229. Financial Intelligence for Runners - Traveling for Marathons

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: www.immopred.com

[00:00:30] [SPEAKER_06]: You're listening to episode 229 of the Marathon Running Podcast. In this episode, we're going to talk about financial intelligence for marathoners.

[00:00:46] [SPEAKER_06]: This is the Marathon Running Podcast by Letty and Ryan from WE GOT THE RUNS. Join us in our running community for weekly content that is motivational, educational, and inspirational, and let the Marathon Running Podcast take you from the starting line to the finish line and beyond.

[00:01:06] [SPEAKER_06]: Hey runners and welcome to episode 229, the episode where we talk about financial intelligence for marathoners. How are you Ryan?

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_02]: I'm good. How about you?

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_06]: Very good myself. Thank you.

[00:01:19] [SPEAKER_02]: So we're going to figure out how Federal Reserve interest rate cuts affect your marathon running time.

[00:01:25] [SPEAKER_06]: Jesus Christ, guys, please.

[00:01:27] [SPEAKER_06]: No, we're not.

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER_06]: Don't turn this off.

[00:01:31] [SPEAKER_06]: Ryan is completely joking.

[00:01:33] [SPEAKER_06]: And I guess as a lawyer, I'm going to give you a little disclaimer.

[00:01:37] [SPEAKER_06]: We're not financial advisors in any way, shape, or form.

[00:01:41] [SPEAKER_02]: So, Letty, I was actually intrigued when you brought this topic up.

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_02]: So what inspired this?

[00:01:46] [SPEAKER_06]: So this episode was inspired by the fact that the Tokyo Marathon drawing just happened this week, actually.

[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_06]: And a lot of people didn't make it in.

[00:01:58] [SPEAKER_06]: It's also been inspired by Boston tightening their standards for the 2026 marathon, the London Marathon having 800,000 and some more applicants for their races.

[00:02:10] [SPEAKER_06]: It's basically, I want to say forcing, but it's not forcing, but making people that want to run those races, having to sign up with more expensive tour groups and kind of, you know, realizing that this whole marathoning is not the cheap sport that it once used to be where all you needed was a pair of shoes.

[00:02:31] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. So, I mean, those of you who have probably listened to other podcasts know that there are, and those of you who don't know, there are multiple ways to get in a marathon.

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_02]: If you can't qualify them for the marathon, a lot of times you can get in a backdoor way by paying more money, essentially, right?

[00:02:47] [SPEAKER_06]: Yes. Yes. That's possible through the tour groups.

[00:02:50] [SPEAKER_06]: And a lot of times, you know, fundraising for charity, which obviously is a great cause.

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_06]: We've had previous podcast episodes where we talked about different ways of fundraising just to inspire you guys.

[00:03:00] [SPEAKER_06]: If you are signed up for a charity race, how you can help make that money so it doesn't end up on your credit card bill.

[00:03:07] [SPEAKER_06]: And along those lines, this podcast episode is to kind of help you figure out how to travel smart, how to use cards and points and all that complicated stuff to not just make traveling more affordable, but also perhaps make it more comfortable.

[00:03:24] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. So I think after everything involved with going to a marathon, it can get kind of pricey.

[00:03:30] [SPEAKER_02]: So it would be good to budget and, you know, use your resources well.

[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_06]: Yes, exactly. And there are tons of resources out there.

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_06]: There's tons of Facebook groups that are particular to marathons.

[00:03:42] [SPEAKER_06]: There's Reddit online where people ask questions.

[00:03:45] [SPEAKER_06]: There's always little, I don't want to say loopholes, but there's always ways of maybe saving a little bit.

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_06]: For example, the Boston Marathon is super expensive if you want to stay close to the finish line for that weekend particularly.

[00:03:59] [SPEAKER_06]: But there are tour groups where you can just book the room and things like that, you know?

[00:04:05] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. Or one of your tips where you just book the hotel super early on a refundable reservation and then you can do your planning afterwards.

[00:04:14] [SPEAKER_06]: Which unfortunately doesn't work for Boston.

[00:04:16] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, not for Boston, but other ones.

[00:04:19] [SPEAKER_06]: For other races, that definitely works if you book a hotel prior to the lottery being drawn.

[00:04:25] [SPEAKER_06]: And then you're in, you're in, right?

[00:04:27] [SPEAKER_02]: So who'd you find to talk to us about marathon finances?

[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah. So I invited Ben Common Cool onto our podcast, who is a travel advisor and has his own website, which is bensbigdeal.com.

[00:04:42] [SPEAKER_06]: I heard him speak on another podcast and it was very informative to me because he was talking about different credit cards, using points, using points for lounges.

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_06]: And as any marathoner can imagine, how nice would it be to travel the day after your marathon and actually sitting in an airport lounge where you have food available and everything else rather than just having to sit in an airport.

[00:05:07] [SPEAKER_06]: I personally experienced the lounges after traveling home from Boston because my friend Min, shout out to Min, has lounge access.

[00:05:16] [SPEAKER_06]: And it was just so pleasant to sit on soft cushioned chairs and eating whatever I wanted, having some champagne and just relaxing prior to traveling.

[00:05:25] [SPEAKER_06]: So that kind of intrigued me and was interesting.

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_06]: And I figured if it's interesting to me, it's probably also interesting to other tired marathoners.

[00:05:32] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, especially if you can balance any costs for the credit cards versus the perks you get and you go running enough, I think it'd make it worthwhile.

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER_06]: Exactly.

[00:05:46] [SPEAKER_02]: So Letty, you said two guests.

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_02]: So who's guest number two?

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_06]: So guest number two is Chris Huser, who is the running concierge at the Westin Hotels.

[00:05:54] [SPEAKER_06]: The Westin Hotel is a large group of hotels and they happen to have a presence in the cities of the United States that host major marathons.

[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_06]: And the Westin has made an effort to support marathon runners with the amenities that they provide, food options, and really tailored to them.

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_06]: They also have been known to have running groups that are not on marathon day and provide you with routes, etc.

[00:06:18] [SPEAKER_06]: So when I learned about that, I was kind of intrigued by it and also wanted to get Chris on here for an interview to talk a little bit about that.

[00:06:28] [SPEAKER_02]: Sounds interesting.

[00:06:28] [SPEAKER_02]: You want to get into it?

[00:06:29] [SPEAKER_06]: Sure.

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_06]: So we're going to start with Ben.

[00:06:33] [SPEAKER_06]: Without any further ado, we're not going to play our conversation with Ben.

[00:06:41] [SPEAKER_06]: All right.

[00:06:42] [SPEAKER_06]: So I'm on with Ben Kumenko.

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_06]: Ben, thank you so much for joining us today.

[00:06:46] [SPEAKER_04]: Thank you for having me, Letty.

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_06]: Yes, of course.

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_06]: And you're a little bit of an expert when it comes to traveling points and credit cards.

[00:06:53] [SPEAKER_06]: Tell us briefly a little bit about your background.

[00:06:56] [SPEAKER_04]: So I've been a business traveler for about 15 years and I probably did it wrong in the first five years, meaning that I was looking for the cheapest flight, the most efficient way to do it.

[00:07:07] [SPEAKER_04]: And so what happens is when you do that, you end up flying a lot of different airlines and you never accumulate enough points and you never earn enough recognition or what they call elite status with an airline.

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_04]: So I didn't realize that people were getting free upgrades to first class.

[00:07:23] [SPEAKER_04]: I didn't realize that you didn't have to pay for bags.

[00:07:25] [SPEAKER_04]: I didn't realize that you could choose your own seat for free.

[00:07:29] [SPEAKER_04]: Those are the things I was missing out on for the first five years.

[00:07:32] [SPEAKER_04]: And those are things that most people miss out when they fly because they're always looking for the cheapest flight and don't really think of the big picture.

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_04]: And if you have listeners who are flying regularly or need to get on a plane regularly, you have to start to think about that.

[00:07:46] [SPEAKER_04]: The average American flies maybe once a year.

