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Staying Active On Vacation: South Walton, Florida

March 9, 2021 by Dorothy Beal

One of my favorite things to do while on vacation is to make time to be active. Something about getting to workout vs feeling like I have to or should makes a run, hike, gym session or really any fitness activity I’d typically do at home, extra pleasurable. 

Before heading to South Walton I checked out the Watercolor Inn & Resort website, the place where I would be staying, to see if there was a gym or fitness center that I could use while there. Score – there was, so I packed gym clothing on top of what I was already bringing for running. Thankfully because I was traveling from a colder climate (it was snowing in Virginia when I left) I didn’t feel the need to bring anything other than shorts and a tank for my runs and a tank and leggings for the gym. I also packed a bathing suit, plus quick drying athletic apparel just in case I had time to squeeze in paddleboarding on top of everything else. 

As a marathoner I’m unfortunately accustomed to websites touting “miles of trails” and then arriving at a location and finding out that by miles of trails they mean a mile or two. More often than not the “path” that they claim is great for running is nothing more than sidewalks. When I arrived in South Walton I immediately saw the path that was mentioned on the Visit South Walton website, which was an actual path that truly went for miles – 18.5 to be exact! The path ran along Scenic Hwy 30A and went past absolutely darling towns like Alys Beach and Rosemary Beach. Not only is the path popular with runners it’s also a well liked spot to ride a bike. Next time I visit I definitely plan on renting a bike and exploring the various towns on two wheels vs just on my own two feet! 

One of the many things I appreciated about South Walton, Florida was the ease of which it was possible to log training miles. When I’m in the thick of marathon training, I often don’t want to travel because I don’t want to have to run what feels like a million little loops in order to fit in a long run. My typical long runs range in length from 16 to 22 miles, so you can imagine how fun running a one or two mile loop over and over is – read: not that fun. 

If I do have a vacation planned during marathon training I will often move my long run to the day before I leave in order to not risk the loop scenario. The issue with that is, that then I’m typically tired and sore the next day. Nothing puts a damper on the excitement of a trip like not feeling one hundred percent yourself while sitting in cramped quarters in a car or plane. 

South Walton felt like a runner’s dream. Not only did I have miles of paved paths to run on, there were also plenty of soft trails in Grayton Beach State Park. Because of the extensive trail system there was no need to move my long run or skip it all together. 

Two of the trails that I would recommend if you are trying to rack up the miles is the Grayton Beach Flatwoods Trail which was 4.5 miles or the Timpoochee Bike Trail which was 18.6 miles. The trails in South Walton were so cool that one morning after breakfast I went on a walk on the Grayton Beach Flatwoods Trail just to be able to admire the surroundings at a slower pace. 

As a self proclaimed running nerd, there are few things in life more enjoyable than running a long run and hanging out at the beach for the rest of the day. The white sand coupled with the emerald green water made Seaside an absolutely breathtaking place to hang out after being active. 

I’m someone who loves to eat and who is often RUNgry from all the miles. I loved that there were an incredible amount of options for delicious yet healthy food in South Walton. I definitely recommend Black Bear Bread Company if you like good coffee and what felt like endless pastry and bread options. I’m gluten free and was pleasantly surprised they had delicious gluten-friendly bread options!

If you are more the type who enjoys a post run drink, I loved the restaurant attached to the WaterColor Inn where I stayed at, Fish Out Of Water. When I say really liked, I mean it – one morning I went there for breakfast, another day I went there for a post gym workout Bloody Mary and lunch, later I enjoyed a delicious dinner there on my last night. I promise you won’t be disappointed if you choose to head here! Oh and did I mention the views?! Want to watch the sunset one night? Asked to be seated on their seaside outdoor patio and enjoy watching the sun paint the sky the most glorious colors over the Emerald Coast. 

I’d be remiss if I also didn’t mention one of the other restaurants I visit while down there, Surfing Deer. The food was AMAZING, the drinks were delicious and if you go at just the right time you can catch the sky turning colors through the large front windows as the sun sets. You can thank me later for this recommendation!

If you find yourself thinking, all that sounds lovely BUT I am someone who finds it hard to get motivated to be active on vacation. Here are my tips for getting moving while also enjoying resting and indulging on vacation. 

  • Prepare ahead of time by researching where you are visiting to see if they have trails, a gym, etc. Having a loose game plan ahead of time will help motivate you to act on it while on vacation.
  • Pack appropriate attire so you feel comfortable being active.
  • Be flexible! You might be someone who wakes up early and runs, but on vacation you might want to sleep in or your family would like you to join them for breakfast. Be flexible with when you fit in your activity – it might not be at an optimal time but anytime you can fit it in is optimal in my book!
  • Focus on the after feeling. The last thing you might want to do is go for a run if you stayed up late enjoying drinks at one of the many delicious restaurants or bars South Walton has to offer. This might not be the best run of your life, but moving your body is a surefire way to kick start your day and make you feel great. 
  • Leave the stress behind and enjoy yourself. A vacation should be just that!! Don’t stress about your workout, fit it in when you can, have fun, maybe try something new, or just generally be happy about whatever ends up happening. While yes you may be training for something and feel the need to fit in a long run or what not, the truth is at the end of the day, missing a week of training isn’t the end of the world and who knows maybe the extra rest and relaxation will benefit you in the long run, pun intended!

