Tom Brown Park – Walk Into the Future

Running into the Future—goal within reach

Run article

“Set goals and crush them”.

(www.tresfleeck.com)

Goals continue to be a big part of my Walk into the Future. I sit down in January and write out my goals for the year. I break these goals up into categories so I can track my completion progress.

My weekly physical fitness goals include weight training (2 days), run (3 days) and speed work on Wednesdays. My overarching physical fitness goal is 1,000 training miles in 2021—this includes running and biking miles.

I set 1,000 training miles as a goal to push my training to a new level. This mile marker also helps my motivation since there are not as many races to run in this COVID-19 world. I am always looking for ways to maintain my running edge and adding more miles to my training program appears to be a good thing for me.

Happy to report I logged 615 miles so far in 2021. I have not been consistent with my long runs but routinely get in three quality sessions each week.

Tuesdays: 3 – 4 miles (after work)

Thursdays: 4 – 6 miles (after work)

Saturdays: 6 – 8 miles (morning runs)

My Tuesday and Thursday runs are done when I get off work, so I am not concerned about my run times during these sessions. Working 9, 10, 11-hour days creates a mental drain, but I still make time to hit the road since this helps to recharge me physically and mentally. Some days are a lot slower than others, but I smile because I am out doing something I love. Never thought I would say that, but I would be lost without my running program—it just took me awhile to come to this conclusion.

My Saturday runs are not like my long training sessions when I had half marathons to train for. I routinely crushed 10+ mile runs on Saturdays before my move to Fort Pierce but 8 is the longest distance I hit when running locally. I have not found a route that allows me to enjoy the run while getting in longer distances. I have searched multiple locations, but nothing is available like the St. Mark’s Trail or John Brown Park in Tallahassee:

https://visittallahassee.com/10-amazing-tallahassee-trails-5/

The trail system in Tallahassee allowed me to push my mileage and extend my long runs up to 16 miles on multiple training sessions. I plan to get back to the longer versions of my runs since I am looking forward to getting back to being a running tourist.

I am scheduled to run the 2021 Rock n Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon in September. I have never run this race or visited the city so looking forward to getting back to a starting line to test my conditioning against some world class athletes. My goal for this race is to run another Personal Record (PR) and get under 2 hours for the distance. I was on track to go under 2 hours before COVID-19 hit the world, but I am confident I am going to hit my goal.

My training for Virginia Beach will increase my speed towards the Orlando OUC Half Marathon in December. This course is completely flat so it should provide a fast track to help me hit my goals. This will truly springboard my runs into 2022 as I gear up for a full running season—8 or more half marathons.

A full marathon (26.2 miles) will make it on my goals list for 2022—there I said it so now it is out in the open. Let’s see who is going to run it with me! Come on Laurens! 😊

What goals did you set for 2021? How is your progress so far?

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible”.

(Tony Robbins)

Running and enjoying the Winter Park 10k

10k2

“Life is short…running makes it seem longer”.

(Baron Hansen)

Decided to test my fitness again by running the Winter Park 10k with Orlando Track Shack. It should be obvious Track Shack is my favorite running organization but will go ahead and say it again—I love Track Shack and the way they put on racing events.

The 2021 Winter Park 10k was the last event in the Track Shack running series. I was a regular Track Shack Fanatic when I lived in Oviedo but only get to participate in a couple events now. The Track Shack running series consists of 6 scheduled races over an 8-month period which ends with the Winter Park 10k event. You do not have to be a Fanatic to run the Winter Park race, so I made a point to sign up again this year to test myself against the best runners in Central Florida.

My 10k goal continues to be to run faster than my tree branch, Lauren Kume and eventually beat her 10k Personal Record (PR). A quick note, I did not beat her time but was able to shave a substantial amount off my PR and set a new one in 2021. Lauren still has the best time in the family! 😊

Made my way over to Track Shack on Friday afternoon to pick up my race packet and get some last-minute shopping in. I love making it into the Track Shack store to see the new running gear they have. I did not need anything specific but always seem to come out of the store with something new. I try not to run with the same outfit two races in a row, so I am always looking for additional color schemes for my run outfits.

