Keeping fit on holiday

This week I am revisiting the scene of my London Marathon in April of last year. Strange how this race took place on 21 April and only a week later my country of birth South Africa celebrated Freedom Day on 27 April. Seems as if that was a big two weeks for celebrations.

Having another break out here, my thoughts and discussions this evening turned to how to not lose too much fitness on a holiday and what is the most effective method of doing this.

Science tells us that it takes at least two weeks to start to lose fitness and so any holiday of that length or shorter shouldn't result in loss of fitness, provided you are not wolfing down mass loads of cheeseburgers and booze.

Sure fire workouts to ensure that fitness levels are maintained are the following:

1. 8x400m at 5k pace with jogs Of about a minute inbetween.
2. 20 minute fartlek (Mona fartlek - named after Steve Moneghetti). Start with a warmup of 3k, then 90seconds hard, 90 seconds float (x2), then 60 seconds hard, 60 seconds float (x4); 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds float (x4) and 15 seconds hard, 15 seconds float (x4). Conclude with 3k warmdown.

Both these are tough workouts and will tax you. But they will also ensure your fitness stays high when performed once or twice while on holiday.

So no matter whether you are away for a week or three these workouts will help you.

Running together (while maintaining fitness on holiday), stride for stride on a life changing ride!