Polly's Race Checklist (.pdf)
Simple Travel Tips
By Haven Barnes
Competition is a great excuse to travel the country and the world. As well, traveling the country and the world is a great excuse to compete! Many of us as endurance athletes look through the magazines and on the internet and drool over the races in exotic lands and wish we could try them all. Now, financially that might not be the best plan, but space them out. Try traveling to one race a year, bring the family, stay for a few days after the race. Choose the most appealing place to experience, consult with the family, gather your funds and plan the trip.
Once you have a trip planned and your tickets booked, comes the part we all have distaste for…. the hassle of getting there. Below you will find some tips to make your trip a bit smoother and more enjoyable.
Make A Checklist
In the hustle and bustle of trying to prepare for a race, pack for a trip, organize the family and sleep at night it is easy to forget something important. By making a checklist you can eliminate the thoughts of "I feel like I'm forgetting something" as you drive to the airport.
Check out Polly’s Race Checklist to give you get you started.
Pack Light
The less unnecessary things you can bring on a trip, the happier you will be hauling your bags through the airport, trains, rental cars and hotel lobbies. The key to this is being content with recycling your clothing during the trip. Don't be afraid to wear the same clothes several times. After all, you'll never see these people again in your life! Besides, they probably won't even notice.
Placement Is Key
Which bag you choose to put things in is important not only for security, but also for the easement or pre-race worries. Your carry-on bag should contain anything you'll need for the flight, your valuables (cameras, sunglasses, jewelry, etc.), and the pure necessities for your race. In the event that your bags don't show up on time, or at all, you want to make sure you have the items that cannot be purchased last minute. Racing flats, racing uniform, cycling shoes and pedals, if that is part of your race. Most other items can be purchased or borrowed in the case of emergency (yes, even a bicycle)! Obviously, air travel these days involves stricter rules for carry on items, so don’t carry anything of great importance that you suspect might be on the Restricted List. If in doubt, ask!
Take Care Of Your Body
Airplanes wreak havoc on a body that is ready to race. The altitude, general lack of sleep and the minimal fluids and food provided by the airlines do not make flying conducive for "resting" before a race. As we all know, whenever we travel there seems to be a lack of proper sleep the night before we leave. If you're like me you figure, "I'll just sleep on the plane". Right. That is not always the easiest thing to do. Especially with crying babies, bumpy flights and drink carts banging your elbows. Earplugs are a great start, as well as a small pillow, sweatshirt or jacket to rest your head on. A window seat is ideal for rest, although your neighbors may not be too happy if you are hydrating properly!
- Bring your own water container. The airlines tiny cups of water or juice will not cut it on any flight. Try to bring a water bottle or two with you to hydrate. Not many things will dehydrate you faster than a 2+ hour plane flight. While you are making your trips to the bathroom, that is also a great time to stretch out your legs. Take your time.
- Leave the air vent off. There are many germs that people bring onto planes with them and as gross as it is, the air you are breathing is recycled. The air vents are blowing everyone else's cough, sneeze and burp right onto you. As a trained athlete your immune system is a bit lower most of the time, so those germs can be the end of a great taper.
- Buy compression socks. Some of you may have experienced the typical swollen lower leg and feet problem with flying. You may have noticed when you go to put your shoes on at the end of the flight and they barely fit! The best solution for this is compression socks. These are just below knee-high socks that are tight from the ankle up. This keeps the blood flow in the lower leg to a minimum while you fly. Your legs will feel much better upon landing.
Traveling to do a race can be a wonderful experience. Preparing correctly can make the experience of traveling to race much more enjoyable and stress free. In following some of these hints you may find yourself wanting to do many more races around the world and country. Have fun!
By Haven Barnes
