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Written by Maak
I don’t know how many times I’ve packed running gear as I head off on vacation or a business trip, only to leave it in the suitcase for the entire trip as meetings and other activities got priority. As I unpack my gear, I have a guilty conscience because I hadn’t taken the opportunity to go for a run. However with a little planning, running doesn’t have to take a back seat during your next trip and you can even plan a jogging trip before you leave home.
Check the weather
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Check out the weather at the destination you will be travelling to. Use e.g. wunderground to see if the weather prognosis fits with the kind of weather you will run in. If it’s going to be cold and wet, and you know you won’t venture out, you could just as well leave your running gear at home.
Check Whether The Hotel Has Gym Facilities
If you will be staying at a hotel, check out whether it has gym facilities that you can use. A treadmill doesn’t enable you to see the local scenery, but it’s still exercise and it certainly won’t be wet and cold.
Map Out a Route
You may not know the area you are staying, and worried about venturing out. Many hotels have pre-planned running routes for their guests and some even hand out maps with local routes of varied length and difficulty.
You don’t have to wait until you get to the hotel, there are great resources available on the web. MapMyRun is a website where runners map out running routes in different towns and cities around the world. Currently over 6 million routes are mapped out in more than 150 countries ready to be printed out – they’re even integrated into Google Earth so you can actually get a good idea of the area you will be running through as well.
If you have an idea where you could imagine running, Gmaps Pedometer is a great ways to plan a few routes, and you can download it to your GPS – if you are taking it with you!
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Leave Your Running Watch At Home
This is a tip I hear from lots of experienced on the road runners. If you are travelling, a short run is better than no run at all, and if you only focus on how long you normally run, you may not get out because there isn’t time available.
Take a GPS With You
If you travel a lot, a GPS is a handy accessory to have with you – you can download routes, but perhaps most importantly use it so you can find your way back to the hotel.
Run With The Locals
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Running with the locals, just for pleasure or entering a race, is a great way to make new acquaintances and see some of the local sites. Before you leave, check out the local running clubs at your destination. Usually they are happy to be contacted and can tell you whether there are any local races or training/pleasure runs whilst you are visiting your destination. If you are travelling to the US, check out Road Runners Club of America. Alternatively check out the local running shop, they are usually able to give you information about running events and routes.
Take a Jog During Airport Layovers
A long layover at an airport can used to take a jog, e.g. around the parking lot – if there’s somewhere you can take a shower afterwards. Many airports have gyms, where you can workout during a long layover.