Facing Fears

Fears, we all have them right? My life is full of fears. I'm afraid of large dogs, flying, tripping down the stairs, burning myself, drowning, bugs, speaking in front of large groups, my parents dying, having an asthma attack, crying in public, getting dirty, germs, catching a cold/flu, etc, etc. I have a lot of fears, several of which I conquered (kinda) by entering the world of triathlon and open water swimming. I don't like water, being cold, being wet, and I'm a major germ freak. Nothing about open water swimming is conducive to my neurosis. Yet, I did it! Last year I thought that getting past the open water swim was my biggest obstacle in the triathlon. But I was wrong ... Enter clipless pedals. 

Clipping In

I am the proud owner of a road bike thanks to the generosity of my Dad and David this past Christmas! I have a Specialized Dolce which is an entry level women's road bike. Upon getting the bike I also purchased cycling shoes, cleats, and clipless pedals. The purpose of clipless pedals is to allow you to "lock in" to the pedal and have seamless movement with the pedal, with both the push and the pull of your leg stroke engaging in a strong motion. I had heard from many people that they had all had "zero-speed bike crashes" and knew that one would probably be in my future, but I had no idea what a significant event that would be.

The Bike Crash

Back in January after I bought my bike, shoes, and pedals, David and I headed out to Mission Bay to go for a bike ride and allow me to practice clipping in and out of the pedals. After about 5 minutes of practicing I had my first zero-speed crash, followed soon by my second. Its hard at first to remember your shoes are attached to the bike! We left Mission Bay with me crying and my wrists and elbows getting sorer by the minute. By the time we got home, I couldn't bend either elbow. I really started freaking out and about an hour later we were in Urgent Care and I was sobbing on the x-ray table. Oh what a fun day. It turns out I seriously bruised my wrists, forearms, and elbows, and I had a tiny fracture on my right elbow. As a result of this I couldn't bend either arm, bear weight on my arms, and I was suddenly rendered helpless. I took two days off work (on prescription painkillers and sleeping most of the days away) while David played nurse, and  I thanked my lucky stars that he was there and able to care for me. If not, I seriously would have had to call my dad and ask him to fly down from SF to take care of me. I couldn't even open a door or take the cap off    the prescription bottle much less feed myself or take care of my dogs! :o(  This whole experience left me traumatized and terrified of my bike.

 

Getting Back on the Bike

My training schedule had two days of biking on it -  one day of spinning mid-week,and one day of riding on the weekend. Well, these bike rides never happened. As week after week rolled by, I missed ride after ride. I finally went for one training ride the week before my 3rd tri, with a fellow GOTR coach, but wussed out at the last minute and biked in my  running shoes. Yes, on clipless pedals. That sucked! Finally it was time for my next triathlon, a club race with the Tri Club of San Diego. Eeek!
 

 

Triathlon #3 - Tri Club Race

My 2nd tri ever was a club race back in November. (More on my blog Triathlon #2 - The Sprint) One of the many incredible benefits of the tri club is their free chip-timed races! This race would be the same route and distance as the last, yet suddenly I was nervous about getting back into the ocean, and I was worrying over the decision of trying to clip into my bike or not. When it came down to going to the bike store to have cage pedals put on or learning how to clip into my bike ... laziness won. (I didn't want to have to drive down to the store, explain the situation, get the pedals changed, etc.) Instead I sucked it up and spent 30 minutes in the park  near my house practicing clipping in and out. After about 20 successful attempts I felt that I had it down and committed to try it the next day in the race.

 

The Swim

I hadn't been in the ocean in five months and was so scared of the swim the next morning! I had been swimming laps at the pool but it is so different to look out at a faraway buoy in the ocean versus doing  repetitive short distance laps in the pool. I freaked out a bit in the beginning of the swim and started having what felt like an asthma attack, but managed to pull it together and finish the swim with some decency. Whew!

The Bike

My bike ride experience in club race number two was just like number one. I was passed by everyone and passed no one. When I complained to David about this later he asked me "Well, how many training rides did you go on? One right? What did you expect? You'll get better with practice". For some reason I thought that being a good runner meant that those muscles and strengths would transfer over to biking. Well they don't! Shoot.

