This site contains affiliate links. For more information, see our Disclosures page.

I hoped I could start out by saying, “I’m writing this from 35,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean en route to Norway.” But alas, the allure of the little screen in front of me and attempted sleep were too much. So, instead, you’ll have to settle for an article written from a hotel room in Mississauga, Canada. Needless to say, I have some experience training for triathlon while traveling. I’d like to share a few tips I picked up along the way.

Let’s face it. Triathlon training and travel are not usually the best of friends. It’s easy to find yourself practicing the three disciplines of dinner, dessert, and antacids instead of swimming, biking and running while on the road. I find it extremely difficult to make performance gains while traveling, so generally, my goals are just maintenance and enjoying the new surroundings while I train. Often this means treadmill running in the hotel’s fitness center, but let’s explore some other, more creative alternatives for each sport.

Swimming

You have several options to get in a good—or at least marginally okay—swim. Just don’t forget to pack your goggles.

A Real Pool

Fire up Google and search for “swimming pools near me”. If you’re in luck you’ll find a pool just down the road from your hotel with convenient lap swimming hours. This is ideal, but you may not have much luck in some areas of the world.

Open Water Swim

Get outdoors and do some open water swimming. Of course, safety is the number one concern here. Though I will say that there could be worse ways (or at least less cool ways) to die than getting eaten by a crocodile during an open water swim. One way to find a good spot for this is through a group on Facebook called “Open Water Swimming”. There’s over 14,000 members from around the world, so there’s likely to be someone to point you in the right direction or maybe even connect you with a local group.

The Hotel Pool

If the first two options aren’t available, you’ll be stuck with the hotel swimming pool. If the pool is large enough, you may actually be able to swim some laps. Just be prepared for a lot of turns. Hey, at least you’ll be able to brag about swimming 100 laps in your morning workout (just don’t mention the distance said laps).

Stationary Trainer

Another option for the hotel pool is using a stationary trainer. You may get some strange looks from the old guy in the corner of the pool, but that’s a small price to pay. This could be a great investment for a frequent traveller.

Biking

Depending on where your travels take you, bike training options may be quite limited. I’m not going to include hauling your bike with you on the plane as we are middle of the pack triathletes around here. None of us are that dedicated.

Local Bike Shop

If you want to hit the road, your best bet is a local bike shop. Again, a little tool I discovered back in 1999 called Google comes in quite handy. Once you find a shop, you’ll want to check out their website or call and ask about bike rentals. They’ll also be a great source for finding a safe place to ride. They want to get their bike back in one piece after all.

Stationary Bike

There’s a distinct drop-off in the quality of my next suggestion. You’re basically left with the hotel’s fitness center. Hopefully, they’ll have some form of stationary bike you can use. It doesn’t hurt to call them to find out for sure before booking.

Running

We’ve saved the easiest for last. You can always throw your gear in a suitcase and hit the treadmill in your hotel’s fitness center. There is another option for the more adventurous.

Plan a Route

If you do your research, you can probably find a good place to run outdoors nearly anywhere. I say this having experience running outside in Bengaluru, India. If you aren’t familiar with that area, here’s a short video to show you what a typical street looks like:

I enjoy planning running routes. Google Maps is my friend. The last time I travelled to India, I was able to find a lake with a trail around it within walking distance from my hotel. You may have to venture a little further out, perhaps even taking a taxi, but there’s bound to be somewhere safe and probably scenic where you can go for a run.

There you have it. I hope you enjoy your journey. If you have any tips for triathlon training while traveling, I’d love to hear about them in the comments!