Holidays: How to keep running on your vacation.

November 20, 2019

The Holidays are almost here for many families, which means vacations to sunny locales. Running during vacation is notoriously difficult, but with these tips you can beat the post-vacation regret of not having trained.

Run a Race
Before you go on vacation, look up local races in the area. Use the race as part of your long run or workout for the week, or simply as an excuse to log some miles.

Wake Up Early
The oldest trick in the book is to wake up early and run so that you are not tempted to skip your workout later in the day. If you are not a morning person, go to bed in your running clothes and set out everything you need so that you can roll out of bed and go. If you are staying in a hotel, remind yourself there will be pre-made coffee in the lobby waiting for you.

Use the 10 Minute Rule
When you have no motivation to run, use the 10 minute: run for 10 minutes, and if you still don’t feel like running you can call it quits. Chances are you will get out the door and not want to stop.

Run “Vacation Miles”
Vacations are for taking life easy for a few days, running included. When you are out of town it is okay to shorten your run and still call it the original distance. For instance, if a 10 mile run typically takes 1:40:00, count 1:20:00 as 10 miles instead.

Cross Train
If you are debating between going for a run or going scuba diving, choose the latter and chalk it up as cross training. If you are struggling to exercise, look for fun opportunities to be active.

Have an Accountability Partner
If you are training for a race and really need to get in a particular workout during your trip, ask a friend or training partner to hold you accountable. For instance, if you are worried you might bail on your Sunday long run, ask your accountability partner to send you a text message on Saturday night asking you if you’re ready to run. Have that same person agree to text you Sunday afternoon to ask how the run went. Just knowing that someone is expecting you to run can keep you from sleeping in.

Break Up your Workouts
If it isn’t feasible to do one 10 mile run, try breaking your day up into two shorter runs that are more intense. If you typically log 30 minutes of strength work during the week, aim for 5 minutes per day instead of one 30 minute session.

Set a Goal…
Before you embark on your vacation, set a goal and write it down. Examples include “run every day for at least 10 minutes,” “stretch every day,” or “do 20 minutes total of core.”

…and a Reward
Then, decide how you will reward yourself for reaching your goal, such as by bringing home that extra large souvenir mug from the bar, or ordering an extra-indulgent dessert at the end of the trip.