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Things to Remember when Running Abroad

Sep 10, 2014 | Active Travel, Running | 5 comments

This past weekend I was in Sitges near Barcelona with a number of the TNR girls for Leah’s Hen do. Laura and I both had long marathon training runs on our schedule that we were keen to get out of the way before the festivities began, so planned to tackle 18 miles on Friday morning. The 18 miles quickly became 15 miles once we realised how hilly and hot it was likely to be!

Things to Remember when Running Abroad

Make sure to check what time the sun rises and sets. If you’re in a new place, and particularly if you’re running alone, it’s probably best to avoid running in the dark. Laura and I set our alarms for 6am, only to discover the sun didn’t come up until 7.20- we quickly hit snooze for another 30mins.

Bring pre-run food/breakfast with you, or plan accordingly, especially as you might not be able to find your usual brekkie at the local supermaket. I hadn’t thought of this at all so was very lucky that Laura had brought double porridge portions.
Try to plan a nice route– ours was a straight mile downhill, then included numerous stairs in the second and third mile. We decided to play it safe for the rest of our run and completed six repeats of the promenade- so, so boring but at least it was flat and there was a slight sea breeze. You could also use it as a great opportunity to explore the local area- we managed to run past numerous nudist beaches on our run, not something you see every day.

Bring enough water; you don’t know whether there will be fountains or shops open so bring enough water and fuel. I think in hindsight Laura didn’t bring enough with her and began to feel a little faint near the end of the run as we weren’t used to running in such humid conditions.
Think about the temperature and plan accordingly. I didn’t hit target pace on my run, or even close- due to the temperature I was forced to slow way down. My knee caps were dripping with sweat by the end of the run- it was so warm.
Dress appropriately, whether this is dressing for the weather, or for the local culture (covering arms/legs if you’re in a Muslim country for example.) I was completely covered in sweat by the end of our run and was very glad to have been in sweat wicking material, however I wish I’d worn a hat or visor.
A cool down is vitally important… 

Don’t forget to buy snacks for afterwards- refuelling is key!

We actually stopped after 14miles (average of 9.11 pace), both of us mentally and physically done- plus we were conveniently located right next to the Carrefour supermarket. After wandering around in the aircon for 20mins, we came out with 25 euros worth of random snacks, including chocolate waffles, iced coffee and Aquarius sports drink! Runger in full force! 
What are your tips for running abroad? Have you ever had to do a long run away from home?  

5 Comments

  1. Tim Nicholls

    Great advice! I travel abroad quite a bit for my job and always try to squeeze a run in while there. It’s a great way to get a feel for a place and seems to help with jet lag.

    I research runs before setting out using various websites. http://www.walkjogrun.net allows you to search for run routes by location. The Strava Global Heatmap (http://labs.strava.com/heatmap) is a beta tool which shows where people have logged runs and bike rides. There’s no search function but it’s easy to scroll to a location, zoom in, and see what routes are most popular with the locals. I find this particularly helpful in the US for instance, where it’s not always reasonable to assume there are pavements or that running on the road is safe.

    Tim

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  2. lifelauralondon.com

    Errrr.. 14 miles PLUS the worlds most vertical mile to get home (granted it was with iced coffees and Aquarius in our hands)

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  3. mia79gbr

    Love the advice in this blog and Im LOVING the photos! Looks so beautiful there especially the sunrise photos! Have a wonderful time!!

    Reply
  4. Nessa

    I wish I’d read some of these tips before I attempted running in Istanbul! It was a nightmare to say the least, ridiculously busy, so hot and humid plus people look at you like you’re insane – there were hardly any runners there! That being said, I totally agree, the best way to see a new place is to run it.

    Reply

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