Where's the Beach?

It's amazing how quickly a vacation flies by isn't it? Last Friday we hit the road and drove halfway to our destination, Perdido Key, FL. Perdido Key is to the east of Gulf Shores. We love the area because it's far quieter than the hustle and touristy bustle of Gulf Shores or Orange Beach. We finished our drive Saturday morning arriving with plenty of time to enjoy the beach and ocean views and our first dinner of the week on the balcony watching the sun set. Sunday morning I woke up around 6:45 ready to run. The only complaint about the area is in regards to running. The sun starts to rise around 5:30, so by 7 it's already fairly high in the sky. It's humid, I mean, it's near the beach after all. The temperatures were hovering around 68, which wouldn't be too bad if there was any shade to be found. There is none. It's just over a mile on the main, very busy road to get to a neighborhood. The most dreaded parts of my run are on that main thoroug...

Rather than discuss in great detail about our recent Florida trip, I thought pictures would be much better. It's not like we did anything terribly exciting. No parasailing, no jet ski rentals. Basically, it was all about enjoying, sitting back, relaxing and soaking up the views. Birds skittering about Waves crashing Moon during the day Sunset on our final day Full moon on our final night I finished 4 books, ran a total of 26 miles (9 being on the treadmill because it was just far too hot and humid), we ate lunches on the beach each day, we visited our friends twice, they visited us once. We did not shop, we did not go out to eat, we simply enjoyed.

I thought I'd do a super simple, perhaps fun post of some pictures so far from the week. Basically, my views thus far. I can't say we've been doing anything super exciting. But, that's exactly the point of this vacation. We pretty much spend the entire day sitting down on the beach with our toes in the sand. Jason has been doing a little fishing. I've been doing a lot of reading. We pack a cooler with lunch and snacks and take that down with us. So lunches are on the beach. Snacks are on the beach. Drinks? Yep, on the beach. I've yet to put on make up or real clothes. And I'm in heaven. It's fun to do people watching from our balcony. We often make up scenarios for people, even make up their conversations. Wine always tastes better with the ocean in the background. Nothing more relaxing than the sound of the waves crashing. Birds are fun to watch. My toenails match my chair. One happy camper. Very interesting find ...

Stress Free Vacay Happy Hump Day everyone. It's one of those weeks where I'm a day off. It feels like Thursday. I think I'm just eager to get to the weekend because we'll be headed to the beach! That reminds me, I need to pack. Funny how I freak out about packing for almost every trip except this annual trip to Florida. There's not really much you need for the beach other than towels, bathing suits and a few books right? I used to pack outfits for each day (day and night). Then I began to realize how rarely I wore even 1/3 of what I was carting along with me. This vacation isn't about getting out and sight-seeing around a city. We don't go out to eat. At best, we might venture to the outlet mall, but that's only if it's a rainy day and we're somehow bored. We will visit with some friends who live there now. So, that makes packing so much easier. Just a few outfits, lounge clothes, bikinis, oh and running attire. Luckily the condo does ha...

Leaving the Beach Our last night at the beach was spent in the company of amazing friends (and hosts). Our friends that have a house on the intracoastal waters (mentioned in previous post) have been talking about a place called Joe Patti's Seafood for ages. So, the plan for Friday afternoon was to head over to their house then head over to Joe Patti's. Of course, the seafood part wasn't exactly appealing to me, but that's ok. I was along for the experience. The smell was really over-powering for me. But, they had several different areas other than just the fish market. So I milled around checking out a variety of sauces, salsas, condiments and more. Some made there, some made in the area, others were known brands. But I love sauces and condiments, spreads and salads. So it was fun for me looking through, getting recipe ideas. Joe Patti's also has a really nice wine store. They definitely carried many wines that we can't get at home. Jason picked out a re...

Last night I made some pizzas using Flatout Wraps . Super simple and tasty. I loved how crisp they were as a crust. And of course we enjoyed dinner overlooking the ocean. How could you resist? This morning we woke up pretty early. But, even at 7:45 am, the heat was already on. Actually, I think it was really more the humidity and beating sun. But, we headed out for our run anyway. I was planning on trying to get in 5 maybe 6 miles. We did take some new routes and got in some new views at least. We both enjoy gawking at gorgeous water front homes. But the heat was really zapping both of us. So, we ended up calling it done at 4.7 miles and I am absolutely fine with not pushing just a hair more for 5. We were done with all caps. And here's the sweaty mess #PROOF After the run, we cleaned up and hit the beach once again. It was our last beach day, so we wanted to make the most of it of course. We're about to go meet up with our friends again, so I guess I'll leave yo...

