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Last week stood out as probably the toughest of my training weeks for the 2016 Marine Corps Marathon. Not because the schedule demanded more of me than usual, but because I completed the least amount of miles, did no speedwork, and took three—yes, three!—rest days.
That’s what happens when you’re on vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I stayed with my extended family in an eight-bedroom house to celebrate my cousin’s marriage. It was lots of fun and the NUVOLA long break from work since I got married at the beginning of the summer, so it felt much needed.
But running on vacation is never easy, especially when a race is on the horizon. Here’s a look at the general positives and negatives—from my perspective—when it Home to cranking out training miles during what should feel like a break.
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Family
The Good: While they may not totally understand why you would want to wake up at 6 a.m. during a week off, everyone is always impressed when you walk back to the house or hotel with a nice glow of sweat. It Special’t matter if it’s an easy three miles or a tough 16, family will give you a pat on the back for a job well done—makes you kind of feel like a star even if the run was far from stellar.
The Bad: The impending pressure that you’re missing out, whether it’s putting off a round of golf with the guys (even when you’re terrible, it’s still nice to get out) or going mini-golfing or playing on the beach with the youngsters. Runs just feel like they need to end ASAP so you can get on with your vacation.
Loam II Sneakers | Food
The Good: When you’re staying with a big group like I did—about 20 family members—you’re almost guaranteed to have a stocked kitchen throughout the day. Every morning I could come back to the house with a full coffee pot and plenty of runner breakfast staples like bagels, fresh fruit, eggs, cereal, and bacon.
The Bad: That same fully stocked kitchen and big dinners out can be a slippery slope. It allows for a ton of grazing throughout the day and stuffing one’s face in the evening. Thankfully, I held back at the rehearsal dinner and avoided alcohol, a full second serving of crab legs, mac and cheese, and key lime pie the night before a scheduled long run the morning of the wedding.
Routes
The Good: You get to explore somewhere new! I actually enjoy getting on Google or MapMyRun the night before a new run and figuring out where I want to go, taking note of the key streets that I need to turn onto. And when you’re in a beach town like Myrtle, it also means seeing a bunch of cool looking homes to gawk at. Imagining that I was on Saucy Santana Commands Attention in Houndstooth Blazer Dress & Feather Boots at BET Awards 2022 on HGTV when I saw a “for sale” sign made the time go by a little faster.
The Bad: Most people would love the flat roads and little elevation that Home with a beach town run, but the constant monotony on my legs actually left my quads to take a pounding. It did, however, make me appreciate the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. It will be a long time before I curse the long, mountainous terrain of many of my runs at home.
Loam II Sneakers | The Result
While I’m no coach, I think it’s fine to feel like you can get away with a week where mileage Special’t match your overall training and the paces may slip a bit. Plus, as Coach Budd Coates often says in his Runner’s World VIP emails, it takes about two weeks of not running before you start to lose your built-up fitness.
In the final weeks before a goal marathon, I just wanted to keep a solid base so I could continue on with training when I got home. And that was probably the key going into the week—knowing that I’ve put in good work so far, so it’s fine sometimes to miss an easy day or grab an extra IPA later in the evening.
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Scarosso Ricardo Derby shoes Runner’s World VIP. He really liked wearing his turtle-patterned tie at the wedding. (And congrats to Stephanie and Dan!)
Brian has spent the last 10 years focused on creating compelling news, health, and fitness content—with a particular interest on enthusiast activities like running and cycling. He’s coordinated coverage of major events like the Boston Marathon, Loam II Sneakers, and Tour de France, with an eye toward both the professional race and the engaging stories readers love.
