Running on holiday

Running on holiday is one of my favourite things to do. I’m not great at exploring because honestly, I get pretty anxious in new places out on my own, but with good planning you can still get out there.

Don’t you want to take a break?
Holiday is all about relaxation and not having to do the normal tasks you do at home surely? For some people though, running is important for more than just fitness reasons. It makes them happier. I’m definitely one of those people, so not going for a run on holiday is just not an option really. After all, it’s my hobby and my profession.

Exploration
Running on holiday gives you the opportunity to see beautiful places you otherwise wouldn’t have time to visit. When I went to Amsterdam in 2019, I managed to squeeze in a couple of runs to Vondelpark and Westerpark (the image shows me in my club vest on the way to Vondelpark. Vondelpark was absolutely stunning and seeing the buzz around the place was a real highlight for me. I ran to Westerpark early on the Sunday morning and saw the market being set up. We went for a walk to see it later that morning and ended up spending all day there. Without running we’d have missed that.

Depending on the watch you have, you can create a course online and send it to your watch to guide you, meaning you’re able to run phone free (something I strive for) but worst case scenario you can just use your phone.

Keeping your fitness going
A week off every now and then is no bad thing, but I like to keep the momentum going. I plan distances only and run how I feel, it’s again the sense of freedom and location that’s liberating, but without a dip in fitness. As they say, a change is as good as a rest.

Different terrain
Holiday runs can be a really good opportunity to experience different types of running. I live in a city, albeit on the outskirts, so a lot of my running is pavements and roads plus Norfolk isn’t known for being particularly hilly, but I love trails, the hillier the better.

I took a couple of days away in the Lake district a couple of years ago where we were based at the bottom of a very tall and very steep hill. I had to run it. Coming down nearly killed me, but boy was it exciting!

Places like Wales, the Lake District and Yorkshire all have beautiful trails of varying degrees of difficulty. Go and try something different, you never know how much you might enjoy not pounding the pavements, plus the change of scenery in the middle of a marathon training block can be just what you need to keep the motivational fires stoked.

Nobody can tell you what to do, but the next time you’re on holiday, I highly recommend taking some running kit with you and getting out there. It can be one of the best parts of your time away.

Written by Kyle Brooks, Running Coach based in Norwich, Norfolk