Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Fabulous Las Vegas



Back from another world I had a wonderful adventure in the great basin desert of Nevada visiting the glittery city of Las Vegas. My wife and I arrived in Las Vegas Wednesday night and it felt something like Dorothy when she awoke in Oz “where am I”. Checked into the Paris Hotel & Casino late Wednesday night and we both were happy to get some rest the first night. Weather was perfect, clear blue skies with the average temp around the 80’s but as my fortune would have it I came down with a cold and a few late nights on the strip had my weekend run not looking so hot. I kept a positive outlook and picked up my number Friday night at the Red Rock Running Company where I had the great opportunity to chat with Scott Jurek and Ian Torrence, both were very nice. Since we had the rental car we made a quick stop off at Red Rock Resort and Casino and then it was off to bed. Saturday morning rolled around quickly, Cathy and I made our way out to Bootleg Canyon which is just a twenty minute drive from the strip. Bootleg Canyon was a beautiful location, fun course with great views of the strip and plenty of ups and downs. I enjoyed the race and time out in the canyon lands but I couldn’t keep my heart rate down, overall the cold affected my performance, I didn’t get the proper nutrition in the week before, fortunately the 34 mile course was 2 loops at 17 miles so it was convenient enough to pull out after the first loop. Of course as I drove away I regretted the decision - I know I could have pushed myself another loop but as we popped back into Vegas I quickly remembered we’re on vacation here.

A few things I learned while visiting Las Vegas -

Nothing in Vegas is FREE
Elvis is alive “I met him
You can enjoy (alcoholic beverages) on Las Vegas Boulevard
The Deuce is the best way to travel on the strip
The Bellagio Buffet is fit for kings and queens
Play the 1 cent slot machines for the free drinks :-)
Set aside some extra time for getting lost in the hotels and casinos.
Sleep is overrated
Someone is always watching you
You can gamble on anything, anytime and anyplace


Las Vegas - my favorite desert mirage” ~Val Saintsbury

NYCM Weekend
I still have this nagging cold not sure if I’ll be running New York Marathon this weekend but I’ll try to get some rest and see what the cards hold.