Vero Beach – Walk Into the Future

2024 Vero Beach Half Marathon

“I’m not running half of something; I am crushing the whole 13.1”.

(Pinterest)

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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 11^th 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.

What are you looking forward to?

Irie!

Mulligan’s Beach House

New England Visit

Breeze HOF

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth”.

(Henry David Thoreau)

My Walk into the Future continues to expand with new adventures. I would like to thank Breeze Airways for helping me find destinations to excite my journey.

Not sure Breeze Airways was thinking about me when the airline began flying to Vero Beach. The first flight arrived in February 2023 and Breeze adds new east coast destinations periodically. They currently fly to White Plains, NY, Hartford, CT, Providence, RI, Long Island, NY and Durham, NC. The routes are adjusted to match the snowbird migrations south. Breeze flies to Virginia Beach during summer months and I took my first Breeze flight for the Virginia Beach 10-Miler race back in September.

I received an email from Breeze Airways to promote low fall airfares and the prices immediately caught my attention. I love being a running tourist but have never ventured into New England states. Never had a real reason to hit New England but wanted to cross off a few states I’ve never visited. I started looking for half marathon races I could sign up for to give me a real reason to fly up. Discovered the Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon races were scheduled for early October and the entry fee was reasonable. Breeze Airways has direct flights from Vero Beach to Hartford so decided I will head up and enjoy New England in the fall.

My roundtrip flight including bag fees was $247. I couldn’t ask for a better price so booked my flight with the intent of running the Hartford Half Marathon and then doing some sightseeing. Well, it turns out my flight would not arrive in Hartford with enough time for me to make it to the race EXPO to pick up my race bib. They did not have same day pickup so my thoughts of being a running tourist were eliminated. No worries, I love adventures and going to Hartford, Connecticut would be an adventure without the need to run a race—what a concept, huh? LOL.

My flight from Vero Beach to Hartford was…a breeze. No issues checking in or on the flight up.

Hartford

Arrived in Hartford, Connecticut with the intention of sightseeing and making my way down to the race sight to watch the marathon and half marathon finish. I discovered getting to the start/finish line was impossible since the race had already started, and streets were blocked. I take this part of racing for granted since I’m normally running and never pay attention to which streets are blocked due to road races. Met a super friendly police officer who gave me directions on activities he suggested I tackle since I was not going to be able to get downtown Hartford for a few hours. I wrote the Basketball Hall of Fame as a possible destination and Officer Friendly recommended I head there and then come back downtown after touring the Hall of Fame.

Springfield, Massachusetts

The Basketball Hall of Fame is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Turns out my hotel was only 25 miles south of the iconic venue. Turned around and headed north with intent to visit the Basketball Hall of Fame and enjoy my first time in Massachusetts. This was a bonus to my trip since I didn’t realize how close these cities are to each other.

The Basketball Hall of Fame is a great place to embrace the basketball greats and their roles shaping the current basketball landscape. I was impressed with the displays and how each era had a place within the Hall of Fame. My favorite NBA player is Julius Erving (Dr. J) so was happy to see his display and read a bit about him during the tour. There is a great display for Kobe Bryant within the Hall, and I came away with a new level of respect for the Black Mamba.

Made my way down to the gym portion of the Hall to put up a few jumpers. I have not played basketball in years and my jumper was beyond rusty—good news, I didn’t hurt myself or anyone else. LOL.

Headed back south to Hartford to get some downtown sightseeing done.

Return to Hartford

The drive from Springfield to Hartford was uneventful but I was happy with my exploration so far. Decided to hit a downtown park before trying to make it back to the race village. I always heard about the fall foliage from friends and wanted to experience the leaf color changes. Made my way to a lakeside park and walked around a bit just enjoying the cool weather and nature. Got a few pictures by the lake and on a walking trail before it got too cold for me.

Left the park and went downtown Hartford just to look around. I had no idea there were still runners out on the course and watched the last marathoner cross the finish line. Surprisingly there were still people there to cheer him on and he looked elated to complete the journey—good for him.

