Walk Into the Future

Tag: Virginia Beach

  • 2025!

    “A year is a journey of 365 opportunities.”

    (Unknown)

    What a year 2025 has been for me!

    I know everyone starts a new year with the hope it will be their best year ever.  We say it year after year but I’m not sure we know how a year will truly go.  I start each new year with a set of goals I want to reach in multiple areas: health, fitness, reading, travel, etc. I wanted 2025 to be a huge year for me but looking back this week showed that this was an outstanding year for me and I’m going to claim my best year yet. 😊

    Travel

    I set an aggressive running schedule for myself in 2025.  I targeted some new races which would allow me to bring my running tourist persona to new locales.  I ran the 2025 Fargo Half Marathon in May and leveraged this race to add two new states to my visit list.  North Dakota was the race state, but I made sure to drive down to South Dakota to check that off my list as well.  I enjoyed the experience but I’m not sure I will run in Fargo again so I’m happy to have experienced the city, food, and culture.

    Nashville, Tennessee is always on my running calendar in April.  The 2025 Rock N Roll Half Marathon is one of my favorite races and I love the country music available in Nashville.  I’m coming up on ten years running in the city and I don’t see a reason to stop now.  Tennessee provides a lot of different adventures and Gatlinburg was my destination in November for Smoky Mountain hiking.

    I made a Midwest trek for the 2025 Madison Mini-Marathon in August.  Wisconsin was a state I always wanted to visit but I never put in the effort to get there.  Running has turned into my vehicle to get up and travel, so I used my love of running to get to Wisconsin.  I took advantage of proximity and made my way over to Dubuque, Iowa to experience the city that sits right on the Mississippi river.  It was a quick trip over to Iowa, but I was able to have a fantastic catfish dinner while overlooking the Mississippi river.

    I took my regular trip to Virginia Beach for the Labor Day weekend to run the 2025 Virginia Beach 10-Miler.  This was my third run of this race, and I enjoyed my time on the boardwalk as this is a great place for people watching.

    I ventured further north in October for the 2025 Smuttynose Half Marathon.  This race took me back to New England and I crossed off North Hampshire and Maine as states I have visited.  I enjoyed the race and environment so much I signed up for the 2026 race before I came back to Florida.  The 2025 Atlantic City Marathon got me back to the northeast two weeks later in October.  I’ve been to New Jersey multiple times, but this was my first marathon in the state.

    That’s 8 states visited in 2025 with 6 of those being new states for the running tourist.  I’m looking forward to being just as aggressive in 2026 and adding a few new states.  There are races in Louisville, Kentucky, Lincoln, Nebraska and Morgantown, West Virginia that I’m researching, and I hope to book those early for new adventures.  I will keep my normal Florida races on the schedule as well so get ready for more running tourism adventures. 😊

    Negril, Jamaica is my go-to place to visit yearly.  I write about this trip every year and will continue to visit.  I would like to get down there twice in 2026 since I love the island and culture so much.

    Running

    I can’t call myself a running tourist without highlighting the running program.  I’m always looking for ways to increase my yearly mileage but never put exact numbers on the total.  I still need to balance regular life, work, travel and running.  Running is a big part of my weekly life, but I do try to have balance and enjoy other aspects of life.  I currently sit at 1,505 miles with three weeks left in December.  I would like to get over the 1,600-mile marker as this would be my largest run total for a year.  I’ve got to ensure I don’t miss any run or training sessions to make it to 1,600. 

    Fun fact—I completed a total of 18 races in 2025, which is my personal best for a calendar year.

    Fun fact 2—I ran PRs over three distances in 2025:  2025 Virgina Beach 10-miler, 2025 Smuttynose Half Marathon and 2025 Atlantic City Marathon.

    Reading

    Reading has been my passion since I was a kid.  I had a newspaper scription when I was twelve years old and read every book I could get my hands on.  There were not a lot of distractions in Jasper, Florida so I developed a love for reading and I still have it.  This love of reading followed me into adulthood, and I have multiple books on my reading list.  My 2025 reading goal was to read daily and I have met that goal.  I read articles, devotionals and have finished reading 15 books this year.  I don’t know if that’s a record for me, but I’ve enjoyed the process and continue to be a life-long learner.

