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3 Easy Healthy Travel Tips

Greetings from Cincinnati!

In case you missed it, we spent the weekend with our friends exploring Cincinnati! It was such a fun weekend that we didn’t want it to end! Monday mornings are especially tough after long, fun filled weekends!

Bo flew back to New York City last night while Amy, Ryan and I relaxed in their basement watching The Impossible and chilling. We kept things simple last night by enjoying some healthy snacks during the movie and then making easy taco salads for dinner!

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This morning, before heading to the office together, Amy and I went out for a quick, easy 3 mile jog around her neighborhood.  It’s amazing what a few hills can do for a 3 mile run! Holy heck this run wasn’t easy but it sure felt great when we were done just a short while later. There were two monster hills that we ran and each time I just kept telling myself to push through to the top. While getting up at 4:45 wasn’t fun and neither of us were that talkative during the run due to the hills and exhaustion, it still felt great to know we finished our workout bright and early.

I’m traveling for work this entire week and will spend the next four nights in a hotel room and each day in meetings. It’s easy to get off track and use the different environment as an excuse to take a few days off from healthy eating and workouts. But, as I’ve mentioned before, I believe that I feel even better if I can keep up with my normal routine as much as possible. Here are a few things that I try to do while traveling to stay energized.

  • Go to bed as early as possible. Sleep is always such an important part of how you feel but we rarely get enough. Take advantage of the time away from children and loved ones to focus on getting a few extra minutes of sleep! I do my best to avoid watching tv while traveling as I know I’ll stay up far too late!
  • Bring your own water bottle! Between air travel and the dry hotel and meeting rooms I tend to get very parched during business trips. I start each day by drinking a bottle of water and then ensure that I drink one before bed too! During the day I carry this bottle with me to each meeting and refill it during breaks. A water refill is a great excuse to stand up and walk around but can also save money since I get to refill it versus buying a fresh bottle each time!
  • Move as much as possible! Maybe the gym isn’t for you. Regardless of your fitness level, always pack your workout shoes and at least lace them up for a short walk around town or the office park. Need to call your loved one to catch up after a long day? Try walking up and down the hotel hallway if you don’t feel safe outside alone. You’ll be surprised just how far you can walk during a 30 minute phone call! If you normally work out at home, use this travel time to try something new using Pintrest as a great source for travel workouts! My 35 minute full body workout and 45 minute full body workouts don’t require any machines and will leave you out of breath!

Hopefully this week I’ll create another workout for you guys as I know I’ll grow bored quickly. Unfortunately my hotel isn’t located near a park so I’m limited to running around a corporate business park or on the old treadmill.

How about you? How do you stay healthy during travel?

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An Early Morning Run with Fleet Feet Savannah

Good morning from Savannah!

Just like I expected, last night’s flight landed later than I wanted which meant that I didn’t crawl into bed until past midnight. It was hard to go to bed when my parents and I just wanted to sit downstairs and talk. While we talk on the phone multiple times per week it’s just nice to chat in person. So much more personal and intimate- especially since most of the time when we talk I’m walking somewhere which means there are sirens and traffic in the background!

But, a promise is a promise! When my alarm went off at 5am I saw that Victoria had already texted me letting me know that run club at Fleet Feet Savannah was still happening. I looked outside and saw that the rain had stopped but based on my window temperature it was still a bit chilly. Luckily when I packed my suitcase I threw my favorite New Balance running top (similar one)and my Nike crops. They were the perfect gear for this mornings run especially since I knew there was a chance we’d get caught in the rain. I grabbed a water bottle and my dad’s UGA hat before dashing out the door, ready for a great run.

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(Above picture is clearly not from this morning’s run as it was pitch dark this morning, but at least it gives you an idea of what the store looks like! source)

At 5:45 I met Victoria and 8 other runners in front of the Fleet Feet store.  This morning’s run was a 5.5 mile “easy run” which would lead us through the Ardsley Park neighborhoods towards Forsyth Park and then culminate in a loop of the Park before heading back to the store. As this was my first opportunity to meet Victoria I stuck with she and her running coach for the entire run. Victoria does a 4-1 method of run 4 minutes and walk 1 minute which was new to me. For the first few miles I would run ahead and turn back while she was walking which helped me shake my legs out. The run itself was a great, relaxing chance to get to know a new friend, learn more about the Savannah running scene, and welcome the morning. During the run portion we were keeping around a 9:50 pace which is perfect for an easy run.

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If you’re in the Savannah area or near another Fleet Feet store be sure to check out their run club. The local club’s training mantra is CREW (Collaborative Relationships, Empowering Workouts) and you can feel this from each member.

