Instarunners – Walk Into the Future

Success in Black and White podcast

Success

“A podcast is a great way to develop relationships with hard-to-reach people”.

(Tim Paige)

The Walk into the Future blog has provided me with multiple opportunities to share my words, thoughts, and experiences with others.

I started this journey in 2018 with an idea of the direction I wanted to go but had no idea the process would be so much fun for me. The ability to be creative and explore adventures are two key elements that allow me to continue to produce content for the blog. I love the comments, texts, and emails I receive when something I write speaks to others—I guess you can say I am finding my voice as I develop content.

One area that puts a huge smile on my face is when one of my tree branches reaches out and want to produce content with me. My smile gets even bigger when the request comes from TWO tree branches! 😊

My tree branches, Darryl and April Lovett have a successful platform: Success in Black and White.

Proud of these two as they tackle issues others may shy away from, but they have fun as they do it. Love the fact they move forward as a POWER couple; their energy is contagious and makes you want to get up and make a difference in the world.

They asked me to join them for a podcast episode and I immediately said yes. Saw this as a perfect way to catch up with them and share a little bit of Walk into the Future with their growing audience. Please note, recording the episode was more fun than I ever imagined—well done Darryl and April!

We were able to catch up during the podcast and cover a lot of content in the one-hour timeframe. They asked great questions and were not afraid to follow-up for clarity. The question that really got me energized was: What is your calling and why are you passionate about it?

I have been asked this question in multiple ways but really enjoy the opportunity to continue to share my WHY. My why is to leave everyone better than when I met them. It took me a few years to put this down into a simple statement, but it has been with me for some time now.

I was able to dive a bit deeper while speaking with Darryl and April during the podcast. My desire to help others started for me in high school. I had a Guidance Counselor who did not even try to help me plan my life after high school. I had several friends who got excellent advice from this same counselor, but she only told me to join the military. We never discussed how to apply to colleges, how to apply for financial aid or anything about further education and the doors it would open. Fast forward and I hold three degrees without ever having a student loan—so maybe it was a good thing my high school guidance counselor did not help me with the process. 😊

My why is driven by the lack of support I received from my guidance counselor. I provide mentorship to everyone that crosses my path because I do not want them to have to struggle because I would not take the time to help them. I wanted to make sure Darryl, April and their audience understood how important this is for me. The passion I display when working with my tree branches and potential branches is because I want to help them grow. Sounds cliché but it is something I live every day.

A funny but true aspect of how I developed my why is I do not remember the name of my high school guidance counselor. Imagine, this lady fueled my passion with her lack of attention to my future and I do not remember her name, but she has allowed me to touch so many lives in a positive way. Good things come out of bad situations. Please note, I would not change a thing—I seem to be doing okay with this Walk into the Future journey.

Discovered during the podcast episode April also considers herself a running tourist! We got a chance to discuss why I run and the positive impacts it has on my daily journey. Hoping we can all get back to running, exploring, and traveling soon—there are still races out there to run.

So, I repeat the question Darryl and April asked me:

What is your calling and why are you passionate about it?

Thank you, Darryl and April for allowing me to come on your podcast! It was fun! 😊 Irie!

“Podcasting is great. Total freedom”.

(Bill Burr)

2020 Orlando Utility Commission (OUC) Half Marathon

OUC1

“I plan on having such an epic run, Morgan Freeman should narrate it”.

(Runner’s World)

Running and racing has become such a large part of my lifestyle that I felt a definitive loss in 2020.

I will not harp on the COVID-19 impact on our daily lives. There are more important things in this world than me traveling around the country and chasing people in my attempt to gain a personal record (PR) in the half marathon. Everyone who reads the Walk into the Future blog or listens to me long enough know I love my PR attempts.

My 2019 progress set the stage for me to run even faster in 2020 while tackling more races and new locations. I targeted 7 half marathons to complete in 2020 with an incremental decrease in my PR time for each race I ran. My goal continues to be to run the half marathon distance under 2 hours. I will need to bring out the Benjamin Button affect again at some point to reach this goal.

