Today is the official start of my race season. As I’m headed to Savannah today for the Rock N Roll Savannah races, I thought I would share my top 5 racecation tips. I love heading out of town for races, but it can definitely be a bit more stressful than an in town race. But if you follow these 5 tips I promise you it will help make things a bit less stressful and a lot more fun!
Make a packing list
I know this may sound dumb, or silly, or like a no-brainer, but it is REALLY helpful. When you go an a normal vacation there are plenty of things that if you forget them you can just run to the nearest Target and pick them up. But when it comes to races that isn’t the case. Make yourself a packing list, make sure all your “must have” race items are on it, and consult it frequently while packing. The last thing you want is to be unpacking at your destination and realize that your favorite compression shorts aren’t there. Or that you only packed one of your running shoes.
Pick Awesome Travel Buddies
Making sure that you travel with super cool people makes things so much fun. In addition to having someone fun to hang out with, it also gives you someone to share travel and hotel costs with. But also make sure that your travel companion(s) are people you trust. You don’t want to be in a new city/state/country with someone that you wouldn’t trust if something went wrong. Fun is great, but trustworthy is even better.
Plan Ahead
I know plenty of people that can be very spontaneous when it comes to travel, but I am totally not one of those people. Whether I’m going out of town for a week or a weekend I always have some kind of game plan. I’m not saying that you should plan out every last detail, but make sure that you have your bases covered. How are you getting there? Where are you staying? And how are you getting around?
If you need a rental car, make sure to reserve it ahead of time. If you are going to use public transportation, look into schedules, costs, and if you can get deals by paying for things ahead of time. If you have a couple places you are definitely going to visit, program the information into your phone. Going away for a weekend can go a lot smoother if you just take care of these few things before you leave.
Bring A Water Bottle
Hydration is key people! As a runner you know how important hydration is. But when you travel you are outside your normal routine and may not hydrate the way you would at home. I know that personally I HATE paying $3 for a bottle of water when I’m out and about. If I don’t have a water bottle with me I tend to not drink nearly enough water. Bringing your own water bottle means that you can fill it up before you leave your hotel in the morning and continue filling it up during the day. A lot of places even have water bottle filling stations now that make this even easier. If you are a Nuun (or similar) lover, make sure to throw some of that in your bag as well.
See the Sights!
You may be traveling for a race, but you are also on vacation. Make sure to take some time to visit the sights! You don’t want to over do it with too much sight seeing before your race, so if you are only in town for the weekend pick something you really wanna see and make plans to go there (see, planning ahead can be helpful!).
There you have it! Follow these 5 tips and you are bound to have a great time on your racecation.
What are you racecation travel tips?
