Walk Into the Future

Five Minute Thursday: Mentor

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“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself”.

(Oprah Winfrey)

The Walk into the Future blog is back and will give the Five-Minute Thursday prompt another run.

I was surprised to hear from multiple readers who enjoyed the concept and what I put out during my first run with this prompt. Will get a few more topics in with this format.

My second prompt for Five Minute Thursday is: Mentor.

I have been blessed with great mentors in my professional life. These folks have each provided me with guidance and showed me the correct way to move forward in life. Deborah Friendly mentored me at my first Air Force duty station in Fort Worth, Texas. Tony Greene picked me up when I went to Japan the first time. I connected with Rich Gardner in San Antonio while stationed at Randolph Air Force Base. The interesting thing about these mentors is they were all from Florida—just like me. Funny how people cross your path—three of my first mentors were from my home state but I met them in other states and countries. Life is interesting!

I’m still in contact with these three folks and appreciate the knowledge they shared with me.

The mentor I will write about today is Jan McIntosh. He was a Chief Master Sergeant and the top enlisted Personnel Manager in the Air Force. He oversaw Personnel (HR) operations for every Air Force Base in the world. I knew the Chief by name but had no idea he knew me or anything about me.

I met him during my time as an Air Force Instructor at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. I was one of two instructors charged with training computer analysts on a new personnel database that was being integrated Air Force wide. We built the course in record time and then had to train analysts worldwide to ensure operational integrity throughout the Air Force.

Chief McIntosh watched me teach a few sessions and then pulled me to the side and gave me the most important piece of advice I ever received. He asked me if I wanted to know the key to success and I said, of course. He told me the secret to success in life was: Be where you are supposed to be, doing what you are supposed to be doing, when you are supposed to be doing it. A very simple concept but I put this advice into action after he shared it with me, and things really started taking off for me.

Doors started opening for me because I put this simple concept into action. Promotions, better work assignments, financial wellbeing, better health outcomes, and improved relationships all came my way by utilizing this advice.

I use the knowledge Chief McIntosh gave me in 1997 to this day and share with all my tree branches. I also use this information in my work environment to lead my teams—yes, I share these same words with everyone on my team to show them how easy life can be if we get out of our way.

Interesting fact—the advice Chief McIntosh gave me was the ONLY conversation we have ever had. I never saw him or spoke with him again, but I leverage his wisdom daily and consider him one of my best mentors. He came into my life at a time when I needed his knowledge, and he shared it with me freely.

Which mentor impacted your life the most?

Irie!

“Your mentors in life are important, choose them wisely”.

(Bill Walsh)

2024 Town of Celebration Half Marathon

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“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.

“When your legs get tired, run with your heart”.

(Unknown)

Five Minute Thursday: Leadership

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“The writer is the explorer. Every step is an advance into a new land”.

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

The Walk into The Future blog continues to serve as a vehicle for my creative expression. I started this blogging process to share my thoughts, travels, and adventures. I find it easy to write about my adventures and then share with my loyal readers.

There are days when I don’t think I have the inspiration to write another blog article and then I sit down with a specific prompt and the words just come to me. I would like to say writing these articles is an easy daily process, but I find myself struggling to generate content that I think others will read from time to time. I write, edit, delete, and then write again to create something worth reading. This is not all the time but figured I would share I have writing distractions to keep me away from me cranking away on my laptop.

Today is not one of those days! 😊

I went back to a tried-and-true process of identifying a writing prompt to generate a new concept to write about. One of the prompts I found a while ago was called: Five Minute Friday. The intent is to pick a specific word and then write about it for five minutes to create content. Well, I modified the prompt into Five Minute Thursday since I post on Thursdays at 11:08 am—did you know that? 😊

My first prompt for Five Minute Thursday is: Leadership.

Leadership is a concept that I began to explore while I served in the Air Force. We were put through a series of leadership courses (Airmen Leadership School, Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership School, Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, etc.) where principles of leadership were shared. The best leaders I worked with all went through these courses, but they had more than course leadership principles.

Three of my favorite Air Force Leaders: Chief Master Sergeant Roger Noyes, Chief Master Sergeant Janet Craton and Senior Master Sergeant Rich Gardner—thanks to them all!

Developing leadership skills became a priority for me and I explored this topic via books, online trainings, and lectures.

I discovered Authentic Leadership almost by mistake. I wanted my dissertation to focus on First Year Experience (FYE) courses for first generation students. This would have been an impactful study, but my dissertation mentor told me I couldn’t pursue this topic because it was Educational Psychology, and my program was Organizational Psychology. I hung my head for a few months before we discovered Authentic Leadership, and the rest is history.

