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.
āI wouldnāt say running solves problems, but it prevents me from causing themā.
(Funny Running Quotes)
My Walk into the Future allows me to find/adjust my adventures depending on whatās happening in my world.
I spent a lot of 2022 getting myself physically and mentally prepared to tackle a full marathon. One thing I discovered during this process was signing up and completing races was a more enjoyable way to log miles. Example: I used the 2022 OUC Half Marathon as my last long run prior to the full marathon. Not sure other folks do this, but it makes for a more exciting training format for me.
Decided to tackle the 2023 Bridge Busters 5k in Fort Pierce for the third time. My first attempt occurred in 2021 when we were coming out of the COVID-19 era when races were being postponed. I did not know much about this race prior, but it was enjoyable even though I had to make it up and over the Seaway Drive bridge twice to complete the 5k. This concept was daunting back in 2021 but does not generate doubts for me nowāguess my running program has matured. LOL.
This is a smaller race and attracts around 150 local runners. The host organization uses the registration fees to donate to local education programs. The money goes to a good cause, and I get a chance to test my enduranceāeveryone wins in this scenario.
Selected this as my first post full marathon run because it is a hometown race, and most of the course is on Seaway Drive which I train on quite a bitāminus the bridges.
The weather was cool at the start, so this was an ideal way to launch into the 5k.
I did not have a set finish time in mind when the race started but wanted to run a better time than last year if possible. The double bridge crossing makes this a bit daunting considering the inclines we face going up and over. The downhill portion is always easier, but you must maintain a controlled pace on the first pass to ensure thereās something left in the tank for the last mile of the race.
Fast forward and I ran the following splits:
Mile 1: 8:51 / Mile 2: 9:09 / Mile 3: 9:02 / Mile .1: :53
Clock time: 27:52 (8:57 per mile)
This was an improvement of 45 seconds over my 2022 race time. Not bad considering I completed the full marathon less than 4 weeks prior. Happy with my recovery from the marathon and excited to get back out running again.
Not sure how fast 2023 will be for my racing times but happy with my first race of the year. Looking forward to getting more miles and races in this year.
What are you looking forward to in 2023?
Irie!
āRunnerās logic: Iām tired. I think Iāll got for a runā.
(Funny Running Quotes)
āIf you are on the treadmill next to me, the answer is yesā¦we are racingā.
(Unknown)
My Walk into the Future allows me to experiment with multiple forms of exercise with running being my focus for the past 4 years. Weightlifting was my primary form of exercise prior to starting my Walk into the Future. Decided to adjust and make running the focal point and mix in other forms of exercise to supplement.
I went from lifting weights 5 days and running 2 days to a complete flip. I currently run 4 days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday) and lift weights around my running schedule. I recently joined Planet Fitness to ensure I had a good mix of weightlifting options. Invested in an exercise bike back in 2021 so I could continue to get cardio in even when the weather is bad.
Fun fact:Ā I got a free 3-day pass to LA Fitness in September of 2020 that never expired.Ā My paper pass finally got so worn downed that it stopped working two years later.Ā Hence, my joining Planet Fitness because itās only $9.99 a monthāI love a deal! š
2022 saw me increase my exercise volume and my total steps for the year. The following stats come directly from my Fitbit 2022 Year in Review:
Total Exercise Days: 257
Top Exercise: Run
Total Steps: 5,101,022
Total Miles: 2,551
Best Step Month: November
Best Step Day: December 11, 2022
56,995 Steps
Average Hours of Sleep: 8.2 hours
I increased my total steps by 400,000+ for the year and total mileage by 350+. Again, these numbers account for every time I exercised: bike, run, treadmill, walk.
Iām concentrating on ensuring I get the proper amount of sleep and plan to continue to positive progress in 2023.
Iām on pace for 125+ training miles in January and will continue to log miles as I prepare for additional half marathons this year.
2023 will be busy with training, racing and Walking into the Future!
Irie!
āIf only opening a Vitamin Water could be classified as working outā.
(Jim Gaffigan)
āIf you donāt know where youāre going, you will probably end up somewhere elseā.
(Lawrence J. Peter)
I start each year by creating a set of goals for myself to ensure I continue to Walk into the Future.
Past years I created a goal to run a set number of miles during the year (example: 1,000 miles) but decided to eliminate this practice and concentrate on run quality instead of quantity.
My 2022 run goals centered around 3 quality runs weekly without the shadow of a set number of miles as the goal. I always found myself singularly focused on the end number instead of the impact each run had towards my goal and fitness level. Mentally I was always chasing a number I made up in January and that was not always a fun activity.