Luckily, I was able to complete the 2020 New Orleans Rock N Roll half marathon in early February before we knew the future impact of COVID-19 on the country. I left New Orleans with a goal to train harder and get ready for the 2020 Nashville Rock N Roll half marathon scheduled for April—Nashville is my favorite race and city. Missed seeing the sights in Nashville and line dancing at the Wild Horse Saloon. Maybe in 2021!

Races 2 (Nashville) through 7 (San Antonio) were all canceled/postponed/terminated due to COVID-19. Most of my running friends wanted to race but we knew eliminating the races was the right thing to do. I still trained but not with as much intensity because I did not have a finish line to run across. I wrote earlier about the virtual race process but never felt the same excitement racing against myself. Could not make myself run fast without someone else around for me to compete against.

Fast forward a bit and my favorite running club, Track Shack in Orlando identified they received Orange county and City of Orlando clearance to stage the 2020 OUC Half Marathon in December with new safety measures. I did not immediately sign-up but got excited when I discovered a real race was possible again. I did a lot of research on the Track Shack race safety measures to make sure I would not be at risk during the event.

The entire race experience was adjusted by the Track Shack staff to keep all runners physical distanced before and after the race. We were required to wear masks prior to starting the race and immediately after crossing the finish line. We did not have to run with the masks on but had to have them for the finish line. Runners were lined up in corrals based on estimated finish times, but we had to stand on assigned markers on the ground before we could start the race. Felt a bit weird but everything was done to protect the runners.

I registered for the OUC half marathon on October 15, 2020 with a race date of December 5, 2020. This timeframe gave me less than a two-month physical and mental preparation window for the 13.1-mile journey in front of me. Decided at this point to just enjoy the training runs and eliminate the thought processing of chasing a PR. This concept provided me with a free mind and gave me the perspective that completing the race was the most important thing. Thing #2 was to run the race and not hurt myself! 😊

OUC3

Race day

The Orlando weather was a bit warmer than I expected but the cloud cover kept the sun away which helped a lot. I did not queue up close to the front corrals since I knew I was not going fast this year and wanted to let the faster folks go out without me in the way.

The new safety measures allowed about 200 runners to go out at a time, so I ended up waiting about 20 minutes before I made it to the start line to begin the race.

Mask off and I was back in my world of racing! I am sure people wondered why I was smiling so much but the joy of running was there at the beginning. My first mile pace was 8:50—which was not too bad considering my goal was to go out nice and easy. Felt good so I kept running at this pace for a bit to see what I had under the hood this year. 😊

A fun fact–at the 3-mile marker while running through a downtown Orlando neighborhood I passed the house of one of my old on-campus recruiters from my UCF days. He was standing on his front lawn cheering on the runners with his daughter. Did not know if he would recognize me in my running gear but I was able to say hello to him and invite him to recruit students at my new school. Please note, I never broke stride but was able to successfully network with an Orlando recruiter while running a half marathon. Completed a Zoom call with him the following Monday and he is excited to recruit our students in the spring semester—small world, huh?

Miles 3 through 8 were my parade through Orlando neighborhoods. I waved at spectators who were out on their lawns to cheer for the runners. I stopped at a pop-up table serving shots of beer as a refresher during the race. I thanked law enforcement officials who were there for traffic duty. You would have thought I was a politician with the amount of smiling, waving, and speaking to people I got done during this race.

Miles 9 through 13 were not as enjoyable as the previous set of miles. Limited training also means my lactic acid thresholds were not built up as they should have been. This means my legs started to hurt and it only got worse the longer I went. I have been here before, so I was able to press forward but my speed and demeanor changed quite a bit. The smile was gone, and I did not feel like waving at folks anymore. Had to bear down and keep moving forward towards the finish line. Luckily for me I was not chasing records and just wanted to complete the race while enjoying the process of running again.

Crossed the finish line with a smile on my face because I was able to run and compete again. COVID-19 has beat us up in 2020 but it could not keep me from running in one of my favorite cities. Mission complete!

