ROAD TRAINING

I am now in the "training" process. I'm not interested in training for a marathon or for a sporting event but I'm practicing for something more important - a big time road trip. Seeing that I have to travel some 2,000 miles in about a month. I've working up up a sweat in preparing for my cross country travels. Here are some essentials: (Yes, note the sarcasism!)

Sleep -- Boredom can often set in when you are the only one in the car for a three-day (or so) trip. Gotta be plenty rested! I mean, you gotta stay awake!

Muli-tasker -- When driving in a car you have to be able to keep yourself occupied so playing with the radio, changing CD's, maybe chat on the phone for a moment, snacking on food are all things you should be practicing while driving prior to a long trip.

Being still -- I love being able to move around but when stuck in a car it's pretty tough to move more than a few inches. I recommend that shifting your position in the car every 30 minutes help a great deal so no body parts go numb!

Cruise Control -- This is pretty important. I love the cruise button but those slow cars that feel like they belong in the fast lane can often times mess-up your cruise. Be sure to know when to hit the break before ramming into that slow car in the fast lane!

Patience -- This is the most important. I recommend driving around the Dan Ryan Express in Chicago to really get good at this!

Well, those are some important tips ... I gotta go to practice! My roomate in college once told me that I was never afraid of a good road trip. That's only because I practiced hard prior those trips!