Las Vegas Marathon 2009 and 2010

As previously posted, I displayed all my marathon medals.  In cleaning out the basement I discovered my remaining marathon medals (as well as just about every other medal I've ever won).

It brought back a lot of memories.

In 2009 I ran the Inaugural Las Vegas Marathon put on by the Competitor Group (in previous years the marathon had been run by Devine Racing).  I had heard stories from other runners who had run it and I wanted to take part in it.  Plus it was a flimsy excuse to go to Vegas.

The 2009 race was my first marathon ever and I remember it was so cold that their was a thin layer of ice over the cups of Gatorade at each of the water stops. This was before they went to the night races.  The race started at 7AM (I think) when it was still dark, so I did experience a bit of running down the Vegas strip in a dark atmosphere.

I distinctly remember the day before the marathon I was extremely nervous and had a hard time eating anything.  I pretty much camped out at the Luxor sports book and watched college football all day.  Occasionally another runner would sit next to me and I'd get encouragement that I would do okay.  All I had to do was lace up and race the pace I had trained for.  I didn't want to spend a second more on my feet than I had to on account I was terrified of wasting energy.  While I had done the training for the marathon, I was 100% solo and was just worried about what would happen after 20 miles.  Would I crash and burn and be walking the final 6 miles?  Did I have what it took to run all 26 miles?

My goal for the first marathon was to simply finish as well as hit about a 3:30.  Easier said than done, I suppose as I wound up finishing in 3:41.   I wound up running the first half in about 1:40 and while that was an easy pace, at the time for me, I wasn't feeling it and felt my pace start to decline fairly quickly after mile 14.   I suspect that I paid the price for going out just a smidge too fast in those early miles.  Initially I was going to run 8:15's or 8:30s but I accidentally hit a number of 7:45's.   I was 100% rested and it was easy for me to go faster than I wanted to.  Even 30 seconds faster a mile will cause you to pay the price later.

Finishing my first marathon was nothing short of a religious experience.  People will tell you that running a marathon will change your life: it will.  I know around mile 20 I was cursing my decision to run but by mile 26.2 I was, "When's the next race?"

I've attached a photo of me standing next to one of the Vegas girls.  It is one of the few race photos I've purchased and I wish the Competitor Group would go back to giving you the opportunity to take a post race photo with these girls.

Also the Monday after the race I went to see the Rat Pack is Pack at the Plaza Hotel.  This is one of the best pictures I ever took and also this was the best show I've seen in Vegas (and I've seen a bunch).  For about $30 I got a good meal and a good show.  It was also the first time I spent any significant time on Freemont Street despite going to Vegas several dozen times prior to that.  I also met a wonderful couple in line while waiting for the show.  Even after all this time we still keep in touch.

The 2010 race was just as good.  It was pretty much the same course (with some variation) and I wound up running it a hair faster than my inaugural marathon.

As long as I am able to, I'll keep the tradition going and run the Vegas Marathon.  It is always fun and its a good excuse to hit up Vegas for a long weekend.

2009 Las Vegas Marathon Medal

Me, post race with a Flamingo Girl

Me in 2009 with a Marilyn Monroe impersonator at the Rat Pack is Back Show

2010 Las Vegas Marathon Medal

Solid week of training plus 20 mile jaunt.

I racked up another 50 mile week in preparation for my next marathon.  Things are looking very promising for the Sand Hollow Marathon.  I still need to commit to the race, but being that it is small I'll probably register in another week.  I also need to figure out where I want to stay and what I want to do after the race.

Today I hit up the bike trail and rocked out a 20 mile run.  I haven't run 20 miles since Las Vegas.  I started off feeling a bit sluggish but I quickly found my groove hitting some 8:45 miles.  Probably way too fast but I've been known to start fast and die at the end.

In short, I ran the 20 miles in 3:08, about a 9:25 pace.  I hate to admit it, but that means I basically ran 20 miles at my marathon pace.  This isn't good because in a sense I am crushing myself for a long run that doesn't add too much to my fitness at the expense of being able to tackle the rest of the week.  Marathon 101 states that you should always do your training runs 1 - 2 minutes slower than goal pace.  I've always failed to heed this advice.

