“…a few tips to integrating your running into travel successfully.”
I am writing this dispatch from the road, as I am on a family vacation including the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota and the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone in Wyoming. I have always enjoyed running while traveling, and think it can be a great element of your travel experience. That being said, there can be challenges as well. With many people taking vacations over the summer months, I thought I would just share a few tips to integrating your running into travel successfully.
Flexibility and adaptability
This is particularly important while traveling, as plans may change, things may take longer than expected, and there is just a lot more that is unpredictable and outside of your control. This may mean cutting things shorter than expected or accepting unplanned days off, but it can also mean seizing a day when time opens up and you feel particularly good to go longer and/or harder than you planned.
Get going early
Given the unpredictability, it’s best to get your run done early in the day, before the activities of the day get underway. As an added benefit, you can then enjoy the rest of the day without being worried about whether you’ll be able to get a run in, and stressing about the timing of eating and other activities.
Find a way to make your running useful to the other purposes of the trip
Rather than burdening your travel companions, try to get an errand or something helpful done during your run. One example of this is using your run to scout out a route or site for something your group is planning on doing later in the day. If you are oriented and know the way around after a morning run, your travel companions may be more likely to feel good about your run. On the other hand, taking extra time to make everyone travel out of the way for you to run, or interrupting the fun of the day in order to get your run in will be more likely to breed resentment. Making your running useful to the larger good could also mean picking up some breakfast or snacks at the end to bring back to your travel companions. Whatever you can do to be of service to others as part of your run can go a long way in making everyone feel more positive about it.
Pick your battles/priorities
If, for example, there are one or two big runs that you really want to do on your trip, plan and prioritize those, communicating their importance to others. That gives others a chance to make alternative plans for that time, and to identify something that would be fun for them, whether that’s another activity or just sleeping in that day. Then, be extra flexible on the day or days before and after that day when the run was more central to the plans.
Last point – Be safe and respectful of the places you are running
Remember you are a visitor and pay attention to customs and norms if traveling to a different culture. If you are somewhere where you may encounter wildlife, be particularly mindful of not disturbing wild animals and keeping a safe distance. Run with a buddy if you can, and enjoy your travels!
Chris Lundstrom is the head coach of Minnesota Distance Elite – formerly Team USA Minnesota – which includes some of the top distance runners in the USA, including Annie Frisbie, Dakotah Lindwurm, Breanna Sieracki and Joel Reichow.
