Back to Reality

After a week of vacation with my extended family, we are back home in steamy St. Louis and settling back into our routine.  We enjoyed seven days of sunshine, splashing in the pool, and playing on the beach.  The 12+ hours in the car each way I could live without, but it was all worth it for a break from the daily grind.

I had hoped to run two or three times while on the road, and I'm pleased to report that I worked in three vacation runs.  Before I left, I talked to a number of mother runners who raved about the beauty of a vacation run.  Having never run on vacation before, I nodded along and took their word for it.  Now that I've done it, I agree with those (ever so wise) ladies 100%!  There's something extra blissful about running in a new area, and I felt an added gratitude for being able to travel to a beautiful place and have the freedom to explore it on foot.  And running while watching the sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico?  Truly breathtaking and awe-inspiring.

My running routes were fairly limited, so I mostly ran out-and-back paths along a beachside highway.  At home I usually run loops, so it was fun to mix things up with the out-and-back routes.  I enjoyed looking at the beautiful beach houses, imagining what it would be like to call such a gorgeous place home.  I saw many people running along the packed sand of the beach, but I wasn't quite so adventurous.  I did, however, venture out to the beach at the end of my last run to get my beach running shoe selfie:

A beach shoe selfie!  Mission completion.

In addition to my three solo runs, I also logged some bonus miles with a few members of my family.  My husband, sister, and brother-in-law are hoping to run a 5k race this fall, so they're building up mileage in preparation.  The humid, muggy Gulf air was not easy on the lungs, but they did great, and I loved having some company at the end of my runs.  Post-run, we cooled off with a dip in our pool - a perfect way to bring the blood pressure down after a good workout.

While I loved vacation and the chance to run while traveling, I am very happy to be home.  Emily and I met up for our usual early morning run this morning, and my feet were glad to be back on our home turf.  Home sweet home :)

I found a little remnant of the beach on my running shoes today.