The Wrinkled Runner
The Wrinkled Runner
Discover The World Through Your Running Shoes
Ever wondered how to keep up with your running routine while enjoying a vacation? Join me on this episode of The Wrinkled Runner podcast as I share my personal experiences of exploring new destinations through the lens of a runner.
Resources from the Episode:
Running Route Websites:
Map My Run
Strava
All Trails
Garmin Connect
Great Run
Destination Races:
Ahotu
Running Tours:
Go Running Tours
Relevant Podcast Episodes:
Ahotu- Finding destination races
Using a Running Coach
Adjusting Your Runs
YouTube Channel:
Should I Get a Running Coach
Adjusting Your Runs
Website:
Adjusting Your Runs
7 Reasons to Use a Coach (and 3 NOT to)
Using Ahotu to Find Your Next Race
My Running Packing List:
Running shirts
Running bottoms (some trips may need shorts/pants)
Sports Bras
Hat
Earphones
Running Belt (flip belt for phone/ID or Hydration for water)
Jacket
Socks
Running Shoes
Carbs if needed (Clif Blocks, Stingers, etc)
Running Watch/Charger
Hand Washing Detergent (to be able to wash in hotel rooms)
Garbage Bags- for hand washables that haven't fully dried before heading out, or to store gross workout clothes away from the clean ones in the suitcase
Blister Bandaids
If you are looking for a coach to help you reach your running goals, even if it's just to start to run, take a look at my Coaching Services page on the website. I do virtual, in-person (Buffalo, NY area) and also offer single zoom sessions for those would just like to chat with a coach one time.
Find my additional outlets over at the YouTube channel and at wrinkledrunner.com. Sign up over on the blog for the once-a-month newsletter! If you would like information on utilizing a running coach, check out what I can do for you here.
If you have any running-related questions, please send an email to sherry@wrinkledrunner.com…I answer every one.
Hey there, runners, welcome back to the Wrinkled Runner podcast. I'm your host, sheri, and today we're talking about one of my favorite topics, which is running while on vacation. So, whether you're exploring a new city or relaxing by the beach, we're going to dive into how you can keep up with your training while still enjoying some much-needed downtime. Running while traveling is a really cool way to experience new places, so let's get into it. One of the greatest things about being a runner is that you can take your sport with you wherever you go. My husband and I love to run when we're traveling, and it's a it's one of our favorite ways to explore a new place, because we have found so many hidden gems on our runs, and they're places that we never would have come across if we were just walking around the city, like doing a tour or following a you know kind of do-it-yourself tour of the touristy places, I guess and we have found, like little pockets of churches that are just in this little town square that's just a local thing that we've walked into in Italy, and the inside of the church is stained glass and gold and absolutely beautiful, and some of these things we would never have even known existed had it not been for us going for a run. So if you're a planner and like to map out your runs ahead of time, there's some great apps that can help with that. Great Runs, all Trails, strava, garmin Map, my Run those are just a few that we've used. But sometimes it's nice to just head out and see where the road takes you. But sometimes it's nice to just head out and see where the road takes you. But if you do like to plan things out a little bit more, I'll put in the show notes links to all of those apps in case you have not seen them before. Now we do take a minute to check the area around the hotel or Airbnb or wherever we're staying, to make sure that it's good for running, that we can just go out the door and go for a run.
Speaker 1:Trust me, if you're staying near an airport, for example, finding a decent running route can be nearly impossible. A lot of times, especially if it's kind of in the airport vicinity, there's a lot of highways, sometimes there's not even sidewalks. They're expecting you're going to be driving or taking a shuttle or whatever. So if that's important to you, then check that out before you book your hotel for where you're going to be going. So I have a packing list for running and I have a packing list for everything and it's pretty long and I've been using it for over 20 years and even though I travel a lot, I still go over it every single time because forgetting something essential like running shoes or water if you're going like water bottles, if you're going somewhere that's really hot can really mess up your plans and make it so that you can't run or makes it a really big hassle if you have to go buy a new pair of running shoes or something. So I'm going to share my list in the show notes and that can maybe trigger some things to help you make your own so that you don't forget anything.
Speaker 1:Another thing to think about is your training schedule if you're training for something. So I've traveled several times while training for marathons, so I know how tough it can be to stick to your plan. One thing I have learned is be flexible. On a cruise I had to adjust my routine and I'd have to hit the treadmill every morning at 6 am to get my miles in. It wasn't ideal, but I made it work. But the thing that I did was kind of tweak what the long runs were going to be for that week surrounding that, so that I, you know, didn't have a 20 miler on the treadmill in the middle of the ocean.
