Walk Into the Future

Category: Fitness

  • The Black Hammock (Oviedo, Florida)

    “What happens on the airboat, stays on the airboat.”

    (Unknown)

    My Walk into the Future allows me the freedom to find adventures wherever I happen to be.

    I added the Advent Health Watermelon 5k to my running calendar this year.  The race brought me back to Winter Park, Florida for a long 4th of July weekend getaway.  I enjoyed the race and seeing some of my Track Shack folks in the race village.  I needed to get some additional miles in to ensure I stayed on schedule for my Atlantic City Marathon preparation.

    I’m always looking for new adventures, so I decided to head over to The Black Hammock for an airboat ride.  I visited The Black Hammock on a regular basis when I lived in Oviedo back in the day.  It was always a laid-back place to hang out, people watch and listen to some good live music.  The Black Hammock is an off-the-beaten path type of place, but it is worth a visit if you are in the Oviedo area.

    My sole purpose for this visit was to get out on the water via an airboat.  The airboats run every 30 minutes and are a popular destination for locals and visitors.  Lake Jesup has one of the highest concentrations of alligators in the state of Florida.  There are an estimated 14,000+ alligators in the lake. 

    There were three families waiting to get on the airboat when I arrived.  The adventures on the water started once I paid my fee and got outfitted with ear protection.  Fun fact, airboats are loud, and ear protection is needed to ensure an enjoyable experience.

    Our captain has over 20 years of experience on Lake Jesup and had a route already created to highlight the wildlife on the lake. 

    We were able to see turtles, waterfowl, nesting ospreys and alligators.  The gators were not moving a lot since it was the middle of the day, and a storm was approaching.  The speed and maneuverability of the airboats was impressive, and we were able to get the complete tour in before the rain arrived.  The skies opened as we were getting off the airboat.  I normally stick around and take pictures from the shore but decided to head out since it didn’t look like the rain was going to stop anytime soon.

    I’m sure I will visit The Black Hammock again when I’m back in the Oviedo area.  I recommend it to anyone visiting and looking for an adventure: 

    Home

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams


  • 2025 Atlantic City Marathon training 

    “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

    (Lao Tzu)

    The 2025 Atlantic City Marathon will be my fourth full marathon.  I got this distance in my system with the 2022 Palm Beaches Marathon and continue to look to improve my training and finish time.

    The 2025 Chicago Marathon was my first run at a World Major Marathon, and I loved the race atmosphere so much that I instantly wanted to give it another run.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get accepted this year but will try to get in again in 2026.  I quickly pivoted to find another October full marathon and decided to give the 2025 Atlantic City Marathon a run.

    The race is described as the third oldest continuing marathon in the United States.  The race is much smaller than the 54,000+ runners in Chicago with about 1,000 finishers in 2024.  The distance is still the same and I expect a lot of crowd support on the Atlantic City boardwalk.

    An added feature for this year is my friend Lauren will come over from Philly and run the marathon.  We ran the 2022 Atlantic City Rock N Roll Half marathon together and this will be the first race we are back on the same course.  It should be fun! 😊

    I leveraged the Hal Higdon marathon training plan for my previous full marathons and see no reason to find a new training plan.  I set my marathon personal record (PR) in Chicago and took 25 minutes off my previous best.  I attribute this to better mental and physical preparation and not missing training sessions.  I also changed my mental approach to running by focusing on positive outcomes when running (example: less than 3 miles left instead of 3 more miles).  This seems like a very small thing, but it helped me change my focus and improved my mental approach when running. 

    I’m happy to report that I hit every training session goal so far during this cycle.  I’ve included three sessions in the gym to complement my running program.  Yoga, chiropractic adjustments and massage help me keep up my running routine too.  My bedtime during this cycle has been consistent at 8:30 pm or earlier.  This was one area I needed to improve, and I have been very consistent to include Friday nights so I can get up early for my Saturday morning long runs.

    Here’s my weekly mileage so far:

    Week 130.58
    Week 235.83
    Week 330.86
    Week 440.42
    Week 540.5
    Week 632.57
    Week 758.2
    Week 835.21
    Week 9*12.28
    Week 1036.16

    Total                      352.61 

    *Indian River State College New Student Orientation week*

    I include my gym cardio miles in these numbers but have hit every running mileage point outlined in the training program so far.  I also added some extra running miles just in case I experience bad weather and can’t get out as much as I need to.  I’ve been lucky so far and have not missed a session due to the rain.  Not sure how long this luck will last but I’m putting in the necessary road work to run fast in October. 

