Walk Into the Future

Tag: Boston

  • Boston with NACE

    “I came to Boston because I’m wicked smaht”.

    (Funny Boston Quote, Unknown)

    My Walk into the Future has led me to the Northeast multiple times in the past year. 

    The first adventure was a quick trip via Breeze Airways to explore Hartford, Connecticut.  I was able to hit Springfield, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island over a long weekend in October 2023.  The weather was great, and I got a chance to experience the wonderful colors of the fall season in the Northeast. 

    Providence, Rhode Island was an intriguing place, and I wanted to get back up there to explore more in-depth.  I had never run a race in the northeast and saw the 2024 Rhode Island Half Marathon as an opportunity to get back up there and see the city from a ground level perspective.  This trip saw me make my way up to Cambridge, Massachusetts and walked around Harvard.  This was an outstanding opportunity to soak in the campus history and add content to the Walk into the Future blog. 

    Fast forward and I had an opportunity to explore the northeast again with my volunteer work with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).  I was selected in July to serve on the NACE Sourcing and Nomination Committee.  This is the group of NACE members who review all Board of Director applications and select the next generation of board members.

    Boston was selected as our meeting location based on one of our members providing access to the meeting space within her organization.  This provided us with a great location in downtown Boston with access to sights and great restaurants.

    Most of our committee work was accomplished virtually from our home locations.  We were able to review application packages in a blind format—there were no names associated with the applications, and we scored based on the NACE rubric provided.  The work in Boston was to finalize our scores and discuss candidates as needed.  This was a great experience for me to help NACE select the next wave of leaders.  The experience also helps me understand the process in case I want to launch a future run for a board position.

    Boston experiences:

    • Walking the halls and grounds of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
    • Touring the Novartis Headquarters
    • Walking through the Beacon Hill neighborhood
      • Walking on Acorn Street
    • Italian dinner at the famed Toscano restaurant
      • Our Novartis host got us a reservation 😊

    Not sure when I will get back to the Boston area but enjoyed my latest adventure.

    The results from the NACE selection process will become public in early February.  Excited to watch our new leaders move the organization forward.

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

  • 2019 Boston (GA) mini marathon (Recap)

    Boston mini

    “How do you know someone ran a marathon?  Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.”

    (Jimmy Fallon)

    My Walk into the Future continues to provide me with adventures and challenges to chase.  The latest challenge came during the Boston (GA) mini marathon (13.1 miles) on 10/26/19.  This race was on my 2019 schedule because I ran it last year and had really good results.  Set my first of many personal records (PR) at the race last year.

    Fast forward to this year’s race and there’s not a PR to discuss.  My race time and finish position regressed this year.  Was a bit disappointed with my results because I know I can run faster and have done so multiple times this year on tougher courses.

    So, why did I regress during this race?  Great question and I spent a day reflecting on why this race didn’t go as I planned.  Turns out I simply took running fast times for granted.  Not saying I didn’t train and put in the miles to run another good half marathon time.

    • September miles: 44 (includes Philly Rock N Roll Half marathon)
    • October miles: 29 (includes Boston mini marathon)

    I did assume my Boston mini marathon race results from 2018 would automatically translate to the 2019 race.  The course was the same, but the weather was significantly different this year–mid-50s in 2018 and mid-70s with high humidity this year.  Also, needed a better hydration plan since the temperatures and humidity were higher than normal for an October morning.

    My race mistakes are all easily correctable and I was back in the gym the next morning correcting them.  My physical race prep will still resemble what I’ve been doing but working on the mental aspects, so I never enter a race with assumptions again.  I improved my half marathon times this year by entering every race with a chip on my shoulder—got ahead of myself for this race but the corrections are being made.

    Lesson learned—never take a race or finish time for granted.

    Boston mini marathon weekend

    Boston (GA) is a nice little town 40 miles northeast of Tallahassee (FL).  The people are friendly and have a blast for the entire race weekend. The half marathon is just one of the events they host for the weekend. It’s the kickoff event but most of the weekend action happens once the runners get out of the way.

    Vendors setup before the sun comes out to get ready for visitors.  The Boston butt BBQ competition is fierce with BBQ outfits from multiple states vying to win the first-place prize money.  Most of these folks provide samples of their competition level BBQ after the race.  There are other vendors with additional items for purchase (cakes, pies, fish, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.).  Almost has a carnival feel to the day once the race is over.

    The parade starts right after the race awards are presented.  I normally hit the road right before the parade kicks off since most intersections are blocked to accommodate the parade route.  Great little town and event if you’re ever in the area.

    https://bostonga.com/boston-mini-marathon/

     

    Next race

    Will venture down to Orlando for the Orlando Utility Commission (OUC) half marathon on 12/7/19.  I ran my first ever half marathon at the OUC event back in 2013.  Hard to believe but I’ve been chasing people at half marathons for 6 years now.  Never thought I would run another half marathon after the first one but now I’m traveling the country making memories with my friends.  Pretty cool transformation for me as I continue to Walk into the Future.

    Looking forward to my training as I prepare for the OUC race.  Also excited to catch up with family and friends while in the Orlando area.  Already got my post-race lunch location picked and can’t wait to eat shrimp and grits! 😊 Plan to visit my favorite reggae spot, Bob Marley’s at City Walk too.  Will be another fun adventure for me!

     OUC Half

    “Running won’t solve all your problems.  But then again, neither will housework.”

    (Unknown)

    How do you bounce back from a set back?  What lessons have you learned when things don’t turn out as planned?  Thanks!