Fort Pierce Inlet – Walk Into the Future

Spring break 2026

“Some of the best memories are made in flip flops.”

(Kellie Elmore)

My Walk into the Future continues to allow me to find new adventures in my daily life. Negril, Jamaica has been my spring break spot for the past 6 years. It’s almost an automatic go to spot for me that most of my friends and family know about.

This year, I took a different approach to spring break, and it turns out it was exactly what I needed.

I must confess that I looked at traveling back down to Negril to stay at my favorite spot, Samsara, on the cliffs. The thoughts of relaxing on the cliffs, drinking rum and finding new reggae spots were very appealing to me. The idea of snorkeling, sun and escaping to Jamaica again sounded perfect. I made a different decision this year, well to be totally honest I waited too late to book my Samsara stay and the resort was sold out for the days I wanted to visit. I am a creature of habit and never considered staying anywhere else but Samsara. Yes, Cathy, Samsara is my spot when I visit Negril. 😊

So, spring break 2026 saw me put my Jamaica dreams on hold, I stayed home this year. No flights, no passport, no getting through the customs process at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. No airport shuttle to take me to the West End of Jamaica and back home to Negril. I was sad for a bit but viewed this as a new adventure. There was no place to rush to, and I saw this as an opportunity to truly relax. I’m not sure anyone has ever heard me say that phrase before. Fun fact, it can happen! 😊

I thought about Jamaica a lot over spring break because I thought I was missing out on fun and adventure. My new revelation during this time was I could slow down and still enjoy myself and it felt great!

Morning routines became intentional instead of rushing to get somewhere. I woke up without an alarm, eased into the day, and allowed myself to just be. There was plenty of time to reflect, read, run and hit the gym. There was no pressure to do it all, just the freedom to do what felt right in the moment.

I experimented with a few new lunch spots in Fort Pierce to expand my rotation. I’m not a foodie but this was an easy way to test out spots for a return trip in the future. A big adventure for me was driving to Costco in Melbourne to walk around the warehouse. It was a simple activity, but it was the highlight of my Wednesday afternoon. 😊

My evenings were just as relaxing. I was able to put my feet up and catch up on Amazon Prime movies. I discovered I had access to a huge library of Kung Fu movies and watched them like a little kid. No, I didn’t try to practice the fighting moves from the movies. I’m a bit too old for that! 😊

What I realized this spring break is that rest doesn’t have to be earned through travel or escape. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is stay still long enough to recharge from within.

Jamaica will still be there. The beaches aren’t going anywhere. But this moment—this pause, this reset—that was something I needed this year. This is a very simple concept but one that was necessary for me to live.

Sometimes, the most powerful getaway… is staying right where you are.

What are your thoughts?

Irie!

Calvin Williams

“Spring break is not a destination; it’s a state of mind.”

(#ConnectEveryMoment)

April 16, 2026

2023 Run to Stop Hunger 5K

Resized_20230916_073430

“As we run, we become”.

(Amby Burfoot)

The month of September was dedicated to getting in speed work by running local 5K races.

I tackled the Run to Stop Hunger 5K in 2022 to test my endurance and work on speed while training for my first full marathon. I enjoyed the race setup, course and participants so decided to leverage this race again this year.

This 5K was convenient to me since it is in Fort Pierce on Hutchingson Island. I used the race as part of my Week #6 training program so I could get some speed work in. Mentally I need a race to make me speed up and racing is a lot more fun than just logging miles by myself. I am not looking for running partners, but the extra motivation racing brings is a welcome change while training.

The race start and finish lines are in the center of the Causeway Cove Marina. I duplicated my warmup from last year by parking on the Fort Pierce mainland and using the Seaway Drive bridge as my race warmup. The bridge was a great way to get my heart rate up and helped me stretch out my legs before tackling the 3.1-mile course.

There was not a huge crowd for this race, but I recognized a lot of the runners present. The Fort Pierce running community is not huge, so I get to see the same folks at most races. I was able to get in additional stretching before we had to line up for the race start.

I didn’t have a set finish time in mind, I just wanted to get some speed work in without injuring myself or anyone else. Mission accomplished on both tasks.

Lined up in the middle of the race corral and decided to just have fun while on the course. The small race lineup did not create a traffic jam as we headed it. This allowed runners to spread out and hit their race pace from the very start.

I targeted a couple runners in front of me as my pacers and leveraged them to propel me forward during the first part of the race. This 5k is a simple out and back course that is completely flat. We run a portion of the race on the sidewalk, so it gets tight when runners turn around to head back towards the finish line.

One of my pacers slowed down around the 1-mile marker and the other decided to hit another gear and left me. I did not attempt that pace since it was not comfortable for me at this point of my training process.

Fast forward and I finished the 5K in 27:56 which is an 8:59 per mile pace. Not fast or slow for me at this point of my training schedule. I still have additional training sessions and races coming up so there’s plenty of time for me to improve my pacing, conditioning, and mental preparation.

I’m using my exercise bike as a warmup prior to my long runs and not as a primary training device. This helps me stretch my legs and creates a solid foundation for my planned runs. I’ve got plenty of time to ensure I’m ready for the 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon in December.

Excited to see how far I can push myself this year.

What are you excited for?

Irie!