Las Vegas Rock n' Roll 10K - Race Recap

I generally shy away from these big races.  Partly the corporatness of them and partly ALL. THE. PEOPLE. 

This was supposed to be a couple weeks after my 100K so I figured it would be a pretty decent 10K race for me, maybe I could PR?  Who knew.  I know I got my 5K PR two weeks after my first marathon, but I was in way better shape back then too... 

In any event, the call went out to the runners in the division to get together to run the 10K, the 1/2, or the Full.  There was NO way I was doing anything more than running for an hour, period.  In the desert in the evening at some elevation higher than the 42 feet I usually run at, no.

Only one of the men figured out they actually had to REGISTER for the race (you know click the link and follow the directions) in order to run it.  They thought by replying to the eMail that gained them entry.  I don't think this is a reflection on men in general, male attorneys, maybe, men in general, no, male attorneys at my company, most definitely yes.  Why is this?  I can only fathom a guess, however I would imagine it has to do with the times dating back to Don Draper and making sure your boss was happy was the key to keeping your job.

In any event 4 of the smartest women in the division decided on the 10K the smart male and one scary intense female decided on the 1/2.  Mike did comment that he wasn't quite ready to run a 1/2 and the course got really boring about the time he was losing steam, all in all a fun time.  Emily, well, she's never happy so I really have no idea what happened on the race but wow I got an earful on how much her room sucked! 

We started at 4 PM PST.  My plane landed at 11ish PST and it was 30 minutes of getting baggage and a shuttle and a 45 minute drive to the hotel.  The gang was leaving for bib pick up at 1:30 p.m. SHARP, this gave me all of 30 minutes to change and grab something to eat.  Yippiee.  Honestly, I knew I'd have time to digest and hydrate in the few hours we had prior to the race, so this wasn't really going to be all that horrible.  Besides in my current shape (round) there is no racing, there is only moving the extra 20 pounds and aging body in the direction of the finish line at a constant pace. 

Goals:
 
A: 70 minutes
B: 75 minutes
C: Don't get married along the course (seriously people get married along the race course, it's a thing)
The sun sets about 4:30 so about 3 miles in the sun was nearly gone and the strip was lighting up.  I hit Old Las Vegas just before then, and really wanted to stop to take it all in.  It seemed so simple and quaint, yeah, I know it's sin city, but still, even sin can be kinda cute, no? 

http://www.bendbulletin.com

Then I was back on the strip and people everywhere, lights every where, runners everywhere, it was REALLY cool.  Taking it all in at a nice even pace.  By mile 5 I was ready to be done.  By mile 5.5 the PM came for a visit.  Are you freaking kidding me?  It's like nearly 5 p.m. you jackass, can I please just get over the finish line and I'll deal with you, please just stop, the finish line is really really close!

I know it is totally wrong to share these watermarked photos.
If it were Scott or George and I liked it, I'd buy it.
I am so happy to see that finish line!!!

At the end of the finish chute (which was a 1/2 mile porta pottyless walk, was The Bellagio, it has really nice bathrooms, and I so uncoothly climbed over the fence to get to them.  Keeping it classy!! 



It is insanity!!

 
The PM behaved himself and we crossed the finish line in a surprising 1:09:27, 69 minutes and 27 seconds.  Wonder if I hadn't walked two water stops what would have happened?  I'm guessing I would have been closer to 75 minutes. 

Sincerely,
Beth, happy to have run the strip it was FUN!!

Weekly Log: 11/7/2016 - 11/13/2016

Wow, getting back into the swing of things post vacation was a bit easier with the time change.  I was up on time on Monday morning.  I rarely use an alarm clock, unless I have to be up.  In fact I unplugged the bedside clock a few years ago because the light was keeping me awake. My FitBit has a clock if I really need to know the time and my phone for an alarm if I have to be up at a certain time.  Generally I sleep till first light.  Then Gus wakes up because he wants to snuggle and he is not a good snuggler.  He has to stand there and stare for a while until he jumps up, spins around rather clumsily and slowly and stiffly lays down and sort of curls up, even then it’s like snuggling with a sack of cement.   All the other dogs just sort of slid into bed and melted up against me, I barely noticed them and went right back to sleep.  Not so much with my neurotic Gus.  He’s 9 there isn’t much going to change him and he just started this cuddling in the morning thing after Gizmo passed.   I thought maybe he’d get better at it, not really.    So up and at it I was, leaving Gus to have the nice warm comfy spot that was once mine.  

