Walk Into the Future

Tag: Boston

  • The return to New Hampshire

    “Dream as if you’ll live forever.  Live as if you’ll die today.”

    (James Dean)

    The Walk into the Future blog continues to find new ways to explore and live life in 2026.  Not the largest revelation I have put on this blog, but it is something that I remain proud of.

    I have made a concerted effort to write more about leadership and consulting this year, but I am still out here putting in the miles and living this running tourist life.  Yes, Alisa, I’m still using running tourist to describe this life I’m living. 😊

    I made my way to Hampton, New Hampshire last year for the 2025 Smuttynose Half Marathon.  This was my first time up there and I was able to cross two states off my visit list: New Hampshire and Maine.  I wanted to get over to Vermont last year but ran out of time and want to get there to explore without having to rush. 

    Fun fact, Breeze Airways just started a non-stop flight from Vero Beach to Burlington, Vermont.  I will book a trip to Vermont in 2027 so I can cross that state off my list as well.  Not sure I’m going to run there considering the mountains in the state.  This may be another hiking trip for me. 😊

    I enjoyed my 2025 Smuttynose Half Marathon experience so much that I signed up for the 2026 race before I left New Hampshire last year.  The weather, people, course and after party were great and I decided to run it back again in 2026.

    The experience this year was just as great as last year.  I set my half marathon personal record (PR) at this race last year but did not enter with a goal this year.  My training has been consistent, but my training paces have been off for a good portion of the training cycle.  I can make and/or share excuses, but I continue to toe the line and show up daily.

    I flew out of Orlando again this year and headed to Manchester, New Hampshire.  This provided a direct flight, and I had a 30-minute ride through the fall foliage from Manchester to Hampton.  I went straight to the race EXPO to pick up my race packet and browse.  The EXPO was in the same spot as last year, but it was smaller than I thought it would be.  There were only two vendors this year so my time at the EXPO was just picking up my race packet and taking a couple pictures before heading to my hotel.

    I remain a creature of habit and booked the same Marriott hotel as last year which was close to everything in the area.  I made my way to the same sports bar to carb load and get off my feet.  Wings, fries and Bud Light is still my go to meal when I’m in Hampton, New Hampshire. 😊

    I leveraged Saturday for some sightseeing this year.  I researched lighthouses in the area and decided this would be my focus—explore as many lighthouses as possible while back in the northeast.  Here are a few pictures from my lighthouse adventures:

    I made sure to get to bed early so I would be ready for the 13.1-mile journey on Sunday.  I was able to secure race day parking close to the start/finish line again this year.  I took the five-minute walk over to the race village and got in some stretching and a light jog.  The temperatures were in the low 40’s this year so I kept my throw away sweatshirt on until I got into the race corral.

    I was assigned to start Corral C which put me close to the front based on my time from last year.  I like to be close to the front so I can avoid the pushing and shoving that happens further back in the pack.  Fast forward and my race strategy was simply having fun and enjoying the course.  I went out with a controlled pace and was able to maintain this throughout the race.  I crossed the finish line with another smile on my face and enjoyed hearing the crowds cheering for random strangers on a Sunday morning.

    I got my medal and made my way to the food tents.  The Smuttynose Half Marathon is known for providing a lobster roll to everyone who crosses the finish line.  I tried one last year and was not impressed.  I gave it another run this year and I’m still not impressed. 😊  I love lobster but the texture does not go well with a simple white roll—my opinion.  I think it would be great on a toasted roll but that’s not what they offered.  I made my way to the beer line and got two beers to go with my bag of chips. 

    They had the same band from last year and everyone was singing along and some folks were dancing to the tunes.  It was another great post-race environment, and I enjoyed every minute of it.  I found a great spot across the street for breakfast and posted up to continue to enjoy the morning.

    I highly recommend this race if you are looking for a New Hampshire adventure.

    Fun fact, I visited three states on this trip:  New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.  I’ve been to them all, but it was fun to hit three states in one weekend.  It’s the little things that make me smile. 😊

    Yes, I’m still traveling, running and writing.  I call this Walking into the Future! What do you think, Cathy? 😊

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.

    (Oscar Wilde)

  • 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!