Staying on Track During Vacation

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Long holiday weekends are coming up, and summer vacation time is almost upon us! That means lots of 3-Dayers will be taking trips with family and friends in the next few months. With our first 3-Day less than 16 weeks away, though, you may want to keep up with your training no matter where you are. A week or more off from your training plan could make those 60 miles even tougher, and if you have been training with a group, you will want to stay on their schedule, too. We want to make your 3-Day journey enjoyable and pain-free! With that in mind, we have tips for making the most of your vacation and your 3-Day training, all at once!

Pick your location wisely

This doesn’t mean you have to limit your vacation destinations tothe mountains or trails, although those do sound fun! There are also lots of great active cities that pride themselves on being hubs for metro-biking, have lots of fun walking trails and sites within city limits, or are the home of iconic parks with plenty of outdoor spaces.

If you do choose a city-spot, try to pick a hotel near a trail, park, or one with a great gym so it’s easy to get your steps in. Or, plan part of your vacation around a wellness retreat. From yoga to hiking and beyond, there are plenty of hotels and destinations that cater to creating an active vacation.

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Set reasonable goals

To set yourself up for success, you need to be realistic in your planning. Look at your itinerary for the vacation, and plan your training accordingly. For example, if you have an early call time for a walking tour of the city, use that as your daily walk instead of struggling to get up even earlier than you must. On the flip side, if there’s an activity or outing planned that you’re not crazy about, don’t feel bad taking some time for yourself to go on a bike ride and get your blood pumping.

Above all, don’t plan on training more than you do normally at home. Vacations should always be relaxing and rejuvenating!

Make it an early morning

The early morning is a wonderful time to take a walk and explore your chosen destination. If you’re traveling in a group, it gives you some time just to yourself and (literally) will help start your day off on the right foot. You might also discover a local hidden gem to take your travel-mates to later!

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Get everyone involved

Another way to make sure you stick to your goals is to get your traveling buddies on the training game with you! Plan to walk to dinner or one of the local tourist attractions instead of cabbing, or get them pumped to hit the trail with you to see the sights. Get everyone on the same page with the same daily step goal. The more people you have around you to get stepping with, and the more people you have to hold you accountable, the more fun the work out will be!

It’s all about the destination

They say that it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey, but we must disagree! To keep yourself motivated, set destinations or goals for each one of your work outs. For example, if you wear a fitness tracker, give yourself a goal number of steps to take each day, so you will know to squeeze in a work out before dinner if you’re not close to your goal. Or set a physical destination for your outdoor walk, bike or hike. Pick a landmark, a coffee shop you had wanted to try, or even an arbitrary end point, and don’t stop until you get there!

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Give yourself a break

Leave a few work-out free days throughout your vacation, especially if it’s a longer one. You don’t want to burn out or begin to resent your training time. Stay on track for your goals without going overboard, and you will return from your trip ready to hit the trail with renewed energy and drive.

How do you train or stay motivated while on vacation? Tell us in the comments!

REMINDER: The health, safety and training information contained in this blog post, or otherwise provided to you in connection with your participation in the 3-Day, is not intended to replace or be construed as medical advice and any such information is not a substitute for seeking medical advice or treatment from your medical provider. Before starting any exercise program or following any recommendations, advice or other instructions regarding training for the 3-Day or any athletic event, you should first consult a physician and have a physical examination.

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60 Miles, 101 Pounds: Meet Rhonda of the Seattle 3-Day

Beyond the incredible impact your steps and fundraising make toward fighting breast cancer on the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, one of the perks of walking is the gift of fitness. With a dedicated training schedule and long walks, many Komen 3-Day walkers find themselves enjoying a healthier, fitter version of themselves.