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Though they are all different speeds during their 3 weekly workouts they support and coach each other to new, small victories and they ensure that each person is never alone on the run!

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After the run I stopped at Starbucks for a cappuccino.  There is nothing like knowing that a frothy, warm cup of java is waiting for me after a workout! I picked up a skinny vanilla latte for my mom as a fun surprise since I know this is her favorite. By 7:30 I was back home ready for a great day!

My aunts and uncles don’t arrive until later today so I’m not sure what my parents and I are going to do today especially since it’s supposed to pour all day. Regardless, it’s nice to be back at home with them and relaxing for a few days! I’m forcing myself not to check my work email even though I’m still the only person awake right now!

Last but not least, if you have a minute, head over Robin Hoods. This Kick Starter campaign is an amazing cause which one of my fellow UGA Alumni and NYC ladies, Tracey, has started to support women such as her mother who are facing hair hardships. It’s such an amazing cause and she’d love any support and awareness as she gets up and running! 

When you go back home to you run or workout with a local group or go solo?

 

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So Much to Say

Wow, I have so much to say and so little time! I have lots on my mind and only a bit of time to share with you guys as the bed is screaming my name. So much for 8 hours of sleep each night, eh? Oops!

Reach the Beach

Over the next few days, this blog will become dedicated to Reach the Beach posts and updates. Therefore, I won’t inundate you with too much right now accept to share a bit of an update with you. I’m really excited about this weekend not only for the race itself, but also because of my teammates. While some of them I know quite well like Theodora and Melissa, others I’ve never met before even though I’ve read their blog for years, ahem Bridget! In addition, New Balance has taken the role of sponsor to a whole new level. Each day they are getting me more excited for the race thanks to a million emails, packages in the mail and packing lists! If you want to REALLY keep up with the madness, I’ll be tweeting using our hash tag, #teamoffbalance. I’ll also share pictures on Instagram all weekend long so if you’re not following, please do!

Last night, I was greeted with more awesome gear featuring our team name, Off Balance!

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While I’m not as organized as some of my teammates, I did start throwing things in a pile as I thought about them. I still have to buy a few key items like new compression socks, blinking safety lights, NYC bagels, and coconut water but at least I’m making headway!

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Clearly I’m worried about having power, music, no blisters, smelling fresh, and not getting a sunburn.

My goals for my legs are to enjoy each one for it’s uniqueness and win the mental game. I know I’m going to power through some tough hills and some lonely runs, especially at night. Like I said earlier, everything between now and November is a form of training for the marathon.  In case you were wondering, my legs for the weekend are below:

Runner 12 (16.74 miles): Ashley

Leg 12:P Brent Trottier School to Hopkinton State Park: 6.01 miles: easy

Leg 24 (QUIET ZONE): Borderland State Park to Oliver Ames High School: 3.61 miles: easy

Leg 36: Demarest Lloyd Memorial State Park to Horseneck Beach State Reservation: 7.12 miles: moderate

I love that I’m the last runner and will get to run through the finish with the rest of the ladies! So stinking fun!!

Staying Healthy While Traveling

A few readers have emailed me over the past few weeks asking how I keep from getting sick when I travel. Well, I clearly don’t have the art perfected as I came down with bronchitis after my trip to Hawaii, but considering that’s the first illness I’ve had after traveling over 72,000 miles in the last year, I’d say that’s pretty good. While I wish I could share my answers to this, along with world peace, I can’t. But, I’ll share the few things I do that seem to help.

  • Wash your hands constantly. Yes, I know it seems silly to even mention but many people forget to wash their hands. I wash mine multiple times a day when traveling.
  • Vitamins I take my vitamins (multi, vit D, hair & nail) daily while traveling along with Ester C powder in my afternoon water for an extra dose of protection.
  • Sleep I love taking advantage of huge hotel king size beds while I travel and find that catching up on sleep can help keep me going strong through the long hours and jet lag.
  • Be smart Your body likes nutritious food and workouts. Sweat any germs out with a daily workout and give your body the fuel it needs to go strong. I do my best to have a healthy breakfast, lunch and snack so that dinner can be a bit more fun.

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Trainer Bob

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Thanks to Fitfluential, I was able to attend Bob Harper’s book release party tonight down in SoHo. It was a great chance to meet other New York City area bloggers and catch some amazing people watching. But, the best moment was when Trainer Bob spent more than 5 minutes with us chatting, posing, and encouraging each of us on our path to a healthier life. He could have easily struck one pose with us and moved on but instead he seemed truly interested.

004 005 007  010 Well gang, that’s all she wrote! Check back tomorrow for this week’s Marathons+Moderation guest post!

Question: Are you a Biggest Loser fan? Why or why not? I’ve actually never watched an entire episode.

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