Sunday, November 26, 2017

A Race to the Finish Line on the Busiest Travel Day of the Year

Today I'm leaving on a three city trip. Orlando for work, San Antonio for my last Rock n Roll race of the year--HALL OF FAME here I come--and then St. Louis for work.
Today is the busiest travel day of the year. How did I prepare? Let me tell you how to work the system.
I'm not a fan of dealing with AM traffic to O'Hare from McCormick Convention Center area. It's over an hour by public transportation and depending on traffic, can be over two hours by car. Nope. Not a fan.
By the end of the year, I usually have about 200,000 or so miles saved up from travel and such, so I booked a room at the airport Hilton O'Hare for approximately 14,000 miles. That's super cheap. Breakfast would have been another 2000 miles but I passed on the offer as I was flying out early. If you haven't had their breakfast buffet, you should, it's fabulous, regularly $33.
I took an Uber to the airport as I didn't want to schlep my big bag on three different trains. I checked the weather report for the three cities I'm traveling to, and decided that since the forecast wasn't brutal and I was taking Uber, I didn't need my heavy coat, hat and gloves and opted for my lighter coat, saving me lots of stuff to carry. The Uber was $25, and the driver was amazing, so I tipped him $5. I just checked the price to travel the same route at 0600, it's about double.
I was supposed to fly out at 0600. Because I'm a United 1K Member, I can choose to move my flight to any available flight (same fare class) in the 24-hour, same day window for free. I had already been upgraded, but there was plenty of open space on the 0947, so I called the 1K line and they switched my flights, and also received an upgrade to First Class on the new flight.
I arrived at the Hilton starved so I dropped my bags and went to the sports bar to see some football highlights and get a burger. Sitting at the bar instead of a table has its advantages as I met a man who works for one of the Rock n Roll Marathon Series sponsors, and he ended up picking up my check after we talked about racing and such. Free dinner, yay!
Slept for a few hours, but as I know how busy ORD can be the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I decided to get out of bed at 0500 to allow plenty of time to weave my way through the expected lines. I looked out the window and the traffic in front of the Departures area was gridlocked. I figured the check-in would be crazy, so I showered quickly, got dressed and headed out.
I left the Hilton at 0534 and headed for Terminal 1. Again, deciding to stay at the airport was a great decision, as I didn't have to go outside in the 30 degree weather, and was thankful that I left my heavy coat and winter wear at home.
I arrived at the United Check-In counter at 0540. The 1K line was open with no line so I checked my bag, grabbed my boarding pass and headed for the TSA Pre line.
O'Hare does not have CLEAR yet, which means I spend more time in lines at ORD than any other airport in the country. I've been a member for years and zip right through the security lines at SFO, LAS, and MCO--three of my most frequented airports. I'm rarely in line for more than five minutes and consider the CLEAR + TSA Pre Check to be one of the best business investments I make.
I was stunned to see no one in line at TSA Pre. The stanchions were already in place to accommodate what was coming and I weaved my way through the empty space and security screening in about 45 seconds. On the busiest day of the year at one of the busiest airports in the country. Am I dreaming? Pinch me.
The time was 0545.
I joked with the TSA employee about how quickly everything was going, and he said, "Oh, it's coming. Look behind you."
And there it was, the wall of people streaming down the prepared stanchions with bags, purses, and rollers everywhere.
It looked like a human tsunami. I grabbed my bags and headed to the United Club, conveniently located next door to the checkpoint.
I walked into the United Club at 0547 and greeted the counter agent. I told her that I left my hotel room exactly 13 minutes ago and hadn't even been awake an hour. She mirrored the TSA agents comment of, "It's coming" and I told her about the human tsunami I just saw. The doors of the Club opened again, and in poured the people. Up the stairs I went and grabbed a counter seat, coffee and a bagel.
One of the amenities at the Club is a complementary printer, which I need to use to print out my script. I'm doing that now while I type this and will be able to focus my time relaxing and learning my client's product.
Rumor has it that the hot breakfast this morning will include bacon. And you all know how I feel about bacon.
With some preparation and knowledge of what the busiest travel day of the year can be like, I avoided all the hassle, frustration, and lines that most people will be facing today.
And the cost to me? $30 and 14,000 miles. Combined with my memberships to the United Club, TSA Pre, and CLEAR, I skated from hotel door to breakfast in 13 minutes.
Imagine what everyone else out there is dealing with and how much they are spending on transportation and breakfast, not to mention the wait times in all the lines. Nope. I've been doing this too long to not know how to work the systems.
As I always say...play the game or it will play you.

