Palm Beaches Marathon – Walk Into the Future

2023 Palm Beaches Marathon

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“No marathon gets easier later. The halfway point only marks the end of the beginning”.

(Joe Henderson)

2022 was finally the year I accepted the 26.2-mile (marathon) challenge.

I thought and talked about it for a few years but never took the steps to sign up and train. Accepted the challenge and signed up for the 2022 Palm Beaches Marathon. This was my race of choice due to the flat course and proximity to Fort Pierce. I chronicled my training program and the marathon with multiple Walk into the Future blog posts.

Started 2023 with an aggressive race schedule: 1 marathon, 6 half marathons, 1 10-miler, 3 10k’s, and 4 5k’s. I skipped two additional half marathons due to injury and my trip back down to Jamaica. The race volume was designed to help prepare me for the last race of the year which was the 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon in December.

My marathon training program allowed me to complete 580 miles as part of my preparation for the race. I made a point to minimize the miles I completed on the exercise bike as I wanted to ensure my training miles were consistent with the mechanics of running a marathon.

I enjoyed the training sessions more this year from a physical and mental aspect. The training didn’t get easier, but I was better prepared to train and compete this year.

Made my way back down to West Palm Beach the day before the marathon. Decided to get a hotel closer to the race start/finish line this year. This allowed me to spend more time downtown without having to worry about finding parking—I parked at my hotel and then walked when I needed to go out. The race EXPO was only one block away from the hotel so headed over to pick up my race bib and goodie bag. Garden of Life is the race sponsor, and they provided each participant with a full bag of supplements. This was a highlight for me because this allowed me to stock up on supplements without having to purchase individually—this stuff will last me for most of 2024. 😊

Got breakfast at E.R. Bradley Saloon again this year to continue to carb load. Pancakes and beer at 10 am are what fueled me towards race day. Headed back to the hotel to hydrate more and get my race gear ready. Got on the exercise bike at the hotel to stretch my legs and then got busy with my foam roller to work out my legs. Kicked back a bit, watched TV, and continued to drink extra water since the forecast called for high humidity on race day. Found Nico’s Pizza for a large pasta dinner to help put extra carbs in my system. This was a great place to watch people so sat for a while and continued to drink beers before heading back to the hotel for an early bedtime.

Race day called for an early alarm so I could stretch and mentally prepare for the 26.2 miles that were on the schedule. My training program had me physically and mentally prepared to perform. I was not as nervous this time since I knew I could start and complete a full marathon. This was a welcome feeling and I found myself enjoying the wait at the start line. There were a lot of folks around me, but I had a big smile on my face and I’m sure they wondered why I was in such a good mood.

The temperature and humidity were higher this year and I knew this would be a problem at some point during the race. These conditions were considered as I determined my race day strategy—wanted to run a safe and tactical race to ensure I finished with a smile on my face.

I positioned myself in the middle of the corral—like the feeling of passing other runners early in the race. Also, the middle of the corral helps me check my speed in the first portion of the race and keeps me from going out too fast.

My race strategy called for me to hit each water stop during the marathon to ensure I stayed hydrated and didn’t hit a wall later in the race. The first water stop surprised me because it was only a half mile into the race—thought that was a bit early but followed my plan and got Gatorade and then splashed water on the top of my head to keep me cool. Wanted to get as many miles in as possible before the sun started to peek out of the early morning clouds.

Ran the first 5 miles with a group of runners who had a nice steady pace. Decided to stay with them as long as possible to see how this would impact my race experience. There are not very many spectators on this course, so it was all internal motivation and grit guiding me through the miles.

I hit the 13.1-mile (halfway) marker a little slower than 2022 which was part of the plan. The sun was out by now and most runners began to slow a bit. A male runner who has a similar body type as mine decided to run with me for a bit and we joked marathon running is not a typical activity for guys with muscles. He kept calling me ‘big guy’ which I didn’t know if that was a compliment or insult, but we kept a good pace during the second portion of the race.

