All is good; and then you get the call. Pack your bags you’re leaving town. UGH! The dreadful business trip, but wait, I have a 16 mile training run scheduled this week . . .
Two events occurred almost simultaneously Monday. After much deliberation I decided to commit to running the Flying Pig Marathon in May. Only 16 weeks out and coming off a holiday season full of gluttony, I have to start training NOW!
And then the call came. As I am mentally preparing for the rigorous schedule ahead I receive a call that I need to fly to corporate . . . tomorrow. Do I scrap this idea of running a spring marathon? Do I put off training a week and start next week?
Live with no excuses and travel with no regret.
Unexpected business trip? No need to hinder your marathon training, unless your looking for an excuse – wink wink. With a little research and planning you can stay on course with your training plan even while traveling. Here are some steps to take to keep your training rock solid even while traveling.
7 Surefire Tips to Marathon Training While Traveling for Business
These tips work for any health or fitness goal you are trying to stick to, not just marathon training:
- Map it – research the area where your lodging is located. Will you be able to run outdoors? Use Map My Run‘s free “find route” feature to see if there are any near your location.
- Take it indoors – if you bomb out finding a safe route near your hotel check their amenities to see if they have a fitness center. The dreadmill may not be your favorite choice, but those miles count just as well as outdoor miles. I actually enjoy using the treadmill for interval training. It makes the tick tock of the very slow clock wiz by.
- Mix it up – insert a cross train into your schedule. There are videos on YouTube (click that link for a 20 minute HIIT routine) or, my preferred go to cross-training tool is the free Nike Training Club app. There are many workouts tailored for runners that you can do with no equipment right in your room.
- Plan it – make sure to review your travel itinerary and meeting agenda’s so that you can schedule your workout into your day. Don’t forget any time zone differences you may need to consider
- Refrain from it – does your business trip include business dinners? Make a commitment to yourself to limit the cocktails or replace them with mocktails. I enjoy a glass of red wine and then switch to cranberry and club soda.
- Speak it – let your co-workers know what you’re up to. You’ll be surprised by the amazing support. They may even have solutions to help you stick to your goal.
- Pack it – Pack up that running gear. I don’t know about you, but if I pack it I don’t want it to be a waste so I use it.
“Plans are nothing; planning is everything” Dwight D. Eisenhower
Best wishes to you on your training. You can do this!
Baddass in training
p.s. what do you think? Stick with the plan and run Flying Pig or wait for a fall run?