The 3 Day Business Trip

I took off today for a 3 night, 3 day business trip. It's Monday and my day off in Week 14 of Ironman training. The good thing is that I could drive to where I needed to go. If I would have had to take a flight, the bike would have had to stay home. So, in the back of my suburban, I threw my bike, bike shoes, helmet, a full bag of running & biking clothing, bike trainer (it might rain), running shoes, floor pump, gatorade, clif bars, etc, etc. When you fly, you can take running gear to run on a treadmill and possibly your swim gear. Most hotels don't have lap pools so you need to be creative with how you get your swimming in. Last year, when I was in Chattanooga, I was able to walk to a local Y and swim there. It was a great thing because I got 2000 yards in before my meeting and I felt mentally good about it. Most Y's will let you use their facilities 8 to 12 times per year with a small fee to get in. I'll never go to Chattanooga more than a few times per year so there is no concern about maxing out. And the great thing is that it was free. Travel can wreck havoc with training but there are ways to solve the problems you encounter. Throwing all that equipment in the truck was a pain but in the end it's worth it. It solved the guilts I would have had if I hadn't made the effort. However, if you can't get a bike or swim in, use the time to rest and pick it up when you return. In the long run, it's not going to hurt to miss a few workouts.