Got a few pictures of downtown Harford before heading back to my hotel to warm up and map out my next adventures.

Providence, Rhode Island

Decided to maximize my time in New England and hit my third state in two days. Providence was only an hour and a half away from Hartford, so I pointed the rental car east and made my way through the Connecticut countryside to Rhode Island. The drive provided a scenic trip with a lot of fall foliage to admire. Googled attractions in Providence and decided to make my way to Roger Williams Park so I could walk around and get some pictures in. The park is huge and has multiple sections including a zoo and walking trails. This was the perfect place to take in a bit of Rhode Island culture and scenery.

Spent two hours in the park before heading back to Connecticut.

Thought about driving up to Boston to extend my tourist trek but decided I will wait to head back up and experience Boston as a separate trip. Yes, Breeze flies to Boston from Vero Beach and I plan to head back up in the spring when it warms up a bit.

My goal is to travel to all the Vero Beach Breeze Airline destinations before 2024 is over. I will look for races as part of my travel plans but will not let that limit me from making my way back up to New England. I still need to travel to Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire to complete my New England adventures. I will turn my travel efforts out west to make sure I visit the Dakotas, Montana, and Wyoming. Thinking of booking a dude ranch so I can live my cowboy dreams. More to come. LOL.

Where have you always wanted to travel?

Irie!

2023 Virginia Beach 10-Miler

VB3

“Either you love Virginia Beach, or you are wrong”.

(Anonymous)

My first Virginia Beach adventure was to tackle the 2021 Rock N Roll Half Marathon.

I always heard how great Virginia Beach was and wanted to experience it for myself. I enjoyed the race, beach, board walk and the people. The plan was for the running tourist to make this an annual trip to tackle the Rock N Roll Half Marathon. Turns out the city of Virginia Beach did not enjoy the partnership with the Rock N Roll folks and decided to cancel the race—they didn’t want an outside organization shutting down the streets or boardwalk over a long holiday weekend.

I continued to research Virginia Beach races with an eye to return to the area at some point. Really enjoyed my initial experience and wanted to get back and explore a bit more. I signed up for the 2023 Shamrock Half Marathon in March but decided not to run since it was the same week as my Negril, Jamaica trip. That would have been too much travel for me in one week. I love to see different sights but that was a bit much for the running tourist. LOL.

The city of Virginia Beach and J&A Racing partnered up to host the Chartway Virginia Beach 10 Miler over the Labor Day weekend. Decided this would be a great race for my return to Virginia Beach especially since it was over a long weekend. Never ran a 10-mile race but viewed this as a great training run and an easy way to set a personal record (PR). This distance fit my training schedule and allowed me to see Virginia Beach from a different angle.

Live, Love, Run

Flew out of Vero Beach on Breeze Airways for the first time. I normally drive over to Orlando for a Southwest flight, but Breeze is new to the area and had direct flights to Norfolk. No extra driving and airport parking is free in Vero.

Arrived in Norfolk without any delay and made my way to the Enterprise Holdings rental counter. Norfolk is a smaller airport so getting out of the terminal and then the parking garage was an easy journey. Made my way over to Virginia Beach and checked into my hotel. Decided to book my hotel early this time and stayed directly on the famed boardwalk and beach. Staying directly at the beach allowed me to just park my rental and walk everywhere I needed to go while in Virginia. The beach, restaurants, and live music were easily accessible from my hotel.

The race EXPO was held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center which was two miles from my hotel. Decided to walk over to the EXPO to get my race bib and gear. Used this walk to stretch my legs the day before the 10-mile race. Made a quick stop at a local farmer’s market to check out the goods—didn’t buy anything but got a good vibe for the Virginia Beach farmer’s market scene. Lots of vendors and friendly people out and about the day before the race.