The bike trail wasn't as crowded as last week but I did see a lot of people that I usually do.  Got several nods of recognition and "Hey, how are you's".  However after getting through the heart of Taylorsville the numbers of cyclists and runners drops dramatically.

And after 8 miles of going north it gets even more desolate.  Sort of a shame because there is an absolutely beautiful park (Redwood Trailhead Park) up there and I rarely see anyone there. Another half mile further down, though and I am in South Salt Lake City and it gets industrial, so not many houses.

I wound up going further than I have in the past on the trail and the paved trail gave way to a dirt road.  I was under the impression that I could take the bike trail all the way up to Ogden.  Studying the map after the fact, though, I should've headed east at a certain junction.

I was also surprised to see that I could see downtown.  As the crow flies, I was probably about 2 miles from the city's center (I reached 1330 South, 1700 West).  I did spy Seven Peaks Water Park as well, which I guess is a hot spot in the summer.  However, as I got closer to the city, the trail deteriorated and the neighborhood seemed to get iffy.  Just got a bad vibe about the whole area and there wasn't another runner in site.

I ran until the trail just stopped at a busy intersection.  I couldn't tell where the trail went after the intersection and my Garmin was reading just past 10 miles, so it was time to head home.

I had plenty of Gatorade and 3 Gels with me and while I was running on tired legs I didn't really feel the hammer drop until about mile 13 or 14.  My sub 9 minute mile (I reached the 10 mile marker at about 90 minutes on the button) quickly turned into 9:10's and then 9:30's.  While I didn't take many breaks on my run I was pretty well "done" when I got back to Winchester Park, my starting point.

Maybe I'll do another 20 next week and take the correct way...

Heading towards the bike trail from my house

Some of the "fine" scenery when I made a wrong turn.

Glendale Golf Course

Des Moines Marathon 2010

This is going to be a retro-post and I certainly haven't run the Des Moines marathon recently, but in fact, I did run it in 2010 as my 3rd marathon.

I was training with my group, Crystal Lake Health Bridge Road Runners that fall and was trying to figure out what marathon to do.  Most of the group was doing Chicago and I already had Vegas on the radar.  I definitely wanted to take advantage of my marathon-ready fitness and give a race a go.  It was a toss-up between Des Moines and Grand Rapids.  I had never been to Des Moines, let alone Iowa, despite living in Illinois for the greater part of 20 years.  I just never had a reason to go there before.

I was a bit impulsive and didn't check to see how far Des Moines was.  I figured, it was three hours or so (turns out it was over 5) and I signed up before realizing my error.  I also got on their website, found a hotel within walking distance of the race start and without checking a site like Trip Advisor. Heck what could go wrong with a hotel downtown in the heart of Des Moines?

The ride there wasn't terribly exciting.  I've driven through Iowa 3 times now and while people claim Nebraska is a super boring drive, I am willing to say Iowa is worse.  Shari and I took off Saturday morning, got my t-shirt at the expo and goodie bag and checked in the hotel -- and that is where the fun started.

The hotel was old.  I am not going to mention which one it was, but the lobby was something out of a black and white movie.  A vintage elevator (only thing missing was an elevator man), check-in desk, brass / gold trim, etc.  It was clean but it certainly had a musty, old smell.  I didn't think it was that bad, but Shari immediately was throwing a fit.

We checked into the room and while it was small, it was clean and the bed was reasonably comfortable.  Shari was getting irritated by the smell and was worried about "ghosts" and spiders.  It certainly had an old people's smell about the place and the furniture was something out of the 50's.  I have pictures of the room somewhere and they are worth a laugh.

Shari was urging me to get into a different hotel, but with the marathon in town, it was good-luck with that.  Also the other hotels were certainly more expensive.  She called the front desk and asked, "Do you have any rooms that don't smell like old people?"  The perplexed hotel operator replied back, simply, "No they all smell old."  I still laugh at her for doing that.

Our first trip then was to Walgreens where we bought a can of air freshener and Shari used it liberally to spray the poor room throughout the night.

I slept comfortably -- well as comfortable as one can before a marathon.  For those who have run one before, sleeping before a marathon is generally fitful at best.