I’m still a bit sore and bruised from Amy, the run with Gus on Sunday was perfect, I was limber enough to enjoy it and the pace slow enough to ease back into running on solid ground.  The temperature on Monday was perfect for running, combine that with a light breeze and sunshine, it was darn near epic!  I wasn’t sure how this was all going to go.  Fortunately everything stayed limber and I wasn’t run/waddling and actually got some decent speed and movement in my hips and felt good, no excellent, I felt excellent.  First time in a long time; I keep trying to convince myself every run is better, it is or it isn’t I’m not really sure.  Monday was good, very good, I could have kept on going after I got back to the gate. 

Both boyz got a walk.  They weren’t too terrible, well Jax wasn’t too terrible and Gus wasn’t too put out about having Jax along on the walk.  We can go about 2 miles then Jax pretty much starts losing his mind.  Not enough adventure for him, walks on the sidewalk are boring, I guess.  So he decides jumping on Gus would be fun and Gus, well Gus doesn’t think that is much fun.

Woke up to a beautiful morning on Tuesday, looked like it would be spectacular running weather however, I had an appointment mid-day that took the hour I’d have spent running.  Well it was kind of necessary; I want to look my best as I receive my award and awkwardly give a speech next week!  Dinner after work with some runner girls was fantastic; not to mention a pleasant distraction from the big event of the day. 

After a struggle getting up on Wednesday, kind of hard when I’m trapped under a dog and the other one is sticking his feet in my face.  I swear those two knuckle heads team up to make it impossible to get out of bed!  The struggle is real!  First world problems!  I had a really good run.  I could really only run for 50 minutes and not be late for my 12:30 meeting.  I ran for 59 minutes and was 7 minutes late for my 12:30 meeting.  It didn’t actually get started till 12:45, kinda how I expected it to go, it was a lunch meeting I was dialing into, they’d be messing around with getting food for at least 10 minutes.  *smirk* 

Spin was good.  Really, good in fact.  Must be something to breaking up all the bound up fascia / adhesion on my right hip?  The night got away from me, again.  Oh well.

Thursday started chaotic, and didn't let up, I didn't get out to run until late and I figured I'd get Avery Point to complete the typical three point run and then get back to work.  The run actually felt good, I was still a little 'delicate' (as one of my Brit friends says) from Wednesday night.  That got me all righted and I was awake enough for the running club board meeting.  Tried using a lead to connect the boyz while they walked, stop getting tangled up in the leashes.  We made it 1/4 of  a mile and that was that.  They don't walk side by side, they walk single file, and side by side and then one has to stop and smell and pee and the other one gets 'in line' behind the first and does the same thing.  Then Jax spins when he poops and I could see that going all pear shaped!  I'll take it back.  I need to find the handle I used to connect the two leashes when I walked Diesel and Gizmo, it has been years since I did that, seeings how Diesel's been dead for 6 years.    Thursday would have been Sage's 14 birthday, I can't imagine her that old.  She was pretty creeky and arthritic before she passed in what would have been her 11th year.  I do miss having that boxer girl attitude around the house.  She was a character, for sure.  



I behaved myself on Thursday night, or at least I think I did... 

The 11th day of the 11th month, Veteran's Day.  Friday, Facebook was filled with Memorial Day versus Veterans Day - know the difference.  I abstain from posting, I used to put up a picture of my Grandfather in his Army Uniform, however, with the current climate I am laying low.  

Did my PT today!  It's been a while.  Felt good actually, I do need to do this more than once a month!!

Dave and Jax and I did a nice loop in Arcadia on the mountain bikes Saturday morning!  It was nice, my assignment was to do the last two assignments, not fall so much, and hop the front tire over logs.  I did pretty well.  Other than getting incredibly tangled up IN my bike as I crashed trying to go over as stone wall.  Got some rather nasty scratches on Barney and a nice bruise on my bum.  Fairly bloody legs from the trails, glad tights season is upon us, that will make me less self conscious in a dress with my legs looking like those of a 12 year old boy bruised and scratched.



Gus and I got out for a too short hike in Champlin, I was exhausted and still had this looming packing project for a week in Nevada.  I haven't been on an airplane since 2014, flying isn't my thing, well unless we are talking down hill on a bike!  He enjoyed himself and probably doesn't know I shorted him a mile. 

Sunday is going to be spent on an airplane flying to Nevada, and then in the evening running the Rock and Roll Marathon 10K on the Las Vegas Strip as part of a team building.  I'll write about that later,  The race starts at 5 or 6 p.m. (I know I should know this) and that is 3 hours ahead of my current time.  I am going to be a disaster!  Oh well it will be a fun experience. 

Weekly Mileage  (as of Saturday): 

Feet:  21.8 for a yearly total of 1,494.2 against a straight-line target of  1,752.2
Saddle:  23.9 for a yearly total of 1,455.9 against a straight-line target of 1,752.2

Sincerely,
Beth, figuring she should get this posted or it won't happen for a week.

