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Ultra-Runner to Complete First Marathon on a Cruise Ship

10/28/2016

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Crystal Cruises Crystal Serenity
To complete a marathon at sea, Dane Rauschenberg will complete 97 laps on Crystal Serenity's Promenade Deck.
Picture
By John Roberts

As part of the Mind, Body and Spirit theme cruise 
setting sail December 6 on Crystal Cruises' Crystal Serenity, extreme runner Dane Rauschenberg will run what Crystal is billing as the first marathon at sea. The 14-day cruise sails from New Orleans to Miami and visits several ports in the Caribbean.

On December 11, Rauschenberg --
 who gained acclaim in the grueling sport of ultra-marathon by completing 52 marathons on 52 consecutive weekends, finishing a 202-mile relay run as a solo participant and enduring a 350-mile run up the coast of Oregon -- will run his marathon on Crystal Serenity by making 97 laps around the luxury ship's Promenade Deck.  

Ultra-runner Dane Rauschenberg
Dane Rauschenberg ran 52 marathons -- one on 52 consecutive weekends -- in 2006.
No doubt, Rauschenberg, 40, will have plenty of observers cheering him on as he makes the constant turns on a route that will require as much mental toughness as physical fitness to negotiate the challenges of running around the seventh-deck of the cruise ship for more than three hours while sailing a sea day in the Caribbean.  

He actually knows what to expect. He's run the mileage before, on the very same ship, during Crystal's Mind, Body and Spirit theme cruise in early 2014. That run off the coast of Easter Island in the South Pacific Ocean, though, was an impromptu and unofficial marathon, which he wrote all about on his blog.  

I gave him a call at his home in Texas, and he told me what he expects for this epic cruise ship run. Rauschenberg says he will make a couple tweaks to his game plan this time for the official clocking of the first marathon on a cruise ship, mainly starting the run about an hour earlier, at 6 a.m., to get more time in cooler conditions as he cruises in the Caribbean Sea. I asked him whether making almost 100 loops around such a tight track is a mind-numbing experience. 

"The monotony never bothers me," he said. "I like loops. It definitely wasn't a boring thing at all. It was a challenge to pay attention to your footing and to be constantly paying attention to the other passengers.  

"You can never really zone out." 

This will be his second cruise, and he said he knows he'll have no problem finding good food on Crystal Serenity to fuel up for his run. I knew that would be the case, of course, but Rauschenberg gives especially rave reviews of this ship's cuisine. 

"It's funny; I'm not a big foodie," he said. "But when people talk about cruises, they are like 'Oh, the food!'    

"I'll tell you what. I might not be a foodie, but I can appreciate when the food is really amazing, and this cruise ship is mind-bogglingly good. I'm a big beef eater, and I like lean beef to fuel me up for my events. I think the 12 or 13 nights we were on this ship (in 2014), I think I ate steak on 10 of them." 

Rauschenberg, a northwestern Pennsylvania native who ran those 52 marathons in 2006, is also an author and writer. He has written three books on running and contributes articles to Runner's World magazine.  

While the extreme athlete's onboard marathon will be a highlight of the voyage, the Mind, Body and Spirit cruise features a full slate of fitness-based and wellness programming that cruisers will take part in as they sail to Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Curacao, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Barthelemy and Grand Turk.  


"To have such a passionate athlete as Dane Rauschenberg aboard will certainly entertain but also inspire travelers, whether they, too, are avid runners or prefer sunset walks around the promenade," Crystal Cruises CEO and President Edie Rodriguez said. "The point is, there is always an option for those who seek health and wellness activities, even while traveling the world." 

Meditation and yoga instructor Dina Michelle and lifestyle and wellness expert Barbara Udell will join Rauschenberg for the wellness-focused programming. Michelle will hold classes in the state-of-the-art fitness center, while Udell will share her experiences and research in the fields of lifestyle, longevity and behavioral health education. Rauschenberg is also a guest speaker on the cruise and will share stories of his experiences and travels as an extreme athlete.
 

"Travel is paramount to breaking down stereotypes, to breaking down racism, to breaking down everything with regards to small-mindedness. To get out there and experience different things, it breaks down all the prejudices.

"You realize how similar we are. To see the world and travel is 100 percent integral to becoming a better person."  


