Summer Running with Lianne: Traveling and Training

It is officially summer and officially 3 weeks into marathon training. 32.73 miles logged this week. Summertime means lots of good things, and for many Americans summer means travel and vacations. I absolutely love travel and take every opportunity to get away and explore new places. Unfortunately, for a girl who has lots of miles and workouts to fit in, scheduling and timing can be a challenge. 5 AM workouts check. Skipping lunch to grind out a few miles on the treadmill, check. Running off those late night cocktails (or sweating out the sillies, as one of my good friends calls it), check. I did all of those and more during the past week.

I was in St. Louis for five days for both a work conference and to see my husband’s family. The trip started with an 8x600s workout at 5 AM before working all day and hopping on a flight after work. Thursday I sat in classes until noon and skipped a lunch presentation to do a 6 mile tempo run (and yes, I showered before returning to afternoon session!). Friday, same thing, except we decided to enjoy one of the beautiful local parks and run seven miles through Forest Park trails. At noon. Guess what? St. Louis is hotter than South Florida, except there are hills. Never have seven miles seemed so long. Excruciating seems like an appropriate description. Saturday, I bailed on my long run. I had classes all day and wanted to see our family while we were in town. At first I felt totally guilty and lazy, but the honest truth is that I will remember laughing and having a great time with our family more than I will notice those 10 miles come October. Sometimes you just have to prioritize. Sunday morning I was back at it with a little over 6 miles through the city before having to hop back on a plane. Not too shabby considering all of the local craft beers that were consumed!

So, what are my best tips for training while traveling or vacationing?

Rise early! Getting up and doing that work out in before anyone else is up allows you to enjoy the rest of the day without worry. (And mimosas at breakfast!)
Got an hour? Something is better than nothing. Fit a run in when you can, regardless of mileage.
Get your friends/family/neighbors involved in a hike or short run.
In a new town? Need someone to run with? Look up local running groups on Road Runners Club of America’s site.
Above all, DO NOT forget your running shoes!

Where are you traveling to this summer? How do you balance vacations and staying on track for training? Any other tips I need to know?!

By: Lianne Martin
To read more about the author, follow her on Twitter @sunshine_runner or check out her site SunshineRunner.com.