Two weeks ago my hubs, extended family and I loaded our cars and headed to Florida. In past Vacay Chronicles I’ve told you about my attempt at self-care (successful!) and being on Phase I of the South Beach Diet. Today I’ll post about maintaining my training schedule while on vacation and while on said Phase I.
In a word, it was tough with a Capital T. Those familiar with South Beach Phase I know that no fruit, grains or starchy veggies (farewell, sweet corn) are allowed. Carbs supply energy needed during workouts. Without them I felt depleted. So if I’d planned to train, why not skip Phase I and move directly to Phase II? When I decided to try South Beach for 100 days I made a commitment to myself that I would follow the plan to the letter without letting it interfere with restaurant choices or any other aspect of my lifestyle. (While in FL I even ate at Olive Garden and skipped the pasta.) I’m considering this an experiment after all.
While Florida is known for heat and humidity (sorta like Nashville, where I live), the week we were there was unseasonably hot. Heat + humidity + extremely low carb food plan = Danger, danger, Will Robinson.
While there I went on three runs, two formal swim sessions (one was open water) and two sessions on a stationary bike. I also had three weight lifting sessions in the condo’s gym. By far, the running sessions were the most tortuous. Due to the heat and my fatigue level I was going about two and a half minutes per mile SLOWER than usual. And I cut my distances. The day I planned to run eight miles, I waved the white flag after 6.58. The two days I was going to run four miles, I said “fugetaboutit” after three and a half. I felt pretty light headed. Not fun.
The weight lifting sessions went well. The stationary bike was no big deal, after all I was inside. The swim session in the pool felt fantastic. The open water swim was…well…eventful. More on that in my next (and final) Vacation Chronicle.
The South Beach Diet creator recommends about 20 minutes of walking each day. In short, I now see it wasn’t wise to train vigorously while following Phase I. Please shoot me if I ever talk about doing that phase again. If I ever feel the need to do that phase again, I’ll plan to drastically cut back on my exercise plan.
So what about you? Do you like to exercise while on vacation or do you prefer to take a break from your routine?
482gr8 