Over the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to travel quite a bit.

I have a strict Carry-On-Only-Unless-Supremely-Necessary Rule, but I always pack my gym clothes. (Athletic clothes are supremely smushable, and I recommend wearing your sneakers on the plane.)

Yoga Farm

Hola, from a yoga farm in Costa Daurada, Spain.

Next week I am heading to Central America to visit my friend Kelly who moved to Panama City for work. Getting in a workout while living your regular old busy life is hard enough. It’s even tougher when you’re out of your element and so far away from your full selection of Lululemon headbands. But as everyone’s Pinterest board seems to quote: “If its important, you’ll find a way.”

Personally, I feel better when I sweat: happier, calmer, you know, just more amazing. I don’t want to slack off and run low on endorphins just because I’m away from home. (And hotel rooms sort of freak me out anyway – so many closets to open! and beds to peek under! It’s a relentless search to check for monsters, intruders and clandestine ninjas. Hey, we all have our shit.  So as you can see, I can use all the endorphins I can get.) More widely applicable, coming back home out of shape stinks.

So I’ve amassed my own 13 key ways to stay active and to fit in fitness while traveling:

  1. Use the hotel gym and/or pool. Duh.
  2. Buy your favorite studio’s DVD  (Little known fact: Physique, PureBarre, Exhale Core Fusion all make these!)
  3. Try a free workout from YouTube (like FitnessBlender or any of these).
  4. Go for a run. Ask the front desk at your hotel (or a local) where to go or just get lost (but bring cash for a cab ride back). If you have a GPS watch, bring it. If you’re traveling abroad  its often too expensive to use an iPhone app like RunKeeper (though I love RunKeeper) to measure your run, so the GPS watch will come in handy. Pro Tip: Westin Hotels provide complimentary rental sneakers and running maps to guests.
    running in paris

    Matt running in Paris (I was running behind him but not because I’m slower. Ok maybe that’s why)

  5. Rent a bike.  Bike rentals are everywhere now! I was in Vienna last month, and they had free bike rental. What’s the conversion rate on 0 Euros? So yea, put this into your slowly-being-legalized pipe and smoke it: Europe not only provides free healthcare but free bike rentals. How patriotic are you feeling right now, my fellow Americans?
  6. Pack exercise bands (like these for less than $4 ). They take up no room in your suitcase and can add significant extra resistance to your bodyweight workout. I used them in Tanzania and I was pleased to have them with me.
  7. Take a local class. Start with Google Maps and see what’s nearby. Then use sites like Yelp and Rate Your Burn, to find out what the people are into. When I traveled frequently to Boulder, Colorado for work and I found a yoga studio near my hotel. Especially when you’re traveling alone, taking a class with other people (the feeling of a group activity) can make your solo dinner feel less lonely. You might even make a friend (though I didn’t).
  8. Walk everywhere. If you’re traveling for pleasure and not for work, your day is your own. Explore on foot and keep your metabolism working.
  9. Chair workouts. Most hotel rooms at least have a chair, try this routine of exercises where the only prop needed is (you guessed it) a chair.
  10. Pack a jump rope. Like the bands, this takes up a negligible amount of space but can provide a great cardio workout in a small hotel room or in a park. View Post

I did not run the Hamptons Half Marathon. While my heart was totally in it, my ankle pulled rank (and evidently some soft tissue) and so I was benched when race day came. I had a feeling this was going to happen last week.

Instead, I had the opportunity to cheer on Matt, Jon and Katy (you might remember them from their excellence in pulsing at Physique 57). Matt and Jon ran the half and Katy initiated her dad into the racing club by joining him for his first 5K.

Hamptons Half

Saturday morning racers

Waking up at 6am for a race you’re not running is… awesome. No stress. No pressure on what to eat. Or when to go to the bathroom. Not sure of the weather? No problemo. Bring a bag to throw your layers in. Not sure if you should have a coffee? I nursed one while I cheered. Ideal. Well, as far as spectating goes.

The pre-race/post-race meet up had lots of free snacks and drinks and a very good energy. Also it had supermodel Christy Turlington. She was running the half on behalf of Oiselle and Every Mother Counts. She is looking good, I didn’t take a photo though, sorry.

I love watching races. I get very emotional. It feels very personal – maybe even intimate- to witness someone do something they’ve been practicing to do for months. It feels so special to be there. So basically, I stand moments from the finish line scream “You are SO VERY CLOSE”  and “You are REALLY DOING IT!” or “You are amazing. You are fantastic.” And also I sob with joy. It’s why I don’t wear mascara to races. Or ever. Or own mascara.

Anyway, at least that’s what I did at the 5K.

The Half was a bit of bedlam.  And by that I mean, pretty lawless. Did anyone else think so? At the Hamptons race there is no barricade demarcating the runners from the observers. I’ve never before seen spectators just mosey through the race course, especially so close to the finish. If I was running, it would’ve made me really uncomfortable. Even as a mere fan, I felt it compromised the race a bit. They also don’t close off the road to cars.

This didn’t bother Matt or Jon though. They crushed it. So maybe when you’re feeling all of the delicious endorphins its A-OK.

cliche finishers picture

cliche finishers picture

Anyway, it wasn’t til after the race that I started to feel a bit sad about not being able to run it. I had a great 8 weeks of training and I think had all continued, I could have really rocked it. I tried not to hover too long on the thoughts. This is part of being an athlete right? Being injured? Someone please confirm or deny.

