The Walk into the Future blog is ready to give a guest content creator shoutout to my friend Melissa Forges. My first run at a topic suggested by Melissa was Make Every Second Count back in April. She gave me a total of three topics to generate content and I’m ready to give topic #2 a run: Going Alone with EmpowerMEnt.
We had a great chat while I drove over for the 2025 Town of Celebration Half Marathon. I promised her I would put effort into bringing her topics to life. There are days when I don’t know if I can pull off some of my articles, but I gladly take on this challenge Melissa! 😊
Our discussion centered around the concept of ME in empowerment. This play on the word was done on purpose to highlight that it is okay to do things for yourself. We spend a lot of time taking care of the needs of others and forget to take care of ME (you) sometimes.
When was the last time you took a walk on the beach by yourself? It’s okay, I’ll wait for you to think of that time. 😊
EmpowerMEnt allows you to see it’s okay to do things for yourself without feeling guilt. We spend so much time doing things for others and this becomes embedded in our psyche, and it becomes the norm. Please know that I’m not saying drop everything and forget the folks in your life.
Really, I’m saying the opposite. The time you spend by yourself to recharge CAN allow you to come back to your normal routines energized. Yes, taking time for yourself can help you recharge.
Sitting on the beach is one of my favorite activities. I just need my beach towel, a good book and beer to entertain myself for hours. A quick nap is always a possibility when I’m getting ME time on the beach. I’m able to get a lot of uninterrupted thinking time when I’m on the beach too. This is a place and mindset that allows me to generate content for the Walk into the Future blog. Yes, I jot down ideas to come back to for blog article development.
Running is another opportunity for empowerMEnt in my world. I write about my running tourism experiences in this blog format but running allows me to clear my mind daily. I’m able to get lost in my run and this provides a different level of comfort and relaxation for me. I’m empowered to tackle running distances and races to continue my personal development. I’ve thought about joining run clubs but can’t bring myself to do it since this would eliminate the solitude I desire when I’m out for a run. Yes, there are thousands of people who run half and full marathons, but I don’t engage with them until the finish line with beers in my hand. Running may be the best place for me to gain empowerMEnt.
Researching and generating content for the Walk into the Future blog is my happy place. I love getting immersed in the writing process as I develop new projects. I have to avoid writing too late in the evenings because I find myself up past my bedtime trying to complete an article. The Walk into the Future blog is my major empowerMEnt flex where I get to discover new things about myself while writing.
Well Melissa, this is article #2!
How do you leverage empowerMEnt in your daily life?
Irie!
Calvin Williams
“One can be instructed in society; one is inspired only by solitude”.
The Walk into the Future blog made a return trip to Celebration, Florida to give the 2025 Town of Celebration Half Marathon a run. This race has become one of my favorite races on my calendar. I love the town of Celebration, and the people there put on a great race and after party. Yes, I call it an after party because the entire town comes out to celebrate (pun intended) with race participants. 😊
I doubled up on my races in January with the Vero Beach half marathon on the weekend prior to the Town of Celebration race. The weather is milder in January, and I don’t have to worry about heat and humidity early in the race year. The Vero Beach half marathon has two bridge crossings within the first 5 miles of the race, and this can hamper runners for the rest of the race. This will be my last year running the Vero race. I want to explore additional race options in January and may give the 2026 Houston Marathon a run next year instead of the local race.
The Town of Celebration racecourse is completely flat, and I love this aspect. This is a great component of the race regardless of the temperature. We had cool weather this year and I had to decide if I was running with layers on or go with my traditional running tank top. It was 47 degrees at the start of the race, so I decided to dress warmly with multiple layers. This was a great choice since the temperatures never got much higher than 51 degrees. Great for running but not for standing around waiting to start the race.