 

The Run

Oh running, how I love thee! I'm so glad that running is the last leg of the triathlon,because it gives me something to look forward to. By the time I started my run most of the other participants were done racing and were enjoying the hot breakfast buffet. :o( I started off on my run (noticing once again how weird it feels to run after biking) and blasted out the first half mile at a 7:00 pace. I knew this wasn't sustainable and slowed down a bit, but was surprised to see that I was still running a sub 8:00 mile and feeling quite all right! The run course was two loops around the island, meaning that as I finished my first lap I got to see even more people finishing and eating breakfast. ARGH! I gave the run all I had on the second lap and finally crossed the finish line a triathlete once again. Accomplished, disappointed,  proud, sad, and frustrated. So many emotions!

20 Miler - DOH!

Oh yeah, and that weekend I was scheduled for a 20 mile run before I signed up for this race. So the next day (after much waffling about flaking), I headed out and gave the run what I had left. I didn't make it through 20 miles, but I was able to run 17 which was pretty darn good in my book!

Race Results

A few days later the results were posted and I was horrified to see my times. I was so slow! Mostly due to my crappy bike times, but it was a blow to the ego to know that as a decent runner I was a terrible triathlete. I didn't take this sitting down though, and all it has made me want to do is go out and train harder and improve. I've managed to slowly improve over the years with running, and I intend to do the same in the triathlon. I never thought I could do this, and now all I want to do is do this better. My goal this year is to increase in distance and intensity, and who knows, maybe a few years from now I'll be laughing over the time when I was afraid to do open water swims or to clip into my bike. Wouldn't that be so great? :o)

I'm an Engineer, I'm a Runner

I define myself in a handful of ways, two of which are engineer and runner. (The other two are marketer and cheese hater as you can see from the header of my blog.) I started running back in 1998 when my gym membership ran out and an engineering friend asked if I wanted to go for a run. Sure! Ugh, I hated it, but kept at it for a while. Fast forward to 2002 when I ran my first race (a 10K) ... and I haven't stopped since! As far as being an engineer though, my credentials are a bit shaky  as of late.

Engineering Dreams

I spent as much of my life as I can remember wanting to be an engineer like my dad. When I was in middle school I read a book about engineering professions, and decided then that I wanted to be a biomedical engineer specifically! Once I got to middle school though I struggled in the life sciences, and decided  that I'd be a civil engineer like my dad instead.

Playing Engineer at My Dad's Office

I didn't get into my top choice school (UC Davis) which had civil engineering, but I did get into UCSB which had mechanical engineering instead of civil engineering. My advisor told me that the first two years of both programs were similar enough that if I wanted to try to transfer to UC Davis after my sophomore year the transition between majors wouldn't be too difficult. I ended up liking Mechanical Engineering and staying with the major though, and 4 1/2 horrifically difficult years later, I was an engineer! Whoo hoo!

Senior Design Project Team
(Widget Separator Challenge)

Proudest Moment of My Life

 

I took a job out of college as an Applications Engineer, and worked at a software company in San Jose for 3 1/2 years before moving to Arizona to start the High-Tech MBA program at ASU. Here begins the end of my engineering career. I first took a job as a project manager, then switched companies to become a people manager, before finally graduating and starting my career in what has turned out to be another true passion - Marketing! (Its ironic how I spent my whole life dreaming of becoming an engineer, practically killed myself in school trying to get to that degree, worked endless hours as an engineer after that, only to quickly exit the field to do something else. I know that I wouldn't be where I am in my career today if I hadn't started out in engineering, but I'm still surprised by the path that my career has taken when I look back. Who would have ever known 10 years ago?)

San Diego Science Festival

A few months ago I got an email from a fellow member of Athena who was putting out a call for volunteers to work the Athena booth at the San Diego Science Festival's Expo Day. The event was taking place at Petco Park which is a few miles from my house, and involved an interactive activity with kids. LOVE IT! I signed up immediately and have been looking forward to the event. On Expo Day there were 135 hands-on activities for kids put on by the various science and technology companies headquartered in San Diego.

 

Am I an Engineer Still?

Last week the organizer of our booth sent out some final instructions and also let me know that she had requested a "Ask an Engineer" button for me to wear at the booth. I was taken back at first and guiltily reminded her that I don't work as an engineer anymore, I'm in Marketing! (What many consider to be a fluff career, but it really isn't!)

