Traveling for Racing with Dating in Mind: What to pack?

On the Road Again

Having traveled to 34 states and 11 different countries, I understand that travel can be a little stressful. There's a lot you can do to make your travel experience as smooth as possible. There will always be variables outside anyone's control, but that's just part of the adventure.

Here are some pro-tips for racing and dating followed by general travel tips that have evolved over the years. Don't be intimidated! Many recommendations are optional. Don't feel like you have to complete the exhaustive list to drive a couple of hours to a race. This list aims to help the most adventurous and far-away destination racers, and it's what works for me!

Racing & Dating Travel Prep List

Dating and racing prep have a lot in common. The comparison might not be obvious at first, but the packing list for traveling to races lends itself well to dating prep.

Protection from an inhospitable environment

Racing: Poncho/hat, Sunscreen - SPF for face and lips

Dating: Condoms

Friction

Racing: Liquid skin, body glide, petroleum jelly, body tape

Dating: your lube of choice

Entertainment
Racing: Headphones to listen to music while you run

Dating: Headphones to watch a movie or listen to a book/podcast while traveling so you have something fresh to discuss

Care for 'Down There'

Racing: Personal fresh wipes for unexpected GI issues on the run

Dating: Personal fresh wipes for unexpected but welcome occasions to share a moment

Recovery

Racing: Mineral salts for a post-race recovery bath & swimsuit for any available hot-tubbing

Dating: Consider sharing the bath & hot-tubbing could be a great date activity, so pack the cute swimsuit and don't be shy to find out whose hotel has a hot tub

Hydration

Racing: Electrolyte tablets and soft-sided water bottle for carrying electrolyte drink

Dating: If you imbibe in alcoholic beverages, you'll want to replenish your electrolytes post-race as well to ensure you aren't depleted; consider a mixed cocktail with electrolyte drink as the base

Hair Removal

For non-runners, you may not have considered bikini line or armpit friction as a potential source for aggravation, but anything touching the skin for 26.2 miles has the potential to create havoc. That's why I prefer to keep those areas smooth. This also happens to be a visually pleasing way to maintain the areas for surprise hot tubbing, or other extra curricular activities with dates. Exfoliate well prior to waxing and then schedule removal about 1 week from race day. That way, come race day, everything is in shape for go-time...whatever that may mean for you. :)

If you're a do-it-yourselfer, you may want to create your own wax routine; in that case, I recommend this hard wax.

Other Must-haves and Pro-tips for Travel

• Solid shampoo and conditioner

Particularly if you're taking liquid or gel fuel through TSA for racing, you have very minimal liquid allowance for toiletries. Often, lodging supplies some shampoo/conditioner and body wash as well, so packing the solid version allows you to have a backup without taking up precious liquid real estate. Opt for a 3/1 bar for even further space economy.

Lush has a great selection, and you can try them in-store to test lather-ability, fragrance, and see sizing. They were my first choice 20 years ago when I first began traveling abroad with solid shampoo/conditioner when I stayed in hostels without luxuries like liquid soaps. Here's a good alternative I've used.

• Wet wipes for cleaning hands on-the-go

Do you want to know the quickest way to get sick while traveling? Touch your face or eat snacks without first washing your hands. If you're traveling, you do not want to get sick and you certainly don't want to race sick. Airports and public transportation are dirty. Do yourself a favor and keep wet wipes accessible on your person at all times so you don't pick up something to ruin your trip.

• Fuel/snacks

For any lengthy endeavor, whether it's racing or traveling, you're going to get hungry...and for many of us that may mean less ability to remain alert, it may even make you HANGRY. So, keep a few snacks on-hand (like Cliff Bars) to ensure that in a desperate moment, you can sustain yourself until you get a more suitable meal.

For car travel, I keep a snack basket with disposable cutlery, small packets of seasoning, a wine key, and chip clips in case of impromptu picnics. I love a good picnic. If you prepare for it, it will happen.

Race fuel - bring what you're accustomed to using during training because you may not be able to get that specific brand where you're traveling. When I raced in England, for example, it would have been impossible to find my fuel in stores, and it would have been cheaper to check a bag for my fuel than ship a box in advance (and wasteful as I wouldn't need an entire box of fuel for a single race!). So, plan to take fuel with you as the main liquid you pack, and make sure it's in a TSA-approved bag/size.

• Pill organizer for supplements and daily meds you may need

I also like to put some ibuprofen in my pill organizer for post-race aches, melatonin for pre-race sleeplessness, and electrolytes for race day

• White noise machine

New sounds are often the enemy of a good night's sleep, so I like to travel with a very compact, rechargeable white noise machine

• Multi-USB accessory for all your USB charging accessories

I like to pack all my cords and a multi-USB converter together in a small bag and keep the cables in a personal carry-on in case of travel delay so they're always easy to find and access

• Multi-country plug converter

One converter transforms for many locations; it's compact and you always know what to pack no matter what each country's outlets look like

• Passport

Also keep a photo of your passport on your phone and a color printed copy with you in case your passport would get lost; travel with the printed copy within the country you're visiting and keep the passport itself securely at your lodging.