I lined up at the start line with the intent to leverage the cool weather and improve my time from last year. My goal was to hit the 2:08 mark for the half marathon with the cool weather and wanted to see how fast I could go. My fastest time for this race was 2:09:16 back in 2023 and I wanted to see if I could go this fast again. Well, the short answer for this year is no. I ran 2:14:27 which was a full four minutes faster than my 2024 time. I’m always happy to go faster in a race than the previous time out and I will take the results from this year. I struggled a bit in the middle of the race with my legs and had to stretch them out around the 8-mile marker. This helped me continue to push forward and I got a bit faster in the final 3 miles of the race. I’m happy with my final kick and completed mile 13 at 10:08 and a huge smile on my face. The crowd at the finish line was very inspiring and helped me enjoy the final stages of the race. I grabbed my race medal and took a few finish line photos to document my time in Celebration, Florida.
The after party was relocated closer to the finish line this year and I headed over to take my eating and drinking tour of the town. The race participants receive a food card that highlights each of the restaurants present for the event. You take your food card to each vendor, and they provide a food sample from their restaurant and mark your food card to signify you have been served. My first stop was at the Michelob Ultra table to get my two beers to get things started. I ventured to the Mimosa table next to get a sample before hitting the food tables. Fast forward and I made my way to every table available this year. The samples were a bit smaller than last year, but the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was outstanding. I hung around the after party a bit longer this year to soak up the atmosphere and chat with Orlando runners. I’m thinking I will spend an additional night in Celebration next year so I can just chill after the race and socialize a bit longer.
My next big race is the 2025 Nashville Half Marathon in April. I am looking forward to getting back to Nashville and enjoying great live music. Who’s going to join me in Nash Vegas?
Irie!
Calvin Williams
“The person who starts the race is not the same person who finishes the race”.
“I think goals should never be easy; they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time”.
(Michael Phelps)
Maria, I agree, this Five-Minute Thursday writing prompt is here for the long run! 😊 This process continues to provide the Walk into the Future blog with additional outlets and enhances my ability to leverage topics quickly.
Let’s give the Five-Minute Thursday prompt another run.
I shared that I create yearly goals for myself in early January to help guide me through the New Year. My goals are broken up into different categories: reading, writing, travel, exercise, family, etc. My 2024 running goal was to run 4 days a week with a target of 30 – 40 miles per week.
The seventh prompt for Five-Minute Thursday is: 2024 Running Goals.
My running focus was to get myself in great physical shape so I could improve my full marathon time. I was able to train and complete multiple full marathons, but I knew there was another leverage of training I needed to reach. I didn’t just decide to increase my mileage but wanted to break down the process and ensure I could enjoy the training without injuring myself.
The 4 day a week concept comes directly from my full marathon training program. I ramped up my training once I entered the 18-week marathon training program in the past but decided to keep this volume for the entire year. Seems simple but I didn’t want to leave anything to chance this year when it came to fitness and being ready for the 2024 Chicago Marathon.
So, where does 1,500 in the article title come from? Great question, Melissa! 😊
I’m currently sitting at 1,548 training miles for 2024. This is the highest amount of training miles I have completed since I started tracking my run progress. I mixed in a few exercise bike miles in this total but 95% of my training was pounding the pavement or treadmill when the weather did not cooperate. This additional mileage total correlates to my 2024 weight goal to get to and maintain 198 pounds.
FYI—I did not write 1,500 down as a mileage goal but got to this number by meeting my goal to run 4 days weekly. Incremental steps and going to bed at 8:30 pm nightly allowed me to get up and grind on my run days.
Not sure how many miles I will log in 2025, but I have a great blueprint on the correct way to increase mileage without injuring myself.
Let’s thrive in 25! 😊
Irie!
Calvin Williams
“If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time”.
“A marathon is hundreds of miles. The finish is the last 26.2”.
(Running Quotes)
This quote identifies my current Walk into the Future. I started the Chicago Marathon training cycle on 6/10/2024 and have logged 561.89 miles to date. I’m flying to Chicago tomorrow morning, so I have completed all the prescribed miles on my training plan.
