Run Somewhere New – Travel And Fitness Edition

If you are interested in staying fit, set aside the stereotypical pattern of eat/sleep/repeat of travel and go run.  Somewhere new.

Travel and Fitness

If you have a job that requires much travel, you may find that fitness can get easily pushed to the side.  When traveling with a group of people, there is generally at least one obligatory meal, and we know what happens when trying to mix business dinners and weight loss.  If you travel alone, then there’s not usually much to do beyond a) working, b) eating, or c) sitting in your hotel room watching television.  If you’re like me, you probably don’t sleep worth a hoot in hotels either.  So, if you want to break the mold, sometimes it requires a little creativity.

Mix Up Your Workout – Run Somewhere New

It just so happened that about the time I started getting serious about running, I also had a heavy business travel schedule.  One of those trips took me down to southern Florida.  Our family had vacationed nearby a few years prior, so I knew a little about the area.  Since I was going to be there by myself for three days, I threw my running shoes in my suitcase and resolved to find time for a run on the beach.  I managed to fit that run in on the third day.  It was a 7-miler overlooking a sunrise on the Gulf of Mexico, and it was glorious.  If you find running to be therapeutic, not much can match running solo with nothing but the waves and sunrise for company.

That started a trend for me.  Whenever I travel, I always try to run somewhere new.  I’ve even mixed in a few bike rides, and on a few occasions, hit a nearby gym.  In the past, that’s required a fair bit of prep work on my part.  If I’ve known in advance I’ll be traveling, I’ve tried to find a website for the local running or cycling club, which often times will have popular routes mapped out.  Otherwise, I end up asking for recommendations at the front desk of my hotel.  So far, I’ve managed to get an exploratory run in on most of my business trips.  I especially enjoy it when I travel with a buddy who plays tennis.

Just recently, I discovered Map My Run.  Once you’re registered, you can map a running, cycling, or walking route.  There are other options as well.  I tried Google Maps – Walking routes for my run in Chicago.  This is more convenient though, because the routes can be rated by other people, and it gives newbies to the area ideas for places to run, which is perfect for what I need.  Although I’m sure its nowhere near as accurate as a Garmin, you can get a rough idea about distance and elevation.  The map below is my first crack at using it for a new route.  I got my starting point from another map, and having never been there, I just explored Cherokee Park.  (You can tell from the wandering route…)  It ended up being a combination trail/pavement run that was quite pleasant.  Lots of people out and about.  I started at 3:15pm, so had plenty of daylight in case I lost my bearings.  It was a nice run, and a welcome break from the monotony of driving.

How do you deal with fitness when you travel?  Does it get set aside for the duration of trip, or do you make a conscious effort to get out and stay active?  If so, what’s your approach?

<a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/ky/louisville/738690116375″ mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/ky/louisville/738690116375″>02/15/2009 Cherokee Park Route</a> rel=”nofollow” <br /><a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/ky/louisville” mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/ky/louisville”>Find more Runs in Louisville, Kentucky</a> rel=”nofollow”

travel and fitness