Fast forward and the 1,312 training miles I completed in 2022 is the most yearly mileage I have ever completed. Launching my full marathon training program in July helped me clock miles but I was well on my way toward a mileage personal record (PR). The marathon training process highlighted I needed to add training sessions and mileage to fully embrace the run challenge of a full marathon.
I routinely ran 3 days a week prior to my marathon training program and needed a 4th day to continue to build my mileage base. I also needed to create a true run plan to identify the targeted mileage for each session.
Prior to 2022 I would just go out for a run and then determine how far I wanted to go during that session. Running in 2022 forced me to lay out a detailed weekly training program to identify how far I would run during each session. I know this sounds simple and Iām sure most folks do this, but my running program had structure but needed more focus to get me to the start line for the Palm Beaches marathon. I discovered putting a number on the training session (3 miles on Tuesday, 5 miles on Wednesday, 8 miles on Thursday, 10 miles on Saturday) made me hit my mile markers each session. Anything less than what I projected left me looking for ways to get my miles in. Weekly mileage numbers were critical to my running success in 2022.
Mile by mile, day by day allowed me to top 1,300 miles in 2022. Iām sure I could have surpassed that number if I put more focus on the mileage for each session prior to July 2022.
My 2023 run goal is to run 4 days weekly (25 ā 30 miles total) with one day dedicated to speed work. I am registered for 10 races for 2023 with a combination of 5ks, 10ks and half marathons. I donāt know if I will tackle another full marathon in 2023 or ever but never say never. I will let my weekly running sessions determine how many total miles I run in 2023. Excited to track my progress and growth as I expand my running base and test myself with road work.
What goals do you have for 2023?
FYI: Clocked 127 miles in January 2023! š
Irie!
āIf you aim at nothing, you will hit it every timeā.
(Zig Ziglar)
(Image by claudia martinez from Pixabay)
Solitude
Solitude rhymes with gratitude
And really is not the end of the world
Most people assume
The hustle and bustle of life
Makes the gratitude for solitude profound
In the life of those who can allow
Solitude to influence their attitude
And enjoy the energy and flow
Solitude in life can help you grow
āForever is composed of nowsā.
(Emily Dickinson)
Prince famously sang in his hit song, Letās Go Crazy, āElectric word life, it means forever and thatās a mighty long timeā.
Well, Iām here to share that I will forever have the moniker of marathoner! š
According to Trackshack.com, only half of one percent of the population has run a marathon.
https://www.trackshack.com/blog/1262/bucket-list…-number-1:-run-a-marathon
I did not make this rate go up much but happy to join the folks who have toed the line and completed a full marathon.
I have documented my goal to complete a marathon in 2022 and provided updates on my training progress since July. I selected an 18-week training program to prepare me for the journey. The training plan was precise on when to run and how far to run to build a base to start and complete a marathonāmission accomplished.
Thanks to my friends and family for the encouragement during the trainingāit meant a lot to get positive shout outs while I was on this journey.
Made my way down to West Palm Beach the day prior to the marathon to get acclimated to the area and attend the Gardens of Life Palm Beaches Marathon EXPO. I was expecting this to be a large venue like the Rock N Roll events, but it was much smaller than I imagined and completely outside. The EXPO was a series of tents in front of the Meyers Amphitheater close to the water. There were only a handful of vendors at the EXPO so not much to browse or purchase. Check-in was simple considering the size of the venue. Got my race bib, t-shirt, goody bag and headed across the street to get food.
Made my way to the ER Bradleyās Saloon which had a funky vibe, great atmosphere and was still serving brunch when I arrived. The World Cup was playing on all the TVs and they had a DJ spinning tunes in the middle of the afternoon. Seems like a great place to hang out when Iām back in West Palm Beach.
Headed back to the hotel to get off my feet, rest and mentally prepare for what was coming in the morning. Got to bed early since I needed to be up around 4:30 am to prepare and make it to the start line for the 6 am race time.
Leveraged my hotel proximity to the start line and used the 1-mile distance as part of my warmup before the race. Yes, I used this distance to run/walk my way to the race startāwanted my legs to be warm for the race.
This race did not have corrals so found a nice spot in the middle of the other runners and waited for the race to start. We got delayed for 10 minutes which had a few folks upset since they were ready to challenge themselves and the course. We never heard why we got delayed but the horn went off and runners surged towards the start/finish line.
I decided the day before to keep my pace as even as possible and focused on mile splits within the 10:30 ā 10:50 range. This would allow me to gauge my fitness and mental capacity over the first half of the race to determine what I had left in the tank.