And sometimes, that healthier, fitter “you” comes with an extraordinary story. Meet Rhonda, from Maple Valley, Washington, a first-time Seattle walker on Team Tracy. Through her training and preparation for the 3-Day®, Rhonda has lost a remarkable lost 101 pounds. “This is more than just my weight loss story,” said Rhonda. Rhonda decided to make a change when she saw her son was also struggling with his weight, and was being bullied in school. Education was their first step: Rhonda and her son went and saw a nutritionist, and they went to a class to learn about portion sizes, healthy eating, and fitness. “I set a goal every month to change my life. The first goal was to not drink carbonated drinks. I switched over to water and I probably lost 20 pounds off of that goal alone. As I started losing weight I started gaining energy, so I would go for walks,” she said. As Rhonda began to walk, she also began to fall in love with fitness. “The walks were so therapeutic for me that there were times I had to call my daughter and say “It’s too dark, can you come and get me?”

Rhonda lost 65 pounds, and then found herself at a stopping point as she became comfortable with her changing body. However, somebody made fun of her, and Rhonda found new motivation from that experience. “I went and lost another 20 or 30 pounds, and I was still on the downward trend, and then my boyfriend asked me to marry him. I thought, I gotta lose more weight!” As Rhonda kept losing weight, she also began to really get in shape, noting that when you lose weight, it’s not about just dropping the pounds, it’s also about toning and adjusting to a newer, healthier you.

Rhonda has always wanted to do the 3-Day. “My mom is a double survivor, and my stepmom is a survivor. I always wanted to do the 3-Day but I was never in shape for it,” she said. Rhonda had wanted to do the 3-Day last year but was on vacation, so 2014 was the perfect time to enjoy her first 60-mile adventure. “I’m having a blast!” she said.

Before and After photo courtesy of Rhonda: Rhonda’s ‘Before’ was 86 pounds ago, and she’s lost another 15 since the “After” was taken.

She admits that in addition to adopting healthy habits like eating right, getting enough sleep, drinking water, and exercise, a large part of her success came from hope and believing in herself. She has a tattoo on her wrist that says ‘Believe’ in a lovely black script, and Rhonda said, “When I’m doing planks and I want to give up, I look at my tattoo. Everybody always asks me, ‘believe’ in what? And the answer is myself, or my son, or my daughter, or the tooth fairy. Always believe.”

What advice can Rhonda offer to somebody who is also looking to make a change to their weight? “A lot of people give up because their diet doesn’t work out. It took me six months to lose my first pound. It was six months of changing everything, and I did it the right way. It wasn’t a gimmick or a pill. Because I taught myself to be healthy, I’ve been able to keep healthy. Don’t give up hope.”

Rhonda’s hope, belief, and endurance transformed her life, but her life wasn’t the only one whose changed. Her son ended up also making healthier lifestyle habits, and is no longer bullied. “He tells me every day, ‘Mom, you changed my life’.”

Part 7 of the ABC’s of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day

Welcome to the final part of the ABC’s of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day^®! This special alphabet is made up of 26 people, places or things you’ll encounter on the Komen 3-Day. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Part 1 (Letters A – D), Part 2 (Letters E – H), Part 3 (Letters I – L), Part 4 (Letters M – P), Part 5 (Letters Q-T), and Part 6 (Letters U – W). Do you have ideas for letters you don’t see here? Share your ideas for each letter here on the 3-Day blog or with us on Facebook. You can also help us spread the word about the 3-Day^® by pinning these images on Pinterest, or sharing the ABC’s of the 3-Day album on Facebook. The more people who learn about the 3-Day, the more we can make a difference in the fight to end breast cancer forever.

Enjoy exercising and walking 60 miles in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day.

Training for the 3-Day by walking counts as plenty of exercise, but we also recommend that you incorporate cross-training into your exercise regimen as well. Doing a wide variety of exercise will ensure you are prepared for your 3-Day experience.

Young Women Walking Susan G. Komen 3-Day End Breast Cancer

Young Women Walking or YW², is a special team of 16 to 23 year-old women who raise $750 each, walk one day of the 3-Day event and are critical in helping us spread awareness about breast cancer. Learn more at The3Day.org/yw2.

The 3-Day Blog

Tag Archives: exercise

Staying on Track During Vacation

60 Miles, 101 Pounds: Meet Rhonda of the Seattle 3-Day

Part 7 of the ABC’s of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day