The "race" on Crystal Serenity is open to any cruisers who want to join in for a few laps or several miles, and Rauschenberg said he enjoys it when his running can inspire people. 
For Rauschenberg, this cruise is just another step -- or, more accurately, thousands of strides -- toward living life to its fullest. 

"One of the goals I've had my entire life is to step foot in every single country," he said. "The only thing that I've ever been jealous of those who have wealth is they often waste it on cars or going to nightclubs . . . when they could see every corner of this planet. 

"So, we're making eight stops . . . and it's tickling me to be able to just tick off a few more places of this planet, really trying to expand my mind. Hopefully, doing what I do will inspire other people to do whatever it is they want, too." 

Beyond the specialized theme programming on board, cruisers take advantage of numerous amenities and activities for fitness and wellness. Recent upgrades to Crystal Serenity's fitness facilities include an outdoor "fitness garden," with equipment set up to allow a self-guided "movement journey," utilizing stainless-steel equipment.

The gym equipment offers adjustments for beginner, intermediate and advanced fitness levels with warm-up, circuit training and cool-down phases. Indoors, the fully equipped and spacious fitness center is staffed by personal trainers and outfitted with TechnoGym cardio equipment and TechnoGym's Kinesis resistance-training equipment. Fitness classes include Tour de Cycle, yoga and Pilates, while each of the ship's dining venues features fresh, healthy options for any dietary restrictions and needs. 

You'll also like reading: 


7 Reasons to Go Running When You Travel  

No Joke: A Cruise is a Perfect Healthy Choice for Your Vacation 

Thanks for reading! 
Travel fit! Travel happy! Travel often! 
JR
Subscribe today to get the latest reviews, tips and tricks to help you have your best adventure ever.

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New Cruises in 2017 that are Perfect for the Fitness Fanatic

10/25/2016

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MSC Seaside rendering
MSC Seaside rendering / courtesy MSC Cruises USA
By John Roberts

At least five times a week, I know I'll be hitting the gym for a workout or the road for a bike ride or a run. Exercise and fitness is an important part of my routine. This is how it is for a growing number of people who realize a regular fitness regimen does so much to improve the quality of life as we age.  

Get this: Some people love working out. Crazy, right? I'm one of them.  

Combining my passion for fitness and adventure with my joy of travel makes both of these pursuits more fun. Cruises can be one of the most affordable ways to see the world, and I am always looking for voyages that offer plenty of challenging activities and wellness-based programs.  

I've discovered that you can eat well, sleep in comfort, meet fellow travelers with similar passions and share cool adventures while on a cruise. Here are the best new cruises and cruise ships for 2017 that are perfect for fitness enthusiasts or people seeking a new way to cruise -- with a healthy twist.
MSC Cruises Wellness ExperienceThe new MSC Cruises Wellness Experience designs a program to meet your fitness goals while you enjoy sailing to exotic destinations.
MSC Seaside -- The new ship by the world's fastest-growing cruise line will come to its homeport of Miami in December 2017 and will feature the exclusive Wellness Experience. This looks to be a spectacular program specifically targeted to travelers who either want to take a cruise while keeping up their land-based fitness regimen or aim to make a big splash while diving into the wellness lifestyle for the first time.  

MSC's Wellness Experience is powered by Technogym, the fitness equipment company. Using a pre-cruise questionnaire and onboard consultation with a trainer, each cruiser's trip is customized with shore excursions, fitness classes and healthy meal options to achieve specific fitness goals.   

Once you book your cruise and the Wellness Experience, you fill out a questionnaire that helps identify your wellness motivations, such as aiming to look and feel better or improve athletic performance. Based on the answers you give, you get a personalized "Aspiration Map" that is the foundation of your individualized wellness program.

While MSC Seaside is the brand-new ship coming to the U.S., the Wellness Experience also will be available on other MSC Cruises ships beginning in April 2017. 
 

UnCruise Adventures Safari Voyager
UnCruise Adventures' Safari Voyager is fully refurbished and sailing expeditions in Costa Rica and Panama.
PictureI loved kayaking in the San Juan Islands with UnCruise.
UnCruise Adventures Safari Voyager -- The refurbished Safari Voyager offers spectacular expedition cruising in Panama and Costa Rica as it transits the Panama Canal. As with all UnCruise Adventures' voyages, you get an incredible small-ship experience in remote areas allowing you to get intimate with wildlife in pristine surroundings. I learned just how well this company does expedition cruising on my sailings in the Pacific Northwest and in Alaska. 

