Leaving the Cave: Travel Log from the Juggernaut's Cave

Leaving the Cave: Travel Log from the Juggernaut's Cave

I had hoped to have had more to report on my progress from my marathon training program. I am at the end of the third week of the 16 week plan. I have thus far been able to log only the first planned long run, though I have been able to get my shorter mid-week runs in as planned. Today, I should be running 10 miles in a mild Minnesota Spring weather conditions. Instead I am sitting on my couch avoiding the prolonged death grip that Old Man Winter has had on my miserable corner of the Earth. Rather than risk stirring up a recently dormant cold/flu illness in the 12 degree, 25 MPH wind gusts, I’m here to talk to you.

My training was a bit ill-fated due to timing with some required business travel for my job. I had a road trip of appointments throughout Illinois, Indiana and Michigan chased by a week out in Las Vegas for a trade show. I thought I would take the time to talk about how my Paleo discipline was interrupted due to travel and the follow-up that I realized. The latter part only reinforces why I am so glad I decided to adopt this diet in my daily life. I’ll share my travel experiences and how I was able to sneak in some good choices (even in Las Vegas).

Training Week 1: Illinois, Indiana and Michigan (and every Brewery I could find in between)

March 3^rd was the first day of my official Grandma’s Marathon Training Program. On Monday, I logged the required interval workout before jumping on the plane to Chicago on Tuesday. From there, it got away from me a bit.

Late night hotel check-ins and early morning departures make it hard to drag yourself into the poorly-ventilated exercise rooms of the Springhill Suites, but I did just that. Despite the fact that I had received some quality local advice on a beautiful running path through the Notre Dame campus from Molly at SwaggerMom Tales. However, it was not meant to be as I must have had the polar vortex in my carry-on and we got 6 inches of fresh snow that morning. I got to see it from the passenger window, Molly…maybe next time!

A collection of brews from the fine people at Bell's Brewery

The road show presented us with a few opportunities to visit some of the nation’s best breweries. I know…beer is not Paleo, but it is my vice and I’ll be damned if I’m giving it up because some caveman says so. We stopped at Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo and Founder’s in Grand Rapids, sampling everything that I could...LIFE WAS GOOD. I could and should write a post from each of these breweries, but I didn't take too good of notes on the later pours of the visits and my memory is not as sharp as I had hoped.

I returned to the arctic hell of Minnesota that Friday to a 40 mph windstorm with wet flurries…oh how I missed you. The following morning, I laced up by brand new running shoes to log the first of 16 long runs. I  made it through 8 miles at the local YMCA as I took 384 right turns around the 1/12^th of a mile indoor track. By the end, I was ready to jump over the railing rather than make one more lap. My new shoes, however, may not have been ready for that long of a session as I had blood and blisters on my left foot. I’m not sure these are the shoes for me or not, but this is not a shoe review.

Training Week 2: Las Vegas

Monday morning, I had to get back on the plane and didn't have time to get my interval workout in prior to departure. However, as soon as we landed, my boss and I set out for a 3 mile run on the strip. The weather was perfect with 75 degrees and sunny. If only the strip smelled a little better after baking in the sun for a few hours of the afternoon. It can best be described as a bowl of sewage microwaved along with a bottle of Coors  that has cigarettes butts in it.

Chicken and Waffles--in no way Paleo

Throughout the four day trip, I logged several shorter runs and a couple P90X3 sessions on my portable DVD player in my hotel room, but I was not able to log the longer mid-week run of 7 miles due to timing and schedule. If I were to grade myself on my activity level, I’d consider it a solid ‘B’ performance.

Following diet though, I was a big fat ‘F’. Any food-loving American that has visited Las Vegas knows that it’s nearly impossible to avoid the amazing restaurants. From massive breakfasts at Hash House-A-Go-Go to life-affirming steak dinners at Gordon Ramsay Steak, I had to let my Paleo discipline slide—for the sake of the food.

