Published October 2, 2020 09:39AM
A Triathlete's Guide to Staycationing
A staycation could be just what you need to recoup and reset—or, if done wrong, could end up requiring a post-staycation vacation. Here's our six-step guide to making the most of your time at home.
A Six-Step Guide to a Staycation
STEP 1
Throw a small tantrum over whatever vacation/ race-cation plans you had set for this year. Scream into a pillow, shed a tear, write in your journal—whatever helps you let it go. Feel better? Yeah, probably not. Set it aside, and turn it into fuel for your staycation fire.
STEP 2
Come up with a plan. If you wing your staycation, you risk it ending up like every other week of your life or— worse yet—a mind-numbing week-long Netflix binge. The idea is to change up your routine, let go of some responsibilities, and show back up to “real life” refreshed. Get as cheesy (themed days, anyone?) or as intense (maybe a full-on training camp) as you want. Just put some intentionality behind how you’ll spend your days.
STEP 3
Do the prep work. Make sure all of your weekly chores, like cleaning your house, doing yard work, washing laundry, etc. are done before you begin your staycation. The same goes for work. Don’t tell your coworkers, “I’m not leaving town, so I’ll just finish this up then.” That’s not a vacation. Put on the out-of-office and check out.
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STEP 4
Kick off your staycation with an epic training day or virtual race. Is there a better feeling than finishing a hard race, then sitting by the pool with a drink, knowing you have a week of vacation ahead? Kick some butt, then kick back the way you would after a race.
STEP 5
Explore new training grounds. Unless you live in a small town, odds are there are some pretty fun open-water options, pools, trails, and roads that you have yet to experience. If the budget allows, rent an Airbnb (even if it’s just for a night or two) and be a tourist in your own city.
STEP 6
Include a dream session. The world might feel a little small with the lack of travel options right now, but there will come a time when we’re back to doing bucket-list things. Disconnect from reality for a bit, get the family together, and carve out some time to indulge your imagination by writing down the epic destinations you want to make it to…someday.
