A Runner’s Guide to the Holidays: How to Have Fun and Stay Fit

Finn Melanson [00:00:09]: Hello, fellow runners. I'm your host, Finna Lanson, and this is the Run to the Top podcast. The podcast dedicated to making you a better runner with each and every episode. We are created and produced by the expert team of coaches at runnersconnect. A net, where you can find the best running information on the Internet as well as training plans to fit every runner and every budget. You struggle to maintain your training during the holiday season? If that sounds like you, you're not alone. It's an exciting time of year, but all of the extra social activities can make it difficult to stick to a normal running routine. Not to mention the cold and snowy weather you might face depending on where you train.

Finn Melanson [00:00:55]: Luckily you don't have to choose between holiday fun and running success. You wanna enjoy your holiday plans while still maintaining fitness, this is the episode for you. The holidays are a time for celebration so you shouldn't have to give this up. At Runners Connect, we believe that running is about balance and having fun. So we're gonna give you our best advice to enjoy this time of year without losing the fitness you worked so hard to develop. Our goal on today's show is to tell you how you can have your cake and eat it too. Corey and our guest coach Rory Moynihan will Explore everything you need to navigate the holiday season including how much does missing 1 or several workouts impact your fitness, how to adjust your training around social activities and travel, Tips for fueling properly during the holidays and how you can use the holidays as mental and physical breaks to actually improve your running. Holidays are right around the corner, so let's get into it.

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Cory Nagler [00:02:36]: Rory Moynihan. Welcome to the show. I'm so excited to pick your brain on training through the holidays because I think a lot of people struggle to balance running with other fun holiday plans. I know that you're just coming off of racing CIM in California. Are you planning on taking some time off, or or what are your holiday plans now?

Coach Ruiari [00:02:55]: Hey, Corey. Thanks for having me. As we kinda discussed, and who knows, could be a future episode, race didn't Go exactly as planned, but, that's part of the sport, and sometimes the result can can affect your decision. So I'm trying not to be too rash and sign up for a bunch of races in 2024 just yet. I really allow myself about A week to process the race even if it went well because, how you feel a couple days after may be different, you know, 8 to 10 days after and you have a A broader perspective on it. So long story short, I'm gonna definitely, recover, not run for at least a week or Up to 2 weeks and then really focus on you know, I dedicated so much time to training, catching up with friends and family. I'm actually going to be Flying back to Fargo, North Dakota, which is where I grew up. I'm an only child, so my parents usually either come to Arizona to see me.

Coach Ruiari [00:03:57]: But this year, we decided I'll I'll go back to see them, which, you know, is a fitting time to be talking about this because The weather is much colder there and a lot of considerations.

Cory Nagler [00:04:10]: Yeah. For sure. How cold does it get in Fargo?

Coach Ruiari [00:04:13]: I know you use Celsius, so if you can convert for me. We're well below 0, In the in the middle of winter, I remember you know, most of the time, it'll be, like, single digits teens. You know, let's say December, January, we're a high, but at night, it can get well below 0. And Like I said, I remember skiing with my dad. One of our activities we like to do, Curranub, cross country skiing, we would kind of wait for the coldest temperature, Get dressed up and go skiing to say, hey. You know when everyone talked about how it was 35 below, we were skiing and 35 below weather. So around there. I think the the record's even colder.

Coach Ruiari [00:05:02]: But

Cory Nagler [00:05:04]: Yeah. That that's pretty cold. I'm not sure the exact conversion, but I think if you're if you're talking about subzero temperatures Fahrenheit, that's gotta be somewhere in the Minus 15, maybe even closer to minus, 20 Celsius, so

Coach Ruiari [00:05:18]: Mhmm.

Cory Nagler [00:05:18]: Pretty cold. Are are you still getting in runs at that temperature?

Coach Ruiari [00:05:22]: You know, it depends. There there's days where I will, you know, throw my hands up, hit the treadmill just to play it safe and stay warm. But there'll be some runs where I'll kind of push it and maybe I adjust, and we can talk about how you know when to adjust. But I'll just go shorter and get out there To say I did. But generally, if it's, below 0, I'll hit the treadmill. If it's above 0, Single digits, you can usually put out enough layers to, tough it out.

Cory Nagler [00:05:54]: Yeah. Yeah. For sure. I think the cold makes it super tough this time of year, but Also holidays in general, there's so much going on. It can be hard to fit in those runs whether it's adjusting or cutting it short. Do you have any thoughts on, you know, whether you have to miss any runs, how much does that actually impact your fitness?