There have been a lot of early mornings to beat the Florida heat and humidity but I’m feeling good about the work I have put in this year. I used lessons learned from previous training cycles to improve my mental and physical preparation to ensure I get to Chicago in great shape to compete with my fellow runners.
I started this training cycle at 207 pounds and have been as light as 192 pounds. I tipped the scale this morning at 194 pounds right before I start the carb loading process. I will toe the line at the Chicago Marathon lighter than my last marathon and this should translate to my performance. Again, I decided not to take any short cuts this time around and made sure I put in the work mentally, physically and with my diet. Feeling good! My friend Lynn keeps saying that I’m skinny now—not sure I buy that but have lost three inches on my waist and none of my pants fit me now. Will have to see if I maintain this weight before I invest in a new wardrobe. 😊
I touted being 32 – 0 during my last Chicago Marathon update. I never thought I would remain undefeated throughout the entire training cycle, but I wanted to maximize each run to ensure I performed well at the Chicago Marathon. Well, let’s cut to the chase—I missed a few sessions either due to travel or illness. I missed an entire week of training when I returned from the Virginia Beach 10-miler. This may also explain why my time in the race was slower than last year. Imagine that I completed a 10-mile race while I was sick. 😊
Here’s my weekly miles update:
Week 9
37.39
Week 10
34.49
Week 11
26.03
Week 12
34.58
Week 13
2.03 (Sick this week)
Week 14
42.7
Week 15
30.85
Week 16
33.77
Week 17
27.11
Week 18
5
Total
273.95
I’m flying up to Chicago tomorrow to get acclimated to the city and weather. I’m excited to go to the race EXPO for the opportunity to meet some of the elite runners scheduled to be there. I’m sure I will not see them much on race day so will enjoy the opportunity to share the same venue with them. There are a few Orlando Track Shack runners coming up to Chicago and I want to catch up with them at the EXPO as well. Friday will be my day to get some sightseeing in and deep-dish pizza. I will stay off my feet as much as possible on Saturday to conserve energy and keep my legs fresh. There will be an organized shakeout run on Saturday morning, but I have not decided if I want to participate. I’m sure it will be exciting and a great opportunity to meet runners who have gone through the same experience as me to get ready for the Chicago Marathon.
The weather is projected to be in the mid-40’s and warming up into the low-60’s. This will be a welcomed change from the Florida heat and humidity. Really looking forward to see how my body adapts to running in cooler weather without humidity.
“A marathon is hundreds of miles. The finish is the last 26.2”.
(Running Quotes)
The quote above speaks volumes. Marathon training is a critical part of the overall process, but most people only see or talk about the actual 26.2-mile race.
Completing a marathon is a major life/personal/physical milestone and I’m happy to say I am a two-time marathoner.
I targeted the Palm Beaches Marathon (2022 and 2023) because it was close, and the course was completely flat. This marathon is in South Florida so that means the weather is unpredictable to include humidity even in December. I’m happy to have started and completed this race twice but decided I would not attempt this race again because of the South Florida heat and humidity. FYI—I will run the half marathon this year. 😊
I leveraged a Hal Higdon marathon training plan to get me ready for my marathon attempts. This plan provides an 18-week format to prepare for the full marathon process. I decided to use this same training plan for my 2024 Chicago Marathon preparation.
I made some weekly modifications for my previous marathon training programs but decided to follow the Hal Higdon plan completely this year. I want to see improvement in my marathon finish time this year and committing to my training will be a vital part of hitting my race time goals. I’m not competing to win the 2024 Chicago Marathon, but I need to beat my previous times, enjoy the race and feel good when I cross the finish line.