    Target boycott 2025

    Target was one of my favorite places to shop prior to 2025.  The Target leadership decided to reverse multiple Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives due to political pressure.  Well, a few folks decided to boycott Target until they put these initiatives back in place.  Target has been consistent with the refusal to reverse the decisions—I respect that. 

    Fun fact 3—I have not spent one cent or step foot in a Target store in 2025.  My contributions to this boycott will never make it into a history book but I’m standing firmly committed to this small step to demand better from a place I can choose to shop with or not.

    Family and friends

    My family members and friends are all healthy and thriving.  I make it to Jasper, Florida to visit my mom monthly and this is a highlight of the month for me.  I finally convinced her to visit me in Fort Pierce this year and it was a great visit for her.  She needed a break from Jasper obligations and I’m happy I could help.  I will look forward to getting her back down to Fort Pierce more in 2026. 😊 My friends continue to make me smile daily.  I don’t run in a large circle, but my folks fit me, and we enjoy life to the fullest.

    Creating content for the Walk into the Future blog is a huge part of my life.  I continue to look for ways to become better at writing and provide a platform my readers enjoy visiting.  I fine-tuned a few of my writing prompts in 2025 and I’m happy with my overall content production.  2026 should bring better content for my readers!

    Well, I can continue to rattle off things from 2025, but I’ve made my point—at least to myself! 😊  2025 has been an outstanding year for me. 

    I’m excited to see what 2026 will bring!

    What moments are you proud of in 2025?  What will 2026 bring?

    Irie!

    Calvin Williams

    “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.”

    (Unknown)

  • 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 Celebration of Running 5k

    WP1

    The 2023 running season kicked off with the 2023 Celebration of Running 5k in Winter Park.

    I have run this race three years in a row and love the experience.  It’s August in Florida so the heat and humidity are high, so this adds to the challenge.  I don’t run a lot of 5ks but this one remains on my list because it is flat and provides a training gauge for the year.

    I never set out to run a PR here but want to test my physical and mental stamina.  The race crowd is not too large, so this helps when trying to avoid other runners at the start.

    Decided to line up closer to the front pack of runners to give myself room to operate without having to dodge folks.  Still amazing that I know runners from when I lived in Oviedo.  It’s almost like they don’t know I’ve been gone 9 years now.

    My race goal was to go out and find an even pace.  The secondary goal was to run faster than last year.  I met both of my goals and enjoyed the race from start to finish.

    I found a couple of runners with great paces and decided to hitch a ride with them to challenge myself.  This was a fun activity since I train by myself.  It was great having others around to inspire me to find another gear.  Felt good enough at the end to leave my running companions and put in a good kick to complete the 5k.  Crossed the finish line in 28:50. 

    Collected my medal, water, and banana before making my way to the beer garden.  Yes, we drink beer at 8:30 am after races.  We eat donuts too!  LOL.

    This was week 2 of marathon training so needed to get additional miles in after the race.  Headed back over to the Seminole Cross Trail to complete my training with 6 miles there.  Got a total of 10 miles completed on the day.

    Made my way back to the hotel to shower and find some real food.  Wanted breakfast so went by First Watch close to UCF for a huge pancake, eggs, and bacon.  Favorite meal when I eat there.

    Feeling good about my training so far and look forward to a fantastic running season.  Heading to Virginia Beach again for the 2023 Virginia Beach 10-miler over the Labor Day weekend.  Should be fun getting back up to Virgina.

    Will ramp up my marathon training when I return from Virginia.  Time to lock in mentally and physically to prep for my 26.2-mile challenge in December.  😊

    What are you looking forward to?

  • Why do I run?

    VB 10 Miler

    “Running is my private time, my therapy, my religion”.

    (Gail W. Kislevitz)

    The Walk into the Future blog continues to roll along and provides me space to share a small portion of my world with readers.  Yes, this is a simple concept but one I take seriously to find new content to share with others.

