Greg and I ran the RONR 25K (River of No Return Endurance Run) this morning, we are extremely tired. Yet the allure of running on vacation pushes us as we madly pack for our month-long vacation. Ah priorities…between running our Outdoor Sporting Goods Store and preparing for the RONR, packing was a low priority. So here I am at 9pm, we leave in the morning, and I am still packing.

I am completely overwhelmed with packing 5 people and our seemingly endless but necessary gear into the truck.  I determine that I’ll be up all night, and I will certainly forget important stuff due to lack of planning (something I am not accustomed to).  Greg asks if I’m packing my running stuff in our “hotel bags” (we will be spending 3 nights in hotels on our journey to Kentucky).  I snort and roll my eyes, “well of course”.  I’ve had my running gear stacked neatly in a pile by the bedroom door since last weekend.  Perhaps this says something about my priorities…no food packed, but I’ve got my running gear!  Fortunately, I’m too tired to dwell on it.

1st Run on Vacation

The next four days are a blur of interstate, public restrooms (which really make me miss home), gas stations, and hotels.  I’m up at 5:30 and out the door somewhere in Nebraska for my first “run on vacation”.  My Garmin says the elevation here is 1,118 ft.  That could explain the ease of the run as I’m clicking off the miles.  I weave my way along a bicycle path and then through some subdivisions.  It all feels so different here….there is traffic, other runners, humidity, and pavement.  I love looking at houses and wondering about what people’s lives are like here.

Running in Kentucky

My next run doesn’t come until we reach our destination-Kentucky.  I head out the door early to avoid as much of the heat and humidity as possible.   I make the loop around the path at the park, then Greg joins me.  The train passes by as we weave our way out of the huge trees that line the path.  The air feels thick and heavy.  That damp smell of the south – I love it!!  We wind through the neighborhoods and Greg tells me stories about who used to live here or there.  For us, running together is a perk of being here-something we don’t get to do much of at home.  The everyday cares of home are soon moved to the back of our minds.  Perhaps that’s one thing that makes running more fun on vacation.

Running Trails at Land Between the Lakes

One weekend, we venture over to Land Between The Lakes to run the trails.  This is my favorite run here.  It is a bike trail that runs along the edge of Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, then the canal that connects the two lakes.  It is beautiful, in a very different way from home.  The trees are thick, and the trail is filled with lots of roots.  This is the same trail where Greg broke a toe and I broke a rib last year.  We agree that there will be no tripping and falling this year.  Running the trail between the lakes is heavenly…..beautiful, peaceful, and something that will stick with me until we return next year.

All too soon it is over and we head home, squeezing in a nice run in Laramie around the campus-making me thankful to be back in the cool and dry mountain air.  As I reflect on our vacation, I recall lots of swimming, time with family, antique stores, water parks, and runs in beautifully different country.  We are grateful to be home, but also grateful for those special memories, running on vacation included.

Running on vacation, where is your favorite place to run?