It was 7 a.m. when I finished a short speed workout on the treadmill at my hotel gym. I had just pressed the button that would take me back to my room to shower and get ready for a long day of meetings when a coworker stepped into the elevator. Oh dear, I just love being decked out in full spandex, sweating like a dog and wearing no make-up when I see a fellow colleague outside of the work environment. She was wearing a beautiful dress and was ready to start the day. After exchanging a few morning pleasantries, she looked at me and said, “I’m so jealous of your workout.”

The door opened, and I got out on the sixth floor. But I didn’t stop thinking about what she said.

What this woman was really saying was this: I’m disappointed I didn’t make the choice to get up early to exercise. I’m disappointed I didn’t make the time to workout. I’m disappointed that I made an excuse instead of taking action. You see, we all have a choice. We are not victims in our fitness journey. Of course, some days are easier than others. Some days we need to choose to sleep in or take a day off. Sometimes life throws us curve balls and we have to change our plans. But more often than not, we have the power to choose – excuse or action?

The past week has been full of travels. And the week ahead is no different. From September 18 through October 18, I will sleep in a different bed in a different city 16 of those days. There is nothing that encourages skipping workouts and making excuses more than back-to-back travel and being away from home. But we have a choice. I have the power to choose to do the workout or be jealous of something I wish I had done.

Here’s what the last week of training looked like for me. During my stint on the road, I’ll be in Chicago, New York City, Portland, Maine, Asheville, North Carolina and Tallahassee, Florida. I like to think of a demanding travel schedule as a new running adventure. Being a little tired is always better than having regrets in my book.

• Monday: REST
• Tuesday: Ran 8 hot, humid and slow solo miles
• Wednesday: 1 hour at Orangetheory Fitness, including 2.25 miles on the treadmill doing hill sprints, rowing and time in the weight room strength training
• Thursday: Ran 5.5 miles in the rain
• Friday: Rode 12 miles on the stationary bike in the hotel gym at the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island
• Saturday: Ran 14 solo miles in Amelia Island, mostly in the rain – I ran along the flat stretch of A1A that flanks the beach. I then turned on Atlantic and headed into Fort Clinch State Park, the highlight of the run (there was a $2 entry fee, so I was so glad I carried a little cash with me on this run). I ran on a paved road through canopy trees to a fishing pier about 1.5 miles into the park. Just as I got there the clouds and rain parted momentarily, just enough to create a beautiful rainbow for my pit stop. This was a really hard run and I felt slow, but I was proud to do it by myself in the rain.

• Sunday: REST and travel back to Tampa (Mr. rUnladylike and I were planning to do a strength training workout in the morning, but we were so tired from the week that we took the chance to sleep in instead. Sometimes you choose to listen to your body.)

How is your training going this week? Do you struggle to keep up with your training while traveling?