From running in sub-zero to tropical weather

Next week I'll be going on a vacation to a Panama beach resort. This is good, right? I mean, the weather here has been a winter wasteland for nearly 5 months now. Me and the Mrs. Ronster are hitting the surf, sun and salsa for a week or so.

But what am I thinking? My streak of 11 weeks running at least 7 miles a day will end, and there will be at least 4 days where running won't be possible due to travel.

Now I'm a rational guy. I know that a week of 15-25 miles isn't going to undo the base built up since November. Also, I know I'll be able to train harder and outdoors once I get back here in April. But still, it's a disruption. Running brings out a limited neurosis in many of us and I guess I'm one of the many.

I need a rest day or two, but you can bet I'll be on the roads near our hotel at least 4-6 days working up a big-time sweat. After all, I have some races to run.

It's amusing how up here in Canada people take vacations to locations most of us Americans wouldn't consider. El Salvador, Cuba, Venezuela, Costa Rica, and of course, Panama. The prices are good.

Having grown up in the Los Angeles area, we never traveled for the sake of warming up. The point would be to see the cultures we have interest in, or to do a specific activity, like ski, dive, or run with the bulls. Of course most of that can be done an hour away from the LA area in some direction. And it was easy to get that running with the bulls feeling if you just took a wrong turn on Sepulveda. I've run with the dog pack at night a couple times in my more picaresque running days.

So maybe I'll have some "running with the drug lords" tales to tell when I get back.

I'll just be happy if the streets are full of pot-holes and the ice and snow is (mostly) gone. Hasta Luego!