“Why are you lacing up your running shoes? You’re supposed to be relaxing,” they ask, a bewildered look on their face, piña colada in hand. Well, I’m going to have my piña colada later, thank you very much. First, I need to let my Strava followers know that I’m still putting in the work.
A vacation is obviously a great way to kick back and take a load off, but for those of us who run, it can also be a great excuse to go for a run (or five) in a new, exotic place, even though it may leave our fellow travelers scratching their heads.
Last month, I went to France for the first time. The trip began with a few days exploring Paris, followed by a few days in Chamonix to cover UTMB and enjoy the scenery. Just this past weekend, I drove five hours from LA to the Eastern Sierra to race the 50k during Mammoth Trailfest. Both trips were heavily focused on running, yet they were also very different. One involved flying across the world, pesky checked bag weight limits, and gear that could pull double (or triple) duty, while the other offered me all the space an SUV has to offer, though I did have to pack everything I needed for a race—resulting in me bringing considerably more than what I packed for France.
You may think that if you’re traveling and want to run, you can just throw a pair of running shoes in your bag and call it a day. But there’s more to an expert-level packing job than that, and I’m here to offer a few packing considerations and gear recs for the next time you find yourself running on vacation.
How Much Space Will You Actually Have?
The first thing you should figure out is exactly how much gear you’ll have space for on your trip. If you’re driving, my vote is to load up the car with everything you can think of. For my trip up to Mammoth last week that’s pretty much exactly what I did. I filled my 100-liter duffel bag with clothes, gear, and even a few extra pairs of running shoes so I could make a gametime decision about which pair I’d wear for the race. Then I filled a duffel with all the extra food I wanted for my few days away, I packed a cooler for the front seat, and loaded a tote bag with all my work stuff and some extra bits. I even packed an extra watch and two heart rate monitor chest straps, just because I could.
For Paris and Chamonix, on the other hand, I had to make compromises. I had airline weight limits to think about, and I knew I didn’t want to try to lug more than two suitcases up and down city streets. Packing for nine days away, unsure if I’d be able to do an actual load of laundry or not, and knowing I’d probably be coming home with more stuff than I left with, forced me to be picky when I was packing for the trip. This is where I had to get creative, which leads me to my next tip.
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