Friday Five Link-up with by Eat, Pray, Run DC, Mar on the Run, and You Signed Up for What?
Today’s Theme
Running Tips
Since I just came back from vacation, I’m going to go with
5 ways to stay on track while on Vacation
Scout an Area to run ahead of time
Since I was going camping by a lake in an area that I never have run in it was important for me to figure out a place that I could actually run. Yes, I could have run around the campground, but I really didn’t want to do that especially because most of my runs were 5 to 8 miles. The internet makes it so easy to find local parks or tails and this is how I found the beautiful trail that I ran on!
Bring your Running Gear
Yes, this seems like a no brainer but if your like me you have tons of running gear. Think ahead of time what you will need and pack a small running bag with the things that you will need. Gels, water bottles, headbands, Garmin, ect. The things that you know you can’t run without so don’t forget your favorite running shoes!
Build Time in Your Schedule to Run
Now we really weren’t on any schedule but I still needed to build it into my day. I had balance out my husbands fishing, time with family, and such with my running . This made it fairly easy for me to just say, “I’m going for a run.” If your not doing such a relaxed vacation you might need to juggle a little more.
Adjust your Schedule and expectations
While on vacation, I knew ahead of time that my training would need to take a step back. Although I also knew that I didn’t totally put on the breaks as the Marine Corps Marathon is just months away, I also knew that I would not be able to follow my full training schedule. You know what, that’s ok too! Running is not my job. Running should not ad stress to my life, but take it away. That being said, my coach adjusted my schedule to make this a set back week for my training therefore it wasn’t so bad. I did miss my long run (17 miles) that week. Did I wish that I could have done it? Yes. In the whole scheme of things is it going to effect my ability to run the MCM? No.
Just Do it!
Nike is so right. Just get out there and get it done. It may not always be easy and you may have to give up sleep or something else, but it is so worth it. I know that not only did i feel better about getting my runs in, but it also took away the guilt of sitting by the fire eating Smores!
How do you get it done while on Vacation?
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The Accidentally Running Mama 
i have a vacation coming up that happens to overlap with my 12 miler and i’m so anxious about it! i’ve already been trying to come up with a plan of where to run, but i’m definitely going to heed your advice and adjust my expectations and just be okay with having to cut it short a bit if it comes to it.
Vacation running should not cause stress or that ruins the whole vacation! Do what you can and be happy with that. I really can’t see how missing one long run can sabotage months of training either. Have a great vacation!
I love run in areas I have never run. It always makes the run go by so much quicker keep seeing unfamiliar places.
Agree! It is such a nice way to really see the area your visiting too! I’ve been camping at this same lake in Vermont for more than 15 years, I saw a side of it that I’ve been missing this whole time.
Great tips! I’m going on vacation this week and generally followed these exact tips! Thankfully my trip is relaxed enough that running will be part of my vacation activities!
Relaxing vacations are the best vacations!
Running in new places is one of my favorite things to do on vacation. I suppose I should be thankful my husband isn’t a morning person like me, so it’s rarely an issue because he doesn’t get moving until much later in the day.
yes, be very thankful for that!
Agree with all of these! Some time sit works better than others, but over the past couple years I’ve been trying to incorporate runs (especially when in a specific training cycle, but also just for fun) into vacations, and it’s a great way to explore the places we’re visiting!
For gear, I try to put all my running gear in a small bag within my suitcase/bag, so my garmin or other small things can’t get lost in the depths of clothes or I can’t remember which pocket I put it in – it’s all right there with my running shoes.
You are right about sometimes it works better than others. That’s really why I had to adjust my expectations and know that it was ok if I missed something on my training plan while on vacation.