Poll Results...Don't tell my professors

So as approximately 6 of you know, I've been running a poll the last few days to find out if people love or hate the Facebook statuses I post when I have a blog update.  

Let me just start off by saying, there are so many things wrong with this poll. My professors would be so disappointed... oops.

I'm asking a very biased sample, specifically people on Facebook and more specifically only those who actually click the link and access the blog to vote. Very much set up to get the answer I want (confirmation bias anyone?).  If you consider my "Facebook friends" the sample (and not a good sample at that, certainly not randomized) and the fact that only 6 people voted, there is definitely some nonresponse bias going on here too.  Not to mention, 6 votes is probably not statistically significant. Oh, and I'm sure there are problems with the wording/order/etc of the poll question.  Plus people generally  tell you what they think you want to hear (a little "social desireablility effect for good measure).

Anyway, putting that all aside the fact remains the 6 of you (Thanks family!) voted to keep the status updates. So you, and everyone else, are stuck with them!

In actual triathlon training news:

Training Plan - 22 minute run, HR zone 1 - 2

My plan - 45 (ish) minute run outside to take advantage of the temps being above freezing, get my butt kicked by the hills and my HR wayyy above zones 1 to 2.

Actual - Completed a 4.79 mile run in 47:32; averaged 9:55 minutes/mile and an average HR of 170 (about 88% max/zone 4). Lessons learned: Just because the map says there is a road there, doesn't mean there actually is. Also, those charts showing elevation aren't just an intellectual exercise, you really have to run them. And they suck.

Poll Results & Road Trip Recommendations Needed!

Ok so I'm pretty sure the title of the blog post gave it away but...I'm going on a road trip!!  It wasn't so much decided by the poll, but it is nice to see at least some of my readers support this decision!

Jenny and I booked our flights from Las Vegas back to DCA a few days ago. We will figure out the rest of the coming weeks. The nice thing about this trip is that we can be super flexible (if we were flexible people, we're not. We're planners).

Below is what I know of our itinerary. Please help us fill in the gaps! We would love recommendations on places to go, things to do, sights to see, food to eat, etc! I would even consider not staying at a Starwood or Hilton if there is a interesting local hotel you might suggest.

Also - if you're free Sept 30th through Oct 9th and want to join us - let me know!

September 30th - DC to Charlotte
Time in car:  6 hours 51 minutes
Place to stay: Jenny's house
Things to do:
Sights to see:
Food to eat:

October 1st - Charlotte to Nashville
Time in car: 6 hours 36 minutes
Place to stay:
Things to do:
Sights to see:
Food to eat:

October 2nd - Nashville to Little Rock (with a stop in Memphis along the way)
Time in car: 3 hours 29 minutes to Memphis; 2 hours 18 minutes to Little Rock

Place to stay:
Things to do:
Sights to see:
Food to eat:

October 3rd - Little Rock to Oklahoma City
Time in car:  5 hours 29 minutes
Place to stay:
Things to do:
Sights to see:
Food to eat:

October 4th - Oklahoma City to Albuquerque
Time in car:  8 hours, 40 minutes
Place to stay:
Things to do:
Sights to see:
Food to eat:

October 5th - Albuquerque to Flagstaff
Time in car:  5 hours 0 minutes
Place to stay:
Things to do:
Sights to see:
Food to eat:

October 6th - Flagstaff to Las Vegas
Time in car:  6 hours 16 minutes
Place to stay:
Things to do:
Sights to see: Grand Canyon
Food to eat:

October 7th & 8th - Las Vegas
Place to stay:
Things to do:
Sights to see:
Food to eat:

October 9th - LAS to DCA

Poll Results

There was not nearly as much love for the Cheez-it as I thought there might be!  I expected the Goldfish cracker to come out on top and so it did with 45% of the vote. I definitely didn't expect to see 36% of the vote go, and correctly so, to the potato chip.

So here is how it breaks down:

• Lay's Classic Potato Chip

• Calories : 150
• Fat: 10g
• Carb: 15g
• Protein: 2g
• Pepperidge Farm Cheddar Goldfish Crackers
• Calories: 210
• Fat: 9g
• Carb: 27g
• Protein: 5g
•  Cheez-it Snack Bag
• Calories: 420
• Fat: 22g
• Carb: 48g
• Protein: 10g

If we were to go by serving size alone that might change things as both the Goldfish and the Cheez-its had 2 servings in a bag, but per my earlier comment...who really just eats one serving??

I should also note - I ate none of these. Instead I got the bag of air-popped popcorn which was like 300 calories for 4 servings and I probably ate 2 servings.

***
So I'm liking this poll thing. And apparently the 11 whole people who voted are as well (or else my cousin just voted 11 times...but either way). Next up is going to be a poll or competition (potentially with cash prize?) to name my new Romero Britto luggage tag. Get excited.

Poll Results

I know all of you who participated in my poll last week (all 10 of you...thanks family) have been waiting on bated breath for feedback on the poll results. With the benefit of hindsight I still believe the option (C) I chose was the right one. Here are my thoughts on the various flights:

A. The one gets in the latest (midnight) and is the only one with a layover. Plus there is nothing to do in the DSM airport where I would have had to wait for multiple hours.

B. In a perfect world this is the flight I would have loved to take, unfortunately I would have missed it! Due to the multiple inches of snow coming down I we arrived right at 4pm.

C. Best Option! (I do love being right)

D. My colleague was on this flight and it ended up being canceled because at the time it took off too much snow had come down

Unfortunately for me I am taking none of these options this week! Instead I'm on a Delta flight that leaves DSM at 5:50 cst; arrives DTW at 8:45 est; leaves DTW at 10:02pm; arrives IAD at 11:41 est. Oh, and my meetings start at 6:30am...it's going to be a long day!