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.

The Snooze Button

Everyone knows about this one. The alarm goes off at 5:30 AM and there's not enough time to snooze. Exactly enough time to get up, go to the bathroom, dress, put my contacts in, get my swim gear together (this is never done the night before), eat a banana, put gatorade in my water bottle, coat on, car keys, out the door, drive to the Y, go inside, get in my jammers and get to the Masters class on time. It starts at 6 AM. Exactly enough time that is if I get out of bed exactly when the alarm goes off. But guess what? I snooze it. I snooze thinking I'll just be faster this morning. I peer out of the blanket looking at the clock thinking there has been a mistake. Can't be 5:30, can't be. So, I'm snoozing in defiance. Outside it's about 10 degrees. Think that has anything to do with it? I wake again at 5:39. Now, I'm thinking how I'll never make the class in time so I might as well hit snooze again. In the end, I get out of bed and finally get to masters at 6:30 or 6:40. Sometimes it's not enough time to get the full workout in and I wonder why. I have to be back home by 7:55 latest and there is no flexibility there. I keep telling myself that when it gets warmer, this will all change. But right now it's a battle and I'm losing.