Traveling often throws off our daily/weekly schedules and can make training (more?) difficult.
Here are a few considerations for training while out of town:
-1) most important, do not choose training over the reason you’re traveling. If you’re visiting family/friends and you don’t have much time with them, don’t leave for two hours to train instead.
If you’re traveling to relax, and squeezing in training is stressing you out too much- you’re defeating the purpose of the trip.
-2) plan ahead. Macro level: maybe make the travel week a deloaded week so you don’t have as much to do. You may a heavier week prior and after and less during (if this makes sense training wise).
Micro level: plan places to run, pack accordingly, and maybe pick times of day around the main activities of the trip.
-3) if keeping some substantial training during your trip, base the other training bouts around workouts of substance and be flexible. If there’s one key workout you need to get it, get it in when you can and let the surrounding days be more flexible.
-4)consider the positives of your altered training. It builds resiliency. Things won’t always go according to plan, don’t let it rattle you.
Personal example this past week:
I traveled to Vegas (Henderson, really) NV. To watch my sister, raven play in the pdga Vegas challenge and to hang out with my mom and cousin Joe.
Knowing my trip would be planned around her playing schedule and family time, I kept higher mileage the week before (and will have high mileage this week) and did a hefty weekend double two days before leaving (2-plan ahead).
I wanted at least one run of substance and would plan the rest accordingly (3-plans around bigger workouts). I thought I would do it Wednesday but that turned into more family time so I punted it to Thursday (3-flexibility). I’m usually a morning runner but we were at the course early each day so all runs got pushed to the afternoon/evening. I forget how tiring it can be to run later in the day, but since I’m training for a 50k, I just took this as a positive that I was getting training on tired legs (4-positive spin on things).
I ended up missing/opting out of an easy Friday run because timing got thrown off and I didn’t want to leave the group in the evening (1-prioritize the trip).
All in all, I kept a decent week of training, had a beautiful longish trail run Thursday (in terrain much different than my usual trail running) and only missed one short, easy run Friday. I had a great time with my family and got to watch my sister start her first season as a touring pro disc golfer.
Sometimes training can seem like (one of) the most pressing, important things in life. But it needs to be put in context every once in a while. For most of us; it’s a part of life, not life itself.
Unsure how to do this yourself? Contact us for practical, actionable steps for you to take while traveling,