Coach Ruiari [00:06:12]: Yeah. Generally, You know, I think a lot of runners freak out about taking a day off, Couple days off, and they kind of feel off their game. And some of that can be mental. Other times, you may not feel as, you know, Fresh or the legs not as responsive just because you're traveling in general fatigue. But if you look at it at least from, like, a VO two max perspective, you're really not gonna lose any edge over 10 days. I think we have a Runner's Connect article on this that says After about 2 weeks, you're gonna lose, like, in the range of 5 to 6% of your v o two max. So, again, that's, like, 14 days off of not doing any cardio, and you can supplement it with, cross training, of course. So that might be like, you know, if you were to hop into 5 k and you're a 20 minute 5 k.

Coach Ruiari [00:07:07]: Yeah. You might lose, like, a minute in your 5 k time for 2 weeks off, But that random 1 to 2 days off, 3 days off, yeah, you may feel a little flat. But in terms of performance, It's not really doing anything to harm your fitness. If anything, I'd say this time of year, especially since a lot of our Listeners, runners connect athletes, other runners have had a long season of training. I tend to think those forced rest days Usually are a good thing because they're finally getting that break they need that their body needs too.

Cory Nagler [00:07:43]: Yeah. Yeah. No. That that break period is so, so important. And I think it can be really hard to squeeze those in and and even stressful. So for a lot of listeners who maybe are looking at races Not in the immediate term or towards the spring season. Would you recommend taking a full 10 to 14 days off for the holiday, or maybe cutting out Some of those runs is needed and just getting a little here and there. How do you how do you balance those?

Coach Ruiari [00:08:07]: Yeah. It could depend on the the athlete's Schedule and what they have coming up. People do the holidays different, and, yeah, the upcoming race schedule Can be, you know, part of it. So if you don't have a a race in the spring, typically, I think winter is just A great time and with all the commitments just to sort of shut things down. So as a Division 3 athlete I ran at Saint John's University of Minnesota. I I really got used to that mental separation of seasons, And I still try to apply that living here in Flagstaff now. You can still see it pretty clearly, especially with some of the elite runners in town. They kinda you And even the road marathoners will get ready for a track season coming up here, so there's gonna be typically a natural slowdown and sort of a break.

Coach Ruiari [00:09:02]: Now those elites might not take much time off. But yeah. At least for us and our coach, he He kind of, implemented, I'd say, at least a week break, before you took on the workload of building towards the next season. So So, basically, you have a little break after track season. For the summer, you do your summer mileage, the hard training. Cross country seasons are grinds. You get to championship season. And then, yeah, right around winter, that that nice little breaks, I'd say a week or two, Not much running, jog around, and then the winner may be around the holidays.

Coach Ruiari [00:09:42]: If you're back home with your family, you could start up. So That's how I kind of used to approach it, and it still ends up working out that way, post college too.

Cory Nagler [00:09:51]: Yeah. And I think that aligns Pretty closely with how a lot of coaches tend to periodize their training. I know for yourself, you're kinda just coming off a race with CIM. But for a lot of athletes, they may have had that rest Earlier if you did something like Chicago or or Berlin earlier in the year Yeah. How how does that maybe play in? If you've had that more, deliberate time off right after that. Do you maybe cut things down, but keep going, or is it equally important, just to get in that rest period for the holidays?

Coach Ruiari [00:10:21]: I'd say after the big race, default, take a week off, Recharge mentally, physically, good or bad result for those athletes who had maybe the earlier fall marathon. Typically, a lot of the ones I'm working with were kind of in, like, a speed block training phase. I think after a marathon grinds, a lot of people, You know, may have given 2 or 3 good attempts at getting their Boston qualifier. They ran a p q, and they're like, oh, I have to go under now because of the cutoff. So Ultimately, that's kind of a grind, and, you know, we have some runners connect literature on this where we often will recommend the athletes Switch gears literally and do the the faster turnover because the long grind of marathon workouts is tough on the body. And, yeah, you can have a strong aerobic bass, but you might not feel as sharp with the short intervals. And that often lines up with traveling And going home, you know, it's easier to mix in a short, speedy fartlek. You know, it can be a we can talk about some examples later on.

Coach Ruiari [00:11:33]: You know, maybe it only totals 5 to 6 miles, but you get 30 to 92nd intervals at maybe 5 k to 10 k pace. You're getting the wheels turning, and then I have some athletes who are like, oh, there's a jingle bell 5 k. There's a a New Year's Day 5 k. Should I hop in? And, Unless they're really burned out, I'm all for that. It's it's just gonna be a fun way to get the legs moving. And Yeah. Besides if you have a hometown race, looks fun. Hop in there.

