Just in time for your next trip, JAMBAR athletes Joe Klecker and Sage Hurta-Klecker worked with our partner, Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), on the following article for this month’s RRCA newsletter. Keep up with the Kleckers (not literally - they are really fast!) on Instagram: Joe (@joe_Klecker) and Sage (@hurtasage).
As professional runners, Joe Klecker and Sage Hurta-Klecker spend a lot of time on the road training and competing. Joe estimates he’s away from the married couple’s home in Longmont, Colo., 35 days a year, while Sage’s number tops more than 100. RRCA asked these road warriors to share their top tips for running while traveling. Whether you’re heading out for a race in a different city or hitting the road for summer vacation, check out their advice for getting the most out of your runs.
Take me to the river (Joe) – Whenever we are in a new city, the first thing I do is look at the map to see if there are any rivers or lakes nearby since a lot of times these will have nice running trails. My back-up is a park, and the last resort is the treadmill, which can sometimes be the best option after a long travel day. One time Sage and I were running a track race in Florence, Italy, and not many people spoke English so we just started running along the river and it turned out to be an amazing run where we got to see many of the city's landmarks.
Map it out (Sage) - Nothing beats having a local runner show you the ropes, but in lieu of this, I usually use Strava to figure out where to run. Every time I’m in a new place, I’ll look for segments near me on the “Maps” tab. This can often point me in the right direction for where to go and allow me to build my own routes. It’s also worth asking the front desk – many hotels have good recommendations and maps.
Priority packing (Joe) - With all the travel I’ve done, I feel like I have my packing routine down to a science. I put things in my bag in order of importance - the first things are always my race day uniform, shoes, and nutrition. From there I make sure I have my massage gun and foam roller. After this I know that no matter what, I will be prepared for race day. Then I pack my other clothes and things like books for the plane.
Keep the tank full (Sage) - Eat simply, and make sure you bring snacks. Schedules can be hard to stick to with travel drama and weird race times, but staying fueled and hydrated is super important. Organic JAMBAR energy bars have saved me many times when a flight has been delayed, and the distance between me and my next meal felt insurmountable! They’re also a great travel food because they don’t melt or crumble.
Give your body time cues (Sage) – Over the next couple months, I’ll be racing in the US, China, Jamaica and Europe. My approach to navigating time changes depends a lot on the extent of the time change, and time of the race. Generally, my main focus is trying to feel awake at race time. There’s a lot of nuance depending on the exact situation, but I’m never afraid to use melatonin to sleep, or caffeine to get the day rolling!
Finally, Joe offers some bonus advice - be kind to yourself. He said that his “biggest tip for running while traveling is to not stress over pace and workout splits. Being out of your routine can be exhausting so it is important to give yourself slack to make sure you don't get run down.”