I (gasp) took the train system – MARTA – into downtown from the airport. Some weird things happened on that train, things I hadn’t even seen in the DC Metro which is saying something. I mean, someone had their pet snake out. In terms of ease of use, MARTA was easy to figure out, very simple in terms of routes and directions, and got me downtown in about 15 minutes flat. I won’t complain.

Hotels, due to the conference, were insanely expensive. Rooms generally going for $90-$130 were $190-$325. So I chose the cheapest Marriott/Starwood Property there was, since I have Gold status with both. The Gold status was useless at the property I chose (hey Marriott – why is this the case at AC Hotels?!?!), but the AC Hotel by Marriott was really lovely.

Atlanta has a huge clubbing vibe, and if you know me, you know that clubbing is pretty much the last thing I would ever want to do. Late nights? Loud music? Lots of people? Hahahah. NO. At least six people when I was checking in came to ask about different clubs. Everyone at the bar was pre-gaming to go clubbing. There was a wedding party that was going to the wedding then clubbing.

The AC Hotel is recently renovated – and I mean completely renovated. Everything is brand new and sparkling clean. The lobby is sleek, the hotel bar is nice (with decently priced food and drink – I had a wonderful Thai-inspired beer with chili and lemongrass and a healthy salad), and the rooms are small but simplistic and very functional. I do wish they were a bit brighter. While they may have skimped on room size, the bathrooms are still decently sized which is really nice.

The other thing I loved about the AC Hotel was the gym. It, literally, is the nicest hotel gym I’ve ever been in. New and clean equipment, foam rollers, medicine balls, exercise balls, free weights, tv’s on treadmills that actually worked! Plus, it was light, airy, had a great water dispenser for bottles. It looks out into the pool/courtyard area which also looked very inviting, though it was cold/rainy when I had free time to check it out.

Plus, the AC Hotel is literally a stone’s throw from the Georgia Convention Center and the CNN Tower…maybe a five minute walk across the park.

Now, my one main complaint is that there literally isn’t anything particularly interesting to eat near the convention center or the AC Hotel…there are a ton of chain restaurants, and fast food, plus one southern place that had amazing reviews but I wasn’t able to check out because their hours didn’t work with my schedule (they weren’t open for dinner). But, seriously guys — there was a line out the door for IHOP. That is where everyone wanted to go! Or maybe it was Pancake House. I don’t know, because I hate breakfast food not at breakfast and you couldn’t pay me to stand in line at IHOP. Sorry IHOP fans out there. I guess it’s a novelty if you live in other parts of the country? Shaking my head. A.line.for.IHOP.

The one thing I did decide to do is head to the Georgia Aquarium. I’ve sort of been off aquariums – I mean, seeing the real thing in real life is so much better and I just don’t know about keeping big things in big tanks anymore. But a friend–who isn’t into aquariums either–convinced me that the whale sharks were worth it.

I will say that most of the animals in the Georgia Aquarium (or perhaps not most, but many), are rescued or injured animals that wouldn’t make it in the wild. And to see all the screaming children (which I promptly ran away from) that excited to see fish and other critters still makes me pause and think that maybe aquariums–for some things–are important and inspiring for kids growing up that may not have other opportunities to see those animals.

Anyway, the Georgia Aquarium is impressive, primarily because of the whale sharks and huge, huge manta rays. They were by far the biggest mantas I’ve ever seen and just stunning. You get lovely views from below and from the side, which is a really fun perspective. No matter how many times you’ve seen these animals (and I’ve never seen whale sharks in the wild), it is still fun to see them swim by you at an arm’s length.

The cost for admission (about $38 I think) seems a little steep, but I can only imagine that maintaining 10 million gallons of water is an expensive adventure. I honestly didn’t spend a ton of time in the aquarium, but the time I did spend was mostly staring at the whale sharks and mantas. There were some other good exhibits, like the lovely lion fish, but school groups were starting to run the place and – well – that was my sign to exit.