My marathon training began in earnest last week (6/10/2024 – 6/16/2024). I was excited to start my training program, so I added an extra run day to get me up and motivated to start this process. Proverbs 6:6 states: Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise. My 2024 Chicago Marathon training program allows me to work like an ant—one mile, one training session, one week at a time. Each session is designed to get me closer to my physical and mental peak for race day. The marathon is a celebration of the months of training and sacrifice needed to complete a marathon. I’ve made a point to let folks know that I will follow my plan as outlined—no shortcuts will be applied this year. I will have to miss a few happy hours and Friday night hangouts since my long runs will occur on Saturday mornings. A missed run is a missed opportunity to get better so I will minimize this process to emergencies only.
Happy to report I hit all my training days and milestones for Week #1. I added an extra session on Monday to energize my training and provide a buffer in case I needed it later in the week. Rain was forecasted all week, and I completed several miles in a slight rain during two training sessions. I would have skipped these training sessions in the past but would not allow myself to miss a training opportunity.
I’m prioritizing weight training sessions this year as well. Want to ensure I provide myself with the best training foundation possible to improve my performance leading up to the 2024 Chicago Marathon.
I completed 32.11 training miles last week:
6/10/2024
3.1
34:25
11:06m
Run
6/11/2024
3.39
37:53
11:11m
Run
6/12/2024
5.34
57:17
10:44m
Run
6/13/2024
2.42
25:49
10:41m
Run
6/14/2024
5.82
Planet Fitness bike / rope
6/15/2024
3.75
Planet Fitness bike
6/15/2024
8.29
1:36:00
11:35m
Long run
I added 4 days of weight training to include full body workouts on 6/14/2024 and 6/15/2024 to help prepare my body for the 18-week training grind.
The Week #2 training plan is like Week #1 (3, 5, 3, 9) with a slight increase for the long run. I’m excited to see how my body and mind respond to following the overall training plan for this marathon attempt. I’m committed to ensuring I do everything necessary to finish faster in Chicago than I did in Palm Beach. The cooler weather, flat course, cheering crowds and better preparation should help generate a positive outcome.
Thanks for joining me on the training process—Irie!
Note: Most of my long run miles will be done in the George LeStrange Preserve. This allows for consistent miles and a hydration station.
“No matter how slow you go you are still lapping everyone on the couch”.
(Unknown)
The Walk into the Future blog made it back over to Celebration, Florida for the 2024 Town of Celebration Half Marathon. I ran this race for the first time in 2023 and vowed to make this an annual visit because of the course, community involvement and the outstanding post-race party.
Celebration, Florida may be the friendliest place I have ever visited for a race weekend. The downtown area reminds me of a movie set but it’s 100% real. The town rolls out the red carpet for runners over multiple days and it feels like returning home. Most races put on a good face to attract runners but don’t have a welcoming vibe. Well, Celebration, Florida welcomes runners with open arms and then invites us to hang out with them at the post-race party.
I was able to clock a surprising 2:09:16 in 2023 because of the flat course and cool weather. Didn’t think I would break 2:10 again a month after running my first full marathon but I felt great the entire race and kept moving forward. Told my friend Lauren my goal time was 2:08 but didn’t fully believe I could get close to that time. Funny what happens with a great course and weather conditions. 😊
I entered the 2024 half marathon coming off a 2:15 finish during the 2024 Vero Beach Half Marathon. Not my fastest or slowest time but a steady effort to get up and over the bridges twice. Viewed the Vero Beach Half as a good barometer of fitness and my overall training program. Wanted it to be a springboard for a fast 2024.
The weather at the 2024 Town of Celebration Half Marathon was surprisingly warmer this year. I watched the weather the entire week and race day was projected to be the warmest day of the week with humidity. Most folks know how I feel about humidity on race day but trusted my training would carry me on the course and it did.
I arrived at the race start line about 40 minutes before the race started. This gave me enough time to stretch, get a quick run in and visit the bathroom before toeing the line.
Found a spot towards the middle of the pack with intent to let the fast runners get out. I should have made my way closer to the start line since there were a ton of walkers in front of me. Never understand why walkers and/or slower runners make it to the front for race starts. It is dangerous for them and other runners who must maneuver around them to avoid a crash. This extra traffic takes a lot of energy to get around, but we all have to run our own race.
