Walk Into the Future

Tag: Growth

  • Marathon training

    Marathon training

    (Image by CoupleStyle from Pixabay)

    My marathon training program begins again next week.  Decided to stick with the 18-week training program I used last year.  This program provides a gradual mileage build-up and allows me flexibility to train and still get normal life activities completed.

    The 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon will provide another mental and physical test for me to continue to challenge myself to get better daily.  I feel like a veteran this time around since I got my initial marathon under my belt last year.  I’m excited for the opportunity to train and improve my race outcome this year.  There were several lessons from 2022 that will help me with my journey this year.

    Exercise bike

    I mistakenly believed I could replace running miles with miles on my exercise bike.  Numerically the miles are equal but there is a difference between hard work on an exercise bike and outside miles in Florida.  There is a time and place for the exercise bike, but I will not lean on this form of training as much as I did in 2022.

    Speed work

    I concentrated on building up my mileage base in 2022 but not as much on speed work.  I did several sessions on the local track to work on tempo and speed but know I will need to work pace runs in more this year.  My training plan has several tempo runs inserted and I will do a better job of following the pace days as outlined.  The tempo runs will help me convert my physical fitness into a better race day pace.

    Heat and humidity

    My weekday training runs were completed with 5 am training sessions.  I started my runs at 5 am to beat the heat and completed them prior to my workday during the week.  My weekend runs started around 7:30 am to get out and back before the south Florida heat kicked in.  This was a solid plan, but I did not log many miles in the heat of the day.  Sounds like a smart training plan but the second half of the Palm Beaches Marathon is run in direct sunlight with minimal shade.  It was not overly hot in December, but the sun was on me from the 18-mile marker until the end of the marathon.  I did not handle this part of the race well since I avoided running in/with the sun during my training phase.  I will SMARTLY look for ways to incorporate more training to leverage the south Florida heat and humidity to enhance my training program.

    Here’s the 18-week training program I will launch next week:

    Marathon Training

    I will document my training progress again this year with updates on how I’m doing with mileage, nutrition, and thoughts.  Excited to Walk into the Future again and tackle the 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon.  Looking to run substantially faster than 2022 and cross the finish line again with a smile on my face.

    Irie!

  • National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2023 Annual Conference

    NACE23

    “Continuous personal and professional development is your key to the future”.

    (Brian Tracy)

    The NACE22 conference was held in Portland, Oregon last year.  I chronicled my experience traveling out to Portland for the conference in a previous Walk into the Future article.  This was my first time in Portland so was excited to venture out and take in the sights.  NACE22 was also part of my professional development as I served as Co-Chair on the Mentoring Taskforce.  The role allowed me to present during the conference to share the activities the taskforce had worked on during the academic year.  FYI, we redesigned the NACE mentoring program to modernize how we recruit and onboard new mentors.  I was excited for the opportunity to network with my peers and share the hard work the taskforce completed to enhance our organization.

    Fast forward to 2023 and NACE23 was held in Orlando, Florida at the Disney World Swan, and Dolphin resort.  My travel itinerary was a lot less of a hassle than catching multiple connecting flights to get out and back to Portland.  My school saved a bunch of money by not having to fly me all the way to the west coast and back this year.

    Another bonus for me is I did not have to present this year, so I got a chance to enjoy myself while networking with friends from around the country.  The Career Services world is a tight knit bunch of professionals, and it was great getting a chance to see folks again.  The NACE conference provides a great platform for networking, and I made a point to talk with everyone I could.  Please note, this level of networking is needed for future growth within the organization.  I served on the Mentoring Taskforce because the NACE past-president reached out and asked me to Co-Chair because this was his passion project.  The incoming president made sure I knew she needed help with an upcoming committee and spent the week recruiting me to join her project as well.  It took a few follow-up meetings and calls, but I agreed to serve on one of her committees for the 2023 – 2024 year.  My end goal is to get a seat on the NACE Board of Directors soon and it helps to be connected to the right people.

    I’m not a huge Disney person but made sure to explore the Disney Boardwalk area for food, drinks, and night life.  I took advantage of the workout facilities located on the Swan side of the resort and got in a few training runs while on the property.

    Several of the NACE23 vendors host afternoon and evening networking sessions to connect with Career Services professionals.  These sessions are paid for by the vendors and they routinely provide food and drinks for all attendees.  Nice way to get a free meal, drinks and enjoy time with friends.  Yes, I made my way to as many of these networking sessions as possible. LOL.  

