General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Vacation and Racing Rss Feed  
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2016-05-24 4:13 PM

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Subject: Vacation and Racing
Hello!

I'm right in the middle of training for a Sprint Triathlon - it's June 25th in Mt Tremblant.

Here's the thing. I'm having a BLAST. Basically logging swims and bikes and runs just because I love it. Things are getting easier and I'm surprising myself with what I'm capable of.

Since I've been having so much fun, I started looking at Olympic distances at the end of the season - mid September.

I will be going on a 3 week vacation from August 10th to August 31st. It's a road trip and we have literally every single day planned. I'm not sure if I'll get workouts in. Definitely won't be able to swim (in the way that triathletes swim), may be able to bike/run.

How should I approach this? I'm leaning towards not doing anything else, but love the idea of having something to train for/want a challenge as I'd like to do a half iron next summer.



2016-05-24 5:44 PM
in reply to: tigrrruns

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Regular
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Pueblo, Colorado
Subject: RE: Vacation and Racing
When I need to train on vacation, I try to get up before everyone else to get a workout in. I also take into account any additional walking, etc. that I may be doing. By far the easiest options for workouts on vacation are: 1) Running, you can do that just about anywhere. A few easy runs over the course of vacation help to maintain fitness 2) The hotel/ resort fitness center (although it doesn't sound like the type of vacation you're taking).
2016-05-24 6:38 PM
in reply to: 0

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Master
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Bellevue, WA
Subject: RE: Vacation and Racing

Yes, run.  I always bring running gear on trips and I've ran in many cities. Anaheim, Boulder, San Diego, Chicago, Washington DC, Oakland, NYC, Philadelphia, Amsterdam, Paris, Hamburg, Gotenberg Sweden, Cape Town, SA - I could go on.  You can always run, and it's a great way to see cities.  If you're staying in hotels, just walk up to the front desk and ask if they have any good running maps.  That's been 100% successful for me.  Also local running stores, Map my Run, etc.  Check out https://www.verywell.com/how-to-find-running-routes-when-traveling-2912008 for ideas.

Swimming is hit or miss. I've had hotels with pools long enough to swim laps and that works in the early morning or late at night.  And I've had hotels where the fitness center was actually a real gym next door, and that was great once and OK several times. 

My gym memberships supposedly lets me go to other clubs in some network of clubs; the one time I tried to do it the other club put so many rules in place in front of it ($10 fee, verify my membership over the phone, blah blah blah) I didn't even bother. Maybe your gum is nationwide like LA Fitness or maybe it is a member of some network and maybe that would work for you.  Then you could swim at a real gym.

Or there may be good public facilities along the way.  I've never tried that.  I looked in at a public pool once in Paris and was amazed to see at least 25 people nose-to-toe circle swimming in a 50 meter lane.  NOT ME. :-)



Edited by brucemorgan 2016-05-24 6:39 PM
2016-05-25 5:15 AM
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Master
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Eugene, Oregon
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Subject: RE: Vacation and Racing
Some ideas:

*Get up early and run. Assuming you don't pick hotels in dodgy areas, you can pretty much run anywhere.

*Be flexible about swimming. Have your suit, towel, goggles handy and just try to get in something if there's a hotel pool (anything is better than nothing). Even 10-15 minutes of easy laps in a small pool helps you keep your feel for the water. If you're a capable swimmer and someone can spot you (or there are lifeguards), you could also take a wetsuit (if needed) and swim in lakes along the way. People have different comfort levels with that, though.

*Not sure about the size of your vehicle, but you could take your bike and/or a trainer if it would fit. I often travel with my hybrid bike as it works great on any kind of surface; not as difficult to handle as a tri bike if you end up needing to ride dirt, gravel, or big hills.

For what it's worth, I did one of my fastest sprint races a week after returning from a 4-week long trip to Europe. Most of that was bike touring, so I did get in some riding, but it was with my mother, who was in her early 70's, so not exactly fast riding! (I carried all the gear, though, so it was kind of strength training.) I believe I ran and swam maybe five times each over that period.



Edited by Hot Runner 2016-05-25 5:19 AM
2016-05-25 7:01 AM
in reply to: #5183591


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Subject: RE: Vacation and Racing
My masters group allows drop in
2016-05-25 7:33 AM
in reply to: Sidney Porter

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Subject: RE: Vacation and Racing

Originally posted by Sidney Porter My masters group allows drop in

Mine does, too.  It'd be worth checking out.  There's also a web site that tracks swimming pool availability:

http://www.swimmersguide.com/

I've used it in the past while traveling on business.



