapt.
This was not a topic I had in my speaking library, but the challenge was to find a way to cover this information and engage with the audience. They provided an article with a ton of useful information, so this was the foundation of the presentation.
I never miss an opportunity to help, and this process was exciting; research, building and then presenting information to people who needed to hear from me.
I made my way to Winter Garden on the day of the event. Decided to drive over and then change at the venue prior to show time. My friend greeted me at the door, and we took a little time to catch up on life. She remembered the book I published in 2010 and thought I had another one ready to present to the group. FYI—I have been working on producing an eBook on Authentic Leadership, but it is not ready for public consumption. It should be coming later in 2021—get ready!
Inspiration Man made a quick dash into the dressing room to change into my superhero outfit for the day. Trying to be funny with that—it was a grey suit with a power blue tie.
Headed off to do a quick microphone check and make a quick adjustment to my slide deck. The event was held at Mosaic Church in Winter Garden, Florida and they have a fantastic audiovisual team. Sound checks allow me to gauge the acoustic of the venue to understand how loud I need to speak into the microphone. All systems go!
I took the stage after the host took care of some announcements and introduced me as the featured speaker of the day. It is always weird to me when I hear someone introducing me at an event—I want to look around to see who they are talking about, and it is ME.
I like to start my presentations by building rapport with the audience. One member spoke with me before the presentation and shared she was having a hard time finding employment. She mentioned a few things she tried but was having troubles. This quick conversation allowed me to bring a real-world situation into my presentation and highlight I was there to help. I speak with slides, but this does not drive how I present. Slides to me provide a foundation but I am not limited to the words on my slide show.
I am a huge fan of Jocko and introduced this video to set the tone for the day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdTMDpizis8
Diving into the presentation I covered:
Each topic came directly from the article they provided, and I leveraged this data to highlight how the current trends favored the job seekers. We jumped into new job search parameters and ways to gain and keep an employer’s attention. The personal messages centered on building a WHY statement. Of course, I shared my WHY with the group to show how it can impact a positive mindset.
The competition on the job search is really internal—preparing well enhances the client’s ability to connect with employers. The presentation centered on creating an elevator pitch to helps a client standout in a positive manner.
The audience responded well to each topic and had a lot of questions for me during my hour with them on stage. This was the most fun I have had in a long time. Working with motivated people who want to learn and get better brings out the best in me. I was intent on moving the crowd during this event and happy to report mission accomplished.
Several folks waited to speak with me after and tell me their unique stories. I listened and shared my contact information so they can reach out to me when ready. I am happy to help them continue to grow.
Hoping to get additional invitation to help with CFEC/Christian HELP events again soon. May be time for Inspiration Man to make another appearance! 😊
“Do not let yesterday take up too much of today”.
(Will Rogers)
“Don’t die without embracing the daring adventure your life was meant to be”.
(Steve Pavlina)
My Walk into the Future has allowed me to experience some great adventures.
My adventures prior to COVID-19 took me to places that required a bit of planning. Planes, trains, and automobile (not really the train) got me from place to place so I could enjoy new places. We are slowly getting back to being able to travel again with more and more people getting vaccinated. I am excited about the possibilities of becoming a running tourist again. Please note, I signed up for the early bird special to run the 2022 New Orleans Rock n Roll Running Series Half Marathon next February. Yes, the Rock n Roll folks changed their name!
The newest adventure for me only took me 35 miles from Fort Pierce. I have traveled to the town of Okeechobee multiple times because we have a campus there. I drive over and take care of my work and then drive back to the main campus in Fort Pierce. A very routine process but realized I had never taken the time to go to Lake Okeechobee. Imagine being about 10 miles away from the largest freshwater lake in Florida but never visiting. Decided to fix this issue and get over to the lake for a little adventure.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Okeechobee
My day started with the prospect of severe thunderstorms approaching the area. Luckily, I did not let this deter me from my adventure. The skies remained sunny and clear, so I took a chance (Walk into the Future) and packed a backpack and headed over to see the big lake. The drive over was around 40 minutes, so it did not take long to begin the adventure. There was not much traffic on the road, so the drive was easy. It is a farming community so not many sights to see on the drive except orange groves, farms, and cows.
I did not create a travel plan for my visit so just decided to make it up as I went. Parked at the Welcome Center and took in Lake Okeechobee from the walking bridge. This was my first view of the lake and it did not disappoint. The massiveness of Lake Okeechobee is probably the most impressive part of being there. I knew going over it was going to be a large body of water but being there and not seeing a bank on the other side was amazing. Finally got a chance to break out my new camera with my 80x zoom lens for this trip—it was needed to zoom in on objects in the distance.