    A true highlight of the trip for me was a visit over to Disney Springs.  One of the vendors hosted a large event in an Irish Pub in Disney Springs.  I left one event with friends, and we decided to ride over to Disney Springs to enjoy the night life and hit the party at the Irish Pub. 

    Chef Art Smith’s Homcomin Restaurant is in Disney Springs and is world renowned for great food and atmosphere.  I need to make a full confession to my readers.  Art Smith is a world-famous chef and has cooked for Oprah Winfrey and a host of others.  Very impressive resume!  Also, Art is from Jasper, Florida which is my hometown.  He moved back to Jasper a few years back and is our most famous resident.  Where am I going with this?  Great question.  I texted Art before heading over to Disney Springs to get a reservation at his restaurant and he was great at getting me and three friends in on short notice.  Thanks Art!

    https://www.chefartsmith.com/

    The Homcomin menu has a ton of great options and I highly recommend making your way there when in the area.  I had Art’s Famous Fried Chicken and Sweet Tea moonshine.  My friends tried other items on the menu, and we all agreed this was the best food we had while in Orlando.  We got a treat with the Signature Sampler which has 3 of the best desserts you can find anywhere.  All were fantastic but the Hummingbird Cake is my favorite and will get that when I visit again.  Stop and see my friend Art when visiting Disney Springs—you will thank me for the recommendation!

    http://www.homecominkitchen.com/pdf/Homecomin-Menu.pdf

    http://www.homecominkitchen.com/pdf/Homecomin-Dessert-Menu.pdf

    NACE24 will be in Phoenix, Arizona next year.  I anticipate being on the agenda again to present to my colleagues.  I’m sure there will be great networking opportunities out there and looking forward to great food there too.

    What networking opportunities are you pursuing this year?

    Irie!

  • 2023 Goals progress

    goal-g9f3555e2d_1280

    (Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)

    “People with goals succeed because they know where they are going”.

    (Earl Nightingale)

    I start each year by sitting down and creating goals that will help me navigate the year.  I stopped with the New Year’s resolution stuff a while back and made sure to create goals in multiple areas of my life:  professional, personal growth and health.

    Some of my goals carry over into the new year with modifications based on how well I did the previous year.  Examples of this include volunteer work, my reading program and how often I write weekly.

    A big carryover from 2022 to 2023 was the concept of purchasing a townhouse. 

    I listed this as a goal and put some effort into it by working with a realtor and viewing multiple townhouses on the Treasure Coast.  Never found what I was looking for in 2022 so this remained a goal for 2023.  My house hunting efforts heated up in March of this year and I closed on a townhouse in Fort Pierce on 5/11/2023.  This goal does not have to carryover anymore!

    I scaled my reading program back a bit from 2022 but still wanted to stay active.  I love to read and learn new things, so this goal never goes away for me.  I decided to ensure I read a minimum of one book per month.  This is in conjunction with my daily Bible reading to gain additional wisdom (Proverbs) and overall insight from other areas in the Bible.  I am eager to learn more and actively explore for new insights I can leverage in my daily life.

    My writing goal centers around daily activity to include blog posts, poems, and LinkedIn articles.  There are days when I miss my writing window, but I continue to generate content for the Walk into the Future blog and get new posts/articles on LinkedIn to share my views of the world.  I still have time to get caught up on this goal but happy with the quality of what I have produced so far this year.  Always looking for new topics to add to the blog and will take recommendations if YOU have something you want to read about.  My racing season will start back in August 2023 so there will be multiple training and racing articles coming to your inbox soon.  LOL.

    I am currently ahead on my exercise goals!  I’m hitting the gym as prescribed weekly while my running consistency is similar to how I prepared for the 2022 Palm Beaches Marathon.  I run early in the morning on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  My long runs are completed on Saturday mornings.  I have begun to incorporate speed work into my routine which was an addition to my running goals.  This approach should put me in much better shape physically and mentally to get ready for the 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon.  I set an aggressive 2023 running schedule and need this new base mileage approach to get me to the start line and over the finish line for these races.  Excited to see how this training approach translates to the actual races.  FYI, I am 75 miles ahead of my mileage the same time last year.  This is BEFORE I crank up my full marathon training program.   I completed three half marathons so far this year with three more coming in the fall and the full marathon.  I missed the 2023 Virginia Beach Half Marathon due to injury in March and the 2023 San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon due to a schedule conflict—the NACE conference was in Orlando, and I couldn’t figure out a way to be in San Diego and Orlando on the same day.  I registered for the 2024 San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon in June to get the best prices and fingers crossed it doesn’t conflict with NACE next year. 