    I want to get in the 4:45 (four hours, 45 minutes) range and know my training program and mental approach will be key to running faster. 

    I will provide a few more training updates as we get closer to showtime in Atlantic City.  This program has been fun so far and I’m going to put in the work to ensure I see results.

    Lauren, how’s your training program going? 😊

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “Running is not about being better than someone else…it’s about being better than you used to be.”

    (Unknown)

  • 2025 Advent Health Watermelon 5k

    “Running is a mental sport and we’re all insane.”

    (Unknown)

    Fun fact, summers in Florida are hot!  Ok, that’s not much of a revelation since we all know the summer months are the hottest everywhere. 😊

    I continue to train and chronicle my running adventures with the Walk into the Future blog.  I’m not sure when I will stop writing about my progress but 2025 is not the year.  I bring up the summer heat in Florida because I have stayed away from Florida races in May, June and July.  I still train and get my miles in to prepare for fall races but signing up for summer races just didn’t catch my attention.  Well, 2025 is the year where I accepted new challenges and summer races were added to my schedule this year.

    I added the Fargo Half Marathon to my race calendar at the end of May.  I know this is not in Florida but the temperatures on race weekend were about 10 degrees warmer than normal.  There was no humidity, so I was able to handle the temperatures and run a good tactical race.  I finished the Fargo Half Marathon in a time of 2:11 which is my fastest half marathon so far in 2025.  I view this time as a great predictor of faster times to come when we get to fall races.

    I’ve added the Madison Mini Marathon (Wisconsin) to my August race calendar.  This will provide me with a new running tourist adventure and allow me to visit a new city and state.  There will be more on the Madison Mini Marathon in a later article but let’s get back to Florida races in August. 😊

    I am proud of my running schedule, but I have never run a race on the 4th of July.  I’m normally traveling or sightseeing on the 4th but decided to take on a new challenge and signed up for the Track Shack Advent Health Watermelon 5k in Winter Park.  This was the 30th year for this event but it never made it on my running calendar.  Again, July races in Florida were never attractive to me so I never paid attention to this race.  I guess I thought I wouldn’t be able to perform well with the heat, but I have improved my training program to combat heat and humidity.

    I love Track Shack races, so I decided to give this race a run (pun attended).  I took a day of vacation time to make sure I could pick up my race bib the day before (Thursday) the race.  I got to Track Shack around 2:30 pm and avoided the crowd in the store for bib pick up.  I was able to get some shopping done while in Track Shack and picked up a new race top.  I may reveal the new top when I head up to Madison in August.

    I made my way back over to East Orlando close to the University of Central Florida campus.  My destination was Buffalo Wild Wings so I could get wings, potato wedges and beer.  This is my go-to meal the night before a 5k.  The hotel is across University Boulevard from Buffalo Wild Wings, so I headed over to check-in and get off my feet.  I didn’t need to get to bed super early but wanted to ensure I got 8 hours of rest prior to the 5k—mission accomplished.

    There was rain in the forecast for race day but I’m happy the rain held off so we could enjoy the race and race village.  The humidity was thick, and I started sweating as soon as I got out of my vehicle.  I wanted to get in a good warmup to ensure I stretch out my legs and get acclimated to the humidity and the Park Avenue bricks.  Park Avenue is a great place to visit in Winter Park, but the bricks can be tough if you have never run on them before. 

    I made my way to the start line without a set race time in mind but wanted to go as fast as possible.  I’m in Week #3 of Atlantic City Marathon training and my training plan called for a 6-mile-long run.  The plan was to leverage the warm-up, 5k and treadmill session to get the required miles in to stay on track with marathon training.

    The event had corrals setup based on projected times (6-minute mile, 7-minute mile, etc.) so I lined up with the 8-minute crew.  There were over 2,500 runners so the start was congested but the runners were mindful of each other and there were no issues getting out on the course.

    I was able to get out on the course and find open space, so I didn’t have to weave around other runners.  There were a few runners close by who were running at a good pace so I tucked in behind them to draft and see how long I could keep up with them. My mile splits were:

    • Mile 1: 8:47 (fastest mile split in 2025)
    • Mile 2: 8:53
    • Mile 3: 9:17
    • Mile .13: 1:01
    • 5k: 27:58

    I was able to cross the finish line with a little kick and a smile on my face.  I felt the humidity a bit more in Mile 3 but I’m happy my pace didn’t completely fall apart at the end of the race.  This provides me with foundational information to improve my training and conditioning as I move closer to the longer distances to prepare for Atlantic City.