The course is completely flat, which makes this an ideal place to run a half marathon.
I couldn’t go out too fast due to the extra traffic in front of me. Decided to find a comfortable pace and enjoy the experience.
I was surprisingly consistent throughout the race—each mile split started with a 10. My fastest mile split was 10:05 (Miles 3, 4, 6) and my slowest mile split was 10:52 (Mile 13). Never could find another gear during this race because of the humidity but I am proud of the consistent effort throughout. Crossed the finish line at 2:18 but felt good and smiled as I finished with a kick.
Made my way to the race after party to get my beer, breakfast, and mimosas. Yes, runners drink beer at 9 am and we don’t blink an eye. The local restaurants had tables and gave out food samples to runners and family members. These were small portions, but you can go back as many times as you like. Spent two hours sampling food and drinking beer this year. Already looking forward to the 2025 Town of Celebration Half Marathon. I’m sure the after-party will be epic again next year.
“I’m not running half of something; I am crushing the whole 13.1”.
(Pinterest)
I started my half marathon journey back in December 2013 as an agreement with an Orlando friend who was an avid runner. Our agreement was to run the 2013 OUC Half Marathon together and she was going to help me train and guide me through the process. Sounded great but that never materialized.
My friend and her family moved to Dallas, Texas after we both signed up for the OUC Half Marathon. I thought about backing out but decided to press forward and run the race. I had no idea how to prepare or even complete a half marathon but toed the line and grimaced my way around the course. I wanted to quit multiple times but didn’t know the area well enough to walk off the course, so I kept moving forward and completed the half marathon. Everything on my body hurt because I had no idea what I was doing.
Fast forward and 2024 is my 11th year competing in long distance races. I had no idea signing up for a random half marathon with a friend would become an anticipated part of my daily life. I sign up for half marathons now as part of my training program. I know how to train, hydrate, and recover, which makes my life a lot better once the race is over.
One of my favorite half marathons is the Vero Beach Half Marathon. I have participated in this race three years in a row and envision I will compete every year I’m on the Treasure Coast.
This race has two bridge crossings within the first five miles, but it is completely flat once you get over the bridge the second time. I joke you must survive the first 5 miles of the race and then the course comes back to the runners.
The 2024 Vero Beach Half Marathon started with cooler weather this year which makes completing 13.1 miles a lot easier. This is a smaller race with less than 300 runners in the half marathon. There is not much spectator interactions during this race either. It almost feels like most folks in Vero have no idea why the streets are closed, or why people are running around in shorts. People wave and blow their car horns but no music or cheering spectators to get runners energized—but I still love this race. 😊
I entered this year without a finish time in mind. I wanted to keep progressing towards the 2024 Town of Celebration Half marathon which was my goal race. I took a full 10 days away from running after completing the 2023 Garden of Life Marathon back in December, so this was my first double digit run since the marathon. My physical fitness was still good so wanted to push hard in the first part of the race and then pull back a bit. Didn’t know if the weather would heat up or not but didn’t want to struggle in the heat if it got warmer. Luckily, the weather remained cool throughout the race, and I was able to enjoy the miles on a very nice morning.
Race recap: I run sub 10-minute miles over the first 4 miles and 10:15 per mile after that. My fastest mile was during Mile #6 which was 9:40. I still had a lot left in the tank as I finished in 2:15:04 which was faster than my 2023 time.
Hit the race after-party and had a good local craft beer and snacks. One of my favorite parts of the day is meeting my friend Beth at Mulligan Beach House for brunch. This has become a tradition for us and enjoy spending time catching up and drinking beers at 9 am in the morning.
Already looking forward to next January so I can tackle this race again and then sit at Mulligan’s Beach House with beers on the famed Vero Beach.
“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.
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”.
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.