Thirteen miles run and thirteen thousand miles flown...sort of...

What does a woman who travels for a living do when she has 36 hours off between work and vacation--both on the West Coast?

She jumps on a plane to redeye into The United Airlines RnR Washington DC Marathon.

Why not?

This blog isn't about me running or the race itself.  We hear about people getting on a plane with a backpack and flying across the country (or various oceans), landing, running, and flying home right after.  Total respect, but let's take the challenge up a notch.

I'm on the road for a month, leaving home on 27 February.  Three shows, three countries, a few races, a "real job" interview, and then finally home.  A backpack doesn't exactly support this time frame or this many outfit changes.  I have a 45-lb suitcase with me...and a huge carry on.

THIS is a challenge.  And I do love a good challenge.

Let me tell you how my race weekend went and the support I received...because this is what my blog is really about.


Friday, 10 March

5:00 AM:  Las Vegas.  Wake up, pack suitcase, pack TSA approved food to prepare me for the race and eat on the plane.  Peanut butter in celery sticks as well as 2-oz. containers, salad, fruit, lunch meat, cheese, etc.  Throw it in the refrigerator.  Go to work.

Everything you can take through TSA.

12:00 PM:  Check the weather forecast.  TWENTY DEGREES??  Wait!  When did that change?  I only have shorts and one pair of yoga pants with me.  No hat.  No gloves.  No thermal race gear.  Nothing.  Freak out and message everyone on my team to buy me warm clothes at the Expo and get my race bib and bag for me.  Done.

4:00 PM:  Leave work.  I have been on my feet at back to back shows for two weeks, with a trip to Los Angeles for the weekend in between.  Feet hurt.

5:00 PM:  Arrive at LAS.  Check my suitcase.  Head to the United Club.

Frank and company at LAS

5:15 PM:  Chat with Frank and his coworkers at the Club about my upcoming adventure.  They have helped me plan it, so they are excited that I am really doing it...if I make the flights.  Weather on the East Coast is messing things up.  Wheee!

6:30 PM:  Board and leave for SFO.

My favorite United Club Bartender, Dennis

8:30 PM:  Arrive at SFO.  Head for the United Club.  Dennis is there, my favorite bartender, who also knows of this crazy adventure I'm planning.  He fills the three baggies that I brought with ice to keep the meat and cheese cool on the flight to IAD.  Change into race gear...what little I have with me.


9:30 PM:  Board for IAD. Asked the FA if I could keep my ice-packed lunch in the back, as I am flying on the bulkhead and have to keep everything overhead.  I don't want to drip on anyone.  I tell them about the race and they think it's fantastic, as some of them are running the United RnR SF.  And...mechanical.  Oh, the one word no one wants to hear when pushing a timeline.  We take off late, but we take off.  I don't sleep because I am stressed about making it to the starting line.  No possibility of the Full now.  Even the Half is in doubt depending on when I land.

Saturday, 11 March

6:30 AM:  Land.  Small eternity to get off the plane.  Head to the United Club (that's three) for coffee.  Apply Body Glide and pull on compression socks.  Out the door.

7:00 AM:  Full Marathon starts.  I'm just catching an Uber.  Eating all of my packed lunch that I can.

7:50 AM:  Arrive as close to the starting line as possible to catch the Half.  OMG IT'S 20 DEGREES!!!!  Meet my friend, Laura, at Gear Check to get my bib and check my carry on.  Call my other friend who has my gloves and hat to tell her where to meet me.  She's lost on public transportation and won't make it.  Freak out.  Start eating Glukos Chews.  They are frozen and chewy, but they work.

8:15 AM:  Meet my running team, Black Sheep Run, for the team photo.  They see I am freezing and give me hand warmers but are at the minimum for themselves on anything else warm.  OK...let's go for it anyway.  Better to try and fail than not try at all.  Drink a Glukos Gel and get the Garmin ready.

8:30 AM:  Half Marathon start.  Cold.  OMG, COLD!  Whatever.  Adrenaline will get me through it.

8:40 AM:  Jamie from Black Sheep starts yelling my name.  There was a pair of disposable running gloves on the ground so she grabbed them for me.  Better.  De Moe gives me his hat.  Much better.  I can do this.

11:40 AM:  Cross the finish line with my team.  Lose them in the chute.  Head to Gear Check to get my bag and warm clothes.  Start making my way to IAD.

1:45 PM:  Arrive at IAD.  Go to Baggage Claim to pick up my suitcase that flew in with me this morning.  Recheck it, check in for YVR and head to the United Club.

IAD United Club staff.  Great people!!

2:00 PM:  Order a Bloody Mary at the Club and realize that I haven't
eaten since the plane.  Good Bloody Mary though....Change socks.  Think that not showering was a mistake.  Try and stay awake at the Club so I don't miss my flight home.

4:30 PM:  Board for YVR via SFO.  In 39A for the way home.  Cold seat makes my knee happy.   Kept my feet off the bulkhead.

Don't do this.  Respect the bulkhead.

24 hours later, I haven't slept, flown 5000 miles
and run a half marathon.  But still smiling!!

9:00 PM:  Land at SFO.  Go see Dennis to celebrate.  Eat again.  Leave my suitcase at the airport.  Catch an Uber home around 11.  Finally shower and pass out right before setting the alarm for 6 AM so I can get back to SFO.  What do you mean we lose an hour tonight???  Daylight Savings Time???  Grrrr!

Sunday, 12 March

6:00 AM:  Get up.  Repack backpack.  Call Uber and head to SFO.

9:00 AM:  Arrive at SFO for breakfast and a mimosa.  OK...three mimosas.  Board for YVR.  Fall asleep before the plane takes off......

Vacation time in Vancouver until I leave and head to Dallas for the RnR Tex2Mex.  That's Dallas Half in the morning, and Mexico City Half that evening.  Egads!


Now you might think that all of this was an easy accomplishment except for the running 13.1 miles in 20 degree weather.  Not so.

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of United.  I have leaned on them so many times to get me back and forth to work that I can't list them all.  I insist that my favorite business investment I make each year with the biggest ROI is buying a United Club Membership.

If it wasn't for all of the support that I had from United--from the CSR agents on the phone for the planning, to the incredible United Club staff in all three clubs, to the Flight Attendants on the plane, and of course, my running group, the staff at RnR, and a slew of Uber drivers, I never would have pulled this off.

They say that running is an individual sport.  While I would like to agree, as I don't really feel that I compete with anyone when I am on the course itself, I know that it is, in fact, a team sport.  Without my team from United and Black Sheep Run, as well as the other individuals who helped along the way, I never would have been able to fly, run, and fly again.

My team is the best.


Life is good.  Life is better when you are part of a worldwide support team.



Next stop:  Tex2Mex.

(Since United counts PQD for their 1K membership, and I flew on a comped ticket LAS--IAD--YVR, I don't get credit for status on this trip.  But since this month's trip was 12,104 miles, we will have to start tallying separately).

Miles Run: 140
1K Qualifying Miles: 21,955
Actual Miles Flown:  25,636