State Number 2 v2.0 - REVEL Mt. Charleston Marathon

State Number 2 v2.0 – REVEL Mt. Charleston Marathon

Las Vegas, NV

27 April 2019

I decided to begin my marathon review by parroting some words from the marathon’s own website:

“The REVEL Mt. Charleston Marathon course offers the best of Kyle Canyon, including breathtaking views of the forests and cliffs of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.  Runners will enjoy the fresh scent of towering pines, glimpses of mountain wildlife, and the charm of the Mt. Charleston community as they run through the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.  If that were not enough, the course is entirely downhill on a paved highway and is a Boston Marathon qualifier!

“The marathon begins roughly [twenty-one] miles up Kyle Canyon Road near the original Mt. Charleston Lodge.  Standing at 7,600 ft above sea level surrounded by snowcapped peaks and fresh mountain air, runners will feel a world away from nearby downtown Las Vegas.  The course meanders through the Cathedral Rock area for the first mile before reaching the main stretch of Kyle Canyon Rd.

“Once on the main highway, the route begins a 20-mile stretch of pure running bliss as the course heads downhill towards Las Vegas at a nearly steady 4% grade.  Along the way, runners will enjoy stunning views of the sun rising over nearby Gass Peak to the east and the Las Vegas Strip to the south.

“The final five miles take runners through the beautiful palm-lined roads of the Centennial Hills neighborhood.  Continuing its downhill slope, the course ends at the Thunderbird Family Sports Complex, where finish festivities await.  REVEL Mt. Charleston is the fastest and most beautiful marathon in Nevada.”

That’s pretty much the crux of what this marathon epitomizes.  But, let’s go back to August 2012.  I checked off my second state with the annual running of the Extraterrestrial Midnight Marathon tucked away in the southern Nevada desert separated from the mysterious and secretive Area 51 by the mountains of the Groom Range.

As desolate as the region is, the night’s darkness drowned out any sort of scenic beauty, with the exception of the moon’s faint diffuse reflection of solar radiation and perhaps a sound or two from inquisitive desert animals.  The two-plus hour bus ride from the Las Vegas Strip coupled with the midnight start contributed to a lackluster run – culminating with a 5:25:23 finish time at Rachel’s Little A’Le’Inn.

So, it’s time to once again redeem myself in hopes of removing the tainted time of ET with a tough downhill run on the slopes of Mt. Charleston, a faster point-to-point course known for procuring a runner’s much adored abbreviations (BQ and/or PR).

REVEL champions eight races around the country specializing in steep downhill courses:  Big Bear, CA (formerly Canyon City); Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT; Canyon City, LA; Kulia, HI; Mt. Charleston, NV; Mt. Hood, OR; Mt. Lemmon, AZ; and Rockies, CO.

In 2014, I had the pleasure (or should I call it torture) of running the now defunct REVEL Canyon City in Azusa, CA (now branded as Big Bear).  The races are advertised as fast, beautiful, PRs and BQs.

All races are downhill, and from personal experience, training for downhill runs are paramount to successful completion and recovery, emphasis added.

In addition to a Nevada do-over, I chose this race to give myself the best, albeit slight, chance of a PR or a BQ, ha.  For my age, I need at least a 3:35 just to qualify to Boston with no guarantee of acceptance, but realistically, I would need to run better than a 3:30 for my greatest chance to gain entry.  Since my race schedules aren’t conducive to training for fast marathon times, I settled on a finish time between 4:30 and 4:45 as a realistic goal for this marathon.

My wife and I embarked on the six-hour road trip from our humble place of abode through the Mojave Desert up the crowded I-15 corridor to Las Vegas, and one of the rare journeys that doesn’t require an airline flight.  No gambling – just running.

The Expo/Packet Pick-up

The Cox Pavilion on the UNLV campus played host for the marathon expo.  Upon entering the pavilion hall, besides being surrounded by images of UNLV sports and athletes, runners are greeted with a plethora of vendors peddling the usual merchandise seen at expos.  Bib pick-up was easy and arranged alphabetically.  As a condition of being honored to wear the REVEL revered bib, runners had to sign a form promising with their life that they will not pester, bother, touch or harm the desert tortoise if they encounter one on the course.  Really?