For those interested in the course, the first half or so is deceptively hilly.  There was only one major hill but there were plenty of ups and downs.  Also, the race had 7777 runners, if I remember correctly, so the first mile or two, before the half splits from the full was crowded.  You start in the downtown area before heading to a residential area with stately mansions.  The governor's mansion was also cool to see with it's golden top.

There were plenty of curious people checking out the scene and you get to run through Drake Stadium where many famous track meets have been held.  I was feeling pretty good despite the growing heat.  After about 15 miles you get to go through several parks / forest preserve type of places before heading back into town.  The heat hammered me pretty good and by mile 23 - 24 my pace had slowed considerably.

I did finish in 3:39:38, which at the time was my personal best.

I would highly recommend this marathon.  Everything about it was well run and I enjoyed the course as it offered a variety of terrain.  Also the post race food was probably the best I've had at any major race. Also, out of all my shirts, this is my favorite, as it has a cool map on the back with major highlights of the course and clearly indicates I ran 26 miles.  So even if my memory has faded a bit, I can look at the map and recall how I felt and the funny hotel situation.

Marathon Medals

Now that we are finally moved in, I am finally going through the basement and locating things and setting them up.  I was on the lookout for all my running bling, as I'd like to display them in the house.

Luckily, I found the box containing them and figured that the marathon medals in particular would make an interesting post.  Unfortunately, I was unable to locate (for now) the 2009 and 2010 Las Vegas Marathon medals.  I suspect those are with some other clothes or in a drawer, but I did manage to find all my other other medals and trophies.

Time to share:

Green Bay Marathon in 2011.  This was best effort ever in a marathon.  I turned in a 3:38:54 despite an officially long course.  Temperatures were cool but there was a 40 mph wind that blasted me for about 5 miles in the face.  I'd love to have seen what I would've been able to do without the weather conditions.  I was highly trained and while running in Green Bay made my Chicago blood curl, I loved the race.  I love the ribbon on this medal and I'd love to do this race again. A world-class event.

Bear Lake Marathon 2013.  This race started in Idaho and finished in Utah, thus counting as an Idaho Marathon.  I did a write-up on this one.  I did this race for "fun".  I ran it in 4:30 or something and did it on a whim.

Grand Rapids Marathon 2011.  I ran like crazy for the first 15 miles and I just remember after that my gut just felt "off"  I wound up having the major dry heaves when I was done.  I finished in 3:45.  Just a wonderful marathon though -- definitely recommended.

Ogden Utah Marathon 2013.  I wrote about it on this blog so if you look around, you'll find it.  Just two words: cold and wet.  Finish time: 4:13-ish.

Las Vegas Marathon 2011, 2012, 2013.  These medals could be a weapon.  They are HEAVY.  They also glow in the dark.  I ran a 4:04, 4:15 and 4:15 or there about.  I love the Vegas marathon and hopefully I can dig up the 2009 and 2010 medals.  I ran 3:39 and 3:39 in 2009 and 2010.

Layton Utah Marathon 2012: This one starts on an island and you run off to the mainland.  It got pretty warm and I missed the first two water stops and I never really recovered.  By mile 17 I was doing the dead-man's shuffle.  I was also cramping very badly.  I want to say I finished in 4:17 or so. I almost swore off marathons after this race.

Des Moines 2011 Marathon: Another really nice race.  I registered for this race about a week or two before the event and even nailed a hotel close to the race site.  I have some fond memories of this race and ran a great time of 3:39.  This course is hilly but definitely recommended.  Perhaps I will do a write-up on it... funny experiences.

Running Updates

5K Update:

Well, I got a bit of good news the other day.  While registering my time with my Athlink's Page in regards to the Sweethearts 5K I did last week I discovered that I had placed 3rd in my age division and about 24th overall.  I am not sure why there was a mistake at the race (where the race results said I had finished 4th), but things do happen.  I emailed the race director and indeed was told that I was entitled to a prize.  With any luck I should get a teddy bear or some sort of age group award in the mail soon.

