Lessons from the Long Travel
How I make sure I'm prepared for anything!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from years of traveling to races, it’s that nothing tests your patience quite like a disrupted travel plan. Especially with planes, where everything—your schedule, your comfort, your luggage—is completely out of your hands. Trail running teaches us to adapt, embrace discomfort, and roll with the punches. The lessons we learn out on the trails are applicable across the board and are just as useful at 30,000 feet—or stuck on a tarmac.
Being an ultra-trail runner, especially one based in New Zealand, means spending a fair share of time in airports, on trains, shuttles, and in plane seats. It’s the trade-off for racing in incredible locations around the world. But there’s another side to it too. To maximize recovery, efficiency, and sustainability, I often link trips together, which means more time away from home. The unfortunate thing about a lot of travel is that, for sure, things won't always go smoothly. The toughest thing about this is usually what’s happening is completely out of your control. On the trail, when things get tough, you can dig deep, make adjustments, and push through. But in an airport or on a grounded plane? You’re at the mercy of airline schedules, weather systems, and sometimes just sheer bad luck.
Take my recent trip home from Cape Town, for example. After an already packed schedule and two long flights, I found myself stuck on the tarmac for six hours. The delay kept getting longer, the updates more sporadic, until finally the flight was aborted, and we were sent back to the terminal. At that point, I was exhausted, frustrated, and ready to lose it.
Apparently, this saga was so noteworthy that RNZ even wrote an article about it (see link here). While some passengers raged, venting their frustrations at anyone who would listen, I tried to remind myself of a simple truth: It’s not in your hands. Stressing wouldn’t fix anything.
Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a joyful time. But I went through the motions, made it to the complimentary hotel, got some much-needed sleep, and when I learned my new flight wouldn’t be until 9 p.m. the following day, I even got out for a run and explored Hong Kong.
Over the years, I’ve picked up a few tricks to manage the unpredictability of travel:
Pack Essentials in Your Carry-On: Shoes, race kit, and snacks—these are non-negotiables. If your luggage goes MIA, at least you can still race.
Stay Flexible: Flights get rerouted, connections get missed, and plans change. It’s frustrating but part of the deal.
Focus on What You Can Control: Hydrate, stretch, move around during layovers—these little things add up when you’re stuck in limbo.
Practice Patience: I’ve said it before, patience is a work-on for me, but staying calm is always the better option.
Travel mishaps have taught me a lot about patience and perspective. When things go wrong, it’s easy to spiral into frustration. But much like in an ultra, you learn to manage the moment, adjust your plan, and keep moving forward.
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Appreciate the support team,
