If your job is anything like mine, then you may find yourself traveling for work. Sometimes that can be inconvenient for a race or general training schedule.

We are in luck, since running is a popular sport/fitness activity. Because of this, many hotels have accommodations for runners. In some, you can simply ask at the front desk about good places to run. Other places take it a bit further.

The J.W. Marriott resort in Phoenix, Arizona, has this nice map for its guests who are runners and don’t like to be on treadmills. (This is a category I fall into.)

The map given out at the front desk for runners at the J.W. Marriott resort in Arizona.

It has routes of different distances laid out in a nice, easy to follow format. I check the distance using my Nike GPS watch, and found it to be pretty accurate.

Running on the road gives you a chance to get out of your hotel room and see the area in a way that you might not otherwise. Of course, you need to be careful about the environmental hazards. For example, the J.W. Marriott is in the desert, so it gets hot quickly. Also, you lose water faster in the desert and don’t always notice, because your sweat evaporates quickly. You need to pay attention.

With the caveats in consideration, I still recommend getting out and running when possible while you are traveling.

On the other side of the continent, the Westin Hotel in downtown Montreal also has a nice map with different routes laid out on it.

The map given out by the Westin Hotel in Montreal for runners.

The text to go with the runner’s map handed out at the front desk of the Westin in Montreal.

The environment was much different here, especially since I was there during the depths of winter. Now instead of heat, I had to worry about cold and ice. In all honesty, I skipped the run on that trip because of the weather.

What was interesting was the the Westin would provide you with New Balance running shoes and a treadmill if you wanted them — for a fee of course, but it was a nice service to offer. Serious runners would not need to miss a day of training, even if they forgot or couldn’t pack their shoes.

I have found my running shoes are worth their weight in luggage, and I am packing them more and more. The key is not to overestimate your free time on the trip and just assume you will run at some point. Plan ahead for your run so that it becomes part of your schedule.

Also, as this post shows, check in with your hotel and ask. They may have a host of services for runners.