Airport Sprintervals

This is happening to me lately more often than not:

1. Just barely making an airport connection.
2. Saying to myself "Thank heavens I do speed work".

I left from Minneapolis today to do a speaking event in White Plains, NY, via a flight through Atlanta. We arrive in Atlanta and the pilot lets us know the good news is that we are 20 minutes early in landing. The bad news is that there is a plane still parked at the gate, but it has it's paperwork and will be departing shortly. I'm thinking to myself "Sweet! I have an hour to make my connecting flight - I'll have plenty of time to grab some dinner. Thank you travel gods." Time passes and we are not moving. More time passes. The plane at our gate is not moving. More time passes. Did I mention time was passing? Though we arrived 20 minutes EARLY, we are now officially 20 minutes LATE.

I have 13 minutes before my next flight leaves and we are at Gate T. I need to be at Gate B. I'm thinking "That's a huge space in the alphabet and I am never going to make it. But I have to make it. But I'll never make it." I take off running with my 85 lb briefcase (it has to be at least this heavy, though it's only got the bare essentials in it. Weird.) and my suitcase. I get hung up on a escalator and call my travel agent to have her put me on the next flight. Busy signal. I now have renewed energy for running. I seriously JUST squeeze in to the train before the door closes. It's such a beautiful maneuver the guy standing next to me pays me a compliment on my prowess. I get off the train, sprint to the escalator (to be first in line) so I can carry all my crap by the extension handle up the escalator and take off running again. Completely out of breath, I just make my flight. I feel like I have just accomplished something that no mere mortal could have.

Morals of the story:
1. Unlike calculus where you wonder when in your life you'll ever use it, being in good physical shape has it's uses.
2. ALWAYS carry food on you when you travel. (Maybe that's why my briefcase is so heavy?) Snack mix and a few peanut M&Ms had to hold me over.
3. Connecting flights suck. Which is why my New Year's Resolution is to no longer do connecting flights. Granted it's extra exercise and I have a tendency to put off speed workouts, but this is ridiculous. Especially in high heels.