Hamptons Half

Jon, in a unique post-race stretch

There is always next time. And anyway, being a cheerer is pretty great too.

Does anyone have a favorite half coming up in the early winter? I’m in the market.

The not-running part of being a runner is getting in my way.

Before I went to Ecuador, I was the race-training fairy princess. I followed Hal Higdon’s plan to the note. I did speed work. I saw improvement. It felt terrific.

I knew the early fall was full of travel for me, but with magical dreams, I figured I wouldn’t need to slack on running while abroad. But a few things happened, which could all be summed up with the word “reality” or ” “very real excuses.”  In Ecuador, I got a stomach virus and was also knocked out by Quito’s high altitude. Canyoning banged up my ankle which flared up an old sprain.  That meant no running for about 10 days.

canyoning in banos

potentially injuring myself

When we got back to NY, I was still pretty shakey from the stomach illness (and pretty malnourished from my simple BRAT diet). But when I felt up to it, I set out to run 3 miles in the holy land called Central Park. I am going to be squishy and emotional but stick with me: I teared up on that run. I was so happy after a 12 day hiatus to be back in the game that my eyes welled up. I felt lucky to be in Central Park. To be running and sweating and moving.

I attempted a 10 mile run  later that week but I was only able to do 8.7 miles and they didn’t feel great. They felt hard. But I was still happy to be running. I am one of those people now.

Dressed to run but went for a swim

Dressed to run but went for a swim

Then, I left for a 10 day work(ish) trip to Israel, Austria and Slovakia. I only got in two short runs. They weren’t easy and my ankle does not feel back to normal. I am never sure how much ankle pain is OK to run with and what amount will make it worse.

The Hamptons Half is on less than a week. I am not sure if I should run it. I am thinking I should try and just stop if it feels bad. And also, try not to race (which is a major bummer).

Anyone have any advice? What can I do this week to rehab my ankle or get back in the game?

Apologies for my blogging absence to those who might have noticed ( hi mom, hi Jon Silverman), I was in Ecuador.

Personally, I wouldn’t use the phrase “I am afraid of heights.”  It’s not the height that causes me fear. My office is on the 21st floor, and I’m not scared. I am afraid of falling, more acutely falling and getting hurt. I would, in general, prefer not to get hurt; would prefer all my faculties intact. I may not be an athletic person but I am an active person and having an injury would really slow my roll. That seems reasonable to me. Doesn’t it seem reasonable to you?

Well, I found myself in the adventure capital of Ecuador: Banos. Located where the Andes open up to the Amazon, Banos is lush and green and hilly.

Banos, Ecuador

Banos, Ecuador

Banos is sackful of adrenaline junkie style activities at developing world prices (and, I feared, safety protocol). Since I famously can’t ride a bike, downhill mountain biking was out. (For those interested you get driven in van to the top of a volcano and you single track bike your way down. Oy gevalt). They also offer bungee jumping, rafting, hiking and ziplining at few tiny travel spots unavoidable on a walk through the town.

Matt and I had our eyes set on canyoning. My friend had done it a few years ago in Banos and loved it. In my own special Nicole way, I agreed to canyoning without ever processing what canyoning IS. So let me tell you: You hike up the side of a steep mountain. To get back down you rappel down fast pumping waterfalls. As in: you jump or climb backwards down a slippery mountainside with water avalanche-ing into your legs, vision, soul, all other parts.

We arrived at MTS Adventure (totally recommend!) and they fit us in wetsuits, harnesses, waterproof jackets, shoes, and helmets.

Wearing a wetsuit make you feel like a superhero

Wearing a wetsuit make you feel like a superhero

Then Alberto, the canyoning trainer, demonstrated how to move down the waterfall and how to clip in and out of the rocks. The demonstration was on flat ground, so if you can imagine, Alberto explaining en Spanglish “Just squat and walk” then you too have received the lesson. That was the guidance we received.  I saw a  ~25ft climbing wall behind Alberto and said, could I try this on that, instead? He said sure, and somehow I summoned the courage to climb the ladder.  I got to the top and Alberto said “just fall off it” I had a clear response ready: NO.

So Matt went first, and rappelled down the climbing wall. Then, since he remained alive, I went. Something came over me. My fear evaporated. I just GOT IT. It was like I stopped being Nicole and was dusted with Spidey-sense. I rocked my way down the wall.

We were ready for the big time! We hopped in the car and drove to the waterfalls. We hiked up a mountain wearing our helmets and harnesses. Then came time to “fall back” down the face of the waterfall. And so we did. And it was awesome. I can’t explain why I wasn’t scared, or why I loved it when climbing the wall scared me. Growth?  I loved canyoning.

canyoning in banos 14985742679_41635fc260_o 14985751428_b4826a7abe_o 15172330905_58474c484d_o

If you’re looking for a really terrible 7.5 mile running route through Manhattan, may I recommend the below at 5pm on a weekday:

Rush hour run

Rush hour run

I could not find the East River running path. Is it real? On Sutton Place there are a ton of little turn offs that seem like they open on to a east side path, but alas lead to tiny parks on the the water. I ran up many sets of steps in hopes of finding a clear route north, but nada.

Advice for next time, anyone?

(Apologies to all the pedestrians I ran over. I respect your swagger.)