The EXPO was small—just a few vendors available and only one spot to get my customary EXPO photo taken. Picked up my race bib and made my way to check out the vendors. Didn’t need anything but wanted to see if I could pick up another race shirt but the selection was not great. One of the vendors sold race bib magnets—some runners use magnets to hold their race bibs instead of safety pins. Decided it was time for me to step up my game and purchased a set of magnets to use during the 10-miler. Small investment but I will get a ton of use out of these magnets. Carb loaded a bit more after the EXPO and headed back to sit on the beach before going to bed early.

The race start line was only two blocks from my hotel and the finish line was directly below my hotel room on the boardwalk. Got up early on race day so I could stretch and mentally prepare for the race. I didn’t have a set finish time planned but wanted to run as fast as possible to test my fitness over a longer distance.

I was assigned to Corral #2 and made my way towards the front of the waiting runners. This was an opportunity for most of us to continue to warm up and get a few selfies of ourselves standing around in a race line. Made sure to give myself some room to maneuver in case runners around me were not paying attention—didn’t want to trip with so many people in the corral.

I wanted to run a clean race where I could ensure my pace was consistent and provide a good finish to the race. My last race in Virginia Beach was a struggle at the end because I didn’t pace it out correctly AND there was a bridge crossing at the 11-mile marker. NOTE: we crossed that same bridge during this race, but I was physically and mentally prepared for it this year.

My mile splits are below:

Mile 1: 8:56/ Mile 2: 8.58 / Mile 3: 9:13 / Mile 4: 9:28 / Mile 5: 9:39 / Mile 6: 9:58 / Mile 7: 9:56 / Mile 8: 10:24 / Mile 9: 10:01 / Mile 10: 9:40 /Mile .06: :33

The highlight of the race weekend for me was the post-race party. It was on the beach with live music, good pizza, and beer. The best part of this scene is the post-race party was across from my hotel. I got a chance to drink as much beer as I wanted without having to worry about how I was going to get back to my hotel. I simply walked off the beach, got on the elevator and went up to my room when the music stopped. A 3-hour nap awaited me!

There was a ton of live music available during the weekend and I made a point to get back out to check out the bands. Virginia Beach has a cool vibe, and the folks up there are super friendly. Made my way back to Catch 31 for great food and a nice view of the King Neptune statue. The sound stage had a ton of activity, so this was the spot for me to kick back and enjoy my time in Virginia Beach.

Looking forward to my next race weekend in Virginia Beach—just got to figure out which race I will tackle up there next.

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!

My Tree Tattoo

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

(Psalms 1:3)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Irie!

2023 Vero Beach Half Marathon

Vero a

“One run can change your day; many runs can change your life”.

(Unknown)

The first half marathon of 2023 was a repeat from 2022. The 2023 Vero Beach Half Marathon was a late December addition to my race calendar.

I ran this race for the first time in 2022 and was able to conquer the double bridge crossing and complete one of my fastest half marathons of the racing season. The weather was unseasonably cool in 2022 but it was about 25 degrees warmer this year.

I was still coming off my full marathon high and training program so entered this race with a bit of momentum. My good time from last year and training program factored into my mental approach to the race.

There was not a large EXPO for this event. Packet pickup was conducted outside of a local brewery in Vero Beach. Not much activity at this event so grabbed my bib, t-shirt, and a couple craft beers while I was there. The beer selection was pretty good and happy I made a pit stop at the American Icon Brewery: https://www.americaniconbrewery.com/home/

Left the American Icon Brewery and headed to Olive Garden to carb load to fuel up for the next morning. Got my traditional Chicken parmesan and extra bread sticks to ensure my carb tank was on high. FYI, I started the carb loading process 6 days prior, so this meal was a way to top off the carbs already in my system.

Headed home to get some rest before the big day. Did another check of the weather forecast to determine what was in store for the next morning. It was not projected to be hot at the race start but the temperature was projected to rise quite a bit before the race was complete.

Made the short 30-minute drive back up to Vero Beach on race day. Wanted to get there with plenty of time to park and then stretch/warmup before the race got started. I did not show up with a particular finish time in mind but wanted to match or exceed last year’s 2:11:05 time.

