Tips for Traveling

With the summer time here, so is the travel. Whether you’re traveling across the state, or traveling across the country, it’s going to be a departure from your normal training routine. Here are my 5 top tips for making travel a little easier on you.

11      Pack as efficient and light as possible. The more stuff you bring the more you’re going to have to worry about. But at the same time, you want to make sure you have everything you need. So how do you reconcile these two? Do what you can to use as much as you can for multiple purposes. Separate all your stuff into groups; essential stuff, things that would be nice to have, and things you don’t need. If you don’t need it, don’t bring it. If you need it, bring it. But you’ll find that most of what you bring falls in the middle. And things in that category can usually be consolidated. A good example is a pump. You don’t need a pump, but it would be nice to have. What’s the compromise? Bring a frame pump or small pump and a digital pressure gauge. It’s much smaller than a floor pump, but you can still set your tire pressure just as well. So what are my essentials? Helmet, shoes, bike glasses, gloves, kit, socks, food and water.

22   Bring a piece of home. As much as you want to pack light, on longer trips comfort becomes an issue. So make room to bring a small piece of home with you. Something to entertain you, or something that comforts you.

33     Keep you daily routines consistent. Your body works best when you keep a consistent time schedule so do your best to maintain your normal rhythm while on the road. Try to wake up at the same time, get to bed at the same time. And do the same things you normally do when you wake up, and the same things you normally do before going to bed. Keeping that consistency will help you save energy and keep calm.

44     Keep your motivation by keeping it fun and exciting. Traveling is a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of work. Make sure that you enjoy it as much as you can because when you’re having fun, you’re going to go fast. The excitement will help you stay focused and stay motivated.

55     Have your schedule planned out. As much as you want to keep it fun and spontaneous, make sure that you have the important stuff, the race, the drive, the reason you’re traveling in the first place, all planned out. Not having to think too much about making plans will help keep your mind clear and keep you relaxed. If you plan things out well, it will help you relax and it will help you have more fun.