The first few miles went by, and I realized I had a big smile on my face. This was because the months of training, early mornings and sacrifice was being played out in a real marathon. Looking back, I was smiling at this point because we started around 6 am and the sun was still not outādidnāt realize it at the time but the coolness of the morning was going to go away very soon.
Fast forward and I kept the 10:30 ā 10:50 pace range through the first 16 miles of the race. I crossed the half marathon (13.1 mile) point at 2:26:32 which may have been too fast, but I felt good. This is where my lack of marathon experience showed. I was able to maintain my run form and kept moving forward with this pace.
The sun came out in full force at the 16-mile mark, and I noticed my pace start to slow. At first it was a gradual slow down then the pace slowed more. I felt great mentally, took water/Gatorade and gels at every station. A lot of folks talk about hitting a wall in the marathon, but I wonāt completely say thatās what I did. I never thought about quitting just was upset with myself because my legs did not respond when I wanted them to.
Decided at this point that I didnāt care what the clock said I was finishing this race.
Amazing thing that happens during marathons is you get to see other folks experiencing the same mental struggle, pain, and doubts. We even talked to each other as an impromptu support group to keep moving forward. Even funnier is when you see another runner talking to their legs to keep them going, I didnāt do this because I didnāt think it would work. LOL.
The last 10 miles of the race was just me putting one foot in front of the other and showing the most grit Iāve ever displayed in my life. I set a goal to complete a full marathon and I got it done. Canāt say it was slower than I imagined because itās the fastest marathon of my life (yes, the first one too) so Iām proud of the effort to make it from start to finish.
Official clock time was 5:48:28 (five hours, forty-eight minutes, and twenty-eight seconds).
Iām going to bask in this accomplishment, take some time off from running and sleep in for a few weeks. My Walk into the Future has a busy 2023 race calendar so will enjoy some downtime before cranking up the training.
Hereās a preview of what I have planned so far:
| 1/22/2023 | 2023 Vero Beach Half Marathon |
| 1/29/2023 | 2023 Celebration Half Marathon |
| 2/25/2023 | 2023 Calgary Stampede 10k |
| 3/4/2023 | 2023 Orlando Best Damn Race Half Marathon |
| 3/18/2023 | 2023 Shamrock Half Marathon |
| 3/25/2023 | 2023 Winter Park 10k |
| 4/22/2023 | 2023 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon |
| 6/4/2023 | 2023 San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon |
| 10/23/2023 | 2023 Clearwater Rock N Roll Half Marathon |
| 12/2/2023 | 2023 OUC Half Marathon |
Where are you racing in 2023?
Irie!
āYou are going to want to give up, donātā
(realbuzz.com)
āThe trouble with not having a goal is that you spend your life running up and down the field and never scoreā.
(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 uneventfulāI 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 Iām a creature of habit and it allows me to spend more time in Oviedo. Headed to my favorite Italian restaurant, CafĆ© Panuzzos. Love the food and atmosphere there and always come back when Iām 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 standpointādo 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 Marathonāguess 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 parkedānever 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 factāI have never passed so many people in a race. I guess starting in the back does have some benefits. š
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 greatānice 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. Hereās 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 2022āshould have been my fastest but Mile 12 took care of that. LOL.
Crossed the finish line feeling the best Iāve 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.
Iām ready to tackle the 2022 Palm Beaches Marathonāletās make it happen! š
Irie!
āA goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim atā.
(Bruce Lee)
āA journey of a thousand miles begins with a single stepā.
(Lao Tzu)
My Walk into the Future allows me to discover adventures large and small. There are some weeks when I lay low and stay local and others when I get the urge to just get up and go.
Well, needed a bit of adventure in my life so decided to get up and go and make a circuitous route back to one of my favorite places Oviedo, Florida. I spent 4 years in Oviedo when I worked at the University of Central Florida and still enjoy getting back over there when possible. It has grown from a sleepy little town east of Orlando into a traffic heavy little town. The urban spawl is real there.
I did not have a dedicated plan when I headed over, just wanted to see a few sights and enjoy being back in Oviedo. I knew I could take advantage of the running trails as I continue to work towards my first full marathon.
Outlets
The Orlando outlet malls are not close to Oviedo so thatās why I described my adventure as circuitous. Most folks know I love outlet mall shopping and will stop anytime I can get close. The Orlando outlets are huge and provide access to name brand companies with the idea of good prices. Some of the outlet stores are running sales and clearance specials, so the prices are even better now.