My earlier introduction to leadership while in the Air Force allowed me to blend things I learned from wearing a uniform into my model of Authentic Leadership. The great leaders I worked with in the Air Force have been integrated into my version of Authentic Leadership as I incorporate their lessons into my current pursuit of leadership.

Well, my five minutes is up. I could keep going but will honor the concept of this writing prompt! 😊

What can you get done in the next five minutes? Ok, take off!

Irie!

“Writing is the painting of the voice”.

(Voltaire)

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

2023 House Hunting (Repost)

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“Home is the nicest word there is”.

(Laura Ingalls Wilder)

I moved to Fort Pierce in April 2020 during what we thought was the worst part of COVID-19. Different time from what we experience today.

Back then, realtors and apartment managers were not allowing anyone to enter buildings. I remember coming down to Fort Pierce to look for a place to live and office staff made me call them on the phone and speak to them while I stood outside—even though I could see them through the glass door. It was a precaution to keep them safe, but it was a weird dynamic trying to find a place to live.

My intention when I moved here was to purchase a house, condo or townhouse but did not feel comfortable trying to purchase something I could not view—guess I am weird like that.

Found an apartment complex close to my new place of employment and they allowed me to view their model apartment on my own. There’s plenty of space here, a workout room and close to work. Still had intentions to purchase something in this area but did not feel a need to rush the process.

Got the urge to purchase again in the summer of 2022 so decided to put more effort into the process. Started slowly by trying to identify areas I wanted to live in and more importantly, areas to avoid. Got active on Zillow to start locating properties but decided to reel in my search to include condos and townhouses. Decided early on I did not want to take care of my own lawn anymore. Yard work was cute back in the day when I had a house in Georgia, but I do not want any part of cutting my own yard or weed eating in South Florida.

Started touring neighborhoods on my own after finding properties on Zillow. This allowed me to expand my boundaries and get a better understanding of different areas in Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, and Vero Beach. Put more energy into looking at properties in Fort Pierce and Vero Beach—eliminating Port St. Lucie was easy based on the amount of traffic there. Keep hearing stories of how long it takes to navigate around St. Lucie West.

Reached out to a realtor when I wanted to get more in-depth knowledge and help with the search. She has been in this area for a while and has a better feel for the process—I needed someone to guide me. Gave her an idea of what I was looking for to include a price range I wanted to stay within. She quickly found condos and townhouses that matched what I wanted, and we were off and running.

I still was not in a rush, so I was able to view multiple properties to see how they fit what I wanted in a new home. I was very selective on what we viewed since I did not want to waste her time or mine. She gave me a lot of freedom in this process, so this made it more like an adventure and not a task to complete.

The breakthrough came while viewing two condos in Vero Beach. Both looked great online and were in nice neighborhoods, but they did not feel like home. Asked my realtor to find others and set them up for viewing. She agreed but decided to bump my price range up a bit and discovered a townhouse in Fort Pierce that was only two miles from where I currently live.

I never knew there were townhouses in that subdivision—always saw the houses from the road and never ventured in there. We set up a viewing for this townhouse two days later and made our way over to see it. This was the first place I walked into, and it felt like it could be ‘home’. Spacious living room, large kitchen (means nothing really), great space in the bedrooms and a large walk-in closet for me.

Fast forward and I put in a bid for $20k less than the asking price. The seller countered a $5k increase and I accepted. Got a townhouse listed above my stated price range within my price range without having to go back and forth with the seller. Took my realtor’s advice on this process and it paid off for me—no pun intended.

I am using my time to update a few things in the town house before moving in; removed carpet and replaced with wood laminate floors, painting the inside, tile and grout cleaning and a professional cleaning. Did not have to rush my move-in date since my lease is still active—this worked out where I had time to update the townhouse before physically moving in.

There are times when patience pays off and this is one for me. Found a home two miles from where I am currently writing this blog article and I am excited to continue to Walk into the Future.

What does HOME mean to you?

Irie!

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it”.

(George A. Moore)

Negril Jamaica 2024 (In Pictures)

“Wah gwaan!”

Wah gwaan (what’s up?) is a friendly way to greet people while in Negril. The common saying is an easy way to integrate within the Jamaican way of life and make instant friends.

Mi deh yah (I’m doing well) is the most common way to respond to Wah gwaan.

