How to Maintain Your Running Routine While on Vacation
Are you all set to go on vacation, but not sure how to fit in your running training plan? It seems like I am always training for something and vacation has never gotten in the way. You can do it all with a few simple tips, tricks and little planning.
Find Places To Go Running On Your Vacation
Let’s start here. Sometimes this is the hardest part when your planning out a vacation. Maybe fitting in the run isn’t the problem it’s not knowing where to run. Safety is huge also, especially when you are traveling to an unknown location. I have listed a few tips to get you started.
Find A Local Gym
Many gyms offer day passes. A simple search and you can find a local gym near your hotel. For years I was a member of the YMCA. When I would travel, I would call the YMCA in the area I was staying at prior to my trip. Most YMCA’s allow you to work out at their center as part of your membership. It was fun to check out other YMCA’s and compare. My best advice is to call ahead.
Search For Local Running Trails
Finding local running trails is a perfect way to keep up your fitness while on vacation. I love to explore, so this is right up my alley. I have found a few great ways to find the local trails. There are a few APPS that you can download that will have trail routes. One of my favorite is Guthook Guides. There are several trails listed. You will need to pay for the trails you want, but it is well worth it. I use this APP for running the Ice Age Trail. It keeps me on course and lists parking and other features.
Call a local running store or search on their website. Many of the people that work in the store are runners and will know the best places to check out. My local running store Runaway Shoes, has a nice list of local trails listed on their website.
Check out the cities tourism website or Facebook page. Often times you can find listing of local trails on the site. I actually found some local trails in Green Bay that I never had heard of by doing this.
I like to read up on the area I am traveling to. Hello Little Home has an extensive travel guide. One of the great things is that many of the posts comment on trails, but also things to do and where to stay. Most of the time I am traveling with my family, so I fit my fitness around our plans.
Find A Local Running Club
Are you nervous about running alone on vacation while in a strange city? Or maybe your afraid to get lost? I love meeting new people and what a better way than over a run. I am a member of She Runs This Town. You can find local chapters throughout the United States. On a trip to Austin Texas, I joined the local chapter and inquired about local trails. I got some great advice on local trails. Many of the groups have groups runs, you could easily join a run. I met up with one of the members and went for a run on The Lady Bird Lake Trail. It was fun to meet someone local that could show me around the trail.
Road Runners of America is another option. On their website you can find running clubs throughout the United States. Find a club near where you are vacationing. The local running club in Green Bay has a Facebook page. You can easily comment on the page to ask for best local running trails. The club does have group runs posted, so you can always ask to join.
Social Media
Facebook is full of running groups. I belong to several. One of my favorite groups is Trail and Ultra Running **Ladies Only**. This is a group of ladies from all over the world. Not only is this a great group for running tips, but it would be a great place to ask for the best local running trails.
How To Put It All Together
One of things to think about is running on vacation it is different than at home. I always find it fun to explore new places, so even if I am not in a training cycle I make time to fit it in. Is anything more fun than flying down a new trail you’ve never been on before? I have listed a few tricks on how to plan it all out.
Planning Your Hotel Stay
I try to plan where I am staying to fit in my running on vacation. If I am booking a hotel, I will try to find one that has a gym or at least a treadmill. If I can’t hit a local trail, I can at least get up early and bang out some miles on the treadmill. On a recent road trip to Texas, we stopped in the Lake of the Ozarks for a couple of days. I chose a resort to stay at. The grounds were quite expansive and by running down all the roads around the rental houses, I was able to get in 3 hilly miles. What could be better lake views and hills!
Bring Your Equipment
I like to bring things with me when I travel, then I know I will get everything done. I like to strength train two days per week. If I know I am not going to get to the gym, I will pack my thera bands. You can do tons of exercises with the bands and they take up very little space in suitcase.
On my recent road trip to Texas, I brought a few extra items with since we had a car. Despite the car being full, I managed to find room for a set of hand weights and a yoga mat. I got plenty of use out of both. I was able to fit in strength training and some yoga. Having a subscription to online yoga classes comes in handy when traveling.
Plan Your Runs
Most times when I am on vacation, we are on the go all day long. I will get my running gear ready the night before, get up early and head out the door. If I am in a training cycle, I will flip flop my weeks so that my vacation week is a rest week. That way I have a higher chance of success. No one has time for Mom to run 20 miles.
I like to plan my week and when I can fit in my runs. I usually have a plan of what I am going to do each day while on vacation. This helps me map out when I can squeeze in my runs. I like to start with the basics. I always give myself some grace, because I don’t always get it all in and that’s okay. All training plans are meant to be adjusted, as things always happen. I look at each part of the trip as an opportunity to fit in my training.