I focus on Nike, Timberland, GAP, and Columbia stores when Iām in Orlando. I added the Cole Haan outlet store to my rotation on this trip. I have been in the store in the past but never really took the time to see everything they offered. There were a lot of shoes marked down and these prices got better by joining the Cole Haan club (itās free). Just needed to provide my cell number and I was signed up to receive additional discounts while shopping. Picked up a new pair of Cole Haan shoes on this trip and look forward to getting back for more deals soon.
Made my way down to the Nike and Columbia stores to find additional bargains. My hope was to upgrade my hiking boots prior to my trip to Asheville but could not find anything I liked on this trip. I have enough sneakers, so my Nike visit was to look for new running gear. I picked up a few items in Nike and made my way over to Oviedo.
Seminole Cross Trail
I was able to leverage the Seminole Cross Trail again to complete one of my long training runs. The trail provides 20+ miles of multi-purpose access for runners, bikers, and walkers. This trail makes my long run process easier since I donāt have to figure out where and how I will hit a specific mile number (5 miles, 10 miles, etc.) since the trail is well maintained with mile markers easy to spot. Needed to get a 10-mile run in while in Oviedo and was able to hit my mileage with plenty of shade to cover me during the run.
Bob Marleyās
Bob Marleyās at Universal Orlando City Walk has been a favorite stop for me over the years.
Itās a unique venue to listen to live reggae music and catch an irie vibe. Some of the bands I have heard there over the years rival some of the best reggae artists in Negril. Always thought that was amazing considering the musical talent that resides in Jamaica. COVID-19 still influences the venueāit is mostly a dining place with a live band playing while patrons are eating. Prior to COVID-19 this was the spot in Orlando to listen and dance to reggae music. People came from all over the country to experience this venue and hear some world class musicians.
The music during my recent visit was still outstanding but most of the folks just sat at the dinner table and rocked their heads from time to time. No dancing or excitement from the patrons but they appeared to enjoy the food while there.
I stayed for an hour or so and decided to call it a nightāhappy to get a chance to listen to live reggae again.
Finish off the adventure the next day at the local Costco to stock up on household items. Made my way back down to Fort Pierce to get ready for the work week.
Quick little getaway but made sure to maximize my time while away. LOL.
Where do you go for a quick getaway?
Irie!
āIf we were meant to stay in one place, weād have roots instead of feetā.
(Rachel Wolchin)
My Walk into the Future continues to allow me to make a difference in the world daily. I realize most of my life and writing focus appears to only be on my marathon preparation but Iām still busy with my consulting work as well.
I embarked on an Authentic Leadership consulting project with the St. Lucie County Tax Collectorās office to enhance leadership training for front line supervisors. I have been working with this organization since February but never got around to sharing with my readers. Well, now is the time to get a full understanding of the project.
The Director of Organizational Efficiency reached out to me on LinkedIn to discuss my Authentic Leadership work back in February. We had initial conversations on LinkedIn and transitioned to a phone conversation on the impact of Authentic Leadership within the work environment. I was scheduled to attend a local Chamber of Commerce event the next week and she asked if she could join me during the event to talk more. Iām always networking so invited her to join me at the Chamber event.
She brought her supervisor, the Chief Deputy with her to the Chamber event to meet me as well. We spent most of the Chamber event discussing my Authentic Leadership work and how it might benefit their organization. We agreed to stay in touch, and they invited me to meet their leadership teamāan audition if you will since I did my Authentic Leadership presentation for the group.
This led to a request to provide a 5-part leadership training program to the 18 department leaders.
I worked directly with the Director of Organizational Efficiency on the topics, dates, and frequency of the training program so we could maintain a schedule that provided maximum exposure for the leaders. The topics requested were some that I already had in my library, but I was able to build new, innovative training sessions based on the needs of the organization. FYI, a full training needs assessment was completed by the intended audience to ensure I provided training that would benefit the organizationānot just something I wanted to share with them. This is a major key to a successful organizational training program.
A companion 3-part leadership training program was requested for staff participating in the LEAD Academyānext line leaders coming up through the organization.
5-part program topics:
3-part program topics:
There was some overlap with the topics, but I was able to tailor to fit each group and their needs based on what they requested in the needs assessment.
It was great being able to see the leadership growth in each groupāsome folks did not understand what leadership should be when we started but quickly developed outstanding insight on leadership when we were done. I like to look into the eyes of my clients to determine if they understand a topic and the growth, I saw in the eyes of both groups they are better leaders now.
I remind my clients leadership requires continued learning and development. You must adapt to situations and people but having a strong leadership foundation is key to organizational growth.
I am in the process of building a 2023 program for the same organization to capture more up and coming leaders. This will ensure the organization continues to evolve and grow based on the training provided to the staff. Excited to partner with this organization again in 2023. Also, looking to expand my client base to conduct training with other local organizations. Never a dull moment for me! š
Irie!