Participants receive a high-quality race tech shirt, REVEL swag and miscellaneous items including a pair of gloves, fashionable and chic polarized sunglasses and a Mylar blanket to insulate yourself from the cold temperatures at the starting line area.



Before checking into our hotel in Summerlin, I wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to have some lunch at Those Guys Pies featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  We were hungry for some pizza and I couldn’t resist trying the featured Philly cheesesteak whiz wit, The Works.  With ample rib-eye steak, cheese, mushrooms, peppers and onion, the delectable sandwich satiated my appetite for pre-race carbs and protein.  The bistro may be a little hard to find, but well worth it.

Jerry Tarkanian, Fresno State (95-02)

Let’s Do This

My wife and I hit the sack early, enough to squeeze in maybe two or three hours of shut-eye before our alarms rudely sounded at 0245, early enough to find parking in the designated parking area near the finish line and to board one of the shuttle buses to the start.  The marathon buses loaded between the hours of 0245 to 0345 adjacent to the Home Depot parking lot at the Centennial Centre.  So, getting a lot of sleep beforehand was pretty much non-existent and, for me, typical of most marathons.  I quickly consumed a pre-race breakfast consisting of only a banana as we drove to Home Depot.  To put it mildly, I was worried the amount of carbs and calories was too little for a sustained run.

We didn’t want to be on one of the first buses, so we waited until about 0330 (why get there early, sit around and freeze).  I was expecting a convoy of school buses transporting runners, so I was surprised to see a fleet of luxury motor coaches as a substitute therefore.  Yay, no school buses.

Understandably, REVEL races often present challenging and unpredictable weather conditions – mostly at the start.  Because of the substantial elevation differences, it’s always much colder at the start area than it is at the finish – just a price one must pay to run one of these steep downhill races.  Inevitably, runners must endure waiting in freezing conditions before anyone can start running.  By the time you finish; however, you’re hot.

The marathon begins promptly at 0530 at the Mt. Charleston Lodge at an elevation of 7600 feet, with any Vegas luck, early enough to hopefully avoid the warmer Las Vegas temperatures as one descends to the desert floor, and weather forecasts didn’t look too promising.  The temperature at the start was 38 degrees under a bright waxing quarter moon with no wind.  Winter snow accretions still surrounded the hillsides around the resort area, but the roads were clear.

In Las Vegas, the forecast high was in the upper 90s, and I expected it to get into the mid-80s as I entered the outskirts of Las Vegas.  For those who know me, I usually fall apart as I run in the sun and heat.  Needless to say, I was a little concerned, but I needed to suck it up and do the best I could.

I’ve run one other REVEL race in my unbridled running career.  The first such race being Canyon City in Azusa, CA.  It was freezing at the start, but by the time I reached the city limits of Azusa, I was overheating, and wasn’t able to hang on for a strong finish.  The first half of the marathon was a steep eight percent downhill descent with numerous switchbacks, but after the half-way point, the highway turned uphill for several miles before heading downhill for the final five kilometers to the finish.  After the final few miles, my legs felt like they just quit on me with my ankles and calf muscles screaming at me to stop.  I believe the improper downhill form, continual braking and overstriding led to my demise and excruciating post-marathon agony.  I’m not the type of runner who can simply fly downhill at a “controlled” out-of-control pace.



View from the lodge

As buses pulled up to the lodge, pleasant surprise awaited runners as they unloaded.  Staff at the lodge welcomed runners to come inside to keep limber and warm.  The lodge doesn’t normally open at this early hour, but out of their good hearts, they decided to open early just for us.  The staff set out tables and chairs so runners could maintain some sort of comfortability while visiting with other runners, enjoying a drink at the bar or delighting in a morning coffee fix.  However; runners were not able to use the lodge’s restrooms, but had to endure the long lines at the numerous port-o-potties lined up in the parking lot.  Yes, it would be nice to use the indoor facilities, but it would probably tax the on-site septic system.

As time grew near, runners began depositing their belongings into the gear check truck.  I removed my warm layers and checked my bag and headed to the long lines at the porta-johns for one last pit stop.

