Running on the Road

Dr. Mark Bayley, a physiatrist from the Toronto Rehab Institute and occasional contributor to Canadian Running, looked longingly outside at the end of a long day of lectures at a recent conference in Washington, D.C. “Head off to a formal dinner or get out for a run in some glorious sunshine?” Bayley said to himself. Minutes later he was heading out the front door of his hotel, following a ravine that he’d spotted on the ride in from the airport, for an hour-long run that would both revive him and give him the chance to email off a self-portrait, shot while standing in front of the White House, to his kids.

As a former national cross-country champion and top masters competitor, Bayley has been running consistently since high school, and he doesn’t let his busy travel schedule get in the way of his almost-daily runs.

No matter who you are, there’s no reason that an upcoming business trip needs to get in the way of your training routine. Not only can you maintain your fitness through some on-the-road runs, like Bayley, but you can also use your training time to check out some of the sites of the cities you’re visiting. Here are some tips that will make your run training easier next time you’re on the road:

1)      Pack light. One road-running business executive I know won’t include anyone on his team who checks any bags at the counter. Bring one pair of shoes and lots of high-tech clothing that you can wash in the shower. Hang everything up close to a vent while you’re out of the room and it’ll be dry by the time you get home.

2)      Head out early. Even if you’re not typically a morning person, get your run done first thing in the morning. The streets will be considerably less busy (even in Hong Kong or Tokyo – I’ve done it) and it’s a great way to get yourself up and rolling if you’re dealing with time changes or jet lag. Also, more often than not, meetings will run late and you’ll often find yourself out of time between that last meeting and a scheduled dinner (which you can’t always skip).

3)      Go easy. Don’t expect to be at 100 per cent, especially if you’re travelling internationally. After 20 or 24 hours of flying to Asia, I’m happy to just be able to put one foot in front of the other when I start a run on the first day or two of a trip. If your training schedule calls for a hard-paced set of intervals, be realistic about what you’re going to be able to accomplish. On a recent trip to China I managed to get out of my hotel and find a beautiful beach just a few minutes away from the hotel. I finally felt up to pushing the pace on the way home. It wasn’t a full-fledged set of intervals, but I had a great run that I know provided some training benefits.

4)      Find some friends. Encourage your business partners to bring their running equipment. It’s great to have some company for a run – especially if it’s early in the morning. If you have some specific training in your plan, you can always add a few minutes of harder tempo running at the end of the group run.

5)      Find a health club. If you can, pick hotels that have health clubs with treadmills. That way, even if you run into some adverse weather, or you find yourself at an airport hotel that literally doesn’t have any sidewalks or roads to run on, you can still get a workout done.

6)      Be adventurous, but pay attention. Some of my most spectacular runs have come as pleasant surprises thanks to trying a trail or pathway I found along the way. Just a few blocks from my hotel in Frankfurt I found a series of gravel trails along the Main River, which turned out to be a popular spot for locals to run, walk, bike and rollerblade. While out-and-back routes are always the safest, sometimes you’ll need to make a turn or two along the way. Pay attention to landmarks whenever you make a turn so you can get yourself back home.

7)      Fuel yourself. While you’re in an airport or on the road, make sure to eat and drink when you can. You never know when your next meal might be, thanks to delays or cancellations, so when you have a chance to eat and drink, do it.

Yes, there will be some days while you’re travelling when you simply won’t be able to do a workout, but if you are diligent, those days don’t have to come too often, no matter where you are. Next time you’re on the road, look forward to the opportunity to get in some running – it can be a great way to check out the area and to adjust to your new surroundings.