Made my annual trek back down to Negril over spring break for some sun, fun, rum, and reggae. This year I went down for complete relaxation and to enjoy the Irie vibes.

I hit my normal food and music spots to maximize my time in Jamaica but made sure I finished reading the two books I had in my book bag.

Love Negril, irie vibes, reggae, and great food when I’m there.

Here are some pictures from my latest visit:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

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Where are you planning to visit this year?

Irie!

Walk into the Future Prequel

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“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing”.

(Benjamin Franklin)

Merriam-Webster defines a prequel as a work (such as a novel or a play) whose story precedes that of an earlier work.

Simple enough, huh?

I had an interesting conversation with a mentee who discovered my first public written work recently. We were discussing his future work-related options, and I reminded him to slow down and not rush into anything if he was not sure. This caught him off guard because everyone is always in a hurry to get to the next big things. I’ve been there too but learned a valuable lesson after I got out of the U.S. Air Force.

What’s the lesson I learned? To slow down and enjoy the process.

There may be a few Walk into the Future readers who may not know the prequel to this blog was my first and only (at this point) book I wrote in 2010.

I found myself at a crossroads in 2010 and wanted to take control of things in my life. The book, What Now? Take Control Live Life; Don’t Let It Live You came together as I started to examine things in my life and look for new angles to gain and stay in control.

A few lessons from the prequel:

Enjoy some time off. Most people think they must rush from one position to the next. This lesson was written to let readers know they can enjoy some time off without feeling guilty. Not everyone can afford to be without a steady paycheck but for those who can there’s no need to jump back into the world of work. My advice is to sleep in a bit, visit with family and friends and find new ways to relax.

Take a vacation. I took this lesson literally and started my yearly trek to Negril, Jamaica. It was a place I always wanted to visit but never made the time. Not working gave me the perfect opportunity to head down to Negril and discover Irie vibes. I’ve been going back every year since 2010 and will continue for the foreseeable future.

Reconnect. This lesson centerson reconnecting with family and friends. I recommend using time away from work to reach out to family members and close friends to catch up on life. We spend so much time at work and sometimes miss out on opportunities to spend time with people close to you.

Live life. This lesson provides space to reassess life priorities and use free time to rediscover important things in life. This can also be a time to find yourself—what’s important to you and what do you want to accomplish?

There are additional lessons in my prequel and I welcome you to discover them all here: https://amzn.to/3IktGn6

Let me know your thoughts if you decide to accept the reading opportunity! 😊

Irie!

“I always kept two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in”.

(Robert Lewis Stevenson)

2024 The Look Ahead

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“Goals are dreams with deadlines”.

(Diana Scharf)

The Walkinto the Future blog allows me to chronicle thoughts and adventures with my readers.

Goal setting remains a high priority for me, and I make a point to reset my goals each year. I was able to hit all my 2023 goals and look forward to a productive 2024. There are always goals that carryover from one year to the next but decided to add a few wrinkles to my goal plan.

Travel is a central theme to my Walk into the Future and 2024 is no different. I’m heading back down to Negril, Jamaica for spring break in a few weeks. This location makes it on my goals list each year since Negril is one of my favorite places to visit. Can’t wait to get back down there for the great food, reggae, rum, and outstanding sunsets. The staff at Samsara do a great job of taking care of guests and treat everyone like family. The Turks and Caicos is a new destination on my travel agenda for 2024. I’ve heard great things about the Turks and Caicos and want to experience it for myself. It would be a new adventure and allow me to explore another part of the Caribbean. Will target summer travel for this island visit.

I have an overarching travel goal to visit all 50 states. I’ve got 38 so far and want to get busy seeing the other states. I recently signed up for the Rhode Island Half Marathon in May and this trip will allow me to venture north to visit three new states, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. I crossed off Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island last October. Ran out of time to hit the other 3 states so a return trip to New England is scheduled. Will look for an opportunity to visit Arkansas and West Virginia at some point this year. Got a few western states to visit but will focus on the west in 2025.

My exercise program remains front and center when I sit down to write out my goals. I will workout 3 days and run 4 days each week. My targeted weekly mileage is 30 – 40 total miles which would put me slightly ahead of my 2023 mileage numbers. My current race schedule is listed below:

2024 Bridge Buster 5k

2024 Vero Beach Half Marathon

2024 Town of Celebration Half Marathon

2024 Fleet Feet Run for your Heart 10k2024 Sailfish 10k

2024 Winter Park 10k

2024 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon2024 Rhode Island Half Marathon

2024 San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon

2024 Virginia Beach 10-Miler

2024 Chicago Marathon

2024 OUC Half Marathon2024 Palm Beaches Half Marathon

I’m sure I will find a few additional races to sign up for, but this is what I have so far.