Speaker 1:And that's something you may have to think about way ahead of time before you go on vacation if you are going to be keeping up the training, because vacation is about relaxing. So don't let a missed run or a shortened workout stress you out. You're supposed to enjoy this time. So if something happens and your long run or whatever can't happen, don't sweat. Sweat it. The key is to plan ahead but be ready to adjust as needed. Missing a long run here or there is not going to make or break your training, and if it does, then your training isn't quite what it should be. So so don't be that person where your entire day is ruined if you can't get that run in for one reason or another. You can adjust and you can tweak things when you get back. This is a plug for coaching. This is where having a coach comes in really handy, because we can look at your overall schedule, look at your life, look at what you're doing and tweak things as needed. So you are getting that training and even if you miss a long run or miss a track workout or whatever. So let's talk about safety.
Speaker 1:Running in an unfamiliar place can be exciting, but you have to be cautious. We don't want it too exciting. One of the first things I do when traveling is make sure that my phone works. International cell phone plans are pretty affordable these days, so having access to maps or GPS can save you if you get lost. I remember when I was in Paris and for some reason I could run to the river really easily from my hotel, but even if I was keeping track of landmarks and everything, I could not make it back to save my life. So I would have to check that GPS every time. And you know, paris is just spokes and wheels and you know nothing's gridded, and so that's an example of a city that I definitely recommend having access to GPS. It's also smart to carry some form of ID with you and the address of where you're staying. When I lived in Shanghai, I made sure to have my name and my address written in both English and Mandarin. That way, if I needed help, I could show someone my information. So on vacation, you should carry something similar the name of your hotel, contact information for an emergency and a working phone are all things that are good to have on you.
Speaker 1:Before heading out for a run, take a moment and learn about local customs or running etiquette in that particular country or city. They can have different rules or practices and you want to make sure you fit in with the local runners and you're not sticking out like a sore thumb. And while you're looking up info, see if there's a race happening while you're in town. Destination races are a great way to combine travel and running. Destination races are a great way to combine travel and running, even if you're not in race mode. Joining a local 5K or 10K for fun can be a really unique experience and gets you to mingle with the locals on an entirely different level than as a tourist.
Speaker 1:So, speaking of unique experiences, I have a story from a trip I took to Paris. Now I signed up for a running tour with Go Run Tours I'll link that up in the show notes as well and it was totally amazing. Honestly, I was nervous at first. I, you know, hemmed and hawed and should I do this and should I not? But it ended up being one of the best things I have ever done while traveling. So here's how it works you book a tour, and they have for each city that they have these tours, and you can look up the mileages of the different kind of running tours that they have. So I did what was called a garden tour, so we were running from one garden to another in historical sections. You know, we ran by the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower as we were on our way to these different gardens. But I was seeing things that I wouldn't normally have seen unless I was on this run with this local.
Speaker 1:He spoke English and it was pouring rain that day, which also was super cool because it was hot. So it was. It was the middle of summer, I it was probably in the eighties, but it was pouring rain. So while we were running by all these things, there was absolutely no one else there. So if you can plan it so that it's really raining wherever you are, that may be an added benefit. But we had a black running through the rain and we had the city almost to ourselves.
Speaker 1:So my guide he was a pacer, actually for a race, for some races, and so he pushed me at the end because he knew that I was training for a marathon the end because he knew that I was training for a marathon. And at the end of the run he did a pacing for me at the pace that I had wanted to run the marathon that I was training for and we just had a blast. It was just so much fun, we had so much of a blast that I forgot to give him a tip. But it wasn't necessary, and if you're American, you know about tipping, and if you're not, in a lot of countries that's just not a thing and it was I had. I reached out to the person who arranged the tour and she said totally fine, they're not expecting tips, but it was just an amazing experience.
Speaker 1:So if you are in a new city and you want to combine sightseeing and running experience, so if you are in a new city and you want to combine sightseeing and running, I highly recommend trying a running tour. Now, the way they have it set up, I was able to book a private tour. You can do it with just you and somebody else that you know. You can also book it so that there might be, I want to say, up to six other people and in that case, you know you're going to want to know your pacing and paces and things like that. I didn't want to have to worry about any of that, so I booked a private tour. But whatever, however you do it, I highly highly recommend it.
Speaker 1:It was. It was amazing. So out of all my recommendations and all my tips for running on vacation, that would be the main one is go to Go Run Tours. Go to the link and see if there's something, even in your own city. I mean, why not? Right? But if you're going to a destination, see if they have tours available there. It's a unique experience. You can hear all about the local stuff, you'll see things you wouldn't normally see and you're getting your run in. So definitely check out the links, especially if you're going to be going on vacation anytime soon, and have fun getting that run in in another place.