    I got some watermelon and sat for a bit to enjoy the race village and say hello to Track Shack folks that I know.  I made my way back to my hotel so I could get additional miles in on the treadmill to complete my required 6 miles for the day.

    This was an outstanding Central Florida run adventure and I’m looking forward to my return to Winter Park for the 2025 Celebration of Running 5k on 8/16/2025. 

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “The body achieves what the mind believes.”

    (Napoleon Hill)

  • Fargo in pictures

    My Walk into the Future allowed me to venture to Fargo, North Dakota to tackle another half marathon and live that running tourism life.

    Here are a few shots from my trip:

    Fargo Dome

    Downtown Fargo

    More of downtown Fargo

    Fargo alley art and a meal at the Jasper Hotel (I’m from Jasper, Florida) 🙂

    (Meal at the Pizza Ranch)

    (Pre-race views)

    (Victory!) 🙂

    Running season is here!

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

  • Racing season is here!

    “Running is a gift.”

    (Amy Burfoot)

    My Walk into the Future got an early start to the 2025 running season this year.  I ventured up for the 2025 Fargo Half Marathon in May and back over to Winter Park for the 2025 Watermelon 5k for July 4th.  I rarely race in May, June or July but decided this was my year to expand my race portfolio and get in more running tourist activities.

    I don’t know when I made the decision, but the rest of 2025 will showcase the most aggressive running schedule I have created for myself.  The quote above is poetic and I’ve embraced the total gift of running.  The running tourist moniker will continue to pop up considering I’m looking to travel to 7 new states this year while visiting several of my old favorites.

    The official running season starts for me in Madison, Wisconsin.  They host the 2025 Midwest Financial Group Madison Mini-Marathon (13.1) this weekend, and this seems like a great way to see the city.  The Wisconsin Badgers play in Camp Randall stadium and I’ve seen how passionate the fans are when they all get together and sing The House of Pain song Jump Around.  The Badgers will not be in town when I get there but I’m hoping the race organizers allow runners to get in the stadium and jump around a bit—pun intended! 😊

    http://bit.ly/458QjqQ

    My marathon training plan calls for a 15-mile long run while in Madison and the Madison Mini-Marathon will allow me to get in the first 13 miles—I will get the other two miles in via my warmup for the race.

    I return to Winter Park, Florida the following week for the 2025 Celebration of Running 5k.  This race normally kicks off my racing season, but I wanted the challenge of a half marathon to gauge my progress towards my Atlantic City Marathon goals. 

    The Virginia Beach 10-miler is back on the race schedule, and I love the weekend music lineup they always have.  It’s a four-day running and music festival on the Virginia Beach board walk and the people are friendly.  I plan to keep this race on my running calendar because it is a great location and course.  They normally bring in at least one national music headliner, so I’m excited to see who they have scheduled this year. 

    I scale down a bit in September for the 2025 Outrun Hunger 5k back home in Fort Pierce.  This race is hosted by the Treasure Coast Food Bank, and they reached out to see if I would be interested in joining their team this year.  I accepted because of all the great work this organization has done in the local community.  Not sure how the team concept works for the 5k but didn’t see any harm in joining the team. 😊

    October will be the largest test for me during this running season. I am travelling to New Hampshire for the first time to tackle the 2025 Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon.  This is a new state for me, and I plan to visit Vermont and Maine while I’m in that part of the country.  These are my last New England states to visit so I’m happy to cross them off. 

    The 2025 Atlantic City Marathon is two weeks later, and I’m excited to test myself against the 26.2-mile course.  My friend Lauren Apgar is running this race, and it will be great to see my friend in New Jersey.  My goal time is in the 4:45 range and I’m feeling good so far in this training cycle. 😊

    Here’s my full running schedule so far:

    5/31/20252025 Fargo Half Marathon *Fargo, ND
    7/4/20252025 Watermelon 5kWinter Park
    8/9/20252025 Madison Mini Marathon (Half) *Madison, WI
    8/16/20252025 Celebration of Running 5kWinter Park
    8/31/20252025 Virginia Beach 10-MilerVirginia Beach, VA
    9/20/20252025 Outrun HungerFort Pierce
    10/5/20252025 Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon *Hampton, NH
    10/19/20252025 Atlantic City Marathon *Atlantic City
    11/9/20252025 Fort Lauderdale Half Marathon *Fort Lauderdale
    12/6/20252025 OUC Half MarathonOrlando, FL
    12/13/20252025 Palm Beaches Half MarathonWest Palm Beach
    1/25/20262025 Town of Celebration Half MarathonCelebration, FL
    2/14/20262026 Fleet Feet Run for your Heart 10kJensen Beach, FL
    3/1/20262026 Marathon of the Treasure Coast (Half)Stuart, FL
    4/4/20262026 Louisville 10 miler *Louisville, KY
    4/25/20262026 Rock N Roll Nashville Half Marathon (Half Marathon #50) 😊 😊 😊Nashville, TN

