Sitting on the tarmac at Logan Airport in Boston in seat 22D on a United Airlines jet with a 100% female crew (how awesome is that…my daughter Megan will get such a kick when she hears that!!!!), enroute to Kona/The Big Show, I figured I should share some tri-travel related advice. Here are my thoughts in no particular order…
• If flying with your bike, arrive 90′ early b/c you have to wait in line to pay the fee ($125 for me this time!)
• Bring lots and lots of snacks. Nothing is scarier than a fully-shaved, tapered trigeek with a growling tummy!
• Try to buy all your random race needs before you leave so expo shopping is fun, not a job!
• Have contact info/directions to local bike shops for quick repairs if needed (expo is always overwhelmed).
• If you are tavelling with your kids PLEASE bring something for them to do on the plane. Having nothing to do for hours as a kid is actually 10x worse than having to go to a job 5 days a week where someone else tells you what to do for hours. Seriously.
• Only 1 triathlon/ironman related item on display at a time please. Whether you realize it or not, the fact that you are over 30 and aren’t 30lbs overweight with that broken, “I live a meaningless existence stare” in your eyes ALREADY makes you stick out like a sore thumb. 
• Wear comfy shoes (that don’t stink like mine).
• Don’t ty to get a workout in on the plane or at the next terminal. No joke I saw a doode running laps in a North Carolina terminal the other month…that has to be worse than actually not getting a workout done.
• Relax and smile! You are in a plane to a race, in this case the race of a lifetime…enjoy it. Smiling is contagious and this is a perfect time to practice for race day!
~Patrick
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