Road Trip!

It’s summer time here in the Nation's capital and that means two things – humidity and road trips.  And as much as I love sweating through my dress shirt before nine in the morning, this post will focus on the latter.



Road trips pose obstacles for the nutrition-minded athlete, but all are surmountable with proper preparation.  The recommendations below are divided into two categories: training protocols and steps that can be taken outside the gym.

Training

Do Your Homework.  Before departing, check to see what facilities may be available to you. Crossfit gyms are great, especially if you want to continue Olympic lifting, but a run-of-the-mill Golds Gym can suffice in a pinch.  Commandeer a squat rack and get in a higher volume of strength work.  A few extra sets of squats and presses are good for the metabolism.  Should you choose to drop-in at a Crossfit affiliate, though, call ahead and ask about the daily schedule. Don't be "that guy" who shows up and interrupts a class.

Prioritize Strength.  This point dovetails, to some degree, with the one made earlier, and is especially relevant for the athlete who is pressed for time.  Focus on barbell lifts (squats, presses and pulls), and leave the conditioning for another time.

If you want to kill two birds with the one stone, try one of the following workouts: (1) one snatch (or clean) every minute on the minute, for twenty minutes (you can either start with 75% of your maximum and work your way up or you can attempt all twenty singles with 80-85%) – try two reps per minute if performing either of the power variations; (2) timed squats (see pgs. 83-84 in Bill Starr's "The Strongest Shall Survive" for discussion of this training protocol); (3) power cleans complimented by max repetitions in the front squat afterwards – I have found a 5-7 minute-time domain with 80% of your maximum to be optimal for skinning both the “strength” and “conditioning” cats (a good goal is 30 reps total) or (4) barbell complexes (my personal favorite is 1 Power Clean + 2 Front Squats + 1 Push Press + 1 Jerk).

Trade Intensity for Volume.  The stimulus provided by a change in training environment can have a peculiar effect on the athlete's workout.  A different backdrop for snatches or cleans, larger J-hooks in the squat rack or the simple math of converting kilograms to pounds can all affect that day's training.  Having learned these lessons the hard way, I have found success in trading intensity for volume.  By reducing the percentage used for working sets, the athlete can compensate for the additional stimuli while continuing adaptation.  Five-by-five across is my preferred set-rep scheme for squats and presses.

Take Advantage of Your Surroundings.  Time spent lifting weights or conditioning indoors is great fun, but sometimes you need to go outside and mix it up.  Go for an open water swim.  Hike a mountain pass.  Traverse a new rock face.  Pitting yourself against Mother Nature is "fitness" in the most primal sense.  In the immortal words of the band Alabama, "Swim across the river. Just to prove that I'm a man."

Outside the Gym

“The Best Damn Cooler in the Business.”  John Welbourn said it best in his "2010 Recap" when he wrote, "Don’t be lazy.  Pack a lunch .  . . We are adults and can plan ahead."  Indeed.  Here are a few prepared items I have brought with me on assorted road trips: 

(1) Cheesy Bacon Egg Cups.  (Insider Tip: pre-cook the bacon for ten minutes in an oven at 350 degrees.  Food poisoning is no dice on a road trip).

(2) Grilled Flank Steak. (Insider Tip: once cooled, cut the meat into bite-size strips to allow for hand-to-mouth feeding.  Be forewarned, this style of eating is not always popular with female passengers).

(3) Paleo Meatballs.

(4) Spinach Salad with Red Onions, Grape Tomatoes and Blue Cheese Crumbles and dressed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (Insider Tip: pack the dressed salad in a gallon-sized ziplock bag and use a plastic fork for eating. The plastic fork will not puncture the bag, unlike a metal fork).

Water Consumption.  Water consumption is important, too.  Urine should carry a diluted lemonade color, nothing darker.  The best way to stay hydrated while spending hours upon hours in the car is to pace your liquids consumption with the gas gauge.  The closer you get to an empty tank, the more you are allowed to drink.  Be sure to drink an extra glass of water before bed that night.

Multiple Choice is My Jam. Aside from the aforementioned prepared items, here are some store-bought foods that are most excellent for travel: (1) whole milk cottage cheese (my "go to" brand is Kalona SuperNatural, it’s the bomb-diggity), (2) any of the hard cheeses made by Kerrygold, (3) berries of all kinds (Insider Tip: remove the tops of the strawberries to avoid a mid-drive nuance), (4) raw nuts (cashews are my favorite, but almonds and macadamia nuts are good, too) and (5) extra virgin raw coconut (it’s more solid than oil).

Additionally, if you are spending six-plus hours in the car, be mindful of your carbohydrate intake, and stick with low-carb foods like cottage cheese, raw nuts and raw coconut oil. A full belly is your best defense against junk food snacking.

Re-Mobilize. Spending hours upon hours in a static, seated position can wreak havoc on your hip and thoraic mobility. Shortly after arriving at your destination, go for a short walk and then spend a good twenty minutes un-fucking yourself.  I keep a thick pvc pipe and lacrosse ball in the trunk of my car to avoid last-minute packing debacles.  Mobility is an everyday task.  There are no excuses.  It is easy.