    Running is a huge part of my life and I am happy to be at this point of the journey.  I started running as a small hobby to get in more cardio, but it has morphed into a lifestyle that energizes me daily.  Who knew I would enjoy going to bed early so I could wake up before the sun comes up for a run?  Well, that’s what I do now, and love every minute of it—even in the south Florida humidity. 

    So, why do I run?  That’s a great question and I will provide some context to why with this post.

    Solitude

    The ability to go out for a run without having to coordinate or schedule the activity is appealing to me.  There is a level of peace for me when I’m out for a run.  I lace up my running shoes and just put one foot in front of the other until I hit my mileage goal for the session.  The solitude comes in handy on days where I don’t feel like running faster—I can just move forward at my own pace without worrying about slowing someone else down.  Also, I can enjoy my music and sing out loud when I want to.  Not many folks come out at 5 am to hear my bad singing but it helps me when the miles get tough.  The solitude of my run is a highlight for me and one of the main reasons I’m still out putting in the work.

    Time to think

    The solitude of my runs is great, and it provides me with a lot of free time to think and change the world—hyperbole here!  LOL.  The space and time to think are enjoyable aspects while I’m out training.  This time has helped me come up with solutions to work problems, generate new ideas for the Walk into the Future blog and new topics for my leadership consulting side hustle.  There are times when I just run without thinking about ways to change the world but running provides me with a platform to simply think and be me.  Sounds simple but this keeps me lacing up my running shoes and logging the weekly miles.  Who knows, there may be another blog article coming from my next running session. 

    Physical wellbeing

    An obvious outcome of my running program is the physical wellbeing it brings.  I leverage running to help me maintain my weight without having to count calories.  I practice intermittent fasting daily but can eat whatever I want because of my running program.  Running is also a great way to build up leg strength and muscles.  The development I have in my legs rivals muscle growth I saw when I was more active lifting weights (squats, leg presses, etc.).  Again, the physical aspects of running leads to a better mental outlook as well.

    So, there you have it—I run for solitude, time to think and physical wellbeing.

    Why do you run?

    Irie

  • Marathon training

    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:

    8/19/20232023 Celebration of Running 5kWinter Park
    9/3/20232023 Virginia Beach 10-milerVirginia Beach, VA
    9/16/20232023 Out Run Hunger 5kFort Pierce
    10/8/20232023 Hutchinson Island Half MarathonFort Pierce
    10/22/20232023 Cocoa Beach Half MarathonCocoa Beach
    11/4/20232023 Hollywood Half MarathonHollywood, FL
    12/2/20232023 OUC Half MarathonOrlando
    12/10/20232023 Garden of Life MarathonWest Palm Beach
    1/21/20242024 Vero Beach Half MarathonVero Beach
    1/28/20242024 Town of Celebration Half MarathonCelebration, FL
    2/10/20242024 Fleet Feet Run for your Heart 10kStuart, FL
    4/27/20242024 Nashville Rock N Roll Half MarathonNashville, TN
    6/1/20242024 San Diego Rock N Roll Half MarathonSan 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!

  • Southern Shores, North Carolina (Repost)

    Duck tree

    “Never lose your sense of wander”.

    (TheWanderlust.com)

    Southern Shores is a small town located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  I heard of the Outer Banks but did not know it was comprised of several small coastal towns.

    My introduction to Southern Shores came about because one of my best friends visited the area last summer and shared how nice it was there.  Decided to explore the area as part of my ongoing quest to Walk into the Future.

    Southern Shores is a quick and easy drive from the Virginia Beach and Norfolk area.  Made my way over to explore the area and take in a few sights.

    Discovered a nice Air Bed and Breakfast (AirBNB) for my visit that was centrally located to the main areas.  It was a short walk or drive to Duck, North Carolina which I had never heard of prior to my trip.  Turns out one of my work friends has a family vacation home in Duck and she was excited to learn I was heading there.  She also gave me suggestions on places to visit and eat while in the area.

