i was wondering what you runners do when you go running while on vacation. how can you judge your distances? do you scale back the amount of running?

i have gotten into running over the last 9 months and am up to 8 miles per week (3 times). and don't know how my body will react if i just stop for 2.5 weeks. and eventhough i know i will be walking 10+ miles per day, that just won't be the same as running.

btw, i will be in prague, vienna, florence and venice. if you have any running routes to share...

Well you seem to know you're going to be walking all day - but I don't think you realize that you aren't going to ahve any time or desire to jog while on vacation.

I got into running before my trip to Italy and thought I would do it while there. But once on the ground that thought quickly got put out of my head. I just didn't want to spend what little time I had in these wonderful places doing a workout routine.

All I did was walk, site see, and eat tonnes of wonderful food and I still managed to loose 5 lbs.

I am also a big runner and find that my favorite runs tend to be while on vacation. I find nothing better than waking up early before breakfast and going out for a run – you get to see a city wake up and really get a feel for the area. My husband thinks I am crazy, but I love it. The key though for me is to go early - otherwise there are too many distractions!

I just go by time instead of distance while on vacation. If you want to run 8 miles and you know you generally run 9 minute miles, then go for 72 minutes or so. This has worked for me during training for a couple of marathons so it seems to be all right.

I go on vacations with the best of intentions, but find my running shoes/clothes rarely leave the suitcase, especially Europe.

I have enjoyed touring while running, but it's usually in the states, for whatever reason. Like LFWW, I find that I run my 6 miles almost to the minute from one run to the next, so don't worry about mileage. If I've run an hour, I've done my 6 (yes I'm slow LOL).

I often run when travelling.

The key is to get up and out early; as soon as it is light outside. For me in the summer that is about 6 a.m.

You can run almost anywhere in most cities at that time. Traffic is light then, and you will feel as the city is yours. You will enjoy morning greetings from the fishermen, trashmen, palace guards etc.

I recommend you take a card with your name and hotel address on it, along with a small bit of money. I put these in a ziploc and run with it in my hand, or pin it in my shorts. If you get lost or are injured, this is important.

You may also wish to google expat communities in the cities where you are going. Most have running groups who can suggest routes. Or try the Hash House Harriers for a different running experience.

On the first three or four trips I took to Europe, I researched running routes (also already had articles from Runner's World features on great runs) but I rarely ran for several reasons. However, this last trip (out of a total of 7) is the first time I didn't even take running shoes, and I greatly regretted not having them. We were in Nice and Menton, France and there were wonderful places to run along the water there. Also, we stayed close to the Forum in Rome, and when we were down there in the early morning, I would love to have been running. I wouldn't worry about gaining weight if that is an issue. I actually lost about 4 pounds on this recent trip even though we ate well. We walked miles every day, so I more than broke even. Even in the states, where I almost always do runs when I am vacationing, I have to see where I am staying and the neighborhood and such before I make a final decision about whether or not I want to take off by myself to run. Have you checked Runner's World's web site to see if they have posted their running routes there? Many of their suggested running routes are in foreign cities. We were gone 15 days, and I was able to easily run 5 miles the day after we returned. I usually run about 30 miles a week, and I had no trouble getting back to my routine even though I was off that long. Happy running and vacationing. PJK

One of my favorite memories is jogging through Venice in the morning (6am-ish). Watch out for the bridges though - they are SLICK at that hour (probably due to overnight dew and moisture from the lagoon).

Another favorite memory is going jogging in Wurzburg, Germany and running up the hill to the Fortress Marienberg... running laps around a castle is pretty inspiring!

the last 2 years i've gone to europe i didn't do any workouts besides crunches. but then again prior to starting to run 9 months ago, i was a swimmer for 8 years (yes, i quit cold turkey). so i never really had the option of working out on vacation as pools are tough to find and didn't want to risk ear infections while on holiday.

i guess it's a novel idea to run in a foreign city for me (maybe just for the sake of just having done it). but i know the walking does keep you trim...

From experience, I suggest and agree that you take a map with you or the card of your hotel.

I was jogging in Ireland and got totally and completely lost. It is a disconcerting feeling to be at a crossroads and have no idea which route to take back.

>It is a disconcerting feeling to be at a crossroads and have no idea which route to take back. <

Which is why I bring a small compass.

In Florence, you can run along the river or at the Ippodromo delle Cascine.

Good idea, Ira.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost

(but I don't think he was looking for his hotel)

I have some of my favorite runs while vacationing. I love being able to say I have run in seven foreign countries, and I love the fact that I have run around the Eiffel Tower and all the way thru Rome and so on and so forth. My husband and I usually run together in foreign places and take pictures of each other for our running logs. I love to use a run to explore new places in the city.

"how can you judge your distances" - a pedometer will help.

I really enjoy running on vacation. Of course some places it isn't practical so I just work out in the hotel fitness center if they have one. Some of my favorite runs have been on vacation. It is great to run in a new environment rather than the same old trails back home. We were recently in Maui where I had great runs through the hillside Kaanapali golf course over looking the ocean. Last month I was in San Antonio on a business trip and had a terrific run through the King William historic district and then along the river. I just run for the same amount of time I run back home - I don't worry about the exact distance.

I get up early and start off every day of vacation with a run. It relaxes and energizes me at the same time. Running is a part of my lifestyle so I don't stop on vacation. I do run before my travel companions wake up so they don' have to alter their plans. The best web site for traveling runners is www.runtheplanet.com it describes running routes all over the world . I have ran through the streets of europes capitol cities pre-dawn sharing the sights and monuments with street cleaners and street people.I have ran around Swiss lakes with the Alps as a backdrop. Combining two of my passions running and travel have provided over twenty years of fond memories . UCSUN if running gives you joy run. If running is just a workout routine like other posters describe it take the 2.5 weeks off. LFWW your not crazy your a runner.

You're right about running in the mornings, jackson. There is something so unique about being up and running before all the tourists come out. You get to see the city when it's quiet and still.
Funny running story: Hubby and I were running in the Alps in Austria near our quiet and quaint b&b. It was located in a hillside neighborhood. We were running down a dirt road behind some houses, when we came upon a house and a yappy little dog started running after us. Of course, we had turned around right when we saw the house b/c the road was apparently like their driveway, and we hadn't intended to intrude. We heard the owner call the dog and kept going. A minute later, a truck was racing after us, yappy dog in tow. We looked up and the guy was holding a GUN! He stopped and rolled down his window, looking very angry. We apologized profusely and tried to explain what happened. He pretty much rolled his eyes and drove off. But it just about scared us to death when we saw the gun!