    I continue to leverage goals to guide my daily efforts towards making a difference in this world.  Happy to report I am making good progress and will continue to move forward.

    How are you doing with your 2032 goals?  What adjustments do you need to make?

    Irie!

    “A dream becomes a goal when action is taken toward its achievement”.

    (Bo Bennett)

  • 2023 Marathon Decision

    “There is magic in misery.  Just ask any runner”.

    (Dean Karnazes)

    I ran the 2022 Palm Beaches Marathon with the intent of being one and done.  The training and pain I felt during the marathon was one of the toughest things I’ve ever experienced.  The joy I felt when finishing was also a joyous time—I know that sounds weird but finishing the marathon was the culmination of a massive undertaking.

    The quote above speaks volumes for what I experienced during the marathon and highlights the mindset of most runners.  Yes, it hurts but I need to run this again.  May not make sense to most people but runners live this life daily.

    The day of the marathon my body hurt—same for the day after and the next five days.  I started to feel normal again the week after the race but running this distance again was not a priority for me.  I began to deconstruct the race, my training and nutrition the following week to determine if I could do better.  The answer came back as yes, but I did not know if I wanted to experience this level of pain again. 

    I forgot about the marathon and embarked on multiple half marathons (Vero Beach, Town of Celebration, Nashville) and got faster with each race.  I attribute this to my marathon training and the ability to manage the pain a lot better.  The marathon taught me how to continue to move forward even when the body wanted to slow down or stop.  Leveraged this newfound knowledge and fitness to get better when running half marathons. 

    Spoke with my friend Lauren Apgar about possibly running the marathon again.  Casual conversations all the way up to the 2023 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon.  I was able to handle the Nashville hills and warm weather much better than I did last year.  Again, this was because of the amount of training I put into the marathon process.

    The concept of running another marathon kept coming back up so decided to explore what it would take for me to toe the 26.2 start line again.

    The course needs to be flat.  I prefer the race to be close to me so I would not have a huge travel commitment.  The race needed to provide a fun environment and an opportunity to become a running tourist again.  The Palm Beaches Marathon checked all these parameters, and I am familiar with the race.  It does not have the greatest EXPO experience, but the course support was great, and it allows me to redeem myself and improve on my 2022 race time.

    I’m not trying to qualify for Boston or the New York City marathons.  Just want to get back to my training program and improve my marathon time.  My competitive nature drives the need for improvement, and I know areas I can improve my training.  I leveraged my exercise bike a bit too much during training and know these miles are great for cardio but do not translate to the road work needed to run the best marathon time.  I will use the exercise bike only when the weather is bad and running outside is not an option.  I make a point to train at different times of the day—this allows me to acclimate to the South Florida heat.  The heat at mile marker 20 got the best of me so will not let this happen again this year. 

    I plan to leverage the 18-week training plan again this year with emphasis on building my mileage base slowly and mastering the long weekend runs. 

    Excited to embark on this marathon journey again.  I’m sure I will generate training articles again to allow my readers to follow my pain!  😊

    Irie!

  • Race Medals

    Medal Rack

    “Racing is the fun part; it’s the reward for all the hard work”.

    (Kara Goucher)

    Runners sign up for races for multiple reasons.  Some are there for the competition, others are chasing a specific time, and then you have the running tourists who are looking to see new places while testing their mental and physical stamina during the race.

    There are other reasons to toe the start line and cross another finish line but we all happily collect race medals when it is all said and done.  Larger races have bigger budgets to invest in the hardware they provide to runners, but each race looks to create a unique medal experience for runners. 

    My medal collection continues to grow as I enlarge my running tourist program as I add more yearly races.  Extremely proud to have crossed the threshold to become a full marathoner. 

    Decided to highlight a few of my most recent medals in this post and provide a better view on the design of each of them.  Please note, I plan to run these races again next year so will collect a new medal design and will share those in the future.  😊

    Palm Beaches Marathon

    Medal Palm Beach

    Ran the 2022 Palm Beaches Marathon in December 2022 and chronicled my training that led up to the race.  This is my favorite medal in the collection since it is the first and only full marathon medal I have collected to date.  I have already signed up for the 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon and begin my training cycle again the first week in August.