Cory Nagler [00:12:05]: Yeah. Definitely. I think those can be a lot And it takes a lot of the pressure off when you often run these races outside of your peak season or or even sometimes in really tough conditions. So for for those athletes who are still trying to get in runs here and there over the holidays and maintain some fitness, I know things still pop You can't always get in absolutely every run. What advice might you give to to athletes if they have a big workout and and maybe there's a a conflict whether that be like a holiday party or travel or whatever else comes up this time of year?

Coach Ruiari [00:12:35]: Yeah. So first thing I'd say, if if you have, like, Maybe a week to 10 days where you know you're back home. You wanna identify the key sessions that you need to nail, so I'd probably prioritize Something like a long run and then the speed workout. And if you have to scrap some easy runs or the 6 miles just turns into, hey. I got it out there for 25 to 30 minutes. That's kind of how to do it. So if you're doing any kind of speed intervals perchance or just faster stuff, I would typically isolate that one. Maybe it's, like, 400.

Coach Ruiari [00:13:13]: Depends where you live, but, Maybe that involves getting to a track if it's not covered in snow and ice or, you know, you need a treadmill day and, you know, you gotta have the warm up, and, It's a little bit more of a process. I would really do your best to get that workout in even if it means shortening it. And let's say some of our athletes have maybe 2 workouts per week. They have speed and tempo or it's like a steady run. What I might try to do is if it's gonna be you're gonna be lucky just to get in that faster speed workout, maybe when you Set aside the long run. You can work in a few steady miles or you do a little cut down at the end of the long run at close to those tempo paces, and that's a way to kind of combine things. And, you know, like we said, skipping a few easy runs It's not really gonna do any damage to your fitness or VO two max, so just kind of roll with it. So I'd say Identify the key workouts you wanna do, and then give yourself permission to be flexible, before heading into the trip, and that's gonna really, Think make things go smoother.

Cory Nagler [00:14:23]: And if you're not talking about any extended period of time, it's a specific day. I know, As this episode is coming out, we're just approaching Christmas time. So say you'd had a workout you would usually do on that day, Would you recommend pulling it forward or pushing it back, or would you maybe in that instant skip the workout just to avoid it being too close to the next one?

Coach Ruiari [00:14:46]: Yeah. I mean, as a general rule, avoid back to back workouts. You don't wanna have a speed workout Before a long run or after the long run. So, I'd say just isolate whatever workout Is more key to what you're focusing on. Right? If you have a speed training block and, you know, you the faster runner is gonna be or faster running is gonna be beneficial Coming off that that marathon slog, get that workout in, and then maybe the secondary one tempo steady miles, which Typically could still be in there. Scrap it.

Cory Nagler [00:15:24]: Yeah. So essentially what I hear you're saying is you kinda wanna look at the plan holistically, and then pick apart those key ones to keep them out of any holiday periods you might miss. Is is that kinda right?

Coach Ruiari [00:15:35]: Yeah. Overall, I'd say so. And, you know, it it can be hard and stressful as an for an athlete to do that, so that's Why we we have this platform, and I always advocate having a coach. I've had a a coach since, basically high school, you know, because I like to have that other voice and outside perspective, you know, telling me, yeah. It's okay. Do that. Move that around. Say absolutely.

Cory Nagler [00:16:02]: Now let me throw 1 more variable. What if you can get in that workout, but you know, it's gonna be tough. So we'll take Take, say, January 1st as an example. Maybe you you have the day free, but you're feeling it, like, you might not be in the best condition. Do you do you gut it out and get in that workout, or do you wanna make sure that you're fully recovered first?

Coach Ruiari [00:16:21]: Man, I speaking of having a coach, I I would I don't think I would give my athletes anything too hard on Christmas day or New Year's day. So, Yeah. If you're oh. I mean, if you're going out in any capacity, new years, even just staying out late, Then you added the drinks. I would I would definitely maybe pull that workout back to New Year's Eve, do it the morning of, And that way you just have a little bit more flexibility. If you just wanna do a a recovery jog and Sweat it out, so to speak, that might be the move. But, yeah. Typically, if it's a harder workout, I wouldn't Try to force it when you're sleep deprived and, you know, possibly dehydrated from having New Year's drinks.