    (*) denotes a new race for me

    I’m still looking for additional half marathons to add to the list.  The 2026 Rock N Roll Nashville Half Marathon will serve as the end for my official racing season.  The goal is to see progress with each race AND enjoy the process.  The gift in running is I’m staying active, traveling and having fun with the process.  I wake up in the morning looking forward to my training runs and count the miles as I go.  Fun fact—I’m on pace to going over 1,500+ miles again in 2025.  Let’s see how far these old legs can take me. 😊

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “Take a deep breath and just enjoy your run.”

    (MonitortheBeat)

  • Make Every Second Count (Repost)

    (Photo by Jordan Benton)

    “You may delay, but time will not”.

    (Benjamin Franklin)

    The Walk into the Future blog continues to look for new topics to develop.  Most of the content comes directly from my travels, life adventures and items of interest.  I have reached out to tree branches for thoughts on new blog content and then try to develop their concepts into something I can share with my readers. 

    I had an outstanding conversation with Melissa Forges on my drive over for the 2025 Town of Celebration Half Marathon.  We got a chance to catch up on life and have a few laughs in the process.  Melissa shared three topics of interest and gifted them to me to see if I could develop them into a blog article. Well, here’s my run at her first topic: Make Every Second Count.

    We all understand the concept of time and how our days on earth are numbered.  There’s a finite amount of time we get to live this life, and this is our way to inspire YOU to live more.

    I decided to do a little research to put time in perspective.  What does time look like?

    • 12 months in a year
    • 365 days in that same year
    • 7 days a week
    • 1,440 minutes in a day
    • 86,400 seconds in a day

    The first three time markers are the most common and talked about in our daily interactions.  Days turn into weeks, months and then years at a faster pace as we get older.  This may be a perception thing, but it feels real to me.  I left home to join the Air Force in 1986 and just celebrated 39 years on this life journey post Jasper, Florida.  We hear time flies, and it seems to become a reality as I get older in this life.

    Let’s dive into the minutes and seconds we each have in a day.  How many of the 1,440 minutes in a day are you doing something to make the world a better place?  What about the 86,400 seconds in a day? 

    I take my role as a tree (mentor) seriously and look to enhance my interactions with my tree branches daily.  I’m not sure I maximize every second of every day, but I put a sincere effort into this process daily.  It’s easy to say I will get something done tomorrow but I don’t want to waste time or effort and ignore today.  Yes, it’s easy for me to write this from the comfort of my keyboard but I will begin to leverage the time concept into my writing as well.  I have new responsibilities at work and there are days when I don’t sit down to work on my writing craft.  I assume I have time to develop topics into blog articles but need to leverage every second available to ensure I have a large library of blog articles to select from.  I normally have seven to eight articles drafted before I publish weekly.  Maximizing every minute and second in the day will get me back to a place where I have a large library to select from again. 

    Making every second count can be leveraged in all aspects of life.  I plan to use this mindset when I start my full marathon training program in June.  The 2025 Atlantic City Marathon is scheduled for October of this year, but I must use my training time smartly. 

    How can blog readers who are parents maximize your time with your kids?  Yes, they have busy lives but are you making every second count with them? 

    Have you booked the vacation you have been talking about for the past few years?  Again, time stops for no one—are you making every second count?

    I can add more scenarios but believe you get my point on time. 😊

    One final point.  My grandmother passed away in 2012 and the pastor that delivered her eulogy used the concept of time to inspire the family to live life.  He gave us the 1,440 minutes and 86,400 seconds per day to highlight how my grandmother lived life to the fullest.  His exact words were: She Lived!  He challenged the family to follow in her footsteps and live life.

    I’m still a work in progress but I maximize my time daily.

    So, I challenge my Walk into the Future blog readers to make every second count!

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “Time moves slowly but passes quickly”.

    (Alice Walker)

  • 2025 Fargo Half Marathon

    I’m always open to new running tourism opportunities.