Race Calendar Update:

Yesterday was the first 50+ degree day of the year so I put on my new Brooks running shoes and decided to see what I had in terms of marathon distance.  Now that I am right next to the bike trail, it was a snap to just fill my Fuel Belt, grab a gel and take off.  I aimed for 16 miles and figured the last 4 would be a death march, since it has been a while since I've done anything more than 12 miles in a single shot.

I am happy to report that I ran the 16 in 2:27 and still finished with plenty in the gas tank.  In fact, I would've shot for 20 if I had a little bit more water and another gel.  This comes on top of a nearly 50 mile week.

I can tell it is gearing up to be a busy running season as I saw a ton of people who had been hibernating all winter on the bike trail.  Either way, I got several nods of recognition and high fives from some people who I had made semi-friends with last year. It seems the jump-on point near my house is filled with runners but the further north I go, the more desolate it becomes.  I do think that after about 8 miles it gets very desolate and even some what sketchy.  I cross a bridge and it opens into a wide open area with no residential areas nearby.  There are always "shifty looking guys" hanging around the bridge and there is evidence of homeless out there.  Not sure what goes down there but I sense it isn't good.  Also the number of runners out there just dwindles.  Queue the cricket sounds....

So what does that mean?

It puts me in good condition to hit a marathon sooner than I thought.  While I hate to make plans off of one good workout it certainly indicates that in a few weeks I could get back to doing every-other-week 20 mile jaunts.

Here is my projected race calendar:

March 8 Lucky 13 Race -- http://www.lucky13race.com/ - This half marathon is up in Honeyville Utah.  I've never been there before, but the race's attraction is that you get to kick back in the natural hot springs afterwards.  Honeyville is about an hour north so no special accomodations are required.  I just hope for nice weather.  I am confirmed for this race.

March 29: Sand Hollow Marathon - http://www.sandhollowmarathon.net/ - This will require about a 4 - 5 hour drive.  I'd do the full marathon and this would require a hotel stay.  I'd probably make a weekend of it and do some exploring.  I'd probably also want to hit up Mesquite, NV and do a bit of gambling.  This is still a huge maybe and it depends upon how my subsequent long runs go.  It is a small marathon, but it would give me an opportunity to visit a state park and see St George.

April 12: Summerlin Nevada Half Marathon - http://www.desertskyadventures.com/summerlin2014/  I did this race last year and while the course is tough (read: hilly) it is always a nice excuse to go to Vegas for a long weekend.  I am confirmed for this race.

April 19: Salt Lake City Marathon - http://www.saltlakecitymarathon.com/ This one is in my own back yard so to speak.  It is a big marathon (read over 10K participants).  Unfortunately it comes a week after my Summerlin half.  Not likely to do this one, but I could change my mind.

May 10: Huff to Bluff Marathon - http://www.hufftobluffmarathon.com/ This one is in some absolutely beautiful areas of Utah.  It is a very small marathon but I am told it is absolutely gorgeous.  I could see myself doing this one if I don't feel ready for the Sand Hollow Marathon.

June 1: Casper Wyoming Marathon - http://www.runwyoming.com/ - I met some people the other day on the bike trail that were raving about this race.  I could knock off Wyoming off my 50-state list and the comments on www.marathonguide.com look promising.  I've never been there before so I could see myself doing this one AND the Sand Hollow marathon.

November 16: Las Vegas Marathon I am confirmed for this one.

For those keeping track here is a list of states I've done races in and the max distance in each:

Illinois - Half marathon
California - Half marathon (2) (Long Beach and a small one)
Utah - Marathon - several
Idaho - Marathon - Bear Lake Marathon
Nevada - Marathon (5) - Rock n Roll Marathon
Michigan - Marathon - Grand Rapids Marathon
Iowa - Marathon - Des Moines Marathon
Wisconsin - Marathon - Green Bay Marathon (many halves as well).

2014 Sweethearts 5K South Davis Recreation Center Run

To start off the 2014 racing season, I decided to jump into the South Davis Recreation Center's Sweethearts 5K in Bountiful, Utah - a Valentine's Day themed race.  The faithful reader my remember that I did this race last year and managed to place in my age division, netting a pretty sweet teddy bear.  Also, they generally have a generous post race swag: from the typical bagels and bananas as well as a high-quality finisher's medal to all participants.  For $15 you get your money's worth -- and an extra bonus if you place in your age division: a teddy ear".

