Fitness Travel Blog

Flying in from Albuquerque, New Mexico this afternoon and I’m shocked at the fact the thermometer is pushing 83 degrees. This is summer time highs for many parts of the country I visit as I travel around for my sales job. But 83 degrees at the end of March?

Yikes!

I’m not one to jump up and harp on the whole global warming thing. In fact, based upon the reading I’ve been able to bring myself to do, I’m much more interested in the concepts of “climate change” versus simply blaming everything on global warming.

Nonetheless, with the highs in the greater Phoenix area beginning to push into the mid 80’s we can pretty much begin to wave goodbye to the end of spring time temperatures.

My wife is heading over in the morning in order to spend a lovely weekend with me here at my Scottsdale hotel. Fitness room attendance is mandatory for me this evening so I make sure I’m able to fully prepare for spending quality time with the Mrs.

Not saying she takes me away from things important to me. Activities like working out regularly, she fully supports. What she also supports is me providing her with my undivided attention after being out on the road for nearly 3 weeks.

Who am I to tell her I don’t have energy to fully engage in a loving, caring relationship with here? You’ve obviously never met my wife, but trust me when I tell you that you do not want to tell her she’s not going to get something after waiting so long for it.

I’m not telling her that! So, off to workout now. Check in again later!

With the temperatures here in lovely New Mexico reaching highs of mid to upper 60’s you’d think I wouldn’t be so enamored with the concept of my Albuquerque hotel with indoor pool. But I am! Guess why?

Give up? Well I’ll tell you then! The low temperatures here in New Mexico have been hovering in the mid 30’s. That’s just a few degrees above FREEZING! And that means it’s cold as an ice cube. Literally. Almost!

Because I travel for work, I am expected to conduct most of my actual work for pay during normal everyday business hours. Sure, there are often opportunities to have dinner with clients or attend some sort of event in the evening hours.

For the most part, however I tend to have my evenings free. But when the temperature outside is plummeting from mid to upper 60’s down to near freezing, the last thing I want to do is jump into an outdoor pool.

I’ve seen those polar bear swimmer types. How on earth are they able to not only jump into sub-freezing water, but actually get a nice long swim in as well?

I am such a huge baby when the hot water heater runs out before I finish my shower. There is just no way I can even imagine trying to get a quality work out in freezing water.

Fortunately, when I come to Albuquerque I don’t have to worry about these things. Almost always I’m able to find lovely accommodations which include an indoor pool. An indoor HEATED pool, that is! And with a nice cozy, hot tub nearby I’m able to get some nice quality cardio swimming done, and then relax comfortably for a few minutes in the bubbling waters.

So my flight is just boarding. I’ll be out in NM within a few hours and if I’m lucky, I might even be able to get a swim in tonight. If not, however, I’ll be there all week. Definitely planning to take advantage of that indoor heated pool!

So the flight over from Virginia was truly nothing to worry about. In my intellectual mind I knew this was going to be the case. Unfortunately, like many folks who are worry worts, I tend on the side of wondering if things will work out the way I’d like them to.

Since it was raining on Wednesday when I got to my Knoxville hotel a workout seemed the best outlet I could find to cope with a particularly stressful travel session.

For the record I am not the traveling type that frets about too terribly much. I understand and believe that more accidents happen on the ground than in the air. As such, I am never concerned when the plane hits a patch of turbulence.

The St. Patrick’s Day travel thing likely has more to do with a very close high school friend who lost his life on that particular day many years ago. No need to dwell on the story now, just that’s why I think more about moving about on that holiday more than any other.

To take my mind off dismal thoughts, I’ve decided to head out to Barley’s Taproom for some (so I’ve been told) great pizza and live music. I called them up and was told that tonight was a group called Aftah Party. Not completely sure what “Neo Soul” is but I’m guessing I’ll like it.

So, pardon me while I head out to do the work for the day. It’s full of appointments, meetings, cold calls, business as normal. Then I’ll head back to the hotel and get a solid workout in. I should really be able to work up quite an appetite so I trust the food is every bit as good at Barley’s as I’ve been led to believe.

If I don’t share more the next couple of days, have a great weekend!

photo credit: ktylerconk

This year, tomorrow to be exact, I’ll be traveling from Richmond, VA to Knoxville, TN during the late afternoon and early evening hours on St. Patrick’s Day. Ordinarily I wouldn’t think twice about traveling on a holiday in the middle of the week. However, one that is fraught with heavy binge drinking, I must admit has me thinking about this short flight.

Admittedly, after working out this evening I actually started considering renting a car and driving to my Richmond hotel room. Workout completed, however, and now I’m thinking twice about such a stunt.

Well, stunt’s not really the best word for pondering such a task. The real deciding factor has more to do with the fact I have to be in a conference room in VA late Thursday afternoon. I would be cutting it too close in attempting to get from Tennessee to Virginia. Considering this is the first time I’ve visited this particular client, I have even less confidence I’d make it there with enough time.

