Get your towels ready.  It’s about to go down!  Forget land, you’re on a boat (be advised there are some curse words in the link to this song but it’s still funny nonetheless)!  You’ve got your swim trunks and your flippy floppies but make sure you bring your training plan and make some extra copies…in case there’s a dolphin splashing and getting everything all wet or something.

As summer approaches you may have plans to travel on a cruise boat.  I know, you never thought you’d be on a boat but this is as real as it gets.  Just as real as maintaining your running habits and training prowess.  It can be difficult to keep up with your running while vacationing on a cruise boat.  Not only do you have less time and less surface area to run on but you also have all the food you can eat, 24 hours a day.  I suggest you take advantage of the abundant food and making sure you offset it by continuing to run your training plan.  Here are some ways to help you do that:

Run at Port:  This makes sense right?  You are traveling on a cruise boat so you can visit a different places so why not take your own running tour?  Typically the areas closest to cruise boat ports are geared toward tourist so get off the beaten track and get a real feel for the area and the culture.  However, be very careful.  Do not run alone.  Run the whole time and do not stop in area where there are no other people around.  Do not run at night.  Unfortunately cruise port areas typically have high crime rates.

All Feet on the Deck:  Most cruise boats have a small track on one of the upper decks.  It is usually about 1/4 of a normal track loop so be prepared to do a lot of rotations.  A great running work out I came up with so I didn’t have to do as much distance on the small track is called the Starboard Sprint.  It is an interval run in which you sprint when you are running straight into the wind and then jog the rest of the loop.  It’s a great work out and it allows you to enjoy the cool sea breeze.  Finally you can use trade winds to your advantage!  Toss your head back and forth, let your hair down, and extend your arms straight out like Leo for full effect.

Treadmill:  More like dreadmill…seriously though, it is a viable option to keep training when you’re on a cruise boat; however, it isn’t the same as running on a treadmill on stable land.  The boat has a lot of movement which can make it difficult.  Try running on it at times when the boat is not swaying very much; like when it is close to port.

Get your run in and maintain your figure and training while on vacation.  After your run sit back and relax.  Take a picture.  You’re on a boat!  Like Kevin Garnett, anything is possible!