The post-race area was sparse as part of the safety measures. No beer, doughnuts, or music to enjoy this year. We were handed a Publix bag with water, banana, granola, and our race medal. That was it—no fanfare, networking and hanging around to cheer other runners on. Run, conquer, and go home was the message of the day.

No worries, we had a great day to race and fantastic people to chase around Orlando again.

Fingers crossed that racing returns in 2021—I have a few PRs to set! 😊

What are you looking forward to in 2021? Let’s make it happen! Irie!

“You never realize how long a minute is until you are running”.

(Pinterest)

Walking and being black in America!

Candles

(Image by Pexels from Pixabay)

“To be black and conscious in America is to be in a constant state of rage”.

(James Baldwin)

“I’m a black man in America so I always feel there’s a target on me”.

(Wale)

The Walk into the Future blog has provided me with a creative outlet where I can share my thoughts, leadership philosophy and life adventures. It puts a smile on my face when I look back at this journey and see the quality of my writing and content improve daily. Never thought an electronic journal would become such a huge part of my daily life. I smile every time someone follows the blog or sends me a comment.

Well, I did not smile so much today!

The battle we fight daily as black men in America has been playing out on every major TV network first with Ahmaud Arbery (killed jogging), then Breonna Taylor (killed sleeping) and now George Floyd (killed while handcuffed). Think about that last sentence for a minute!

I know there are others out there who have faced the wrath of America but there was not video evidence of what happened to them. Black America has been hoping and praying these incidents would stop and we can fully engage in the American dream—good thing I am not holding my breath—this never seems to end! Why not? I know this is not a simple question to answer but it needs to get answered soon.

Got several text messages from my friends to check on me to see how I am doing with all of this. Thank you for thinking of me and reaching out!

Think it hits closer to home with my friends because they know how much I am out and about with my running program. Seeing a black man get killed while out for a run highlighted our plight to my friends—yes, that could have been me. I have had to reassure my mom, brothers, and friends that I am doing everything I can to stay safe when I am out for a run. Sad to say I must think about being able to make it home safely when I go out for a run. How many who read my blog have these thoughts when you go for a run? Life is weird, huh?

My running outfits are selected to provide me with the most visibility as possible. The extreme bright, loud, and sometimes fluorescent colors are used so everyone will know I am not hiding anything or trying to blend in. I want to be visible and remembered by everyone who sees me running through their neighborhood. I also make a point to speak, wave, and smile at everyone I encounter because I do not want them to feel threatened. Surprisingly, most do not wave back but that is not the point of my actions. I smile and wave whenever I see a police car drive by too. Cannot be seen as a threat while exercising!

(Do I look like a runner?)

I also make a point to carry my retired Air Force identification card when I am on my runs in case I encounter police. I have found police are less threatened when they realize they are talking with someone who has served the country.

When driving I always show my military identification if I get pulled over for any reason first, then I provide whatever identification is requested. Please know both hands remain on the steering wheel and then I explain in a clear, distinct voice what I am doing if ordered to produce anything else. I am sure most black people follow this same process to avoid misunderstandings that leads to…you know!

Being a black man in America is exhausting! I have a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, a Master’s degree in Counseling/Human Relations, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Air Force retiree identification and recognized nationally for authentic leadership development.

Now, imagine what black men without my credentials must do to survive in America. The insanity must stop!

NOTE: I will get back to my normal tone next week—thanks for allowing me to vent.

“I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color”.

(Malcolm X.)

“Usually, when people are sad, they don’t do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they are angry, they bring about change”.

(Malcolm X.)

Time for change—let’s get out and vote, remain vigilant and demand change—we must do better!

How can you help?

Start a voter registration campaign
Sign a petition
- https://colorofchange.org/
- https://www.change.org/
Stay vigilant

Great article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/05/29/george-floyd-ahmaud-arbery-killings-make-hard-blacks-breathe-column/5278108002/

Walking in the Future without a return date

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

“I want to move and go places and never look back. Just have fun, forever”.

(Josephine Marcus from the 1993 movie, Tombstone)

I love the quote above for the simple nature of how it signifies life should be fun.

The quote was a response to a question Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) asked Josephine Marcus (Dana Delaney) in the 1993 movie, Tombstone. He was trying to understand how Josephine defined the concept of happiness.