    I added the Rhode Island Half Marathon to my running schedule in 2024.  It was a new state for a half marathon and allowed me to experience new adventures to include walking the grounds at Harvard.

    I decided 2025 would be a year to explore new states and leverage races as the main reason to visit.  I’m closing in on visiting all 50 states but still have work to do to hit that milestone.

    The Fargo Marathon race weekend came through on my Instagram feed and it looked promising.  It was described as flat and fast with a party atmosphere.  I love all those variables, so I decided to sign up.  I’ve never been to North Dakota, so this was my opportunity to run in a new location and cross off two more states.

    I flew out of Orlando on a connecting flight in Chicago.  There are no direct flights from Orlando, Florida to Fargo, North Dakota.  I landed at the Hector International airport in Fargo and was surprised how small the airport was.  There was no fanfare, just 4 gates, a gift store and one bar in the terminal.  I made my way to the Enterprise rental counter to pick up my car and the adventures started.

    I didn’t have a lot of preconceived ideas about Fargo, but it was larger than I expected.  The airport is across the street from North Dakota State University (NDSU) and the famed Fargo Dome.  I’ve watched multiple NDSU Bison football playoff games on TV and wanted to get a picture of the venue.

    My first stop was the Buffalo Wild Wings that was close to the campus.  I needed to continue my carb loading process and Bdubs was my spot.  I got some chicken wings, potato wedges and beer for lunch.  Headed across the street to see if I could walk into the Fargo Dome but the doors were locked.  I decided to get a quick shot outside to highlight I was there.

    My next stop was the EXPO which was held on the Concordia College campus in Moorehead, Minnesota. This was only 4 miles away so don’t think I had an extensive drive to get there—Fargo and Moorehead are sister cities. 😊  The EXPO was not huge and the check-in process was smooth.  I got my race bib, swag and pictures completed in record time.  I also picked up three new head bands to add to my collection.

    Headed to my hotel after the EXPO to check-in and strategize my plans for the trip.  I wanted to ensure I got in some sightseeing before race day.  I found a nail salon close by and got my mani/pedi before starting the adventure.  This was a nice way to treat myself and ensure my legs felt good before the race.

    I left the nail salon and headed to downtown Fargo to check out the downtown scene.  Several friends asked me before the trip if I ever saw the movie Fargo.  I heard about the movie and TV series but never saw either one.  I may have to go back and see them to get context.  Either way, downtown Fargo had a cool little vibe.  There are tons of restaurants, bars and shops there.  The people were super friendly, and it was a pleasant environment.

    I started my second day in Fargo with a quick workout in the fitness room.  I wanted to stretch my legs on the exercise bike and the treadmill.  I limited myself to 10 minutes on each and then got in some floor stretches.  Got coffee and headed up to my room to plan the day.

    My carb loading process led me across the street to the Pizza Ranch.  It’s a local spot with a pizza buffet and a game room for kids.  It had great online reviews, so I gave it a run.  I highly recommend this spot if you are in Fargo.  The pizza was fresh with great flavor and crust. I added pasta with marinara sauce to my plate to maximize my carb intake.  Great little spot with outstanding food.

    My next big adventure was to make my way to South Dakota so I could check it off my list.  Plugged South Dakota into my GPS and headed south.  This was a 70-mile trip to New Effington. Google it! 😊 I was hoping it was going to be a bigger town, but the city limits sign identified population 250.  I rode around a bit and saw the highlights of the main street.  I spent about 10 minutes there before heading north on I29 back to Fargo.

    I went downtown again and sat in a little park to soak in the atmosphere.  It was warmer than normal but with no humidity, so it was a pleasant day to watch people.  I made my way back to the hotel so I could get in another stretching session and get my race outfit ready.  I picked out one of my new head bands to add more color to my race day ensemble.  I went to bed early to ensure I had a good night’s sleep before race day.

    I got out of bed at 4:44 am to stretch and mentally prepare for race day. I’m used to being up early, so this felt like a normal day for me.  Packed my bagels, Gatorade, water and gels and the race adventure was on.

    The hotel was only 7 miles from the race sight, but GPS took me in a new direction to avoid the closed streets due to race day.  I parked in the Fargo Dome parking lot and made my way towards the start line.  I arrived in plenty of time to stretch again and get in some light jogging to prepare for the 13.1 mile journey.

