getting there is half the battle

Part One of the Big Vegas Race Report ...

Everything about Vegas is big, so a small report just won't do it. Plus I am currently functioning (not really) on less than 5 hours sleep since I got up on Marathon morning ... 60 hours ago ... so this may make no sense what so ever!

One of the things I love about the marathon is how it relates to life. You have to play the hand you're dealt. You are going to face challenges, it's about meeting them, getting to the other side and learning from them.

If I didn't believe that before, I do now.

All of last week I obsessed about the rain icon in the desert. Not once did I worry about the snow icon here. It snowed most of Thursday here, but nothing to bad. I laughed, I'm going to Vegas leaving the snow behind. There were 38 of us traveling to Vegas from London. We had to meet at a hotel near the highway at 7.15am on Friday morning to catch our bus to Detroit, then board the 12.20 flight to Vegas. Simple enough.

Except... challenge number one ....

A freak snow storm hit late Thursday night, we got dumped on. Apparantley the worst snow storm since 1976. Three feet of snow in 8 hours. No buses, no taxis, no snowplows, no way to get out of my car park. I called D, he was using his snowblower to clear the road. He wasn't sure if he could get out of th neighbourhood. I was saved by K and her brothers magic F-150 truck. He drove all over the city collecting 5 of us and getting us to the bus. I don't know how, but all 38 of us made it to the hotel. The best story was S, who couldn't get out of her street so carried her suitcase on her head to the main road in hopes of getting a cab. She was standing in the carpark of Sobeys grocery store trying to call a cab, when the manager of the store asked her if she was okay. When she told him she had to get to the other side of town to catch the bus to Vegas and there were no cabs, he drove her all the way himself. Everyone should shop at Sobeys!

With all the trauma behind us, we arrived in Detroit with an 1.5 hours to spare. Due to a full bladder and my suitcase being first out, I bolted for checkin. There were 6 of us in this break away group. P the owner of the best running store in the world (I'm so after free stuff), the worlds greatest coach, the winners of the vegas trip (a prize given by P for the second year) and A who also had a full bladder. We checked in, stripped off to go through security, crossed over into "it's okay to have bottled water land". After finding a washroom we leisurely strolled to our gate, stopping for treats and drinks, flipping through magazines. As they called us to board, we looked around, hmmmm where were the other 32 from our group. No one else had made it to the gate.

We boarded the plane and sat watching the door for them to arrive. They made it with only a couple minutes to spare. Most out of breath from having run to the gate (unexpected increase to weekly mileage, not part of taper program). Turns out, they were told to checkin as a "group", herded like cattle then given a 10 minute security briefing and someone would check them in. Except no one ever showed up. Challenge number two! All 38 of us on board and heading to Vegas!

Tony and Vincent our Soprano like limo drivers dropped us at the hotel. Cocktails in 30 minutes! J and I headed to our room, approximately 8.23 miles from the lobby. We changed and I put on my new puma cute as can be ready to walk in Vegas shoes without any socks I bought less than 24 hours ago!

Can you feel the beginnings of challenge number 3?

After the worlds 3rd best margarita and a tour of the gardens we decided to walk ... yip ... walk, to Mandalay Bay. Somewhere around Caesar Place (about 12 minutes into our walk) J asks if I'm okay ... I seem to be walking funny. Hmmm? Who me? No, no, my new puma cute as can be ready to walk in Vegas shoes without any socks I bought less than 24 hours ago are super comfortable. We just need to slow down a little. I cracked in front of the Bellagio fountains, we got a cab to the entrance of Mandalay. We then walked the 39 miles inside to the expo where I purchased a beautiful pair of crocs and banished the not so cute pumas to my bag. My three blisters on my heels looked like they were swelling nicely. Just when I thought I am the only idiot here, along comes R ... barefoot. She too had choosen I have pretty shoes and had the wounds to prove it!

After a great dinner we cabbed it back and watched the fountains, then headed back to the hotel (after a bit of retail therapy in the Bellagio).

This concludes Part One of the Big Vegas Race Report, I am off to shower then heading to the hot massage guru for some TLC. Stay tuned for part two tomorrow featuring the 10 minute run, the RBF meet up and scaring your first-time marathoner roommate.