Why you should run when travelling

If you’re anything like me, you don’t want to give up your fitness routine while travelling. Obviously I’m more lax about it when I’m on vacation – that’s what vacation is for isn’t it? But to completely throw my hard work out the window for a week or two just isn’t my thing. I do try to set aside a few mornings when I’m on vacation to fit in a run. This isn’t just to keep me in shape, I am a firm believer that there is no better way to see a city than to run through it. Trust me when I say I know how hard it is not just to wake up early but to also force yourself to exercise when you’re on vacation. I promise you it’s worth it. The city you’re in is often waking up with you, the streets are emptier, the weather is fresher (for the most part) and you can get some amazing views.

On my first morning in Rijeka, Croatia (mostly thanks to jetlag) I woke up early to jog around the quaint town and catch the sunrise. That was one of my favourite moments of the trip. I got some really amazing pictures and got a glimpse at life as a Croatian. Through my meandering I found some delicious farmers markets and places I wanted to explore further during the day.

In London, I stayed near Tower Bridge and so with a quick jog up Tower Bridge Road I found myself running along the Thames. It is very rare to have the paths parallel to the infamous river all but empty, having the freedom to move every which way in one of the worlds most populated cities. I ran from Tower Bridge to the London Eye, crossed the Thames to West Minster and ran back. I basically saw all the major touristy sites before 9am!

In Paris I followed the Seine along, again past most tourist sites like the Notre Dame, the Love Lock Bridge, Musee D’Orsay and the likes. The streets in Paris are calm and quite first thing in the morning. My run was a short one, knowing how much walking I’d be doing that day and with the threat of rain but it too was well worth it.

When staying in the Dominican Republic I would often take short runs on the beach. In fact, I have done this for every most inclusive resorts I’ve stayed at. Trust me when I say the beaches are all but empty first thing in the morning. Most people are nursing hangovers, sunburns, or just lazing around until about 10am.

Toronto is also a really great place to run. I live here so I don’t need to ‘explore the city’ so to speak, but the waterfront is gorgeous. I don’t know if I’ve ever run along the water early because I’m often struggling to get up for work as it is, but running along the waterfront in the late evening, or at sunset is one of my simple pleasures. There are lots of other athletes running or biking along with you. If you run far enough West you can get some seriously great views of the city. If you don’t want to venture that far, make sure to make it along to West Harbour City to catch a glimpse of the sail boats.

Gili Trawangan takes the cake though for my favourite vacation run. It’s a very small island (you can bike around the entire island in about two hours) so don’t expect to be running any marathons here. You will however have breathtaking views of mountains, adjacent islands and Indonesians waking up to start their day.

Tips for running in a new city

1. Run around the more popular places / touristy sections of the city if you’re going to be alone. Try asking your hotel or hostel for tips or good areas the night before so you have some idea on where it would be best for you to run.
2. Set out a running route the night before. If I’ve been in the city for a couple of days and feel like I know it well enough I won’t do this but it helps to look at a map and find the main busy streets or areas where you can see the most attractions.
3. Some people don’t like to run with their phones – I would recommend this more for safety reasons than anything else but it’s also a good way to get some beautiful snapshots.
4. Pack light and breathable clothing that dries easily. The last thing you want to do is shove a bunch of sweaty clothes into your luggage – you’ll be smelling the rest of the vacation!
5. Pack good running shoes. Duh.
6. During the first bit of your run scout out a local coffee shop. Stop there for your morning coffee on the way home. One of my simple pleasures, a delicious coffee after all of your hard work!

What’s your favourite city to go for a run in?