I decided to go further down the road and see what other adventures Lake Okeechobee had for me. Pulled over when I saw a sign for the Lake Okeechobee Historic Trail—seemed like a great place to explore a bit more. The trail is paved so made my way east and took in the sights. There were several people at this point fishing, and they were pulling them in. Guess I will return to this spot IF I ever get into fishing—never been high on my list of hobbies to pick up. Got a 3 mile walk in on this portion of the trip and got more pictures of the lake and surrounding area. A couple riding their bikes shared they saw bald eagles a little further down the trail so decided to get back in the vehicle and drive down more to where they mentioned seeing eagles. Would love to get pictures of bald eagles in the wild! I was also racing time because the skies were getting dark—the rain was coming!
Drove another 5 miles or so down the road and pulled into another segment of the Lake Okeechobee Historic Trail. There were more people fishing here so the theme of the day is Lake Okeechobee is great if you like to fish. 😊 Again, walked on the trail heading east looking for perches eagles would populate—funny to read that last sentence—how would I know where eagles hang out???
Got a good walk in on this portion of the trail. I saw birds but nothing as interesting as bald eagle so took more pictures of the lake. I got lucky and spotted an alligator swimming in water close to Lake Okeechobee. This allowed me to utilize my zoom lens to get a good shot of a 6-foot alligator—my camera on my phone would not have allowed me to get this shot so happy to have the zoom available now. Cannot wait to take some pictures in Negril, Jamaica with a real zoom lens!
The skies got extremely dark because of the incoming bad weather so decided to cut my losses and get back on the road to head home. No need to get caught in a thunderstorm on Lake Okeechobee. This was a short trip but worth the time to drive over and explore Lake Okeechobee. May venture back over soon and experience the lake via an airboat ride. The adventures continue! 😊
“I thought it was an adventure but actually, it was life”.
“Home is the place where when you have to go there, they have to take you in”.
(Robert Frost)
COVID-19 has turned a lot of life little pleasures into a HUGE deal. Things we took for granted in 2019 quickly morphed into things we were advised not to do in 2020 and beyond.
The concept of going home on the surface is a rather benign thing. The pandemic has made this a potential life and death decision—never thought I would say that, but it is true.
My Walk into the Future revolves around my adventures and travel to places I want to visit. The one place I do not get to visit as much as I would like is home—Jasper, Florida. I am not getting all nostalgic because I cannot visit my hometown. My desire to go home centers around visiting with my mom and family. I am sure there are other folks who make the decision to visit family or not based on a fear of COVID-19.
The fear of being a possible transmitter of the virus is real and I do not want to be the person that brings the virus home.
My hope is the vaccine process will allow everyone to get back to the things they love doing. Happy to report my mom completed the two shot COVID-19 vaccine series along with an uncle, multiple aunts, and family friends. Completing these shots gave everyone a sense of relief and a tangible sign things are getting better. Fully understand there is more work to do with the vaccine, but this is a level of progress.
Got a chance to go home this weekend to visit with my folks. There was nothing special happening this weekend, but it was an opportunity to visit family, relax and get some good food. This was my first 2021 visit and it was great getting back to see the crew. Most visits I have a long project to-do list, but my mom gave me a break this trip with no projects requested. My brother laughed when he found out I had some free time without my normal project load. I am sure there will be projects on my next visit but enjoyed not having to pull out a ladder, drill, or hammer to get things done around the house.
I will pull out my pressure washer on my next trip to get my annual house washing done. I have pressured washed my mom and grandmother’s houses for the past 15 years. It is time for that project to get completed—like to do this before the Florida heat and humidity return. Takes me a full day with both houses but I enjoy this project because I get to see immediate results when I am done.
These things may not be huge to others but being able to work on projects, see my family and relax in my hometown are the things I love about going home. COVID-19 has taken a lot of things away from us, but it has not taken the concept of HOME away from us. We must remain smart and safe to keep everyone moving forward during this phase of the pandemic.
What do you miss about home? When do you think you will be able to return?
Home by Daughtry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bnX-6sJZBw
“Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition”.
(James Baldwin)
(Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay)
“A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity”.
(Dalai Lama)
The Walk into the Future blog was able to expand to tackle racial injustice in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has adjusted how we interact with others but 2020 provided additional opportunities for the world to view social justice from a new lens.
The younger generation calls this new view as being WOKE. Merriam Webster.com identifies woke is increasingly used as a byword for social awareness.
The multiple instances of injustice we witnessed in 2020 AND past events provided the Walk into the Future blog with a new level of being woke—this platform has become a place for me to express frustrations, outrage, and fear. It has also allowed me to learn about past injustices and how they impacted the lives of others who had to live through the experiences.
