The summer holidays, a time to relax, get a tan, maybe go on a trip somewhere. Rest is just as important as exercise, if not more important, I would never force myself to train if I was feeling exhausted. I have to admit, it is very tempting to just lie by the pool all day every day on holiday but there are lots of ways to keep your body happy and moving while still having a relaxing and enjoyable holiday.
In April this year, my pal Ant and I went to Copenhagen, Denmark, for a long weekend. What you sometimes don’t realise is that when you are exploring a new place you tend to walk very far indeed. On one day, my phone recorded that we walked 15 miles. Exploring is very active stuff. One great way to get the most out of a place is to take part in a ‘free’ walking tour. These tours operate by the guides being tipped what you felt the tour was worth at the end of it, because of this, they really go all out to make your tour as interesting and exciting as possible. Most European cities have this style of walking tour.
We wanted to go and visit the Little Mermaid statue whilst in Copenhagen but it was a little way out from the centre so we decided to run there. When I told my family and friends that we had been on a run the reaction was generally of horror and dismay… “but you’re on holiday why would you go for a run?!” Well spare me the judgement would you please. We didn’t go on a “run” per say, how do you even define a run?
We donned our running trainers and headed out towards the Little Mermaid. En route we saw lots of cafes and restaurants, some of which we stopped to read the menu. We saw people, dogs (it automatically slows me down if I see a cute dog), beautiful flowers, buildings – your mind picks out the most interesting things when you’re going past at a pace. I stopped SO many times to take pictures, read information signs and decide which way to go next. Apparently, your memories of surroundings whilst running are your most vivid memories because of the increased oxygen flow to your brain (this is according to my Dad). We were a little bit short for time but if we had more time we would definitely have bought an ice cream and sat on the rocks by the Little Mermaid. There is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy your surroundings whilst running along. There are no rules which say you must not stop, you must run a set distance, you can’t walk and talk about something you’ve just seen. Running should be fun and I find it such a fun way to explore a new place.
Em x
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