I found a new Track Shack running tank top that caught my eye due to the unique color. Unfortunately, they did not have my size on the rack. Betsy Hughes who is the co-owner with her husband Jon helped me as I was shopping in the store. Small world fact—I met Betsy two years earlier while I was out for a run in Tom Brown park in Tallahassee. One of their daughters lives in Tallahassee and Betsy and Jon were up for a visit. I noticed her Track Shack gear and stopped my run to say hello. Fast forward two years and Betsy remembered me from our quick conversation on a running trail in Tallahassee. Betsy brought Jon over and we got a chance to talk about the great running trails Tallahassee has to offer. Great time catching up with them both—they wished me luck for the race, and I thanked them for being so awesome! 😊

Race day was a comfortable 58 degrees—perfect weather for a run through the Winter Park neighborhoods. Made sure I got there early to make sure I could find parking and get to the start line on-time. COVID-19 has adjusted how races are run so there was not as much activity prior to the race as in the past. There were vendors available but just not as much traffic. We followed Track Shack protocols, and everyone wore their face masks as we waited for the start of the race.

Race time

The starting area was organized to ensure we maintained physical distance prior to the race.

The corrals were marked to ensure runners knew how to line up—there were dots placed on the ground to ensure we stayed a safe distance from the other runners. Runners were able to line up based on their projected mile per minute time (example: 6 minutes, 8 minutes, etc.). I decided to line up with the 8 minute per mile group to avoid having to navigate through a crowd of runners at the beginning of the race.

Happy to report I was able to get out without having to adjust my pace to make it through the initial traffic. I set out to establish a fast but comfortable pace and then see how I felt at the halfway point. Luckily, the runners in my immediate area set a good pace and I decided to hang with them to see how much my conditioning had improved since my last big race which was the OUC Half Marathon in December.

Mile 1: 8:35 / Mile 2: 8:54 / Mile 3: 9:12 / Mile 4: 9:18 / Mile 5: 9:16 / Mile 6: 9:18 / Last .2 / 1:27

I was happy to get in the sub 9-minute miles at the beginning of the race. My goal was to clock as many sub 9-minute miles as possible and then hang on to my form to get me to the finish line. Felt comfortable from start to finish this year. There was a steep incline in the middle of Mile 3 so had to adjust my stride to ensure I did not lose much momentum going up. I broke my sub 9-minute streak here but felt good once I made it to the top. Made up a few seconds on the descent but not enough to keep me under 9 minutes for Mile 3. Took advantage of the first water stop just before the Mile 4 marker—new COVID protocols do not allow open containers so we were provided sealed bottled water during the race. I got back to running comfortably after the water stop and decided to see how much I had left in the tank. Happy to see my times did not drop off as I got deeper into the race. I knew at the Mile 5 marker I would not beat Lauren’s time but had a good race going and a new PR was within reach.

Crossed the finish line strong with a new PR of 55:57. Erased close to a minute off my 2020 10k time.

I am happy with my race results and conditioning at this point of the year. Will look to incorporate speed training to increase my endurance and help keep and maintain my pace for the next race. I am not projected to run another race until the OUC Half Marathon in December. Track Shack has a 5k scheduled in Winter Park in April—thinking about coming back to the Orlando area and run that one. The course is flat and may set-up for another PR for me to lower my 5k time—we will see how it goes.

FYI—I added Tart Cherry juice to my prerace routine and believe it helped my performance from start to finish. I did not experience a lactic acid build up during the race or soreness after.

Give it a try: https://cheribundi.com/

“I chose running as my therapy”.

(Dean Karnazes)

Running tourist—the Tallahassee edition

Running tourist

(Image by 272447 from Pixabay)

“He who is outside his door has the hardest part of his journey behind him”.

