Traveling Blueprints

Those of you who read my blog regularly know that I was really freaked out around the holidays because I had to travel and I couldn't imagine how I'd maintain the same level of training and uphold the integrity of my nutritional plan while away from home.


There are many things that go into being able to stay consistent while on the road.  I picked up tricks from some of you, did some research and also learned from experience during my trip.  I won't bore you with all of the details but I'll give you a few highlights.  Maybe there will be something that can help you the next time you have to be out and about!

• TRIP ITINERARY:  study it!  You can plan your meals much more easily if you know when you'll be in the air and when you'll be on the ground.  
• AIRLINE REQUIREMENTS:  go to your airline's website to find out what they'll allow (liquids & so forth) you to carry on the plane.  Also see www.tsa.gov for additional tips.
• WORKOUT FACILITIES:  know where you're going to workout and what equipment they have.  The resort we stayed at advertised that they had a workout facility.  If I had just taken that at face value, I would have arrived and discovered that they had some cardio machines and a swiss ball!  Call workout facilities ahead of time and ask about their policy on guests, I had to call 4 gyms before I found one that would allow me to come in without a member escort!  Find out whether they have lockers available (will you need a lock?) and what their hours are.  Also, get directions before you ever leave home and there will be a lot less chaos to contend with.
• NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:  plan every meal you are going to consume before you ever leave home.  Know where it will come from and how you will eat it (cold or hot, plastic fork or spoon, on a plane, in a car, standing on your head?)  You must be prepared for anything.
• LISTS:  make your grocery list before you leave for your trip and know what store you will shop at and how to get there.  The more organized you are before you leave home, the easier the whole process will be. 
• LOVED ONES:  let those you are visiting know in advance that you will be continuing your meal plan / training while on the road.  If they have time to mentally prepare for this it won't come as such a shock to them when you don't eat the meal they prepared or have to leave early to go workout.

Your personal minute by minute blueprint is the key to your success!

Once I got my brain wrapped around the idea of continuing my routine in a different location, it wasn't really such a big deal.  I was prepared and therefore, I succeeded!

I hope these ideas can help you be more prepared the next time you have to travel!

Happy Wednesday, dear reader!   

Fitness Case Study - Week Five Recap

You might remember that earlier in the month I was pretty panicked about some traveling I had to do.  Well... 

I MADE IT!

It was a whirl-wind trip to Texas to visit my husband's family.  We flew out at 6:00 am on Monday the 19th and returned to Michigan at 12:30 am on Saturday the 24th.  That put us home at about 2:30 am and by 9:00 am we were back on the road to deliver my two oldest kids to their dad, who lives about 2.5 hours away.  We then visited with my parents, who live about 20 minutes from where my ex-husband lives, and returned home on Sunday night, the 25th, at about 6:00 pm.  WHEW!!!

Obviously, during this traveling, I couldn't let my work on the case study falter.  So, let's see, we had air travel with 3 kids (2 of whom had never flown), many hours of car travel since we were back and forth between different cities in Texas, unfamiliar gyms so I could keep up with my training and following my meal plan to the letter while everyone around me ate cookies, candy, Christmas dinner and more.

I am not an experienced traveler.  As a matter of fact, until my hubby & I had got together, I had only flown once in my entire lifetime.  I was totally freaked out by the idea of trying to maintain my work on the case study while being away from home.  I couldn't imagine how I could be away and still keep up with my training.  It can be done. (Tips to follow in a later post.) What you must do is:  plan, plan, PLAN!  Thank you to all of you that provided input and suggestions as I began developing my blueprint for the trip.  Your help was indispensable to my success!  :)

I found a Bally's in San Antonio that would let me in without a member escort so that's where I trained the first two workouts.  It was a nice gym and I was able to get an excellent workout both days.  The third day, I trained at the Y-Center in Austin.  That was an absolutely beautiful facility!  Again, mission accomplished!  Here's what my kids did while I was sweating at Bally's:

They ate at WHATABURGER!  Grooosssss!!!

I managed to follow my food plan while I was away.  I ate out of baggies while on the road and got some strange looks but it worked out.  I realized on Tuesday, on my way to the gym, that I didn't have a fork with me to eat my lunch with.  Couldn't let that stop me though:

Who needs a fork when you've got fingers?  It's time to eat!

    

All in all, it was a very successful week.  I'm proud of what I accomplished and won't be quite as nervous the next time I have to travel.

Happy Tuesday, dear reader!

      

HELLLPPP! I HAVE TO TRAVEL!

Ok, here's the deal:  I get to go out of state for a few days to visit with my husband's family and I'm excited to see them but I'm FREAKED out as to how to do it successfully.  I have NO experience traveling and I CAN NOT let my work on the case study slide while I'm gone. Actually, it's a great set up because I will have access to a YMCA, there's a workout facility (with very basic equipment, I think) where we are staying and I will have a kitchen to use where we are staying too!  What I don't know is:

• How much food can I take on the plane?
• How do I pack it so they (the inspector people) won't touch it!?!
• What do I need to consider that I might not be aware of for traveling and staying on my food plan?

I'm great while I'm actually at my destination!  What I need to do is figure out how to get back and forth without faltering!  HELP!  Any and all advice is welcome!  Thanks!

Happy Thursday, dear reader!