Las Vegas Marathon!!!!

Santa Run Start

Breaking through the wall
Triumphant Finish
Connor in the desert

So last weekend I spent in Vegas with DH, DS and MIL ... and I completed my 10th marathon ... AND I got to meet a whole pile of people from a message board I've been posting on for the past 2 years. That could have been really wierd or wonderful ... and it was WONDERFUL! Here's a report of the trip (and some photos!)



Thu Nov 29

• left home at 8 for 11 a.m. flight to Vegas


• crossed border with no issues


• flight delayed getting into Vegas due to headwind but non-stop is GREAT!!!


• arrive in Vegas at 2:30 and rent a car for the entire time we're there get to Mandalay Bay - BEAUTIFUL rooms!!!


• unpack, explore the hotel


• try to find a restaurant for dinner that someone on the board works at but can't find it - so we head to old Vegas


• see Freemont Experience - 2.5 million lights and 5500 watt stereo system


• enjoy 99c margaritas and 7.99 prime rib special


• back to hotel and in bed by 9:30 Vegas time

Fri - Nov 30

• up at 7:30 Vegas time


• Starbucks coffee in hotel - fancy places don't have coffee in rooms :-(


• breakfast at Ellis Island Casino coffee shop - I head about it from someone on theboards - it was good


• drive out to pick up Santa Run race kits for the boys which included a Santa Suit \back to hotel for race kit pick up for me - and meet up with folks from the message board in hotel and at expo - quite cool


• off to Hoover Dam with MIL - and it was torrential rain!!! - We did the tour of the place


• stop in Boulder City but it's cold so we decide to head back to Vegas


• Dinner in old Vegas again - more 99c margaritas ;-)


• back to hotel and in bed again by 9:30 Vegas time
  

Sat Dec 1 - Santa Run Day

• up at 7 to get ready for Santa Run


• quick breakfast in hotel based on provisions bought at grocery store on Friday


• Get to Freemont Street and we are besieged by Santas!!! There were 7500 of them! So we had to hang on to each other to make sure we didn't lose each other! There freebies galore too!


• post-race head back to hotel room for shower and rest-up and small snacks


• visit to Liberace museum - VERY cool - costumes, pianos, cars ... wow!


• Women to LV Outlet mall - nothing to write home about - and DH & DS to Bodies show at Tropicana - they won tix to it at the Santa race in the morning


• Pasta Supper with folks from message board - met tons of people I've only corresponded with - very cool - it was like a weird sort-of family reunion ...


• home and in bed by 8:30
  

Sun - Race Day

• up at 4:30 for quick bite to eat and heat out to meet message board folks in warm up room in Mandalay Bay Hotel


• 5:00 a.m. get to room and hang out with folks - decide to run with Teri from Chicago


• 6:07 fireworks for race start - it's cool maybe 38F - fireworks wake up DS, DH and MIL ;-)


• having fun on the strip - mile 3 blue man group is performing and Teri is hugging every cop she sees ;-)


• Mile 4 - we meet up with FimFam and Cpak from the board and exchange hugs


• Mile 5 wedding chapel - this time there were 50 couples doing it shortly after mile 5 Teri and I meet up with Huichi (dressed as Elvis) from the board and she joins our group


• Mile 5 - do we turn for the half or keep going for the full - we take the plunge and we're in it for the duration!


• Mile 6 - we pick up Don (also dressed as Elvis) and also from the Boards so now we are 4


• Mile 8 - we come up on PA Plodder also from the board and he decides to join our crazy group for more fun and frivolity I swear we took a photo with Huichi or Don's camera every 1/4 mile!!!!


• Mile 13 - we're half way at 2:52 - nice and slow


• Mile 15 - we hook up with Rob also from the board and he joins us for a while but he's having difficulty so he sends us on


• Mile 17 - pain spray on the course - works wonders!


• Mile 20 - the wall - and it was - they put a cardboard wall up on the course and we took advantage and took a photo of us "breaking through"


• Finish at 5:56 for a PW (personal worst) time but an PB for most fun in a race for sure! It was a blast


• After the race back to the hotel room for a bath and then we all went to a bar in the MB hotel for the 'after-party' and met more folks from the message board. And DH & MIL both said they enjoyed meeting folks - whew!


• Dinner at Roy's Hawaiian Fusion - still delicious and MIL really liked it esp the pineapple martinis!


• back to the hotel and bed at 9:30 ish
  

Mon - Dec 3

• up at 8 to pack


• check out of hotel at 10 then dinner at the - get this! - Egg and I (too funny eh) on the way to Red Rock Canyon


• it's a BEAUTIFUL day - sunny and warm unlike the time we were there - so we took our time and really enjoyed it ... lots of photos


• after Red Rock we stopped at the Whole Foods Market to get provisions for the plane


• take the car back and hang out at the airport - DH & MIL did a couple of slots for the first time on the trip and lost a whopping $20


• flight out to Buffalo at 5:15


• arrive Buffalo at 12:35 - get luggage by 1:10 and we booked in to stay over in Buffalo remembering how much fun it wasn't driving back last time


• get to hotel at 1:30 ish - ready for bed by 2:00 a.m.
  

Tues - Dec 4

• Awake at 7:30 flights are starting to arrive / leave from Buffalo airport


• breakfast in hotel


• hit the road at 10 with a stop at duty free


• home by 11:45 ... ahhhhhh