The Compete
Travel Guide

• ▸Start shifting your sleep schedule 3 days before departure — 1 hour per day toward destination time
• ▸Use morning light exposure to accelerate the shift eastward
• ▸Avoid alcohol for 48h before a long-haul flight — it tanks sleep quality at altitude
• ▸Hydrate aggressively the 2 days before flying — plane air is brutal
• ▸Book window seat — you control the light and can lean to sleep

• ▸Set your watch to destination time the moment you board — start thinking in that timezone
• ▸Drink 250ml of water every hour of flight — minimum. Skip the free alcohol.
• ▸If it's nighttime at your destination: wear eye mask, earplugs, take 0.5mg melatonin
• ▸If it's daytime at your destination: stay awake, use blue light, move around
• ▸Walk the aisle every 2h — reduces swelling and keeps muscles from stiffening
• ▸Compression socks on for any flight over 3h — non-negotiable

• ▸Get outside in natural sunlight within 30 minutes of landing — this is the #1 circadian reset
• ▸Don't nap if it's before 2pm local time — push through to local bedtime
• ▸Take 1–3mg melatonin 30 min before your first local bedtime
• ▸Do a short 20–30 min easy run or walk — light movement accelerates adaptation
• ▸Eat your meals on local time immediately — your gut clock is also adjusting

• ▸Bring your own travel pillow — hotel pillows are ergonomic nightmares
• ▸Request a room away from elevators and ice machines at check-in
• ▸Pack blackout eye mask — even blackout curtains have gaps
• ▸Set room temp to 65–68°F (18–20°C) — this is the proven optimal sleep temp
• ▸Use a white noise app if street noise is a factor
• ▸Keep your pre-sleep routine identical to home — same order, same time

• ▸No screens after 9pm — blue light suppresses melatonin by up to 50%
• ▸Last meal 3h before bed — racing on a full gut is miserable
• ▸Lay out every single piece of race kit the night before — decision fatigue kills sleep
• ▸Write a short "brain dump" list of everything you're worried about — offloads it from your working memory
• ▸Magnesium glycinate 400mg is your best sleep supplement here — not melatonin

• ▸Magnesium Glycinate — 300–400mg before bed. Reduces cortisol, improves sleep depth
• ▸Melatonin — 0.5–1mg only, for jet lag adjustment. Most people take 10x too much.
• ▸L-Theanine — 200mg. Calms race-brain without sedation
• ▸Tart Cherry Extract — natural melatonin precursor + anti-inflammatory
• ▸Ashwagandha — reduces cortisol chronically. Start 2 weeks before, not the night before.

• ▸Reduce volume by 40–50% the week of the race — fitness is already built
• ▸Keep intensity: 1–2 short, sharp sessions with race-pace efforts to stay neurologically primed
• ▸Don't test new movements or heavy lifts — injury risk with nothing to gain
• ▸Walk the race venue the day before — counts as active recovery and lowers race-day anxiety
• ▸Complete rest 48h before race start

When your hotel gym has two dumbbells and a treadmill from 2009:

• ▸20 min easy run at 60–65% max HR — blood flow, not fitness building
• ▸Bodyweight circuit: push-ups, squats, lunges, plank — 3 rounds, light effort
• ▸Resistance bands pack flat and replace half a gym — bring them
• ▸Skip rope if the ceiling is high enough — best travel cardio tool
• ▸Mobility and stretching routine — your body will thank you after 10h of travel

• ▸Lacrosse ball — fits in any pocket. Best self-myofascial release tool.
• ▸Mini foam roller — travel size fits in a carry-on
• ▸Resistance bands — 3 band set covers activation, rehab, and warmup
• ▸Compression socks — for flights AND post-race recovery
• ▸Cold shower protocol — free, always available, works better than most gadgets