26.2 Miles! Done!

Well I finally did it. Marathon Day in Vegas, baby!

Actually, to be perfectly clear, the race took place in Rachel, Nevada, but we stayed in Vegas for the race weekend. I'm pretty sure I mentioned a while back that my sister and I have been training vigorously for MONTHS for this event. Official title? The Extraterrestrial Full Moon Midnight Marathon. It ran along the outskirts of area 51 on the ET highway in the middle of the night and the wee hours of the morning Saturday/Sunday. Crazy, I know :) But it was so fun!!... and more than just a little bit exhausting.

We did great though! Jennefer had a bit of a problem with a foot injury, but we both finished together and she's recovering well. Our mom and one of our aunts came to Vegas with us to see us to the bus, meet us at the finish line, and overall support us for the event. We stayed up all night on Friday and watched "Chariots of Fire" (a classic running movie) to get us pumped. We slept most of the day Saturday to prepare. We watched "Camelot" (oh how I love that musical) and ate pizza in our hotel while we packed up what we needed for the run... slept all day on Sunday to recover! And went out on Sunday night, hobbling along the Vegas strip to have dinner in Paris (hotel and casino, that is) and watch the fountain show at The Bellagio.

It was a great trip! And all my goings on about how I can't wait to stop running?? ... Well .... I am looking forward to a break... but I do really feel like this has been good for me in so so so many ways.... plus the event was just way more fun than I expected! .... so .... I think I'm going to do another marathon here in Arizona in February. After a much needed rest and recovery from this one, of course!

Pictures from our trip...

In the gardens of The Bellagio, our first night in Vegas (and me with my awesome travel look! Obviously not an out on the town sort of getup.)

Picking up our race packets and buying glow sticks for race day!

Mom and me, chillin' in the hotel before the race.

At the hotel, getting ready to go.

Bus line!

Finish line!!! :) (tired much? ha!)

Stretching.

I changed out of my race cloths because I felt sweaty and awful. Obviously I don't hide a tough workout well.

Paris :)

This is about all the "night on the town" you could get out of us.

I don't have any pictures of us actually on the course, but there was a photographer taking pictures for the event which I'm waiting to get back. I'll post them when I get them... if they're any good! We'll see :)