Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half-Marathon (Clark County, Nevada)

*Photo courtesy of Google

We've all seen the glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas Strip on television and over my years working in the casino gaming industry, I was able to visit and party on the strip numerous times. It's an adult playground and lives up to it's reputation. When I learned of a half-marathon that run the length of the strip, I was instantly interested. Add to that prospect, the fact that the Las Vegas Boulevard (the strip) is closed to car traffic during the race and that it is held in the evening when all of the neon and splendor are at their peak visually, and I was looking for the sign-up.

I flew into Las Vegas yesterday in the early afternoon. I picked up my race packet as soon as I landed and then checked into my hotel room at New York New York. Last night I had a spectacular three course dinner complete with wine pairings at Gordon Ramsey's Pub and Grill. And this morning, I got up early and did a scenic paddle on the Colorado River through Black Canyon. Now, I'm quickly trying to change clothes, get my running shoes on, and make my way to the starting village behind Paris. Along the way, I consumed a couple of granola bars, but I fear that I may not have taken in enough calories to power my body for 13.1 miles. We'll see. 

The event is truly massive. I've heard estimates of 25,000 runners participating in tonight's run and from the size of the crowd I'm now part of, I can believe it. As they load the runners into our respective corrals, we wait for the signal and then begin the march down Las Vegas Blvd. to the starting line. The race started at 4:30 PM, but with thousands of runners ahead of me, I'm not actually able start the course until nearly 5:00 PM. With a green light, a nod from the guy separating the waves, and a puff of smoke from the cannons above the start line, I'm off and running.

We first head south past MGM Grand, New York New York (where I just walked from) and the Luxor. The field is wide and everyone seems to have party attitude. It's still light out, but as we round the turn a bit south of the famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, the sun begins to set and night rolls in. It's actually pretty funny to me. I've been coming to Las Vegas pretty regularly for the better part of thirty years now and in the pre-social media days, this sign was not really a big deal. With the advent of Instagram and TikTok, it seems everyone wants to have their selfie with the sign in the background now. Ah well, times change.

Running back past the starting line, but now in the northbound traffic lane, I run past the same hotels once again and then proceed towards Paris, the Bellagio, and Caesar's Palace. There are still tons of runners and every half-mile or mile, we are treated to live bands and other entertainment, including the NHL's Golden Knight's cheer-leading squad and a KISS tribute band, complete with makeup. It's all one big party.

That said, I think not having time to get much of meal in between kayaking and running is now starting to hit me. I'm not really hurting so much, but I can sense my energy levels are depleted and I'm only about five miles into the race. I'm forced to walk a bit. It's okay though, I wasn't really planning on being competitive here. This race is more about taking in the magnificent venue. I mean who would have thought they would close down one of the most famous strips of real estate in the world for a race? 

As we move towards the northern end of the strip, the intricate neon signs are now lighting our way in the absence of the sun overhead. The race continues past the Stratosphere and then goes around a couple of blocks of old Las Vegas before heading directly toward the Fremont Experience and turning left just before we hit it. I grab a gel pack from one of the water stops and the quick calorie intake helps me get motivated again, at least for a little while. 

I spend the next few miles alternating between a light jog and a fast walk, with priority for the walk. I can also feel a hot spot on the big toe of my left foot, which is starting to cause a small amount of pain. I ignore it the best I can and continue the march towards the finish line just north of Caesar's Palace. 

The setting of this race and the general party attitude are just amazing and I'm thankful I decided to run it, even with my current woes. I am starved though. With only a couple more miles to go, I give it some effort and try to run further. My foot hurts and my tank is empty. I don't make it far before I have to walk some more. This whole routine repeats a couple of times before I finally reach the finish line.

With tall towers of Caesar's Palace just behind it, I finally cross the finish line with a time of 3:06:17. That's a terrible time, but as I said, this was more about the even than the time. I'm immediately handed my finisher's medal, a mylar blanket to put over my shoulders and a small celebratory bottle of sparkling wine. I found it funny that they weren't carding anyone for the wine, but this is Las Vegas after all. 

I'm glad it's over with, but it was truly amazing. Now it's time to get some food. I had made a reservation at Wolfgang Puck's Bar and Grill inside the MGM and now I'm fighting my way through the crowd to get there in a reasonable time. Once I arrive, I enjoy a nice cold beer and a smoked salmon and cavier pizza . . . delicious. When I alter get back to the hotel, I find that I actually have a large blood blister on my big toe. Well, that explains the pain. Ah well, no pain, no gain.

