Good morning -  can you believe I overslept by AN HOUR??  Luckily, I get up way earlier than I need to for work, but this does mean I’ve missed Day 15 of the Shred.

 

I was a whirlwind of action this morning.  Our hot water heater has died, so I took a 3 second cold shower and quickly prepare my breakfast, using the last of the milk and fruit.

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My oatmeal contained:

 

  • 1/2 cup oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 sliced banana
  • Toppings: granola, coconut, strawberries

 

There wasn’t even enough milk for my coffee. 🙁 And we’re out of H&H.  My fridge looks like a ghost town!

 

Sticking with it on Vacation

 

I’m a firm believer on maintaining my schedule on longer vacations.  If it’s just a weekend away, I try to enjoy myself fully and usually skip workouts.  But on this trip to Charlotte, we’ll be gone for 5 days.  I like to come home feeling fit, happy, relaxed, and, most importantly, guilt-free.  So I’ll be sticking with my exercise schedule as much as possible on vacation.

 

Here are my tips for exercising on vacation:

 

  • Pack your workout gear.  It sounds obvious, but if you don’t pack your shoes, clothes, iPod, water bottle, etc…. you’ll never workout on vacation!  If you won’t be able to exercise outside, pack a workout DVD to use in your hotel room.

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  • Wake up early.  The only way I got in any exercise on our honeymoon (and I think I ran around 20 miles that week!!) was that I woke up before the Husband and exercised.  Once the "group" starts going, it’s going to be hard to squeeze in a workout.
  • Sneak in some exercise.  Not all vacation activities have to revolve around laying in the sun, sipping drinks, and eating your face off.  Stroll around downtown, go on a hike, challenge other beach-goers to a round of volleyball… anything!  You’ll make a fun memory and you’re burn some calories.
  • Discover local parks.  Google the city’s name plus "Parks and Recreation Department" to find the City’s P&R Department.  Their website will typically list all the parks and their amenities on a map. 
  • Walk, don’t drive.  If you’re in an area of town in which it is safe to walk around at night, consider choosing restaurants and attractions that are near your hotel and walk to them.
  • And last…. but not least…. HAVE FUN.  Vacations are about relaxing, and it’s possible to achieve a balance between maintaining your fitness level AND enjoying yourself.  Don’t stress if you aren’t working out as hard or as often as you would at home.  Live up your vacation! 🙂

 

Have a great day!

{ 37 comments }

 

  • Foodie (Fab and Delicious Food) March 18, 2009, 4:49 am

    Breakfast looks good!

    Great tips!

  • Mica March 18, 2009, 4:55 am

    Ooh, sorry about the cold shower. Brrr!

    Have a safe trip! I love your tips. I always feel so awesome when I manage to squeeze workouts in while I’m on vacation.

  • VeggieGirl March 18, 2009, 5:08 am

    Sounds like you needed the extra rest, so it’s all good 🙂

    SAFE TRAVELS!!

  • Erin March 18, 2009, 5:12 am

    Great tips, have fun!

  • livelovelaugheatlearn March 18, 2009, 5:13 am

    Great tips!!

    Cold showers are the worst! At least the weather is warmer!

    Drive safe!

  • Nicole (anotheronebitesthecrust.wordpress.com) March 18, 2009, 5:16 am

    Great tips! I always try to pack my running sneakers whenever I go somewhere, I find that running around town is a really neat way to tour the city.

  • Colleen March 18, 2009, 5:39 am

    Great Tips! I have one more to add…if you’re going to visit family, get them in on the act!

    My parents live in St. Petersburg Florida and I go visit them for a week during the summer…every morning my Dad and I take really long walks and it’s a super way to catch up. I might even say that it’s my favorite part of the whole vacation! 🙂

  • Susan March 18, 2009, 5:43 am

    Love the tips!! I bet that cold shower woke you up after over-sleeping this morning 😛

  • Brandi March 18, 2009, 5:48 am

    great tips 🙂

    I hope you guys have a safe trip!!!

  • bb March 18, 2009, 5:49 am

    Great tips…I actually LOVE working out on vacations. I love to run in new places!

  • Elina March 18, 2009, 6:00 am

    Enjoy your vacation!
    I’m actually terrible at working out on vacation. I always bring my stuff and always make sure there is a gym in our hotel rooms but somehow I never make it there. I think you’re right – when the group gets going, forget about it… I do try to walk all day long though 🙂

  • Rose March 18, 2009, 6:08 am

    Great list here. Good luck!

  • Kailey (SnackFace) March 18, 2009, 6:09 am

    Cold showers are the worst! Breakfast is purdy though! I don’t think I’ve ever worked out while on vacation. There’s too much lying by the pool, shopping and eating to be done. Haha, thank you for the tips, though! Have a great humpday!

