By Family, food, and fitness were the three “Fs” of my holiday travels. This year I spent Thanksgiving in Nashville, TN with my fiancé’s family. I’ve always found that when traveling, especially to a city you don’t know that well, it’s really easy to lose track of your routine. With the Chevron Houston Marathon a mere seven weeks away and a busy few weeks of wedding planning and work ahead of me, I was determined to keep my fitness up which would in turn allow me to enjoy the feasting and connect with my soon to be family. How did I manage this in a relatively unfamiliar city? It took some planning, coordination, and above all discipline, but I made it work and it made my trip even more exciting and unique.
Here are my tips for finding fitness during the holidays when the other “Fs” take over!
- Sweat together! We planned ahead and decided to do a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. Not only was it a great addition to my marathon training, but it was also a fun way to bond with family and feel like I earned my turkey! I even placed first in my age group so I got some bragging rights, too.
- Research. On my off running days, I like to take longer yoga classes that allow me to sweat, but still get completely restored. I looked up all the studio options near where we were staying, double checked social media for holiday scheduling, and settled on Hot Yoga Plus Franklin. It was right around the corner from the house and was a very welcoming community. I loved that they hosted a two-hour turkey burn class on Black Friday, just like my home studio!
- Stick to the plan. My running schedule had me down for a 20-miler on Saturday and to be honest, that terrified me! I’ve never run that long solo, let alone in a new city. Looking up a route ahead of time, bringing Nuun to keep me hydrated, and telling as many people as possible about my plan (accountability works!) allowed me to stay motivated and slug through 20-miles along Nashville’s greenways in the pouring rain. Not to mention the fact that I got to explore a part of the city I’d never seen before!
- Stay hydrated. One of the things that helped me stick to my fitness goals over the break was keeping my water bottle on me at all times. I drank plenty of wine, but balancing it with water made a huge difference!
- Snack less. Skipping popcorn at the movies and minimizing mid-day snacking made it possible for me to enjoy the big meals without feeling totally unhealthy!
How do you stay on track during the holidays? Let me know in the comments or by sending me a Tweet to @Lindsaylm!
Loving life on the run. 