Black Canyon to Emerald Cave Paddle (Mohave County, Arizona)

 

I'm in Las Vegas for the weekend to run the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on the strip and enjoy some great food and drink. That said, I don't want to be spending my day in the hotel and so, I arranged to take a short kayak tour on the Colorado a few miles below Hoover Dam through the Black Canyon. Even though the race is tonight, I think I'll be have enough energy to do both.

The Blazing Paddles (great name, by the way) shuttle picked me up as arranged at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino, where I met a few others going on the trip with me. After a short stop at their office to sign the necessary waivers, we headed to our launch point near the Willow Beach Marina, which is a few miles over the border into Arizona. In total, it took us about forty-five minutes to get there, but the company was good and the scenery spectacular. Though I lived in Nevada for many years, I never get tired of seeing this desert landscape.

After a very brief safety discussion, we were quickly in the water. It seems all of us are experienced paddlers and so, the guide didn't feel the need to spend to much time boring us with the basics. It was appreciated by everyone. The waters here are a clear dark blue, with tints of emerald green when the sun hits it just right. We begin our paddle heading up river, all of us making pretty good time and staying in a loose configuration. We observe an osprey scanning the river for lunch as well as a group of buzzards plotting to rob him of it. It feels good to be out on the water. I had a big dinner last night at Gordon Ramsey's Pub and Grill, and I need to work off some calories. Between this paddle and the race tonight, I'm sure that won't be a problem.

About a mile-and-a-half in, our guide indicates for us to beach ourselves near the ruins of an old river gauger's station. After a very short hike up the canyon wall, we explore what remains of the dwelling as our guide explains what it was used for. When they were surveying for construction of Hoover Dam, many factors came into play. One of the most important being river depth and flow. The hearty men that lived here were responsible for collecting that data. Not much remains, but this high spot above the river offers a magnificent view.

Relaunching our boats, we continue up-river toward the cave, which is our final destination for today. Along the way, we spot a couple of big horn sheep doing their rock-climbing along the walls of the canyon. We also see some of the scaffolding and a cable trolley car that remains for those days when the river was being surveyed here. 

After turning a short corner, we approach Emerald Cave. This is a popular spot for tourists and we have to wait our turn to enter, but those ahead of us are quick and polite - no worries. When it's our turn, our guide says that's it's better to back-paddle into the small cave and each of us in turn does so. The cave is not very large, but goes back a few yards into the depths of the rock. It's notable because when the sun hits it correctly, the waters inside the cave shine with a emerald hue. We don't have the ideal lighting this morning, but we can still get some taste of what it might look like and it's quite beautiful.

We linger for a little while and then head back out to the main channel of the river to allow others their turn. The return trip down-river is very casual as we are ahead of schedule a bit. It seems everyone here has a pretty strong stroke. Our guide asks us to just float most of the way back and to take in the beauty around us. Okay, I'm convinced. It's very relaxing, but eventually we return to our launch point and pull the boats out of the water. In total, we paddled just shy of five miles. We head over to the small general store and enjoy some refreshments. While several of the other participants enjoy a cold craft beer, I abstain. I know it's quite out of character for me, but with a half-marathon to run in only a couple of hours, I decide to err on the side of wisdom. Overall, a great experience.

Suwanee Half-Marathon (Gwinnett County, Georgia)

My knees have really been giving me fits as of late when I run any significant distance. I spoke with my doctor about it a couple of weeks ago and he did an examination, but could find nothing obviously wrong and suggested it was probably just worn cartilage - a sure sign that I'm getting old. That said, I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet and surrender. Suwanee is a neighboring town that organizes lots of events from their Town Center Park. Today, they are hosting the 8th Annual Suwanee Half-Marathon and like any glutton for punishment, I couldn't resist the call of a race nearby. That said though, I am going to Las Vegas next weekend for another Half-Marathon and decided that I would take it easy on this one to ensure I can survive a second one just a week later.

Arriving at the park, I wait in my new Subaru (which I just purchased two days ago to replace my Jeep that was totaled a few weeks ago) for the start time. It's cold this morning, but not nearly as cold as it was in Tennessee a few days ago for that 10k. Ten minutes or so before the start time, I leave the warmth of the car and head up to the starting line. Without a lot of ceremony or anything, all of the Half-Marathon runners depart on time to a countdown. I'm feeling pretty good. I'm dressed for the cold with running gloves, leggings, and a down vest on. I may regret all of this later, but for now it feels pretty good.

