This post is part of the Stay Fit on the Road series.
There’s nothing harder than trying to stay in shape while traveling around the world. Who wants to care about that extra plate of pasta you want to eat in Italy or that tacos in Mexico? You just want to taste what’s around you and even if you might walk a lot, it’s not always enough. Especially for digital nomads like Chris and I. Even though we live in exotic locations, the majority of our time is spent in front of the computer, trying to make a living. That’s why after a few weeks of eating out and sitting down, it’s time to get up and move.
When we were in Québec, my sister insisted that we joined her and her friend on a 5K run for Le Grand Défi Pierre Lavoie. Apparently, my thirteen-years-old sister was going too, so if she could run 5K, why couldn’t I? After hesitating for a while, Chris and I finally decided to go, and it was the coolest thing we did in a long time!
The thing is: this wasn’t your typical group of friends going jogging in the park. This was a night run to promote a healthy lifestyle in schools. The site opened at 7PM. We were there around 8, our glow sticks around our neck and wrists, even tied in our shoes. A night run isn’t a night run without them, you know… And who doesn’t like glowsticks?
Once on the site, there was music, a lot of energy and people painting faces with glow paint. Chris and I decided to ditch the warrior lines under our eyes and go for a cuter cat makeup instead. Chris also wanted an unibrow (which I didn’t want him to have) but didn’t know how to say that word in French… So when he tried to make the lady understand, she started painting ears. MUCH BETTER!
We definitely had a lot of fun that night! At 9, there was a show that was a mix of French and English music, with a workout in the middle (by the way, I didn’t have ANY room to do that workout since I was in the crowd in front of the stage…)
And finally, an hour later, at 10PM, it was time to RUN! It took us a while to start since there were around 7 000 people trying to get through a tiny gate, but once we were free of the crowd, running was amazing. There were fireworks, light stations, people beating drums, loud music and cheerful passerby.
I don’t have how long it took us to finish that 5K. The run wasn’t timed; it was only for fun! So we had fun while working out. If you want to see a bit more what it looked like, here’s the video they made after the last year run (I don’t think they have one of this year yet).
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWUMBy5IRSE]There are so many races around Québec during the summer, it’s hard to miss them. And it’s like that all over the world. Whether you’re in Barcelona, Rio or Toronto, I’m pretty sure you can find a cause to run for! And even if you don’t have a cause to support, there’s plenty of colorful races you can join too! Just make sure you’re having fun.