Safari Voyager is a 62-passenger ship outfitted with an E-Z dock platform from which you launch your activities such as sea kayaking, paddleboarding, skiff tours, snorkeling and setting off for hiking ashore. Fresh and healthy regional cuisine also is featured, and you can take part in daily morning stretch or yoga sessions and use the workout equipment outside on Safari Voyager's sun deck.

Running in Alaska
The Great Alaskan Running Cruise looks like a fun and challenging way to explore the Last Frontier.
Running Cruises -- Theme cruises often pop up to offer a deal to groups who share an interest in a fitness activity. Running cruises are popular. Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas will sail a Caribbean Running Cruise from Feb. 5 to Feb. 12, 2017.  The sailing goes roundtrip from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and includes five run/walk events, a 5K in San Juan, 4-mile run on St. Croix and choices of 5K or 10K races on the islands of St. Maarten and Barbados and a 4-mile Pirate "Amazing Race" on Grenada. This sounds like a blast. A lot of mileage but plenty of fun.  

Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas will set sail July 21 to July 28 for the Great Alaskan Running Cruise. The cruise goes from Anchorage to Vancouver, British Columbia, and features a 5K in Anchorage, 5K or half marathon along the Gastineau Channel in Juneau, a 4-mile Amazing Race in the Gold Rush town of Skagway and a 5K or 10K trail race in the Tongass Forest in Ketchikan. You've never trained so hard just to take a vacation. 
Backroads and AmaWaterways biking river cruise
Backroads biking tour
Backroads river cruise bike tours take you off the beaten path in Europe and Asia.
Backroads Cruises -- The adventure travel company has partnerered with AmaWaterways and offers numerous biking and hiking intensive itineraries in Europe and Asia. I can attest to how much fun and how challenging these trips can be. I biked all over the Danube River region with Backroads as we sailed on AmaSonata. It was exhilarating, and I greatly enjoyed getting to explore the countryside, castles and villages throughout Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary from a bike saddle.  

Backroads and AmaWaterways offer river cruise bike tours and river cruise hiking and walking tours that give you a chance to venture through France, to see the Danube like I did, to follow the Rhine from Switzerland through Germany and into the Netherlands or to peddle through Portugal.  

Or how about the chance to take one of the few river cruises along the Mekong to see Vietnam and Cambodia? With biking included. Backroads is the lone tour company to offer this type of combo.  

The company also charters a river ship (not an AmaWaterways vessel) to take travelers to the Galapagos for a hiking and kayaking adventure.     

Wellness Expeditions -- Silversea Expeditions offers a series of Wellness Expedition sailings that combine a slate of fitness activities while exploring exotic itineraries in the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, Africa, India and the Arabian Sea. The luxury cruises include yoga, stretching, Pilates and aquagym classes. You also get personalized training, healthy menus, nutrition counseling and spa treatments.   

SCUBA Cruises -- Silversea Expeditions also offers a series of SCUBA Diving Expeditions in 2017. You join a sailing that is led by a dive team full of marine biologists and scientific divers who will help you explore some of the world's top dive sites in the Indian Ocean, Australia, Africa, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. The itinerary includes plenty of diving, as well as Zodiac tours and hikes.    

Zumba Cruise -- If Zumba classes are your type of workout, you'll love the Zumba Cruise. Setting sail April 23 from Miami, the five-day cruise on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas unites fitness fanatics who regard Zumba as a lifestyle as much as a workout. The nearly non-stop pulse-pumping dance party/workout festival is led by the creator of the workout craze himself, Beto Perez, as you cruise to Nassau, Bahamas, and Cozumel, Mexico.  

I wish I had time to try them all. Which cruises caught your interest? Or would you rather just kick back and relax on your cruise? Let me know.

Thanks for reading, and always travel happy!


JR
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7 Reasons to Go Out for a Run When You are Traveling

10/21/2016

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Fort Lauderdale beach boardwalk and parks
The Fort Lauderdale Beach boardwalk and its parks were a wonderful find during my run through this Florida hot spot.
By John Roberts 

I rise as the morning sun 
awakens me, peeking through the floor-to-ceiling window that gives me a view to the sprawling fluffy white sands and Caribbean Sea. I'm in Cancun, and it's the second day of my vacation.  

