Running on Vacation
Just got back from vacation this week. I went on a Caribbean Cruise that stopped off in Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel Mexico. A great time was had on all the little excursions. I got to hold sea turtles, swim with rays, climb up a waterfall and see Mayan ruins. Being on the ship was also fun. The views were breathtaking.
One thing was really disturbing though and that was the amount of morbidly obese adults and children on the cruise and the amount of food they were consuming all day and all night. It really reinforced my new lifestyle decisions and made me want to run. So I did. On our days at sea and sometimes before we got to port I ran. I ran a total of 32 miles while I was on the cruise. Sometimes I ran on the jog track, but had to go around 10 times to run a mile and that got pretty old after a while. It was also pretty windy which was an added challenge. So I mixed it up by running 2 or 3 outside and then 4 or 5 inside on the treadmill. The treadmills were nice new ones with TVs and displays with a lot of data on them but they shook if you went too fast which was a weird feeling when paired with the motion of the boat. This is the first time I have actually exercised on vacation, other than the exercise I would get from walking, swimming or kayaking for fun. It felt great, it put me in a great mood and set a great tone for the day or ended the day on a great note. I also found that I had enough energy to still have fun with my family playing mini golf, ping pong, swimming, etc.
The cruise director mentioned in one of his morning announcements (or advertisements) for the spa that the average cruiser gains 1-14 pounds during a 7 day cruise. I found this figure appalling, but am happy to say that I did not gain anything. I actually managed to lose a pound. Yay!! I am also happy to say that I’ve completed four weeks of marathon training successfully and now I only have 12 more to go. Woot!!
Filed under: Running Blog
You’re just like me. I can’t eat in such situations.
Sounds like you had a great time, though, new scenery, new conversations. Try to remember that “vacation high” when you’re feeling tired!!
Congratulations on keeping up your running while on vacation. It can be hard to fit it in but you did it!
Good on you for running during your vacation. It’s fun to run in new places, and it’s a powerful demonstration of how much fitness and exercise has become an integral part of your life.
I hear you about being appalled at the rampant obesity epidemic in this country. I work in the ER and not a day goes by now that I’m not caring for a patient who is 350+ pounds. My knees hurt just thinking about it.
Glad you had a fun vacation.
Glad you had a great time on your trip! I’m personally scared of boats.
And yeah, seeing obese people binge eat on unhealthy foods makes me depressed. Especially when it’s children.
Great job with all the running on your trip!
I gained 5 lbs on that exact same cruise! My boyfriend gained 10! haha! we lost it as soon as we got home but the food is insane!
Glad your back!
Ugh, 1-15 lbs in just 7 days?! That’s scary to think about. Props to you for putting in the miles! Hope you had a great time
That type of dedication on vacation is reserved for the strong, the motivated, and those training for marathons. Congratulations. I leave for Jamaica in 2 weeks. It will be 16 weeks out from our marathon,and our long runs will be up to 10 miles. I hope to be able to live up to your example. I gained 12 pounds when I was on a cruise, so history is against me. Keep up the hard work, and I will use your story as a reminder to get my a$$ out of bed and running.
Thanks Adam..I am sure you will do great while on vacation and have a great time to boot!!