    Aqua Restaurant & Spa was recommended as a great spot for food, music, and views of the bay.  Aqua lived up to the hype and more.  The service and food were great and the sunset bouncing off the water was a great way to end a day. 

    https://aquaobx.com/

    Tullio’s Bakery was the recommended breakfast spot.  They have pastries, donuts and breakfast sandwiches made to order.  Grabbed a bacon and egg croissant and coffee before heading over to the beach for the day.  The sandwich was a very simple selection, but the fresh croissant really made it stand out.  Wish I had grabbed a second one before I hit the beach. 😊

    https://www.tulliosbakery.com/

    The Outer Banks beach scene is a lot different than the beaches in Florida.  The main attraction for the beach goers is the ability to drive on the beaches.  There are ‘air down’ stations where people lower the air pressure in their tires so they can get better traction on the beach.  I had never heard of this process for driving on the beach.  It appears less air in the tires allows vehicles to not get stuck and spin out while driving on the beach.  I just assumed a 4-wheel drive vehicle would be fine in the sand, but big truck drivers dropped air pressure too.

    Got a chance to sit on the main beach in Duck and caught a nap while enjoying the weather and watching people drive by.  There are wild horses on the Outer Banks but did not get a chance to see them wandering around.  Spent about 30 minutes searching but decided to just relax and enjoy the sound of the North Carolina waves.

    Turns out the North Carolina waves sound like my regular Florida waves.  Went over to the pedestrian side of the beach so I could walk without worrying about cars driving by.  Decided to walk and enjoy the sun and relax. 

    Ventured to the Currituck Beach Lighthouse to explore more while in Duck.  There was a lot of activity at the lighthouse with tourists looking for adventure.  Took one turn around the area and then headed back to the AirBNB to rest up. 

    Discovered the HULU show Only Murders in the Building while back in the AirBNB.  Binged watched multiple episodes and really got into the characters and plot of the show.  Highly recommend checking this show out on HULU if you have not watched it.  Got a free trial on HULU so I could watch the final episodes when I returned home.  Looking forward to Season #2 in September—love clever shows!

    https://www.outerbanks.com/currituck-beach-lighthouse.html

    Duck light house

    Happy I made the trek to Southern Shores to explore a new area during my Walk into the Future.  Don’t know if I will make it back there but it was a great adventure and I’m happy I made time to get there.  Always looking for new places to visit and the adventures that come with travel. 

    No regrets, ever! 😊 😊 😊

    Where are you planning to visit this year?

    “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us”.

    (Pinterest.com)

  • Virginia Beach Rock N Roll Half Marathon

    Virginia Beach half

    “Remember, the second most important thing to choosing the right shoe is choosing the left one”.

    (Unknown)

    Decided to exercise one of my 2020 race credits for the Virginia Beach Rock N Roll Half Marathon over the Labor Day weekend.  I targeted this race in 2020 before COVID-19 shut down running but never got a chance to explore Virginia Beach. 

    I have traveled to the state of Virginia before, but it was in the Washington D. C. area—never the coast.  Starting and finishing a race on the Virginia Beach boardwalk was an appealing draw for me and wanted to explore the area as a running tourist. 

    Happy to report the race, festivities and weather were fantastic and I enjoyed my adventure.

    I have been training but knew my current regimen was not where it needs to be to run a Personal Record (PR).  Most folks know I am always chasing my next PR, but it appears I am getting wiser with my mental focus.  My goal for Virginia Beach was to take a measured approach to the race and then determine how fast my pace would be for the rest of the race.

    Booked an early Southwest airlines flight out of Orlando to get to my race destination.  This was my first plane ride since my Rock N Roll half marathon and cheesesteak adventures in Philadelphia back in 2019.  I did not know how I would react to being back on a plane but felt safe since everyone in the airport and on the plane wore their masks.  I have seen horror stories on the news about people not wearing masks but did not experience this at all. 

    Settled into my exit row seat with extra leg room and enjoyed the two-hour flight to Virginia.  This was a perfect opportunity for me to catch up on my reading.  I currently have two books going—Eat that Frog and Start With Why.  Both books speak to my current work situation, so I bounce back and forth between the books.  May need to just finish one so I can tackle the other one with more energy—we will see!

    The flight to Virginia Beach was uneventful—nothing special happened but was excited to finally arrive to get the adventure started.

    Hotels close to the race venture were booked or too expensive for my taste.  Ended up staying in Chesapeake, Virginia which is close to a lot of shopping and entertainment.  Made the most of this fact and did some light window shopping and got a pedicure.  Nothing like having your feet rubbed prior to pounding the pavement for 13.1 miles. 😊  Completed my carb loading process with extra pasta at The Olive Garden and made sure to drink extra water.

    The weather was projected to be hotter than normal so drinking water was necessary to stay hydrated. 

    EXPO

    The Rock N Roll EXPOs are always a highlight of the weekend.  The excitement of being so close to race day puts a smile on the face of most runners.  I was happy to be back around runners again and experiencing a new city.  The Virginia Beach Rock N Roll EXPO was light on merchandise and vendors—believe this is because 2021 was the 20th Anniversary of this race and also the last year for the event. 

    The Virginia Beach city leaders decided they did not want to host the race anymore and wanted to leverage the Labor Day holiday weekend for other activities.  There were vendors available but not as many as I am used to for the Rock N Roll series.  I made sure to shop and buy a new set of leg compression sleeves since they were marked down 50%–got a pair of white CHEP compression sleeves.  I am sure you will see picture of me rocking them soon. 😊

    Virginia Beach Expo

    Boardwalk

    Made my way over to the boardwalk after the EXPO to get a taste of Virginia Beach.  Got a chance to take some pictures at the King Neptune statue that sits right on the boardwalk.  King Neptune is popular with running tourists so had to ensure I got the photo.  The beach was crowded—this could be because it was Labor Day weekend, and the local schools start the following week.  There were a ton of families on the beach enjoying the sun, surf, and weather.  Decided to find a spot to get a drink and food. 

    Virginia Beach

    Found Catch 31 right on the boardwalk and pulled up at the outdoor bar to enjoy the beach and the view.  Ordered crab cake and beer so I could people watch and enjoy college football on the  TVs.  This was a popular place, and everyone was friendly—I would recommend visiting Catch 31 if you are in the Virginia Beach area.  

    https://catch31.com/

    Virginia Beach Neptune

    Race

    Left Catch 31 with the intent to get to bed early so I could get up the next day to run the half marathon.  I hit the bed to get my rest and get off my feet.  I always set my race outfit out the night before since this makes life easier on race day.  Decided to rep the Orlando Track Shack running club again during this race.  My Track Shack race shirts always get attention from other runners and give us something to talk about before the race.

    The race start was staggered to ensure we maintained a safe distance prior to crossing the start line.  I was assigned Corral #4 again based on my projected finish time.  Happy to report my start position has improved over the years which means I am running faster than most of the runners in each race. 😊

    My goal was to run a steady pace, enjoy the process and not hurt myself by trying to do too much.  Mission accomplished!  The race started one block over from the beach and we made our way to the boardwalk within the first mile.  It was great running next to the beach with a nice sunrise coming up over the water.

    The course brought us back onto the main drag and then we headed south through neighborhoods for most of the race.  My plan is always to run to each water stop and then walk through them when I get water or Gatorade.  I take off running again and head towards the next water stop.  This approach has allowed me to complete multiple races and set PRs in the process. 

    I ran with a smile on my face for the first 8 miles then my quads and hamstring started to scream at me.  Again, I have been running but not putting in the correct number of miles to build the lactic acid threshold needed for a half marathon.  I knew this coming into the race, but it never seems to help when your legs are burning—you just keep moving forward.  I continued my game plan even with the pain, but I was not moving very fast. 

    Mile 10 is where I decided trying to run a PR was not happening so slowed my pace to enjoy the rest of the race.  Luckily for me I decided a PR was not worth the pain—Mile 11 is where runners faced the problem of running up a steep bridge to get closer to the finish line.  Most of us let out an audible ‘Holy Crap’ when we saw the bridge and the knowledge we had to get up and over to finish the race.  My pace slowed down even more while making my way over the bridge.  The downhill portion was great and led us back to the boardwalk to finish the race.  There were race spectators along the boardwalk and they cheered us to the finish line.

    Very happy and proud to finish this race considering my training program was subpar—I can improve and will put more effort into my preparation.

