Running on the Wonder?

[lewangtn]

Does anyone have any experience running deck 4 on the Wonder? What is the distance per lap? Is it even worth trying to do 3 miles (early in the AM) or am I better off hitting the treadmill?

[PrincessShmoo]

Originally Posted by lewangtn

Does anyone have any experience running deck 4 on the Wonder? What is the distance per lap? Is it even worth trying to do 3 miles (early in the AM) or am I better off hitting the treadmill?

I believe it's 3 times around makes a mile. I know there are many people who are out early running the deck. Just be aware that at the bow and stern it's a bit narrower, and there are also walkers using the track.

I don't run, but I've walked the track. I like being outside. I guess it depends on the weather, though. I've never used a treadmill.

[Gilland18]

The track is 1/3 mile. We walked a mile or 2 pretty regularly and enjoyed it.

[lewangtn]

Thanks. I'd much rather be outside but don't want to be running into people either. I'll give it a shot.

[disneypoor]

I ran on deck 4 when I was training for a marathon. It was fine but was difficult at times due to the number of people out walking and because it does get narrow at both ends of the ship. It's not a bad option, but I think it depends on how hard you're planning to run. If you just want to get a leisurely run in with a great environment, it will be perfect. If you're tracking your pace, go for the treadmill. There's just something about running around the ship and looking out at the ocean that just makes it so much more fun. I might actually do another marathon if I could train daily on one of the ships.

Susan

[leahmichl]

I loved running on Deck 4! I wasn't breaking a land (sea?) speed record, but for an easy jog and intervals it was a great backdrop!

[k3chantal]

Originally Posted by lewangtn

Does anyone have any experience running deck 4 on the Wonder? What is the distance per lap? Is it even worth trying to do 3 miles (early in the AM) or am I better off hitting the treadmill?

My husband did this every morning at some ungodly hour (could have strangled him for waking me up each morning!). He loved it! When he started the sun was still below the horizon and with each lap he saw it rise. Said it was really beautiful!! I happily took his word for it and slumbered some more!

[ChloroFiend]

Magic and Wonder are both .33 miles around. Dream & Fantasy are slightly longer.

Traffic flow is to the left as you step outside, so you'll be running forward on the starboard side, aft on port.

I ran 4+ twice during our cruise on the Magic and had no issues with people interfering with my pace; pretty much everyone went out of their way to ensure they weren't getting in my way. It was quite nice, not to mention the great breeze and fresh air.

[poohssmum]

I ran on the Magic last summer. It was 3 laps for each mile. There are plaques on the wall that tell you how many laps = how many miles. Most days I did 3 miles, but there was one day that I stopped at 2+1/2 ... I could not tolerate the grandpa and his grandson w/the heelies stepping in front of me, or stopping right in front of me anymore. I'm assuming that English was not their first language because neither of them seemed to understand the phrase, "excuse me".

Now, I'll admit that I am not a super early riser, so deck 4 was probably more crowded between 8:30 and 9:00 than it would have been earlier in the morning. I was also amazed at how "fast" I felt like I was running when going the same direction as the ship.

[dragonfly08]

I ran every day on our Wonder cruise a couple of years ago.

Tried running on deck the first day and really didn't like it. Even early, there were too many people and I felt too closed in at the bow. So from then on I used the treadmills. Not bad...you're indoors, but there's a great view, plus then I was able to do a little strength training and grab a shower right there.

[nzdisneymom]

DH is a runner and I asked him about it - he said that he prefers running outdoors over a treadmill, but that after too many runs on the deck, you might feel the jarring from the wood vs whatever surface you might ordinarily be used to running on.

[kiford]

While it's nice to run on the deck, using the treadmills in the Magic and Wonder are kind of cool. You're looking forward out of the ship - you feel like you're running at a million miles an hour and watching the water while you run is totally mesmerizing.

[scuba diver]

I run on the deck and DW runs on the dreadmill. I've done runs of 20+ miles on deck. The key is to start early, really early to get the miles in. DW loves the dreadmill for the movies.

Either way, there are options to getting in plenty of miles to off set desert.

[smmast]

I know this may not be most peoples idea of evening fun, but while sitting out on deck 4 one evening i noticed only one runner and basically no walkers. The only person running was one of the trainers from the gym. I think i may try this next time and the temp was great. Just an idea

[ludari]

As others have mentioned one lap equals 1/3 of a mile. As scuba diver mentioned it's better to start early to avoid other people if that is your goal but it's never been too crowded in all the trips I have done. I prefer getting up early to finish my runs especially if I plan on running longer than 10 miles. I have also done some runs on the treadmill but I prefer deck four.