Keeping running fitness going while on vacation can be a challenge, but making it a priority and incorporating it into your overall travel plan will at least give you a fighting chance. If you’re lucky like me, your peeps will be supportive and understanding of your need to at least log a few miles every day.

Before packing up our car yesterday, I knocked out a quick 3 miles in our neighborhood, even though I had a bazillion and one things to do to get ready. It may not seem like much, but those few miles gave me an extra sense of Zen while riding in the car for 3 1/2 hours as we headed to Palm Springs.

Eating healthy while traveling can also be a challenge. I packed our family lots of healthy snacks for the road like snap peas, carrots and strawberries, but somehow we all migrated to the not-so-healthy salty popcorn. I guess that’s part of the fun of being on vacation though, right? That’s just one more reason to make running a priority.

Day One of Our Trip: Palm Springs North Lykken Trail

For my first run on our vacation, I kept it short and sweet. I was already sweating bullets at 7:30 this morning when my husband and daughter dropped me off at the North Lykken Trailhead, as the temperature had already reached 90 degrees. I knew I was getting a late start, but when you’re on vacay, sometimes you just have to roll with it. I loaded up my Camelbak Flashflo with 50 ounces of water and electrolytes and set out.

The North Lykken Trail isn’t a long one (only a couple miles), but it’s steep with lots of rocks to scramble over, especially on the way down. My daughter snapped this picture of me as I headed up the trail.

Here it flattened out a bit before getting steep again.

This is some of the gorgeous red rocks and desert landscape that I got to run along this morning. Never mind the wildfire that is blazing on the mountains in the Morongo Valley in the distance. Thankfully the smoke didn’t head our way at this point.

Here I am near the top, trying not to overheat. Below is the town of Palm Springs and the windmill farm in the background.

Near the top, I came across this sign. I don’t think I’ll be trying this Long Valley trail quite yet–at least while the temperature is still scorching. I drank 50 ounces in the span of just a couple of miles and still felt overheated. Thankfully I had a swimming pool and a frozen latte waiting for me after I finished (it’s vacation after all, right?). The temperature reached 118 degrees today and it’s supposed to be the same tomorrow. Regardless, I’m already looking forward to my next run. Until then….

Happy Trails!
xo Becky