[00:07:49] [SPEAKER_04]: And so that's not that valid to them.

[00:07:51] [SPEAKER_04]: But if you're getting on a plane, if you're going to races, then you need to start thinking about these things because now you could be able to save money by having maybe apply for the right credit card.

[00:07:59] [SPEAKER_04]: You're going to have the right information by choosing an airline that fits your lifestyle as well.

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_06]: Perfect. All right.

[00:08:06] [SPEAKER_06]: So with that, we'll hop right in into question number one.

[00:08:10] [SPEAKER_06]: Why should marathon runners consider traveling using points instead of cashback when they're using a credit card?

[00:08:18] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.

[00:08:18] [SPEAKER_04]: So I think there's huge value in getting a cashback card if you're looking to use it for other things.

[00:08:25] [SPEAKER_04]: But if you're looking specifically for travel, travel reward points give you a benefit of two things.

[00:08:32] [SPEAKER_04]: One is they do allow you to cash it out.

[00:08:34] [SPEAKER_04]: And a lot of people don't think that they can, but they can, number one.

[00:08:38] [SPEAKER_04]: And number two, they can also use it for travel and then get more than what they get normally with cashback.

[00:08:44] [SPEAKER_04]: Because let's say, for example, if you're earning 3% or 2% cashback right now, those 2% is $0.02 per point.

[00:08:51] [SPEAKER_04]: You can be able to redeem travel rewards for a lot more than $0.01.

[00:08:55] [SPEAKER_04]: You can actually get it $0.02, $0.03, sometimes even $0.07 or $0.08 per point.

[00:09:00] [SPEAKER_04]: So you can get more value when you apply it for travel if you're traveling.

[00:09:06] [SPEAKER_06]: That makes a lot of sense.

[00:09:07] [SPEAKER_06]: So how can travel points be specifically advantageous for marathon-related travel?

[00:09:13] [SPEAKER_04]: Well, I think if you're getting on a plane, what you're thinking about is this.

[00:09:17] [SPEAKER_04]: You want to have a more comfortable experience.

[00:09:20] [SPEAKER_04]: You're looking for more time to relax.

[00:09:25] [SPEAKER_04]: Traveling itself is a very stressful situation.

[00:09:29] [SPEAKER_04]: You're not in your home.

[00:09:30] [SPEAKER_04]: You're in a faraway place.

[00:09:32] [SPEAKER_04]: Things happen that don't go as designed.

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_04]: And so you need to maybe have some of the perks that some of these travel cards give.

[00:09:39] [SPEAKER_04]: Like, for example, most people who have a cashback card have no annual fee cards.

[00:09:44] [SPEAKER_04]: Most travel cards usually incur some type of travel, some kind of annual fee.

[00:09:48] [SPEAKER_04]: And if sometimes you're thinking about it, you go, I don't want to get a card with an annual fee.

[00:09:52] [SPEAKER_04]: It's because you don't think that these cards offer something that they do.

[00:09:56] [SPEAKER_04]: Like, for example, if you end up at an airport and the flight gets delayed enough, six hours or more,

[00:10:02] [SPEAKER_04]: or you have to overnight at an airport, do you know that some of these credit cards,

[00:10:07] [SPEAKER_04]: these travel cards will pay for your hotel?

[00:10:09] [SPEAKER_04]: And they'll pay for food at a nice restaurant, not just in the airport.

[00:10:14] [SPEAKER_04]: And they'll even pay for a hotel of your choosing.

[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_04]: And you don't have to go stand in line for an hour waiting for the airport and begging the airline to give you a hotel voucher.

[00:10:24] [SPEAKER_04]: And so these are a lot of things that will give you a chance.

[00:10:28] [SPEAKER_04]: So as soon as I know the flight goes six hours or 12 hours delayed, depending on which credit card you have,

[00:10:32] [SPEAKER_04]: I literally start booking my hotels.

[00:10:34] [SPEAKER_04]: And then I call Uber and I go have a dinner.

[00:10:36] [SPEAKER_04]: And then I come back and then they have a flight for me the next day, you know, if that's going to be the case.

[00:10:41] [SPEAKER_04]: And I don't have to spend my whole day at the airport.

[00:10:44] [SPEAKER_06]: That's very nice.

[00:10:46] [SPEAKER_06]: But let's talk about some other perks.

[00:10:47] [SPEAKER_06]: Are there any other particular perks that justify the annual fee for marathon runners?

[00:10:52] [SPEAKER_04]: Well, I think if you're looking at hotels and flights itself, I think those are major expenses when you're traveling, right?

[00:10:58] [SPEAKER_04]: For a marathon.

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_04]: I wouldn't say they would probably be best used for those things.

[00:11:04] [SPEAKER_04]: Rental cars, hotels, airlines.

[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_04]: I would say those are the majority of things that, you know, make up the bulk of your expenses.

[00:11:11] [SPEAKER_04]: And so if you're looking at it from that perspective, you can apply it for those type of things.

[00:11:16] [SPEAKER_04]: Think about this, for example.

[00:11:18] [SPEAKER_04]: One of the things is people always stress about getting to get to their flight on time.

[00:11:23] [SPEAKER_04]: One of the biggest challenges you have is you may not know how long it's going to take.

[00:11:27] [SPEAKER_04]: I live in Los Angeles.

[00:11:28] [SPEAKER_04]: It could take maybe 40 minutes to get there or it can take two hours to get there.

[00:11:32] [SPEAKER_04]: And I may miss a flight.

[00:11:34] [SPEAKER_04]: One of the things that you could do to help expedite your process through those gate is to have something called TSA PreCheck.

[00:11:43] [SPEAKER_04]: Some credit cards offer that for free.

[00:11:45] [SPEAKER_04]: And then if you already have it, you can actually use it for your family, your friend.

[00:11:50] [SPEAKER_04]: It doesn't even have to be used for you.

[00:11:51] [SPEAKER_04]: Some of these credit cards will allow you to use these perks and these credits for someone else.

[00:11:57] [SPEAKER_04]: So if you have a best friend and they're traveling with you, you don't have to go in one line.

[00:12:01] [SPEAKER_04]: They go the other line.

[00:12:01] [SPEAKER_04]: You guys can both go in the same line together.

[00:12:04] [SPEAKER_06]: That's very nice.

[00:12:05] [SPEAKER_06]: Very nice.

[00:12:05] [SPEAKER_06]: All right.

[00:12:06] [SPEAKER_06]: So what are the key benefits for marathon runners when they look into credit cards to maximize travel savings for races?

[00:12:13] [SPEAKER_04]: Well, I think there's a lot of things that you can look at.

[00:12:16] [SPEAKER_04]: But there's three major things I think people are looking for.

[00:12:19] [SPEAKER_04]: One, when you're looking for a credit card is a travel card specifically.

[00:12:23] [SPEAKER_04]: You want to make sure that they have a big welcome bonus because you may be starting with zero points.

[00:12:28] [SPEAKER_04]: You have none.

[00:12:29] [SPEAKER_04]: And like how long is it going to take to get there?

[00:12:31] [SPEAKER_04]: Well, in the first three months, they'll give you an opportunity to earn 50,000, 60,000, 70,000 points, which can be good for either a round trip ticket somewhere for your race.

[00:12:41] [SPEAKER_04]: Or it could even be used if you want to go a little bit fancy.

[00:12:44] [SPEAKER_04]: You can go up to the front of the plane and fly international in business class on a live flat bed.

[00:12:49] [SPEAKER_04]: Then it can be enough for that.

[00:12:51] [SPEAKER_04]: The other thing you should be looking for is multipliers.

[00:12:54] [SPEAKER_04]: If you eat a lot, if you go to the grocery store a lot, if you pay a lot for gas, depending on what you spend a lot in, you should look for a card that maybe gives you more than one cent per point.

[00:13:06] [SPEAKER_04]: Some of these cards will give you a lot of points.

