Aug 18, 2009 2:44 PM
Vacation and staying fit
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I have had a great season and carried out my New Year's resolution of doing a 5K for the first time and have done 4! Last one 26:03, which is better than I could imagine starting out at 30:05! I'm going on a vacation that will be about 2 2/2 weeks that does not allow for much working out-no walking/running or weights etc. Might be able to swim, but am disappointed at losing what I've gained thus far (and it doesn't take much from my experience). Any ideas, thoughts, or suggestions on trying to maintain something while gone? I would love to do another 5k at the end of October, but imagine I'll be huffing and puffing when I return to the treadmill/weights.
Thanks
I'm just curious...why won't you be able to walk/ run? Couldn't you get up early/stay up late and go out? Is it unsafe? I guess some clarity might help answer the question. If you are in a hotel, you could find a stairwell most likely and do stairs. Without more info I'm shooting in the dark right now... Congrats on your 5ks ![]()
Well, I'll be in Africa on Safari. Usually in a jeep during the day, and at night they advise you to not walk around in the dark. I might be able to do a bit of swimming, but other than that it's sitting on your butt!
take a resistance band and jump rope with you
You can do any of the following pretty much anywhere
push ups
dips
jumping jacks
squat thrusts
lunges
squats
squat jumps
split squats
crunches / hips lifts / oblique crunches etc
NYC Marathon Nov 1 2009 - 4:03:13 ( 9:17 mm )
NYC Half Marathon Aug 16 2009 - 1:55:38 ( 8:49 mm )
1 mile - 7:07 10K - 52:58 ( 8:32 mm)
4 mile - 31:35 ( 7:53 mm) 8K - 42:28 ( 8:32 mm)
15K - 1:22:02 ( 8:49 mm)
Find the Half Marathon Team on FACEBOOK
I think going on an African Safari is grounds for suspending running for one week. You can make future gains when you return.
Just have fun. If you can find a treadmill, great. If not, don't sweat it. You have a lifetime to run.
Runners can be so obsessive that we forget to enjoy things like AFRICAN SAFARIS!
I doubt any long time runner would fret over missing one week for that experience, so you shouldn't, either.
Next time, you theoretically could plan your vacation around your training (find a hotel with a treadmill, at least, if not design your whole vacation around fitness, as I have often done), which is also fun. But sometimes life is just telling you to sit back and relax.
Oh, yeah, and swimming is awesome cross-training. You probably would feel totally fine if you swam 30-60 minutes per day while gone. I've replaced running with swimming when injured for one week and felt almost the same when I went back to running. So, if you absolutely MUST, first swim, then relax and enjoy!
Spicegeek hit the nail right on the head. Jump ropes for cardio and tubing/bands for resistence training. Don't panic if the first couple of bouts with the jump rope don't go as planned. Getting the rhythm takes a while so there are a lot of starts and stops. You can do jumping jacks instead...no rope and you'd be amazed how cardio vascular that is. You could also do some speed work , 50 meter sprints between the tent and the facilities. Finally, you won't lose everything in 3 weeks. It will come back surprisingly quickly. Just don't plan a race the week you come home. Think of that vacation as a "recovery" after a long race and begin to build again when you come home. Cut back 10 - 20% from your regular distance and speed and gradually pick it up. You may discover that the lay off both mental and physical gave you a boost. By the way, post a picture when you come back. Most of us will never get to do something that great.
Plan your run and then run your plan.
Thanks all. Sometimes you just need to be told right?;)
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