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City Reviews, Diet, Fitness, health, healthy living, RoadWarrior, Travel, Uncategorized

Get the most out of your RealWorld Experience!!

July 16, 2016 RoadWarriorFit Leave a comment

Yep, it is that time again already, the annual RealPage User Conference aka REALWORLD 2016!!!

Now this is going to be my 6^th RealWorld Conference (how can that possibly be?). For those not in the know, RealWorld is the conference specifically dedicated to RealPage and their partners where we showcase the latest developments in the industry, the product improvements being delivered/developed and most important, thank our partners for their continued partnership. It is 3 days of networking, learning, previews and fun but let’s face it, it is also long days, longer evenings and tight schedules. In order to make the most of the sessions and travel fit, you have to have a strategy to thrive.

This is also my 3rd year of providing a few of my tips and tricks to not just surviving the conference but really making the most of it for both education and fintess. So here are my RealWorld rules to live by:

Tip #1: Plan ahead:

I know I say this every year but I cannot over emphasize this one enough; Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail. If your plan is showing up at the conference and “figure it out” you are in for a rough time.……not going to happen. There are just too many great options of sessions to attend and fellow RealPage users to meet. If you don’t plan ahead you are guaranteed to miss a ‘can’t miss’ session and for sure your workout is not going to get done.

So if you haven’t already, go download the RealWorld App right now. Seriously, I’ll wait.

Now, immediately start adding your must attend sessions to your calendar. Might I suggest ‘Stack the Deck with Business Intelligence’ on Tuesday morning as a starting point? I hear the speaker for that one is sub-par but the material should be great!!

Once you know when your ‘Can’t miss’ sessions are, you can fill in the rest of the time slots for meetings, networking, product demos and down time.

Tip #2: Stay hydrated:

You know you should normally be drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Well , this year we are at the beautiful Wynn hotel. If you have never been to a conference at this hotel, I will give you fair warning, it is a long way from the rooms to the conference center. A LONG WAY!! So you are going to be walking more than you normally do and potentially imbibing on an alcoholic drink or two in the evening, and oh yeah, this is all happening in the middle of the dessert. I am going to recommend you up your water intake from the standard 8 glasses. Trust me, you will thank me when you are waking up on days 2 & 3 of the conference. Now this is where planning comes in again. I find that it is a very rare thing to find a conference center that keeps the water pitchers/bottles full throughout the conference.

SO BRING YOUR OWN!!

You may not always be able to find a nice chilled bottle of FIJI but you can usually find a water fountain to fill up your own bottle. And if you are anything like me, you find an empty water bottle strangely motivational.

Tip #3: Recharge:

This will look different for each of us but I find I need a point in my day to recharge more than just my phone. For me, it is time in the gym. I can get my head on straight and work all the kinks out that I am feeling from standing all day. For others it is a power nap in the room, others it is 15 minutes in the sun out by the pool. Whatever it is that recharges and helps your re-center your mindset, make sure you have time built in each day to accomplish it.

Now we also need to think about that phone, so don’t forget your mobile charger! We want to hear your thoughts throughout the day (follow the hashtag #RWconf2016 to join the conversation).

Tip #4: Eat well & Eat often:

Make sure you take the time to eat like you should. Do not sacrifice the quality of your diet because you need to rush somewhere. Stop by the store on the way to the hotel and grab some snacks for the room (don’t get me started on the mini-bar options for $10 bucks each). Put a bar in your purse. Throw an apple in your bag for later in the day. Your body needs fuel to thrive vs. survive. Give it what it needs.

Bonus Tip: Most hotels that host conferences have pretty good gyms. Gyms where they actual stock fruit for the taking.

Tip #5: Have fun:

If this is your first RealWorld Conference, you are in for a treat. It is a blast, especially the party on Monday night. Although not themed this year, in the past we have celebrated the lives of people like Dr. Seuss or given our best superhero impersonation.