  • seesaraheat March 18, 2009, 6:12 am

    Caitlin, thanks for the great tips! I’m going to New York for 5 days at the end of this month and just found out last night our hotel has a gym, thank God! But I plan on bringing my yoga mat and a few other things just incase. Hope you have a safe and fun trip 🙂

  • skinnyrunner.com March 18, 2009, 6:21 am

    great tips to remember. have a great time!

  • runningveggie March 18, 2009, 6:23 am

    As hard as it is to wake up early when you’re on vacation, I know I always have so much fun when I’m running in new cities. As long as you’re safe about it, running is a great way to explore new places and having a change of scenery is really nice. I still remember a run I went on in Charlottesville because of how much I enjoyed it.

    Have fun on vacation!

  • RhodeyGirl/Sabrina March 18, 2009, 6:36 am

    great tips!!!

  • dailygoods March 18, 2009, 6:43 am

    love the tips! so great 🙂 have a wonderful trip!!!

  • Emily March 18, 2009, 6:44 am

    I like your vacation tips. I always bring my running shoes because they don’t take up much room, and you can pretty much run everywhere!

  • Trish March 18, 2009, 6:49 am

    You’re so good – sticking with you workouts while on vacay. 🙂

  • Carolina John March 18, 2009, 7:18 am

    have fun with that. charlotte is only about an hour and a half drive north of where i live, and i hate it. it’s a giant town full of rednecks, and bad things always seem to happen when i go there. did you know charlotte is actually bigger than atlanta now? so have a great trip! there are very few places where it’s safe to walk around charlotte, especially downtown after dark.

    i don’t mean to scare you, there are just so many other places in NC that are so much better. hopefully you are going to one of the suburbs to visit family or something.

  • Erica March 18, 2009, 7:18 am

    Wonderful trips- totally agree. You will enjoy vaca more if you feel like you’ve been somewhat healthy (at least in my opinion). Again- have a safe trip!

  • Haleigh March 18, 2009, 7:19 am

    Breakfast looks delicious! Thanks for the tips!

  • Missy March 18, 2009, 7:45 am

    Great tips!! I was thinking about this the other day because my parents asked me if I wanted to go to Key West next month! My first thought was, how will I do the 30 Day Shred!? I guess I would pack everything!!

  • Betsy March 18, 2009, 7:46 am

    Good tips, I *tried* to be that good on my recent vacation. 🙂

    And I just saw the throwback ‘burgh pics… love ’em. We did nothing to celebrate, but I saw similar scenes on the news!

  • Run Saraaah March 18, 2009, 7:47 am

    Great tips! Have a safe & fun vacation!

  • Wiggs (The Beholder) March 18, 2009, 7:52 am

    Gah, I’m dealing with the same thing right this second! I’m on a 9-day trip for work/family time and it’s so hard to get good workouts in. According to my half-marathon schedule, I only need to do 20 minutes of cross-training today; but I have no idea when I’m going to get to it. Stress!

  • carolinebee March 18, 2009, 7:54 am

    cold shower v. no shower is a hard one! I’m glad u went with it 😀 Have fun on your little vacay, I’m interested to hear your take on Charlotte, and possibly moving there!?? You’ll have to get a little guest house for Meghann 🙂

  • Sarah (lovINmytummy) March 18, 2009, 8:18 am

    I love exploring a city or vacation spot on a run.

    Taking a DVD is a great idea, that I never would have thought of.

    I’ve yet to find a hotel gym that wasn’t pathetic, but then again, maybe I just need to stay at nicer hotels 😉

  • talesofexpansion March 18, 2009, 8:45 am

    ahh, i hate oversleeping! throws off the whole day. good luck getting back on track, and thanks for the active vacation tips 🙂
    enjoy your trip!

  • lauren March 18, 2009, 8:56 am

    ughh – cold showers suck! have a save trip – those are great tips.

  • elise March 18, 2009, 9:18 am

    im a firm believer in the walk not drive tip…plus its green 🙂

  • aron March 18, 2009, 9:23 am

    great tips!!! I have a hard time staying on track during vacation but I always feel so much better when I do!!!

    GAH I hate cold showers!!!!

  • kara March 18, 2009, 9:23 am

    Nice tips!

  • just me March 18, 2009, 9:33 am

    have a safe trip! and yay for extra hour of sleep ! 🙂

  • Thinspired March 18, 2009, 9:54 am

    Thanks for the tips–I am on a semi-vacation visitng home and kind of struggling to find a balance. I either have a good day or a bad day, and really, I need to just chill out about it and I know I would be better off!
    I am glad you are enjoying yourself. Don’t worry about oversleeping–you must have needed the rest!

  • Erin of Care to Eat March 18, 2009, 12:34 pm

    Those are great tips. I feel that way about vaca too and sometimes people think I’m just being anal. Next time I get a nasty remark I’ll tell them my friend Caitlin believes in schedules too. Neener neener!
    That shower sounds horrifying!

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