      OUC

    Medal OUC

    My first half marathon was the 2013 OUC Half Marathon.  This race launched my running program and got me invested in distance running.  I planned to run one half marathon just to say I did it but have not stopped competing yet.  Running has become a huge part of my daily life and I can’t imagine what I would be doing without my running program (training and racing).  The 2022 OUC Half Marathon was used as a training run to gauge my progress for the Palm Beaches Marathon—enjoyed the race and happy with my efforts.  The OUC medals are always colorful and depict the Lake Eola area in downtown Orlando.

    Vero Beach

    Medal Vero

    The Vero Beach Half Marathon is a small race with only about 250 runners.  The race takes runners through multiple neighborhoods and the famed beach.  The medal highlights the beach and turtles which gives it a unique look and feel.  Lots of color and surprisingly heavy.

    Town of Celebration

    Medal Celebration

    Ran the Town of Celebration Half Marathon for the first time in January.  I ran the fastest time in the past 3 years during this race.  The town of Celebration really comes out to welcome runners, and they throw a great after race party with lots of food and drinks.  I plan to run this race yearly since I enjoyed the entire experience so much.  The medal is a homage to the movies with the 2023 theme:  Take 10.  This was the tenth running of this half marathon so next year will be Take 11—get it? 😊

    Nashville

    Medal Nashville

    The 2023 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon medal continues the trend of highlighting the great music in Nashville.  The Honky Tonk Wings were a new addition to the Nashville medal and provide a fantastic back drop for this medal.  I love Nashville and will run this race every year until they tell me to stop coming—won’t be anytime soon.

    Resized_20230421_171204

    Can’t wait to collect more medals in 2023 and beyond.

    Which one is your favorite?

    Irie!

  • Poetic Flow: Beach Life!

    Disney Springs

    Sitting on the beach living the life I live 

    Prophetic sound because it’s the life I need 

    Positive energy leads the way 

    For the journey I’m on today 

    No worries, no hurries, no issues 

    Will stop the flow of the joy 

    That sitting on the beach 

    Enjoying the sun, sand, and waves 

    Can bring to my soul!

  • Nashville 2023

    Nashville, Tennessee is one of my favorite places to visit.  The culture, music, food, and activities around the Lower Broadway area keep bringing me back year after year.

    The 2023 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon was the draw that got me back up there in April.  The race organizers do a fantastic job with the race and really take care of the runners.

    Made my way to Nashville on Friday and wanted to ensure I had time to explore the race EXPO.  My friend Lauren and boyfriend Reese came down from Philly and we met at the EXPO.  This was the first time seeing them since last year for the Atlantic City Half Marathon.  Lauren had never run in Nashville and wanted to experience the sights, sounds and music I’m always talking about.

    We got our race packets and made our way to visit the vendors and see what new products are out.  Tested a few of the new hydration drinks available but didn’t buy anything.  Decided I wanted to get new leg compression sleeves and got a Rock N Roll custom designed pair.  They matched my running outfit and provided me with a new look for the race.  We got EXPO photos together and listened to the music for a bit. 

    The Rock N Roll folks moved the EXPO from the Music City Convention Center to the Musicians Hall of Fame.  Sounds similar but the new location was a lot smaller, and the vendors were cramped into a hallway.  I hope we move back to our regular location next year—plus it would put us closer to Broadway and all the music venues.

    Left the EXPO and made my way back over to Lower Broadway to continue to carb load and find some music.  Found an open seat at the Wildhorse Saloon and got food and beer while watching the line dancers.  Love the Wildhorse and the band playing was great, and the line dancers were having a ball.  Decided to forego line dancing since I had a half marathon the next day.  Left the Wildhorse and hit a couple other music spots before making my way back to the hotel to get some rest.

    Met Lauren on race day close to the start line so we could stretch and mentally prepare for the Nashville hills.  I texted her during my training sessions to let her know I was running hill repeats over bridges.  She didn’t fully understand why until we got to Nashville.  😊

    Shoutout to my friends at the First Baptist Church in Nashville!  They open the church property and allow runners to relax inside while waiting for the race to start.  This really comes in handy when the weather is cool and helps runners get off their feet prior to the race start.

    We made our way to the start line and settled into Corral #5.  Surprisingly ran into an Orlando runner I met last year at this race, and he remembered me.  Turns out he came back for the race because he did not like his 2022 race time and wanted to improve.  I met another runner who lives in Buffalo but moved there from Orlando.  They saw my Track Shack running shirt and it was a family reunion prior to the race start.  I highlight these encounters because I tried to prepare them for the hills they were about to run.  They did not seem to think I was serious and could not imagine the hills were going to be as extreme as I described.  I tried to help them, but they had to learn on their own.

