1 day until vacation! ONE day! If you can’t tell I am just a little bit excited! Ha!

To be honest, we really need this one. It’s been a crazy year since our last week vacation and we are both a little worn down and exhausted from it on. Pile that on top of my husband’s crazy work schedule and you get burn out. I wish we each had enough vacation to take a full week twice a year, but with other family commitments, weddings, and holidays that leaves us with one so we try to make the most of it.

The beach has always been our escape. It’s where we have shared a lot of special memories, and it also doesn’t require a lot of driving time. I cannot wait to be on the road and at our happy place for 10 beautiful days!

Running has in many ways always been a part of our vacations. That was mostly due to the fact that I am married to someone who rarely misses a day! That being said, it’s always much more scaled down. Long time blog readers may remember our vacation last year where we even went and found a track to do workouts on. When it is just Wes and on vacation we do what we feel like; though I doubt that will be happening this year.

However; the tricky part begins when you go away with family or other friends that might not quite understand. Here are a few things I try to do when it comes to running while on vacation.

Relax – Don’t Take it Too Seriously

Running on vacation should be looked at as fun! Ok, running should always be fun but if you put pressure on yourself and take it too seriously then it drags down your vacation. If you are like us, vacations are few and far between so it’s important to take full advantage of them.

Go out and have fun! Slow down, relax, and enjoy the new scenery around you.

Run to Explore

One of my favorite things about running on vacation is the new scenery. Sometimes running in the same area day in and day out can get a bit mentally tiring. The great thing about vacation is that you are in a whole new area. Use your running as a way to explore and see new things!

Run in different areas, run on the road, run on the sand, run wherever you feel like it and explore all that is around you!

Get it in Early

If I am on vacation with family and others that don’t run, I try to get up early before anyone will have plans and get my run done. Don’t get me wrong, there are no 4:30 AM alarms set, but I try to get it in before anyone has plans for the day. That way it doesn’t get in the way and no one has to move their schedule around to accomidate.

Of course, when it is just my husband and I we just get up when we feel like it; however, when it’s hot like at the beach it’s better to get it in earlier anyways.

Miss a Day

Seriously! Do it! It won’t kill you and sometimes it’s exactly what you need on vacation. To some this isn’t an option, but be prepared that if something comes up that you can just go with the flow. Vacation is not a time to be obsessive. Run as you feel like it and enjoy your vacation.

Vacation is a wonderful time and running can be a great part of it, when done in moderation. I don’t watch my diet as much on vacation or eat specifically for certain runs so I know that sometimes I am going to have bad runs. Life is short, enjoy your vacations! You can still enjoy running without adding pressure.

When was your last vacation?

Do you typically stop running on vacation, continue running, or something in between?