Above and beyond the food were the drinks. I am happy to say that it is relatively easier to follow a loose Paleo discipline when you follow the Paleo Happy Hour Drinking Cheat Sheet. As I sat at the various gaming tables, I stuck to my sensible choice of vodka with soda water and lime. For dinners, I stuck to red wine. I am proud to say I never let my inner twenty-something out during my visit and over imbibe on any of the evenings.

Training Week 3: Back home and getting back on track

Twitter-inspired rummaging through my childhood toy box

Upon returning home after two weeks away, I was road-worn and run-down. I came down with a pretty bad case of the cold/flu that gave me a chance to reconnect with my television for 3 days as well as sort through my box of childhood toys. Training took a major back seat as my lungs were of no capacity to take in my required runs—not to mention an 8-inch snowstorm.

I took care of myself by making Paleo-friendly Chicken Vegetable Soup and taking in plenty of fluids. I reclaimed my control over my diet and that is where I saw the healing powers of a well-disciplined Paleo diet.

In the past, after the damage that two weeks on the road (and my poor choices) can do to my body, I would have realistically expected a 5-7 pound spike in my weight. This is typically due to inflammation from high levels of sodium, overabundance of alcohol and a general lack of motivation to workout. My road to recovery would be 3-4 weeks to get myself back on track.

Prior to my travels, I was at 224.4 lbs. Upon my return, I tipped the scale at 226.6. I feel that this is a minor victory for me as I have struggled with large weight swings in the past. To properly enjoy my travels and only suffer from a minor weight gain after two weeks is a milestone for me and I want to celebrate it!

In addition, after only five days back on the Paleo discipline (with a minor St. Patrick’s Day bump in the road), I’m back down to 224.0 lbs and ready to take on a long run, whenever the weather will allow me. This helps me re-confirm that I have made a good choice to follow the Paleo discipline as it helps me rebound quicker and I’m back to fighting shape sooner than ever before.

The Juggernaut’s Top Five Travel Tips

I thought I would summarize the post with my top five travel tips to avoid the weight gains. I must restate that I’m neither a doctor, nutritionist nor travel adviser. I am just recollecting my recent experiences and putting them out there for you to consider when you next travel.

1. Buy bottled water: Every time I travel, my first stop is a convenience store to buy a case of water. Hotel water is notoriously foul and fit only for the iron. I always strive to take in at least 100 oz of water a day. I would typically have a bottle in my hand wherever I went during the seminars to avoid the free sodas and coffee stations.

2. Surround yourself with good snacks: While you’re buying water, grab a few packs of healthy snacks like nuts and fresh or dried fruit. This will help curb your appetite between meals. I find them most enjoyable after a night of drinks and make me less likely to hit the vending machine or the Phat Burger Bar at 2 am. (I’m looking at you here, Will.)

3. Make at least one meal a good choice: I can always allow myself one meal of a salad or something on the lighter side. As I said breakfasts and dinners were plentiful in Vegas, but the lunches were lighter. If your hotel has a free breakfast, they usually have hard-boiled eggs and fresh fruit. Avoid the pastries and bagels.

4. Buy a Fitbit: If you want to feel great about yourself when you’re on the road, a pedometer is just the morale boost you need. In Las Vegas, I was averaging 20,000 steps a day without having to log a long run to achieve it. You’re out sightseeing and that often times means walking a lot. These fun little devices remind you that you’re also doing great things for your body. In addition, some have sleep trackers and can show you how well you slept while away.

5. Get your sleep: I had to put this one in just for myself, if no one else. I am notoriously bad at sleeping. I can go to bed as late as 3 am and still have my internal clock to get up at 6 AM (central time zone). While in the Pacific time zone, I started waking up as early as 4:00 every morning. By reviewing my Fitbit sleep log, I know that I need to work on this. After two weeks away, I was bound to get sick when running on an average of 3.5 hours of sleep a night.

Well that brings me up to date on my current marathon training program. Three weeks in and I’m not where I should be, but I’m not far off course. I’m beginning construction of my running playlist and will likely put that out for your reading and listening pleasure in the next coming post.

Thanks for reading.