    Fast forward—Lauren and I started the race together and ran down the Lower Broadway hill with a smile on our faces.  The first half mile in Nashville is downhill and the rest appears to be up a different hill for the next 8 miles.  Wish this was an exaggeration but check the race elevation—the hills are steep in Nashville.

    We split up after the third hill and ran our individual races.  The weather was a lot cooler this year and this made running the hills a lot more pleasant. 

    Ran most of the race with a smile on my face and enjoyed the great music and spectators that lined the course and cheered for runners.  This may be my favorite race for spectators on the course and the music is fantastic.

    My race splits were:

    Mile 1:  9:57/ Mile 2:  10:40 / Mile 3:  10:47 / Mile 4:  9:48 / Mile 5: 9:58 / Mile 6:  10:02 / Mile 7: 10:10 / Mile 8:  10:04 / Mile 9:  9:54 / Mile 10:  9:28 / Mile 11:  9:54 / Mile 12:  10:05 / Mile 13:  10:04 / Mile .1 / 2:48   (2:13:34 Half Marathon)

    ***Super proud of that Mile 10 split!*** 😊

    Lauren and I spent time at the after-race party recovering from the hilly half marathon, drinking beers, and getting some pictures together to commemorate the race and great atmosphere.

    ACME and Wildhorse Saloon

    Made our way across the bridge over the Cumberland River and met Reese at ACME for brunch.  This is a multi-level building with great views, food, and cold beer:  https://www.acmefeedandseed.com/.

    The Wildhorse Saloon was next for some line dancing lessons and more cold beer.  We decided to get in as much Lower Broadway as possible before leg soreness kicked in from the race.  This was Lauren first line dancing rodeo, so we made our way onto the dance floor to learn a nice dance and then they turned us loose with two songs to showcase our line dancing moves.  We were great students and danced without stepping on any toes or hurting our dance neighbors.  Great experience and a lot of fun to introduce my Philly friend to Nashville line dancing.

    We hit a few other music spots on Lower Broadway to get the full country music experience.  Decided to call it a day once the leg soreness kicked in.  Made my way back to my hotel to begin the recovery process and find more Nashville music.

    Fantastic race, trip, and time with my tree branches!

    Yes, I’m already signed up to return in 2024.  Who is joining the Nashville party?

    Irie!

  • My Tree Tattoo

    “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers”.

    (Psalms 1:3)

    My favorite part of the bible is Proverbs.  I have been reading Proverbs daily for 15+ years to continue to gain insight and wisdom to help me daily.  I share this process with anyone who will sit still and listen to me and have convinced a few others to join me on this journey.

    One of my 2022 goals was to read more and expand my readings beyond Proverbs.  Psalms was recommended and I decided to accept to gain new insight and understanding.  This concept fits directly into the Walk into the Future concept that started this blog.

    I have referred to my tree branches—people I mentor or share knowledge with daily.  We have been on this journey together and I view my role in their development as an important part of my daily mission. 

    The tree concept has been with me for a while now and I continue to add branches as my Walk into the Future grows and gains momentum into a platform to help others move forward in life.  I view everyone who reads and/or follows this blog as tree branches now and my role is to bring new insight, knowledge, and entertainment to you.  Thanks for joining me on this journey!

    What does all this have to do with a tattoo?  Great question tree branches!

    I have been talking and writing about being a tree and began looking for something that was unique to me and would represent a true meaning visually.  There are a ton of tree images available, but I wanted something that reflects me and my journey.

    I have taken and seen a ton of tree photos, but nothing really jumped out or had the image that would represent me and my tree branches.

    I ventured to Southern Shore, North Carolina back in October 2021 to spend some time exploring the North Carolina Outer Bank with a friend who lives up there.  Always heard great things about this part of the country and was happy to accept the invitation to come up for a long weekend and explore.  I was not a running tourist for this trip so had plenty of time to see the sights, sit on the beach and discover great food spots.

    My friend and I made a trip to Aqua Restaurant to sit on the deck, enjoy some great food and catch a fantastic sunset.  https://aquarestaurantobx.com/

    We ventured down to the waterfront after dinner to get some pictures of the sun setting over the sound.  We were able to capture this photo while chasing the sunset.

