The holidays and high miles are upon us, and one question that I’ve already heard several times this fall is, “How do I do long miles when I am traveling? What do I do when I have to do 10 miles on Thanksgiving weekend but I’m on the other side of the country with family?”

A lot of people ask that question because they aren’t confident about running 10 miles all by themselves. Maybe they don’t know the town, or maybe they just can’t imagine doing 10 (or 12 or 18) all by themselves. No problem! If you can run that distance over the course of two days you will get much of the benefit of a single long run. Just split your miles and do 5 one day and 5 the next. You can’t get away with this for a full season, but splitting distance once or twice during the season is a great strategy for staying safe and getting your miles in.

But WHERE should you run? Start with bike paths, big parks, and beach promenades. One of my favorite runs my first year as a Legger was a 12 miler I did along the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, and you’ll find me running Central Park whenever I’m in Manhattan. The San Francisco waterfront is wonderful, and the Mall in D.C. is even more so. More cities are building out bike paths and I think those are often an excellent, safe option (since they’re usually well-traveled). Ask around: many hotels will have advice about where to go for a walk or a run, and of course if you can find a running store you’re set.

The resource I use most often is the site mapmyrun.com . You’ll need to create a free account, but once you’re in try the Find A Route function and then tailor the course to your needs: distance, location, and so on. You can look for a 10 mile walk/run and you’ll get all sorts of options full of useful information (including things like water, toilets, etc.). I just did a search for 10 milers in the Denver area and came up with well over 50 maps put in by the many walkers and runners in the MapMyRun community.

I probably don’t need to say this because you read Maria’s piece about safety earlier this year (right?), but make sure you observe all the safety rules: bring you phone, be visible, and stick to well-traveled and well-known paths. In addition: think about what John Phillips said about training in weather. Give some thought to local conditions because when you get right down to it, we Leggers don’t train in snow or sleet or 99 degrees with 99 percent humidity!

If you are looking to walk or run some new trails here in Los Angeles, I have a nice extra for you. I’ve been collecting routes in a document I call the “Leggers Atlas” which is a list of tried-and-true routes all over Los Angeles County. Maybe you need to do a make-up run on a Sunday? Or maybe you’re just looking to break out of your routine? Take a look at this: https://tinyurl.com/yp82y6s6

In addition to some Leggers classics, there’s a GREAT Beverly Hills route, a fun Long Beach / Belmont Shore path, the Rose Bowl run, and more. Come to think of it, if YOU have visitors over the holidays, you might try one of these as a fun stroll.

Stay safe, keep moving, and Happy Holidays!