Why I Miss Running in Florida

Hi friends, hope you’re enjoying the weekend! We sure are making the most out of ours in Florida.

Friday afternoon, Scott and I set out to help out with a six day youth summer camp with our church. Before we left, I was able to sneak in “the final workout” as I like to call it before leaving for somewhere with unforeseen workout/running capabilities… a.k.a. vacation.

Except, we aren’t really on “vacation” either. We are right in the middle of our free time during our first full day of camp, and I’ll be sure to check back in Monday afternoon with some fun pics and stories.

It’s been a great experience so far!

For now, I just wanted to pop in and share some of the reasons I miss running in Florida. Because as much as I am obsessed with running the trails near our home in Michigan, I really, really do miss the days of hitting the pavement and beating the heat down south.

All within a five mile radius from my parents house, here’s what I could always expect to find on my running loop:

Bridges and views like this in my neighborhood.

Being able to run in shorts, at least ten months out of the year.

(Twelve if you’re not a wimp.)

Seeing memories of my childhood pop up where I least expected it.

While I never actually did pop warner, I attended Lake Brantley for high school and had a lot of friends who did.

(I’m really not sure why I never cheered, actually. It probably would have been really fun to do! I guess I was too busy living at the dance studio.)

Anyways, oh yeah… endless palm tress.

Mini-beaches, lakes, and parks everywhere.

(Flashing back to the days I wasn’t afraid of lake water and what could possibly be swimming around in it.)

And last, but not least, proof I just challenged myself: instant red face.

This photo really doesn’t do it justice, ya’ll. Without fail, every time I run while visiting home I turn as red as a tomato.

Two miles, five miles, ten miles, it doesn’t matter. Put me out in the sun and have me move faster than a power walk, and I’ll be needing a shower in just about two minutes time.

I must say, getting through five miles in the hot summer heat of Florida is no easy task. In fact, I had to incorporate about three walking breaks to be able to catch my breath under some shade and push through it this time. I came in at around 50 minutes, which is a pretty slow pace for me at 10:00 min./mile.

I kicked myself for not bringing a water bottle with me at the three mile mark, and my days of training in the summer for my first half marathon started coming back to me. No wonder I always set out with water and waited until sunset.

Regardless, there’s still a huge part of me that misses running down here. Mostly when we are deep into winter where there’s inches of snow on the ground and frostbite waiting for me if I even attempt a run outside longer than thirty minutes.

I think it’s funny when my mom and I exchange messages to each other on Saturdays, both complaining about the weather. She’s always saying how blazing hot it is, while I usually counter by telling her I had to wear gloves and sweats that very same weekend. It just doesn’t make sense!

Welp. I just used my free time to blog instead of attempting another outside run before needing to shower and get ready for dinner. It’s probably a good thing, considering it took me a good fifteen minutes of laying on my bedroom floor under the fan to cool down last time I pulled a run in the mid-afternoon down here.

Gotta go! Have a great rest of the weekend, and I’ll see you on Monday morning with a special (gluten-free) recipe guest post!

Question of the Day

• As a runner, would you rather be living in a hot or cold climate?

I go back and forth with this answer every time I run in an extreme weather condition. When I’m running outside in Florida, I miss the cool fall breeze of Michigan. When I’m running outside in Michigan (most likely with twelve layers on), I can’t wait for the day where I can run in shorts and come back inside with a red face.

I’m hoping that one day we find a happy middle ground and city that incorporates more mild versions of the seasons. Until then, I guess I’ll roll with the best of ’em and enjoy both while I can through traveling!