It’s Friday so I’m also linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five linkup! Join in! Don’t forget to link back to your hostess and visit some other bloggers.
I just returned from a vacation where the purpose was to play tennis and bond with my female tennis friends. Not one of them runs but I did FIVE out of 8 days!!
Here’s my topic today:
FIVE WAYS TO FIT IN RUNNING ON A NON-RUNNING VACATION:
1. Be prepared.
Pack clothes for all weather conditions. Cool, hot, rainy, etc. Pack enough clothes to run every day.
This trip was easy for me. It was sunny, warm and humid EVERY DAY. I was also able to re-wear my skirts but the tops got pretty sweaty (but I brought many and we also had a washing machine if necessary)
2. Schedule your runs.
If you leave it to chance, it won’t happen.
I chose not to run the day I arrived, the day before my 5k race and the day of our road trip.
All the other days, I took out my clothes the night before, set my alarm and got my run in between 7 and 8 am before I was scheduled to play tennis.
3. Be flexible.
Sometimes other persons’ needs or desires will come before your running.
It was a tennis vacation first and foremost. We only had 7 who could play. That meant I had to play twice every morning.
I ran fewer miles than I may have wanted. Some days, I just went for a walk.
one day I even had to run in my tennis outfit.
4. Find a scenic route.
Pretty views make all the difference. If you plan to run often, you need to vary your route.
Sometimes I ran around our community (World Tennis Center) and other days, I ran along the road outside the community (and even in other communities.)
5. Lower your expectations.
Distance & speed goals will probably not happen.
With the heat and humidity, my runs got shorter and slower. I walked more often. But it was better than staying in bed.
**Register for a race in the area, if possible.
This is not required but a short race does not take any training or much time out of the day. It is a fun way to get in a run.
Tropicool 5k
Happy Running! Do you run when you are on vacation (not a race-cation)?
My First 5K and More... 
Interesting post with great tips. I always run when I am in vacation (or when I was in business trip before my retirement) and if possible I also enter a local race.
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Running is an important part of any vacation..much more enjoyable then squeezing it in around a work schedule.
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I pretty much always run when I’m out of town, if possible. Exploring new routes is the best part of traveling!
We have done a lot of vacations where I’ve run but not raced, too. Usually I’m training for something. I don’t usually schedule my runs though, but just kind of go with the flow as to how I feel & what the weather is like. I’m almost always up way before my husband so it’s usually fairly easy to get a run in.
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You are very lucky and your hubby seems to be patient.
It’s a little more difficult with 9 other women waiting to play tennis. But we do what is important for us. Luckily I don’t need a lot of sleep because we go to bed late.
I must be enjoying running more because in past years, I often skipped runs in favor of playing tennis.
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Nope, my husband is not at all patient. You have to look past the blowups.
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to me any husband who will go to races and wait at the finish line is patient. The most I get is someone mumbling “How did you do?” and probably not even listening to the answer lol
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I do love to run while on vacation. You are so right though, it’s never about distance or speed. To me it is mostly about having the experience to run someplace new ( and snap a few pictures of course). Glad you enjoyed your tennis trip! -M
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I really did. The change of scenery always revives me.
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I was travelling for work two weeks ago and managed to get in two runs.
I packed my shoes and two pair of running shorts, so I had to use them. It’s silly to pack all that extra gear and bring it home clean.
When travelling it’s always easier to go out for drinks or a nice dinner. But, I always feel better after a run than I do after sitting in a bar.
Andy
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Yup. Before I was a runner, that’s what I did at conferences. Now I try if possible to get in runs.
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I love the tip of signing up for a 5k on vacation. I’d totally forgotten I did this once while at a conference and it made it much easier to stick to my goals. It’s so easy to be “too flexible” about running when on vacation. Scheduling it and sticking to it is key.
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Yes. I agree. It’s so easy to just relax and skip the runs.
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