2020 provided an awakening to the continued injustices for folks like George Floyd, Breana Taylor, Ahmaud Abery and Jacob Blake. Some if these injustices were recorded and we got a chance to see what really happened not what authorities wanted to hide from the public as they normally do.
2020 also provided me with a level of curiosity to research past injustices to educate myself and readers about things most Americans had never heard about: Black 14, Black Wall Street, Rosewood, Florida, and Why Black Lives Matter. I was able to learn about each of these topics and generate a blog article to share what I discovered. A lot of my blog followers had never heard of these and want to learn more—this allows me to keep looking for topics to help ensure these injustices are never forgotten and I am hopeful they will not be repeated.
Ms. Evers boys
Why are some minorities fearful of getting vaccines?
Seems like a simple question but the answer will surprise a lot of people who have never heard about the Tuskegee Study which ran from 1932 – 1972 before the unethical treatment of black men in Macon County, Alabama was ended. The study (lab experiment) was conducted on 600 black men in the rural county, and they were told they had bad blood which was used to trick them into participating in the study.
The study was designed to observe what happens with untreated syphilis in the body of black men. Let’s repeat that, the study was designed to see the impact of syphilis on black men who were never told what they had or if they were receiving an actual treatment to cure the disease (they were not). The government used these men as lab subjects to see how the disease would ravage the human body. No truth, no treatment, no compassion, and no concern for these men by the U.S. government. Sounds just like what we witnessed in 2020, huh?
My first knowledge of this American experiment on black men was when the 1997 movie, Ms. Evers Boys was released. This movie depicts the experiences of the black nurse who was brought in to help convince the men to continue to come in for treatment. The term bad blood was suggested by Eunice Evers and was used to highlight the need for the men to come in to be treated. The process continued even when it was discovered in 1947 that penicillin was an effective treatment for syphilis. The government officials running the Tuskegee Study were not interested in curing the men but watching how the disease impacted the body of black men.
The Tuskegee Study experiment on black men was ended in 1972 when news articles were published detailing what the government was doing down in Alabama.
A $10 million dollar settlement was reached in 1974 for the survivors and families of deceased study participants. Imagine the physical and mental damage done to these people by the governmental study?
This is one study we know about.
How many others has the American government conducted?
Do you understand why some people are afraid of the American government vaccine programs?
“Distrust and caution are the parents of security”.
(Benjamin Franklin)
Learn more here:
(Image by Greg Montani from Pixabay)
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life”.
(Muhammad Ali)
Another Black History month has come and gone.
What did you do to commemorate the great things you learned during past Black History months? How did your community or work organization celebrate the one month out of the year set aside to highlight Black History?
Yes, I am happy we get a month to showcase the great things black people have done and celebrate things we are currently doing. This year just seems a bit subdued—it could be because of COVID-19 but it seems the month flew by and not much was celebrated. I saw a few spots on TV discussing Black History month and the importance of remembering the past but nothing really jumped out at me as a highlight. I hope the country did not go into a shell because of the insurrection that occurred on January 6, 2021. Just a thought!
My Black History month moment came as a complete surprise to me. I saw an Instagram story from my niece Jayla that read: So sad, none of this is taught in school.
Look at the list below and tell me how many of these things you knew were invented by a black person:
|
Product |
Inventor |
Date |
|
Air Conditioning Unit |
Frederick M. Jones |
1949 |
|
Almanac |
Benjamin Banneker |
1791 |
|
Auto Cut off switch |
Granville T. Woods |
1839 |
|
Auto Fishing Device |
George Cook |
1899 |
|
Baby Buggy |
William H. Richardson |
1889 |
|
Biscuit Cutter |
Alexander P. Ashbourne |
1875 |
|
Blood Plasma Bag |
Charles Drew |
1945 |
|
Clothes Dryer |
George T. Sampson |
1971 |
|
Curtain Rod Support |
William S. Grant |
1896 |
|
Door Knob |
Osbourn Dorsey |
1878 |
|
Door Stop |
Osbourn Dorsey |
1878 |
|
Elevator |
Alexander Miles |
1867 |
|
Fire Escape Ladder |
Joseph W. Winters |
1878 |
|
Fire Extinguisher |
Thomas Marshall |
1872 |
|
Folding Chair |
Nathaniel Alexander |
1911 |
|
Gas Mask |
Garrett Morgan |
1914 |
|
Golf Tee |
George T. Grant |
1899 |
|
Ice Cream Scoop |
Alfred L. Cralle |
1897 |
|
Ironing Board |
Sarah Boone |
1887 |
|
Lantern |
Michael C. Harvey |
1884 |
|
Mail Box |
Paul L. Downing |
1891 |
|
Peanut Butter |
George W. Carver |
1896 |
|
Pencil Sharpener |
John L. Love |
1897 |
|
Spark Plug |
Edmond Berger |
1839 |
|
Stethoscope |
Thomas A. Carrington |
1876 |
|
Straightening Comb |
Madam C. J. Walker |
1905 |
|
Street Sweeper |
Charles B. Brooks |
1890 |
|
Thermostat Control |
Frederick M. Jones |
1960 |
|
Traffic Light |
Garrett Morgan |
1923 |
|
Tricycle |
Matthew A. Cherry |
1886 |
I pride myself in knowing history but could only match three inventions to inventors:
Everything else on this list was brand new to me. How can this be? We are taught a modified version of history in school. It is completely one sided and it appears we are supposed to learn as much as possible in February so we can get back to the regularly scheduled history program. Imagine growing up in a country that shares tidbits of your history—how would you feel when you finally discover great things were being kept from you?