The party is a celebration of our partnership with all of you and we pull out all of the stops. This year promises to be a lavish affair….even if Wolverine will not be showing up.

Bonus Tip #6:

For those of you who are runners (or are even thinking about running), I cannot recommend skipping the treadmill in the morning enough. Running the Las Vegas strip in the early morning is in my top 5 runs in the country.

Seriously, the people watching is unbelievable!!!

In fact, even if you don’t run, wake up a bit early on Monday or Tuesday and head out for a walk. I promise that not only will you feel better but you will have conversation topics for the rest of the day!!

Time for me to go pack and finish my presentations but hopefully I will see you at RealWorld!!

Fitness, health, healthy living, RoadWarrior, Travel

NAA is coming!!! Are you ready to put you first?

June 11, 2016 RoadWarriorFit Leave a comment

MY TOP 5 CONFERENCE SURVIVAL TIPS

As a part of my ‘real life’, I participate in the occasional conference.

Actually, I live in conference hotels from mid-June through the end of August.

Over the course of the next 3 months I will attend, participate on the exhibitor floor, be a part of the host organization and/or speak at at least a half a dozen conferences. In fact I will be packing this weekend to join 9000 other people from the apartment industry for the annual National Apartment Association Education Conference in San Francisco. This season is a brutal but very necessary season for my industry and through experience over the last few years, I have developed a strategy to make the most of both the conference material and my health while I am on the conference circuit. Here are my conference rules to live by:

Tip #1: Plan ahead:

I cannot over emphasize this one enough; Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail. If your plan is showing up at the conference and getting a workout in ‘whenever there is time’……not going to happen. How would that play out if you planned on getting together with your clients ‘whenever there is time’? It wouldn’t.

Plan your day and block out your workout time. How much time do you need? Where is the gym? Is the conference so far away from your room that you will be walking 20,000 steps each day anyways? As I look at my calendar for this upcoming week, I know I have to get my workouts in in the morning or they are simply not going to happen, my afternoons are filled with appointments and evenings with industry events. For me it means running early (this year we are running the Golden Gate – so excited) and hitting the weight room in the early evening before dinner to accomplish Tip #3.

Tip #2: Stay hydrated:

You know you should normally be drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Well if you are going to be in a ginormous conference facility, walking more than you normally do and potentially imbibing on an alcoholic drink or two in the evening, I am going to recommend you up your water intake from the standard 8 glasses. Trust me, you will thank me when you are waking up on days 2 & 3 of the conference. Now this is where planning comes in again. I find that it is a very rare thing to find a conference center that keeps the water pitchers/bottles full throughout the conference.

SO BRING YOUR OWN!!

Tip #3: Recharge:

This will look different for each of us but I find I need a point in my day to recharge more than just my phone. For me, it is time in the gym. I can get my head on straight and work all the kinks out that I am feeling from standing all day. For others it is a power nap in the room. Others it is 15 minutes in the sun out by the pool or on the deck. Whatever it is that recharges and helps your re-center your mindset, make sure you have time built in each day to accomplish it.

Tip #4: Eat well & Eat often:

Bonus Tip: Most hotels that host conferences have pretty good gyms, gyms where they actual stock fruit for the taking.

Tip #5: Have fun:

I just added this one to the list this year. I usually enjoy myself at these conferences but this year I am being intentional about it.

So even if you are already on the ground enjoying the “fruits” of Napa Valley– these are little things you can do to set yourself up for a great time without feeling too much wear and tear.

Time for me to go pack and here is hoping to see you on the road.

About Me, Fitness, My Favorite Things, Product Reviews, Travel

My favorite travel things….

August 5, 2015 RoadWarriorFit Leave a comment

Anyone who travels at all knows that life is just easier when you can carry everything with you on the plane and skip the fun of the baggage carrousel. There is no place I would rather be less than standing around watching the metal conveyor belt revolve around a carpeted island of futility and wasted time. I avoid it at all costs. It does not matter whether I am traveling for the day or for the week, you can bet I will be getting it all to fit in the overhead bin so I pay special attention to what I pack in my bag. Suitcase space is premium real estate and has to be utilized well.