(Dutch Proverb)

Shared my running tourist moniker with a group I was networking with last week and was surprised they never heard it before. I am sure I cannot be the first to use it to describe going to other locations for race adventures but thought maybe I should try to copyright the term. Nope, just Googled it and others use the same term to highlight their running adventures too. 😊

Decided it was time to look at the running tourism I see daily in my current home of Tallahassee, Florida. Sometimes we take things close by for granted and never truly engage/enjoy them as much as the fun travel destinations (Nashville, New Orleans, Philly, etc.). Please note, I get out and about as much as the next person in Tallahassee but never documented much in the Walk into the Future blog.

Running trails

I have referred to the many trails and places I train to prepare for my races. Tallahassee is known for the multiple parks, trails, and greenways available to explore. The terrain goes from very flat surfaces to high degree inclines which are perfect to help prepare for races around the country. My early running years in Tallahassee were mostly contained to Lafayette Heritage Park and the Alfred Greenway.

Looking back believe I stayed with these running environments because they were close by. I simply walked across the street to get on the paved trail that took me into Lafayette Heritage Park—the Alfred Greenway is on the opposite side of the park. Both venues provided a good foundation to running for me and looking back did not provide a huge challenge to navigate. I still utilize both trails when I am out to just stretch my legs.

Tom Brown Park provides additional trails (paved and unpaved) to log training miles. I normally run through the park as part of a loop I can take to get additional miles in. My 5 – 8 mile runs all include some portion of Tom Brown park. Like the fact I do not have to carry water through the park since they have multiple water fountains and restrooms available. Great place to watch people and see all the happy dogs with family in the dog park. The dogs always seem to want to run with me for some odd reason! 😊

https://www.talgov.com/parks/parks-tombrown.aspx

Graduated my long runs out to the St. Marks Trail. The St. Marks Trail was an old railroad route from Tallahassee down to the gulf coast. It is a place to see bikers, hikers and runners all utilizing the marked trail every day of the year. I like the fact the trail has mile markers which makes it easy to log my runs—no guessing when I want to get a 12-mile run in. The St. Marks trail has well maintained restrooms and a few water fountains, so these are perks I enjoy while out for my runs.

https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/tallahassee-st-marks-historic-railroad-state-trail

There are other places to run in Tallahassee, but these are the areas I utilize when I am writing about my training program.

Downtown

Tallahassee does not have a huge downtown area but provides a few unique experiences. Was introduced to the museum scene by a friend who is native to Tallahassee. The Florida Museum of History is a must see if you visit. You can trace Florida’s history from the 1600s up to World War II. The artifacts and stories of how Florida developed are interesting and worth the trip.

The Capital building is a great place to visit and get a bird’s eye view of Tallahassee. The 22^nd floor has a panoramic observation deck which lets you view the city from the highest vantage point. It is also a great way to exercise if you decide to walk up and not take the elevator.

Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille and Andrew’s Downtown are two good places to get a meal and drinks when visiting downtown. This is a college town so there are multiple watering holes to visit close by.

My favorite place to hang out, drink beer and eat just happens to be a local dive bar, Corner Pockets. I would never go to Corner Pockets when I first moved to Tallahassee because I thought it was a pool hall. They only have two pool tables and they are in the corner, but it is more sports bar than pool hall. They have the coldest beer in town and some of the best bar food you can find anywhere. Prices are good and the staff is friendly. Corner Pocket attracts sports fans, so you must arrive early on game days to ensure you get a seat—standing is allowed but I like to sit at the bar and watch multiple TVs.

https://cptallybar.com/

Again, there are other spots in Tallahassee, but I am sharing where I hang out. 😊

FSU / FAMU

This is a college town and FSU and FAMU are the large schools here. The students provide a huge population boost during the academic year. The sports fans/alums who come back for sporting events also provide unique experiences since traffic doubles when the home teams are in town. This creates a more festive environment and celebrations across neighborhoods.

I am a Gator fan so do not partake in much of this until the Gators come to town! 😊

So, there you have it—these are a few ways the running tourist enjoys life when not on the road.

What are your favorite venues in your area? How often do you get out to enjoy them?

“Time flies. It’s up to you to be the navigator”.

(Robert Orben)

Please note, wrote this article before I left Tallahassee for Fort Pierce. Still wanted to share.

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