    Realm Brewery

    The reward for completing the Virginia Beach Rock N Roll Half Marathon was a trip to New Realm Brewery.  This spot was highly recommended and did not disappoint.  Realm Brewery is an open air and inside sitting establishment.  The outside sitting is covered and there is plenty room to social distance while enjoying food and drink.  I got the Acai and Blueberry Seltzer and New Realm Burger which was outstanding.  There was live music in the afternoon and the environment was fantastic.  They did not have TVs outside to watch football but that is a small thing considering how great this place is.  Yes, I will visit again when I am back in the Virginia Beach area.

    Unfortunately, the Virginia Beach Rock N Roll Half Marathon will not be run again.  Great location, course, and entertainment in the area—guess I will have to explore other Rock N Roll locations to continue this running tourist program. 😊

    Savannah is next on the list!

    “If found on the ground, drag to the finish line”.

    (From a runner’s t-shirt)

  • The grateful 5 (5 things I’m grateful for)

    Grateful

    “A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles”

    (Pinterest)

    Dictionary.com defines grateful as feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; thankful.

    Pretty simple concept and one to dig into a bit more.  I do a lot of reading and came across a blog article titled the Top 5 Things I am Grateful For.  The article and title are straight forward so I decided to try my writing chops to explore this from my perspective.

    Family

    Spend any amount of time with me and I will tell you about my family.  My family on my mom’s side consists of 5 uncles and 4 aunts.  The last time we counted I had 32 first cousins and 69 second cousins.  I know that last number has gone up, but we have not counted them in a long time.

    This large extended family unit allowed me to grow up in an environment where most of my early friends were family members.   We did not add nonfamily friends until we started school because there were enough of us around to field our own teams in most sports.

    I am grateful for having so many family members who go out of their way to look out for each other.  Seems like a simple thing but we spent most Thanksgivings with this large unit and enjoyed our time together.  COVID-19 put a halt on our large family get togethers last year but hopefully we can find a way to get the crew together this year—safely!

    Friends

    My Walk into the Future journey has allowed me to make some truly great friends.  Please note, I do not let a lot of people into my inner circle, so my friends are special people to me.  I have friends who are not cousins and I have known them my entire life.  We stay connected and get back together whenever possible and continue to grow our friendship.

    I have friends I met while in the Air Force and we have become our own family unit.  I look forward to getting together and catching up whenever possible.  COVID-19 has put a halt to our running tourist trips, but I am sure we will get back on track in the future.  New Orleans is calling!

    I met my best friend in the gym one morning as she bullied me to help her with the weights she was lifting—true story! 😊  Seriously, a simple gym conversation launched a great friendship, and we chat and catch up on life as much as possible.  See you on Park Avenue!

    My tree branches are all friends I look forward to catching up with.  Could be a simple email, text, or phone call but love hearing how well my folks are doing in this world.  I enjoy seeing them exploring life via Instagram stories and pictures they share.  I live through them daily and enjoy seeing the growth of my tree. WE ARE!  Go Bucks! Go Noles! Go Gators!

    Running

    I found running later in life but cannot imagine a world without me putting in my miles.  The concept of running a half marathon was foreign to me in 2013 but now I run 6 to 8 half marathons yearly (pre-COVID).  I had no intention to run another half marathon after my first attempt because it took me three full weeks to recover.  Of course, I had no idea how to train, hydrate or recover properly—lessons learned the hard way! LOL.

    My stated goal for 2022 is to explore my first full marathon.  I am hoping COVID does not come back like 2020 and eliminates all future running events.  I am always looking for motivation when I run so training for a full marathon should keep me putting in the miles for years to come.  Trying to convince several friends to come race with me. Let’s go Laurens! 😊

    “Running helps me maintain my ‘never killed anyone’ streak”.

