I hit the road for Las Vegas shortly after returning home from my morning walk around the neighborhood. The first stretch took me out to Barstow where I existed the freeway to charge the car at the Tesla Supercharger station. After plugging in the car for a charge, I placed my order for breakfast on the Dunkin' mobile app. I got the usual avocado roasted tomato toast and a coffee. I walked over and went inside to wait for my order. After finishing my breakfast, I had one of the employees open the restroom for me.
Tesla Supercharger Barstow
America runs on Dunkin'
Avocado & roasted tomato toast and coffee
Once the car was done charging, I hopped back on the 15 freeway heading north. The next stretch took me out to the Tesla Supercharger in Primm. After plugging in the car for a charge, I walked over to McDonald's for lunch. I used a mobile app deal to get a quarter pounder with cheese at regular price and a 10 pcs chicken McNuggets for 29 cents. Lately, I've been avoiding fried foods such as McNuggets, but I wanted to finally try the Szechuan sauce. Honestly, I didn't know if it was good or really how it should taste. I still prefer my McNuggets with their tried and true, hot mustard dipping sauce.
Tesla Supercharger Primm
Quarter pounder with cheese for regular price and 10 pcs McNuggets for 29 cents
10 pcs McNuggets and Szechuan sauce
After I was done with lunch and the car was finished charging, I continued north on the 15 freeway and arrived at the World Market Center just before 1:30 pm. I entered and parked in the parking structure just off of Symphony Park Ave. After taking a picture of where I parked, I followed the signs to the location of the race expo. Per the standard Revel race, the race packet pick-up process was very easy and streamlined. I was given a 5 year finisher mug, but that might have been a mistake since this was my first time running in this event. At first I thought maybe it was given to me as my 5th Revel race since I had run Wasatch, Sun Valley, Big Bear, and Mesa leading up to this race. Oh well, free stuff!
Parking at World Market Center Las Vegas
Race expo
Race shirt
Back of race shirt
Participants name wall
Found my name
Race goodies
I bumped into my friends on the way out. After shooting the breeze for a bit, we all headed over to the elevators to get to our cars. I got off on the wrong floor, so I had to get back on the elevator to get to the correct floor. Even though I was parked on the 2nd floor, I needed to get off on the 3rd floor since I was kind of in between floors.
After getting back to my car, I hopped on the 95 freeway and headed over to nearby Summerlin to check into the La Quinta. It was located in a pretty nice area surrounded by mostly hospital buildings. When I was waiting for my turn to check-in, I noticed that the group ahead of me looked to be runners as well. There was a good chance that they would be running in the same race tomorrow. I was assigned room #208.
Holy bible
I found Jesus!
After getting settled into my room and relaxing for a few hours, I hopped in the car and drove over to the nearest Chick-fil-A to pick up dinner. I placed my order on the mobile app for the usual Cobb salad with grilled nuggets, mac & cheese, and a large Sunjoy. When I arrived at the restaurant, I hopped into the drive-thru lane to pick up my food.
Cobb salad with grilled nuggets, mac & cheese, and Sunjoy
After I returned to my room and finished my dinner, I took a shower and laid out my flat runner for tomorrow's race. It would turn out that I had forgotten to pack my race belt. It was one of the few times where I had to pin my bib to my jersey. Prior to calling it a night, I watched some Friday night SmackDown!
Flat runner
Madcap Moss wins the Andre the Giant Royal Rumble
Saturday 4/2
While the race was scheduled to start at 6 am, participants needed to show up early to catch a shuttle ride to the start line. I got ready and left my hotel room at about 3 am. Per the race instructions, I parked near Home Depot and started looking for the shuttles. However the shuttle pick-up location was all the way on the western end of the parking lot, near Claire's. I must have missed that detail. That's why I always show up early in case I can't find something. I used one of the portapotties before getting in line to board a shuttle. The shuttle I was on left at about 3:30 am.
Portapotties before boarding shuttle
Shuttle for the start
The shuttle ride took about 45 minutes. We were dropped off at the Mt Charleston Lodge & Cabin Rentals. There was a long line of portapotties all along the retaining wall on the north side of Kyle Canyon Rd. Among my friends, per the usual, I was there first. I waited around the 4:05 pace flag until my friends arrived.
Start area at Mt Charleston Lodge & Cabin Rentals
Large cache of portapotties
My SD friends!
Marathon Maniacs and 50 States Club
As the start of the race approached, they had the faster pace groups queue up at the start line. They had the subsequent groups walk up to the start line one after the other. They repeatedly reminded us to throw away the mylar blankets before approaching the start line. Those blankets will interfere with the reading of the timing chip on our bibs.
I crossed the start line 3 minutes after 6 am. The course started with a short climb. Both of my Achilles felt really tight, but once the course switched to a descend, everything started to feel better. I took my first walk break after reaching mile 4. It felt as if my initial effort was a bit much and needed a reset. I think it was the altitude. I took another walk break at mile 5 as we ran a little loop through the parking lot at the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway.
At about the 10k mark, I caught up to my friend, Karen. I decided that I should not pass her and to just try to hang with her for the rest of the race. She was having issues with her music and was fatigued from her last few races, so she wasn't going for time. She welcomed the company. Our friend, Joy, passed us at around mile 8. She was running primarily with the 4:05 pacer who seemed to be ducking in and out of portapotties as he passed us a couple of times. Hey, it happens!
