I always have high hopes when I travel that I’ll find a pool where I am and get a few workouts in. My husband and I were in Canada this summer and brought our suits ambitiously thinking we’d walk up to a facility a few blocks from our hotel and get in. Spoiler alert: We did not.

I have a trip coming up so I thought I’d set myself up for success this time and write a few workouts ahead of time so I’d be more motivated to find and get in a pool. I always do better when I have a plan…

I’m not a frequent traveler, but I visit family from time to time and sometimes I struggle with coming up with no equipment workouts on the fly. Now that I’m a Masters swimmer I rely a lot heavier on my equipment to help me out in the water. It can be no fun without it.

In the spirit of travel, I came up with three workouts that can be done in any pool with no equipment – one focusing on breath control, one on stroke, and one on aerobic freestyle (my favorite kind of workout). If you’re looking for other themes to get through a workout without your gear, you can go for an IM workout or just take a few days to practice drills and techniques.

Workout 1 – Focus: Breath Control (Did this set today and really liked it!)
Workout 2 – Focus: Stroke. Can be shortened by doing only 2 or 3 rounds of the main set.
Workout 3 – Aerobic Freestyle. Modify base intervals if you need to!

If you’re lucky, you may be able to snag a communal kickboard wherever you’re at – YMCA’s can be good for having gear on hand for anyone to use. If not – enjoy these workouts! I would love to hear how these go if you get a chance to do any. Feel free to comment if you need any interval modifications. Safe Travels!

Have ideas or want to be a contributor? Contact The Lane Line: thelanelineswim@gmail.com