I waited for February to end before diving into Black History to extend the conversation. Yes, I am happy to have a month dedicated to my history but as you can see from the list above, we need more time. How can someone invent the elevator in 1867 and we have no knowledge of this fact? I apologize, maybe it is just me with no knowledge of this fact, but my point is this was a MAJOR invention, but we do not pay homage to Alexander Miles. Truth be told, I never heard his name before. How is that possible? Thanks to Sarah Boone I can iron my clothes daily, so I have a pressed look at work. Imagine how we would look if she did not invent the ironing board? How would the mailman deliver your mail without Paul L. Downing? I am sure most people in the world still use some version of the mailbox.
So, Black History Month is over, but your lessons do not have to stop. I encourage you to continue to seek out Black History and share with others. We all have a lot to learn—let’s get to it! 😊
What did you learn during Black History month? How do you plan to keep the conversation going? Thanks!
“If you know whence you came, there is really no limit to where you can go”.(James Baldwin)
“Running in the dark, learning to embrace the dark side”.
(Pinterest quote)
I wanted to use a clever quote to highlight the new Walk into the Future adventure that happens when we switch from Daylight Savings time. Most of us understand the time falls back in America every fall. This occurred for us on November 1, 2020. Some people like the time change and others hate it. I was never too concerned with the time changes—still do not understand why we continue to do this but make the clock adjustments like everyone else.
My concern as a running tourist is my weekday runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays are done in the dark. I routinely leave work on Tuesdays and Thursdays and head out for my weekday runs as part of my normal training routine. Nothing spectacular with this process prior to the time change but now I leave work and it is dark when I head out for my runs.
I have been telling people I work with how I combat running in the dark but do not believe they fully understand what it takes to remain safe and be seen when running this time of the year.
I take my running program seriously and cannot imagine not running during the week. My way to combat the darkness is to invest in reflective gear to ensure I remain safe when out for my runs. My runs prior to moving to Fort Pierce were all done during the day—all my weekly runs were completed during the day—mostly in the mornings prior to the Florida heat kicked in during the summer. My winter runs could be done a little later but were still completed with plenty of daylight available.
My move to Fort Pierce and daily work schedule make weekday runs after work a better option to maintain my mileage. I still leverage the weekend runs to get my long runs in but need the weekday runs to build up my base miles and keep me focused on race days.
I invested in reflective gear to keep me visible and safe when I run in the dark. My first investment was to get reflective bands I wear on my legs. These bands can be seen when illuminated by light and ensure I can be seen when it is dark outside. I like to ensure an extra level of visibility so invested in a fluorescent and reflective running vest. I did not use this vest much when I lived in Tallahassee but wanted to make sure I had it when needed. This vest is one of my best purchases I have ever made from Dick’s Sporting Goods. Was able to get it on sale and it gives me the confidence to continue to run even when it is dark outside.
I jokingly tell people the vest makes me glow in the dark, but it is true. The yellow run vest stands out and has two reflective strips as an added feature. Both strips can be seen when lights bounce off them. My goal when running in the darkness is to remain safe and ensure everyone can see me.
I have decided to adjust my running routes with the time change to minimize how many intersections I must cross. My Tuesday and Thursday runs have been cut down to no more than 4 miles since this distance keeps me out of traffic and I avoid driveways where people could back out and not see me. Scaling back on my miles during the week means I must increase my weekend miles to make up for the reduction. I believe this is a fair trade off to keep me running and safe.
I have decided to embrace the darkness safely and keep on running! 😊
How has the time change impacted your weekly routines? What adjustments have you made to keep Walking into the Future?
“Stars cannot shine without darkness”.
(Pinterest quote)
Walk Into the Future 