On a closing note....the printer was giving me a bit of a hard time this morning. After speaking with the CSR at the front desk we got it to work. While we were waiting I told her of my 13-minute journey and that I use United all the time to fly to work and races and that I write a blog about my travels. She actually didn't know how to use the printer and after joking with her a bit about it and teaching her the steps to print documents, I told her in passing that I had been trying to get a job with United for a few years now with no success. She said, "Oscar is coming in today. I'll tell him that you are looking..."
Excuse me while I go put my eyelashes on...You can't potentially meet the CEO of your chosen airline (who read your blog and sent you a thank you about the compliments I wrote of his employees) when you aren't without your signature lashes and lipstick.

Bacon can wait...

Life Is Good
Life is better when you are well prepared and make smart decisions.

Friday, November 17, 2017

You Gotta Love Runners

I'm having a bad day today.

I've just come home from three weeks on the road and have four days to pack my entire apartment and move to Chicago.  And it appears I will be doing everything solo.

Grrr.

I'm very emotional about leaving San Francisco.  I never thought I would go, but high rent, unsafe living conditions, and the desire to have a better quality of life are making me leave.  It's heartbreaking, but it's the right decision.

So, knowing that today was packing-prep day, I woke up after a bad night of sleep a tad bit cranky.

I live in a VERY bad area of San Francisco.  The noise from the drug dealers and users, music, cars, cops and the occasional gunshot keeps me up most of the night when I'm home--part of the reason I'm moving.  Every time I leave my house, I'm confronted by dangerous people to the point that when I'm home, I rarely leave the apartment.  I've given up on running in the mornings as it isn't safe due to bodies strewn across the sidewalks or human waste piles spotting the path.  And don't get me started about all the bloody needles I have to watch out for.

It's a little chilly outside today, so I threw on a pair of yoga pants, a race shirt and my RnR Savannah Marathon Finisher Jacket.  Yeah, I still wear that jacket everywhere.  It might be my favorite piece of clothing and can make the day brighter sometimes.  But not today.  Today I have to battle The Hood and all of its residents.  Sigh.

So, muttering to myself as I walked through the streets, I was watching where I stepped while constantly being asked for money or drugs or whatever else people beg for all day long.  Drop off donations, pick up supplies, back to my house.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

Definitely getting grumpier after two hours of this.  Back and forth to my apartment, out for another errand, back again. Three miles of walking errands.  Three miles of being harassed and shallow breathing due to the smell of human waste, cigarettes, and marijuana. 

I've hit my breaking point with this city I have loved for 20 years.

I was standing at Market St. and Stockton St. on my way to Target when the light turned red for me.  As I waited for the light to change, I felt someone tap my shoulder and grab my arm.  This is a heavy begging corner for everyone and I've learned to keep my purse tight and my eyes down, so I was quite stunned thinking that the beggars have become so aggressive that they are actually grabbing people now.

I spun around ready for a fight and looked into the eyes of a man about my age.  He was dressed as I was, relaxed clothing, and when he spoke, I heard a bit of a speech impediment, as if he was deaf.

"Excuse me ma'am.  I'm a runner, too!  I wanted to say hi!"

Ummm...what??  I just stood there and stared at him, taking it all in and trying to hear and understand him over the noise of the streetcars, cabs, horns, and regular traffic in a heavily congested intersection.

I couldn't speak.

