Don't Let Travel Derail Your Training

If it's sometimes challenging to stick to a training regimen at home, it can be way harder to do so when you travel a lot, especially for work. Alanna Perez, Innovation for Endurance's "Frequent Traveler," knows what that's like. Which is why she asked someone who travels and trains for a living — IFE's own Shalane Flanagan, an Olympic marathoner — how she manages to combine the two. Here are a few questions Alanna asked Shalane that may help you, too, stay true to your training even while you're a road warrior:

Alanna Perez: When you travel to races that can be many hours away, do you take the day off, or do you still find time to work out?

Shalane Flanagan: When I travel to races domestically, I try to fit in a light run before the flight or once I land at my destination. Sometimes I will even do both.  The only time I take the day off is if I am traveling to Europe and I arrive too late at night to run. In that case I might just go for a walk.

Alanna: How do you manage the stress of traveling and keeping your diet in check?

Shalane: Keeping my diet in check while traveling can be hard! So I try to plan ahead and bring snacks with me. I tend not to eat airplane food because it is usually very processed and high in sodium. Instead, I will pack a bunch of snacks, like dried fruit, apples, granola bars, and nuts/trail mix. When I arrive at the airport I will go to a Subway or Starbucks to grab a larger meal if I need it (like a turkey sub, yogurt, etc). By planning ahead it almost guarantees that I will make healthy choices. I can feel a big difference when I hydrate and eat healthy.

Alanna: Do you feel that you still train the same on the road as you do at home?

Shalane: I can't train the same way on the road as I do at home. So I just try to make the best of it by going with the flow. Some ways to make training less stressful: I will see if the hotel has a gym so I can do my core work; I research running trails and parks near where I am staying; and I change my workouts so they can be accomplished in my new environment.

How do you ensure your training isn't derailed when you are away from home?