This race did not have pace times listed at the start line so decided to line up in the middle of the starting pack so I could gradually build my pace during the race. Also didn’t want to risk bumping into slower runners/walkers while waiting for the pack to thin out a bit.

Went out with a controlled pace because we enter the first bridge crossing at the 1-mile marker and the steep incline forces runners to adjust the running pace to get up and over. I stayed controlled as I made my way up the bridge and then allowed a faster pace on the down slope. Didn’t want to overextend myself on the up or down slope considering I would have to return and complete this process again within the first 5 miles of the race.

The race and my pace settled quite a bit once we got off the bridge and headed towards the famed Vero Beach waterfront area. This is a smaller race and there are only a handful of people out this time of the day to cheer for runners. Most of the spectators were in this area as they cheered for the runners and enjoyed the early morning walks on the beach. I experienced a bit of discomfort in my right leg at this point but nothing that would keep me from completing the race—this discomfort went away after another mile, and I was able to press forward.

Fast forward and the racecourse goes through multiple Vero Beach neighborhoods so it was great to experience this city as a running tourist.

I started to pick up my pace once we got 10 miles into the race. Wanted to finish strong but realized my pace was off from last year’s race. Decided to finish as strong as possible so I could get snacks and free craft beer at the finish line. This was my best tactical race in 2022 but I could not match the same level in 2023.

I crossed the finish line in 2:15:03 with a smile on my face. The marathon training has made completing half marathons a lot more enjoyable because I don’t get as sore as in the past. Got my medal, commendable beach towel and photos in the finish line area. Made my way to the American Icon Brewery stand for my two free beers and stretch a bit.

Met one of my best friends at Mulligan’s Beach House for breakfast and more beer. We had a great view as we sat on the beach, had great food and conversation on a Sunday morning.

What a great way to start my racing season! 😊

Next stop, the 2023 Town of Celebration Half Marathon—irie!

“Running is the basis of all training that I do…it’s like an escape”.

(Ellie Goulding)

2022 Vero Beach Half Marathon

Vero Beach

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough”.

(Og Mandino)

I ran the 2022 Vero Beach Half Marathon for the first time and happy to report this was my best tactical race ever.

I completed the race in 2:11:05 (two hours, eleven minutes, and 5 seconds) which is 7 minutes faster than my 2021 OUC Half Marathon time in December. It is not my fastest time, but I am extremely happy with my ability to run faster and maintain a consistent pace during this race.

My prerace goal was to run faster than I did in Orlando and I felt good throughout the race. I consider this my best tactical race because I hit every marker I set out for during each phase of the race.

I am not familiar with Vero Beach so had no idea what type of course I would experience. I looked at the course map online, but this provided no intel on elevation or type of environment I would have to run through.

The one aspect I came into the race dreading was the fact all runners would have to tackle an over and back bridge crossing within the first 5 miles of the race. My experience with bridges during a race have never been that great so I viewed the second crossing of the bridge as something that would be unpleasant. This was my mental picture even before I toed the line to start the race, luckily, I did not let my preconceived ideas get in the way of an opportunity to run this race and overcome my fear of bridge running.

The day started with temperatures in the low 50s which is deathly cold for most Floridians. 😊

I left the house dressed in layers to keep me warm prior to race time. This was not a repeat of my time in Savannah since there was no sign of rain or bad weather, just cold temperatures which I viewed as a positive since I did not have to fight the Florida humidity. Excited with the possibility of being able to breath throughout the race.

I arrived at River Side Park in Vero Beach at 6 am for the 6:45 am start time. Again, I was not familiar with this area so made sure I got there early enough to warm up, stretch and get acclimated to the weather. Most of the runners were dressed in hoodies and long pants but I decided to run in my normal gear: running tank top, shorts, and compression sleeves. Figured I would warm up once I got into full race pace and I did.

I was assigned to Corral C for the race start and I made my way into the correct spot to mentally prepare for the 13.1 miles that were in my immediate future.

The race started without much of a hassle as there were 400+ runners which is pretty small compared to the Rock N Roll races I normally run. Decided to not go out too fast and ease my way into a comfortable pace. There were a few fast runners who decided to set a faster pace and it was great watching them head out towards the first bridge crossing.

I settled into a pace that would keep me competitive but not too fast. The first bridge crossing started at the .50 (half mile) point and the course was up a steep bridge for the next half mile. I was surprised to see so many folks pushing the pace at this point considering we still needed to make it to the top. I was comfortable with my pace and did not worry about the other runners. I picked up my pace once I made it to the top of the bridge and started to lock into my race.

My Mile 1 was run at a 9:20 pace and this was with the bridge incline. I maintained a 9:20 pace throughout the first 4 miles of the race and slowed to a 10:18 pace for Mile 5 which included my second crossing of the same bridge. I am proud of myself for this portion of the race because I contemplated walking the second bridge ascent. Decided to take a measured pace to get back over the bridge and then run faster on the descent.

Miles 6 – 10 were run at a 9:35 pace and I was able to manage my lactic acid threshold by shortening my strides to eliminate overextending myself. This was a new approach for me since I normally try to power through but discovered a new way to manage my race form and control the pain in my legs.

Miles 11 – 13.1 were run at a 9:52 pace which is good for me closing out a race. My 9:47 pace for Mile 13 was my celebration as I decided to make a huge kick to finish the race strong. I wanted to come across the finish line fast and with a smile on my face. Mission accomplished.

The secret weapon during this race was the song Motivation by T.I. I put this song on repeat at the 11-mile marker and it got me across the finish line with a big smile on my face. This song normally provides a boost for me while training, so I leveraged this same boost during the half marathon.

There were only 4 water stops on this course so had to ensure I got Gatorade and water at each one of them. I doubled up a few times to help keep me fueled and moving forward.

The only aspect of this race I did not enjoy was traffic was not eliminated from the course. We had volunteers and police available on the course, but cars were allowed to turn in front of runners which normally does not happen with larger races. I will have to assess this fact when it comes time to register for the 2023 Vero Beach Half Marathon.

Made my way over to Mulligan’s on the beach for a very large breakfast and then a Bud Light to celebrate my race. Yes, I had a Bud Light at 9:30 am—it was fantastic! 😊

Great way to start a day and continue to run into the future!

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars”.

(Kahlil Gibran)

Intellectual curiosity

Creative picture

(Image by fancycrave1 from Pixabay)

“There is no magic formula for great company culture. The key is just to treat your staff how you would like to be treated”.

(Richard Branson)

Psychology Today identifies intellectual curiosity as a deep and persistent desire to know.

Betterup.com dives deeper by defining intellectual curiosity as curiosity that leads to an acquisition of general knowledge.

At this point I am sure you are wondering where I am headed with intellectual curiosity. Glad you asked! 😊

This has become a major characteristic I look for when working with others. I was never able to find the exact term until recently but intellectual curiosity in the workplace provides a foundation for success.

Interestingly, this is not something everyone is able to display easily. I see people who practice this trait when something is near and dear to them on a personal or professional level. The key for me is for everyone to translate intellectual curiosity daily in the workplace.

Why you ask? Great question!

People who display intellectual curiosity can find new ways to get things done. There are multiple work environments where the mindset is we have always done it that way. This may be true but organizations and people who cannot evolve are doomed to fail. It may take time for the demise, but it will happen.

Intellectually curious people understand how things are done and continue to look for ways to improve the process daily. I love being surrounded by these type people because they understand the concept of moving forward. Processes and techniques change daily, and organizations need to be able to pivot. Pivots and adjustments are needed quicker as we introduce more technology into the workplace.

COVID-19 allowed intellectually curious people and organizations to make the necessary adjustments to ensure services were provided. Most of my work colleagues had never heard of Zoom prior to the pandemic. Turns out the Zoom platform in the hands of intellectually curious organizations increased the ability to provide services and made meetings more efficient. Staff did not lose time driving or walking to meetings anymore—they simply logged into their computers and joined the meetings via their laptops.