[00:13:08] [SPEAKER_04]: Like if you're using, for example, if you go to the office supply store, did you know that there's one card that has an office supply store bonus of 5x?

[00:13:16] [SPEAKER_04]: So you can get five points for every dollar if you buy something from this office supply store.

[00:13:20] [SPEAKER_04]: Now a lot of people may think, well, I don't usually go to the office supply store much.

[00:13:24] [SPEAKER_04]: But if you use Amazon, if you use Home Depot often, you can go buy a Home Depot gift card or an Amazon gift card at the office supply store and now earn 5x.

[00:13:34] [SPEAKER_04]: And so now you can use that Amazon gift card and just load up your account.

[00:13:38] [SPEAKER_04]: So now you're earning 5x on all your Amazon purchases.

[00:13:42] [SPEAKER_06]: That's pretty amazing.

[00:13:43] [SPEAKER_06]: What about the activation fees for those gift cards?

[00:13:45] [SPEAKER_04]: So usually with those particular store brands, there's no activation fee.

[00:13:51] [SPEAKER_04]: But they also have these other more flexible ones.

[00:13:54] [SPEAKER_04]: They call it Visa gift cards or MasterCard gift cards.

[00:13:57] [SPEAKER_04]: You can use them at any retailer that earns and you can earn 5x on those things as well.

[00:14:02] [SPEAKER_04]: And the great thing is some people, depending on who you, you could even use those Visa gift cards to pay your utilities.

[00:14:07] [SPEAKER_04]: So if you have insurance, car insurance or your utilities or water and gas and power, they'll have like a full debit card with expiration.

[00:14:15] [SPEAKER_04]: You enter that in and a lot of people pay it that way.

[00:14:18] [SPEAKER_06]: That's very, very nice.

[00:14:20] [SPEAKER_06]: Awesome.

[00:14:20] [SPEAKER_06]: All right.

[00:14:21] [SPEAKER_06]: So let's talk about lounge access a little bit.

[00:14:23] [SPEAKER_06]: I recently flew back from Boston and my friend Min, shout out to Min, let me go into the lounge with him.

[00:14:30] [SPEAKER_06]: It was pretty amazing.

[00:14:31] [SPEAKER_06]: We had champagne.

[00:14:31] [SPEAKER_06]: We had all sorts of food.

[00:14:32] [SPEAKER_06]: So I figured at that point, it's very important to talk about this because we as runners retired from running and it's so nice to sit in a lounge.

[00:14:40] [SPEAKER_06]: Tell us a little bit about that.

[00:14:42] [SPEAKER_04]: Well, there are lots of lounges out there.

[00:14:44] [SPEAKER_04]: Sometimes if you buy a business class ticket or first class ticket internationally, you'll be able to get access into those lounges.

[00:14:52] [SPEAKER_04]: However, even if you don't have business class or first class and you're just sitting in economy or maybe the extra legroom of the economy section, you can still get into lounge.

[00:15:01] [SPEAKER_04]: And one of the ways to do that is by having the right credit card.

[00:15:05] [SPEAKER_04]: Some of them have a program called Priority Pass.

[00:15:08] [SPEAKER_04]: And this company, Priority Pass, will pay for your lounge admission into these certain contract lounges.

[00:15:15] [SPEAKER_04]: And there's like over 1,200 of them around the world.

[00:15:19] [SPEAKER_04]: And then so if you get in one of these, you get free food.

[00:15:23] [SPEAKER_04]: So think about this.

[00:15:24] [SPEAKER_04]: Every time I walk into the airport with my family, I'm easily spending $100.

[00:15:28] [SPEAKER_04]: $7 for water, $20 for a burger.

[00:15:31] [SPEAKER_04]: When you think about it, I save a ton of money for my family.

[00:15:34] [SPEAKER_04]: And you can do the same thing for yourself.

[00:15:36] [SPEAKER_04]: And maybe you're traveling with some friends or your family's traveling with you.

[00:15:40] [SPEAKER_04]: I save at least $100 every time because I'm able to go into a lounge because they have free drinks.

[00:15:44] [SPEAKER_04]: They have water.

[00:15:46] [SPEAKER_04]: They have beer and wine.

[00:15:48] [SPEAKER_04]: I mean, if you want to have something, a snack, you can have that as well.

[00:15:52] [SPEAKER_04]: Some lounges even offer, like if I go to Mexico City, one of the Priority Pass lounges even offers a cart ride.

[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_04]: A cart.

[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_04]: You get on the cart and it drives you all the way to the gate.

[00:16:02] [SPEAKER_04]: It's like the coolest thing.

[00:16:04] [SPEAKER_06]: I love this.

[00:16:05] [SPEAKER_06]: That sounds awesome.

[00:16:06] [SPEAKER_06]: All right.

[00:16:06] [SPEAKER_06]: So how about using points to cover race entries, accommodations, and other travel expenses?

[00:16:13] [SPEAKER_06]: How can marathoners do that?

[00:16:16] [SPEAKER_04]: Well, I would say this.

[00:16:17] [SPEAKER_04]: When it comes to race fees or those type of things, you could redeem your points for one cent per point to do that.

[00:16:22] [SPEAKER_04]: So that's something you can.

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_04]: You can just kind of use that to wipe out one of those feeds by using your points and cash them out.

[00:16:29] [SPEAKER_04]: But I would say, once again, if you really use them the right way or use them for maximum effect,

[00:16:34] [SPEAKER_04]: I would apply it for a hotel or apply it for an airline.

[00:16:39] [SPEAKER_04]: One particular one actually transfers to Hyatt Hotels.

[00:16:43] [SPEAKER_04]: Hyatt Hotels probably has the most powerful points for hotels out there.

[00:16:48] [SPEAKER_04]: They're worth at least two cents a point.

[00:16:50] [SPEAKER_04]: So let me give you an example.

[00:16:51] [SPEAKER_04]: Let's say, and if you like to stay at Marriott or Hilton or IHG, those are fine.

[00:16:57] [SPEAKER_04]: But most of those program points usually are worth half a cent or less.

[00:17:01] [SPEAKER_04]: And so my concern is when they do it that way, I would rather actually have them cash it out.

[00:17:06] [SPEAKER_04]: But if they want to, because at least they'll get one cent per point.

[00:17:10] [SPEAKER_04]: But if they want to get good value, I really recommend Hyatt Hotels since there's many great ones.

[00:17:16] [SPEAKER_04]: And they really give you a better value than any of the other hotel points.

[00:17:20] [SPEAKER_06]: Okay, great.

[00:17:21] [SPEAKER_06]: And obviously, most marathons are in larger cities and Hyatt is pretty much everywhere.

[00:17:26] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, they are at all the places you want to be or typically all where your races are going to be.

[00:17:31] [SPEAKER_04]: Yep.

[00:17:36] [SPEAKER_06]: Recommend for marathoners who travel frequently?

[00:17:39] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, you know, there's a lot.

[00:17:41] [SPEAKER_04]: When you start looking at all the landscape of all the credit cards, there's many out there.

[00:17:46] [SPEAKER_04]: And I would say this.

[00:17:47] [SPEAKER_04]: The first thing is this.

[00:17:48] [SPEAKER_04]: Before you go into a particular hotel or a particular airline, stop first.

[00:17:54] [SPEAKER_04]: Because not all airlines and not all hotel cards are created the same.

[00:17:58] [SPEAKER_04]: Before you figure that part out, I would recommend that you get the bank programs that are behind those airlines.

[00:18:05] [SPEAKER_04]: Because like Amex, for example, they run the program for Delta.

[00:18:10] [SPEAKER_04]: You know, there are banks that run a program for the airline.

[00:18:16] [SPEAKER_04]: And those banks have figured out this program and these loyalty schemes.

[00:18:22] [SPEAKER_04]: And they've created their own program.

[00:18:24] [SPEAKER_04]: They create their own points.

[00:18:25] [SPEAKER_04]: And then they allow you to use their points to move them to 18 to 20 different airlines and hotel programs.

[00:18:31] [SPEAKER_04]: So that gives you much more options.

[00:18:34] [SPEAKER_04]: Because that's, you know, going back to cashback.

[00:18:35] [SPEAKER_04]: The reason why people choose cashback is because you have the choices.

[00:18:39] [SPEAKER_04]: Because let's say you just collected Delta points.

[00:18:41] [SPEAKER_04]: What happens if Delta doesn't offer you a flight where you need to go to?

[00:18:45] [SPEAKER_04]: What if Delta sold out?

[00:18:47] [SPEAKER_04]: What if Delta doesn't have the time that you need to fly or the days you want to fly?

[00:18:50] [SPEAKER_04]: Or they just charge you too many points?

[00:19:01] [SPEAKER_04]: The most unsung programs out there and underrated.

[00:19:05] [SPEAKER_04]: And a lot of people don't know about it.

[00:19:07] [SPEAKER_04]: Is actually a program called BILT.

[00:19:09] [SPEAKER_04]: B-I-L-T.

[00:19:11] [SPEAKER_04]: They're a fintech startup that is run by some really powerful people.

[00:19:17] [SPEAKER_04]: They actually started going out and working with first people who pay rent.

[00:19:23] [SPEAKER_04]: And the folks that pay rent, they were saying, you know, these people pay rent.

[00:19:27] [SPEAKER_04]: They don't ever earn any points.

[00:19:28] [SPEAKER_04]: Wouldn't it be nice if they could pay for rent and earn points at the same time?

[00:19:33] [SPEAKER_04]: Because it's something you're going to spend on anyway.

[00:19:35] [SPEAKER_04]: So this card allows you to earn points for rent.

[00:19:38] [SPEAKER_04]: And they said also, if you get their card, their credit card, if you dine out, you're going

[00:19:43] [SPEAKER_04]: to get three points.

[00:19:44] [SPEAKER_04]: And if you use it for booking travel, like Airfare Hotel, you get two points.

[00:19:49] [SPEAKER_04]: And then also, if you want to improve your credit, they will report those rent payments

[00:19:54] [SPEAKER_04]: toward their credit reporting agency.

[00:19:56] [SPEAKER_04]: So it helps build up your credit.

[00:19:57] [SPEAKER_04]: The goal of the founder was to help people turn renters into homeowners.

[00:20:02] [SPEAKER_04]: And so you can also use it to pay your homeowners association fee as well.

[00:20:08] [SPEAKER_04]: So there's a lot of great things.

[00:20:09] [SPEAKER_04]: I think they're talking about moving it to eventually mortgages.

[00:20:13] [SPEAKER_04]: It's not there yet right now, but it's definitely a great program.

[00:20:16] [SPEAKER_04]: And they have all the programs like Hyatt.

[00:20:19] [SPEAKER_04]: They cherry picked all the other bank programs and they brought them into the BILT program.

[00:20:24] [SPEAKER_04]: It's fantastic.

[00:20:24] [SPEAKER_04]: And here's a better thing I think your folks are going to like.

[00:20:26] [SPEAKER_04]: But it offers a lot of the insurances.

[00:20:28] [SPEAKER_04]: It offers cell phone insurance.

[00:20:30] [SPEAKER_04]: So if you, you know, got your phone damage lost.

[00:20:33] [SPEAKER_04]: It offers you rental car protection when you rent a car as well.

[00:20:36] [SPEAKER_04]: So it offers a lot of the premium coverages you get.

[00:20:39] [SPEAKER_04]: But here's the best part.

[00:20:40] [SPEAKER_04]: You're going to love this, Leti.

[00:20:41] [SPEAKER_04]: It's a no annual fee card.

[00:20:45] [SPEAKER_06]: Wow.

[00:20:45] [SPEAKER_06]: That is definitely a winner.

[00:20:48] [SPEAKER_04]: I'll give you my link so you guys can sign up for it and support it.

[00:20:51] [SPEAKER_04]: But it's a fantastic.

[00:20:52] [SPEAKER_04]: I have the card.

[00:20:53] [SPEAKER_04]: And I'm a homeowner and I get the card because there's so many things.

[00:20:56] [SPEAKER_04]: They just signed a deal this week.

[00:20:58] [SPEAKER_04]: This week, they just signed a deal with Walgreens because they said the healthcare people, people have what they call HSA account, health savings account or FSA, which you have to use every year.

[00:21:09] [SPEAKER_04]: And if you don't use it, you lose it.

[00:21:10] [SPEAKER_04]: This is a great thing about it.

[00:21:12] [SPEAKER_04]: Build signed a deal with Walgreens to say if you go in and you use our rewards program, all you need to do is link up any of your credit cards.

[00:21:21] [SPEAKER_04]: It doesn't even have to be a built card.

[00:21:22] [SPEAKER_04]: You can link up with their built rewards program, their app, the built app, B-I-L-T.

[00:21:28] [SPEAKER_04]: And if you walk in to buy something with Walgreens, as long as it's connected, you're going to earn built points whenever you shop at Walgreens.

[00:21:36] [SPEAKER_04]: That's crazy.

[00:21:37] [SPEAKER_04]: Think about that for a second.

[00:21:38] [SPEAKER_04]: And they said they will check your account later on to see if any of them qualify for HSA or FSA, and then they'll reimburse you back.

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER_04]: So I'm like, this is absolutely mind-blowing.

[00:21:49] [SPEAKER_04]: The built program, absolutely the best program in the world of Points Miles right now that most people don't know about.

[00:21:54] [SPEAKER_06]: That sounds amazing.

[00:21:55] [SPEAKER_06]: Now, if only they had lounge access too.

[00:21:58] [SPEAKER_04]: They don't have a premium one, but I mean, for no annual fee, I don't think they're going to give you a lounge for free.

[00:22:04] [SPEAKER_04]: But if they ever came out with a premium credit card, it would be a hit.

[00:22:10] [SPEAKER_04]: And that doesn't mean they won't have one in the future.

[00:22:13] [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, but let's talk about one that you definitely recommend for lounge access.

[00:22:18] [SPEAKER_06]: You were talking about the Capital One Venture X for family or groups of people.

[00:22:22] [SPEAKER_06]: So maybe hop into that one just briefly.

[00:22:25] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, I think here's the thing.

[00:22:26] [SPEAKER_04]: If you are going to get a lounge card, I don't think you need a $695 card.

[00:22:31] [SPEAKER_04]: There is a card out there for $395 that is great for a group.

[00:22:36] [SPEAKER_04]: So if you're traveling and you have other friends are running with you or you're traveling with friends, because that happens all the time.

[00:22:42] [SPEAKER_04]: This card gives you access to the priority pass and it gives you two guests that you can bring in.

[00:22:48] [SPEAKER_04]: Here's the other thing.

[00:22:49] [SPEAKER_04]: They allow you out on four authorized users for free.

[00:22:52] [SPEAKER_04]: No other credit card really out there is going to give you authorized users for free.

[00:22:57] [SPEAKER_04]: And each authorized user on this card will give you priority pass as well.

[00:23:05] [SPEAKER_04]: So you can basically get priority pass for free if you have a friend or family member who has a Venture X and you can be able to get in.

[00:23:12] [SPEAKER_04]: And they have their own access.

[00:23:13] [SPEAKER_04]: So think about this.

[00:23:14] [SPEAKER_04]: If all of you happen to be traveling together and you all happen to be authorized users on that one card, that's five people with the card.

[00:23:20] [SPEAKER_04]: That's bringing two guests each.

[00:23:22] [SPEAKER_04]: I mean, that's literally that's like 15 people you could bring in technically under one credit card and paying $395 a year.

[00:23:30] [SPEAKER_04]: And it's unlimited.

[00:23:32] [SPEAKER_04]: And Capital One Lounge is in Dallas, in Dallas.

[00:23:36] [SPEAKER_04]: And they're opening one in San Francisco soon.

[00:23:39] [SPEAKER_04]: I'm sorry, San Diego very soon.

[00:23:42] [SPEAKER_04]: These lounges are some of the ones that are going to be the ones that you really want to go stay at because they even have grab and go.

[00:23:49] [SPEAKER_04]: Like some of the things I love about it, because sometimes I can't stay at the lounge much because I have a short connection time.

[00:23:55] [SPEAKER_04]: I'll literally go in the Dallas airport and get in there.

[00:24:00] [SPEAKER_04]: They have a grab and go section.

[00:24:02] [SPEAKER_04]: And it's not just that they're packaged and everything.

[00:24:05] [SPEAKER_04]: They give you a little brown bag and you stuff it in there.

[00:24:08] [SPEAKER_04]: They got box water for you.

[00:24:10] [SPEAKER_04]: So I get on the plane because they're not going to serve you any food on the plane.

[00:24:13] [SPEAKER_04]: I get on the plane heading home and I got everything pulled out.

[00:24:15] [SPEAKER_04]: I got my chicken salad sandwich.

[00:24:18] [SPEAKER_04]: I got, you know, my box water.

[00:24:20] [SPEAKER_04]: I got my yogurt parfait.

[00:24:22] [SPEAKER_04]: I mean, it's unbelievable.

[00:24:24] [SPEAKER_04]: And you can do that with the Venture X card.

[00:24:27] [SPEAKER_04]: It's a fantastic card.

[00:24:28] [SPEAKER_06]: All right.

[00:24:29] [SPEAKER_06]: So now to touch on baggage fees.

[00:24:31] [SPEAKER_06]: Obviously, as runners, we always carry our most essentials and running shoes in our carry-ons.

[00:24:36] [SPEAKER_06]: But for all the other luggage, and I'm assuming you're going to tell me, there are credit cards that allow you to fly without paying baggage fees?

[00:24:44] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, there's a lot of cards out there will pay for your bag fee.

[00:24:48] [SPEAKER_04]: In fact, here's the thing.

[00:24:49] [SPEAKER_04]: I fly American quite a bit.

[00:24:51] [SPEAKER_04]: And I got a Delta credit card initially because they had offered a nice welcome bonus.

[00:24:56] [SPEAKER_04]: But I kept the card year after year after year because when I did fly Delta, when I do fly United, I don't have any status with them.

[00:25:05] [SPEAKER_04]: They're going to charge me a bag fee.

[00:25:06] [SPEAKER_04]: Here's the thing.

[00:25:08] [SPEAKER_04]: If I keep their credit card, their airline credit card, they will waive not only my bag fee, but also all my companions' bag fees.

[00:25:16] [SPEAKER_04]: So if I bring my wife, my daughter, my old, let's say we're a family of four, that's $40 per person bag fee.

[00:25:23] [SPEAKER_04]: So that would be $160 one way.

[00:25:25] [SPEAKER_04]: That would be $320 round trip just in bag fees alone with one bag.

[00:25:29] [SPEAKER_04]: Well, if this one card I had for $95 a year, I could waive all those bag fees.

[00:25:34] [SPEAKER_04]: And that's just assuming you did one trip.

[00:25:37] [SPEAKER_04]: So if you do one or more trip a year, just having that card, it totally pays for it.

[00:25:42] [SPEAKER_04]: And it doesn't hurt to have that nice welcome bonus when I get the card.

[00:25:45] [SPEAKER_06]: Okay, awesome.

[00:25:46] [SPEAKER_06]: All right.

[00:25:47] [SPEAKER_06]: So how can marathon runners earn extra points on everyday spending that can be used for traveling?

[00:25:53] [SPEAKER_04]: So here's the thing.

[00:25:55] [SPEAKER_04]: Many people think that the only way you can earn points is if you travel a lot.

[00:26:00] [SPEAKER_04]: It's not the case anymore.

[00:26:01] [SPEAKER_04]: We came back from the three years of pandemic.

[00:26:03] [SPEAKER_04]: A lot of the banks and the credit card companies realized that people love to support a brand,

[00:26:10] [SPEAKER_04]: but you don't always have to support a brand only by flying.

[00:26:14] [SPEAKER_04]: So a lot of the hotels and a lot of the airlines now have partnerships with other companies.

[00:26:19] [SPEAKER_04]: Like, for example, American has one with like Nikko Gas.

[00:26:23] [SPEAKER_04]: If you sign up under Nikko, they can give you points.

[00:26:26] [SPEAKER_04]: There are loyalty points there.

[00:26:27] [SPEAKER_04]: And you can earn status that way.

[00:26:29] [SPEAKER_04]: If you book your hotels through their partners, they have a partner channel.

[00:26:33] [SPEAKER_04]: You can earn points by booking hotels.

[00:26:35] [SPEAKER_04]: If you want to go eat out at your favorite restaurant, here's the thing.

[00:26:39] [SPEAKER_04]: There's a company out there called Rewards Network.

[00:26:42] [SPEAKER_04]: They contracted under one program all these restaurants and all these airline programs.

[00:26:47] [SPEAKER_04]: So if you go and eat at their restaurant, you can choose.

[00:26:51] [SPEAKER_04]: Do you want to earn Alaska points?

[00:26:53] [SPEAKER_04]: You want to earn American?

[00:26:54] [SPEAKER_04]: You want to earn Delta?

[00:26:55] [SPEAKER_04]: You want to earn Southwest?

[00:26:56] [SPEAKER_04]: You want to earn T-Mobile Tuesday?

[00:26:58] [SPEAKER_04]: You want to earn Shell Gas Rewards?

[00:27:01] [SPEAKER_04]: All those things can be earned by eating out at the right restaurant.

[00:27:05] [SPEAKER_04]: So they have like their own website and everything.

[00:27:07] [SPEAKER_04]: So like if you look at AA Dining, they have all the restaurants.

[00:27:10] [SPEAKER_04]: You look at Delta and they're all in the same.

[00:27:13] [SPEAKER_04]: You got to choose which one you want to have.

[00:27:14] [SPEAKER_04]: And you can switch it if you want to, but basically these are extra points you can earn

[00:27:18] [SPEAKER_04]: in addition to the credit card.

[00:27:20] [SPEAKER_04]: So let me give you an example.

[00:27:21] [SPEAKER_04]: If I walk into a restaurant, like let's say I go to Topgolf.

[00:27:25] [SPEAKER_04]: We all know Topgolf, right?

[00:27:26] [SPEAKER_04]: If you go to Topgolf and you pay your bill with that credit card that you can earn on some

[00:27:32] [SPEAKER_04]: cards, it earns you 3X, some cards it earns you 4X.

[00:27:34] [SPEAKER_04]: Well, this program gives you another 3X.

[00:27:37] [SPEAKER_04]: So you can get 4X from your credit card, another 3.

[00:27:40] [SPEAKER_04]: So we're at 7 now.

[00:27:41] [SPEAKER_04]: And if you go at least 11 different places or 11 times in a year, they now increase it

[00:27:47] [SPEAKER_04]: to 5X.

[00:27:48] [SPEAKER_04]: So now instead of just getting 3, you can get 5.

[00:27:50] [SPEAKER_04]: So you can get 5 from the restaurant.

[00:27:52] [SPEAKER_04]: You can get 3 or 4 from the credit card.

[00:27:55] [SPEAKER_04]: Now you're earning 9X on every single dollar you spend.

[00:28:00] [SPEAKER_06]: Wow.

[00:28:00] [SPEAKER_06]: That's a lot.

[00:28:01] [SPEAKER_06]: I mean, this is like a whole thing in itself, right?

[00:28:05] [SPEAKER_06]: Figuring out what works.

[00:28:06] [SPEAKER_06]: So if the listeners are interested in further exploring this, or if someone listened to this

[00:28:12] [SPEAKER_06]: on a run and didn't have time to write stuff down, what's a good way of either connecting

[00:28:17] [SPEAKER_06]: with you or finding this information online?

[00:28:19] [SPEAKER_06]: So that way they can kind of start diving into that to save money for future races.

[00:28:24] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah.

[00:28:24] [SPEAKER_04]: So thank you very much.

[00:28:26] [SPEAKER_04]: So I just want to make the point is that you don't have to spend $100,000 to earn 100,000

[00:28:32] [SPEAKER_04]: points.

[00:28:32] [SPEAKER_04]: You can earn a lot, you can spend a lot, lot less than that.

[00:28:35] [SPEAKER_04]: And that's how we usually do it.

[00:28:37] [SPEAKER_04]: And if you're interested, you can find me on Instagram under Ben's Big Deal.

[00:28:41] [SPEAKER_04]: You can also find me on Facebook as well as TikTok and LinkedIn under Ben's Big Deal.

[00:28:46] [SPEAKER_04]: But I have a website at bensbigdeal.com and I teach classes.

[00:28:50] [SPEAKER_04]: Some of the classes I have are paid classes.

[00:28:52] [SPEAKER_04]: Some of them I have free classes as well.

[00:28:53] [SPEAKER_04]: So sign up for my newsletter and you'll get notified whenever we have one of those.

[00:28:58] [SPEAKER_05]: Perfect.

[00:28:59] [SPEAKER_05]: Thank you so much, Ben.

[00:29:00] [SPEAKER_04]: You're welcome.

[00:29:05] [SPEAKER_06]: Thank you, Ben, for speaking with us today and giving us all this information.

[00:29:10] [SPEAKER_06]: As Ben mentioned, you can go to his website and sign up for free classes or classes where

[00:29:16] [SPEAKER_06]: you pay to get the most information about which credit cards get you what deals, etc.

[00:29:21] [SPEAKER_06]: And you can check out his website at bensbigdeal.com.

[00:29:25] [SPEAKER_02]: So get all your deals and your lounges.

[00:29:29] [SPEAKER_02]: You can enjoy your flights to and from your marathons.

[00:29:33] [SPEAKER_06]: Exactly.

[00:29:34] [SPEAKER_06]: Exactly.

[00:29:34] [SPEAKER_06]: And travel in style.

[00:29:35] [SPEAKER_02]: So you want to get into the next one?

[00:29:37] [SPEAKER_06]: Yep.

[00:29:37] [SPEAKER_06]: So we're now going to move on and play the second interview, our conversation with Chris Heiser.

[00:29:45] [SPEAKER_06]: All right.

[00:29:46] [SPEAKER_06]: So I'm on here with Chris Heisler.

[00:29:47] [SPEAKER_06]: Chris, thank you so much for joining me today.

[00:29:50] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, my pleasure.

[00:29:51] [SPEAKER_06]: And let's talk a little bit about you.

[00:29:53] [SPEAKER_06]: You and I were just chatting for a second before hitting record about the Westin and everything

[00:29:59] [SPEAKER_06]: it does for runners.

[00:29:59] [SPEAKER_06]: But before we hop into that, maybe you can tell us a little bit about you and how you

[00:30:03] [SPEAKER_06]: ended up doing what you do for the Westin.

[00:30:06] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, sure.

[00:30:07] [SPEAKER_03]: Um, I started running in college, um, started doing a marathon every state with my oldest

[00:30:13] [SPEAKER_03]: brother.

[00:30:14] [SPEAKER_03]: He's, um, down in Baltimore.

[00:30:15] [SPEAKER_03]: So we got 28 down.

[00:30:18] [SPEAKER_03]: So, you know, we're on our way there, but we started pretty aggressively and now we've

[00:30:22] [SPEAKER_03]: slowed down a little bit because we're getting older.

[00:30:24] [SPEAKER_03]: Um, and was an actor for quite some time in LA and New York, and then moved to Boston with

[00:30:31] [SPEAKER_03]: my wife before our second kid was born, worked at Equinox as like their running coach.

[00:30:36] [SPEAKER_03]: And then my wife saw this posting on Facebook for, uh, Westin was calling it like the runner's

[00:30:41] [SPEAKER_03]: dream job to become this run concierge for the, for the brand.

[00:30:45] [SPEAKER_03]: And I thought it was a PR stunt.

[00:30:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Um, and she sort of like, just apply.

[00:30:50] [SPEAKER_03]: I was like, they have some celebrity picks.

[00:30:51] [SPEAKER_03]: This is just gonna be a waste of time.

[00:30:53] [SPEAKER_03]: And here we are, you know, 10 years later, still with the job, still with the same brand.

[00:30:58] [SPEAKER_03]: And, um, really it's been a lot of fun to look at the sport of running more, almost

[00:31:04] [SPEAKER_03]: like a business as opposed to just a passion and a hobby, which it still is.

[00:31:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Don't get me wrong.

[00:31:09] [SPEAKER_03]: But to, to start to work my way in through Westin and get to know race directors and the

[00:31:15] [SPEAKER_03]: operations behind races has really changed my perspective on the sport.

[00:31:19] [SPEAKER_05]: That's awesome.

[00:31:20] [SPEAKER_05]: And on the side note, when you were in LA, maybe you, you know, did have your little

[00:31:23] [SPEAKER_05]: breakthrough.

[00:31:24] [SPEAKER_05]: So maybe that helped get the job, right?

[00:31:27] [SPEAKER_03]: I think learning, I mean, I was an actor most of my life.

[00:31:29] [SPEAKER_03]: I think being able to speak on camera was definitely a benefit for the brand early on because they

[00:31:34] [SPEAKER_03]: were really trying to launch run Westin.

[00:31:36] [SPEAKER_03]: So there was a lot of PR behind it and media and talking on camera wasn't an issue for me.

[00:31:42] [SPEAKER_03]: So that definitely helped.

[00:31:42] [SPEAKER_03]: Yes.

[00:31:43] [SPEAKER_06]: All right.

[00:31:44] [SPEAKER_06]: So let's talk about the Westin a little bit.

[00:31:45] [SPEAKER_06]: That's awesome that that hotel does that.

[00:31:48] [SPEAKER_06]: So maybe talk to us a little bit about the key amenities and services that they offer,

[00:31:52] [SPEAKER_06]: especially for a marathon runners.

[00:31:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Sure.

[00:31:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Well, I mean, you stayed there, so I can tell you what we offer, but I'd rather hear what

[00:32:00] [SPEAKER_03]: you remember.

[00:32:02] [SPEAKER_06]: I remember being there specifically during the time of a marathon.

[00:32:06] [SPEAKER_06]: So they had Westin Copley.

[00:32:08] [SPEAKER_03]: You were at the Westin Copley.

[00:32:09] [SPEAKER_03]: Exactly.

[00:32:10] [SPEAKER_06]: And they had the marathon recovery zone, which was like I was telling you a little bit of

[00:32:14] [SPEAKER_06]: an oasis when you're looking for something, no matter if it's recovery, place to sit down,

[00:32:20] [SPEAKER_06]: stretch out, get those boots on, or even, you know, eat food.

[00:32:24] [SPEAKER_06]: Because that's what we do.

[00:32:26] [SPEAKER_06]: They had the right snacks for the right time.

[00:32:29] [SPEAKER_06]: You know, obviously that's one thing, the Boston Marathon, but also marathoners travel

[00:32:34] [SPEAKER_06]: year round for jobs and everything.

[00:32:36] [SPEAKER_06]: So I kind of want to hear about that as well.

[00:32:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Yep.

[00:32:39] [SPEAKER_03]: So Westin did partner with the World Marathon majors, and you happened to be staying at the

[00:32:44] [SPEAKER_03]: Westin Copley when this went down.

[00:32:46] [SPEAKER_03]: So each of the six majors, as you well know, we have a Westin in each one of those cities.

[00:32:51] [SPEAKER_03]: So it was a pretty seamless partnership.

[00:32:55] [SPEAKER_03]: And at Copley, just like Chicago, just like New York, Berlin, London, and Tokyo, we're

[00:33:01] [SPEAKER_03]: going to create, you're calling it an oasis, and I'm going to steal your word.

[00:33:04] [SPEAKER_03]: The oasis is a partnership with Hyperice.

[00:33:07] [SPEAKER_03]: So we're also partnering with Hyperice.

[00:33:08] [SPEAKER_03]: You can go to any Westin in the world and rent a recovery kit that comes with your Hyperice,

[00:33:14] [SPEAKER_03]: the Hypervolt, the Cast Leaves, the Hypersphere, because we understand how taxing it is on

[00:33:20] [SPEAKER_03]: your body when you travel.

[00:33:21] [SPEAKER_03]: So every Westin has that.

[00:33:23] [SPEAKER_03]: And then these marathon weekends at the majors is just sort of like a Super Bowl.

[00:33:27] [SPEAKER_03]: So we bring out the Norma Tech legs, Hyperice sends those anti-gravity chairs.

[00:33:31] [SPEAKER_03]: We do try to create an environment that's conducive, not just to the runner, but also to their family

[00:33:36] [SPEAKER_03]: and friends.

[00:33:37] [SPEAKER_03]: Because one of the insights was, it's really hard to be a spectator of these races.

[00:33:41] [SPEAKER_03]: And if you're a happy runner with the legs on, that means your loved ones can go shop and

[00:33:48] [SPEAKER_03]: not worry.

[00:33:49] [SPEAKER_03]: Like, you're good.

[00:33:49] [SPEAKER_03]: You go hang out.

[00:33:51] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's really, we're trying to think of not just the runner, but the entire race experience,

[00:33:55] [SPEAKER_03]: the entire weekend experience, because it's a big deal.

[00:33:59] [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, that's super awesome.

[00:34:00] [SPEAKER_06]: I didn't even, it's like you said, you're a runner and now turned into a business and

[00:34:05] [SPEAKER_06]: looking at exactly what it is that we need and what our supporters, family, husbands,

[00:34:10] [SPEAKER_06]: whatever need to do for us to keep us happy.

[00:34:14] [SPEAKER_06]: Right?

[00:34:15] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, it's hard.

[00:34:16] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, I've been to some races that really the race knocks it out of the park.

[00:34:22] [SPEAKER_03]: And I've also been to some races where the race is okay, but the environment of the city

[00:34:27] [SPEAKER_03]: is just so contagious.

[00:34:28] [SPEAKER_03]: And it's the majors are its own entity.

[00:34:32] [SPEAKER_03]: So you asked about like, what does Weston do for other races?

[00:34:35] [SPEAKER_03]: And some of our hotels, like the Colfax Marathon is partnered with the Weston Denver.

[00:34:40] [SPEAKER_03]: So they go do their own thing.

[00:34:42] [SPEAKER_03]: And we look at the partnership as potentially a way to encourage or inspire some other hotels

[00:34:47] [SPEAKER_03]: to say, well, what can we do with our local race?

[00:34:49] [SPEAKER_03]: Whether it's Pittsburgh or Philadelphia or Singapore.

[00:34:54] [SPEAKER_03]: We have a lot of really passionate general managers who might think above and beyond and say, well,

[00:34:59] [SPEAKER_03]: let's, we can do our own oasis, even though it's not a major weekend, we can still go above

[00:35:02] [SPEAKER_03]: and beyond for the runners.

[00:35:03] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's, that's the ultimate goal is to make sure that on a race weekend, if you're staying

[00:35:09] [SPEAKER_03]: at a Weston, you get to the front desk and the front desk agent says, are you here for

[00:35:14] [SPEAKER_03]: the race?

[00:35:15] [SPEAKER_03]: Which in of itself, if you're the runner, like, oh my God, you see me, you know, there's

[00:35:19] [SPEAKER_03]: a race happening and you know, you're in good hands.

[00:35:22] [SPEAKER_03]: It's that one question that you get asked.

[00:35:24] [SPEAKER_03]: You're like, I made a good choice.

[00:35:26] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, it's a big deal.

[00:35:27] [SPEAKER_06]: That's awesome.

[00:35:28] [SPEAKER_06]: That is super true.

[00:35:29] [SPEAKER_06]: It's such a big deal and it does make you feel seen.

[00:35:32] [SPEAKER_06]: And I guess you talked about it a little bit, but maybe you can elaborate about what inspired

[00:35:37] [SPEAKER_06]: the Weston hotel to focus on the perks for runners, particularly in the first place.

[00:35:43] [SPEAKER_03]: So I was hired in 2013 and the insight I believe was coming from.

[00:35:49] [SPEAKER_03]: We had a lot of the demographic of a Weston, a Weston guest is somebody who prioritizes the

[00:35:55] [SPEAKER_03]: wellbeing.

[00:35:56] [SPEAKER_03]: So we saw a lot of people coming in, whether you're a triathlete or a runner, and we started

[00:36:00] [SPEAKER_03]: to ask ourselves, what can we do?

[00:36:02] [SPEAKER_03]: And that launched the run concierge program, which I ever saw for a few years, actually

[00:36:07] [SPEAKER_03]: for most of my tenure there.

[00:36:09] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's, you know, letting you go to Chicago and you're not there for a race weekend.

[00:36:15] [SPEAKER_03]: You're just there for work and you're a woman and you don't feel comfortable running by yourself.

[00:36:20] [SPEAKER_03]: We have about 20 ish percent of our hotels have a run concierge.

[00:36:25] [SPEAKER_03]: So two days a week, they will lead a group run.

[00:36:28] [SPEAKER_03]: And the group run might be three miles to jog.

[00:36:31] [SPEAKER_03]: It's not out there for like some hard workout, but this is just another example of how Weston's

[00:36:36] [SPEAKER_03]: trying to anticipate the needs of a runner.

[00:36:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Um, also understand that the needs of you are different than the needs of me or the needs

[00:36:44] [SPEAKER_03]: of my neighbor.

[00:36:44] [SPEAKER_03]: It's just wellness is so different for everybody.

[00:36:47] [SPEAKER_03]: So we're not going to knock it out of the park for every single guest, but what are those

[00:36:51] [SPEAKER_03]: sort of foundational tools that we can do?

[00:36:54] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's where we look at the partnerships like Hyperice or Peloton or TRX.

[00:36:59] [SPEAKER_03]: What's really going on in the life of these wellness enthusiasts that we can try to bring

[00:37:04] [SPEAKER_03]: into our hotels so that when you leave your house, you're not stressed about, well, I'm not

[00:37:08] [SPEAKER_03]: going to get this.

[00:37:09] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm not going to get this.

[00:37:10] [SPEAKER_03]: You know how it is.

[00:37:10] [SPEAKER_03]: Do you get it?

[00:37:11] [SPEAKER_06]: You know, the only place other than what you're telling me right now, I've ever heard of this

[00:37:15] [SPEAKER_06]: is, um, when we went to Stockholm, we stayed at a local hotel and in the elevator, there

[00:37:20] [SPEAKER_06]: was a big laminated sheet that says we have group runs on these days, do a city tour with

[00:37:25] [SPEAKER_06]: us.

[00:37:26] [SPEAKER_06]: So it was basically a run concert, I guess what you would call it, that would take you through

[00:37:30] [SPEAKER_06]: the city to the spots and, you know, just do a three, five miler.

[00:37:34] [SPEAKER_06]: And it was pretty amazing.

[00:37:35] [SPEAKER_06]: Um, that that's really cool.

[00:37:37] [SPEAKER_06]: I had no idea.

[00:37:39] [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.

[00:37:39] [SPEAKER_03]: I have 50% of runners prefer to run by themselves.

[00:37:43] [SPEAKER_03]: So we don't look at the run concierge program as being successful on how many runners show

[00:37:48] [SPEAKER_03]: up.

[00:37:48] [SPEAKER_03]: It could be that you walk in the lobby and you're, I'm running by myself, but there's

[00:37:52] [SPEAKER_03]: a run concierge there who says, where are you going?

[00:37:55] [SPEAKER_03]: Can we show you where to go?

[00:37:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Can we tell you where to go?

[00:37:57] [SPEAKER_03]: Which also led to the eventual partnership with Strava.

[00:37:59] [SPEAKER_03]: So now we have a Strava route in every one of our hotels.

[00:38:01] [SPEAKER_06]: So now I kind of regret not having booked the West End for Chicago.

[00:38:05] [SPEAKER_06]: All right.

[00:38:06] [SPEAKER_03]: You can still come and use the Oasis if you want.

[00:38:09] [SPEAKER_06]: Okay.

[00:38:09] [SPEAKER_06]: I will do that.

[00:38:10] [SPEAKER_06]: So that, so that's open for runners regardless of whether they are not staying at the West

[00:38:14] [SPEAKER_06]: End or if they are.

[00:38:16] [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, it's look, it's prefer that you're a guest there, but if you want to go put your

[00:38:20] [SPEAKER_03]: name on the list because you heard about it, you want to experience it.

[00:38:23] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't think they're going to stop you.

[00:38:25] [SPEAKER_06]: Okay, great.

[00:38:26] [SPEAKER_06]: So the listeners from this podcast, put the name on that podcast.

[00:38:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Sure.

[00:38:32] [SPEAKER_03]: You know, we like to create community, you know, throw me under the bus.

[00:38:35] [SPEAKER_06]: All right.

[00:38:36] [SPEAKER_06]: So let's talk about the selection for food options that you guys have for runners.

[00:38:41] [SPEAKER_06]: Does the West End also cater to healthier options?

[00:38:44] [SPEAKER_03]: We try our best, but I'm sure you know quite well that people's dietary needs are significantly

[00:38:51] [SPEAKER_03]: different.

[00:38:53] [SPEAKER_03]: So we'll have in most of our hotels, a pretty specific athlete menu, the weekend of a race,

[00:39:00] [SPEAKER_03]: the idea of carbo loading is sort of out the window.

[00:39:03] [SPEAKER_03]: So there could be a carbo loading option, but we're looking for more balanced and fresh

[00:39:07] [SPEAKER_03]: ingredients.

[00:39:08] [SPEAKER_03]: I can't tell you that it's universal.

[00:39:10] [SPEAKER_03]: I can't tell you we have the same menu item at every single West End for a race weekend.

[00:39:14] [SPEAKER_03]: I can just tell you that it's a pretty serious dedication to making sure that we at least

[00:39:17] [SPEAKER_03]: offer you something if you don't want to leave the hotel.

[00:39:20] [SPEAKER_06]: And then what about dinner options?

[00:39:22] [SPEAKER_06]: Do they have carbo loading options and then also pre-race stuff?

[00:39:26] [SPEAKER_06]: You know, some hotels, if the race, you have to leave by bus at five o'clock.

[00:39:30] [SPEAKER_06]: They don't have anything beforehand.

[00:39:32] [SPEAKER_03]: It's a big one.

[00:39:33] [SPEAKER_03]: So we do for the World Marathon partnership, we do encourage our hotels to start the coffee

[00:39:40] [SPEAKER_03]: around 4 a.m.

[00:39:41] [SPEAKER_03]: on the race day so that runners don't have to leave to go find the cup of coffee.

[00:39:45] [SPEAKER_03]: Outside of that, you might see some pastries out there and you might see a grab and go

[00:39:49] [SPEAKER_03]: breakfast.

[00:39:49] [SPEAKER_03]: But again, it's not entirely universal.

[00:39:52] [SPEAKER_03]: So I can't go on the record to say, yeah, if you go to West End, you can expect this

[00:39:55] [SPEAKER_03]: in the morning.

[00:39:57] [SPEAKER_05]: Okay, perfect.

[00:39:57] [SPEAKER_06]: So that's great.

[00:39:59] [SPEAKER_06]: So what about expanding this?

[00:40:01] [SPEAKER_06]: Are you guys planning on just staying with the World Majors?

[00:40:04] [SPEAKER_06]: And also if Sydney is going to join, are you guys planning on joining that?

[00:40:10] [SPEAKER_03]: We don't have a West End in Sydney.

[00:40:14] [SPEAKER_03]: We TBD on the partnership.

[00:40:18] [SPEAKER_03]: I think it's been really, really powerful so far.

[00:40:20] [SPEAKER_03]: Runners really like it.

[00:40:22] [SPEAKER_03]: I think it's opened people's eyes.

[00:40:24] [SPEAKER_03]: Like you said, like, oh, what is this?

[00:40:26] [SPEAKER_03]: What's West End all about?

[00:40:27] [SPEAKER_03]: And that's sort of the entire intent behind it is to have a runner like you say, this might

[00:40:32] [SPEAKER_03]: make me want to stay to West End next time.

[00:40:35] [SPEAKER_03]: So from my vantage point, I don't see why we would pull out of the partnership.

[00:40:39] [SPEAKER_06]: Okay.

[00:40:40] [SPEAKER_06]: And then looking forward, I mean, looking into the future Olympics 2028.

[00:40:46] [SPEAKER_06]: Tell me what you guys' plans are, not specifically for the Olympics, but just, you know, in the

[00:40:51] [SPEAKER_06]: next few years, how you were trying to expand and what else you're seeking to do?

[00:40:55] [SPEAKER_03]: We don't have an answer for that one yet.

[00:40:57] [SPEAKER_03]: It's a great question.

[00:40:58] [SPEAKER_03]: We have a gigantic hotel in the West in Bonaventure.

[00:41:01] [SPEAKER_03]: We have like five hotels in the LA area.

[00:41:04] [SPEAKER_03]: So we've got a nice runway to get ready for it.

[00:41:07] [SPEAKER_03]: And I have no doubt that we'll do quite well for it.

[00:41:09] [SPEAKER_03]: I can't wait.

[00:41:10] [SPEAKER_03]: I'm so excited based on how exciting Paris was and just how positive it was.

[00:41:17] [SPEAKER_03]: I hope that carries over in LA.

[00:41:19] [SPEAKER_06]: Perfect.

[00:41:20] [SPEAKER_06]: Thank you, Chris, so much for answering all my questions.

[00:41:23] [SPEAKER_03]: My pleasure.

[00:41:24] [SPEAKER_03]: It's great to meet you.

[00:41:28] [SPEAKER_06]: Thank you, Chris, for speaking with us.

[00:41:30] [SPEAKER_06]: And to all of you guys interested in the Westin chain, go check them out.

[00:41:35] [SPEAKER_06]: If you are going to Chicago or New York, go check out the Westin Hotel and check out the

[00:41:41] [SPEAKER_06]: lounge.

[00:41:42] [SPEAKER_06]: Use some of these Therma boots and relax, which is what I'm going to do.

[00:41:48] [SPEAKER_02]: And if you combine them both together, you'll go from the lounge at the airport to the lounge

[00:41:52] [SPEAKER_02]: at the hotel and you'll forget you ever ran a marathon.

[00:41:55] [SPEAKER_06]: That's so true, Ryan.

[00:41:56] [SPEAKER_06]: And hopefully you'll see us traveling in style like that as well.

[00:42:01] [SPEAKER_02]: So stay tuned for next week where our surprise topic will be how to run pain free.

[00:42:06] [SPEAKER_06]: We're going to give you some great tips with running coach Erica Weitz.

[00:42:10] [SPEAKER_06]: And it's going to be all about how to keep running healthily, things to do.

[00:42:16] [SPEAKER_06]: So that's definitely one for you guys to tune into.

[00:42:18] [SPEAKER_02]: Is healthily really a word?

[00:42:21] [SPEAKER_06]: It is now.

[00:42:22] [SPEAKER_02]: Okay.

[00:42:22] [SPEAKER_06]: All right.

[00:42:23] [SPEAKER_06]: So with that, have a great week of running.

[00:42:28] [SPEAKER_06]: Thanks for tuning in.

[00:42:30] [SPEAKER_06]: For more information and marathon running news, please head to www.marathonrunningpodcast.com

[00:42:37] [SPEAKER_06]: and we'll be back next week.

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