Make the most of your miles and your moolah with some suggestions for enjoying your run while you're on the road.

1. Ditch the Headphones

Running without music can be daunting to some folks, but your auditory sense is extremely helpful when running. While on your run into the unknown, you should be overly aware of your surroundings. You get a triple bonus if you do this correctly. You will notice small things about where you’re running that most people miss. You will stay safer by being aware of what’s going on around you, and you’re less likely to get lost.

BONUS: Sounds are a huge part of a location! Local music, languages, and sound effects of where you are visiting are all lost on the plugged-in runner. Give yourself a present on your trip by experiencing your destination. You might even find that because you are in a new place you didn’t even notice that you didn’t have “I’m So Fancy” blaring into your brain. Don’t worry, we all secretly love that song. DO however bring a cell phone, contact card, roadID, etc. with you in case of emergency.

2. Be Open to Improv

I spoke about planning a route vs. going freestyle, but it’s important to note that not everything always goes as planned. If you are a route planner, try to keep an open mind when faced with unfortunate (or fortunate) detours.

There could be construction that you were unaware of, or you could end up on a busy road with no sidewalk (this has happened to me, and it’s terrifying!). Maintain an awareness of your surroundings so that you can take the safest available route, and don’t let it throw you off your groove! It’s just one other part of experiencing your destination of choice.

The more positive flip side of being open to altering your route, is that you can find all kinds of treasures if you’re aware of what’s going on around you!

3. Keep a mental log

If you find cool places you’d like to re-visit when you’re not sweating your pants off, try to catch a street name or make a note in your phone. Scope out local breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurants, or check hours of operation on tourist attractions. Turn your miles into a scouting mission and help both you and your traveling companions get the most out of your trip.

Now you know how to plan for your running vacation, and how to make the miles really count while on the go, but do you know how to maintain a good recovery routine away from home? Tune in next time for tips on how to keep muscle recovery a priority while on vacation!