Perhaps I shouldn’t be quite so paranoid about whether the airline pilot has had any St. Patty’s day drinks. Statistics will likely prove out there are way more chances for me to get involved in a drunken accident while driving the more than 400 miles to VA.

Sometimes when I am particularly aggressive during a workout my mind starts to wander down interesting, albeit destructive rabbit holes. And its really easy to get caught in this spiral of less than positive thinking. Working out hard is all about digging deep and finding something to grab onto while continuing to push the body to reach a goal.

So, while I’m not participating in any drunken parties, and it’s more important to work off my lunch and breakfast calories, I understand that I really have little to be concerned about regarding travel in a plane during one of the most inebriated holidays on the books.

Don’t worry about me. I’ll get over it!

Having never really been a long distance runner, the thought of participating in something as massive as a marathon never really entered my mind until recently. My Boston Marathon Hotel with it’s amazing fitness center is more than enough physical fitness for this fellow. Interestingly, however, it has been my time in that workout facility that has me considering training and running one.

I’m not likely to jump in and run in the vaulted Official Boston Marathon, however. During a workout this morning I started chatting with the fellow on the treadmill next to me. This guy was a hard core runner.

You know the type? Those weirdo fitness nuts that set outrageous goals to run X number of marathons over the course of Y days/weeks/months? Wow! This guy was one of those guys.

And you’d never know it just by looking at him. By that I mean he really didn’t look like a long distance runner. Sort of more like the Eddie Izzard running 1,100 miles kind of guy.

Anyway, he was telling me some of his running exploits and I was fascinated. While I do include running in my regular fitness workout regime, it’s almost exclusively performed on a treadmill. Inside a hotel fitness center. Watching a television or if I’m lucky (like here) gazing out a plate glass window at a courtyard or some such view.

But listening to this fellow’s journey’s was very inspiring. The more he shared with me the less it seemed to be about the physical act of running and more about life. He seemed like some sort of guru or something. It would not shock me if he was indeed one of those online guys that have bunches of followers, etc. We never got around to that. The running dominated the conversation.

And I’m really glad for that because I’m now considering adding marathon training to my physical fitness routine. Maybe I can get my wife to join in as well. She used to do a lot of long distance running before I married her and we started having children.

Hmmm, really taking to this idea. I’ll share more on it later as it develops!

Those extra few days at home this month must have taken more out of me than I figured. Even though I got into the Windy City yesterday I was so exhausted that after checking into my Chicago Marathon Hotel, I simply fell asleep! Usually I at least am able to force myself to get a good work out in after a travel day, but this was different.

The time spent with my wife and kids was extremely precious and I’d definitely do it again. In fact, the next time I get cancellations I will do exactly the same thing. Just being there for the little moments seems to be a big part of what being a father and husband are all about.

One of the best things those extra moments do for me is allow me to better understand people in general. Taking the time to be in the moment and share, communicate, learn is so amazingly educational that I wonder why I’ve not been more cognizant of the process before this.

For whatever reason, though, I’m learning it right now. When I’m on the road I attempt to live a healthy life by eating right, working out regularly either at the hotel gym or someplace nearby, and getting plenty of rest.

At the same time, I make sure I enjoy my non-work time and do all I can to get out into the world that exists in the city I might be in. When I take the time to learn just that extra bit more about people, like the 15 or 20 minutes I get to spend in the morning with my children I learn to listen to their needs.

My clients and prospective customers fall into that very same category. Sales and customer relationships are all about listening to their needs. Whether they express them clearly or not.

For instance, the simple statement from one of my kids about preferring to use ink pens over pencils was hugely educational for me. From that simple statement I learned that this little person is growing up. He’s moving from the world of making mistakes and being able to easily correct them via an eraser to inks and permanence.

Clients are the same way. Just this morning a customer told me how much they enjoyed receiving flowers on special occasions because it made them feel special. They knew that someone had taken the time and gone out of their way to make them this gift.

Of course this client will get flowers from me at some point in th future. More importantly they (and hopefully all my clients) will get my complete attention anytime I have the opportunity to spend time with them.

Just found out that the meetings I had scheduled with one company for Monday and Tuesday have all been cancelled. Not completely sure I understand why, but hoping it’s nothing to do with me personally. Since all 4 of my get together’s were with the same company over those 2 days, I’ll expect they are dealing with some internal situation.

But the great thing is that I get another couple of days at home with my wife and kids. Even after having spent the better part of every day with them over the past week plus a couple of days, I’m still happy to get more.

It’s a rare occasion that I get school bus duty. Sure I’ll head out during my time off of the travel schedule and wait for the kids to get picked up by their various school buses. But the kids are old enough to know that after the first week of the month, I’m usually long gone and they only get to see me via Skype or hear my voice on Mom’s cell phone.

So, with happy energy I look forward to standing by the road side with the little ones while they wait to get back to their exciting world of educational activities.

