Traveling and Training

Greetings from Savannah, Georgia! I travel a lot--for work and to connect with family back in the Southeastern US, so I'm used to rental cars, airports, hotels, and all the fitness perils that come with spending a good bulk of your time away from home. In some ways, many things haven't changed--most airports are still a wasteland for healthy eating--but hotels--at all price ranges--have upped their game to accommodate runners and those looking for an active lifestyle on the road. Today is a bit of a mild day in Savannah--a flat city defined by park-like squares that make for a beautiful run--and with the hotel fitness centre all filled up, it was a perfect excuse to get out and explore. Today, I can go the front desk and ask for a good running route and instead of getting puzzled looks, hotel staffers reply--how far do you want to go? Uphill or flat?--and then they provide a buffet of routes on neatly printed cards and I'm on my way.

Running around Savannah included a tour of Forsyth Park

If running while travelling seems like a nuisance, hotels have smartened up and many now offer free or nearly free rentals of workout gear--sneakers, shirts, shorts, even socks. And sure, the loaner shoes are not my preferred shoe of choice--but not having to cart around workout clothes is a huge plus.

I try to stay close to a downtown area when I'm away--sure the airport hotel has free parking, but running routes can be pretty sparse. Instead, staying within steps of the sights provides a great orientating run, and, in the rare case I've jogged too far from home, transit or car-sharing options to get back to my starting point. And you won't be alone--just as in Vancouver, cities wake up with a jog. On a trip to Ottawa last year, I tried to squeeze in a run around Parliament Hill--as it turned out, so did the people I was in town to meet. Here in Savannah, the roads and squares are dotted with a mix of people that give me the visitor a true sense of the full diversity of the city. I notice different things when I run--a shop to check out later, a historical marker to read up on, a university campus--that are sometimes easy to miss when I walk. I realize this sounds counter-intuitive, but I'm usually walking to something, going somewhere. When I run, the journey is the goal, and instead of looking to make sure I'm not late, or worse, checking my smartphone, I'm allowing myself to be present and aware in the city. It's a gift I cherish every time I run.