They had predicted cold, wind and snow, but we lucked out with damp (but not raining) conditions with only negligible wind.  The air temperature was actually nice: in the low 40's.  After a warm-up of about 1.5 miles I decided to go with a long-sleeved tech shirt, shorts and my thin running gloves.  All around it was a good choice -- I was not cold at all.

The race started promptly at 9AM and the course is slightly downhill for the first 1.25 miles.  There was a very mild headwind.  I decided to go out fairly easy and not try to smash the first mile on account that the final 1.5 miles is mostly uphill.

I hit the first mile (the mile markers were all WAY off) at 7:11.  A little fast for my liking, but I still felt very much in control.  I rounded a corner to head back to the rec center and ran into the first minor hill climb and I just felt the energy fade from my legs.  I did wind up running mile 2 in 7:29.

After hitting 2 miles, the hammer drops.  You can see three quarters of mile in the distance and it is just a gentle climb that never seems to end.  This is also usually the point in the race where I get passed like crazy.  I am happy to report, though, that I managed to catch a person or two and held my own.  I wound up digging really deep and doing my best to give it all I had.

I ran the last mile in 8:08 and finished with a time of 23:27.  I felt like I had run a lot faster.  I was hoping to hit sub 23 on this race but it wasn't in the cards.  I am happy to report, though, that I haven't dropped off the edge of the cliff in terms of losing winter speed (my time was a few seconds slower than my Thanksgiving effort).  I have been somewhat diligent in doing my workouts this winter.

After the race I felt pretty good and got some warmer clothes on and re-ran the route, stopping to check out various spots.  I didn't finish in the "money" this time, which is a shame, as I wanted another teddy bear.  They did have a very nice finisher's medal and I do have the satisfaction of placing 4th in my age group and probably in the top 20 for men.

They haven't posted the results yet (as I write this) but they should post them here: results.

Me, Post Race

Race shirt + my bib

Weather conditions + the Bountiful Mountains

Finisher's Medal

Post Race - most people have already left

Post Race - most people have already left

Cool prizes

No more hotel Living!

Well, we finally got permission to move this past weekend.  And boy were we ready.  After two months of living in close quarters we got the go-ahead to move into the new house.

We've been in since Monday and I couldn't be more excited to catch a break from the hotel living.  In short, it wasn't too bad in the hotel: I really enjoyed the breakfast and despite the high price of the hotel, it was my only bill each month (aside from food).  I really liked jumping out of the room in the morning and having my standard breakfast: a cup of joe, a blueberry muffin, a yogurt and a giant waffle.  Sometimes I'd have the eggs but they generally were to be tolerated rather than enjoyed.

Hotel living certainly gets old.  There is no privacy.  In fact, if I wanted privacy I had to go to the lobby to read a book.  Also, I am an early riser and I am notorious for making a ton of noise in the mornings.  Sadly this didn't go over with Austin who was trying to sleep in the main room.  There was just a lot of fighting and grousing in general.

Either way, we did clear out, got the movers in place and about 2.5 hours later had all of the stuff out of storage and into the new house.

Unfortunately both the builder and us were a little hasty in making the move.  Technically, the city hasn't signed off on the house.  There was one guy who was supposed to rubber stamp the deal on Friday (we had a bunch of other guys inspect it already) but this guy wanted to see it for himself on Monday, found something to complain about and now we are still stuck in limbo.  At least we are living rent free so to speak...

I am taking pictures of the house as we fill it out so stay tuned.  I love being close to the bike trail and my commute is a bit longer, by a few minutes, but nothing major.  We are still finding our way around and finding where to shop for groceries.  It seems like we are on the outskirts of older part of town, so modern shopping seems to be limited.

Enjoy the photos.

Wyndham Suites Coming home from work

Front entrance to the house

Round 1 of my breakfast

Always have to get the waffle in!

Finally some tasteless jello-like eggs

My well worn key -- after about 2 months

Clearing out the storage locker

Angel's hiding spot at the hotel