Ask an Engineer/Scientist Area

Annie: Monika - "I will put you down for one "Ask Me" button.  As I recall from our FEW meeting, you're are professional bio-tech scientist!  Wear it with pride.  We all deserved it after all the hard work we put in our study and career." 

Monika: "I majored in Mechanical Engineering and worked as an Applications Engineer for 3 1/2 years ... but I'm now in Marketing for a medical device. I still consider myself an engineer at heart though and I think engineering has helped me get the Marketing jobs I've had to date. I'll wear the button!"

Annie: "There you go!  Me too.  I studied computer science and was a programmer for many years.  Then moved to management and kept up with the technology through my team.  I also tell everyone 'I am an engineer'. "

Well there you have it, I deserve to wear my button!

Proudly Wearing my DNA Bracelet & Engineer Button

Athena Engineers & Scientists

Science Festival Expo Day

I arrived at the event a little bit late since I had just come from Coronado where I had to pick up my race bib for my triathlon the next day (Super Seal Sprint). I was surprised to see how crowded the area was around Petco Park, and was amazed by how packed the inside of the ballpark was with exhibits and people! I had to fight my way through the crowds to find the Athena booth, and was happy to see that our table was pretty busy (who wants an empty, boring exhibit that no one wants to do?). Upon arriving I got a quick rundown on the supplies for the activity, and then I jumped right in!

DNA Bracelet Beads

Kids Enjoying the Activity

Each person who came up to the table had to fill out a brief traits questionnaire , and depending on the traits that they circled they would receive different color beads to put on a pipe cleaner to represent their "DNA". We encouraged parents as well as kids to participate so they could compare the similarities and differences between their bracelets. This was a cute and fun way to teach the kids about traits and genetics. In the three hours that I was there we didn't have a second where the table was empty. The four of us working the table were flying around the whole time taking questionnaires, grabbing beads, tying on bracelets, and explaining the meaning of the exercise. This was a really fun and rewarding event and I'm so glad I signed up to volunteer!

Gene, The Friar, and Sid the Science Kid

Balancing Life, Training, and Racing

Two weeks ago in Girls on Track we had a lesson on "The Balance Beam of Life". (For my coach's recap click here.). The purpose of this lesson was:

1. To identify the individuals in our lives who are extremely important to us
2. To learn why it is important to balance time with our friends and family, with all of the other activities we do
3. To learn how effective time management skills can help us do this

 

My Girls on Track Group

 The goal for us as coaches was to help teach the coping skill (or Out of the Girl Box Skill) of time management and learning how to strike a balance. As we went through the lesson and the girls talked about everything they were trying to balance (school, sports, dance, GOTR, friends, music, etc) I thought WOW, these middle school girls are totally overloaded! How can an 11 year old feel stressed? I hope this doesn't set a trend for their adult life! Although thinking back, I think being so busy as a kid made me feel a need to feel busy through my adult life.

 

As a kid I was pretty involved in after-school activities. I went through lessons in everything: ballet, tap dance, gymnastics, acting, ice-skating, piano, violin, and even modeling. (Barbizon: train to be a model or just look like one! Don't laugh.) I sometimes wonder if my parents (mom) was just furtively searching for something that I was really good at. Of all of the lessons I took, piano seemed to be the place where I had the most talent -  but I still wasn't the next Beethover. Regardless of this, like a good Asian kid, I took private piano lessons for about 7 years, and continued on with classes in my high school for another 3 years. (Private violin lessons only lasted for about 3 years thankfully. ugh!) 

Ten Years of Piano Lessons

Anyways, between lessons and school and studying, I didn't really have much down time. Since my mom was a teacher, school never ended when I got home. My mom used to purchase the teacher's edition of several of my text books so if the teacher assigned problems 1-10 of 20, my mom would have me do 1-20 and check all of the answers. It seemed like the work was endless. Fast forward to today ...  I can't sit still. I have a hard time relaxing and have a constant need to be doing one or several things at the same time. If I'm not doing anything I feel like I'm wasting time. For the most part I've set up my life to stay super busy, but every once in a while I just get overwhelmed. 

My Favorite Child Series: Little Miss and Mister

Right now my current commitments are work, coaching GOTR, serving on the board of GOTR, heading up the Marketing efforts for GOTR, training for a triathlon, and training for a marathon. Its a lot! BUT ... without all of those things I think I might feel empty!