    I understood this was a magnificent photo and shared it with several friends and included it in the blog article I wrote about my trip to North Carolina.  Never viewed the photo as unique but the more I looked for images to signify my tree and branches I kept coming back to this image.

    Ventured into the Scared Dagger tattoo shop in Vero Beach to discuss the image and possibility of getting some artwork done by them.  A local friend and her daughter got work done at this shop and highly recommended the artist who worked on them.  I showed him the image and we discussed the size of the tattoo and location I wanted to have it done.

    We agreed on the details, and I made an appointment to have him complete the work.  Fast forward and he did an amazing job capturing the image and replicating it on my leg.  I was amazed how well he translated the details from the photo into my tree tattoo.

    The tree branches are very distinct and provide the tree with power to grow, provide shade, comfort, and a level of peace (my thoughts).

    Reflect on Psalms 1:3—the tree helps us prosper!  😊

    May have to make my way back up to Duck, North Carolina for more tree inspirations!

    How impactful is YOUR tree?  How many tree branches do you have?

    Irie!

  • Poetic Flow: Find Your Light

    Light 1

    Out of the darkness comes the light

           Each day is a struggle of life

              The trials of the world weigh you down

       Life comes fast…like intersections choke full of traffic

        No direction…no director; just darkness

          Out of the darkness comes the light

         Find your direction, become the director

            Act, make it happen

           Open your eyes, it doesn’t have to be dark all the time

    (Fort Pierce Inlet)  

  • 2023 Winter Park 10k

    WP 1

    “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you”.

    (Fred Devito)

    Ventured back to the Orlando area for the Track Shack 2023 Winter Park 10k.

    This was my 5th time toeing the start line for the race but the first time I did not enter with a set finish time in mind.  I spent the past 4 weeks recovering from Piriformis Syndrome and my training was limited prior to the race.  Yes, this sounds like an excuse, but I was excited to race pain free again.  Decided this race would be my test to determine how well I recovered and make a final decision on the 2023 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon in April.  Pain in this race would have eliminated me from traveling to Nashville to tackle the hills up there.

    Made my way to Track Shack on Friday before the 10k to pick up my race packet and do some shopping.  I’m always looking to get new Track Shack gear and wanted to make sure I had time to check out the new selections and colors.  It appears a lot of runners had the same idea—the line was out the door when I arrived.  This is the first time I’ve experienced a long line at Track Shack, but this was an indication race capacity was full this year.

    I didn’t do a major carb load process for the 10k but made my way to the UCF Buffalo Wild Wings to indulge in wings, potato wedges and beer.  This is the meal I leveraged to launch me into the 10k.  Made sure to get to bed early so I could make my way over to Winter Park with enough time to warm up, stretch and test out my legs prior to race time.  I wanted to get a two-mile warm up before the race to ensure I was ready to complete the 6.2 miles with minimum leg issues.  There’s a lot of activity around the Winter Park race village—vendors, runners and the Saturday Farmers Market are all in the same area.  Great place to watch people.

    Made my way to the 10-minute per mile section of the starting corral.  I didn’t want to be too close to the front because my competitive nature would have taken over and I would have pressed the pace.  Figured limiting my starting position would keep me from going out too fast and possibly aggravating my leg again. 

    The race was crowded, and the first mile was slow not necessarily by choice but because there were so many runners.  This worked in my favor since I couldn’t go fast even if I wanted too at this point of the race.

    The runners started to thin out a bit around mile 2 and again after mile 3.  I did not experience any pain through this point of the race and settled into a nice clip and started to enjoy the process of racing again.  I leveraged a couple of runners for pacing to help me keep a consistent pace through the middle portion of the race.  Mentally processed the concept of speeding up but decided to just enjoy the course, great weather and being around other runners.  There was no need to push the pace or myself at this point and didn’t want to create a situation where the piriformis became irritated.

    I increased my cadence at mile 6 when we made our way back onto Park Avenue.  There were a ton of spectators at this juncture, and I pressed the pace a bit to see what I had available for the end of the race.  I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face and no pain in my legs.

    Finished in 1:02:39 and made my way over to the race village to get my beer and take a few pictures while there.  Got a chance to catch up with a few runners I know from the Track Shack circuit and did some light shopping at the Farmers Market.

    Happy with my performance and not aggravating my running injury.  Looks like I’m clear to travel to Nashville and tackle the Music City hills.

    Of course, I will get in some line dancing and country music while I’m there.  😊

    Irie!