My current Walk into the Future has a bit of resemblance to Josephine’s view with a slight twist.

I constantly seek out opportunities and adventures that excite me and then find ways to incorporate these things into my current walk. Had another interesting conversation with a longtime friend prior to heading to Philadelphia for the 2019 Philly Rock n Roll half marathon.

My travel itinerary was the topic of discussion and I revealed in my typical Walk into the Future fashion the following things were known about my trip:

Hotel reservation confirmed
Race registration confirmed
Arrival flight confirmed

The list above did not have an official return date from Philadelphia. To me, this was not a big deal, just part of how I Walk into the Future.

My friend quickly became worried for me because going somewhere new without a return date was/is a foreign concept to most people. FYI, for me this is an exciting part of the walk! Please note, I knew when I planned to come back, I just didn’t book the return flight at the same time as my departure.

Southwest Airlines tends to reduce flight prices to ensure they have full flights. I simply gambled on the premise they would lower the price for the return flight from Philly and it happened. Spent less coming back than I did going up because of my ability to walk without a return date.

Don’t consider myself as a travel pioneer; I’m sure other people have flexible travel schedules. This flexibility is an exciting aspect when traveling. I routinely book travel at the last minute because of the great deals I’ve been able to get in the past. Please note, it does not always work in my favor and I end up spending the same or more for my travel adventures. Can’t complain when this happens since I normally come out ahead more times than not.

I book with a more traditional travel concept when friends and family travel with me. My wait and see program can cause some level of anxiety so I’m mindful to eliminate this when others are counting on me being in a specific location at a specific time.

Plan to explore new destinations in 2020 and will not be pressed by a return date. Will continue Walking into the Future with no return date; been a fun journey so far! 😊

Where would you travel without a return date? Would you find this exciting or scary?

“Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better”.

(Albert Camus)

(Downtown Philly!)

2019 Orlando Utility Commission (OUC) Half Marathon recap — the Benjamin Button effect

“You know you’re a runner when, your running shoes ARE the most expensive pair of shoes you possess”.

(Anonymous runner)

My 2019 racing schedule ended on 12/7/19 at the OUC half marathon in Orlando.

This was my 5^th half marathon and 7^th race of the year. I started 2019 with an aggressive (for me) race schedule where I wanted to race more and increase the number of half marathon finishes. I also set a goal to run a half marathon under 2 hours—I didn’t meet this goal but did improve my Personal Record (PR) four times this year, so progress has been made. I’m faster now than when I started running half marathons in 2013 (Benjamin Button).

How many times running this race?

I started my half marathon quest in 2013 at this very same race. A UCF friend convinced me to run a half marathon with intent to run it with me for support. She had several half and full marathons completed and thought it would be a good challenge for me to run a half marathon.

Fast forward a bit, I signed up and began training but her husband got a job transfer and they moved to Dallas, Texas before the race. I thought about backing out since I didn’t have a running partner but decided to give it a try on my own.

Had no idea how to train, eat or prepare for a half marathon so simply relied on athletic ability for my first try. This was a horrible idea! I would have quit during my first half marathon but didn’t know how to get back to my car, so had to keep going in order to figure out where I parked. This is not a joke, I finished because I had no other choice.

Ran this race again the following year because I had to prove to myself, I could run a half marathon and appear to be competent while doing it. I improved my finish times incrementally over the years so the pull to come back was there. I skipped the OUC half marathon in 2018 and ran on Amelia Island instead.

The 2019 race was my sixth time running the OUC half marathon. I’m currently 19 minutes faster than the first time I ran the same race (Benjamin Button).

Why come back?

Wanted to test my new training knowledge and program against a course that beat me up in the past. Figured the best way to know if I’m improving is to run the course I wanted to quit on and then move forward.

Happy to report I enjoyed the 2019 version of this race from start to finish! Even found myself with a goofy smile on my face for some reason around mile 9. This may have been the runner’s high people tell me about, but I never experienced before.