Without hesitation, if you have to head to Atlanta and need to stay down, the AC Hotel is a lovely property. And, particularly if you have kids or are looking to get away from things for an hour, the Georgia Aquarium is a good stop, conveniently located just two blocks from CNN Tower and the Convention Center (and about 2 blocks from the AC Hotel, too). The whale sharks are worth it.

I did make it nearly 2 full days without going stir crazy from doing nothing but relaxing. As I’ve said before, I’m a horrible relaxer. I also read 2 full books (The Invitation Only Zone & Before the Fall…both good!). Yep, I read lighthearted stories about North Korean kidnappings on the beach. It was fascinating. If you are in to that type of book, get thyself to Amazon and pick it up. It is so, so good.

Anyhow, when we first booked the hotel room in Panama, it was a JW Marriott property, which we were really excited to try. One day, I go online to look at where the property is located in Panama to see what else is nearby, and….it…is…not…there. Instead, an AC Buenaventura is popping up. Um, ok Marriott. No notice? No warning? We probably wouldn’t have changed hotels but it would have been very nice to know in advance that the branding had changed completely. JW Marriotts are some of their nicer properties, so it definitely was a bit disappointing.

My other complaint about AC properties is that even though they are part of the Marriott brand, they offer pretty much zero perks for elite members. No lounge, no room upgrades, etc. It’s too bad, as some of the AC hotels are very nice.

Anyhow.

The AC Buenaventura was fine. The rooms were clean and large, we had a lovely balcony, the pools were great, and the beach is nice.  Some of the staff were so kind and nice, and some of the staff were about as ambivalent or rude. The food was very good, but not exceptional–but we are a bit spoiled living in DC. We had a lot of octopus – all good, some paella with seafood – excellent, as well as grilled shrimp, tacos al pastor, and lots of other things. It was all tasty. While I’m sure the prices are exorbitant for Panama, they didn’t seem so bad given that it was a resort, after all. And food prices (+10% tax) in DC are a bit exorbitant, too.

The AC Buenventura is in a new development that includes lots of villas, condos, a golf course, and a new zoological garden. It really caters to wealthy Panamanians with children (and nannies…they all had nannies) that are looking to escape the city for a weekend. The pool set-up is quite lovely, and the pools are warm, even by my standards. There is a lot of space for people to spread out there, but not too much space that it is annoying to walk from one end of the resort to the other. It is quite nice, but again, not a JW Marriott (cough, that we booked, cough).

We did really luck out on the weather. After driving through some torrential downpours to get there, it rained only once, and only for about ten minutes. It was overcast for 2 of our 3 days too, which made it significantly less warm and very, very pleasant outside. The last day the sun was out and it was hot. One of the very best things about the AC Buenaventura was that there is so much shade and so many cabanas! Even when people ‘reserved’ them early in the morning, there was always plenty of cabanas by the pool and shade by the beach so you could relax wherever you wanted. I really like to see that hotels are starting to see not everyone wants to bake in the sun, but most of us like to at least relax in the shade!

One weird point – there is a lifeguard on the beach and you aren’t supposed to go in when the lifeguard isn’t present. The first day, they rolled in at like 10:30…the next day, which was a Saturday, they did come in a bit earlier. I’ve never been somewhere that you ‘have to’ wait for a lifeguard. I’m not sure what would happen, really, if you went in, but I also don’t like to be a rule breaker. The water was completely calm…which I think may have been a bit unusual for the Pacific side of Panama.

Also, my last trivial (but non trivial…) complaint: there was no conditioner in the room. Now, I almost always bring conditioner with me for precisely this reason. But come on, it is a RESORT. It has to have conditioner, right? Nope, it had the horribly shitty “2-in-one” that does nothing on my long hair. We even asked the lady at the spa and she didn’t have any either. She said that they used to (cough, before the rebranding?) and then didn’t. Now, I just stayed at an AC property in Atlanta that had conditioner. So I don’t know what the deal is, but I’m a firm believer that a resort needs to have both shampoo and conditioner. This is not the Super 8, Marriott. AC Hotels. Whatever you are now.