Made it to mile 22 this year before I started feeling the full impact of the humidity. The course is not shaded so the sun plus humidity on the back side slowed most of us down. I didn’t feel as bad as last year but did begin to question myself again for tackling this distance. Had to pull out a lot of positive self-talk to move myself forward after mile 23. The spectators that were out helped motivate me at this point and I kept putting one foot in front of the other towards the finish line.

The last mile hurt but I would not be denied crossing that finish line with a smile on my face. The crowds cheered and I waved like I was in first place. Crossed the line a bit slower than my first race but my mental and physical outlooks were much better this time around. Collected my medal, got some finish line pictures, and found a spot to sit down and drink my beers.

The challenge was accepted again, and I completed the mission—start and finish upright.

This will be the last time I run the Palm Beaches marathon. Looking to run this as a half marathon in 2024 because the heat and humidity make the second portion of the race unpredictable for me.

Also, I have the 2024 Chicago Marathon in October, so the turnaround time is too quick for another full marathon in December.

What challenges did you conquer in 2023?

Irie!

“A marathon is hundreds of miles. The finish is the last 26.2”.

(Unknown)

Marathon Training Update #2

Medal Palm Beach

My Walk into the Future is closing in on the 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon. I am heading down south on Saturday for my big race on Sunday.

The training this year went by smoother than last year. I chalk this up to having a better mental and physical understanding of the training program and what is required each week. I also view my hydration and nutrition planning as much improved from this time last year.

It is amazing how quickly you learn the things not to do to get prepared for a 26.2-mile race. Excited and terrified at the same time. Runners are a unique group of people with an adventurous mindset.

I didn’t have my friend Lauren training for a marathon with me this year, but she was always available to listen to me share about my progress. Hoping we will both get into the 2024 Chicago Marathon and enjoy this process together again next year. We both signed up for the marathon lottery system and will find out today if we get in. I will focus on the 2024 Chicago Marathon as my big race next year if I get in—fingers crossed!

The 18-week training plan has allowed me to increase my mileage safety as I built up my base miles. I added hill and speed training this year to increase my endurance towards the full marathon distance.

Here are my total weekly miles so far this year:

Week #10: 38 miles
Week #11: 23 miles
Week #12: 32 miles
Week #13: 34 miles
Week #14: 22 miles
Week #15: 39 miles
Week #16: 28 miles
Week #17: 29 miles
Week #18: 33 miles

I have logged 465 total miles during this journey to include multiple 5k and half marathon races. The process of racing brings me a level of enjoyment to my training program and is a lot more exciting (for me) than simply going out for long runs on my own. I got spoiled a bit in Oviedo by having an active running environment with all the Orlando Track Shack events to choose from. There are multiple running clubs in Orlando so finding a running club to get a few miles in with was an easy process there.

This week is dedicated to carb loading, extra stretching and getting a lot of rest. The full marathon beat me down last year so I’m adjusting my daily routine this year to conserve as much energy as possible.

Still have not decided my race strategy—will look to listen to my body and go out with a comfortable pace that I can maintain throughout the race. I started to struggle at the 18-mile marker last year so want to extend my progress beyond this point in 2023.

My goal is to beat my time from last year and set a new PR for myself. I’ve got a race goal time in my head but will not reveal it here just now. I will brag later if I hit my preset goal. 😊

Wish me luck!

Irie!

2023 Run to Stop Hunger 5K

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“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!

2023 Marathon Training update

“Every marathon I ran, I knew I had a faster one in me”.

(Dick Beardsley)

My Walk into the Future allowed me to take the deep dive to sign up, train and complete a full marathon in 2022. The concept of running a full marathon had been with me for a while but I never committed to the process prior to 2022.

The 2022 Palm Beaches Garden of Life Marathon was the targeted race, and I am proud of my training efforts and completing the race. I did not think I would want to run another one but was surprised with my recovery and the impact the marathon had on me completing shorter races. I learned how to manage the pain and continue to press forward during races.

I leveraged an 18-week training program last year and decided this got me prepared for my first marathon and it will be the training program for 2023 as well.

I am currently finishing week 9 of the training program so I am halfway through with a lot more miles to come. I thought all miles were equal and incorporated too many miles on my exercise bike last year. I quickly discovered the error in my thinking and training process during the 2022 Game On Treasure Coast Half Marathon. This race was part of my training, but I did not perform as well as I should have—the miles on the bike did not translate to running in the Florida humidity. I completed the race in decent shape but could not find another gear to go faster which was disappointing.

Fast forward to 2023 and I made a concerted effort to ensure my training miles were outside. This meant I had to set a consistent bedtime so I could get up earlier in the morning to get my Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday runs in before work. My bedtime during the week is 8:45 pm with an alarm time of 4:45 am. Never thought I would go to bed this early, but it is necessary for my training program. Getting proper rest is a key component to quality training sessions.

I also invested in my nutrition plan more than I did in 2022. The proper use of carbohydrates and hydration are two of the improvements I’ve made so far. The carbs allow me to perform better during my early morning runs. My increased water intake provides a solid foundation for my training and keeps me fresh. I have increased my form roller use as well to negate muscle soreness throughout the week.

All of this is designed to help me arrive at the 2023 Palm Beaches Garden of Life Marathon ready to perform and run faster than last year. This race is flat and provides an opportunity for runners to go fast—I did not leverage this fact last year and will look to improve my time and enjoyment of the race day atmosphere.

Last year I identified I was excited and terrified to complete a full marathon but now I’m looking forward to each training session and getting closer to race day. Yep, my mindset is completely different this year. LOL.

MAIN

The 18-week training plan starts out with lower mileage and slowly builds up each week. Here are my total weekly miles so far this year:

Week #1: 16 miles
Week #2: 20 miles
Week #3: 26 miles
Week #4: 30 miles
Week #5: 29 miles
Week #6: 27 miles
Week #7: 30 miles
Week #8: 18 miles
Week #9: 37 miles

My miles during the work week are completed in my new neighborhood. I have an area in the neighborhood that does not have traffic since construction has not started there yet. This gives me a convenient place to run in the mornings safely. I bring my own water or Gatorade and leave it on my route so I can stop and get fuel during the run. This is a new feature of my running. Last year I utilized a hydration backpack, but it seemed to impact my running because it moved around a lot. Ditched the hydration backpack and decided to place my drinks in strategic spots—seems to be working for me so far.

My long runs are still done on Hutchinson Island—this allows me more options to get double digits miles completed safely.

I am happy with my progress so far and look forward to additional miles on this journey.

My next training update will be the week prior to the marathon.

Thanks for following me on this journey!

Irie!

“The marathon never ceases to be a race of joy, a race of wonder”.

(Hal Higdon)

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!

2023 – 2024 Running Season

My 2022 running season was an aggressive approach for me. Wanted to continue to test myself and see how much I could improve my running performance.

I did not see any personal records (PRs) in 2022 but my conditioning and endurance were on display with each race.

The ultimate challenge was stepping up and competing in my first full marathon. I have been back and forth for years on running one but finally got the courage to sign up, show up and finish one. Super proud of this fact.

Now, I find myself signing up for half marathons as a normal part of my training program. My training focus used to be getting ready for my next half marathon. I’m at the point where I can run one on short notice and still compete well. That’s well and fine but looking for a few PRs in the 2023 – 2024 racing season. LOL.

I want to PR a 5k, 10k, half marathon and the full marathon this season. Aggressive I know but, that’s why we make goals.

