Plan B

To get to Oregon last week, my traveling buddy and I utilized the privileges of the Purple Pass. Meaning: we totally took advantage of the fact that my sister works for an airline and flew on stand-by. If there were empty seats on the plane, we were going to fill them.

Usually when I fly stand-by, I fly on off days when we know there is a mostly empty plane. This is my first venture into the land of traveling with someone, on a busy weekend, and with a definite arrival time in mind. Also, airlines have reduced their schedules to send fuller planes and help save money. Great for the company…nerve-wracking for those of us who bank on empty seats.

My sister is amazing, and prepared a gazillion route options for us. I’m not kidding. In my backpack I carried the full flight schedules for four airports, along with tons of extra information. Plan A: morning flight to Vegas. We checked in, and waited for the magic “10 minutes before push off” time. If a passenger hasn’t checked in 10 minutes before their flight, their seat can be released for people waiting to fly stand-by. Sadly (or happily depending on the perspective), the last three passengers on the full flight made it to check-in by dashing through the airport at a full out run. It was very dramatic.

Plan B: mid-morning flight to Phoenix. Check in. Wait. Hope. Hear our names called for the last two seats on the plane. Hooray! And when we arrived in Phoenix, I had a text message waiting on my phone letting me know what flight to catch, and which gate it was leaving from. Again, I love my sister. She is amazing.

Long story short, Plan B was flawless to the finish. We hopped and skipped through the rest of our flights and made it to our destination. Each time we landed, even though I had carefully consulted my noted and highlighted print-outs, I had a waiting message from my sister telling me where to go. (Have I mentioned she's amazing?)

Blatant transition: I’ve been slacking on my running. After being in the “Platinum Club” for three months straight (never missing a day), I completely fell off the treadmill. July was an insanely busy month, and the insanity continued through August. According to my carefully noted and plotted running schedule, I was woefully behind. I actually bought a journal for myself to “draw a line in the sand” at the beginning of August. I told myself no excuses, get up and get running. (I wanted to start having technology free quiet time in the morning and re-discover my inner morning person again.) August is halfway gone, and the only thing I’ve written in that journal thus far is a few blogging ideas. Just to note: I *have* been running a bit. I even ran while I was on vacation in Oregon. But I’m definitely behind schedule.

It’s like I’ve been waiting on stand-by, and the planes just keep filling up and pushing off without me.

But I did a search, and discovered a running plan that gets me to the half-marathon…starting right where I am right now. Hooray! Plan B! I may not be flying though Vegas, but I’m headed to Phoenix!

And you know, as long as you get to the destination…it doesn’t really matter if it takes Plan B to get there. What matters is that you keep going for it.

13.1 miles, here I come!

What’s your half-marathon? Feel like your plane has pushed off without you? Don’t give up! Plan B!