The race departs the park and heads down several roads through the city. The route is pretty well marked and Suwanee's Finest are parked at all crossroads to block traffic as necessary. I'm maintain a pretty good pace for the first couple of miles, but then the hills kick in and since I had decided in advance that I wasn't going to push myself hard today, I walk most of the uphills and steep downhills. I'm sure my knees appreciate it.

After a few turns around the roads of Suwanee, we end up on the Suwanee Creek Greenway, which I have run before and will likely be taking my bike on when temperatures warm up. This trail is very nice. It's paved and follows the creek as it travels through town. It's mostly flat, but offers a few ascents and descents as it makes it's way to the starting point at Suwanee Creek Park. This also serves as the turning point and while we don't repeat the entire route we have just run, we do follow much of it back towards the Town Center Park. 

As I make my way back, I feel less concerned about my time and more concerned about how my knees are feeling. They don't seem to be doing too bad. I do note a sharp jolt like pain in my calves when I start running at one point. I quickly reduce my pace to a walk and massage it out a bit. I think the lack of pain I'm experiencing is also affected by the precautionary Advil I took prior to the start of the race. Either way, I'm feeling pretty good.

As I make my way up the board walk and then through the final neighborhood, I see the time is approaching three hours and not wanting to have a time later than that, I force myself to a faster pace for the final sprint. I finish with a time of 2:59:55, which is terrible, but I'll take it as a victory since my knees are still feeling pretty good. Hopefully, I'll still be feeling this way next weekend on the Strip.

Candlelight Hike at Sweetwater Creek (Douglas County, Georgia)

My mother, who lives with us, has been asking about getting out for a hike recently. A while back I learned of a guided hike that the Friends of Sweeter Water Creek State Park volunteer organization leads each month as fundraiser. The hike leaves at dusk and hikes to the ruins of the New Manchester Textile Mill along the shores of Sweetwater Creek. This sounded like an interesting event that she might enjoy and so, we headed that way late Saturday afternoon.

We arrived quite early and the organizers had not begun setting up, but I spoke with them and they told us where to go and what to do. So, we relaxed on a park bench for a while and waited patiently while several other participants showed up. Eventually, the organizers handed out lantern tickets while collecting the requested $5 donation. Once that was done, they started lighting the candle-powered lanterns and trading them for the tickets. All of this took a while to get through and seemed painfully inefficient and disorganized, but the people were all very nice and weren't any great hurry anyway.

Eventually, about fifteen minutes late, we began the short hike. The hadn't quite set and so, the lanterns were unnecessary just yet, but they would be very helpful a bit later in the evening. The group maintained a steady, but relatively slow pace. It was still a little much for my mother though and so, we ended up at the rear of the pack. As the trail was full of rocks and roots, it's probably for the best. I would much rather we take our time than she trip and hurt herself.

The trail offered some nice views of the large and powerful Sweetwater Creek as we made our way to our final destination, the New Manchester Mill Ruins. Arriving at the ruins, the guide shared an interesting history lesson about what happened to the mill workers and the nearby city of New Manchester during the Civil War. Knowing that this was a primary source of textiles for the Confederate Army, the Union forces destroyed it and the workers were given a choice to either relocate to the north and never return or to be taken as a prisoner of war. The town itself fell into history and ceased to exist. The guide narrated the story with zeal and it was a great primer before heading beyond the fence and into the mill itself, or at least what remains of it.

By now, the darkness of night was beginning to settle in and being inside the carcass of this five-story behemoth of a building bathed only in candlelight had a since of eeriness about it. I bet this would be a great Halloween event. We got the chance to explore the ruins a little bit, but were warned not to touch or disturb anything, as this is considered an archaeological site. 

After a short time, we headed back up to the trial and began making our way back to the parking area. The lanterns were now very helpful in illuminating our path and though my mother's slower pace allowed the rest of the group to get far ahead of us, a couple of the volunteers waited for us to ensure we returned safely. It was a fun event and I think she enjoyed it quite a bit, though she was pretty tired from the 1.9 mile hike. If you're ever in the area, it's worth checking out.

Frozen Falls 10k Trail Run (Van Buren County, Tennessee)

I generally don't do write-ups for races shorter than ten miles, but since this was a trail race, it seemed to qualify as a hike. I've been trying to get myself back into racing shape, but my right knee has been causing me fits. Several months ago, I read about the Frozen Falls 10k/Half/50k/50-Miler event at Fall Creek Falls State Park in eastern Tennessee and it caught my interest. I hiked some trails in this park a few years ago while visiting a friend in Nashville, and I recall it being a very scenic place. Even with my knee troubles, I decided to go ahead and give this trail race a try. Hopefully, the softer dirt surface will provide some padding that the pavement I normally run on doesn't. 

