Maintaining your ‘edge’ while travelling:
Travelling for an event can add an extra element to your race preparations. Planning ahead and considering your options in advance can have huge impacts on your performance come race day.
My recent trip to London England to run the London Marathon involved a great deal of planning. The UK has a five hour time difference from my home town and though it is not massive it is still enough to throw off your normal body clock.
When travelling for training or an event, the key considerations involve sleep, nutrition and hydration, keeping in mind the climate, culture and availability of key necessities.
It is important that you consider how you travel – whether by road or air, as well as your style of accommodation.
Doing your research in advance and planning appropriate snacks for the road can ensure you stay on top of your nutritional intake with quality foods. Plan your route and what grocery stores will be on the way.
If you are flying, investigate what restaurants are available at your home departure airport and any connecting airports. Most airports list online the restaurants available, allowing you to plan ahead. Order meals in advance with your airline, making special requests as needed e.g. low fat, or extra veg etc. and take this into consideration when packing appropriate snacks for your carry-on.
Good meals include those that incorporate lean protein, healthy and less refined carbohydrates and lower, healthier fats. Something like a turkey wrap or sandwich. Good snacks for your carry-on can include fresh fruit, dried fruit and nuts (check airline regulations regarding allergies), natural cereal bars, wholegrain crackers or even meal replacements.
It may be unlikely that your specific training or race nutrition items, such as gels, bars or drinks, are available if travelling abroad so packing these in your luggage can be essential.
It is also helpful to pack a refillable water bottle. This way you can stop as needed to fill this up when you are on the road. When flying, the rate of dehydration increases, therefore having your own water bottle means you can continue to drink through-out your flight. Don’t be shy about asking the airline hosts to top you up as needed.
In addition to this, being aware of the area you are travelling to and the water quality can be very relevant to your health. Purchasing bottled water may be necessary.
I would suggest planning your accommodation based on what is available around you and stick to those that are well rated and better known. Consider getting a room with a kitchenette for longer stays. Ask the hotel if there will be a fridge available and somewhere to store food. Research what is in the local area, such as what grocery stores are nearby.
Don’t be afraid to ask and make special request at the hotel restaurant, ensuring your meal comprises of all of the components you need based on your nutrition plan for training or racing.
Overall, watch your consumption amounts. Travelling can mean a lot of waiting around and increased boredom so be sure not to over-eat. Stick to the plan you have been working with in terms of balanced pre-competition intake. Be sure that what you put into your body is good quality food.
When changing time-zones, even slightly, getting onto the local timings of sleep and eating as soon as possible will help your body clock to adjust. Give yourself some leeway, for example travelling a few days or a week in advance to allow for your body to adapt to the new time zone.
Lastly, use the knowledge of others who have travelled to the same location. Online race forums or speaking with teammates is one of the best ways to suss-out what is what and gain some great advice on where to stay and what restaurants and shops are situated locally.
Travelling for an event is an exciting and enjoyable experience and a little planning ahead can ensure the trip is a success!