Weekly Recap: 10/31/2016 - 11/6/2016

I am not lacking for scenic places to run and bike!

This was a vacation week for me.  I haven't had a weeks vacation in 5 years, in fact the last time I was here, at The Land Shark in Hatteras NC in 2011.

After getting up Saturday to run, I ran from Hatteras to Frisco on the beach, and really not enjoying it, Sunday I went on a bike ride out to Hatteras Lighthouse, (Hatteras to Buxton) it was fun on the way North with the wind at my back, not a lot of effort for speed!  So I knew the way back would be a grind, it was.  Totally worth it.  (see last weeks blog for details)

One of 601 Futuro Homes in the World!

Monday I got up and went out to run, ugh, I loathe running in the morning and low tide wasn't till later,  I thought I'd run on the road, get it over with and get on with the day.  I enjoyed none of the mile or so I ran and came back to the house and announced, I need to do what I want to do and not what people expect me to do.  It takes me a while to get in vacation mode, one would think that by day 3, or 4 if you count the drive I'd have the hang of this, not so much. 

View off the back deck 

Sunset one of the nights....

Tuesday we planned to go to Ocracoke, I went over first, because we wanted to meet up for lunch and I knew the 14 mile ride to town could take me 40 min or it could take me 70 min, all depending on the wind.  The wind was at my back this time, I was going South, so I knew the North  back was going to be a bit of a fight and I would have the pressure (?) of not missing the ferry. NC 12 is a long flat road, ocean on one side bay on the other...  I saw a few pelicans crossing the road.  They and I managed to not get all tangled up in each other.  Very cool animals.  The picture I stopped to take didn't come out to well.

Ocracoke Lighthouse

I meandered a bit around downtown Ocracoke, it's not all that big. Met up with the gang for lunch at SmacNally's, very awesome Sheepshead fish with a High-Wire Brown Ale.  Quite the ugly fish and quite tasty and the beer was also awesome, some of that made it into my car to enjoy while at home.

The bike ride back to the ferry was as expected into the wind.  I had 48 minutes to get 14 miles and it was a struggle keeping it at 15 or higher to make this cut off to the 4:00 p.m. ferry.  Fortunately Hurricane Matthew left a big dump of sand in the channel and this messed up the ferry schedule.  I made it there by 4:01 with a line of cars and a couple cheers from the folks who passed me on NC12 when I said "Pshew I made it!" and then nearly fell off my bike trying to un-clip myself.   The ferry departed at 4:30 so I had time to jibber jabber with my friends before we got on the ferry.  They kept saying, get in the truck, get in the truck.  I smell horrible I was NOT stinking up their truck with my funk!  No way!!

Wednesday was Apple Ugly day we went down to the Apple Blossom Cafe and picked up our goodies.  The Apple Uglies aren't as ugly as they used to be but boy are they bigger.  Like 4 times the size!  It was two breakfasts, it really should have been 4.  SO I was nice and buzzed on sugar and coffee and we all ventured off to do some lookey loo around the shops and galleries.  Across the street was the general store gift shop.  Thanks to Hurricane Matthew their beer coolers were not working so beer was 10% off.  I picked up a couple of six packs of local porters.  I'll venture back down there to load up on a new favorite Duck Rabbit Stout.

I think I FINALLY am getting the hang of this relaxing and vacation stuff!!

Hurricane Matthew went inland and did not attack Hatteras from the ocean, rather he snuck up from the West so their damage was from the bay!  The damage to the house we stay in was flood waters three feet up.  It's on stilts probably 10 feet high so no damage to the house, just the pool and the yard.  The island was busy with clean up and piles of garbage, dead appliances and probably other things the residents have been hanging on to because of the cost to dispose of them off the island of Hatteras.

I took a run at low tide, much nicer then, although I think I had a tiny blister starting.  I picked up a HUGE scallop shell and ran with that for near 3 miles and joining it was a conch shell.  One of the fisherman said "Hey, my buddy here wants to jog with you."  They laughed I laughed and I said, "Sure!"  The fisherman says "I bet he'll make it all the way to that bird 100 feet away , before he passes out."  HA HA.  It was funny.  The wind was non existent, so a better day for a bike ride, but hey, oh well.  I went out for a run to Frisco and back to Hatteras.  The pier is a nice thing to run to and then past for a bit.

Ok its a recycled picture!  I need to find one from 5 years ago, so much more of the pier is gone.

I was happy to be done and regretting not having drunk enough water during the day.   Happy to have the surf to run in and cool me off, it was in the low 70's.

