Vacation Running with Coach Deej

Thursday, March 23, 2017 · Mike Davis

Coach Deej here!

Not meaning to brag, but I’m currently writing from the sunny state of Florida, where my family and I vacation every year in the sweet tourist town of New Smyrna Beach. I’ve come inside to escape the sun for a few minutes and do a little (or maybe a lot) of rambling!

It’s currently a full 80 degrees warmer here (writing on Wednesday, for the future!) than what my friends and family back home in the Northeast are experiencing, and I must say that it has been nice to thaw out a little after running through a very cold and snowy winter so far at home. But, running on vacation isn’t always easy…

Prior to vacation I had recently started a new running and workout routine and was feeling really great about it. Thanks to some new motivating friends, I was running at least three times per week, with speed-work on the treadmill or a core workout at the gym by 5am before going to work a few times per week as well. I was also already seeing the benefits of this new routine as proven by my results at the first race of the Dover Race Series, the Run Before You Crawl 5K, in which I finished in one of my fastest times in quite a while. (It could have been the below-freezing temps that had me rushing to the finish line, but I’m going to say that my recent upgraded training routine was the real reason!)

We hit the road early Thursday morning for our three-day road-trip through the 13 states that it takes to get from Maine to Florida. By the second day (and 11th state) I was really feeling the need to get a run in. For a brief moment I checked the google map of the area surrounding the hotel and tried to map out a quick route to run but then realized that running in the dark by myself in an unfamiliar area would not be very smart. We were set to leave the hotel by 7am and 5am on the streets was just not going to be a safe option, so I checked with hotel staff to be sure that the exercise room would be open at that time and set my alarm for 4:45. While it’s not my favorite way to get a run in, I was on the treadmill by 5:15and got in an easy 3 miles in just under 33 minutes. (always remember that most if not all hotels have this option! There’s no need to skip a workout while traveling if an exercise room is available. I never see anyone else using them. Why is this?!)
I can now say that I’ve run in South Carolina! Almost a near decade after actually living in Columbia for a short time – I was not a runner then - but if treadmill running counts, I have now run in the land of Smiling Faces and Beautiful Faces!

We arrived in NSB on Saturday afternoon and were quickly joined by other family members that reside here in Florida and things got pretty busy so I was not able to get a run in on Sunday, but I did take a few minutes to map out a route on mapmyrun.com that starts and finishes here at the condo. Mondaymorning I enjoyed a quick cup of coffee, grabbed my headphones, laced up, and set out for what ended up being a pretty uncomfortable 5.26 miles. It took me exactly an hour, at a pace of 11:32/mile.
Here's what I quickly remembered about my Solo Florida runs upon this first run in the sunshine state this year:

-The heat and humidity.
I always get my runs done first thing in the morning while it’s the coolest part of the day, but the drastic change in temperature from home to here is just never easy on the body. Going from sub-zero temps and snow - to sun, humidity, and temps above 60 by 8am are a bit of a shock to the system. Breathing is more difficult, the sweating starts sooner, and then part way through I remember “I forgot to put sunscreen on!” Oops.
I’ve learned to bring water with me for my Florida runs, which is different as I don’t carry water with me at home, and very rarely even stop at water stops during races (unless it’s a longer distance), but I’m always glad to have it once I’m out on the road here as the heat and humidity make me sweat more and I feel the need to stay hydrated. It also helps a parched mouth!

-The concrete sidewalks.
I JUST CANNOT DO IT. I’ve tried and every year I fail. NSB has beautiful sidewalks all along S. Atlantic Ave being utilized by many walkers, runners, and bikers – but this runner just has to stay on the road here. Why? Something about the concrete here gives me instant shin splints. I don’t experience this at home so when it happens here it is really frustrating. I’ve learned that I just have to be that annoying runner not utilizing that beautiful sidewalk and I try to pay no attention to the looks that I get from the drivers of the cars that pass me (often without even moving over much) but it just is what it is and I’d rather get a good run in than feel as if I’m injuring myself. Sorry, NSB drivers.
(Does anyone else experience shin splints due to different surfaces? Or are my shins just super sensitive? I will have to research this, for sure.)

-Solo with a side of Headphones.
I grabbed my wireless headphones because I thought I might need a distraction as I don’t do well with solo running. I typically no longer listen to music while I run. I used to, but then once I joined the group-running scene I realized that I didn’t need it and actually prefer to run without music now. I can focus more on my body’s own natural pace (songs have various tempos and tend to mess with my pace) and I can hear and chat with the people around me. The “distraction” that I was looking for worked, but it came with the price of bouncing wires that also distracted me in a negative way. (If you must run with headphones, it’s best to only have one earbud in so that you are able to hear what is going on around you!)
I ended up stopping a few times to adjust things because when I’m running solo I just don’t have that same motivation as when I’m running with someone else…

-The clothing. Or lack there-of.
For the recent below-freezing Run Before You Crawl 5k back in Dover I wore my winter running leggings, 2 long sleeve shirts, and my Millennium Running runNH hoodie. Wool Socks, a “buff” for my face, and one of our snazzy new NFLR winter hats. *insert a mental image of Randy from A Christmas Story here.
Here in Florida it’s a different kind of story. I threw on a tank top and shorts and was ready to go! Sweet, right?! No. About 3 miles in the Florida-style sweat was taking its toll and the chaffing began. This doesn’t happen at home either. Maybe another reason why more clothing is actually better sometimes? Or a reminder to wear the right KIND of clothes perhaps? Clothing that is appropriate for hotter and more humid weather? Maybe next year…

Man, running on vacation is stressful it seems, after my first run back in the sunshine state. Motivation is already waning… too bad I didn’t have one of my go-to partners to hit the road with. That would surely help to keep me going for the rest of the week!

*insert that sound of angels used on the big-screens, here*
Me to random woman at the pool that I happened to see going for a run earlier:
“How far did you go today?”
Random Runner:
“6. Are you a runner?”
Me: “6? Nice! I did a 5 mile loop from the condo here earlier.”
Random Runner: “I usually run in a group or with a partner, interested in meeting for a run while we’re here?”

Well… if anyone has read my previous ramblings you already know how that conversation continued. Within a few minutes a morning run was planned and off we went for what was a much more fun run than the previous. Though the route and distance were almost identical to my solo run, this much faster paced runner pushed me and I ended up doing that same 5 miles in just under 54 minutes. A pace of 10:32/mile. A full minute per mile faster than my solo run on the same route just 2 mornings before. No headphones/music. Someone to chat with and “keep up” with. Turns out we have a bit in common and it made for great conversation while we put in our 5 miles. The route varied only slightly in that she knew of a trail to veer onto and we also ran on the beach for the last 2 miles (I found someone else that doesn’t like the sidewalk here) so it was a fun all-terrain sort of run. A little bit of road, a little bit of trail, a little bit of beach, and a lot of speed. Perfect!
I got back to the condo feeling pretty energized and proud of myself, and with a scheduled running “date” for 6 miles on Friday morning that I am already looking forward to instead of that previous un-motivated feeling that had started to kick in a few days ago.

Vacation running has its ups and downs for sure… a lot of trial and error, but you can’t find the errors if you don’t try! So best to just get out there and do it!

One of the really GOOD things about Florida running: The “7 foot elevation gain”. :)

See you back at the hills soon!

-Dj