I drove up the evening before and stayed at a little bed and breakfast just outside the park called the Cascade Inn. It was a great place. Very comfortable and the people were incredibly friendly. I arrived pretty late and since the race was early, I wanted to get a good night's sleep. I crashed maybe an hour after arriving and awoke bright and early to get myself mentally and physically prepared for the race. The cool morning air was a bone-chilling 18°, and I had to scrape the ice off of the rental car I've been driving since my Jeep accident back in December.

The drive to the park only took about five minutes and I soon arrived at the parking area. I put my gloves on and walked down the hill to check-in and get my bib and shirt. I guess they organized bib numbers alphabetically by last name, which often and in this case, put me as numero uno. With half-an-hour until the start of the 10k, which is my distance today, I decided to head back to my car to enjoy the heat before the race starts. It was a good choice, but finally, with just five or so minutes to spare, I made my way down to the start line. Strangely, there were no guns, buzzers, horns, or anything. At 8:00 AM, people just started running. Maybe this is a trail race thing.

The first section has us on pavement and crossing the dam that retains Fall Creek Falls Lake. Once across the dam, we turn right onto some paved trails, which at these very cold temperatures and with the humidity of this region are covered in a thin sheet of ice. I'm not wearing the best shoes for these conditions and so, I take it especially cautiously to avoid wiping out. Several of the other runners are not so lucky and fall flat on their asses. When appropriate, I stop to check on them and help them back on their feet. To my knowledge no one injured anything more than their pride. 

Soon the trail departs the pavement and approaches the overlook for the main attraction, Fall Creek Falls, which is a beautiful waterfall and one of the tallest free-falling east of the Mississippi. I stop to take a couple of pictures before heading back onto the trail, which has now switched to a combination of earth and stone. Luckily, most of the stones are dry. I can certainly see someone breaking a leg or something if their had been ice on these rocks.

The route today takes us along something of a curvy lollipop. Other than this first section and one other, it's almost entirely dirt and stone. There are a few creek crossings along the way. Some have well-constructed, but ice-covered bridges across them, while other smaller streams require a short hop across to avoid getting wet.

Reaching the next big highlight of the trail and race, I approach Cane Creek Falls, which is broader, but not nearly as tall as the previous waterfall. The race route takes us across an icy suspension bridge that spans the wide Cane Creek mere meters before it plummets over the waterfall. The surface of the bridge is very slick and while, I'm generally not afraid of heights, this stretch is a little unnerving. The combination of frigid waters racing below, the slick surface of the floor of the bridge, and the general construction of the bridge give me pause and I very carefully make my way across. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the bridge is perfectly secure, but if you have ever traversed one of these bridges, you will know what I mean. They sway with the weight on them and given the thin mesh that acts as something of a net, I think they make most people a little nervous. 

From here, the trail heads deeper into the woods with more creek crossings and a few uphills. There are also few sections of steep climbs over stepping stones and roots. With the morning dew having turned to frost under these very cold conditions, it's quite beautiful and though, I'm running most of the race, I do have to stop periodically for a picture here and there.

Completing the lollipop, I return and have to recross the suspension bridge once again. I take it carefully just like last time and get across without incident. It's pretty much smooth sailing from here, most of the ice that had covered the pavement earlier has melted away with the rising sun, though I still take each step carefully. I do slip a couple of times, but manage to catch myself before actually falling. 

Finally, I reach the finish line and run through the inflatable arch to collect my finisher's medal. The organizers have an outdoor kitchen set up here and I grab a bacon cheeseburger hot off the grill. They also offer hot dogs and cheese quesadillas, but the burger suits me pretty well. Since I don't generally run trail races and even less frequently on ice, I really didn't know what kind of time to expect of myself. I finished in 1:55:38, which seems really slow, but I also note that I tracked right at 7 miles instead of the expected 6.2. I know I took a couple of wrong turns and stepped off a couple of times for pictures, but I don't think that would have accounted for the added distance. Anyway, I'll settle for that time and walking away without any broken bones from falling on the ice. My knee wasn't an issue at all, which was a nice change of pace. Overall, this was an outstandingly beautiful course and I really, really enjoyed it.