 

Work

I am extremely blessed to say that I love my job and enjoy my job. I work at a start-up and was initially leery of taking the job since the last time I worked at a start-up I was working 80 hour weeks, but fortunately I work a normal 40 hour work week, with some evening and weekend commitments.

 

With a Rep and Doctor at a Tradeshow

Girls on the Run

I'm now currently coaching my fourth season of Girls on the Run! Technically, I'm coaching Girls on Track which is the program for middle school girls. GOTR is two days a week for an hour and fifteen minutes. I am the head coach which is generally a 3-5 hour per week job. On top of this though I'm also on the board and narketing committee which takes a few more hours per week. Most board members quit coaching when they joined the board, but I just can't give it up. Its tiring, but at  the same time but so rewarding, and I truly love it. Its instant gratification for a passion of mine (GOTR), and I love being with the girls, the other coaches, and interacting with the parents and getting feedback about the program. 

"I Love ME" - Totally a Girl on the Run!

Triathlon vs the Marathon

Last year after a horrible race (more here) I decided to give up full marathona and focus my efforts elsewhere. I enjoy the routine of training and wanted a new challenge, so late last  year I turned to the triathlon and focused more on half marathons. After completing two sprint triathlons and improving my time continuously on half marathons, I thought my life would focus there! Well, the marathon came knocking on the door of my heart again and this year I will be running three full marathons. The OC Marathon May 1st, the San Francisco Marathon July 31st, and the Marine Corps Marathon October 30th. 

This plan collides somewhat with my triathlon goals for the year which are to work from a sprint distance up to an Olympic distance to prepare myself for a Half-Ironman (70.3) race next year. The challenge of the two sports is that while I'm covered on the running leg of a triathlon (running 4 days per week), I also need to bike and swim. My three remaining days now are currently split between swimming and biking. No rest days! Argh! Luckily swimming is a great recovery activity from running since it uses totally different muscle groups.

Finishing My 1st Triathlon - In the Rain!!

 

Racing

I absolutely LOVE racing! Putting your work to the test? Yes please! Unfortunately with a full training schedule which includes a triathlon and a marathon, its really hard to work a race in. I'm already scheduled to run a long distance on Saturdays and bike or swim on Sunday. Running in a race mean sacrificing one of these things, or cramming in another workout. Also, once you're about a month into training for a marathon you're running over 13 miles each weekend. (For free). To pay a race entry to run a distance shorter than a marathon or even a half marathon is hard for me. I do appreciate the value of a race and the way it pushes you and what it gives you, but sometimes its hard to go for that over a training run.

Approaching the Finish Line of the San Dieguito Half Marathon

 

Life Crashes Together

This past week (and in this coming week) all of these aspects of my life have come crashing together and I'm just plain tired. Last week I went out to dinner with some coworkers Thursday night and got home past my bedtime, had two 12 hour days up in Orange County for a project for work on Friday and Saturday, had to do my long run on Sunday because I was tied up Saturday, missed the month Tri Club's beginner bike ride (once again) on Sunday because I was running, had a long day Monday because of work and then a GOTR board meeting, worked and then coached GOTR Tuesday night .. followed by a training swim with a fellow coach to make up for the Monday swim I missed... and then this weekend there is a lot more craziness packed in. (Triathlon Saturday and a 20 mile run Sunday among other things. Eek!)


Right now I'm pretty pooped, but I decided that to get back on balance I need to stop and take some time for me. Next week I'm going to take Monday and Friday off which will give me two three day weekends. Yippee! At my first job out of college my first manager said to me once "I can push you and push you and push you and give you more work and more work and you seem fine, and then suddenly you break". Haha, in engineering terms, I have an exponential failure curve. :o) Its like metal and fatigue! Okay, geek hat off.

Metal Fatigue ... Failure!

 

I'm looking forward to taking time for myself to recharge and reset, and I hope I will feel more balanced afterwards! I don't want to give up any of my commitments right now since they all enrich my life in different ways, so apparently the way I will tune down on something to even everything out is to take a tiny bit off time for work. Hey, we get PTO days for a reason right?

