10 things you need to know if you go on a run trip world

1. Listen to your body. For sure training is needed to be prepared for the races but also resting. So, if one morning, you don’t feel to run, because you have travelled for two days (by bus, plane, …), take a rest. If you run now, it won’t be as good for you as the run you will do in the next few days.

2. Run and visit. Go run outside, either in a big city or a small town, you will always discover something new. You could even meet local people. In all countries that I went, runners are really appreciated.

3. Arrive at least 3 days before the race.. Something you have to think about is to acclimate. Running in the mountains, in the city, under the sun or not with a lot of humidity/or not is not exactly the same. If you arrive few days before the race, you won’t be stressed and you could evaluate the environment where you are going to run. Go and talk to others runners who would give you advices about the race. It could make the difference!

4. Eat local but control your daily intakes. To go travel means that you won’t eat the same food you were used to. Thus, you have to deal with it. Be careful, you don’t have to reduce your daily intakes which are really important because of your activity. In Asia and Africa, rice is everywhere so you can easily compensate your carbs needs that you found in pasta (rare in theses places). Regarding fruits, you can find it anywhere. If you are a banana lover, you won’t miss them. Most of it, you won’t take any risks eating them.

5. If you are injured, go see a doctor. Running all around the world is not without any consequences, you will be tired. At the beginning, you would think it is only mental but one injury will remind you that you are not a super man/woman. Be careful, treat your injury. Don’t wait, because you would suffer later and maybe won’t be able to run another race.

6. Prepare a training plan. You will have a program to focus on even if you travel a lot. Don’t panic if you don’t respect it on a week, you will compensate the next day. At least you have a routine in your daily moving life.

7. Do not compare with other races you ran in Europe or in other countries. I know that time is important for the mind and to evaluate yourself and compare to others results. Nevertheless, changing places, countries, climates, do not allow you to rate your time on the same criteria. Think about it!

8. Focus on a realistic goal for each race.. This advice is to take for all races: check the average time of the last years, hills, starting time, temperature, weather and your physical and mental health. You might think that all theses criteria could not be useful but no, they will influence your race. Be sur of that!

9. Take a stock of your race. This evaluation will help you to know what have being well done and what not. How you handle the water stops, your pace, your breathing, the material you took… Try to go back and ask to yourself if you would do the same.

10. Enjoy the race. I think the best advice would be to enjoy the moment. If you have the chance to run in unusual places or not, open your pays, let follow the flow and the atmosphere, give all your best and pass the finish line as it was your first race.