Las Vegas High Roller 26.2

Published November 16, 2019

Post 50 miles (6 days ago) thought I’d need a walker. Wednesday/Thursday back at it. Body’s an amazing tool. Pair of 5-mile runs, easy 10:30/min pace. Calendar read: taper, rest & relax.

Mind: Triple 8 obsessed. Since posting last week, it all became very real. Work mates, run mates, family. It’s new, it’s BIG, so folks are talkin’. And so were… the head demons. It’s impossible…

Last-minute full-price completely-unplanned DOUBLE MARATHON weekend. Nip dat in the bud. $100 flight to Vegas & a $60 rental car. Best Western budget sleeps, two tanks of high-priced unleaded. Marathoning Vegas on Saturday, California Sunday morning. Gonna out-crazy the head crazies. Confidence boost. Windshield or the bug. Extra thankful, Thanksgiving dinner 🦃

Late Friday flight (post-work, 2019 PTO/come n gone). Enterprise pick-up. 5-hour sleeps, predawn showered & run ready. Registration table for a 6am Start. Desert cold… give that an hour 😉

Inaugural race. Eight 5K laps plus a short loop – 26.2 miles. Day’s course: Exposed bike path along Interstate 215, Vegas’ Western Beltway Trail. Not super scenic; desert & empty office buildings.

Day’s course support? Absolutely FIRST-CLASS. Water, electrolytes, foods salty & sweet – both ends of the short out-n-back. Grade INCLINE mile-half out, downhill glide on our return.

One ‘hill’ – 16 times. BIG bridge, BIG climb. Fast became the scheduled ‘walk break’ after Lap 1. Push, push, push to the Bridge. Walk UP. Quarter-mile to the turnaround, quarter-mile return. UP again (Bridge return). Downhill relief, back to the Start. And repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Really good energy. Lotta high fives. Super awesomeness about lap races – ya see familiar faces.

Hot & ugly by Lap 6. Tagged a LA runner most of 7, all the last loop. 5 hours in the desert (so, of course)… Challenged him to a sprint finish & got my butt kicked! Little did I know, was the difference between 3^rd & 4^th place. Dude killed it. Very well deserved.

Medal, hotel shower – & on the road (4 hours west). Day 2: CALIFORNIA 🌞

Las Vegas High Roller 26.2

1 Erik Thys M Bib 63 Las Vegas, NV 9:57min/mi 4:20:31

2 Mark Hudspeth M Bib 52 Maryville, TN 12:36min/mi 5:30:19

3 Daniel Del Castill M Bib 104 Norwalk, CA 13:08min/mi 5:43:58

4 K R HAGA M Bib 116 Louisville, CO 13:09min/mi 5:44:24