Questions about South Walton or how to train while on vacation?! Send me a DM on instagram!

@mileposts on Instagram

bikes & best friends 🚲 31+ miles … complete bikes & best friends 🚲 

31+ miles … completely out of cardio shape & yet I had one of my strongest rides ever. yay for “strength work” - it works 🙂🙃 

kit: @machinesforfreedom 
😎: @roka 
bra: @fpmovement 
cute guy 😉: @jaycromar
you know I can tell I feel more like me than I hav you know I can tell I feel more like me than I have in almost two years!? I’m DREAMING about marathons again ❤️ I want this high again ❤️ 

Despite smiling most of the way through @lamarathon it was actually kinda the worst … am I right or am I right @ashleymateo?! I’m thinking I need a redemption race even though this was two years ago 😂 and I ran another marathon immediately before it 🤷🏻‍♀️ runners be crazy like that! 

What do you have on your race calendar this year!? 

#irunthisbody #rkdorothy #trainwithrunkeeper #tbt
❤️ Mom joy x1million today ❤️ Colton is a ❤️ Mom joy x1million today ❤️ Colton is a 5th grade graduate!! He now moves to Middle School and ummm how is my baby so big - I started oversharing my life before he even existed. Miles finished 8th grade 🤯 and is now moving on to High School with Chloe (she is going in to 11th grade!!!!) ❤️ 

I loved waking up this morning and driving them to their “last days” ❤️ Those are the moments when I look back on life that I’ll treasure. 

They went back to their dads tonight and while that SUCKS for me (I love the last day of school!!!) I know that at the end of the day single moms do what they have to do for their kids. Unless you have been through it, it’s hard to understand. So many people say to me oh well I could never not have my kids 50 percent of the time - I’d die - yeah I thought that too and for months and months after they left I’d cry on the couch alone. But at some point, it gets EASIER - it’s never EASY - but it does get easier and you value the time with them more and hold tight to all the moments you do get while knowing that what you did (leaving) wasn’t selfish, it was actually selfless because you are teaching them that they are WORTH IT and that their happiness (among other things) matter. I taught them love by leaving. If you are a single mama (or dad) I SEE YOU ❤️ keep on keeping on 💪🏻 We’ve got this! 

Xo #movingonup #lastdayofschool #schoolsoutforsummer
when I first started running 22+ years ago I thoug when I first started running 22+ years ago I thought that in order to be a “real” runner you couldn’t smile when you were running cause if you were smiling that meant you weren’t working and if you weren’t working and pushing yourself then were you even a “real runner” … now I know that a real runner is anyone who runs DUH … I also smile all the time while running for many reasons but one of which is because looking at smiling running photos makes me want to go run … cause RUNNING IS FUN … even when it’s not! 🙂🙃

Do you smile when you run!?

Outfit @fpmovement 🖤
Top: Happiness Runs V Neck Tank
Bottom: Dip It Low Solid Shorts

#irunthisbody #fpmovementpartner #ihavearunnersbody
How I created a lifting habit ❤️💪🏻 ✨ How I created a lifting habit ❤️💪🏻

✨ Embraced being a beginner. When you first started running did you feel out of place and worry that people were looking at you!? 🙋🏻‍♀️ I knew I was going to feel the same way when I started lifting. No one knows how long you have been lifting or if you know what you are doing! No one is likely looking at you and if they are - who cares! Why do we let the fear of people looking at us and having thoughts we can’t control stop us from doing what we want in life!? 

✨ I paid per visit. Have you ever dropped a bunch of $$ on something fitness related only to then not use what you spent money on?! Paying per visit until I was consistently going to the gym weekly made me want to get my moneys worth every time I went. It also helped cement in my brain how many times a month I’d have to go to the gym to make it worth it. The more I went the lower the cost per visit to was. 

✨ I looked up a couple exercises before I would go to the gym and then added them to what I was doing. Did I have a plan? No. Did I know what I was doing? No. But I think that actually helped me cement the habit because I didn’t feel like I “had” to do anything when I went to the gym. If I tried something and truly hated it, I didn’t feel bad stopping and doing something else. It also made me interested in learning vs just doing what was written out on a plan. Be a student of life. I’ve been running for 20+ years and yet still consider myself a student.

✨ Joined a gym. I joined a gym once I was consistently going every week. This helped me in two ways — I made sure this wasn’t a phase + it felt like a reward for all the months of lifting. 

✨ Bought “gym clothing” that made me feel good about myself! I helped stop my insecurities before they started by wearing things that I felt good in … things that I liked the way I looked and that were highly functional! 

✨ I focused on how strong I felt vs how strong I looked. There is something VERY empowering about lifting heavy things when you are going through heavy things. 

✨ Celebrated little milestones like going up in weight, learning something new or improving my form. Little things are big things 😊😉
RUN girl summer > hot girl summer cause runners RUN girl summer > hot girl summer 

cause runners are the best ;) :)

Dorothy Beal

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