My dreamy brain always plans for morning runs along the sands as the surf provides the hypnotic soundtrack. Well, in this part of Mexico in mid-September, it's not quite as breezy and enjoyable as I always imagine these runs, especially as the morning temps shoot higher quickly. I know this. I have been to Cancun many times. Yet, I continue to romanticize this daily plan, figuring it to be a regular part of starting my day during my trip. 

Still, I give it a try once again. And this morning jaunt proves to be an invigorating run under the sun -- if not lasting as long as my usual jogs. Relief is available, too, as I jump into the refreshing surf just steps away. 

After that, my daily runs take place inside on the treadmill at the well-equipped gym at the Westin Lagunamar for the remainder of my trip. While it was far too hot to run outside for long in the Riviera Maya in summer, I make it a regular practice to explore the destinations I visit by running. You can find fabulous running trails all over the United States and throughout the cities, villages and countryside in Europe. Here are seven reasons you should run when you travel. 

You get better sleep -- The whole idea for this post came because my wife, Colleen, noted how well she was sleeping during our weeklong vacation in Mexico. I told her that it had to be because she was starting each day with a workout and a run. (Also, probably because we were finishing those days with plenty of good food, beers and hours in the sun doing other stuff, too.) Studies have shown that getting at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a week can significantly improve your sleep quality. 

You can indulge -- I know this much, and I'm sure it's true for you, too. Travel means trying new things, and food is a big part of that. It sure feels good to be able to eat a little (or a lot) more
 when on vacation without any guilt. When you can run a few miles at least every other day or so, you can also feel good about earning those extra calories. 
Running in San Francisco
San Francisco is a great city to explore while running. The Embarcadero offers a wide pedestrian-friendly path with tons to see, like the famed Bay and its long bridges.
The Embarcadero in San Francisco
You see more --  A nice run at a new location is a good way to familiarize yourself with the place. Whether you carefully map out a run by using a GPS watch or prefer to get blissfully lost while exploring, you can get to places that are more remote and off the beaten path. You aren't restricted to the usual well-worn touristed areas if you have a bit of endurance to stretch the boundaries of any city or village that you are traveling to. Wake up for a morning run, take along your camera and scope out the place as it is just coming to life. You can find great new vantage points when you head up that twisty road into the hills, or perhaps you'll notice a cool little museum or bar or restaurant that you can get back to in the afternoon or evening. 

You'll be fully immersed -- When you hit the road running, you look like a local. (Unless you're wearing your Senor Frog's T-shirt or vintage American-flag pattern Zubaz pants). This means no hassles from aggressive vendors hawking tours or souvenirs. If you find a park or trail, you also can mix in with resident runners, say hi and ask for their recommendations on the best place to visit, have a drink or get a meal. 

You'll save money -- If you're more mobile and physically fit, you can keep your money in your pocket. That is, if you're able to run or walk to a place of interest in your destination, you won't need to drop any (or nearly as much) cash on taxis or bus rides. We can often plan a day during which we take a jog or long walk to a beach or other location for a visit, then either walk or bus back to our hotel or cruise ship. 

You get a boost -- Regular exercise gives you more energy throughout the day. I know there are scientific reasons like increased levels of energy-promoting and mood-enhancing neurotransmitters that come from daily physical activity like running. I just know I feel a rush because I worked up a sweat and can now move on to the fun stuff, like further exploring a spot, discovering new landmarks and savoring the beers. 

You'll be healthier -- Exercise is good for you. Duh. If running (or biking or walking or hiking or pushups) is part of your regular exercise regimen, you should do it when you travel, too. When you incorporate fitness into your lifestyle, it becomes easier over time. In fact, I feel weird when I take a few days off from getting in a workout. Good health and fitness will allow you to travel better and longer. So get out there!

Thanks for reading, and make sure you pack those running shoes and have a great time exploring. 
JR
You'll also like these stories about travel and fitness . . . 

Off the Boat and on a Bike: The Best of Both Worlds on Your Cruise

A Cruise Can Be the Perfect Healthy Choice for Your Vacation

Best Ways to Stay Fit While Traveling for the Holidays

Free Fitness Areas at Airports Help Keep You Refreshed

Good Fitness Habits Can Save Money on a Cruise
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