Race Photos: the Good, the Bad, the UGLY

Have you ever seen a picture of yourself where you thought OMG! Do I really look that bad? Wow... Well, that's basically how I feel 85% of the time when I see one of my race photos. Scary! I don't think I'm particularly hideous or non-photogenic, but every time I see a race photo of myself I think wow,  I look like crap running! I look like a fat, miserable, dying creature!
 

A few years ago I read an article on the Runner's World website that had me almost peeing in my pants laughing. One of their writers wrote an article titled "Why does MarathonFoto Hate Me?" This article was focused on the terrible race photos that this author and runner had taken. I laughed my a** off. I too have taken many similar horrible race photos, and aligned with his sentiment that it was incredible that such pain and misery could be caught on your face while running.

This author soon wrote a follow-up called "Brightroom Hates Me Too". Equally hilarious. Being someone who enjoys chronicling my life (whether good or bad), I've saved thumbnails of my bad race pictures over the years. I've purchased the good pix to proudly display, and I've saved the bad ones for who knows what reason.
 

This past week I received a link to my race photos from the Mermaid Run a few weekends ago. As I clicked through the pictures I thought okay, okay, ACK!?! Another hideous race photo. I of course had to save it ... and then started searching through other race pictures I've saved over the years to compare this monstrosity to the others. Its a good thing I can laugh at myself, and now you can too!

Here I am running the Mermaid Half Marathon and about to PR!

Upon closer inspection you'll see that its my
THREE chins that help me run faster!

 

The week before I had also PR'd in Surf City.
Look how happy I am!

Unfortunately though I must have PR'd at
the expense of this woman next to me.
Looks like I'm knocking her over!

A few weeks prior to Surf City I ran the Carlsbad Half
Feeling good here!

I had a pretty bad race though as you can tell in this picture.
It looks like a battle of me versus my quads

Late last year I did my first triathlon - and came in first overall female! Happy me!

 

The secret to my success? Must have been those extra chins!

One of my favorite distances is a 15K.
They make me feel strong as you can see here!
Ignore the stomach fat please.

Soon after though it looks like an invisible
person punched me in the stomach. OOF!

Back in 2009 I ran the Rock N Roll San Antonio. Great Race!

Although it doesn't look like a great race for me here.
Am I crying??

 

You know how department store perfume counters keep containers of coffee beans to clear your nose of the last scent so you can smell the next one refreshed? I think its time we do that as well. You've seen enough horrible pictures of me, lets look at some where I don't look too bad.

Here I am at my cousin Jennifer's Wedding
the night before the Long Beach Half Marathon

 

Here I am with my cousin Heidi & her fiance Chuck Liddell

 

Did that distract you enough? 

Okay, now here I am looking off into who knows what
the next day running the Long Beach Half with my man-legs. Ewe. 

And now, I've saved the best for last.


I call this one crying, sad, melting baby.

But wait, we can't end on that note. Let's look at one more picture I love. Me with my buddies Ryan Hall and Josh Cox. You don't think I photoshopped this do you? You're right, I ghetto-shopped it together in Microsoft Paint. Not a bad job I'd say!

So I can't be the only one with a collection of horrible race photos. Please tell me you have some too! I'd love to see them!

Top 10 Travel Tips

I've traveled quite a bit since I've started my career in Marketing, flying about 60,000 miles each year on average. I think I've earned the status of road warrior and tradeshow warrior, (HURRAH!!) and I'm often frustrated by others who don't move as quickly and efficiently through the airport as I do when I'm in a hurry. (Which is almost always.)   While I was on a trip last weekend I was totally frustrated to be stuck in the security line behind several novice travelers. They are usually identified by these common mistakes:
 

• They don't take their shoes off
• They stack several things on top of each other in the basket that goes through the x-ray machine
• They don't take off large metal objects that they are wearing (belt buckle, jewelry, etc)
• They have larger-than-allowed containers of liquid in their carry-on bag
• They  leave their computers or other electronics in their carry-on bag
• They are wearing bulky coats or jackets

Any of these offenses above require the person to stop and try a second time for themselves or their belongings to go through screening. This of course holds up the whole line. Sigh. I usually scan the security lines for people who I think will be stopped (the girl gabbing on her cell phone and putting a 1 liter bottle of water through the machine, the older woman in a wheelchair who is going to be patted down, the man most likely to be racial profiled and pulled aside for additional screening, the frazzled mom with a stroller and kids, etc) Along these lines, I was thoroughly amused by the scene in Up in the Air where George Clooney's character was giving his own advice about going through security lines.

