The Green Girl ran down The Strip at night at the
Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon this weekend.
There were 44,000 runners and walkers registered for the event. The course started and ended at
Mandalay Bay. The full marathon started at 4:00 PM and the half started an hour and a half later.
The
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's Team Challenge Endurance Training Program was the official race charity. Runners registered with Team Challenge raised money to help the 1.4 million Americans suffering from Crohn’s and colitis.
I walked to the Mandalay Bay starting area with a couple of
Sole Runners, Barb and Kerri.
The evening was warmer than expected and I welcomed the respite from the harsh Las Vegas winds.
I immediately regretted consuming a pre-race chocolatey nut burst
Marathon Bar when I started suffering from intense stomach cramps before I even got into my corral.
After a seemingly endless line and my much needed bathroom visit, Kerri and I found ourselves running after the official Tail Vehicle down the starting chute.
As soon as we crossed the Starting Line, we did our best to weave through the crowd but there were a lot of walkers on the far left so it was challenging.
Articles of throwaway clothing were randomly strewn on the race course and I almost tripped over a bulky sweatshirt.
The full marathoners also merged with the half on the left side but the only barrier was the occasional orange cone with a small sign indicating Marathon to the left and Half to the right.
Aid stations on the left side of the course only exacerbated the situation because everyone was crossing over into the narrow marathon lane to get water.
I grabbed some water at the Mile 1.5 and 3.1 aid stations but each time I took a sip my stomach cramps worsened.
At around Mile 4, I told Kerri I wasn't feeling well. I moved to the right and slowed my pace as I tried to scope out upcoming porta-potties.
Since we were running in an industrial section off The Strip, I couldn't find a business to run into to use their bathroom.
I even ran off the course to a gas station but the attendant refused to let me use the facility.
I somehow managed to make it to the porta-potties at Mile 7.5.
The Green Girl barely made it to the Mile 7.5 porta-potties |
After relieving myself, I found it difficult to maintain a consistent pace. Depending on the intensity of my stomach cramps, I alternated between running and walking.
I also considered making myself throw up and wondered if that would ease the intestinal cramping.
As I was walking, I realized I somehow missed the Run-Thru Wedding Chapel at Mile 3.
By this point, all the aid stations appeared to be out of water. Even though my stomach couldn't handle hydration, I hoped all the other runners and walkers were okay.
I thoroughly enjoyed the portions of the course that were on The Strip with its abundance of quintessential neon lights.
Running down The Strip |
An internal dialogue took place inside my head where it was agreed that effective immediately, I will refrain from all sports nutrition experimentation.
The billboard at the finish confused me because I thought I'd reached the Finish Line but it was actually a quarter of a mile around a curve.
I was too dehydrated and hungry to get a second wind so I just jogged across the Finish Line.
A cheerful volunteer handed me my medal. I quickly put it around my neck and skipped the Finisher's photo.
I needed some soda to settle my stomach and something to eat to ease the cramps. Unfortunately, they had only water and unripe green bananas that could not even be peeled.
There was a food concession adjacent to the finish area. I tried to buy a ginger ale but was informed they had closed for the night. After I asserted how badly I was in need of that soda, the guy angrily handed it to me at no charge.
As I was trying to locate an exit, Kerri spotted me. We naively followed the crowd to the shelter of the Mandalay Bay lobby as it started to rain and the temperature abruptly dropped.
Inside the hotel was pure chaos. The taxi line was unfathomable. There was confusion surrounding the availability of post-race shuttles.
Although the ginger ale had soothed my stomach, I was still feeling weak from lack of food. Luckily, Kerri was able to sustain me with a bag of pretzels.
The highlight of the Mandalay Bay finish fail was spotting a runner with an actual iconic 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' sign around her neck.
I must admit I was disappointed by the entire Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas experience.
It was unfortunate that an event of this magnitude from a national franchise like the
Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series would be so poorly executed.
The Green Girl wants to wish everyone a happy and prosperous Chinese Lunar New Year.