I love that time. Even though it’s brief, 15 to 20 minutes, sometimes less if we are running late at home. There’s a quiet that lays down over the neighborhood that early in the morning. And it invites us to casually chat with each other in truly earnest ways. The children seem brighter and more open, almost eager to just communicate.

Assuming they do the same with their mother during the times I’m out on the road, I have yet another reason to envy her maternal duties in the raising of our offspring.

At the same time I make sure I jump in on that turf when little scheduling inconsistencies pop up in the business life. I’ll be heading back out on Tuesday afternoon. But that means 2 more times to wait by the roadside and get to know my little ones just a bit better.

When I spend time booking hotels, I obviously want to make sure I’m going to be able to have access to some sort of fitness facility. Sure, I have a complete workout I can perform in my hotel room, however, I prefer to have access to a variety of machines, free weights, swimming pool. And if I’m lucky sauna, steam room and/or hot tubs.

Clearly planning for several weeks of travel takes time, requires good organization and should include the ability to research for the best deals and facilities. When I first started getting into taking better care of myself I did massive research to find fitness hotels that would cover some or all of the desired amenities listed above.

At this point, I have a nicely bookmarked folder with pretty much all of the hotels I tend to stay at. When I go to a new destination, I of course look for familiar brands. If I’ve never been to a city before I’ll also seek out new places simply to learn more about what is available in accommodations.

Another decidedly “old school” activity I like to participate in is reading the Sunday newspaper travel section. I’ve found more than my fair share of great bargains by reading the ads, travel stories, and inserts that I find there. I especially like to pick up local papers while I’m on the road in order to see what groovy little tidbits I can clip and tuck away for later use.

Once, a while back now, I actually changed where I was staying after seeing an amazing local deal in the paper. I know they say the newspaper industry is dead, or at least dying, but I think there will continue to be a need for them.

Ultimately, I know that by taking the time in advance to prepare and plan my travel I’m usually getting the best deals. I’m also better able to budget for the month. Most importantly to me personally is when I know I’ll be able to get a good workout in several times a week. Without this, I’m not sure I’d care much for having a job that required me to be away from my home gym as often as I am currently.

On the flight home to Phoenix from my latest sales trip. Other than my stop in New Mexico this entire run was spent on the East Coast. Of course it was all winter weather. Tons of cold, snow, rain, and cold.

photo credit: zenera

Did I mention that it’s been really cold?! Yikes. Now I know why people out here are so jealous of us residing west of the general snow line in this country. Well, to be fair, it’s only during the coldest, wet months that you ever hear anyone around those parts wimpering about these things.

For the most part, those of us that live in the dry, arid, even desert climates seem to be pretty wimpy when it comes to getting wet and/or cold. But what can you expect? Our bones have been sun soaked for years now and when inclement weather threatens our comfortable happiness we tend to belly ache.

Which is all the more reason I love being able to travel as a part of my living. Of course I miss the wife and children. That goes without saying. However, when I’m focused on doing my best work, making the sales, I’m always happier to be out on the road making good things happen for our company.

Add to the equation the fact that most all of the hotels I stay at have great fitness workout facilities I’m able to stay in top shape. Even after an all I can eat festival at a local rib factory! (Don’t tell my wife about that one, please!)

Usually I’m able to schedule from 7 to 10 days each month where I get to stay home and do my work. Most of that is scheduling the next flurry of sales trips, and either finishing up sales paperwork or various other office related stuff.

This time at home allows me the full and complete joy of spending quality time with the family while still being able to fulfill my financial duties as well. I’ve said it before, and I’ll likely say it again. I really love everything in my life right now and wouldn’t change a thing. How about you? Love to hear how great things are or will be in your world.

Till next time, be great to yourself!

Given I’ve a light day on sales calls, and that I’ve just checked into my Richmond hotel room a workout is not far behind. I rarely am able to workout mid-day, so this is a real treat for me. Plus, I’ll do a few laps in the pool, and take advantage of a warm swim to get some needed cardio exercise into my week.

Plus, the fellow I sat next to on the plane started chatting with me about some great food places in Richmond. The one that really stuck out to me was Double T’s BBQ over in Carytown.

And while I don’t normally go out of my way to participate in all you can eat venues, on Tuesdays, apparently, they have an all you can eat ribs deal that should not be missed. Well, it’s Tuesday and I’m planning on working off extra calories this afternoon so I can eat bunches of ribs tonight!

If I had done some better research on events happening in Richmond, I might have gotten down here yesterday. The Black Eyed Peas apparently performed at the Richmond Coliseum. I’m betting that it was a great show. Sometimes I can just kick myself when I don’t do enough work when scheduling my travel. It’s really not that much more work to check a few local sites to see what’s happening during my time in town.

Guess I’ll have to add that as an addendum to my New Year’s Resolutions. Do more digging when I know what cities I’m visiting. Do not miss any more great events that I could attend simply by rescheduling a meeting, taking an earlier flight, whatever.

Oh well. On to my workout. And later a huge plate of all the ribs I can eat! I’ll save you some BBQ sauce! Have a great one.