Coach Ruiari [00:17:12]: So That's a a situation where it's okay to to push it back. So

Cory Nagler [00:17:19]: Yeah. That makes complete sense, Rory. I I think it would be pretty cruel of a coach to schedule a big workout on January 1st. Not sure that I've done any big workouts on, the day after New Year's or any big holiday party, but I I know I have gotten out for some easier runs, and it's always a sight to behold just seeing everyone in in really rough shape, or or coming out with all their their beer cans or or liquor bottles.

Coach Ruiari [00:17:42]: Not totally. It can be a point of pride actually just to be out there, When the streets are a little emptier or just look look in rough shape, I think I've done 1 5 k race on New Year's day, And I had gone out the day before, but I was lucky enough to still win it. So that that was cool. I don't know if I could do it now in my thirties.

Cory Nagler [00:18:04]: I think that's pretty impressive in any wage to come out and, and win it in that condition. They should they should give you some bonus time. Maybe take Awesome minutes, kinda like an age category kinda like that. Yeah.

Coach Ruiari [00:18:15]: Yeah. That would be funny.

Cory Nagler [00:18:16]: Yeah. I mean, that that's a good topic to bring up, think for the holidays, a lot of people there's there's a lot of temptation come the holidays, whether that's food you have at Christmas parties or, As you were saying, kind of some of those drinks, both around Christmas and New Year's, do you have any advice for runners in how you kind of balance making sure that you're Still eating well and fueling fueling your body, but wanting to really also partake in in some of the the festive food and drinks?

Coach Ruiari [00:18:41]: Yeah. Yeah. A few small ones. I mean, of course, allow yourself to indulge now and then if you know it's a weakness, though. And, You know, I've had some athletes that it can be easy depending on your body type and where you're at in training just to put on 10 pounds quickly in a short period of time. So some strategies could be eating before you go to the party, maybe something healthier, more substantial, Like some healthy quality carbs. That way, it kind of fills you up, and when you get there, you can still enjoy, you know, hors d'oeuvres or whatever kind of desserts are going around, but you're going to be less likely to eat stuff. Even sometimes just saying out loud.

Coach Ruiari [00:19:26]: I've done this with friends, you know, saying out loud what you're doing, like, hey. I'm only having 3 drinks At this party, you know, or texting a friend, like, we're still running tomorrow. Right? Like, 8 AM? Okay. And then You kind of have that plan at the back of your mind. It could, kind of help you better navigate the parties and just Stay more restrained.

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Cory Nagler [00:22:29]: Yeah. I kinda like that strategy. I know we just talked about having that flexibility to pull back a workout. But I think even if it's an easy run, Sometimes having on your calendar that you're gonna go out for that run the next day can moderate you a little because, you know, you're gonna pay the price if you, overindulge a little bit, whether it be the food or the booze.

Coach Ruiari [00:22:47]: Yeah. I I have friends like that, accountability buddies, and usually my friends tend to be more of morning people than me. And, Yeah. I tend to not cancel on that morning run if I've committed to showing up at a certain time. There you go.

Cory Nagler [00:23:02]: It is one of those morning people. I appreciate it. Is is that often your approach? Is you think kind of Still have those drinks, have the food, but limit yourself? Is is that the general takeaway?

Coach Ruiari [00:23:16]: Yeah. I don't know if I would Add anything onto that just depends, again, on the athlete where they're at, after the racing season and what's next. So that's why can we talk about benefits of having a coach? It's always nice to have that person who is the sounding board beyond just a runner friend because they can also Give you some words of encouragement or even just a text, like, hey, you do need to do this workout, or even if they're giving you A lighter training schedule that week because they know you're home for the holidays. That extra layer of just they wrote it and it's on there Will make you more likely to do it than if you're writing your own training, and you can just be like, yeah. I'm letting that one slide. I'll let this one slide. So Really a balance. You know, we've talked about don't treat yourself like a pro runner and make life miserable, but also Don't go so easy on yourself.

Coach Ruiari [00:24:16]: You have no structure or discipline. So there's there's a happy medium somewhere.

Cory Nagler [00:24:23]: Yeah. Definitely. I think a lot of this period is about balance. I do wanna touch on one thing you also mentioned, though, which is not showing up, Hungary. I I think for sure when You know, if you if you come absolutely starving, you you sometimes tend to overdo it. But the the other thing is we we often think about the holidays, about Overindulging, but it's also still important to get enough, I guess. What are your thoughts if you know you're still gonna be having that big meal or or a lot of drinks later in the day, but If you if you do that run-in the morning, how does that change your fueling at all, or or does it change your fueling around your run?