2016-05-25 8:42 AM
in reply to: tigrrruns

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Subject: RE: Vacation and Racing
I am sure that you will be able to, and need to, take some time for yourself. The idea of spending 24 hours a day in the company of someone else for 3 weeks would push me over the edge. Like others have said, running is easy. On most vacations, my husband likes to sleep in, so I go for a run in the morning and explore the area on foot. It is a great way to find out what is happening of if there is anything that you might want to check out later.

I have taken my bike on road trips. I wouldn't do it if I didn't have the means of securing the bike (it fits in my car). We have done days where we have gone our separate ways and met back at the hotel in the evening, but we have also done point-to-points where I ride and he drives. His hobby is photography (which bores me to tears), so he drives and stops at interesting places to take pictures while I ride. We regroup at an assigned place after a couple hours or at the end of the day. You could also rent a bike in a lot of places. For example, this summer we are going to Ireland (yay!). I am going to take a cheap helmet and rent bikes where I can. If I don't have room in the suitcase to take the helmet home, I can leave it behind without too much loss.

Definitely pack a suit and goggles. They take up almost no room, and you never know when a pool might pop up.

You can definitely make it work.
2016-05-25 11:16 AM
in reply to: tigrrruns

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Aledo, Texas
Subject: RE: Vacation and Racing

Good advice above. Last year, I was in Vegas and needed to get in a good ride. I was able to find a company (Bike Blast) that rents out road bikes. They also have guides that can join, which I did. They picked me up at the hotel, took me to the state park where we road, and dropped me off at the hotel. The only thing I had to provide was my bike shoes. It was a bit pricey for one ride, but now, when I travel, I am always looking for places where I can rent a road bike.

2016-05-25 6:21 PM
in reply to: LundyLund

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Subject: RE: Vacation and Racing
Bike, running, and outdoor shops are a great resource for ideas and maps about good places to ride/run. You can also look online to see if there's a local tri, running, or bike club that you could join for a workout--like master's swim, many welcome visitors. I just wandered by a tri store on a trip to Boise a few years ago and ended up joining them for an OWS workout--really convenient place/time and felt safer than doing it solo. Mom and I have also done the ride and drive thing--I just try to pick a really scenic route that will be interesting for her; sometimes we pack a picnic lunch. If she wants, I'll follow her for a while while she rides as well if we find a flat part. We have even done about 50-60 miles of "leapfrog" with her riding about 20 and me 40--you do have to have the capacity to carry two bikes to do that. Bike rental is always a possibility as well.
2016-05-26 7:28 AM
in reply to: tigrrruns

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Subject: RE: Vacation and Racing
I just remembered, if you aren't comfortable doing exploratory runs, many hotels, especially the big chains, will have maps of recommended running routes.
2016-05-26 10:50 AM
in reply to: happyscientist

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Subject: RE: Vacation and Racing
I took on triathlon to lose weight and it has become a lifestyle for me as well and as necessary for daily functioning to me as brushing my teeth, sleep, etc. I have to do something active every day, it doesn't have to be SBR, but walking, or some kind of activity. With that being said, I try to avoid formal training while on vacation, and it is just for fun. I always pack running clothes and shoes and prefer to just run as I want, not necessarily a specfic workout. Some of my favorite runs ever have been while exploring new places on vacation. If I go to my parents, I always take my bike because I love to ride with my Dad.

Get up early and do it while everyone else is asleep (not hard for me, as I am an early bird anyhow).


2016-05-27 12:03 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner

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Subject: RE: Vacation and Racing
Yes! That's great to hear! Thanks

We'll be travelling the west coast (California, Vegas) and my sister is a nervous bike rider (and very clumsy) so we'll be doing a lot of walking and some other minimal exercise.
2016-05-27 12:07 PM
in reply to: KatieLimb

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Subject: RE: Vacation and Racing
Thanks everyone.

I've signed up for the Olympic triathlon. Now we just train, I suppose.

I can also downsize to the sprint if necessary.

We'll be doing a lot of walking and maybe some bike touring, so I'll still be upkeeping my cardio. May see if I can't find an OWS workout - I can swim while my sister hangs out on the beach.

Fabulous!!

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