What projects are you working on? Make it great!
āThere will be days you donāt think you can run a marathon.Ā There will be a lifetime of knowing you haveā.
(Unknown)
My Walk into the Future continues to move forward towards the Palm Beaches Garden of Life Marathon in December.
The 18-week training plan Iām using allows me some flexibility, but the one constant is a progressive long run on the weekends. I am leveraging local races to energize my long runs and tackled the Game On Half Marathon in Fort Pierce in October. This seemed like a nice local race, and I signed up for this half prior to committing to run a marathon. Luckily, this race and distance fit right into what I needed to keep moving towards the marathon start line.
The Game On Half Marathon is fairly new on the circuitālast yearās race was the first running. I did not know about this race prior to this year but may keep it on my regular rotation since there are not travel costs associated with a race in the town I live.
This was a smaller race with the projected number of runners less than 300. I normally avoid smaller races since they do not have the crowd support like the Rock N Roll running series. It may seem simple but having a crowd of stranger cheering for you helps when the miles start to get tough. Also, the larger races have a ton of volunteers to man the water/Gatorade stations. I was pleasantly surprised this race had fuel stops at 1.5-mile intervals and this really helps with the process of completing a half marathon.
Again, smaller race so there was not an EXPO experience. Race bib pickup was scheduled the day before the race at Causeway Cove Marina. The process was simple, give them your name and they hand you a bib, t-shirt and four safety pins to attach the bib. Thatās itāno vendors to visit or anything to buy. I got a quick picture in front of the Game On promotional truck with my bib and went about the rest of my day.
I started my carb loading process earlier in the week and went to get some more pasta to continue to ingest carbs. Also wanted to get off my feet to ensure I was ready to toe the line in the morningāI find it harder to just kick back when Iām competing in a hometown race. Feels like I should do normal, daily activities but this can lead to tired legs on race day.
Made a point to get to bed early so I could get up and make it to the start line with plenty of time to warmup. This race started at 6:15 am to get and stay ahead of the South Florida heatāyes, itās still hot and humid down here in October.
Got to Causeway Cove Marina in plenty time to park, stretch and warmup prior to the race start. Made my way through the darkness towards the start line and got in the corral with the other half marathon runners. The race organizers did not have runners line up based on projected pace timeāno big deal for this race since it was only about 150 runners for the half marathon. There was also a 10k being run with those runners starting 10 minutes after the half marathoners got started.
I did not have a projected pace or finish time in mind since this was part of my long run. I just wanted/needed to get miles in and the pace for this day was not as important as it normally is when I run a half marathon. My goal was to start, finish and enjoy the race as much as possible.
This was an out and back race so wanted to enjoy the course and have fun. We started in complete darkness so decided to leverage other runners as pacers and to ensure we did not go off course. The half marathon organizers mapped out the course to be completed on Seaway and Ocean Drives on Hutchinson Island, which is completely flat, no bridges to cross which was a welcomed addition.
I started with a comfortable pace and did not push myself hard in the beginning. Paced with a couple runners for the first three miles and then decided to pick up the pace a bit. We turned onto Ocean Drive and headed south towards Jensen Beach. Interesting thing happened at the 4-mile marker. Another runner pulled up next to me and began a full conversation on life, hobbies, and the type of work we both do. I have talked with other runners during races, but it is normally just small talk before we get down to the real racing. Found out this was her 5th half marathon and she had friends running but she wanted to go faster so decided to tag along with me.
We had a nice conversation going for the next 4 miles before she decided to pull back since my pace was pretty good at this point. The great thing about running and talking with her is it created a nice distraction from the race. I focused more on the conversation than my pace so canāt tell you how fast I was running at this point, I was just putting one foot in front of the other.
Leveraged Miles 8 ā 13.1 to test my endurance levels to determine adjustments I need to make to my training and nutrition program. I felt good physically but need to ensure my carb loading process is improved. I also need to map out my fueling process (time, distance) to keep moving forward with pace during races. My lactic acid threshold is getting better but need to work on my glycogen levels consistently.
Finished in 2:23:41 (10:58 per minute pace) which is not fast for me, but I still took third place in my age group. Iāll take it considering this was part of my weekend training run. Got an additional 5 miles in after the half marathon for a total of 18 for the day.
Still have work to do as I prep for December but happy with my progress so far.
What challenges are you facing right now?
Irie!
āA marathon is like life with its ups and downs, but once you have done it, you feel that you can do anythingā.
(Unknown)
Walk Into the Future 