Coach Ruiari [00:24:59]: Big morning run. Potentially. I just focus on the protein immediately following that session. And so if I know there is a big meal, maybe instead of doing the kind of big brunch with, you know, Eggs, bacon, all that stuff, pancakes. You can still get some healthy carbs and maybe in the form of a protein drink, so you're allowing The muscles to repair and recover and you feel more full and you're not suffering yourself, and then you can, yeah, definitely dig into that bigger meal. Yeah.

Cory Nagler [00:25:37]: Yeah. I think that's good advice. And it it sounds like if I'm right, most of those same principles still apply holiday or no holiday. Get in those healthy carbs and and protein around your run, and you'll, serve yourself well.

Coach Ruiari [00:25:48]: Yeah. Agree.

Cory Nagler [00:25:51]: What what if you're running, right before a holiday? Do you think it's you know, if you're expecting to have a a big Christmas meal, does that still substitute your post run recovery, or do you think you still need that that protein shake or or quick carbs right after the run?

Coach Ruiari [00:26:08]: It depends. Like, I it's just something maybe that comes from college or high school as well. We are always It's odd about this, you know, 15 to 45 minute where you need to replenish the glycogen and then, of course, Beyond the carbs, you need the protein to repair. So I'll usually get something in that window. And even if you have a A big meal, you know how it is with family. Like, preparing the dinner can take forever. There's all these other things happening. You know, people are watching TV.

Coach Ruiari [00:26:41]: You got kids. By the time you sit down for the meal, it's gonna be much later than you think, so get yourself a little something to to hold you over.

Cory Nagler [00:26:50]: Yeah. Definitely. I know for myself even on, on regular days, let alone during the holidays, sometimes the cooking process takes longer than you expect, so it can, can help to have those little snacks around just to make sure you get something in that window.

Coach Ruiari [00:27:04]: Yeah. Or if you're 1 the 1 cooking, just Eat while you're cooking. I do that sometimes because you can't wait.

Cory Nagler [00:27:10]: Yeah. You gotta you gotta keep the chef fed. Right?

Coach Ruiari [00:27:13]: Mhmm.

Cory Nagler [00:27:14]: Yeah. Of course. Yeah. Absolutely. Until now, we've kinda focused on specific social events or or holidays, but, a lot of runners this time of year may also be going on more extended vacations, and those can be especially difficult to to get in your running. I guess, what what are some of your thoughts on vacations? Should you, be adjusting your training Entirely to make sure you're getting it all in, do you modify it a little, or what does that look like when you're going away?

Coach Ruiari [00:27:47]: Typically, depending on the placement of a race, that, of course, can dictate things. But if there's Not like a critical period coming up. I would probably front load or back load the training. Typically, beforehand is gonna be better because you'll be tired after the vacation. Do a little bit more mileage, little bit of a longer run, get the key harder work ins workouts in before the vacation. That way you can enjoy it. You probably spent a lot of money, rearranged your schedule, maybe took care of daycare, Adjusted the kids' school schedule, whatever it may be. So really, again, I think I've said it a couple times now, It's not running isn't your job, so enjoy the vacation as much as possible.

Coach Ruiari [00:28:38]: Quick tips, though, maybe if you don't have a coach and you wanna do some kinda workouts, that's where I'd really employ fart like sessions And, like, an extreme version of fart, like maybe the truest form where you're just improvising. You don't even know the intervals. You warm up for 10 minutes. You don't know the streets very well. You're running down some random block. You know, there's a cul de sac, or maybe you're out there and it's a little bit more rugged and You just do some surges on this part where it's flat, then there's a big uphill, you rest, just really wing it. If you're mixing in any kind of turnover, Call to win. That's your speed workout.

Coach Ruiari [00:29:17]: Easy runs are a bonus. If you have to skip runs, skip those. Maybe get 1 longer session. If it says, like, 8 miles on the schedule. You said, oh, I'm gonna go 9 or 10. Maybe you just make it 60 or 70 minutes, and whatever you get is what you get. But ultimately, don't let the runs, you know, get in the way of your vacation to the point where, Yeah. Maybe you told the family you set aside this time and, people are mad because you're you're out there for 3 hours when you're supposed to be going to some show Coming up or or whatnot.

Cory Nagler [00:29:52]: So when you're going away on vacation, do you prioritize getting in that little and often approach where you make sure you you do something is better than nothing, or or do you think you still wanna make sure those key sessions, if there are any during your trip, that you get them in? Obviously, if you can front load, that's great. But I know for some longer trips of maybe 10 to 14 days, sometimes you don't want to, completely cut out the workouts.

