What happens in Vegas...

...gets blogged about.

Lots of details are posted on Sweet Baboo's blog. He, by the way, made a smashing Elvis. And a fast, one, too. Compared to him, the other guys were clowns with wigs.

Wingman, meanwhile, was a small, Columbian, extremely hyper Elvis.

I started the Las Vegas marathon conservatively, er, run-wise, that is.

We were sent off just after 6 am with an Elvis impersonator singing "Viva Las Vegas" and "A little less conversation" and fireworks. And, hey, what other marathon has Robin Leach as a comentator?

(That was all after we--all 200 of the running Elvi--were led in a processional a block or two from the hotel through a parted crowd to our own special starting corral at the beginning of the marathon. Flashbulbs!! The crowd goes wild!! It was awesome.)

I got to start near the front of the mass of over 16,000 runners (!!!!) and I then scooted off to the side and got the hell out of everyone's way.

Good thing, too, because people were passing me for about 13 miles.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

At mile 1 or 2 was the Blue Man Group, playing, "It's Time to Start" I tried to take a pictures. You can just barely make them out in the center just above the pink-shirted guy in this picture.

Now, at mile 5, they had the now traditional Las Vegas marathon run-through wedding ceremony, where Sweet Baboo and I have decided we MUST, MUST, MUST renew our wedding vows some day.

Several marathoners were wearing running "wedding" regalia, and my favorite was a woman and her husband who had written, "25 years and still running" on the back of her little white running dress and his black tuxedo shirt."

Anyway, I stuck around and watched the running weddings, which included guests (!) and then took off.

After the full split off from the half marathon, I was feeling really good. Really, really good, so I decided to run 10 and walk 5 instead of my original plan of running 5 and walking 4.

Did I mention it was cold? It was! Gloriously cold. No wind, just enough cold (40s) to keep me from stripping off my clothes and wig. The wig was surprisingly comfortable. It was pretty close to wearing a running hat. However, the running tights I had ordered did not arrive, and so I wore regular tights. BIG mistake. They wore through quickly, given my lack of, em, inner thigh clearance, and then it was chaffe city, baby.

On the course there were several bands, several extremely enthusastic cheerleading squads, a Frank Sinatra impersonator, singing, and a Dean Martin impersonator.

Other details: porta potties galore. After the first 5 miles or so, they were several per mile. Aid stations every mile. And entire run course free from cars, and the most enthusastic police I've ever seen. Seriously, I've never seen police cheer like these guys did. They kept us safe, and encouraged us on.

I also did this sans ipod. And, it was no big deal, really. I always wondered, what would I listen to for 6 hours? The time goes by faster than you'd imagine.

By mile 12 the crowd wasn't passing me with such vigor and speed any more. I'd settled into a group of "regulars" that I stayed with for about 8 or so miles.

By mile 13, I'd decided that I was not going to take 5 minute walk breaks any more. I felt good, and wanted to bring my average (13.5 minutes per mile) down.

<-- LONG UPHILL - about 6-7 miles long (see run profile, below) and about 2-3% grade. Luckily, I studied the run profile in advance so I knew what was going on.

My split for the 2nd half was about 12.5 minutes per mile. I ran hard, for me, and I've got the pained, hobbling gait to prove it.

Now, mile 20, if you've never done a stand-alone marathon, is interesting.

After mile 20, people are walking.

(Shhhh. We triathletes know how to pace, so we negative split it and start passing people. I was running about an 11 minute mile in the past few miles. )

The last band on the course was this super cool drumming thing. I know there is a proper name for it. I think it's Japanese. It was awesome.

I rounded the corner and finished in 5:44. Not my goal of 5:30, but considering that my first marathon a year ago was 5:59 and my Ironman Louisville marathon was 6:20, it was not bad. I ran hard, for me, and my legs feel it. Oooo. They feel it.

I got a rose and a finisher's medal (pictures on Baboo's web site)

Anyway be sure to check out Sweet Baboo's blog for details I may have forgotten!

PS DO THIS, DO THIS. It's a blast!

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