    The Fargo race weekend includes a marathon, half marathon, 10k and 5k.  The marathon, half marathon and 10k were all being run on the same day.  The marathon began at 7 am with the half and 10k starting 15 minutes later.  This was not a huge deal, but it gave me a few extra minutes to mentally prepare for the race.  There was not a corral system for this race, so runners just lined up regardless of how fast they were going to run.  I’m always careful with this setup since there would be walkers at the beginning of the race and I didn’t want to crash into anyone trying to find a safe place to run.

    The Fargo races were advertised as flat and fast.  The course lived up to this marketing and I was happy with the flow of athletes through Fargo.

    My goal is always to improve my half marathon time, but I didn’t want to go out too fast.  I decided to go out at a controlled pace and adjust when needed on the course.  There were multiple locations where crowds of spectators could cheer for the runners, and these are the spots where my speed picked up because I didn’t want to disappoint a kid who was cheering for me. 

    I found myself with a smile on my face for most of the race.  The course was flat, and the people were out cheering for us, and it was a nice day—why not smile? 😊

    My first mile was completed at 9:48.  I stayed consistently in the 9s for the first part of the race with my fastest mile split being 9:38 for mile 4.  My pace didn’t slow until mile 9 when I clocked a 10:01.  I’m happy my slowest mile didn’t happen until mile 12 at 10:19. I crossed the finish line at 2:11, which is my fastest half marathon in 2025.  I’m proud of my efforts to get ready for this race and the execution of the race plan. This race serves as a blueprint for the rest of my training program as I get ready for the 2025 Atlantic City marathon in October.  My 16-week training program started on 6/15/2025 and I’m excited to put in another solid training program.

    I left the Fargo Dome parking lot and headed back to Buffalo Wild Wings to get my free beer and food.  There were a lot of runners at Bdubs, but it was not crowded.  I enjoyed my food and beer and made my way back to the hotel to shower, unwind and get in a nap—mission accomplished.

    I’m not sure if I will run in Fargo again but this was nice adventure, and I got to see two new states.

    I’ve got Wisconsin and New Hampshire on the race calendar coming soon.  More running tourist adventures are coming your way. 😊

    Where are you traveling this year?

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

  • 2025 Nashville Half Marathon Part 2

    “Nashville vibes and honky-tonk nights”.

    (Instagram)

    My Walk into the Future in Nashville, Tennessee (NashVegas) provided me with new adventures this year!  I normally stick to my tried-and-true venues but wanted to explore a bit more this year.

    The Stage

    I know this is one of my regular stops when in Nashville, but I always like to stop in.  This is my favorite live music venue in Nashville because of the actual stage and the way the music carries throughout the venue.  The view of the band is never obstructed, and the sound system provides a great acoustic backdrop for the crowd.  There’s not much of a dance floor, but you occasionally will see a few folks out dancing to the music. 

    Category 10 (new)

    This was my first time visiting Category 10.  This venue transitioned from the Wildhorse Saloon and now features Luke Combs and his musical endeavors.  The Wildhorse Saloon is a place I loved visiting for the great music, large dance floor and line dancing.  Luke Combs and his team did a great job renovating this venue and turned Category 10 into a destination in Nashville. 

    The main dance hall is huge and has three levels.  The stage and dance area are the largest in the Broadway area and the crowds continue to flock here.  I was able to get in some line dancing before and after the half marathon and enjoyed every minute of it. 

    Bon Jovi (new)

    Jon Bon Jovi has the newest bar on lower Broadway.  I walked by the venue several times before deciding to go in.  I thought it would only be a rock venue but there were country tunes coming out on the day I walked in.  This was a huge venue with multiple levels of music to include a rooftop bar.  It was a nice spot and I’m sure I will visit again on my return to Nashville.

    Jelly Roll (new)

    I’m not sure how new this spot is because I’ve walked by this location on lower Broadway multiple times but never ventured in.  It has multiple levels, but it is not a huge venue.  It has a great sound stage and angles to watch the bands play.  I’m not sure how often I will visit this spot, but it was a nice change of pace from my normal Honky Tonk adventures.

    Morgan Wallen (new)

    Morgan Wallen’s bar is called THIS BAR after one of his songs.  It’s not on Broadway but you can see it from Jason Aldean’s rooftop bar.  I’m not a huge Wallen fan but there was a stream of folks going in and out, so I decided to join the crowd.  The rooftop bar had great views of the Nashville skyline and an outstanding sound stage.  The beer was cold, and the crowd was ready to have a good time.  I decided to stick around for multiple beers and vibe with the band. 