Coach Ruiari [00:30:16]: Yeah. I I have a lot of experience with this. One of my other jobs, I travel with a it's an international travel company for high school students, And I'm a chaperone for typically summer trips. But I haven't mentioned this to too many people yet, but I'm gonna be leading a spring trip in Thailand in March for about 2 weeks, and I have been there previously. It's really humid and miserable most of the year, and Something is better than nothing. I'll definitely squeeze and runs, but I just realized my goal is typically maintain fitness on vacation and not Lose it. And, yeah, for that, I'm just gonna not worry too much about workouts. And if I'm running a little bit before I Do all the activities.

Coach Ruiari [00:31:04]: The students, I'll I'll call it a win and so

Cory Nagler [00:31:08]: Yeah. And, I I I like that you mentioned just, like, how hot the conditions can be. Because I think for a lot of people traveling this time of year, you can sometimes get exposed to some different weather you're not used to. How do you maybe adapt to that or or make sure that you're you're prepared as you're going on a trip for, for training in whatever conditions you might be going to?

Coach Ruiari [00:31:29]: That's a great question. I mean, going to warmer climates can be nice. It can still actually be rude awakening. It might be a little bit easier on the suitcase. You know, the The clothes for warm weather don't take up as much space. When I go back to Fargo, though, on the flip side for the cold, It depends on your setup, but mentioned my parents live there. I always have, like, a set of winter running clothes. Maybe it's, like, my b tier clothing that I just leave behind, so I can always kind of I can typically get away with a carry on bag with everything I need.

Coach Ruiari [00:32:03]: And I have a couple pairs of running shoes. Actually, there's a pair that I really like. It's the Asics Gel Nimbus 25 is on sale. I told my parents about it. It's one of my favorite shoes. I'm, like, hey, I'm just gonna Ship this pair. I want another pair. I'm gonna ship them to the house.

Coach Ruiari [00:32:20]: I don't have to travel with them. I'll do my runs in those shoes while I'm there, and I'll probably just leave them behind so I have that That pair that I don't have to drag along.

Cory Nagler [00:32:31]: Yeah. I've I've done the exact same thing. It's funny. For for those listening, we're absolutely not sponsored by ASICs. And in fact, For me, the Saucony Triumph are one of my favorite ones to bring and, one one of my,

Coach Ruiari [00:32:41]: Oh, nice. Good good shoe too.

Cory Nagler [00:32:43]: Yeah. Thank you. Absolutely love them, but I I oftentimes on vacations will deliberately bring a really old pair for for exactly that reason, so you don't feel bad about leaving them behind afterwards.

Coach Ruiari [00:32:54]: Oh, yeah. Yeah. True. You know, a place like Thailand as well. I brought shoes and, Yeah. Donated donated them or given them to a local, and, you know, someone benefits from that. And, Yeah. It's kinda strategic too.

Cory Nagler [00:33:14]: Yeah. Say say you're going away and you do wanna get away with maybe that carry on aside from a good pair of running shoes, is there anything you wanna really prioritize to bring?

Coach Ruiari [00:33:24]: Just your well, it's tough. Depends where you're going. I'd say bring your top running outfit, but sometimes, Depending where you're going, maybe don't bring your favorite one. So if you lose it somehow, It's not gone forever.

Cory Nagler [00:33:42]: Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. I think we've all had those baggage experiences, so you don't wanna be stressing about losing your absolute favorite top Or or split shorts because,

Coach Ruiari [00:33:50]: that was actually my favorite pairs of, and none of us are sponsored here, Run rabbit shorts at an Airbnb, and I'm sure to them, they're just like, swimming trunks, you know. I threw them, hung them up on the shower or something post run a couple pairs. They just threw them away. I'm like, those are, like, 70, $80 pairs of shorts. I, like, Message the Airbnb owner, and those are gone. Oh, then. So be careful there.

Cory Nagler [00:34:19]: That pains me to hear. It's like when you hear people or or or See people, like, absolutely destroying in rough conditions, alpha flies walking around, and you're like, no. I wanna reserve those for a race.

Coach Ruiari [00:34:29]: Yes.

Cory Nagler [00:34:31]: Yeah. How about, how about for colder conditions? I know, I've sometimes traveled even during the winter time to somewhere quite cold, and that can be especially to make sure that you're you're packing for runs there.

