Forums >General Running>Running on a cruise ship?
Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)
Current PR's: Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)
Feeling the growl again
I tried it on one once...ugh. Lots of tiny little circles with tight corners. If you could handle the boredom it was doable, as long as you did it really early before many people were up.
As for in port, it really depends where you are going. I wouldn't do it in Mexico. Some places in the Caribbean are OK, some are really, really sketchy once you get out of the tourist areas (which are usually pretty crowded for running).
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I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Check out this thread.
I tried it on one once...ugh. Lots of tiny little circles with tight corners. If you could handle the boredom it was doable, as long as you did it really early before many people were up. As for in port, it really depends where you are going. I wouldn't do it in Mexico. Some places in the Caribbean are OK, some are really, really sketchy once you get out of the tourist areas (which are usually pretty crowded for running).
Something like 10+ laps to the mile. Even if you start early, always some walkers to dodge. Always someone who will want to race you. But, still better than the treadmill. Time really stood still staring out the window at the ocean, plus they wouldn't let me run shirtless?
Get off my porch
Queen of 3rd Place
And, if the track is on the top deck and the ship is underway, you'll be alternating between a CRAZY tailwind and an INSANE headwind! Good times!
Ex runner
#artbydmcbride
Expect your garmin to tell you that you broke the world record also! (if the ship is underway)
....a 2 minute mile? Whoa!
Runners run
Thanks for the replies and thanks for the link to that other thread, I don't know why I didn't think to use the search function.
I would have never even thought about the forward movement of the ship messing up my gps like that. Crazy looking pace charts on that other thread!
According to the cruise website, the ship I'll be on has about a 1/4 mile walking/jogging deck and a tiny jogging only track that is 15 times around to make a mile. I'll have to try some early morning jogs when most people might still be asleep. I'll have to do some GPS stuff at some of the ports just to get it logged. Maybe just run at least 1 lap each time we are docked or something.
We are stopping at Cozumel, Roatan Honduras, Belize, and Grand Cayman, so probably the only truly safe place to run would be Grand Cayman. We have excursions booked for everywhere except Grand Cayman so that may be the best place to get in a run. Our excursion at Cozumel is pretty short, I may try to do a little bit of running there but stay in the safe zone if it isn't too crowded.
Belize: totally safe for running IMO but might not be all that pleasant if you're stuck in Belize City.
Don't run on Roatan.
Steve Magness (champion high school miler years ago and now on Salazar's staff) used to run up and down the long halls on cruise ships. He thought it was better than the little tracks. He did high mileage, too.
The tracks are awful. As someone said, there are always walkers no matter what time and they are 3 abreast and in your way.
Out there running since dinosaurs roamed the earth
Cozumel (and Cancun) are probably two of the safer tourist spots in Mexico. Or so I was told by the person who did the research for an upcoming family vacation...that I still don't want to go on.
Why is it sideways?
Hold the Mayo
Another option is to forego the "jogging track" completely and just find a longer loop you can use araound one of the lower decks. I was on a cruise last summer and quickly got sick of the 9 laps to a mile slog around the walkers. Ours was one of those ships with several outdoor decks, so I found a route around one of the lower decks that was much longer than the track loop. It did involve dodgin around a couple of the windbreak walls and up and down a few steps near the kiddie pools, but it was well worth from a boredom perspective.
You'll probably see others doing a similar loop, as well. I mapped out the distance the next day while in port, by walking it.
If you do this, plan to get up early. Once the breakfast service starts, the decks get pretty crowded.
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Imminent Catastrophe
Cancun is safe, run along the hotel row. It's pretty hot though so take water.
"Able to function despite imminent catastrophe"
"To obtain the air that angels breathe you must come to Tahoe"--Mark Twain
"The most common question from potential entrants is 'I do not know if I can do this' to which I usually answer, 'that's the whole point'.--Paul Charteris, Tarawera Ultramarathon RD.
√ Javelina Jundred Jalloween 2015
Cruel Jewel 50 mile May 2016
Western States 100 June 2016
There are times in all runners life when the dreaded 'TREADMILL' becomes the best available option.......this might be one of those times..
Champions are made when no one is watching
I've got a fever...
According to the cruise website, the ship I'll be on has about a 1/4 mile walking/jogging deck and a tiny jogging only track that is 15 times around to make a mile.
1/4 mile track isn't bad. That's the length of a regular track after all.
Stay away from the 15-lap-to-the-mile thing, though. I occasionally run on a 12-lap-mile jogging track at a rec center and the multitude of sharp turns ends up hurting my knees and IT band after a while.
On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will wish that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.