 

 

In addition to this list of people to avoid in a security line, I have a list of top ten tips which will make your trips, whether for business or pleasure, much more enjoyable.

 

Before You Book

There are several things that you can do to ensure you get the best price, times, or locations for your trip. 

 

Tip #1 - Shop Around

 

I usually start looking at flights/hotels/rental cars a week or two before I know I will probably book the trip. The sites I normally check are:

 

www. travelocity.com

www.expedia.com

www.kayak.com

www.bing.com/travel

 

I use these sites first to see which airlines have the best prices and times for the trip I'm looking to book. In addition to checking these discount sites, I also check the actual airline's website as well. The last two times I've flown on Continental I first found the best time/airline/price for my flight on a discount site  to search across airlines (Travelocity and Kayak), but upon searching for the EXACT same flight on continental.com, I got an even better price!

 

For rental cars though I've found this to be the exact opposite. I have always gotten a better price on a discount site than I have directly on the car rental sites. Regardless of what you are booking (flight/hotel/car) shop around, and shop around early to find the best price. 

 

Tip #2 - Enroll in Loyalty Programs

 

There is no downside to enrolling in loyalty programs. They're free, and if you're not collecting the points you're basically leaving money on the table. If possible, collect all of your points in one or two primary brands. My airline of choice (because I used to live in Phoenix) is US Airways. Luckily for me, US Airways, United, and Continental are all part of the Star Alliance now. This means that if I fly on any of these three airlines I can earn points on my US Airways Dividend Rewards account.

 

Tip #3 - Aspire For Elite Status

 

There are several ways you can attain elite status with an airline or hotel brand. You can earn the status outright (miles flown or nights stayed), through an official credit card, or through a partnership between elite programs. The first way is the hardest, the second is the easiest, and the third is just luck. (For example being US Airways Dividend Gold automatically grants me Hyatt Gold status. Too bad I never stay at Hyatts.)

 

Most airline or hotel credit cards will grant you Silver Elite status. Not only does Elite status mean that you will earn points and miles faster (25-33% bonus miles), but you will also gain access to the first level of perks associated with that program or program-specific perks. (Priority check-in, security lines, boarding,  first free checked bag, priority standby statues, etc) I have a US Airways Debit Card through Bank Of America (which would grant me Silver status if I hadn't already earned Gold) which allows me to earn points with my checking account purchases, and I have a US Airways MasterCard which allows me to book rewards flights at a 5000 mile discount!

There is a little known secret to gaining elite status in less than a year whose main intent is to allow you to switch from one loyalty program without waiting a year. For example, I am considering switching to Continental's elite program now that Continental and United are merging. It made sense to be loyal to US Airways when I lived in Phoenix (a US Airways hub), but now that I'm living in San Diego (which isn't a hub to anyone) I might as well switch to an airline with the most flight options and best prices. This is beginning to look like Continental.


The status match program basically lets you earn elite status in a 3 month period (vs a whole year) by showing that the frequency you travel in that 3 month period equates out how much you'd travel in a year to achieve that level. For Continental for example I'd need to fly 17,500 miles in a 3 month period to achieve Gold Elite which normally requires 50,000 miles in a year. More on this topic can be found on their website.

Tip #4 - Book Your Flight on a Tuesday

 

Flight prices fluctuate during the week and are lowest on Tuesdays. Random, right? Well, I've researched flight prices since I've heard this and its basically true. More on this topic can be found here, here and here.

 

  
Preparing to Travel

There are several things you can do to make your trip easier. This includes packing smarter, knowing the baggage rules, deciding where to park, and checking in online.

 

Tip #5 - Pack Smart

 

Unless you have elite standing with an airline or are flying Southwest, you will have to pay for your checked baggage. It is also important to keep in mind that the penalty fee for having an overweight bag is sometimes more  than the cost of checking a second bag. On United for example the first bag costs $25, the second is $35, but a bag weighing over 50lbs costs $100. Would you rather pay $125 for your 60lb bag or pay $55 for checking two bags?  This website has a great overview of checked bag fees. And, in case you like to pack to the limit, a useful tool like this can help you weigh your bag  before you go to the airport.

