Becca's Running Adventures

In October 2018, I headed to Majorca for my very first running holiday. I had won this trip as a prize for being voted the female ASICS FrontRunner of the year in 2017. I had no idea what to expect. I was so excited but also had so many questions, like would I be able to keep up? What would the trip entail? How much running would there be? Would I make friends? It is always daunting trying anything new, however I found this trip anything but scary and came back with a renewed focus, you can catch up on my ASICS trip on my dedicated blogpost.

I definitely can’t wait for my next trip. I am really excited to be travelling to the South of France this summer as I have been gifted a place with Albera Expeditions as part of a collaboration. I can’t wait for mountains, fresh air, sunshine and good food. A running holiday is truly a great way to escape, enjoy some time training and forget about work, anxiety or stresses of daily life. Even though you spend a lot of time being active you come back feeling more refreshed and revitalised. I honestly recommend everyone tries some form of active travel or active holiday at some point! So here are my top 10 reasons to try your first running holiday…..

1. You learn a lot about yourself: it sounds so cliché but it’s true. I’ve learned how I’m much more resilient than I ever imagined and how quickly I can adapt to being away from home on my own. I think travelling on your own makes you realise how blessed you really are. And in terms of my longer goals I’ve learned that I want to incorporate more trail running into my training.
2. Mountains give you mental clarity. Spending endless days running and exploring really allows you to escape. You are so busy and so stimulated that there is no danger of your mind wandering onto work, checking your emails and the only time you’ll use your phone is to take amazing photos to share with your friends and family (if you can get phone signal at all). It is a total digital detox and a true opportunity to switch off and forget life’s stresses.
3. You get a chance to try more than running. There’s often yoga, hiking, swimming, cycling, functional fitness and more. It’s a great chance to step outside your comfort zone, and if all the fitness gets too much, the food tends to be excellent! And you certainly earned it!
4. It’s important to have adventures and try new experiences. You’ve never too old, too busy or too anything. It is so important to enjoy life and experience different cultures, meet new people and explore the beautiful planet we live on. In Majorca I made friends for life and saw a whole new side to the Island, one I never imagined existed. I now can’t wait to explore the South of France, I’ve always dreamed of the mountains and views beyond belief.
5. Fresh air and sunshine. Escape the pollution and breathe in the fresh mountain air, it is good for the soul and your health! Get some sun on your skin and enjoy all the much needed vitamin D after winter.
6. It’s a great way to add variety to your training programme. You can explore a completely new training ground and run/exercise in ways you’d never be able to at home.
7. It is an opportunity to make time for your training. No forcing yourself into a packed gym after work, no cramming a yoga session into your lunch break, you can enjoy long sunny days of training and evenings of stretching.
8. You’ll sleep better. No need to worried about tiredness or fatigue. The fresh air, sunshine, long days outside, relief from stress and good food really help you get some decent quality sleep. Despite the hectic range of activities, I came back from Majorca feeling more physically and mentally refreshed, with more energy and less anxiety.
9. It will inspire you. Having the chance to dedicate a week to running made me realise what my goals are and what I want from my running. You can actually dream, and set plans to make those dreams happen, before reality kicks in.
10. To say you did it. Not because of the bragging rights (although I’m sure you’ll be telling everyone about it for years after) but because you can say to yourself…. I did that, and treasure the memories forever.

So there you have it! Writing this has made me feel even more excited for June. If you have any questions about a running holiday, pop them in the comments below as I’ll be doing an FAQs of what a running holiday is in the coming weeks!