Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon: Race Recap

 

 

 

 

I can now cross Nevada off my list of states to run a half marathon in! My mom and I completed the Rock ‘n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon a few weeks ago and it was definitely one for the books!

Pre Race

Before our big race we all rode the high roller, the huge ferris wheel the looks over the whole strip! I was really nervous to ride it because I don’t particularly like heights but once we got to the top and started making our way down I felt better.

When we got to the point in the ride where I felt comfortable standing up in the car and walked around the get photos, the views were absolutely amazing! Not only could you see the whole strip, you could also see the desert, and the airport.

I’m glad we were able to fit this in our trip but right after we got off, Mom and I went to relax for a bit before the half marathon started at 4:30pm!

Race

Mom and I took the metro to the start line really early to make sure we got there with plenty of time to spare. Once we got to the starting area we realized that they split the starting corrals into three different colors, all of which lined up on three different streets. That was really confusing because we didn’t find out what color corals were going first until the race actually started. The first coral starts at 4:30 and we didn’t cross the start line until around 5:20! By the time we started our race my cousin, who was running the 10k course, had already finished her race and was on the sidelines along the half marathon course waiting to cheer us on!

Once we finally got to the start line we were ready to start our 13.1 mile race in our glow stick attire (which happened to be a huge flop as our glow sticks didn’t really even work during the run).

Within a few miles of crossing the start line we ran past the Welcome to Las Vegas sign! I was hoping to see all the crosses they put out for the victims of the shooting last month but come to find out they had moved them earlier in the day to a museum.

I was pleased to know that we would be running down the whole entire strip so we got to see everything; all the big hotels, Paris, New York New York, even old Downtown Las Vegas!

After we passed the Stratosphere Hotel all the way on the other side of the strip we made our way through Downtown Las Vegas, which I hadn’t seen yet. Though there were police officers and security on EVERY corner of EVERY block, the police was increased once we got to Downtown Las Vegas. There were even police helicopters flying really low with their spot lights on watching the activity down below!

Downtown Las Vegas is where we turned around and had a straight (few miles) to the finish line! The whole course was flat, probably one of the flattest courses I have ever run!

Mom and I kept a steady speed once we hit the turn around point because we knew it wasn’t much farther until the finish line!

Post Race

We both stuck together and finished our half marathon strong! We didn’t rush this one because Mom has had some issues going on with her foot lately but we stuck together and encouraged each other through every step (literally) of this race!

We both also earned our Remix Challenge medals that we got for running the 5k race the day before and then doing the half marathon race as well!

Before we started the race we thought about going out when our run was over for a celebratory drink but by the time we finished we were both so exhausted that we asked my wife to go to the cafe downstairs in our hotel and grab a pizza to bring to the room for us! I have found that I don’t mind an evening race like this one but we were definitely exhausted at the end of the day!!

I actually really loved this race! The course was great, the live music was pretty good, there were plenty of water stops along the way… all in all I would give it a A+!

Rock ‘n Roll Las Vegas 5k: Race Recap

We got back from Las Vegas late last week and I’m still trying to unwind and recover from our trip! We spent a whole week there so as you can imagine we’ve had a lot to catch up on since being back in town.

Our 5k run started on Saturday at 4:30pm, which is the time the sun sets in Las Vegas! Yea, something I am really not used to!! We had a good group of family running the 5k; me, my wife, my mom, and two of my cousins; so lots of encouragement!

Pre Race

We all gathered at the fair grounds near the end of the strip to start our 5k run. Even though my wife and I put down the same estimated time for our run, we still got put in different corrals so she came back to where I was and started with me and my cousin.

Race

My wife, cousin, and I stuck together for the first half mile or so and then my cousin sped ahead because we were jogging too slow for her stride. After she took off, my wife and I ran the entire 3.1 miles together. We started off at the fair grounds and than did a sort of loop around the main roads, but unfortunately never made it to the strip for this race. My wife was a bit disappointed because she wanted to experience some running on the strip during this 5k and we didn’t realize we would be far from it until we looked at the course map the day before.

I hate to say it, but we ran through a bit of a sketchy part of Las Vegas during this run so I’m glad that my wife and I stuck together through the whole course! There were so many runners and security/police that I felt pretty safe during the run so that eased my nerves a bit.

When we were almost to mile three we looped around and headed back into the fair grounds which was all fenced off for us runners. That’s where most of the over head lights were and we could start hearing the music of the finish line so I knew we were getting close.

Post Race

My wife’s mom and aunt were waiting for us at the finish line so as soon as we crossed we could hear them cheering us on! That was a great moment for my wife since her side of the family has not seen her run a race like this before so I was really ecstatic for her!

My one cousin came in before us and went to meet up with her friend. After we crossed the finish line and found my wife’s family we waited at the fence for my mom and other cousin to come in. The course was fairly flat (*hallelujah*) which was a huge plus in running in a new place! We all finished strong and got our medals to add to our collection!

