Sum', Sum', Summatime

Summer means vacation, right? Vacation means straying from your routine. How do you keep on top of your training while on vacation? When I went to Barcelona for the weekend last year right before I had to start training for the Venice marathon, I was a little nervous about how I would fit in runs and where I was going to go without getting terribly lost. There is also the issue of fitting in workout clothes as well as vacation clothing and the fact that you might not be doing laundry for the time you are away (gross, believe me.) The few things that I have learned over my years of running and world travel are, if running is your priority, you will find room in your suitcase, you don't really need 5 pairs of sandals for a 4 day weekend getaway. You will make the time to get out and run, even if it means waking up at dawn when you were partying the night before, isn't that what you would be doing at home anyway? My advice is to take advantage of your surroundings. Working at the gym at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, I have had the opportunity to meet many runners on vacation trying to find a way to get their runs in. I have mapped out so many different routes for my fellow runners, I was starting to run out of ideas, no pun intended. So ask the instructor at the gym in the hotel you are staying at where they would suggest you run distance, level of difficulty (ie. hardest hills), safety-wise, most scenic or more touristy route. If there is no gym (how dare you?? jk...), ask the front desk, that is what they are there for. The morning is the best time to get out for a run. If you are in a warm climate, it is usually the coolest time of day and there won't be many other people out so its a whole other way to experience the city. Barcelona is a city that goes to sleep extremely late, so when I was waking up to get out and run, the city was just dying down. When I went out to run on the marina, the sun was just coming up and everyone else was making their way back home. Running in unfamiliar territory really opens your eyes to your surroundings in a way you wouldn't normally be seeing them when you are just touring. When I was in Australia and New Zealand and the weather permitted it, I would wake up long before I had to wake Reina up and go out for a 30-45 min run, each time seeing places we most probably wouldn't be visiting.

As for me, right now. I don't have any vacations planned for the Summer at the moment, maybe something before I go back to school in November, after the holidays. I have been running here and there and the swimming has been very helpful to my hip as well as the acupucture, so I am hoping to spend my next weekend getaway running the sites.

Of course Runner's World has some advice of their own, pretty much along the lines of my advice, just a bit more conducive to families travelling together:

HOLIDAY HURDLE: You can't break away from the family to run.
GET OVER IT Walk together 30 to 60 minutes a day. Long walks, like long runs, can help build and maintain endurance. You'll get in quality family time while everyone gets in better shape.

HOLIDAY HURDLE: The kids love the pool, but you're not much of a swimmer.
GET OVER IT Aqua jog for 30 minutes. Pushing against water's resistance can eliminate inefficient movement, which can improve your form on land. Plus, it's a great cardiovascular workout. Wear a flotation belt to keep you upright in the deep end. Let your legs move as you would on land. If there's no belt available, do the same movement in shallower waters.

HOLIDAY HURDLE: You've never run on the beach before.
GET OVER IT The softness of sand can strain muscles and tendons because they're stretched farther than when you're running on a firm surface. Start with several one- to two-minute segments of running. Walk one minute between each. Limit the distance to a quarter-mile on the first day; add an additional segment every time after that.

HOLIDAY HURDLE: Running on vacation feels like work.
GET OVER IT Stray from your routine. If you normally run in the morning, try a sunset run. If you typically run on the roads, hit the beach, trails, boardwalk, or park. If you mainly run solo, check out local clubs and join a group run.

Oh, and how could I forget! The best way to see a new city/country... run a marathon there! You will definitely be seeing more than you would as a plain old tourist.

'till next time,

Peace.