Caught up to Karen near the 10k mark
There goes Joy!
Horse!
I took my next walk breaks at miles 10, 11, 12, and 15. Each time, I would slowly catch up to my friend. Once I caught her, I made sure not to pass her. I guess the older I get, the wiser I've become with my overall pacing for the marathon. I could definitely get away with being too aggressive in the half marathon, but not so much in the marathon.
About mile 15
Starting from mile 17, I took a short minute walk break after reaching the next mile marker. I guess I could've kept going without the breaks, but I did so, knowing that the inevitable fatigue will eventually settle into my legs during the final stage of the race. I reached mile 20 feeling as good as I've ever felt at that point in all of my past marathons. My friends pushed ahead of me during one of my walk breaks as we approached mile 23. I would overtake them on the gentle climb during mile 24.
During those last couple of miles, a Korean lady was quite vocal in urging an older gentlemen to run faster. I think that lady would've finished at least a half hour ago if she were running on her own. They would surge ahead only to be caught by me. This would continue to happen over and over until we were close to the finish line. I was finally able to just turn on the jets and empty out what's left in the tank and leave them behind. The race finished with a u-turn into the Thunderbird Family Sports Complex parking lot.
Near the final u-turn, pic from Heather
Finish line
Finish: 4:21:20
Click here for my Garmin data.
It sure got a bit toasty at the end, but that was probably the easiest marathon that I've run as of late. It was well within my means and current level of fitness. I felt like I only had to grind a bit during the last 4 miles and that was mainly because there was a stretch of climbing. At first, it was a pain in the butt having to hold my phone in one hand, but it allowed me to take more pictures during the race. I still prefer to run with my phone in my race belt. I'll have to do a better job at remembering to pack that belt!
After I collected my beautiful finisher medal, I hung out at the finish line for a bit to wait for my friends. I knew that they wouldn't be too far behind me. I took a bunch of finish line photos for them as well as a fellow Marathon Maniac that crossed the finish line shortly after them.
Finisher medal
Personalized race video
Karen crossing the finish line
Dan crossing the finish line
Karen & Dan
Marathon Maniac Barb
I then moved along the finisher chute to get my post race banana, some snacks, and drinks. I also got the usual race results printout which they do for all Revel races. I then found the tent where they were passing out the delicious Crumbl cookies.
Post race goodies
Crumbl cookie!
Before heading out, I went over to the beer garden to give my friend, my beer ticket. We used to see each other at a lot of races, but not so much these days since I've been cutting back. We traded race stories and got a quick selfie before we went our separate ways.
Heather!
After using one of the portapotties, I got in the long ass line for the shuttle back to my car. Most of the people in the line had run the half marathon. I supposed that I could've walked back to my car. It was only about a mile away. However, after running a marathon, that option was most likely going to be saved as my last resort. The shuttle dropped everyone off at the Centennial Center, but on the north side of Tropical Parkway, close to the Red Rock Running Company. The tired and poor marathoners, had to cross the street to get back to our vehicles. :)
Line for the shuttle
After getting back to my hotel room, I lounged around while eating some of my snacks. There was really nothing good on TV to watch, so I settled for Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. It was bad, but it one of the 3 sequel movies that I could somewhat tolerate. Eventually, I dragged myself into the shower and got cleaned up.
Nothing good was on TV
The one thing that I like about running a race on Saturday is that I can eat at Chick-fil-A after the race. I always love a cold and refreshing frosted lemonade after a race! Besides that treat, I got the usual Cobb salad with grilled nuggets, 12 pcs nuggets, and mac & cheese for an early dinner.
Cobb salad with grilled nuggets, 12 pcs nuggets, mac & cheese, and frosted lemonade
Frosted lemonade
Later that evening, I watched night 1 of WWE Wrestlemania 38 on my retired Google Pixel 2 phone. There was no additional charge with my Peacock Premium account. It was actually nice to see Cody Rhodes, The American Nightmare, back at WWE in a more meaningful role instead of just a sideshow gimmick.
Sunday 4/3
I got ready and checked out of my room just before 6:30 am. I dropped my room key off at the front desk and took 2 Yoplait cups for the road. I drove over to the Tesla Supercharger at Town Square to charge up the car. I ate the yogurt while I waited for the car to finish charging.
Tesla Supercharger Town Square
2 Yoplait cups for the road
Even though the cost per kW was the cheapest at Town Square, I didn't need a full charge as I was planning to make my usual stop in Primm to get breakfast. Once I had arrived in Primm and plugged the car in for a charge, I walked over to McDonald's. I used the 'buy one breakfast sandwich, get one free' mobile app deal to get 2 sausage McMuffin with egg sandwiches.
Tesla Supercharger Primm
Sausage McMuffin with egg x2
After I was done with my breakfast, used the restroom, and the car was finished charging, I hopped back on the 15 freeway heading south. The stretch into Barstow took just a little over 1.5 hours. After plugging in the car for a charge, I walked over to the Dunkin' to get a drink. I cashed in my free drink on the mobile app to get a large iced matcha latte. The final stretch took about an hour and 20 minutes.
Tesla Supercharger Barstow
Free large iced matcha latte
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