Tips for Runners: Overcoming the perils of travel
Posted April 26th, 2007 at 2:35 PM by Paul Petersen
Section: Running & Training, Training Tips, Health & Fitness, Exercise
In just the past month, I have had to travel on business to three different destinations on three separate occasions. This plethora of traveling has often made it difficult to run, but since I maintain an active racing schedule, I really can’t afford to have these trips impede on the 80-90 miles of weekly running required by my training program.
After my most recent trip, I returned home fatigued and endured a series of terrible runs on the ensuing days. I’ve been spending these trips sitting around a conference table, not hiking around or digging ditches, so it was not immediately clear to me why travel is so taxing on the body.
However, after serious reflection, I identified several reasons why traveling can be perilous to a running regimen:
- Change of schedule. We are creatures of routine and habit, and this is something that is not just psychological, but also physiological. This is why I am unable to sleep in on weekends anymore and why I get tired at the same time every night. Upset that routine and our body clocks get upset too. The result is fatigue.
- Dehydration. It is important to keep hydrated while traveling, but it often doesn’t happen. Since we are out of our daily routines, our personal water bottle is no longer by our side. On the plane, we usually opt for the caffeinated soft drink rather than water (it’s free after all). Coffee consumption may increase during those morning (and afternoon) meetings and presentations, and alcoholic beverages tend to be consumed during the evenings while “wining and dining” with clients and co-workers. Dehydration and performance decreases tend to be the result of these common factors.
- Poor diet. It is way too tempting to “splurge” on food when traveling; especially on business trips where most meals are purchased by some else. Anytime I enter a restaurant on business, I’m almost guaranteed to indulge my cravings for meat, grease, and fatty, unhealthy foods. Oatmeal is substituted for bacons, eggs, and pancakes. Lean salmon or vegetarian cuisine is “booted off the island” for that sumptuous bar burger. It all tastes good at the time, but later on it always adversely affects how you feel and perform.
- Poor sleep. Motel beds, car seats, and airport terminals just don’t provide the same quality of slumber as your own bed. Loss of both quantity and quality of sleep will negatively impact your running.
- Stress. Traveling can be stressful, from catching your flight, to driving on strange new roads, to presenting results and proposals to a conference room full of intimidating colleagues and clients. Travel takes us “out of our element”l; stressing the mind and the body.
- Time. Running routines are very prone to neglect on trips, usually as a result of a lack of time and/or poor time-management. Getting in the daily run (or runs) is especially difficult while traveling with other people, as we are at the mercy of our companions’ schedules. Too often I return to my hotel room at 10PM after being in meetings (and meals) all day; too exhausted to run in the dark in a strange neighborhood. This not only throws off training for the day, but for subsequent days as well, since missing a series of runs can leave you “flat” when you resume to normal training.
Fortunately, there are solutions to some of these impediments and it is possible to endure business trips (and other types of trips) with minimal impact on your training and racing. These tips all require a significant amount of discipline, and although they will not completely mitigate the effects of travel, they will ease the many burdens.
- Hydrate well. Pass on the airline’s can of Pepsi and take the water instead. Make it a point to carry a water bottle with you whenever possible. Also, minimize the spirits while dining with others and take a shot of H-2-O instead.
- Eat healthy. This is the hardest one for me. Go for healthier restaurant foods such as salmon, pasta, or lean poultry rather than the burger or steak. Or even try a vegetarian meal and enjoy the results.
- Turn in early, get up early. Real early. 5AM may be the only time to run, and you need to take that opportunity. Getting to bed early will make this an easier chore and increase your chances of having some decent rest.
- Stay accountable. A public online training log, such as the Running-Journal, RunningAhead, or FastRunningBlog, will aid in providing motivation to “log that run”, particularly those lods/blogs that have a community aspect. Online training logs can be accessed anywhere there is an Internet connection and are great to use while traveling. If you consistently record your training, and if others view your training on a regular basis, you will be more prone to maintain your mileage (even on “difficult” days). This concept of accountability has been of significant help amidst my overflowing travel days.
Travel and running are not easy to mix, but you can manage them successfully through good preparation and healthy habits. As a matter of fact, I’ve been typing this article while in flight to my latest business destination (so please attribute any typos and bad grammar to the turbulence!), and I am already, and will continue to, implement these strategies in my own life as I prepare for a 30k race taking place two days after I return (wish me luck!).
Life is short and there are many miles to run - so do your best to follow these tips on your next trip. You can overcome the perils of travel and your decision to dedicate yourself to such ends will leave you smiling all the way to that finish line. Good luck and happy travels!
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Tags: business trips, diet, discipline, fatigue, habits, hydration, mileage, nutrition, running tips, sleep, stress, time, time management, training, training log, training program, training regimen, training schedule, travel, weekly mileage
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April 27th, 2007 at 1:09 pm[…] Tips for Runners: Overcoming the perils of travelIn just the past month, I have had to travel on business to three different destinations on three separate occasions. This plethora of traveling has often made it difficult to run, but since I maintain an active racing schedule, … […]
April 28th, 2007 at 1:03 am[…] Read the entire article on The Final Sprint […]
May 7th, 2007 at 9:33 am