"I'm running the Berkeley Marathon this weekend.  Last weekend I ran Bakersfield."  He had a grin on his face that could have burned through the thickest San Francisco fog.

I looked down at his hand and he had a race bag from Berkeley in it with his bib and shirt.  I looked back up at his eyes and said, "Good for you!  That's a wonderful race.  I really hope you enjoy it!"

I have no idea if it is a good race or not, I just didn't know what else to say at that moment.

He took a step back, turned and said, "I just wanted to say hello!  I'm a runner, too!"  And then he disappeared into the crowd.

I just stood there completely numb for a minute or two.  And then I welled up. 

Runners.

You can be having the worst day of your life and there will still be someone who will find you, lost in a crowd, miserable as all hell, and they will say something to cheer you up. 

Running is an individual sport, but one that has more of a team connection than anything I have ever known.  We know when another is hurting.  We know when another is soaring through the skies.  We are a family by choice, forged on the agonizing pavement of putting one foot in front of the other, over and over and over until we feel that we will break.  We don't have to have ever met to recognize our brothers and sisters...we just KNOW who we are.

We celebrate the victories, we mourn the losses, but more importantly, we support each other when we need it.

I have no idea who this man today was, and I'm sure I'll never see him again.

But he was there when I needed him.  He KNEW.

And he acted.

I walked the final mile home with a smile on my face.

You gotta love runners....








Wednesday, November 1, 2017

The Women of Rock N Roll

It's no secret that the Rock N Roll series is my favorite to run.  Pick a race--any race--in the series, and you will have a good time.  The music, the course, the location...it sets this series apart from any other in which I have run.

While each race is unique in location, there are a few things that one can count on when running multiple races in the Rock N Roll series.  One of those consistencies is the staff that works each event.  For those of us who have the Tour Pass and are Hall of Fame members, seeing their faces on a regular basis when going to a new or even a familiar city is our anchor and our familiarity in a city where, sometimes, we are complete strangers and know no one.


As someone who travels for a living, I am used to being alone and introducing myself to others at work who share the same interests as I do, trying to generate a common bond so that we can meet up for the next show or event so that I won't be alone too often.  Travel is fun alone, but not on a regular basis.

De Moe and I celebrating our Hall of Fame banner
Running is different.  When you are a runner, you bond instantly with others with the ability to talk for hours with someone you have just met five minutes ago.  And when you arrive at a Rock N Roll event alone and see those familiar faces at the Expo, the starting line, or along the course, you know you really are never alone.  You are with family.

The past few years I have had the pleasure of bonding and developing friendships with several people who work for the Rock N Roll Series.  I look for them each time I race and miss them when they are not around.  A race just isn't the same without seeing them at some point along the weekend.

A few really have stood out over the years, and with all the changes happening within the Rock N Roll Series, I wanted to take a few minutes to highlight a few people who have make the past few years an incredible, irreplaceable experience for me...

So...without further ado, I present:

 The Women of Rock N Roll


Of course, the moment Kim and I get out of the Uber from ORD we are greeted by The Women of Rock N Roll

Lisa

Lisa helping people figure out
Race Day logistics

Known as the "Queen of Rock N Roll" back home in Vancouver, Lisa joined the team in February of 2014 as an Ambassador of Rock for Vancouver.  She can be found in the VIP Booth at the RnR Expos as well as the VIP Finish Experience at most events.

I asked Lisa what her favorite RnR was to run, and to no surprise, she said Vancouver.  While the RnR Series does not offer Vancouver as one of its Tour Stops now, she does hope that it will be added back into the series in the future.  Until then, her favorite RnR to run would have to be Seattle because of the time of year and the beauty of running in the Pacific Northwest along such a scenic course.

The frenzied look of a runner who just set a PR on the hills of
 San Francisco, met at the finish line by Lisa
When asked what her favorite RnR event to work is, without hesitation, she stated Nashville.  The Southern Charm, the politeness of the people, great food, and country music are enough to win her over.