Overall it was not a bad stay for the price. If you are looking at the Buenaventura and there is a good deal, it’s a pretty property for a quick vacation. The golf course did look lovely…so may be worth a few rounds!  There also isn’t much to do around Rio Hato besides the offered four-wheeling or horseback riding tours (no thanks)–and it was the wrong time of the year for snorkeling. Maybe if I hadn’t just done an Ironman I would have been more interested in hiking to try to catch some sloths or parrots, but that just wasn’t going to happen this trip.

Also, the traffic from Panama City makes DC traffic look like a stroll in the park. So take this into account when figuring out transfers. I think we left at 3:30 am for a 9am flight. While geographically it isn’t that far, the traffic is truly terrible.

Panama is beautiful, the Rio Hato beaches are quite pretty, the ocean is warm, the AC Buenaventura is pleasant, and we got what we came: a bit of relaxation, a beach, and a beer by the pool.

Ok. More than one beer by the pool.

Let’s start with the end up front: if you are thinking about a summer 70.3, at a non-Ironman branded race, and it is your first 70.3, this is a great race.

This was my first attempt at this distance, and I primarily used it as a prep race for Ironman Maryland in October, and to see how I liked the distance. It was hot, but it is July in Virginia. It’s going to be hot. I used it as an opportunity to test my fueling and hydration, most of which went off without a hitch.

The Venue: You have to get there the night before or pay extra to pick-up your packet race day. Since I was coming in from DC the night before, this was no big deal and honestly it was sort of nice to not have to trudge my bike in and out of a hotel room. Packet pick up was seamless and uncrowded. There was plenty of water and Gatorade for all.

Hotel: I stayed at the Fairfield Inn in Williamsburg (I am a Marriott Gold member and credit card holder, and it was the cheapest Marriott property available). It was clean and only a 15 minute drive to the venue. Down seriously one road with no turns. Even I can do that without thinking at 4am.

Morning: I had a little incident this past week (actually, there was no incident. I got bitten by what I think was a spider and the freakin’ bite got infected and I had to go to the ER). And I was on antibiotics, and they made my stomach feel less than desirable. But I shoved some food down my face (and by shove, I mean that almost literally); I used to try to eat “healthy” on race morning, failing miserably to eat anything at all. I now eat whatever I want as it is better than nothing. I hate eating in the morning.

Transition: Rev3 had people pumping your tires (or you could do it yourself) which was so nice since bikes were racked day prior. I was the very last row, which was also nice – less people, less stuff, lots of room. I prefer the racks that Rev3 uses where you tire sits in a little wooden box on the ground. Less shenanigans as it is very clear what your space allotments are.

Swim: This swim course is really peculiar in some ways and may not be the same from year to year. They do swim you with the current, but for the half, you had to swim up and out into the main river (from a tributary) before you turned around. I could not sense there was a strong advantage from the current for the half since you were both with and against at different times. It is shallow. They had to add another bouy for us to go around because it was too shallow in places. The last 500 meters I was swimming in sea grass like swamp monster and my hands were scraping the bottom. I tried to stand up at one point and sank past my knee. No thanks, I’ll keep swimming. I’m too squeamish for that sh*t. To all the men who stood up and started walking–thanks, guys, you made sure I was covered in river scum all day! Kidding, it’s all part of the fun . I came in at 31 minutes which is pretty much exactly what I expected. The Olympic times were super speedy since they didn’t have to go upstream before heading downstream.

T1: Because I was on antibiotics that cause sun hypersensitivity, I spent time putting on sleeves (Desoto Sport Wings…highly recommend) for the bike (and left them on for the run) and sprayed sunscreen on my legs again. Also got a gulp of my Carbopro and some Hammer endurolytes down. Not fast, but I needed to get those things done.

Bike: The bike is where I struggle. People were flying past me, but I had a great ride (for me). I came in exactly at 3 hours and felt exceedingly comfortable the entire way. I definitely could have gone faster, but I had no idea what I’d feel like on the run. This course is rolling hills–nothing too steep up or down. Really easy to maintain speed. It’s also mostly shaded; not a lot of shoulder space, though. Side note: everyone, be careful. There were some horrible crashes and cars don’t always pay attention.

T2: Sprayed on more sunscreen and got in and out in a minute. Nothing to do here but get out on course.

Run: On what planet does anyone categorize this as a “flat” run course?! I mean, I’m no hill-hugger, but jiminy crickets. This run is not particularly flat. Particularly for the half. Because you have to run up/down a bridge/overpass four times. Mile 1, Mile 6, Mile 7, Mile 13 or thereabouts. There are some gentle rolling hills right after that as well. Whatever, I slogged through. I ran the whole time. I got my electrolytes all wet and threw up a half dissolved capsule that burned my throat. At least that was at mile 6. Most of the run is in the sun, and they did have ice and sponges at most stations, which were every mile. Besides my fail at electrolytes which left me depleted at the end, my hydration and fuel were good and my stomach felt great which was something I wanted to test out for the Ironman. My run base has been lower as I had some nagging pain here and there, so my longest run prior to this was less than 10 miles. So while I know I’m capable of better than a 2:12, it is what I had that day and that’s ok.

Finish: My goal was 6 hours, and I came in at 5:48. I’ll take that. First, I learned a ton about my fitness and ability to push through, something I previously lacked completely. Thanks to my coach for both of those things. Second, I know I’m capable of much more, if I want to focus on a 70.3 distance in the future. Third, I was thrilled with my bike. It was so comfortable and … fun! Fourth, my fueling and hydration looks on point, minus the electrolyte debacle (Hammer endurloytes/gels + Carbopro on the bike are my go-to’s).

Rev3 puts on a great race! I’m not sure I like heat enough to come back to Williamsburg, but it is tempting. Really tempting.

I’m still glad I got the card, as it covered our nights in Naples when we went to go visit Pompeii. But the time had come to say goodbye. They did offer me another free night to stay, but given my track record in using those free nights, I declined.

My new card acquisition is boring, but a good deal: the American Airlines Gold Card. Yea, the benefits leave a bit to be desired, though reduced award tickets may be a good one. No priority boarding, and no lounge passes. Annual fee ($50) is also waived the first year. This card currently has targeted offers for 50,000 miles; I need a minimum spend of $1,500 in three months. Low spend, decent haul of miles. I plan on cancelling the card before the annual fee comes around next year.

I was thinking about opening the American Airlines Platinum Card, too, with an offer of 50,000, 2 free lounge passes, and priority boarding. However, the offer I received required $3,000 in spend in three months, so for now, I decided not to. If I foresee a large expense coming up (i.e. a trip purchase…cough….Galapagos?!…cough) I may go ahead and get this card as well because it would really boost my American miles.

I’m also eyeing a Chase Sapphire Card, if I see a good offer come through–particularly since I cancelled my other Chase card. I’ve not had a lot of flexible cards which allow you to transfer to different programs (other than my Amex Platinum), so I think I need to start seeing if these cards will work better for us given my total lack of airline loyalty.

Now I need to remember that hoarding miles is silly, especially as devaluations seem as common as rain. But we are hoarding some miles for a return trip to Asia, since both DH and I agreed that the best way to enjoy a trip home for over 20 hours of flying was in business class. I loved ANA, so we might stick with the United miles for that one (we still have the United Explorer Card, too). But that’s going to be at least a year or two away, given that there are some other travel priorities in the nearer future.

Any good targeted offers you’ve seen? How do you like flexible cards versus branded?