What’s the most hilly run you’ve ever participated in?

Tasty Tuesday: Las Vegas Edition

Last week we were in Las Vegas running the Rock ‘n Roll 5k & half marathon. That was my second time visiting Las Vegas but we sure did more this time around than my first visit!

In between touring, shopping, and of course running, we ate at some of the most amazing restaurants (& dessert places!). Next time you are in Las Vegas, take note of these!

Tipsy Robot

The first full day we arrived we headed over to Tipsy Robot. Not a restaurant and not a dessert place, but a do it yourself bar! That’s right! You can sit at a computer screen and choose what kind of alcohol, juice, fruit, etc. you want in your drink and the robot part of the bar makes your drink for you! You even get to name it so that if you return you can look up your drink and order the same one again!

My cousin helped me make my drink and we put cherry and berry flavors in it so I named it the Cha Cha Cherry! It was so delicious!

Sugar Factory

One of the great places we went for dinner was a restaurant called Sugar Factory. They specialize in their desserts which we planned to get after our dinner there but we were so full after eating we didn’t even think about dessert! The Sugar Factory also have amazing drinks that my wife, my mom, my cousin, and I all shared because it was so big! At the bottom of the cup they put a little bit of dry ice so when they brought the cup to the table and poured in the actual drink it fogged up which was pretty amazing!

My mom got the sliders that come with different colored buns & a rubber duck! My grilled cheese and tomato soup definitely hit the spot that night!

Ghirardelli

After the 5k on Saturday my mom, my wife, my wife’s mom, and my wife’s aunt went to get dessert at Ghirardelli! This was definitely one of the most delicious desserts we had while in Las Vegas! It’s a good thing we ran the 5k race BEFORE this dessert otherwise I don’t think I would have made it to the finish line.

I wife and I got the salted caramel sundae!

Hash House

The morning of the half marathon we wanted to eat a good breakfast, a smaller lunch, and than a snack or two right before the evening race. Our whole group went out for breakfast at Hash House where we got our southern comfort food in for the trip! They have delicious hash mixes that you can order with different ingredients, I ordered a hash with vegetables and eggs that was exactly what I needed before the big run that night! My wife ordered a berry pancake which was good too!

The Hershey Store

Alright, we splurged our last day in Las Vegas and went to the Hershey store to stock up on sweets for our long flight back home! I have to be honest and say I’m not a big fan of chocolate but the big chocolate chip cookie sandwiches they have are pretty good, they put enough vanilla creme in the middle to compensate for all the chocolate in the cookie!

Our trip to Las Vegas was beyond amazing and I am so glad we got to experience all the sights, sounds, and food that Las Vegas has to offer!

Where is your favorite place to travel?

 

 

Medal Monday Throwback

We recently bought a new house and are still working on hanging all our decorations up and making it our home. A few weeks ago I finally decided where to hang all my race medals and my wife put them up for me. As I was hanging up each medal, one by one, it made me realize that I’ve put a lot of time, training, and determination into each and every one of my races. I was reflecting on each race I’ve ran (biked, swam, etc.) and it makes me so proud of what I’ve accomplished thus far!

• Best Race Scenery: Amica Rhode Island

Before I ran this Half Marathon in Rhode Island, I read so many comments about just the views during the course. I didn’t believe there was anything that special until I ran the race for myself! The 13.1 miles took us along the coast of the state where we ran along the waters edge nearly the whole time. The race took place in October so the weather was abit on the cold side but the breeze from the ocean was perfect after a few miles of running!

•    Most Fun Race: Disney World Half Marathon

I’ve ran a lot of fun races so this was hard to choose but ultimately I think Disney was full of so much energy and the atmosphere was beyond amazing that this would be my most fun race! I ran the Disney World Half Marathon in 2009 and though I wasn’t much for waiting in line DURING the race to get photos with the characters it was neat to see them at the start and finish cheering everyone on!

*Let’s not mention my baby face and the fact that I look exhausted from just finishing the race! haha*

• Favorite Medal: Mardi Gras Mambo 10k

I have a lot of ‘favorite’ medals that I could list but one of my top favorites is the medal I got from the Mardi Gras Mambo 10k in Baton Rouge. My mom and I spent the weekend in Baton Rouge and ran the 10k together. That was my first 10k race and I was actually really surprised how much I loved the distance! At the finish line we got our clay finisher medals that hangs off of mardi gras beads!! Also my first medal that isn’t a ‘medal’ so that makes me love the clay medal even more!

• Race Farthest From Home: Mayor’s Midnight Sun, Alaska

A little over two years ago I traveled to Alaska to run the Mayor’s Midnight Sun Half Marathon alongside my parents. We spent a little over a week in Alaska and I was amazed by everything there, even all the people we met were so incredibly nice and helpful!

 

In a little less than a week we will be in Las Vegas for another run and I can’t wait to add more medals and more memories to my race collection!

What’s your favorite race you have ever participated in?