Coach Ruiari [00:34:44]: Yeah. That's a strategy where definitely use your your family contacts, Where I like to have that warm weather stuff already at the location I'm going to takes up a little bit more space. So Running tights. I mean, if you really got to get creative, I've been there. I've run I've worn running tights under jeans, Just so it's 1 less thing rolled out taking up space, and, you know, you can layer up just like you would in the the Midwest during the winter. Get them underneath your jacket and you're wearing a lot of the clothes. You're a little hot on the plane, but freeze up some space. But, yeah, for the tough winners, running tights are go to the layers and probably a shell, Some kinda outer shell for wind or snow.

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Cory Nagler [00:36:46]: This does not surprise me at all to hear that you're packing all these clothes under what you're wearing. For for anyone who hasn't listened to it, when we previously recorded a racing episode, I recall you were already talking about how to carry gels. You would stuff them under your hat and then others in pockets and all these different places. So it it it seems, Seems par for the chorus that you're you're managing to get all these winter clothes under your summer wands.

Coach Ruiari [00:37:09]: Yeah. Gotta gotta get creative with it. I still did that At CIM, I didn't have the elite tables or bottles, so I had to carry them on my person. And I think I said my number was 7. That's that's what I took, so I'm used to it.

Cory Nagler [00:37:26]: Yeah. And and I guess CIM would have been a trip of sorts for you. So, in your case on that trip, I know it's a little different with a race, but what was it that you brought with you to make sure that you were prepared for the race, but Fitting whatever baggage requirements you had.

Coach Ruiari [00:37:41]: Oh, you know, this one, I pulled out a lot more stops. I actually Freed up some space, focused on the running outfits, didn't really care what I was gonna wear out on the town afterwards. So I actually one good thing I brought was a pillow. I have a pillow that I really like, Casper pillow, And it really helped with the sleep leading up to the race because I just get some neck pain if the pillow's, you know, not just right. So that was one of the best moves I've made. I'll probably repeat. Probably the worst move I made is I brought 2 pairs of super shoes And I wavered before the race on which I was gonna wear, and ultimately, the pair that I chose might have been One of the reasons I ran poorly, they just probably had too many miles on them. But, yeah, if I had just brought 1, then I wouldn't have been Stressing about which one to to go with.

Coach Ruiari [00:38:38]: So, yeah, a couple lessons learned there with packing.

Cory Nagler [00:38:43]: I don't wanna dive into this too much, especially if we may, on another episode, talk about the race. But, are you able to share what that pair was or or what you maybe wish you had run-in?

Coach Ruiari [00:38:52]: Yeah. So I've had the the debate a little bit with my athletes, the between the Vaporfly 3 And the Vaporfly 2, I personally like the the Vaporfly 2 better because it's more responsive. I think it keeps me up on my toes running faster later in the race. The Vaporfly is nice and cushioned, but I feel a little bit more Sluggish and I sink into the pavement in the late miles, so it's kind of a toss-up. The twos, since they're A little bit older, had about a100, maybe a 150 miles on them, but I just wore them for a workout. They felt good good enough. I went with those versus the pretty much brand new Vaporfly Threes. And, yeah, maybe I'll reference it in the upcoming podcast, but, Yeah.

Coach Ruiari [00:39:42]: My feet felt flat and actually in pain early on in the the race, which was an issue. So maybe I should've gone with the Deuxerwads.

Cory Nagler [00:39:52]: Sorry you had to go through that. But for what it's worth, I do absolutely love the Vaporfly twos.

Coach Ruiari [00:39:56]: Yeah. I think, you know, a lot of people have that with shoes like certain models. Just stop there. I think that was that was it for me. Boy can you do? Buy them up. So Like I said, it's a whole different story. I actually had a a new pair of Vaporfly 2 shipped to the house I was going to because I finally found 1 in my size because they, are pretty much sold out everywhere, and it got there the day after my race on Monday. So It's like, dang.

Coach Ruiari [00:40:26]: I really could've used that, that fresh fare.

Cory Nagler [00:40:30]: Yeah. That that's a good find. And maybe one other topic, Slightly related to the travel plans is if you're in a new city, if you absolutely love a pair, sometimes worth browsing if maybe you can get any special deals or Or different brands there, which I think is a great fun. Mhmm. One other topic I did wanna bring up on vacation is when to get in the runs. Oftentimes, you sometimes you can have pretty jam packed days and, like, unless you're lying on the beach, you probably have specific plans. Do you think it's better to Fit that in early in the day beforehand, or is it best afterwards so you're not worried about that early wake up?

Coach Ruiari [00:41:06]: For the most part, morning is gonna be best, maybe a family. They sleep in a little bit. You're staying up later, so you can catch that window. Me, not being a morning person, I'll do it really weird times. You know, sometimes there's that afternoon dead Space where people aren't really doing anything. There's a break between the activities. If I see, like, 30 minutes to an hour, I'll just go for a run. Like, people are just laying on the beach anyway.