 

If you're going to carry your bag on you don't have to worry about baggage fees! But make sure your toiletries fall within the 3-1-1 size/volume restrictions that are standard on all airlines.   

 

 

Tip #6 - Plan Your Parking Online

 

If you are traveling for personal reasons and will be gone for an extended period of time, parking fees can really add up! I hate to admit that I'm guilty of parking at the terminal when I'm traveling for business. At the San Diego airport it costs $16/day. Various off-site parking lots in the area range from $10-16 and often have coupons. Thanks to these sites (here and here) I was able to find the cheapest parking lot closest to the airport, and now park at a $11/day lot which always has a $1 coupon online!

Tip #7 - Check-In Online

 

There is NO downside to checking in online - even if you still need to check a bag at the airport. Checking in online gets one step in your travel plans out of the way, it often times gives you a chance to switch to a better seat on the flight, if you're elite and are eligible for a First Class upgrade it gives you a chance to put your name on the upgrade list (sometimes they upgrade you by status alone, sometimes you need to request it) and ... there are some chances where you can get around the pre-flight deadlines if you are already checked in prior to arriving at the airport. (You usually have to have your bag checked 45 minutes before departure and your boarding pass printed 30 minutes before departure. There have been several times where the ticketing agent was surprisingly able to get me on the flight even though I had arrived at the airport late .. only because I had  already checked in online!)

 

 

Travel Day

Now that you've booked your trip at the best price possible, have packed smartly, and have secured the best parking space, it is now time for you to make your travel day go as smoothly as possible.
 

Tip #8 - Be Smart Going Through Security

In addition to the tips I initially mentioned regarding who to avoid getting in line behind at security, the way you unpack your belongings and put them through the x-ray machine matters as well. As you're standing in line you should mentally assess how many bins you'll need. I usually need two. One for my laptop and bag of liquids, and another for my purse and shoes (and sometimes my coat.)This is in addition to the third item I put through the machine, my carry-on bag. 

 

It is also important to put your items through in a specific order. I usually put my shoes through first, so that they're the first thing I get on the other side and can put them on immediately. The second most important thing for me to retrieve out of the machine is either my purse or my laptop due to their value. Least important and least stealable? My carry-on bag which w/o my laptop only has books, magazines, pens, etc. 

 

Tip #9 - Think About Hydration/Meals

 

Even though everything is overpriced at the airport, the one thing that I buy consistently regardless of price is bottled water. Its easy to get dehydrated on the plane and while traveling, and a tiny cup of water or two isn't going to be enough to keep you hydrated. If you're only going to buy one thing in the airport it should be a large bottle of water. If you're crossing timezones, staying hydrated is the #1 way to beat jet lag.
 

 

You should also think about whether or not you should eat in the airport before your flight, if you want to buy food to bring on the plane, or if you want to purchase food on the flight. (Keeping in mind that shorter flights often don't even have an option to purchase food or snacks.) This website has a good overview of the various airlines and their food purchase options.

 

 

On Your Trip

There are several things you can do to make your hotel stay more comfortable by researching and requesting certain options.

 

Tip #10 - Maximize Your Hotel Stay

 

Per Tip #2 you should be enrolled in the hotel's loyalty program. You should also create a profile online with the hotel's website which often allows you to select certain preferences. My Marriott preferences are:  two full beds vs. one king bed (I'm used to sleeping in a smaller bed and use the extra bed for my suitcase), a room closest to the elevator, a room on a high floor (living on the ground floor gives me the creeps!), and USA Today vs. the Wall Street Journal.

 

On the night before I'm checking out, I almost always ask for a late checkout the next morning. Most hotels have a 10am or 11am standard checkout time. If you ask, and based upon availability, you can often get a 12-2pm checkout time.


One of my favorite hotel room tricks (which I learned from my fellow road warrior friend Jenna) is using the drycleaning bag from the closet. Have you ever worried about how to pack your still-sweaty workout clothes in your suitcase? Guess what - most hotels offer a drycleaning service and have a plastic bag clipped to a hanger in the closet which you can use to put your dirty clothes in. I always grab this bag to put my sweaty workout clothes and running shoes in before I pack them back in my suitcase.

 

Other Tips

I'm sure there are many other great tips on how to make your trip easier and more enjoyable, but these are my top ten. I'd love to hear your tips too - please feel free to share them with me! I promise to put them to good use.