    Jason Aldean’s

    This is my favorite rooftop bar in Nashville!  It’s right in the middle of Broadway and offers views up and down Broadway.  The crowds on the rooftop are mellow and kicked back on sofas or high back chairs.  The best bands play on the rooftop and the dance floor is always packed.  This is a great place to watch people and listen to outstanding musicians.  I highly recommend this spot if you are heading to NashVegas!

    Well, that’s my Nashville report on places I visited on my most recent trip.

    Which venue are you going to visit? 😊

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “Nashville, where the music flows like sweet tea”.

    (Unknown)

  • 2025 Nashville Half Marathon

    “I love Nashville.  It seems like everywhere you walk; there’s great music coming out of every wall”.

    (Imelda May)

    My Walk into the Future brought me back to one of my favorite cities, Nashville, Tennessee (NashVegas)! 😊

    I always look forward to my yearly pilgrimage to the Music City for the half marathon, live music and great food.  Nashville is my city!

    I added bridge repeats to my training program this year to help me battle the Nashville hills.  This additional training got me ready, like my old training routes in Tallahassee, Florida.  I never imagined how the hill training in Tallahassee prepared me for the half marathon distance.  Yes, I need more hill training in my life!

    The 2025 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon was a battle.  This was not because of the distance or the hills.  I put in extra work to get me mentally and physically ready to rock the half marathon (pun intended).  The battle on race day was because of the unseasonably high humidity.  April temperatures in Nashville rarely get past the mid-60s but our race day started with temperatures in this range and the humidity hung in the air.  Again, the race temperature at the start was fine but the humidity was my primary worry.  Yes, I train in Florida, but the humidity has not been high so far in this training cycle.

    The race is well organized and there are aid stations about every 1.5 miles on the course.  I made a mental and strategic plan to get extra fluids at the aid stations to keep myself hydrated throughout the race.

    I stayed in a new hotel this year.  The Marriott Courtyard West End which was one block over from my normal hotel.  I got a great rate which included parking and breakfast and allowed me faster access to the great restaurants in the West End of Nashville.  I got an early morning flight from Orlando to Nashville so I could hit the race EXPO when it opened and then head over to Broadway for food, beer and music.

    Getting through the EXPO was a breeze!  The Rock N Roll folks know how to throw a race party.  I got my bib, t-shirt and Rock N Roll carry bag and made my way to visit the vendors in the Music City Convention Center.  I didn’t really need anything but always get some food samples and explore clothing options.  I found a funky headband that matched my projected race outfit and tried out some recovery boots—this is always a highlight if there are no long lines.  No, Lauren, I did not buy the high price recovery boots. 😊

    I left the EXPO and walked one block over to Broadway to take in the sights and hear great music.  My first stop was Rippy’s Honkytonk for food, beer and live music.  Rippy’s is a popular spot and has great BBQ.  This is not my typical meal before a race, but the pull pork is outstanding, and I doubled up on the French fries as part of my carb loading process.  I left Rippy’s and made my way to my favorite spot, The Stage.  I love this spot because of the stage configuration and the quality bands that play here.  This is my go-to spot in Nashville. 

    I left The Stage and made my way down to 2nd Ave to check out Luke Comb’s new spot, Category 10.  This is where the old Wildhorse Saloon was located, and I was anxious to see what they did to the place.  The inside of the venue has been upgraded with new floors, light show and sound system.  They also provide line dancing lessons throughout the day.  Yes, Maria, I like line dancing when I’m in Nashville. 😊

    https://www.rippyshonkytonk.com/

    Home

    I didn’t want to stay on my feet too much with a half marathon coming up, so I made my way to the Westend of Nashville and checked into my hotel.  I made a point to get to bed early so I could tackle the Nashville hills in the morning.

    My hotel was only 1 mile away from the race start line, so I walked down Broadway as a warmup.  I was assigned Corral #6 this year which put me close to the elite runners.  I’m not saying I am elite, but I could see them from where I was standing. 😊  I got a nice warmup by walking to the start line and stretched well before getting into the corral.  Getting extra hydration on the course was going to be a needed resource due to the humidity.

    The Rock N Roll series uses rolling starts to ensure runners are safe at the start line.  They release corrals every two minutes, so I didn’t have to wait long to get my start down Broadway.  The first portion of the course on Broadway is downhill before we make a right on 4th Ave and then begin the climb back up towards Music Row.