Coach Ruiari [00:41:36]: Run barefoot. Like, if you have that window and maybe kids, someone's Watching the kids take advantage of that, get the miles in. And then I'm no stranger to running at night. I wouldn't always recommend it depending where you are, but Sometimes winding down, you can catch that window. So, like I said, something is better than nothing. So Whenever you can get some miles in, do it.

Cory Nagler [00:42:02]: Yeah. That's my preference as well. I think sometimes getting that sleep in is great, and if you need to miss a workout, happens on vacation, but I get makes it that much easier if you're not worried later in the day about getting it in. And sometimes depending how early you're waking up on your trip, It can be phenomenal to to see a sunrise.

Coach Ruiari [00:42:20]: Oh, great point. Yeah. Especially, man. Keep thinking about the beaches now. Yeah. Sun or sunrise on the beach. Incredible.

Cory Nagler [00:42:29]: Yeah. Yeah. You're gonna be excited. I have an upcoming trip to Cuba, and, now I'm looking forward to all my runs on the beach.

Coach Ruiari [00:42:34]: Oh, stellar. That's that's on my list. I hope you enjoy that.

Cory Nagler [00:42:39]: Thank you. Are are you more of a a beach or a treadmill runner when you're going over to a warm climate? Let's see. Beach, you know, I gotta admit, it's

Coach Ruiari [00:42:49]: a little overrated for running. I don't feel great on the beach more than a Couple miles, which is I don't know. I feel a little beat up. It's kind of slow. You're navigating the waves. I'd rather just Swim in the water or sit on the beach and run on it. So sometimes a treadmill is nice just to knock it out. You can Not worry about making wrong turns.

Coach Ruiari [00:43:13]: You know, if you're running elsewhere after you run through streets, just get it done. I keep going to a half hour. I'll always do, like, half hour minimum. Get what you can. Hop off it, and you're you're free to do whatever. So

Cory Nagler [00:43:27]: Yeah. I I think especially on vacation, the the treadmill can be super convenient, and it's, as you said, a more level surface. You reduce some of the risk of injury, and you maybe are not exposed to the as much if you're already gonna be out the whole day?

Coach Ruiari [00:43:40]: Yeah. It has it has a time and place for sure.

Cory Nagler [00:43:42]: Yep. Yeah. Absolutely. Zwory, I think we covered a lot of topics over the holiday season in just about how to balance your training with actually making sure that you're having fun, which I think is so important this time of year. For anyone listening who's who's still wondering, you know, how do I make sure that I strike that balance? What do you think are some of the most important takeaways?

Coach Ruiari [00:44:04]: Key takeaways. You know, I've touched on this. First, Give yourself permission to be flexible with it. Identify the key events, family events, that Nonnegotiables. People maybe the family members are gonna be mad if you skip that. Then you can build in around that the key workouts, Get the the harder speed workout done if possible. It may be a long run. Figure out which easy runs to skip or trim.

Coach Ruiari [00:44:35]: Then, finally, just have fun. You know, give yourself a few limits and boundaries, perhaps at the parties. But, you know, there's nothing wrong with indulging now and then, especially after a a long year of racing.

Cory Nagler [00:44:53]: Yeah. I love that. I think running is meant to be fun year round and especially during the holidays. So I think that the more that you can make sure that, It's a source of enjoyment and not a source of stress, all the better.

Coach Ruiari [00:45:05]: Well said.

Cory Nagler [00:45:06]: Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate it. Rory, this has been a great conversation, and I'm I'm so excited for this time of year and, and even getting in some of my runs after this. So thanks for joining me today.

Coach Ruiari [00:45:18]: Oh, no problem, Corey. It was awesome. Wishing you happy holidays and safe travels to, everyone listening.

Cory Nagler [00:45:26]: Awesome. Thank you so much, and, same to you. Happy holidays. Thanks.

Finn Melanson [00:45:45]: Thanks for listening to the Run to the Top podcast. I'm your host, Finn Melancon. As Always our mission here is to help you become a better runner with every episode. Please consider connecting with me on Instagram at Wasatch Finn and the rest of our team at Runners connect, also consider supporting our show for free with a rating on the Spotify and Apple Podcast players. And lastly, if you love the show and want bonus content, Behind the scenes experiences with our guests and premier access to contests and giveaways, then subscribe to our newsletter by going to runnersconnect.net backslash podcast. Until next time, happy trading.