Planes, Trains, and Automobiles…

Whether your next adventure is on the road, in the sky, or via railroad you have tons of options no matter what part of the world you are traveling. What’s your favorite way to travel?

Planes: Feel like Jet-setting to your next destination?

What’s your favorite airline? These are my usual go to airlines:

• Delta – Very military friendly, it has been my experience that Delta always takes care of its service memebers
• Jetblue – 2  free checked bags, extra leg room, and excellent service! Need I say more?
• American Airlines – Very military friendly, it has been my experience that American Airlines always takes care of its service memebers

Grand Central Station – NYC

Trains: In large cities like NYC, Toronto, and Washington D.C city transit is the way to go, but if you feel like going on a long adventure and taking your time getting there train travel is the way to go.

The airport express train at the Oslo main station. Oslo, Norway Taken By – Mr. Kjetil Ree

Amtrak  – on my list of things to do. I’ve always wanted to ride Amtrak – sit back and enjoy the scenery and experience one of the oldest forms of transportation. – http://www.amtrak.com/home

Via Rail Canada – try the Rockies and Pacific, Vancover to Toronto route and ride in in a glass-top car to see the beautiful scenery as the trains zips through the country. – http://www.viarail.ca

Europe Speed Train – I’ve taken this from Germany to Paris and made great time; very convenient when you need to maximize your time.

Automobiles: Hail a taxi, ride in style with a driver, or hit the road for a road-trip

Luxury Black Car Service – sometimes you just want to treat yourself during your travels, enjoy a more comfortable ride to and from the airport, or spice up your night out on the town and be driven around. When I’m in NYC I use Luxury Blue Limousines to get to and from the airport. Uber is another great option to try!

Out and About using Luxury Blue Car Service in NYC

Car Share Programs – The principle of CarSharing is simple: Individuals gain the benefits of a private car without the costs and responsibilities of ownership. I don’t have any personal experience using a car share program because I have a car, but I do think its an excellent idea especially in large cities where you may only need a car for a quick getaway or to run errands around town. Have you used one of these before?

• Enterprise Car Share
• Zipcar
• Autolib Electric Car System (Europe)
• Drivy (France)
• U-Haul Car Share (colleges)
• Stadtmobil (Germany)
• Communauto (Canada)

Photo Credit: The Social Sonic Traveler

Buses: A great way to travel on a budget; sit back and leave the ride to someone else.  I’ve ridden the bus numerous times down to D.C from NYC because it’s so much cheaper than driving or flying. A typical flight will run you  a min of $200, driving will run you about $100 -150 roundtrip for gas and tolls – while you can typically get a round trip bus ticket for $30-60.

Bolt Bus – an extension of Greyhound- signing up for a free membership gets you head of the line privileges when it comes time to board the bus, and if you’re lucky you’ll get to “Bolt for a Buck!”. Every schedule will sell at least one $1.00 ticket. The $1.00 ticket will be sold at random and generally within the first handful of seats sold. The earlier you book your ticket, the greater your odds are of grabbing a seat for a buck. – https://www.boltbus.com

DC2NY – dubbed a “luxurious” ride, the seats are super comfy, and they provide you with a bottle of water, a movie viewing, outlets to charge your appliances, and free wifi while you sit back and enjoy the ride to your destination. The ride to and from D.C and NYC is typically $30 each way.  I like to use this service when Bolt Bus’ prices get outrageous. Sign up for a free membership and get a $1 off the advertised fare. Every dollar counts right? –https://www.dc2ny.com

Megabus – I have never used their service before, but I have a couple of friends who have. This double-decker, wifi ready, charter beats out Boltbus and DC2NY with its list of travel destinations and even goes to Canada. When they moved their loading station in NYC from Port Authority to the boondocks of 34th street between 11th and 12th Aves the possibility of me and others I know using their services consistently was lost. You’d need to either take a cab, be dropped off by a friend, or walk 3-4 avenues with your luggage. Call me high maintenance, but I prefer the convenience of being right near a train station. – http://us.megabus.com

What’s your favorite way to travel?

Until Next Time! -xo AGT

Destination Half Marathons

Traveling and running are two of my favorite things to do, so I figured I’d combine my love for the two and allow running to take me to new places. For my first half marathon I headed south to Orlando for palm trees, sunshine, and the Disney Princess Half Marathon. My second half marathon, the More/Fitness Women’s Half, took me across New York Harbor from Staten Island to Manhattan’s Upper Westside for a beautiful Sunday run around Central Park with some amazing women. The next one on my list, the Fueled By Wine Half, will take me across the country to Oregon’s beautiful wine country.