I never imagined university career fairs could be done completely online. Intellectual curiosity has allowed people in my career field to find more efficient ways to connect students and employers. There are some organizations that have been slow to adapt to the changing world and they are rapidly being left behind.

I challenge staff to become intellectually curious daily. This is the only way to ensure an organization has a growth mindset. The way we did business two years ago is not coming back so organizations need the ability to adapt, grow and move forward.

I propose organizations staffed with people with intellectual curiosity will thrive—those without will slowly fade away.

How do you display intellectual curiosity? I welcome your thoughts!

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ethics-everyone/201404/intellectual-curiosity

https://www.betterup.com/blog/intellectual-curiosity

“Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding an answer”.

(Denis Waitley)

Walking and enjoying Mulligans Beach House (Vero Beach)

Mulligans

“An ocean breeze puts the mind at ease”.

(Anonymous)

My Walk into the Future allows me to continue to seek out new adventures and venues. The COVID-19 pandemic has rightfully slowed down unnecessary travel and interactions, but the beach still has wide open spaces to explore.

My relocation to the Treasure Coast provides access to some great beaches with amazing views to take in. Several of my work colleagues provide me with places where the locals hang out and guided me towards Mulligan’s Beach House in Vero Beach. The biggest reason they wanted me to visit Mulligan’s is because it has a huge outdoor seating area that sits right on the world-famous Vero Beach. I have visited Vero Beach (city) multiple times for the outlet mall and other retail shopping but have not been on the beach side of the city in years.

Turns out I visited Mulligan’s Beach House back in August 2014 prior to relocating from Oviedo, Florida to Tallahassee, Florida for my job at Florida State University. Always heard how beautiful Vero Beach was so took a road trip back in 2014 to get a feel for the area and take in the beach scene. Mulligan’s was close to the hotel I booked back in the day, so it was an easy choice for some great food.

Fast forward to 2020 and I immediately recognized I had been there before as soon as I hit the parking lot. Seeing the familiar outside seating area and extra-large deck chair put a smile on my face. I instantly reflected to my 2014 visit and the great memories made during my visit back in the day. Also highlights the concept of small world because my original visit was made because I never thought I would make it back down to visit Vero Beach. Now I live 20 minutes from the famous beach and local attractions on the board walk.

My most recent trip to Mulligan’s Beach House was made on a Sunday afternoon. Figured this would be a good day and timeframe to visit to avoid the potential of large crowds. The overcast weather also contributed to a smaller crowd when I got there. The outside seating areas provided a great place to sit on the beach, people watch and listen to some good music. I was able to find a nice corner spot and continue to physical distance. Did not have a taste for anything specific but wanted to explore the menu a bit. I am not an adventurous eater so settled on chicken wings and draft beer—which was two for one during happy hour. The wings were surprisingly good and went great with the atmosphere of Mulligan’s. A nice, chill place where the locals eat.

Mulligan’s has indoor seating at the bar and tables—some of the locals were comfortable seating inside but I do not know when/if I will be that comfortable again. The governor just announced restaurants and bars are no longer restricted to 50% capacity so I am sure more people will be dining and drinking inside again without proper physical distancing. Scary thought but eliminating these restrictions will expand our time trying to combat COVID-19 in the state of Florida. Hate to see the gains we have made with COVID-19 get sidetracked as our governor tries to help political gains for the presidential election.

Mulligan’s Beach House is a fantastic place to visit if you are in Vero Beach. My next venture in the Vero Beach area will be the Ocean Grille which is right across the parking lot. I have heard great things about the food there and will get back soon to see what they have to offer.

Where have you always wanted to eat but have not made it yet? How have you adjusted your dining plans in a COVID-19 world?

http://www.mulligansbeachhouse.com/vero-beach/

“The waves of the sea help me get back to me”.

(Anonymous)

Mulligans2

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