    My first mile was run in 9:20 which felt pretty good considering runners experience the first major hill climb within the first half mile of the race.  My pace stayed consistent throughout the race with Mile 11 being my slowest at 10:34.  I stuck to my race plan and got fluids at each aid station and made a point to pour water on the back of my head to avoid overheating—this really works. 😊

    I finished Mile 13 with a pace of 10:12 and crossed the Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon at 2:12:45 which was 8 minutes faster than 2024 even with the heat and humidity.  Unfun fact—there were several racers who needed medical attention on the course.  This is the only race where I’ve seen runners receiving medical attention.  I’m hoping these runners have speedy recoveries and can get back to running soon.

    The race after party was epic again this year with food trucks, free beer and a concert.  I stayed around a little longer this year to soak in the atmosphere and celebrate a hard-fought race.  I am already looking forward to my return to the 2026 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon.

    What are you looking forward to?

    FYI–part 2 will cover my time on Broadway! 😊

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “The half marathon is not a race against others; it’s a race against our own doubts”.

    (Unknown)

  • 2025 Winter Park 10k

    “Every pizza is a personal pizza when you are marathon training”.

    (Unknown)

    My Walk into the Future continues to be centered around being a running tourist.  I love to sign up for races and explore locations and enjoy the sights and sounds of each city. 

    Winter Park, Florida is in my regular running rotation with multiple distances: 5ks and 10ks each year in my running schedule.  The Track Shack headquarters is right down the street and returning to Winter Park for races allows me to visit with my friends at Track Shack and Orlando.  I met the owners on a running trail in Tallahassee, Florida while they were visiting their daughter and grandchildren years ago.  It’s always great to return to check out new merchandise and talk with local runners before the races.

    I ran my first Winter Park 10k back in 2019 and have not missed a race since.  I ran my 10k personal record (PR) of 55:57 (9:00 minutes per mile) back in 2021.  Fun fact—my three fastest 10ks have all been run during the Winter Park 10k.  The course is mostly flat and allows runners to stretch out and go fast.  I think that’s the part I love about this race—I know I will be fast because of the course familiarity and understanding when to push the pace to hit the finish line with a good race time.

    The 2025 Winter Park 10k was the last long race before heading to Nashville for the 2025 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon.  The Winter Park race provides me with a fitness test to determine how much work I still need to accomplish before NashVegas.

    I made my way over to Track Shack the day before the race to pick up my race packet and get settled in my hotel.  I am a creature of habit so try to hit Track Shack before the large crowd arrives.  I like to get some shopping done while I’m in the store and it is better before the crowd arrives. 😊 They didn’t have any new gear in my size, so I just walked around a bit and then headed out to carb load.

    I made my way to the UCF Buffalo Wild Wings to get my fill of wings, potato wedges and beers.  I didn’t need to go overboard with the carbs since this was a 10k—still needed carbs but decided to forego the pasta and use the potato wedges and beer to carb up a bit.

    Headed across the street to my favorite hotel in Oviedo to get off my feet and get prepared for a big race day.  My bedtime comes early when I have a race coming up and I need extra rest to feel fresh—mission accomplished.

    I headed over to Park Avenue in Winter Park with plenty of time to warm up and stretch before the race.  The race village was teeming with runners when I arrived, so I found a spot to stretch without getting run over by folks trying to get to the 2-mile race start line.  I’ve never completed the double race (2-miler and 10k) but a lot of folks like the challenge so they can double up on race medals. 

    I toed the 10k line feeling fresh and wanted to run a good time.  The weather was warmer than last year but there was no humidity in the air.  This normally means a fast time for me regardless of the distance.  Let’s fast forward a bit and I was off my 10k PR by a little over 2 minutes.  This was my fastest 10k since 2021 and I felt good from start to finish.  I was able to cross the finish line with a smile and passed quite a few runners at the end.  I normally zone out the finish line crowds but decided to enjoy hearing total strangers cheer for me.  It was a great day to race!

    I made my way back into the race village to take some pictures and get my ice-cold beer.  Track Shack partners with local nurseries and everyone got a nice plant to take home as a prize.  I collected my potted plant and made my way back to my vehicle.  I dropped off some of my running gear and headed to Croissant Gourmet Bakery for breakfast.  I’ve been to this spot before and decided to treat myself to a great breakfast and do some people watching before heading back to Oviedo.  I highly recommend this spot if you are ever on Park Avenue.

    https://www.croissantgourmet.com/

    Spring break for Indian River State College starts tomorrow and I’m heading back down to Negril, Jamaica for rum, sun and reggae! 😊

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “You know you are a runner when you plan vacations around races”.

    (Unknown)