Today while walking through O'Hare for the 60-something time this year I was thinking about my lack of running and my time spent in airports across the country. As any runner does you compare everything in your life to running. My life consists of work travel. Therefore, for lack of other exciting things happening in my life I bring you:
How Business Travel is A Lot Like Running (a race):
- You should probably pack the night before. Packing the day of/morning of will cause you to forget something you need (toothpaste, glasses, socks, bib, or the all important chip)
- Arrive early - just in case
- Be prepared! Anything can (and will) happen.
- Inevitably no matter how many times you use the bathroom before the flight or the race as soon as you board the plane/start the race you will need to go again.
- There are a "newbies" or peeps who don't know the rules of the road. There is really no difference between the walkers who line up near the front and the inexperienced traveler in priority lines or blocking said lines.
- Fueling/hydrating are very important and you need to have a plan.
- You're hungry and tired when it's all done (although this one may just apply to me)
- If you try something new fueling wise race/travel day it will probably upset your stomach.
- You are surrounded by a ton of people you don't know in this "thing" together. Often you'll find someone to talk to. Travel/run enough and you start to recognize and get to know these once random strangers.
- The shoes you wear can make or break the day!
- Some days are just not your day and it's completely out of your control.
- Wear layers (I know this really only applies to races/runs on cold days).
- There will probably be a line for the bathrooms.
- Some days you just want to get it over as fast as you can.
How Business Travel is A Lot Like Running (a race):