I travel a lot for work. I often get asked how I fit in a run while I am away.

Running when you are traveling for work or vacation can be a problem if you don’t head out with a plan. My first bit of advice to all of you Cub Scouts out there is:”Be Prepared”. If you have ever seen my suitcase when I travel for business, you are either my wife or a creepy stalker. Hoping you are not a stalker, I will let you in on what I pack. If I am going to be gone for 3 days, you can bet I have 4-6 pairs of running shorts, 6 pairs of running socks, my Garmin watch (And Charger), sunglasses, a hat in case it rains, Gloves or foul weather gear depending on the time of year, and 3-4 technical tops (Adidas like the rest of my running gear, of course. :). It may seem like over kill to the average person, but to me, it just shows I am serious about getting my run in. Then if I have any more room, I throw in work clothes. Essentially, I am prepared to run, and look pretty darn good. I always check the weather of the city I will be traveling to in order to make sure I am bringing the correct clothes.

Now that I have no excuse not to, all I need now is a place to run.

Coming to a new town, at first, left me wondering where to run. But now each new town gives me a chance to find a sweet new course. It is tough getting into a new town and not having any idea where to get out for a great run, especially since most hotels are on busy streets. Here are a few things I have done that have helped me get my run in while I am out on the road.

• With hotel rooms getting bigger and bigger I have been able to move the bed into the middle of the room and do laps. In your typical hotel room, it is somewhere around 1,372 laps per mile. The bathroom is just steps away and water is always with in reach. But unless you have named your children, “Run”, “Run Harder”, “Running harder than Run Harder”, or “Not hard running harder that Running Harder than Run Harder”, this may be a little too hard core.
• Whenever I fly into a new city, or any city for that matter, my face is smashed against the plane window as I look down on the city to find, paths, country or dirt roads where I can run. I have actually found quite a few great runs this way. Or if I am driving, you can bet with in 20 miles of the city I am looking all over for cool runs. So many cities, now, have running or bike paths if you just look for them. Places to run are all over the place if you just look.
• Now for all of you fans of that World Wide Web www.usatf.org/routes also has tons of runs. Depending on where you are headed, you could end up with more runs than you would care to read about. With Satellite pictures maps of each course, you can get a pretty good look at the run before you go. And if you find your own run, share the wealth and add it to the website.
• Like I said earlier, a lot of cities have been putting bike/ running paths in. Most will go through the major parks. I try to find the parks when I am in a new city, and many times that is where I can park my car to start a run. Many times these paths will follow a river, and offer shade, and oft times drinking fountains as well.
• Unless you are in the Bates Motel, your hotel should have a treadmill. I know for most runners this is a last resort. But better to run on a treadmill than not run at all. Oh who am I kidding, it’s better to be punched in the gut, really hard, than not run at all. This will also give you a chance to watch late night re-runs of “Saved by The Bell” while you run too.
• If the city has a running store, as most big cities do, you can always stop in for some routes. I am sure they have at least a handful of runs up their sleeves that they would love to tell you about.

Now that I have given you some of the best ideas you will hear in the next 25 minutes, you have no excuse to miss out on your runs while on the road. And maybe your travels will not only be seen as a necessity for work, but also an opportunity to find great new places to run. Maybe I’ll see you out on a run in Hicklemaster, Montana.

By Brad Anderson – Inspirational Runner | Has raced from the front & the back of the pack | Voted “Most Comical Sense of Humor” by UtahRunning.com