Fueled by Fine Wine, in collaboration with the Dundee Hills AVA, will be holding its fourth annual Fueled by Fine Wine Half-Marathon on Sunday July 14, 2013. I plan to start implementing my training plan May 1st, which will include running the hills of the Coast Guard base and the hills of Central Park to help build my endurance because I know the course will be challenging, especially running on unpaved trails. I don’t really train to win, I train to finish. I simply love to run and I enjoy the experience of running with others, running for my health, and seeing new places…and in this case, I run for wine :)

I’ve had a trip to Oregon in the works every since one of my best friends got stationed in North Bend, and when she called me up to tell me about the half  I didn’t hesitate to say yes and make the trip official. The chance to see explore a new city, hang with my bestie, to run unpaved vineyard trails as they wind through rows of grapes and under branches of Oregon’s prized hazelnut trees, another half marathon to check off the list, more race bling for my collection, and an after-party of winetasting …Yes Please :)

Check out some of the other awesome destination half marathons I’ve recently added to my race list:

1. Great Wall Half Marathon  http://great-wall-marathon.com/
2. OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon  http://www.500festival.com/mini-marathon
3. Miami Beach Half Marathon http://www.131marathon.com/miamibeach/NYC Half Marathon
4. Oasis Rock ‘n’ Roll Montreal Half Marathon http://ca.competitor.com/en/montreal
5. Rock ‘n’ Roll Oslo Half Marathon http://no.competitor.com/oslo/
6. Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/san-diego
7. Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/las-vegas
8. Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Half Marathon http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/nashville
9. Big Sur International Marathon http://www.bsim.org
10. New Jersey Marathon and Long Branch Half Marathon http://www.njmarathon.org/events/long_branch_half_marathon.aspx
11. Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon http://www.rundisney.com/wine-and-dine-half-marathon/
12. Tinker Bell Half Marathon http://www.rundisney.com/tinker-bell-half-marathon/
13. Napa-to-Sonoma Wine County Half Marathon http://destinationraces.com/runn2s/
14. Atlantic City Half Marathon http://www.acmarathon.org
15. Charleston Half Marathon http://charlestonmarathon.com

Right now I just have a list, the timeline of when I’ll finish them all is still in the works. Goals start by first putting them in writing right? So, I’m at least of quarter of the way there :) I’m pretty sure the New Jersey Half, the Tinker Bell Half, and the Atlantic City Half will be the first three I complete.

Running is a great way to meet new people and see new places! From China to Norway, Montreal to Miami, and NYC to San Diego I can’t wait to explore new places, try new food, meet new people, and run through some amazing cities!  How awesome would it be to run the Great Wall of China instead of simply walking it and taking pictures? To run the famous Vegas Strip at night under the neon lights? To run the longest boardwalk in the Unites States? Or to run the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Memories of your travels last longer and hold an even deeper meaning when you really experience your trip. Have you ever run a half marathon? Which one was your favorite?

Until next time -xo AGT

 

More/Fitness Magazine Presents: Women Run the World

“Who run the world? Girls!”

Sunday, April 14th 7,550 women gathered in Central Park to run the More Magazine/Fitness Magazine Women’s 10th Anniversary Half Marathon.

I had the pleasure of running with 9 amazing women on HMC Ally Chiang’s Military team, which consisted of members of the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. HMC Ally Chiang is a hard-charging, PT-machine of a Navy Chief who was selected to represent the military at the half marathon.

This was my second half marathon and by far the toughest. I completely underestimated the hills of Central Park, and around mile 7 I seriously considered having my boyfriend drive around and pick me up. I didn’t give up though, slowly but surely I finished my last loop around Central Park and made my way up the last hill toward the finish line.

It was an amazing feeling to not only finish another half marathon, but also to run with some many amazing women, each with their own empowering and motivating story. Deena Kastor, a bronze medalist in the marathon from the 2004 Summer Olympic games, won the race in 1 hour, 13 minutes and 25 seconds. Go Deena!

My thoughts are with those were impacted by the bombings during the Boston Marathon. Its saddens me to know that the even while watching a race and supporting your loved ones that you need to be on your guard and cautious of things going on around you. I suppose that’s apart of life though. You never know what will happen, so each moment that you have should never be taken for granted. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to run and live another day and I’m thankful for those that come out to support me during my races.

Central Park is a must see when visiting New York City, no matter the season, and it you’re a runner don’t forget to pack your running shoes to hit the trails and hills at least once during your trip. The outside loop is 6 miles around and the inside loop is 3 miles around.

Until next time! – xo AGT