Another laid back morning on Thursday yep I think I have the hang of this vacation stuff, wait what this is the last day???  NO!!!!  I thought about going over to see the sun rise I didn't, I'd do that before I hit the road on Friday.  

Low tide was after 4 so I went out for a run late in the afternoon and the wind was coming from the south.  I ran two miles in and out of fishermen and fishing line, into the wind.   I got pretty caught up in one of the surf casters line.  He says "Lookey there I caught a Red Bass"  Ha ha ha!!! The Garmin buzzed 2.xx miles so I turned around and walked for a bit and it was so nice, with the wind at my back and the waves splashing all over I walked most of the way back.  A couple of the fishermen commented about me running into the wind and walking with it.  They thought that a little odd.  I suppose it might be.  I may have run another mile before calling it a run.  Took a sunset meander to get over the 5 mile mark. 

Nice sunset walk on the beach, I enjoyed watching the Pelican's play while flying low over the surf, very cool!

Pelicans way in the distance

Woke up Friday to wind and cloud cover.  I walked out to the beach, oh my I was sandblasted and it was pretty apparent the sun wasn't going to make a beautiful sunrise, well shoot.  By the time I got back to the house the rain had started and it didn't let up.  Not so fun packing, I was glad I had done quite a bit on Thursday evening.  We did a big fridge clean out on Thursday night also. 

Got in the car and headed off the island.  Good byes are so hard, I was happy to have met Sheila's husband, they are well suited, as I suspected they would be.  She was pretty taken with him when they first started doing the dating dance.  It's nice to see them together and enjoying each other, knowing she was happy and met her match, it was easier to say good bye.

The drive was uneventful until a few miles of the George Washington Bridge where everyone loses their bloody mind.  Not until I got off I-95 at my exit was the drive calm again.  My least favorite part of any drive is CT.  NJ and NY are bearable, mostly.  

Cotton Field in VA

Got Gus out for a reasonable walk on Saturday morning, I had quite a few chores to complete and that was a nice break between tasks.  I was stiff and sore from the drive.  Amy came by to torture me / give me a massage and break up months of scar tissue in my right hip.  YEOUCH that was painful, probably another hours work for her to break up the last of it and get my hip free!  I knew I was very bound up as it's been hard walking, let alone doing it with any sort of acceleration.  Hopefully this will get me back on the road running.  I know I should have called her month's ago.  Warren is good, but he won't get in there and really break through the layers of bound up mass that need to be broken up.  I'll be happy to walk with a bit less stiffness and maybe this will help get me back to some regular running and the foam roller can actually do some good!

Back to the swing of things with a short dog jog and hike Sunday morning in Champlin Preserve.  I had been warned the smell of baked goods was overwhelming.  It wasn't bad.  It certainly distracted Gus for a while!  We ran and hiked as desired and it was nice to be in the woods.  The work Amy did freeing the scar tissue showed, it was much easier to run, everything felt very free.  Hip injuries aren't fun and this one took me out for nearly the year.  I can't say that this is disappointing, more frustrating?  I'm really not sure.  I've had a lot of time to think and ponder and be frustrated and be elated at small victories.  Mostly I've learned I enjoy running and not racing, I like things on my terms, spending so much time on the terms of other people and government agencies really takes it's toll.

MAC called this a.m. wanting to run Marine Corps in 2017 to get the gang back together for our 5 year anniversary.  The thought of training for a marathon is freaking overwhelming to me right now.  I know it's a year away...  I think I managed to talk her down to the four of us getting together for the 10K at MCM and then cheering on the marathoners.  Wonder if Gabe and Andrea will be ok with that...  Gabe is aiming for her first 100 for next year so quite possibly, depending on when it is.    In any event it will be nice to have the 4 of us together again.  But nothing will be like being stranded by Super Storm Sandy for nearly a week! 

All in all a good week, a nice vacation, I feel like I relaxed for the first time in a long time, which is good as I'll be traveling again in a week.  I didn't get a lot of miles, but that's my own goals going by the wayside. Hopefully I can get Gus fully recall trained so Dave can take him with when he takes Jax out to run.  He gets it, mostly. 

Mileage:

Feet:  Week:  18.4  for a yearly total of: 1,472.4 against a straight-line target of: 1,713.6
Saddle:  Week:  39 for a yearly total of: 1,432.0 against a straight-line target of: 1,713.6

Yeah those goals are long gone but I'll break 1,500 with ease, well unless everything goes to compete shit...  

	Run	Walk	Bike	Notes
31-Oct	1.1
1-Nov			39
2-Nov	5.2
3-Nov	6.0
4-Nov
5-Nov		3.5
6-Nov	2.6

Sincerely,
Beth, a bit less surly (vacation) and a bit more flexible (massage).