Laps and Laps of Entertaining Fun!!

Where can you run where you are not sure if you are running up hill, down hill, or even a tad to the left and right? Just when you think you have speed behind you and you are flying’ on a straight away and in a split second you are climbing a huge unexpected hill and kind of doing a bit of a side step!! I am talking about putting in some miles on a cruise.

I am back and still trying to run in a straight line!!! I had a sunny fabulous time. (No I am not being braggadocious. I am just trying to hang onto the vacation attitude a little longer!!) So, our first day was an “at sea” day, and I kicked it off by participating in the Carnival Spirit 13.1.. Okay I was the only participant. Oh, and I kind of just made it up!!! Hey, but being the only participate and not telling anyone else on the ship, made it super easy for me to take a huge first place!!! The best part was that I was the overall winner, and not just in my age division!! (Yep! I’m a dork, but the win felt great!)

So, I am going to have to tell you that running on a cruise ship is actually one of my favorite places to run. Not because I am on vacation or in the sunshine, but those two things help for sure I think!!! It is just a different challenge that is fun to take on. I know it is crazy, because it is very similar to running on a track, but you get to run more laps. I do have to say that I do like the ships with the large running decks opposed to the small track that you have to run around 15 times for a mile. I don’t know about you but, 15 laps just kind of makes me want to jump overboard quite a bit. (I mean 120 laps to put a run in is a little overwhelming at first for sure!!) Maybe that is why the running track is on the very top deck, so you will be too scared to fling yourself off the side. Well I did luck out in the fact that I only had to run on the small track twice, and I was able to run on the walking track (which you only had to do 3.5 laps to get a mile) the other times.

So, you’re not seeing the fun in running on a ship yet?!! Well let me tell you my other reasons. I think my most favorite part is just trying to stay on your feet. I mean not being blown over by the head wind or side wind is always a challenge. (remember I am running on “at sea” days) I love when you are running from the front of the ship to the back. It is like you are running a million miles an hour, and sometimes when the ship takes a dip you get to kind of float for two or three steps. So Fun!!! 

I also enjoy doing a long run on a cruise, because (especially at the beginning of the cruise when everyone is by the pool) people start watching you. I think they are trying to figure out what the hell you are doing and why. Once they are drunk enough they start cheering you on, or saying things like “Do you think she will ever stop”, or “There she goes again”. My personal favorite this time was, “What is that girl running from, are you running from something?” I also like that it kind of inspires peeps to exercise on vacation. I did have a few peeps come up and start running with me. They told me that they decided to put their exercise clothes to good because they were watching me lap after lap. I totally agreed that they should use their exercise clothes!!! (I have had many of vacations that the exercise clothes were packed and packed they stayed.) Oh, I say kind of inspired because these cute peeps would run/walk like a mile, but whatever right?!! Then they told me they were going back to the pool to get a drink. (I guess it was a mile or so that they weren’t going to do so props to them right?!!)

Okay so running on a cruise ship is like the best people watching on the planet.  Pure entertainment the entire time!! What is better than that? (You better not be thinking the drink at the pool is better times!!!)

Me in the process of developing Ice Cream Intake Syndrome

So, by the end of my cruise I had put in a total of 40 miles. I thought it was super fun, but I still have a lot of “Cruise Recovery” to go, because I think I might have developed an ice cream intake syndrome while I was there. ICIS is a very serious syndrome if you don’t know!!! Very hard to recover from for sure…. Crapo!!!

So where ever you are today, get out and live life more!!!