Climbing the chain-link fence to get into the golf course would have taken most of my remaining energy but if I thought a short-cut across the greens would get me to my apartment tower quicker, I would have done it.
After all, I could see my vacation nest among the palm trees in the distance, taunting me. But I knew I wouldn’t be able to out-run the golf course marshals in their motorized cart.
So I wiped the sweat from my brow, literally, and stayed on course. I was too tired to feel only slightly stupid for a number of mistakes and miscalculations.
To those of you who don’t take a pair of runners while on holidays, you can stop reading now. Unless you enjoy the absurdity of those who pack their runners on holiday, then continue reading.
Embarking on a week’s vacation to Hawaii, I loaded a medium-large suitcase. My husband took one carry-on bag. That’s it. I justified my valise by saying I was taking runners, water belt, shorts, tank top etc. But really, I took four other pairs of shoes that had nothing to do with running.
So here are my top tips for running while on holidays, especially to somewhere warm.
Rule #1 – Bring all your necessary gear but just one of anything. In warmer climates, you can rinse out your very sweaty togs and they’ll dry overnight. Bring a water belt – I can’t believe that I haven’t seen any of the runners here so far carrying water. You’re a Canuck, it’s hot, carry water.
Rule # 2 – Research your route. Before you leave home, email the local running shop at your destination for route suggestions. Don’t wait until you’ve landed and find out you don’t have wifi to search the web or amazingly can’t find someone to ask.
Path along Ala Wai Canal
Rule #3 – Don’t rely on your observations of fellow runners upon arrival for route information. See above about running without water in 80-degree weather. Also, I saw people running along the canal outside my window and thought, hmmm, looks like a popular trail – more on this later.
Rule #4 – Check the weather forecast. The first two days we were in Hawaii, it was pleasant with gentle winds. I delayed my run until the third day – heat spiked and winds were ferocious. But I was antsy to run, so I did. Bad decision.
Rule #5 – Allow yourself to deviate from your training program. My scheduled work-out was a 20-minute warm-up, six 800-metre tempos, and 10 minute cool-down. May be it was the six hours of walking we’d done the day before exploring the beaches and shops, the gin-and-tonics that night or the heat itself, but I felt like I was dragging two heavy bags of laundry duct-taped to my thighs. I did one 800-metre ‘tempo’ then thought “what in the hell am I doing?” I ditched the sprints for the rest of the run.
Rule #6 – Take identification. None of us expect to be sideswiped by a car. collapse from heat exhaustion or needing your loved one to pick you up to take you to the closest mai tai. You need to carry the location of where you are staying and an emergency contact number.
Spotted along running route
Rule #7 – Take a camera – If you have a light camera and run with a stretchy waist belt that can accommodate it, you’ll undoubtedly come across scenes, people or signs that are best captured by an image rather than words. Running in exotic places is all about what’s different than your usual route at home.
Rule # 8 – Plan a route with optional loops at the end to shorten or lengthen the distance. Think of a figure 8. See below.
Rule #9 – Be flexible with your route. I had scoped out my route in Waikiki ahead of time on a bike. It was a great loop around a park, that I could circle twice. But I stupidly decided to go in the opposite direction along the canal as I had watched lots of runners and walkers along the path. It was fine for the first couple of kilometers but as I made my way further along the canal, determined to make it to where the canal emptied into the sea, it was less ‘’friendly.’
When I finally crossed the canal to run along the opposite bank to my home base, I encountered fenced barriers and detours away from the canal onto city streets and farther away from my route than expected. See golf course short-cut above.
Rule #10 – If things go wrong, enjoy where you are for what it is.When I got sidetracked onto a city street due to the running trail being closed, I ran alongside an inner-city elementary school that had recently advanced through the performance ranks (as the posters and signs outside the school noted) and made me curious and proud of their efforts, The route also took me along a stream where song birds flitted between branches. (The golf-course desperation strategy was not yet needed).
Rule #11 – Don’t let a run interfere with your holiday. Running while on vacation can turn out to be some of the best runs of your life. You’re relaxed, you are able to explore your environs, the scenery is inspiring and you can feel virtuous for running while so many holiday-ers are sitting around, well, sitting around. But you’re also on holiday to do new things. Whether you have planned for a hike, snorkeling or a day’s walking between shops, you don’t want to be too fatigued from running to enjoy your holiday activities.
Cold beer awaits at end of run.
Rule #12 – Be thankful to be able to run. If you vacation on your own, you’re lucky to be able to build your day as you want. For others, the “luxury’ of a run, stretch, shower and requisite chatter about what you encountered might not be your partner’s #1 priority of the day. Be thankful, that you can run, however slow or short the distance, and that someone is willing to support you to go the distance,