I asked her why she loved working for RnR...as she teared up, she said:

"I love running and sharing my love of running with people.  I've never been prouder of working for a company that knows what to do and how to do it and gives each runner an exceptional experience."

I couldn't agree more.



Mindy
Mindy crowning me with the 2017
 Triple Marathon Challenge Medal

Mindy holds a position in Customer Loyalty and Service in National Promotions.  As Rock N Roll transitions from just marathons to the Ironman series, it is exciting to watch Mindy make the transition, also.
Mindy and Ryan, giving out Heavy Medals

Mindy is a Legacy at the Savannah Rock N Roll, meaning she ran the first race that RnR offered in Savannah and has participated in subsequent races since then.  I'm trying to talk her into doing the full with me this upcoming weekend, but I think she and I are both smart by staying with the half.

Mindy awarding Mitch with the Hall of Fame Medal
Mindy can usually be found at the main RnR booth at the Expo, but is more known to many of us as the woman who delivers us our coveted Heavy Medals at the designated tent at the finish line festivities.  Who doesn't love seeing her smiling face when receiving the 8-track or Gold Record?  I know I do!!  Can't wait for another Hall of Fame Medal in San Antonio!

Mindy's favorite race to run has been Nashville.  She loves the crowd support, "people EVERYWHERE cheering!"  And, as Lisa did, she loved Vancouver.

As far as her favorite event to work, it has to be Seattle for the beauty of the city, landscape and, without question, the FOOD.  "I wish we had a Pike Place where I live," she said.

Can anyone get enough chowder and crab after a race?  I think not.
Always a joy to see Mindy and Ryan at the Expo

Yinka

Did you know that Yinka speaks five languages??  FIVE!!!!

Never has there been a woman who understands
my love for bacon more than Yinka
Born in Sierra Leone and growing up in Minnesota via Ethiopia and Kenya, Yinka admits that she isn't a runner...YET!  I have a feeling that we may win her over and have her race for the first time very soon.  She also loves Nashville as her favorite event to work, primarily because of the music.


Yinka is the VIP Experience Manager for the Rock N Roll Events.  For a woman so young, her talents are ageless.  "Hospitality is my passion," she says.  I couldn't agree more.  You can tell when Yinka is managing a VIP event and when she is not....it's all in the details.

How I'm supposed to look after two
FULL MARATHONS in a week...
How I REALLY feel after running
Liverpool and San Diego in a week
When asked how she can relate to the runners because she does not race, she said, "Because I'm not a runner, this has been a very educational experience--learning about PRs and chafing and how important porto potties are in the mornings!"  YES!  She understands!

BACON!!!!!
Even if I've had a bad race, seeing her cheers me up right away.  Her smile and laughter are infectious and no matter how sore I am, I always make it a point to find her on race day to brighten my spirits.


The Power Duo of Lisa and Yinka in Virginia Beach














It was just announced that the Rock N Roll Tour Pass will be changing--dramatically.  For me to do the same amount of races that I have done over the past few years will cost me at least triple in registration fees alone.  I'm not sure that I will be able to participate in as many races as I would like to, which saddens me greatly.

Seeing these women--these wonderfully talented women--at least once a month and sometimes on back to back to back weekends in different time zones and even different countries has given me so much inspiration and love that I have no words to accurately sing their praises.  When I have no strength to run because I am mentally exhausted, they are there giving me a hug and a pat on the back to get up early and run the remix.  When my body is broken from flying 14-18 days a month for work, they are there to give me a bagel and bacon and the encouragement to not DNF--something I have never done which I credit to their encouragement.  And when I cross the Finish Line and set a new PR, they are there to catch me when I am shaking and dizzy, guiding me to where I need to go with my absolute, complete trust, because I know that they really care about me, the people who run with me, and the organization that they work for.

These three women. 

The Rock N Roll Series would never be complete without them.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the past years that we have known each other.  I love each of you more than I can put into words.

I'll see you on the course soon.