Here’s my tentative schedule so far:

8/19/2023	2023 Celebration of Running 5k	Winter Park
9/3/2023	2023 Virginia Beach 10-miler	Virginia Beach, VA
9/16/2023	2023 Out Run Hunger 5k	Fort Pierce
10/8/2023	2023 Hutchinson Island Half Marathon	Fort Pierce
10/22/2023	2023 Cocoa Beach Half Marathon	Cocoa Beach
11/4/2023	2023 Hollywood Half Marathon	Hollywood, FL
12/2/2023	2023 OUC Half Marathon	Orlando
12/10/2023	2023 Garden of Life Marathon	West Palm Beach
1/21/2024	2024 Vero Beach Half Marathon	Vero Beach
1/28/2024	2024 Town of Celebration Half Marathon	Celebration, FL
2/10/2024	2024 Fleet Feet Run for your Heart 10k	Stuart, FL
4/27/2024	2024 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon	Nashville, TN
6/1/2024	2024 San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon	San Diego

May add a few additional races to this list but this should keep me training and competing this fall and next spring.

What challenges are you tackling this year?

Irie!

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.

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

Which one is your favorite?

Irie!

2022 OUC Half Marathon

“The trouble with not having a goal is that you spend your life running up and down the field and never score”.

(Bill Copeland)

My 2022 Walk into the Future became focused on completing my first full marathon in December.

The 2022 Palm Beaches Marathon provided me with a new goal and a physical challenge to work towards. The 18-week training program provided me with flexibility with my runs, so I continued to look for ways to make training as exciting as possible. This included signing up for 5ks and half marathons to help me break up the training sessions.

My last long run before the Palm Beaches Marathon was scheduled to be an 8-miler. I graduated from the super long runs (18, 19, 20) a couple weeks earlier but wanted to test my fitness one more time before the marathon.

I signed up for the 2022 Orlando Utility Commission (OUC) half marathon back in December 2021 and decided to fulfill that commitment since I needed the miles. I also enjoy being back in Orlando to see my friends and the culture the Orlando area provides.

Rode over to Orlando the day prior to the race to pick up my race packet at Track Shack. Always love visiting the Track Shack running store since they are a one stop run store where I can pick up running gear and supplements. Started purchasing CBD gems (gels) at Track Shack because they have a huge selection with the best prices. Bib pickup was uneventful—I got there before the big rush and purchased a new running shirt.

Left Track Shack and headed back to Oviedo to check into my hotel. I stay in the same place since I’m a creature of habit and it allows me to spend more time in Oviedo. Headed to my favorite Italian restaurant, Café Panuzzos. Love the food and atmosphere there and always come back when I’m back in town: https://cafepanuzzos.com/

Got back to the hotel to relax and mentally prepare for the race coming up. I was still deciding how I wanted to attack the race from a strategic standpoint—do I go out for a specific time or just clock miles as part of the training plan? Decided to completely test my fitness to see what my training program accomplished.

Made my way downtown the next morning to toe the line for the 9^th time for the OUC Half Marathon—guess you can say this is my hometown race now.

Things were going as scheduled until I got downtown Orlando. Normally it is easy to get downtown to park prior to the race. This year the Orlando police changed the traffic patterns and had cars lined up for miles. I finally got out of my normal parking garage line and found a surface lot two blocks down. This put me closer to the start line, but I lost about 45 minutes trying to get parked—never experienced this before.

Made it to the start line in time to hear the national anthem and the starter encouraging runners to have a good race. I was able to get a light stretch in and got into the back of the race corral behind the walkers and parents with strollers. Never been this far back so figured I was in for an experience during the race. Fun fact—I have never passed so many people in a race. I guess starting in the back does have some benefits. 😊

Made my way through the other runners from the back of the pack and started to get comfortable with my pace. Could not go out much faster since I had so many runners to navigate my way through. The weather was great—nice cool central Florida morning so put a smile on my face and then kept pressing forward.

Ran Mile 1 in 10:01 and did not feel pressed even though I had to weave my way through strollers and walkers. Felt good after the first water stop and decided to see if I could run negative splits (faster times) for each mile. Here’s what I got accomplished:

Mile 1: 10:01/ Mile 2: 9:57 / Mile 3: 9:43 / Mile 4: 9:47 / Mile 5: 9:40 / Mile 6: 9:45 / Mile 7: 9:54 / Mile 8: 9:37 / Mile 9: 9:57 / Mile 10: 10:34 / Mile 11: 10:19 / Mile 12: 11:18 / Mile 13: 10:36 / Mile .1 / 1:45

I laughed at myself when I saw my Mile 12 split because I got caught up looking around and sightseeing a bit too much and did not realize I slowed down that much. Had nothing to do with fitness or pain, I simply drifted off looking at Orlando scenario when I should have been bearing down to finish this race. Lesson learned. Completed the OUC Half in 2:12:52 which was my second fastest half of 2022—should have been my fastest but Mile 12 took care of that. LOL.

