Maximizing Training While Traveling
Traveling and business trips can often put a pin in your training plan. When traveling for business or pleasure, athletes often do not have the time to train that they normally do or they don’t have access to their normal facilities. Plus, packing up the tri bike for a short trip isn’t always an effective use of time.
We use several methods that help the busy professional maximize training while traveling without loosing any fitness. These tips also work great for those who take a vacation mid season, but do not want to use a recovery week during that time.
Swimming:
1. Are you a member of a YMCA? Most Y’s are currently joining the One Membership Program where your Y membership is good for 29 days at any participating YMCA. If a Y is not a participant in the program, they will have an away policy that allows you to use their facility for several days or pay a small fee to use their facility. Keep this in mind as a way to use an exercise bike also. Also look for other fitness facilities that have pools. Always call to check the schedule and to see the water temperature. If the water temp is above 86 degrees, be sure to cut back on the intensity.
2. If you don’t have a YMCA or other facility around, take a look at your hotel pool. While it may not be the best place to swim(most are 10 to 15 yards long) you can at least get in enough work to not lose form. Look into buying a tether like this one (https://www.swimoutlet.com/p/lane-gainer-sports-swim-belt-3-meter-15839/?color=). Substitution your swim intervals for short high-intensity intervals. Keep efforts no longer than 20 seconds, but make them hard. Breathing while using the tether can get tricky, so these short intervals keep it 100% anaerobic so you can put your head down and go.
Biking:
1. Check out your hotel or local YMCA/gym for an exercise bike. Get the saddle height close enough to what your tri bike is. Keep bike workouts short and primarily use HIIT style workouts. Long workouts on a bike that is not very adjustable can lead to little aches and pains, so keep it short. Keeping the efforts short and very tough will give you a good workout(ie, 15 times through 15 seconds all out, 1 minute easy).
2. Pair swim workouts and bike workouts on the same day if you are going to a gym/YMCA to train. This will save you travel time, prep time and tick 2 workout boxes with only going one place.
Running:
1. Running is the one area where we tend to keep the workouts the same. We may shorten the workouts if time is a factor, but intensity will still stay on the lower end because of the addition of HIIT workouts on the swim and bike.
2. Look at places such as Strava, RidewithGPS.com and MapMyRun to see where local running routes are. This will help you find safer and enjoyable places to run.