Weekend In Negril

What a great weekend in Negril!  I had a great time running Saturday morning of course but that was only the tip of the iceberg!  It began with the flight last Wednesday...

• I flew direct, non-stop to Montego Bay for the first time ever to get to Jamaica for Reggae Marathon.  I arrived almost too quickly...barely had time to listen to my full music selections and watch the movie! I'm not complaining of course...I got into Negril early enough to go for a swim before catching up with Dan Cumming over supper.
• The drive from Montego Bay to Negril has become a touchstone for me.  Crazy, busy airport and drive through Montego Bay that eases into a smooth drive along the coast road.  I always look out for the water wheel in Tryall, the stop-and-go drive through Lucea and Green Island...that means we are only miles away.
• Beach, beach, beach!  After a hearty breakfast each morning of Ackee and Saltfish and lovely Blue Mountain Coffee, I settle into my Negril routine:  Lounge chair feet from the water for the morning siesta.  Lots of sunscreen of course but I could lounge here all day...I usually do!
  
• The post-race photo with Dan, Navin, Larry and I.  This year we made it 30 Reggae Marathons between us;  it was my 9th consecutive!  I can't say enough about these guys.  We trash talk all year online and only meet up in person at Reggae Marathon.  Larry won the Challenge by-the way...no living with him for the next year!
• The Beer Bus pub crawl on Sunday afternoon was...well, let's just say we got waaaaay off the beaten path for this one!  Our driver took us to two extra special bars:  One owned by his wife...the other by his Ex-Wife!  Only in Jamaica

I spent the week as usual at Rondel Village.  Great, intimate, family-run resort right on the Negril Beach.  The sunsets are spectacular but so are the sunrises, this one with the Super Moon...

A great weekend in Negril. Another year done and a new one to look forward to...

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy

Anatomy of a Professional Sales Rep

What does a professional sales rep look like?  She is knowledgeable, organized, active and always looks for ways to add value for her customers.  She's a very good time manager always on guard against time wasters while looking out for ways to be more efficient.  She looks like this:

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization

Jamaica Bound

Jamaica Bound!  Bags packed for wheels up to Negril on Wednesday.  Flying direct this year from Toronto to Negril via Air Canada.  By this time tomorrow I'll be comfortably ensconced in my first class seat sipping Champagne...oops, that was my inner voice fantasy.  I'm in Economy but with my prefered Aisle seat...easy access to the onboard washroom.

Another big advantage of flying direct, assuming all goes well,is that I'll be through the airport in Montego Bay ahead of rush hour traffic. That should ease the drive along the shore road to Negril.  And again, assuming all goes well, I should be able to get in a late afternoon swim at Rondel Village, my hotel in Negril.  Dan...you listening?

Rondel Village has been the base of operations for Reggae Marathon for the past 7 years.  It's a great, intimate, very well run hotel along the Negril Beach.  It's about a mile to the Reggae Marathon Start/Finish line and a little less to the Pasta Party.  We do a lot of walking and given that it's way warmer than Toronto, that's a good thing!

Dan and I take breakfast and dinner most nights at the restaurant by the beach at Rondel Village.  There's a Menu of course but for Breakfast it's the Jamaican Breakfast:  Ackee and Saltfish;  For supper, Escovitch Fish...a whole Snapper!  Blue Mountain coffee in the morning;  Red Stripe with Supper.  I'm salivating!  The service is great and the conversation between tables is usually all about running...Rondel Village is a popular hotel with Reggae Marathoners.  If you're planning on running Reggae Marathon 2018, book early!

Beach, beach, beach...there, that decision made!  Rondel Village has a relatively compact beach frontage.  There are two areas, behind the fence and directly on the beach.  Dan and I stake out our beach-side lounges first thing after breakfast Thursday morning.  With towels supplied by the hotel, there's only one other decision to make:  SPF 45?  Yes, heavyweight sun protection is mandatory in Negril in December.  It's hot of course...which I love...and with the sun more directly overhead that in Canada, only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the sun without sunscreen (with apologies to the Joe Cocker album I lifted that line from).

Oh, and there's a race this Saturday!  Yeah, 5:15 am Saturday a few thousand runners are sent away for a full Marathon, Half Marathon or 10K.  I've got Finisher Medals from all three but for the past few years I've run the 10K.  I get a nice run in and am finished and enjoying a cold Red Stripe and a refreshing post-race swim by 6:30 am.  That's about as good as it gets.

One more sleep to wheels up...

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

How to develop a bulletproof marketing plan

How do you develop a bulletproof marketing plan?  I've found that complex marketing plans for small business owners are not effective.  They need strategically sound strategies and responsive tactics that help build sales.  Here's a good formula:

Chris M Morales

chris.morales@bell.net

@ChrisMoralesTO

647 393 3855

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and are not associated with any other group or organization