There's Always Room for Running Shoes

Since I won't be able to share much in the way of workouts over the next two weeks, I figured I'd write something a little different than usual. As I'm sure you've noticed, I tend to travel a lot. It's not always glamorous and frequently is just a quick jump across the country to go home for a weekend. Still, there's something about travel that has a tendency to throw off your usual routine, particularly where workouts are concerned.

So, what do I do when I travel?

I'm going to drop a bit more of my Dad's wisdom on you here. When I was younger, I was notorious for trying to pack everything humanly possible in my suitcase. Once, I remember asking my Dad if it was okay to include some running shoes in my suitcase for a family trip to Florida.

"There's always room for running shoes," he said.

That has stuck with me throughout all my travels. Whether I'm going to Russia for work or just going home for a weekend, I always bring my running shoes. Whether you're going to Vegas for a weekend or off to New York, there's always someplace to run. Ask at the front desk of your hotel and they can usually give you a map or rundown of local running trails and areas to avoid. The ability to run anywhere in the world is actually a big reason why I started running in the first place!

A few other good tips and tricks for staying fit on the road...

• Check out the hotel gym and pool. It may not always be big and fancy, but it's something!
• Some hotels, like the Aria in Vegas, offer fitness programs for guests. Ask at the front desk!
• Take a workout DVD along or sign up for an online workout program like Daily Burn (my sister swears by it!). These are usually designed to be done in smaller spaces, so a hotel room or guest bedroom floor should work just fine.
• Bring multi-purpose clothing. I personally love wearing yoga pants and leggings both for fun and workouts, so they serve double duty when I travel.
• Don't go too crazy when you go out to eat! Even though it's tempting to throw your cares to the wind on vacation, splurge where you really want to but don't go crazy at every meal.

Anyone else have any tips that have worked for them? Tweet your tips to me (@ripode) and I'm happy to add them in!