beach life

So Fred and I are on vacation this week. We are in Florida, and we are walking distance from the beach. It's beautiful, sunny, sometimes a little rainy, but overall oh-so-relaxing. I really don't want to go home. If we move away from Milton, I'm going to push pretty hard for a beach home. I feel like I was made for the beach life.

Although........... currently I am a walking reminder to beach-goers to apply and reapply sunscreen diligently. Yep... I got burned. I was so careful last time at the beach and donned a beautiful tan, but this time I got sloppy and I'm pretty red in a couple places. The good news is, if the burn isn't too bad it evens out to a nice tan eventually.

But enough about tans. I am in my second trimester now! Woohoo!!! This means, I will soon be saying goodbye to morning sickness and all that it entails. I still have a few bouts, but overall I can eat most of what I could pre-pregnancy (although anything very potent is still on the outs... I can't imagine ever wanting it again).

One of the biggest turning points for me has been my energy! I was basically a floppy fish who had been out of water too long during my first trimester. When people looked at me I could see the pity in their eyes as I molded to whatever form I was sitting/laying/leaning on at the time. I would join family gatherings with half opened eyes and smile weakly, holding out limp arms for a hug which I mostly leaned into for support. I was a sad sack.

But on this vacation... I have been running! And swimming, walking, and actually doing chores like cooking a little and cleaning. But back to the running, which is what I'm most excited about... I ran the second day here (so, Monday) and it was sort of a granny run, and I averaged it at half a mile. It was a little more, perhaps 2/3 a mile, but I was thinking, "Way to go!" Because only a week before it had felt like murder to run 1 mile at the slowest possible running pace, and it took me 15 minutes. I was not proud of myself, but I also was too tired to care. Fred mostly was pushing me so I wouldn't wind up a couch potato; a thought that became increasingly more appealing as the weeks wore on. Every time I would look at one of my pregnancy apps or e-mails, it would say 'make sure to stay active!' and 'don't become a couch potato!' and so I made a decision:
I stopped checking my apps and e-mails.

Anyway, it felt like a good idea to try a run yesterday. I was feeling active, I was at the beach by myself since Fred had to work that day, and so I ran. After my first run, I had very low expectations, but I ran until I felt like I needed to turn back. I didn't need to rest, which was a really good sign, and I thought maybe I went almost a mile that time. I measured the distance and it turned out to be 2. I was pretty happy about that! Not only did I feel great during and after the run, but I outran my expectation.

Fred and I ran again today, but... I stopped a lot the first mile. Even with all the stops, he said it was well under a 10 minute mile, so I definitely have increased my speed. I feel almost like my old self, but my stomach is getting a little bit bigger. Oh... that reminds me, I need to take belly shots.
That sounds like a club drink.