Today started off pretty much the same way as it has been starting since on vacation. I didn't really need to try to run again today. I put in 11.5 miles in two days and I know that's pushing it with my injuries. So, the plan was to just do the elliptical for a bit and watch a bit of Food Network before Jason got up. But, the elliptical is really basic (aka crappy) so I lasted about 30 minutes before moving to the treadmill. Normally I loathe the treadmill, but if I can watch something on TV that I want to watch, it makes it so much easier to handle. Yes, I just said I should not have been out running. So I did keep it scaled back. I only did 2.5 miles on the treadmill. And actually, I think it was maybe a good thing. It was a softer surface than the hard pavement I've been pounding. So for that reason, running inside wasn't such a bad idea. And it wasn't long. No intervals, no hills, nothing crazy. After the run, we packed up the cooler with lunch, lots of wa...

Perfect Evening Last night we had dinner at our friends' home. They finished building in December, and we couldn't wait to see it. As expected, it was perfect. The kitchen, dining room, and living room are all one open space. And from the oven/stove, you look straight out onto their huge balcony that overlooks the intracoastal waterways.   This is the view we enjoyed while visiting and eating dinner. As always, they were incredible hosts. We enjoyed much laughter, good food, and good wine. You just couldn't ask for much more than that. Just Another Day at the Beach This morning I got up and headed out for a run right at 8 am. The sun starts to rise so much earlier here than at home, so 8 am is already starting to get warm. Not only do you have the heat, but the humidity and no shade. Yesterday there was a breeze to help keep us cool. Today? No breeze. In fact, the air was so calm, the ocean looked more like a massive lake with virtually no waves. That would b...

Saturday Well, I won't talk about the drive down to the beach, that wasn't super exciting. Well, we have been listening to the Hunger Games, I guess that could be exciting. We're both really enjoying the first book. So much so we almost just sat in the car when we arrived to finish it. We're here (Perdido Key, FL) and settled into our condo. The weather is incredible. It's actually a bit cooler here than back home. Only rain in the forecast for Wednesday, and that's just 30%. So I'm thinking lots of butt on the beach time is ahead. Last night I just made veggie burgers with sweet potato fries. I had made up some lentil and quinoa burgers before we left and brought some with us. This was simple. The kind of meal you need when you just want to enjoy the beautiful ocean views and not fuss with making an elaborate meal. We enjoyed it on the balcony and spent the rest of the evening just relaxing. Sunday This morning we got up and headed out for a run....

Since I didn't do Fun Facts Friday, I thought I'd do a Fun Facts Vacation List as a recap. Especially since my Saturday won't have been terribly exciting. I mean, I left the beach behind and spent 8 1/2 hours in the car...kind of depressing. Today will be picking up the pups (more driving), laundry, errands, and just trying to get back to reality. While it was nice to shower in my own shower (especially after a long day on the road) and sleep in my own bed, I'm certainly going to miss the beach and my lazy days on the white sandy beaches of Perdido Key, FL. But was I really all that lazy? Yes and no: I ran 25 miles. I walked up 81 flights of stairs. I finished 2 books. We killed 2 cans of spray on sunblock. I did 4 loads of laundry. We spent 6 out of 7 days on the beach (minimum 4 hours each day). We went through about 4 gallons of water. I enjoyed breakfast on the balcony every morning. I never slept past 8 am. I never stayed up past 10:40 pm. We enjoyed ...

Running, Reading & Relaxing  This morning was my last treadmill run (hopefully for a while). I did 4 miles all while watching the Food Network. This is the most tv I think I've watched in weeks combined. After running, I stretched and rolled on my Triggerpoint Kit (pretty standard). Again, we packed up lunch and snacks and head down to the beach. We were lucky enough to stake out our prime real estate spot again today. We got down there around 10:30 and stayed until 4. I can't say it was terribly exciting, but it was super relaxing. I did re-wear my pink suit today I finished my 2nd beach book - Jane Green's Dune Road . It was definitely much more lighthearted than Alice Sebold's The Almost Moon . Of course, that's the perfect kind of read for the beach if you ask me. Balcony Time with Friends We got cleaned up and started trying to get most of our things packed. Our friends did come over for a visit though. We had hoped to get in some beach time wit...

Another Treadmill Run This morning I was up early again - before 7 (on vacation). Of course, when I get home I'll want to sleep in. After eating my usual oatmeal breakfast on the balcony - best way to enjoy oatmeal if you ask me - I headed down to the gym. I did 2 miles then 6 x 1:00 athletic intervals, putting me at a little over 3 miles so I decided to stick with it to round out the miles to an even 4. I did have the Food Network to keep me occupied as well. It's grilling week, so not exactly anything I'd just love (lots of meat), but there have been some interesting veggie sides and marinades I could easily replicate.  I took the 4 flights back up to the condo, as one sweaty mess. I did do some resistance band work as well. Just a little, maybe 15 minutes tops. I hit triceps, shoulders, back, and biceps. Then I stretched out and rolled on my handy Triggerpoint Kit . Another Beach Day Before cleaning up from my workout, I made my lunch (to eat on the beach). We pa...