Reading is another major component of my goal setting process. I set a goal of reading two books (minimum) monthly in 2023 but did not hit my targeted goal. I read quite a bit but never got close to two books per month. I enter 2024 with the same goal and I’m happy to report I am ahead so far this year. I’ve made a concerted effort to pick topics I want to explore (leadership, team dynamics) to ensure I stay engaged in the process. My book selections in 2023 were ambitious but did not excite me so I began to lag in effort—not in 2024.

I recently purchased a new grill and will look to get good use out of it in 2024. The grill provides me with healthy options that I will leverage to cook more this year. I’m not a huge fan of leftovers but can eat grilled food daily—love the flavor. I will grill or bake twice weekly to ensure I’m getting healthier dinner options—especially on the weekends.

Professionally, my goal is to network and identify additional consulting and speaking roles. I’ve found success with local business contracts and want to get a few more. My Authentic Leadership platform continues to grow, and I want to share it with other organizations.

Volunteering in the local community is another goal I want to meet in 2024. There are multiple options available, and I will get active in 2024.

Lastly, the Leadership eBook is coming! 😊

What are your goals for 2024!

Irie!

“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hope”.

(Andrew Carnegie)

2023 Palm Beaches Marathon

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

(Joe Henderson)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What challenges did you conquer in 2023?

Irie!

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

(Unknown)

2023 OUC Half Marathon

OUC Track Shack

“Don’t dream of winning, train for it”.

(Mo Farah)

My Walk into the Future continues to seek out new opportunities and challenges to move me forward.

Distance running and racing have become a huge part of this process. 2023 generated an aggressive running schedule that allowed me to run new half marathons to add to my medal rack. The 2023 OUC Half Marathon was the 10^th time I tackled this race. I missed the 2018 race to run a smaller half marathon on Amelia Island. The OUC Half Marathon was also my first half marathon so I guess you can say this race launched my distance running program.

I love the races put on by Orlando Track Shack so expect to run this race annually until I can’t anymore.

The 2023 OUC Half Marathon was scheduled 8 days before the 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon so viewed this edition as an extension of my marathon training. My long training runs ended the week prior but never want to feel like I’m missing out on the great vibes at the OUC race. My training plan called for me to taper my running since I was at the end of my training cycle but decided to toe the line at the OUC half anyway. The course is flat and friendly so decided to have fun and enjoy the process of racing in downtown Orlando.

I arrived early this year since I had trouble finding parking last year. Didn’t want to feel rushed when I arrived so found parking in a downtown parking garage and made my way over to the race village. I had time to stretch and socialize a bit prior to lining up for the start of the race.

The temperature was in the low 70s at race time with equal humidity. The forecast called for a gradual rise in morning temperatures so wanted to get moving to beat the heat.

I decided to line up further back in the start corral and use that as part of my race strategy. I tend to go out a lot faster when I’m close to the front so wanted to create a steady pace and stay measured throughout the race. I didn’t have a set finish time in mind but wanted to test my fitness to gauge how ready I was for the 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon.

Targeted the first 8 miles of the race as my strategic marker to see how long I can run without discomfort and determine my marathon pace for next week. Eight miles seemed like an appropriate test—my plan was to pull back on the pace once I hit eight miles and then just take in the race day environment and the cheering crowds.

I wanted to stay in the 9:50 per mile pace for this race to clock miles and work on strategy. I had to keep reminding myself not to push too hard or fast since I had a full marathon coming up in 8 days. My normal strategy is to push the pace for this race since the course is flat and I can normally get a fast time. I set my personal record (PR) on this same course in 2019 and always think I can beat that time. This was not the day to try for another PR.

I hit the eight-mile marker without any pain or discomfort. I was still running high 9-minute miles but decided to race smartly and began the process of pulling back to save my legs for the full marathon. The rising temperatures and humidity made the decision to pull back a lot easier this year too. 😊

Completed the race in 2:22 (two hours and 22 minutes) for a 10:50 per mile pace. Very happy with this pace and effort considering the temperature, humidity and a pending full marathon coming up next week.

Got a chance to catch up with some of my Orlando running friends at the race after party. Nothing like a 13.1-mile race, donuts, and beer all before 10 am in Central Florida.

Next stop? The 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon!

Irie!

“I’ll be happy if running and I grow old together”.

(Haruki Murakami)

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