They say you get wiser as you get older. If wisdom is the result of the moves I make, then I've been about action. Through the peaks and valleys, I'm grateful for another year. 🫶🏾🙏🏾
Deuteronomy 31:8
It's going down, OVERTOWN! Looking forward to seeing you at another dope experience with @runningedge305 , as we celebrate the history and culture of one our city's oldest communities. #run #walk #walk #move #saturday #overtown
Here are some moments I've captured over the past decade that I consider valuable. I haven't quite arrived, but what I've come to realize is that with each year there's some form of evolutionary element of myself that's birthed. When I turned 30, I was very critical of myself and couldn't accept I was entering another decade of life without what I perceived my life to consist of. In hindsight, the greatest lesson I've learned this past decade is realizing that life is not simply about me but rather how I can give to this world that I exist in. I understand that everyone is not on your side despite your heart at times, but you must continue to exemplify love and compassion in some way when offered the chance. Grateful for those that are in my life that have encountered my highs and lows this past decade, as well as the gifts and the new hobbies The Lord has given me (🏃🏾♂️💨). Hello, 40; let's go! 🙏🏾
Music City owes me nothing. Last week, despite being the most difficult half marathon I've ever run, while also not setting a PR in great weather conditions 😩, it all was forgotten by the great vibes the city and people provided. From seeing family, vibing with familiar South Florida runners to meeting new people, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.
This year's @miabrocarnival weekend was nothing short of a total vibe! Despite the torrential rain on occasion, it was everything I thought it would be.... Amazing 😁🙌🏾
I'm still in shock at your courageous decision almost 3 years ago to leave Miami and not have any idea of what your next move would be (definitely didn't expect a pandemic 3 months later). You move to Sweden, not knowing anyone there, not knowing its native language, and yet you ultimately thrived in countless ways. It's the clearest representation of when God tells you to move, you move! So happy for you @maratontim and @paulinaalt . Proverbs 18:22
Simply striving for my definition of perfection. Best mile ran ever at 6:09. While I've never challenged myself to run one mile, I now know that there is room for more. 🏃🏾♂️💨
As I scroll and see many people from South Florida in New York for the @brooklynmarathon that took place this morning (and me having a huge case of FOMO right now 🤦🏾♂️), I find myself reflecting on my visit last month for the @nyrr NYC Half Marathon. What a total vibe it was, makes me wish I was there right now! Congrats to all that ran the race today. 🎉
Since I didn't run in the Miami Marathon this year, I decided to take my happy feet to the next beautiful spot locally: Fort Lauderdale for the Publix A1A Half Marathon. It's been over 2 years since I've done my last 13.1 mile race, so I had a fair amount of anxiety heading into it. I felt that I had gotten a fair amount of training in, but those long runs (10 miles max) have primarily been alone with me and my watch, keeping a record of my times. Totally different story when you're actually in it and not pacing with someone. I highly recommend getting someone to pace with or getting into one of the pace corrals.
My goal was to complete in under 1:40. I was on course until I hit mile 12, hit a moment of mental weakness and started walking. I had to remind myself why I do this, that it's not for anybody else or to gain any notoriety (and some people won't ever understand it). I found my reserve to keep running, finished strong and completed with a time of 1:41:42, which is still a PR of mine, so I'm Very Grateful for that. It's also good to see familiar faces on the course faces as well.
Last run of the year on Fort Lauderdale Beach consisted of a modest 6 mile trot. To me there's something liberating about hitting the pavement and simply just going, especially at a scenic spot like the beach. It never gets dull, but it also never gets easier. You just get better at masking the difficulty. Running is a form of therapy for me, and I'm thankful that I have the ability to move. Whatever healthy vice is, here's to doing what you love in 2022 🏃🏾♂️💨
As I recognize my day of birth today, I'm met with this sense of surreal presence that I find challenging to grasp; not only because I'm really 37, but the current state of everything that exists in our world. My experiences could be described in so many ways, but I'll simply leave with the statement that, my God, I'm blessed.
Photographer: @danielarceusphotography