• Cash & Credit
• It's nice to have small bills on-hand for tipping Bellhops, taxi drivers, and other service professionals. It's also a good idea to keep a slightly larger amount (enough cash for a couple of days' worth of expenses) in a safe place not on your person, perhaps in the room safe. If your wallet gets lost or stolen and you don't have credit card access, this emergency cash may come in handy until you can get a replacement.
• In general, plan to use your credit card as the main source of payment as it will simplify the process of converting funds for you, or you can accrue travel points if your credit card has that feature. Check your credit card's conversion policy to ensure you don't incur additional fees for international transactions.
• If you use the digital wallet feature of your phone, you can even leave your credit card in your purse/wallet and just use your phone at many restaurants and stores. This is super convenient post-race when you won't have your full wallet.
• Important papers:
• RX for any refills for lost meds
• Photo copy of travel insurance
• Photo copy of medical insurance
• Color photo copy of passport/ID
• Apps for travel
• Navigation
• If your phone has international data, use the maps you're most used to - Google maps, Apple maps, Waze - some will be less popular and thus have less data depending on location
• MAPS.ME - $ provides offline maps for any countries where data isn't available
• Public transportation app for your country/city
• Moovit is a good app for multi-carrier options
• Uber/Lyft apps are good to have available for US-travel
• When traveling internationally, have your hotel call you a car or look up well-established taxis - it is not considered safe in many places to use non-sanctioned taxis or ride share
• Airline carrier app for your trip
• Check in to your flight as soon as you can (24 hours ahead) and download the mobile boarding pass to the digital wallet on your phone for quick and easy access on-the-go
• Sign up for text updates so you know of any delays
• You'll save money on many discount carriers by using the paperless options
• Parking apps for your destination
• Spot Hero works in the U.S. in addition to city/public parking apps
• CBP MPC (Official App of the US Customs and Border Protection - Mobile Passport Control)
• Travel apps to keep your reservations at-hand or to rebook unexpectedly
• Expedia
• Kayak
• Hotels.com/Booking.com
• AirBnB
• VRBO
• Notes app
• Keep offline lists of important details so you aren't searching for public wifi to sift through email confirmations when you arrive at your destination: Prepare a list of phone numbers with booking reservations/confirmation numbers and addresses in advance

International Travel Add'l Considerations

1. CDC has a list of recommended vaccines that you'll want to review well in advance as many vaccines require a series of shots over the course of months. Visit their site to find out the recommendations and read other health travel tips.
2. The State Department has a program called the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to register travelers with the nearest embassy while traveling and provide updates that may be relevant to the area of travel.
3. Traveler's Insurance - in addition to cancellation and unexpected travel delay coverage, many travel insurance policies also provide some level of health and auto insurance coverage. For expensive trips in particular, having travel insurance is a good investment worth considering. If you buy a policy with auto coverage, remember to print it to show the rental agency.
4. If you plan to drive internationally, check to see if your destination requires an international driver's license.
5. If you plan to use some international cash/currency, use an ATM in-country as it will dispense the currency for your location; no need to go to a separate currency exchange. You can get your daily max out to reduce the number of times you incur the ATM fee.

Shoes & Wardrobe

First and foremost - I keep my running shoes and gear in a carry-on bag. If you do check a bag and it gets lost with your tried-and-true running gear in it, you will not be happy. So, avoid that scenario and keep the most important gear with you at all times along with your important papers, medicines, and anything hard to replace like contact lenses.

Then, pack with versatile occasions in mind. All shoes should be walkable. Always pack at least 1 extra pair of socks and underthings. Plan to reuse outfit components and even to use the same travel outfit for both travel to and from the destination, and don't forget if you're traveling for a long time you may have the option to do laundry while you're there (travel laundry sheets are great for this!). Do not pack an outfit per day! If you're traveling for a race, remember you may get a shirt in your race packet or at the expo. Plan to wear things twice. Think versatility.

Overall, the more you travel, the easier it gets. You'll acquire travel versions of things that always stay with your bag (like extra chargers, travel sound machine, and so on), and it becomes second nature. Remember, it's supposed to be fun, so even though I've provided a lot of information here, the ultimate goal is to enjoy yourself, be safe, and do what works for you.

Do you have travel tips I should know about or share with others? Comment below!

Think you'd make a good travel companion for me? DM me and let's chat!

XOXO,

T