Walk Into the Future

Tag: Celebration of Running

  • 2025 Celebration of Running 5k

    “Forward is a pace.”

    (Unknown)

    I love running with Track Shack!  This is not a startling revelation, but I like to share it with my readers. 😊

    I started running with Track Shack when I moved to Oviedo, Florida in October 2010.  There’s another running organization, Front Running Sports, in the area but the Track Shack races always appealed to me and were closer to my home.  I ran as a Track Shack Fanatic for several years since this saved me money for races I was going to run in anyway.  I’m no longer a Fanatic but still make my way ‘home’ for 3 races each year.

    The Celebration of Running 5k is one of my regular Track Shack races and I made my way back over for the 2025 Celebration of Running 5k in Winter Park, Florida in August.  This race normally starts my running season, but I got an early start with races in North Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Watermelon 5k in Winter Park. 

    My times in this race have been decent, but the humidity and early part of the running season never allowed me to maximize my finish times.  I know this is all just another excuse, but this race provides me with the data I need to determine how much I need to push myself to train for longer distance races in the fall. 

    I’m happy to report I took 31 seconds off my 2024 time and finished in 28:34 (twenty-eight minutes and 34 seconds) with a 9:10 per mile pace.  I have run faster times but I’m happy to hit this time marker considering the time of year, heat and humidity we had on race day.  My mile splints were:

    Mile 1: 8:53 / Mile 2: 9:26 / Mile 3: 9:14 / Mile .12: 1:00

    I felt good throughout the race, but Mile 2 was a tough transition because of the new course design.  We normally run on a wider street for this portion, but the new design was narrow and created bottleneck areas for runners.  This was not a huge problem, but I felt boxed in a lot more this year which slowed my pace a bit.  I didn’t fall off a cliff in Mile 2 but would have liked to run a faster split here since I was feeling good. I got back on track during Mile 3 and started smiling with half a mile to go.  I was tracking a few other runners and began to reel them one by one.  I crossed the finish line with a smile and still felt fresh after competing in Orlando humidity. 😊

    I was able to catch up with a few Track Shack friends, get my beers and take a few pictures in the race village.  I decided not to head over to the Seminole Cross Trail this year to complete my long run.  The humidity was thick, so I pivoted back to my hotel and got some extra miles in on the treadmill.  I snuck in a quick full body workout since the day was still young. 

    I’m happy with my training progress so far and look forward to my longer races during this season.  I’ve still got work to do but I can see progress with my time, weight and mental approach.

    Happy running! 😊

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “What seems hard now will one day be your warmup.”

    (Unknown)


  • Track Shack Celebration of Running 5k

    celebration 2

    “Someone who is busier than you is running right now”.

    (Nike)

    The quote above speaks to me on multiple levels.  There is always something happening in our daily lives and skipping a training run can become a habit.

    I continue to look for ways to motivate myself to stay consistent with my training.  It would be easy to blame COVID-19 since the racing world and protocols have changed.  Again, that would be an excuse because we do not need a start or finish line to get a run in.  My goal for the rest of the year is to maintain training consistency and get out and run.

    I have written previously that running is my therapy.  Running gives me an opportunity to clear my head and gather my thoughts after a long work week.  This sport also helps me maintain a healthy body weight while I continue to eat without counting calories.

    Decided to find a start line and signed up for the Track Shack Celebration of Running 5k.  This race served two purposes:  helped me determine my fitness level and got to shop in a great city.

    I ran this race multiple times when I lived in Oviedo, so it was an easy decision to get over to Winter Park for another Track Shack race.  I did not get in town early enough to visit Track Shack, so I do not have an in-store shopping experience to share this time.  I am pretty sure I own every color of the Track Shack training shirts—will add more to the wardrobe in the future. 😊

    Got off work early on Friday afternoon and drove over to Oviedo.  I normally get into a race town early the day prior, but this was a 5k and I did not need the extra prep time.  Guess that’s what real runners say when they show up not knowing how well they will run the next day.  My goal was to toe the line and run with enough intensity to determine what I needed to do to complete my half marathon training. 

    Happy to report physical distancing at races is still a thing.  People were respectful of spacing and did not crowd together at the start line.  Made my way to the 8 minute per mile area with the intent to avoid the crowds behind me and minimize bumping into other runners.  I recognized quite a few runners from my days living in Oviedo.  I smiled when a few of them recognized me too—guess runners never forget! 😊

    I started with a controlled pace to ease into the race and to determine if there were any runners I wanted to pace with.  Orlando has a great running community and there were several runners available to tag along with during this race.  Somehow, I did not get my music playlist set prior to the race and ended up running without music.  This is not normal for me during races or training so had to create my own rhythm listening to my breathing and feet pounding the ground.  Not as interesting as bobbing my head to T.I.’s Motivation.  I will have my music situation corrected before heading to Virginia Beach for the Rock N Roll Half Marathon.

    My miles splits:  Mile 1:  8:45 / Mile 2:  9:20 / Mile 3:  9:40 / Mile .1 / .59 = 9:13 pace.

    Not bad for a training run.  Decided not to push too hard and enjoy stretching my legs while getting in some extra road work.

    Laughed a few times during the race when several Orlando runners complained about the HILLS on the course.  I have experienced the Tallahassee and Nashville hills during training and races—the Orlando hills were simply sidewalk inclines.  I did not even break strides to get up those big, bad hills the Orlando folks dreaded.  I had to control myself and not give folks a hard time for walking up these very small inclines—guess hills are subjective to runners.

    Crossed the finish line with a smile on my face and gas left in my tank.  Made it over to the vendors and got pizza as an after-race snack.  Yes, runners eat horribly once the race is over. 

    Happy with my efforts during the Celebration of Running 5k.  Will continue to work on my conditioning as I prep for my visit to Virginia Beach in September.  My goal is to enjoy the course and my time on the beach.  I do not have a goal time for this race but will finish and enjoy the grind.

    I’m sure I will have an article to discuss my race weekend! 😊

    Irie!

    “Long distance running is 90% mental, and the other half is physical”.

    (Rich Davis)