Crossed the finish line feeling the best I’ve ever felt while running a half marathon. The full marathon training really helped me manage the lactic acid and pain. Felt fresh and ready to run more if it was needed.

I’m ready to tackle the 2022 Palm Beaches Marathon—let’s make it happen! 😊

Irie!

“A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at”.

(Bruce Lee)

Race for Recovery 5k

“Life is for participating, not for spectating”.

(Katherine Switzer)

The theme lately is training and racing! Don’t think that is going to stop anytime soon since I have a marathon to get ready for.

Happy to leverage local races to supplement my training program since running in races is a lot more fun than just training miles. Discovered 5k’s can be fun again and a great way to warm up my legs prior to my long training runs. Fun fact, either I am getting faster, or the competition is just letting me run by them—still trying to figure out which. LOL.

The latest Walk into the Future race was the Race for Recovery 5k hosted in Port St. Lucie on the Indian River State College Pruitt campus. I consider this to still be a hometown race since the campus is only about a 20-minute drive from where I live in Fort Pierce.

It rained the night before and I considered bypassing the 5k but knew I still needed to log weekend miles so took a chance and headed to Port St. Lucie to toe the line again.

I did not get a chance to pick up my race bib during the week so needed to arrive a bit early so I could get my race swag and prep for the race. Check-in was painless, and I made my way back to my vehicle to get organize, stretch, and get a quick jog in to loosen my legs.

There was not a huge turnout for this race but the folks there were friendly and ready to run. It started to sprinkle a bit, but I was committed to run since I made it to the start line. Made my way to the start line to ensure I did not get caught up in traffic to start the race.

I did not have a preset race time or pace in mind but wanted to enjoy the course and get some miles in before heading off for my long run.

This course starts within the Pruitt campus and then heads out for a 3-mile loop before coming back on-campus for the finish. It is completely flat, and we never had to cross traffic which is always a good thing.

I went out with a controlled pace to allow other runners to spread out a bit to avoid bumping into anyone. I located a runner I knew who normally runs a great pace so decided to use her as my pacer. That only lasted for about a quarter mile since she was not pushing the pace and I felt like I wanted to go faster.

Mile-1 was completed in 8:58. Mile-2 went down in 9:17. Mile-3 clipped by at 9:22. We got hit with a heavy rain down pour right after the Mile-1 marker so I’m happy with my mile splits. This is because there is nothing worse than running with water drenched shoes and socks. My feet felt like I was running with weights around my ankles but wanted to keep pressing forward to see what I could do in these conditions.

Turned the corner to head towards the finish line and coasted a bit. The funny part here is the runner I mentioned above who was not running fast enough for me was using me as her pacer. We crossed the finish line in a dead heat, and she thanked ME for getting her across the finish line. 😊

Both of us clocked 28:04 and finished first in our respective age groups. Had a good laugh as we collected our awards and headed our different ways. I still needed to get in additional miles so headed home to dry off, change my clothes and put on a dry pair of running shoes.

Got my remaining 11 miles done before relaxing and enjoying the rest of the day.

The 5k races were done to get me mentally ready for the 2022 Clearwater Rock N Roll Half Marathon. Found out yesterday this race was cancelled due to Hurricane Ian lurking in the Gulf of Mexico. Looks like this race is reschedule for October 2023—hope to run this race one of these days.

May look for another 5k to keep me running fast—we will see.

What are your running goals for the rest of 2022?

Irie!

“Sometimes you just do things”.

(Scott Jurek)

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