Training tips when you travel

This week’s #fashionfriday post takes a bit of a #traveltuesday spin as I’m in Dubrovnik and Istanbul this week for work, and trying to make sure I fit in some training. I travel usually at least once or twice a month and here’s what I’ve learned about training for a half or a full marathon when you travel frequently.

By Karen Kwan

Use your run as a way to sightsee. If you’re tied up in meetings all day, use your run as a way to fit in seeing some spots you want to check out. It’s easiest if it’s just a park or building you want to view from the outside (since you’ll be sweaty and in run gear). If it’s for a foodie destination (as my travel wish list usually includes), aim for the cafe or bakery to be your last stop so you can buy something to enjoy right then.

Always pack one complete run outfit. Running shoes take up a lot of space, so even though you don’t want to be that traveler in running shoes, sometimes you have to swallow your pride and wear your runners on the flight. Also, I often pack just one run outfit to save room in my carry-on luggage as you can easily hand wash the run top and bottom in your hotel bathroom sink. Technical fabrics dry quickly, so you can wear it again for another run during your trip.

Ask the hotel front desk for a run route. If you’re not familiar with the city you are in, ask at reception if they have any running routes. Many hotels offer a map with a set of routes, and if they don’t have one, they can make a suggestion as to where it is safe to run.

Run without music. I typically run with music but I find that when I’m in a new city, I want to be extra aware of my surroundings, so that I don’t get lost, for one, and so I usually run with no earphones.

Bring ID with you and the name of your hotel. I try to always bring ID when I run, for safety’s sake, but when in a city where few people know you it seems almost more key to have ID on you. Plus, I often forget the name of the hotel I’m staying in, so bring a business card from the hotel so you can easily show it to a cab driver should you get lost or run out of time miles from your hotel.

Find Karen Kwan’s weekly running fashion posts every Friday on Instagram. Karen contributes to a number of publications and you can also follow her travel and running adventures at Health & Swellness.