Being healthy on vacation can sometimes be a challenge but it can be done. I’m going to share in the next two blog posts how Morgan and I prepared and spent our vacation with health in mind including nutrition, maintaining our performance regimens, and working on the mind.
To begin, we consciously chose a vacation this year as in recent years past where we would be active and disconnect. This year had an extra twist as the bulk of our vacation would be spent at a fitness resort called, Rancho La Puerta, close to San Diego just over the Mexican border in Baja, Mexico. More to come on this shortly.
When preparing for our trip, one of the first things we did was to identify our food options. What we found was San Diego had several options close to where we were staying and Rancho La Puerta was easy as they offered vegan options at every meal. We also were flying for just under five hours direct from Tampa to San Diego so preparation was needed there and if you know me, I have to have food around me at all times as I graze constantly throughout the day.
What this meant was packing a carry on bag exclusively with food options. How cool is that…ha! The bag was packed with almonds, bananas, apples, energy bars, energy drink mix, and two drink bottles. We had breakfast on the way to the airport so the bag held us (mainly me) till we arrived in San Diego.
On the flight I began my disconnect as I listened to a recent Rich Roll podcast, brainstormed ideas for The Healthy Giraffe, and napped. Once we arrived we dropped our bags at the hotel and ventured out to one of the restaurants Morgan targeted for San Diego, Anthem Vegan, and it did not disappoint.
Morgan also identified there was a running store across the street from Anthem Vegan called Milestone Running. When in another city we have found visiting a local run shop provides great intelligence on where the best places to run are located. The lady in shop was so nice to us by showing the locations on a map from her phone, describing the type of runs, how long we could go, and how to get there. We were set!
After we left the run shop, we walked some of the city streets and stumbled upon a Sprouts Farmers Market where we picked up more supplies including fruit, water, energy bars and oh yes, kombucha we had not yet tried before. We went back to the hotel for a quick nap and then it was time for Morgan’s main target for dinner, Evolution Fast Food.
Do not mistake fast food in the title as not being healthy. As they state in their description, “Evolution Fast Food is the original San Diego drive-thru restaurant offering a healthy, delicious, vegan menu.” Our dinner was amazing! On the walk through downtown San Diego back to the hotel we enjoyed an ice cream and shake. Double thumbs up.
With Morgan and I both on prescribed training schedules, we woke up Friday morning and ran 10 miles around the San Diego Harbor thanks to the information we received from Milestone Running. The weather was similar to Tampa but slightly cooler and less humid. It was a beautiful run.
We then returned to Evolution Fast Food for lunch and then the remainder of the day was simply targeted to disconnect the mind. We enjoyed a great experience touring the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier. We heard live stories from fighter pilots and listened to other explanations about the ship via audio equipment as we explored all levels.
We completed our first round of San Diego by venturing out to Mission Beach where we enjoyed an incredible dinner at Soulshine. I may come back to San Diego just to enjoy their cheesecake. We walked out of Soulshine on to the boardwalk along the Pacific Ocean. It was my first time being on the beach of the Pacific. I love experiencing the variations of sand at different beaches. I would explain this sand having the color of brown sugar and in between a sugar sand and a really grainy texture.
Saturday morning quickly arrived and we took a shuttle bus from the airport to Rancho La Puerta. We would be at the resort from Saturday morning through 5pm Wednesday. The resort hosts some 140 guests weekly to its 4,000 acres of gardens, mountains and meadows. They offer classes daily on fitness and the mind, host speakers on health and wellness topics, lead guided hikes and provide three meals daily.
After a tour of the facilities, Morgan and I enjoyed our first lunch at the resort and took in two of the classes in the afternoon, a deep water fitness workout followed by an hour of stretch and it was needed after we were both hurting a bit from the flight and Friday run. I also sneaked in a quick swim workout per my training schedule. We enjoyed our first dinner and before I settled in for the evening, I attended a session I targeted to help me with resetting my mind. This first session was part of a series by the presenter.
The presenter, Molly Davis, a speaker, author, and coach “with over 20 years of national and international experience helps people to courageously step more fully into their own lives by connecting who they are with how they live.” She shared her own personal stories, experiences, and how we could benefit by recognizing what is pulling us and what to do with it. I was fortunate to spend a few minutes after her presentation sharing some things I am addressing in my own life and she was extremely gracious in exploring those with me and bridging me to her next session on Sunday evening.
The second session on Sunday evening lead to application. We had to reflect on where we are now individually, identify where we are headed, and brainstorm actions to take this week, when we return home, and 3-6 months out. She brilliantly navigated us through the exercise by sharing her own experiences doing the very same thing. Wow, I wrote a lot and I’m excited to continue the exploration I am on. You can see us pictured in the set of pictures at the end of the blog.
Back to Sunday morning. I began the day with an two mile trail run and eight mile workout on their gravel track. The gravel track was fantastic for the knees. From there I attended a stretch session and run clinic with Morgan, we had lunch, and then attended a presentation on nutrition. The afternoon was full with another water exercise class, a sound healing experience, and a foam rolling session. Dinner followed and then relaxation for the remainder of the evening.
As you can see, we have been able to incorporate health into our vacation and incorporating aspects of nutrition, performance and the mind. We are – adding health to our lives.
In part 2, I will continue to share our experiences as we close out this healthy vacation. With proper planning and execution, we can all experience a healthy vacation if desired.
– Add Health to Your Life
The Healthy Giraffe 