No worries just decided to keep on smiling and run my best. This approach allowed me to finish with a PR (2:05:51) and a level of satisfaction with my entire 2019 running program. Can always look for areas to improve but very happy to improve my PR four times this year. As you can see, I’m getting faster as I get older (Benjamin Button). I’m still looking for another gear and project to get a bit faster in 2020.

Stick with the Walk into the Future blog to follow my running progress.

Race recap

Decided not to put an official time goal on this race but wanted to run fast and safely. My top goal was to have fun and complete the 2019 race schedule in style.

Blue is my power color so outfitted with blue from head to toe for this race. Accented my race outfit with orange compression sleeves to represent the Florida Gators as I ran through downtown Orlando.

Miles 1 – 5

Wanted to get out fast but not expend too much energy during the first third of the race. The OUC half marathon also has a 5k race which starts at the same time. Wanted to avoid the extra runners at the beginning of the race so went out with a controlled pace and mindset until the 5k runners split away from the half marathoners at Mile #2. Felt good with my mile splits and knew I had the conditioning to keep my pace going.

Miles 6 – 10

Past races I’ve struggled with this portion of the half marathon. My training, nutrition and mindset have improved this year to where I know how to handle this segment of the race and not slow down much. Was able to stay consistent with my mile splits with no glaring slow miles. This may have been why my goofy smile came out—I knew I was running faster and not slowing a bit.

Miles 11 – 13.1

Realized I wouldn’t break 2 hours at this point but didn’t let that take my smile away. Kept plugging away because I knew I could set another PR by just pressing forward.

Put TI’s song, Motivation on repeat because this is my running hype song that helps me mentally when I run.

The goofy smile was with me the entire time and the miles flew by. There were spectators out helping the runners finish strong; I’m sure they were cheering for me, but I was in my zone and focused on finding the finish line.

Crossed the finish line at 2:05:51 (two hours, 5 minutes and 51 seconds) with a smile on my face and a raised fist! You would have thought I saved the world from annihilation from my reaction, but it was a big deal to me. Ran a smart race with a good time and felt great physically at the end. Trifecta!

After race party

Track Shack does a fantastic job with all aspects of race day.

The vendors, health care and music after the race are first rate. Made my way to the beer truck to get my two beers to go along with my other snacks collected in the vendor area. Yes, runners really drink beer at 9:30 am—we’ve earned it after getting up before the sun rises and running 13.1 miles. LOL. Ran into a few people I knew from my time in Orlando and we celebrated another great Track Shack race.

https://www.trackshack.com/

December 2019 (194 pounds)

“It’s all about the bling!”

(Spectator sign, 2019)

Benjamin Button

So, why do I reference Benjamin Button in this post? Great question!

Most people begin to slow down as runners as they age. I’ve only been attempting the half marathon distance for 6 years now and continue to learn more about training, nutrition (beet juice) and mental focus. I’m just scratching the surface on my running ability and see faster times coming in 2020. So, I’m not getting younger but faster (Benjamin Button). I’m sure the day will come when I can’t keep running faster times but it’s not here yet—so fast I must go! 😊

“For what it’s worth, it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be”.

(Benjamin Button)

Goodbye OUC hello San Antonio Rock N Roll (2020)

I will not run the OUC half marathon in 2020. I’m trading this race and experience in for the 2020 San Antonio Rock N Roll half marathon. I lived in San Antonio while in the Air Force but wasn’t a runner then. This will be my chance to run in a great city and experience the culture and the River Walk from a different perspective. I’m sure I’ll return to the OUC race again in the future, maybe 2021.

Project to run 7 half marathons in 2020.

Already registered for New Orleans (February), Nashville (April) and Philly (September). Will add San Antonio and Savannah; looking at San Diego and maybe Las Vegas to complete 7 with the Rock N Roll series. May adjust with a local half marathon but 7 is the number for 2020.

Logged just under 1,000 miles on this running journey in 2019; I’m sure that number is going up in 2020. Who’s ready to run with me? 😊

How many of your 2019 goals did you accomplish? Have you thought about your 2020 goals yet?

Thanks for walking with me!

Merry Christmas! Will see you in 2020! Thanks!

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: