On Your Mark, Get Set......

Go!!!!!

Black Friday is almost here!!! Some people train months for marathons and Super Bowls, I train for the biggest shopping day of the year. Since I am an expert in this field I thought I would offer a few tips for the amateurs out there. Now pay attention as these could very well save your life if caught in a mob of early morning shoppers.

1. Go early or stay home. They don't call them door buster deals for nothing. If you are not there when they open at 4a.m., then just don't bother.

2. Be prepared. If you go in there not sure where you are going or what you are looking for you are going to be devoured. Professionals such as myself get the Black Friday ads online a week in advance and have our list prepared. I like to go to the stores on Wednesday night to see where everything on my list is. The retailers can be just a bit tricky with where they locate high demand items. It might seem extreme to some, but this extra step could make the difference between you getting that top selling item to give as a gift or giving a fruit cake. Once you make your plan stick to it. They will try to woo you and confuse you by sparkly things and big sale signs, but don't fall for it. Get in, get the deals, get out and move on to the next store.

3. Dress for success. This is no time to look cute or hip. Tennis shoes are a necessity as well as dressing in layers that are easy to remove, but not too bulky to carry. Oh yeah, and leave your coat in the car. As cold as it might be to stand in line outside Kohl's at 3:45 a.m., you will be glad you are not wearing it or trying to carry it while you are standing in line for an hour waiting to pay.

4. Refuel often. This is no day for diets or eating healthy. A serious work out like this needs serious stamina. Just as marathon runners carb load before a race, I like to Diet Pepsi load early, then follow that by a Cinnabon a few hours in. The right combination of food and drink can make or break the day. You need to stay hydrated, but the last thing you want is to discover you need to potty really bad when you are 10 minutes from the front of the line and 45 minutes from the back of the line.

5. Know your limits. Don't be embarrassed if by 5 pm you are exhausted and sleep deprived. You can not expect to be a pro over night. If you must call it an early night, congratulate yourself on your accomplishment and remember that there is always Saturday door busters and Cyber Monday.

6. Finally, remember to be nice. Make friends with the people in line around you. You are going to be spending the next 30-90 minutes with them, why not chat a bit. It might just so happen that you forgot something on your list and they will hold your place in line while you run and get it. Be polite and gracious to the store employees. When you ask them if they have more Tickle Me Elmo's in the back, they might actually look if you ask them nicely. Remember it is not the cashiers fault that you stood in line for 90 minutes or that your item did not ring up the right price. They just scan it and push the buttons. Give them a break and a smile. If you are going to complain about the line or the enormous number of people, go home.

Stay strong, stay focused and you will be alright....hopefully.