    (Pinterest)

    Health

    Happy to report I can eat and drink whatever I want.  My running and weight training programs help with this, but I am blessed with good health.  Running has not caused undue aches or pains and helps me maintain a healthy weight without counting calories.  My weight training provides strong muscle structure to keep me moving forward.  My annual physicals produce good numbers, and the doctor does not have to get onto me to eliminate anything from my diet.  Grateful to continue to age well! 😊

    My Blog

    Started the Walk into the Future blog without a clear understanding how it would impact me.  I thought I would just write a few things down and see if anyone wanted to read my words.  Turns out the blog has become an extension of me and gives me a platform to share thoughts, ideas, and adventures.  My writing process has slowed down as my work obligations expand but I am still able to keep 4 to 5 weeks of blog articles in my production library.  I would like to get back up to 8 to 10 weeks of articles in reserve in case I need to revise or update them before publishing.  Not sure how long I will continue to publish the blog but still have a ton of material to explore so hope you stay with me on this journey! 😊

    Bonus:  My readers

    Grateful for everyone who takes the time to read my blog.  Your positive affirmations always put a smile on my face and inspire me to work to produce better content weekly.  Thank you for following the Walk into the Future blog!  Well done!

    What are YOU grateful for?  I welcome your thoughts!

    “The struggles ends when the gratitude begins”.

    (Neale Donald Walsh)

  • Half Marathon training (South Florida)

    Celebration of running

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

    (Baron Hansen)

    September 5, 2021 is coming!  This date may only be circled on my calendar, but it has importance to my Walk into the Future.

    The Virginia Beach Rock N Roll Half Marathon will take place on 9/5/21.  This year’s race marks the 20th anniversary of the Rock n Roll series in Virginia Beach and will also be the last time this race is run.  Received an email last week stating the city of Virginia Beach and the Rock n Roll series agreed to make this the last hoorah.  This is my first visit to Virginia Beach, and I will have to make the most of it.

    The date of the half marathon is significant to me due to my training program.  I did not have a huge half marathon training focus in 2020 due to COVID-19.  I got miles in but never found my training pace because most races were cancelled due to COVID protocols.

    Fast forward to 2021 and races are slowly coming back and the running tourist in me is excited to hit the road again.  I am looking forward to exploring new locations and testing myself against courses I have only read about or seen pictures.

    So, what’s the problem you may ask?  Great question and thanks!  The problem is:  it is HOT down here!!! 😊

    I will not get into the concept of climate change, global warming, etc. but this south Florida heat and humidity is impacting my training program.

    I officially launched my half marathon training on 6/28/21.  This put me two months out from the Virginia Beach Rock N Roll half and should be plenty of time to get mentally and physically prepared to run.  I am getting my runs and bike rides in but struggle to extend my miles due to the heat and humidity in my current location.  My long runs top out at 7 miles because I want to be mindful of the impact the heat has while training. 

    I get up earlier for my weekend runs but the temperature hits the mid-80s by 9 am and only goes up from there.  Not complaining because most of my runs on done close to the water so I can always stop and make it a beach outing when I am done with my runs.

    I did not think the four-hour drive from Tallahassee to Fort Pierce would make much difference on my running program but there is a different level of heat down here.  Again, not complaining but stating a fact.  This is a fact I must come to grips with soon to keep preparing for future races.  I targeted several local 5ks to keep my competitive juices flowing but need these short races to get me race ready. 

    I added more bike rides (gym and outside) to get more miles on my legs to build up the threshold needed to run and complete a half marathon.  This is a new approach for me but a safe way to extend my training without having to deal with the south Florida heat.

    I recently added treadmill runs to my training program.  I am not a fan of running on a treadmill, but this equipment allows me to log miles and push myself to get ready for the actual process of running a half marathon.  My new training routine consists of morning miles on my regular route near the beach and then a treadmill session with equal miles.

    The one treadmill trick I started using is to cover the time/distance/speed display.  Running on the treadmill is a mentally draining exercise for me and I believe it is because the display does not match what I THINK I’m accomplishing.  Simply put, it feels like I have run further than the display shows so I get frustrated with the process.  Covering the display allows me to forget about the distance and time and just put in the work.  I see multiple people who appear to enjoy their time on the treadmill, and I am amazed watching them.  I need to get over my treadmill DREAD and just put in the work. 

    Looking forward to cooler weather so I can get back to longer outside runs again.  Did I mention it is hot in South Florida? 😊

    “Don’t be a jogger.  They are the ones who find dead bodies”.

    (RuntotheFinish)