So what are the things that make the grade for me?

Here is my list of what holds special place in my carry on and why. These are just a few of my favorite things (cue the edelweiss background music):

Vibram Five Finger Shoes:

This was probably the first product that I purchased specifically because of the way they travel and the one that I get the most comments on. Vibrams to put it simply, are awesome and yes, I do run in them regularly. Now I am not in the camp that is all about minimalist footwear or the camp that wears Five Finger shoes because they will help strengthen the smaller muscles in your feet. For me, these are all about how much space they take up in a suitcase. When you wear a size 11 shoe like I do, your tennis shoes take up a lot of space, even if you do stuff them with socks and underwear. These take up less space than my flip flops and I really do love working out in them now. I started on the space argument but now don’t think I would ever switch back to traditional shoes. To shop for your own, click here.

Jump Rope:

This is one that travels with me about 50% of the time based on the hotel gym I may be encountering. All you need is about 10 sq ft of space with an 8 ft ceiling and you can get a great HIIT cardio workout in. One thing to note, if you carry a weighted speed rope like I do, be prepared to be stopped by TSA about 50% of the time. They are not used to seeing them and often confuse them with a club of some type. I have never been stopped when I have carried my true rope with wooden handles though.

Water bottle:

Seems simple enough but I did a whole blog post on just this about a year ago. I know carry a ‘Premium’ bottle with me so that I can have both the benefit of tracking the water I intake as well as being able to utilize the shaker function.

TRX:

I LOVE MY TRX!!! However it usually only travels with me when I know the hotel gym that I will be experiencing is beyond lackluster. This one really does take up a lot of space but is totally worth it. I use it routinely at home and on the road and you can get a GREAT workout with this single apparatus. With the door mount, you don’t even have to leave the hotel room. Best travel fitness investment I have ever made.

Snack bag:

You can read all about the contents here but I always travel with a snack bag, even day trips. If I am going to invest my time and energy into making sure I get a good workout in, I am going to do everything I can to not sabotage it by making poor dietary choices if I can avoid them. I always also include Shakeology in my bag as I want complete nutrition.

Mouthpiece:

So this one is pretty specific to the martial artist but it does bring up a good point. I love to train in martial arts, especially rolling BJJ. One piece of equipment that is critical to preventing injury is wearing a mouthpiece so I travel with one everywhere I go. A mouthpiece is custom fit to your mouth so it is not like you just go borrow one or pick one up at Walmart. By having my mouthpiece, I can go roll at any school that will have me with little to no notice. It lets me pursue one of my passions. For you it may be a raquette or a club but bring along what you are passionate about so that if the opportunity arises (or you create it), you are not left with the excuse “It is too bad I did not have my……”

So there you have it, the list of my favorite things that may or may not be in your suitcase today. What makes your cut? What are the things you simply can’t travel without?

For full disclosure, I am not receiving any type of incentive from the companies that make or distribute these products, with the exception of Shakeology as I am a Beachbody Coach.

Diet, Fitness, RoadWarrior, Travel

So you’re heading to RealWorld – – now what?

July 22, 2015 RoadWarriorFit Leave a comment

This upcoming weekend marks my 5^th RealWorld Conference. For those not in the know, RealWorld is the conference specifically dedicated to RealPage and their partners where we showcase the latest developments in the industry, the product improvements being delivered/developed and most important, thank our partners for their continued partnership. It is 3 days of networking, learning, previews and fun but let’s face it, it is also long days, longer evenings and tight schedules. In order to make the most of the sessions and travel fit, you have to have a strategy to thrive.

Over the last 5 years, I have developed a strategy to make the most of both the conference material and my health while I am at RealWorld. So here are my RealWorld rules to live by: