The big day was fast approaching and trying to pack for my IRONMAN race in Kona, Hawaii was proving quite tricky! I’d got all my bike packed up and everything I needed for my race, but wait, I was going to Hawaii! I was clearly going to need some other items to enjoy being on holiday too. Obviously the triathlon was my priority, so clothing for that and all the items teamed with it, took top trump, but sadly that left me quite little space for anything else. Below I’ve listed 4 of my essentials for travel.

I decided I needed items that could double up for many uses easily, for example trainers, ones that could easily be teamed with multiple outfits and not the ones I’d be racing in. However, I needed ones that were actually really good for my feet. As we all know sometimes plimsole style trainers have no support what so ever, and can in fact, damage our feet. With racing at the World Championships, the last thing I wanted to do was damage my feet in some way before this huge event. Comfort and practical packing were a priority!

Comfortable daytime trainers

Sprinting through the airport (which did happen in LAX), or walking to the shops, flip flops were not an option, so I picked up a pair of Nike trainers from Very* to look both smart but be practical. I always suggest that whilst it is nice to wear pretty shoes when travelling, in reality you’re damaging your feet because there is no support there. Trainers. Always were trainers for travel, especially long haul!

Lounging around shoes

I’d hurt the arch in my foot prior to travel, which probably makes you understand why I was so adamant about wearing supportive shoes in travel. Due to this, I’d wear something like OOFOS around the house at home, just something that gave my feet time to recover but without straining them too much. I then discovered Crocs. No joke, I was not a big fan, until I got a pair. How nice are these on your feet?! It’s like you’re constantly getting a mini-massage! These were going to be perfect for time spent around my air bnb when I was wasn’t racing or at the IRONMAN expo.

Versatile headphones or earphones

Travelling for any period of time you need decent earphones or headphones. I tend to do a mass download on Netflix on my iPad prior to travel then enjoy them on the flight. The thing also is that I don’t and won’t just use those earphones for travel purposes, they’ll be used for training. For example in this particular situation I’ll use them for my runs prior to the race, even when I’m doing some guided meditation. I love the in-ear options purely because they are so small and easy to travel with, I especially love the Beats Pro ones, such high-quality sound, not to mention, compact and perfect for travel.

Hard case is the best

I’ve chatted about the contents here but what about what your suitcase? Obviously making sure your items for your race are super important, and one of my big tips is actually, travel with your race suit, trainers, bike shoes etc in your hand luggage if possible. Anything else you can normally get a back up – just in case your suitcase goes walkies! But a hard suitcase is a fantastic investment if you’re doing a long haul, especially connecting flights because bag do get moved about a lot. Yes, a hard case is a little bit heavier, but if it protects your items better than a fabric case – surely that is a winner? An extra tip as well is invest in a hard case of a fun print. Honestly, one of the best things I ever did. You can spot your case so much easier when it comes to collecting it.

There are many things other things I’d always suggest to pack with travelling, and in particular when it comes to clothing, packing things that have multiple purposes. For example black leggings, or a black jumpsuit, beige cardigan, white t-shirt, pair of blue jeans. All things that can have accessories added to create a different look but with the same base. Obviously if you’re doing this when you’re travelling for a race, chances are you’ll live in your sports gear, but these few items should always be in your suitcase.

What’s your thoughts on this? Anything you’d suggest you’d put as essentials for travel?

*Post in collaboration with Very UK