I've never been one to exercise on vacation. I've always thought of it as backwards thinking. I'm on vacation to relax and enjoy myself. Now, don't get me wrong, I love to hike, camp, ride a bike and swim on my vacations. But, I've never formally "trained" on vacation. I vowed this year on our 4-Day mini vacation to Williamsburg this year that I would not let my training schedule go by the wayside. So, I packed my gear and mentally prepared for getting up early and getting the job done before the rest of the family was even awake.
To my surprise, training was easy and fun during my vacation. Usually, after my workout in the morning, I quickly shower and get off to work. But, these workouts were followed by reading the paper and heading out for a day of roller coasters or water slides. So, I was really happy to be out there and found myself much more relaxed and more motivated than usual.
Day 1 of my vacation, I went for a 4-mile run on a trail at the resort and end it with a 15 lap (750yd) swim. Day 2, I rode on a recumbent bike in the fitness center for an hour and did some stretching and weights. Day 3, more of the same. What I found is I had more energy for the day of rides and shows and dealing with the kiddos. And, I didn't feel so guilty about the pizza or beer I splurged on at dinner. It was true vacation for without losing any of the hard work I've done up to now.
My real test will be next month when we take the family to New Mexico to visit relatives. We'll be there for 10 days staying with family. It's too late in the game to risk losing all my hard work since January. It will be just a matter of making the commitment to train during vacation no matter what. And, from my experience on my 4-day trip away last weekend, I think I am actually looking forward to the next trip.
Shannon
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