After the race director made a few announcements and the national anthem, it was go-time.  But wait, we were still in line among hundreds waiting to relieve themselves.  He kept insisting the race is chip timed and it doesn’t matter when you start.  Comforting thought.

Considering the atmospheric lapse rate, I expected the temperatures to rise, on average, of approximately 3°F per mile of descent.  Runners descend rapidly as the morning evolves, and as Old Sol rises above the eastern horizon, the bright sun will be in the faces of runners, while simultaneously warming up the desert valley.  At the start, wind was non-existent, but as soon as runners leave the canyon, wind usually becomes a factor.  I dressed for the anticipated hot temperatures as I descend the mountain.  Yes, it was a little chilly, but the temporary discomfort paid off once the race began.

The first half: (9:46, 8:50, 8:50, 8:41, 10:18, 9:41, 8:21, 8:44, 8:35, 10:15, 9:23, 10:01, 10:47)

If you are a BQ hopeful, REVEL Mt. Charleston Marathon may be the race for you.

The race begins at the terminus of Kyle Canyon Road overlooking the Mt. Charleston Lodge.  Since the race is chip timed, beginning the race as the starting gun fires is not necessary.

According to the website, the first half of this race has a net descent of around 3,100 feet (-4.5 percent), while the second half has a net descent of 2,000 feet (-2.9 percent), largely because the course levels off in the last few miles as one enters the desert floor.   For that reason, I expected to run faster in the first half than in the second half.  My plan, run the first half around two hours and the second half in 2:30, corresponding to average paces of 9:10 per mile and 11:27 per mile, respectively.

Although the course is ordinarily downhill, the first quarter mile requires runners to actually scale a significant little incline.  Because of the high elevation at the start, even a small hill is exhausting.  My legs felt like concrete and my breathing felt labored.  Hence, I didn’t attempt to negotiate the short incline at any kind of speedy pace.  Besides, there’s ample time to make up for the slower start. 

Once the road turned downhill, thoughts of Canyon City quickly permeated my mind and the horrible and painful experience of that marathon.  I quickly caught my breath, trying not to push the downhill pace too much, and I quickly settled into a slightly faster pace with a higher cadence without excessive bounding or overstriding.  I focused on the correct posture for downhill running by leaning forward, keeping my nose slightly ahead of my torso.  Of course, this is at the start and who knows how I will feel at Marathon Mile 20, and most importantly, when the temperatures begin to rise.

Equine friends watching the runners

As Marathon Mile 1 approached, I glanced at my Garmin showing a pace of around 8:10, notwithstanding the slow uphill start.  During the second mile, I caught up to the 4:20 pace group.  I considered running with them, but it seemed like I’d have to force myself to run slower.  Applying braking energy to kill any forward kinetic energy and momentum is inefficient – and also a good way to trash the quads.  I decided to stick with a pace that felt natural.  I wasn’t working to run faster, but I also wasn’t going out of my way to apply the brakes.

My second mile clocked in at 8:50. That seemed too fast, but I continued to run by feel.  I was feeling relaxed, and I wanted to keep it that way – how long it would last was anyone’s presumption.  I listened to my body and adopted whatever gait felt most comfortable.

For the early miles, step by step, I gradually settled into a comfortable pace of around 9:00 per mile.  Maybe faster than I had planned, but it did feel right.  Around Marathon Mile 4, I came upon a short hill causing a slower leg turn-over.  At this higher elevation, I didn’t want to expend too much energy running uphill and I knew I would quickly make up the time when the concavity changed once again.

As runners approach a recently constructed traffic circle at Marathon Mile 5, runners deviate from Kyle Canyon Road into the Spring Mountain Visitor Gateway parking lot for a short out-and-back loop with views of the snow-capped peaks and canyons captivating my attention. 

The gateway center lays claim to the Silent Heroes of the Cold War National Memorial.  I understand the secrecy surrounding Area 51, CIA, Groom Lake, and Las Vegas, but Mt. Charleston?  Besides the silent heroes memorial stone honoring CIA personnel from the cold war era, one can touch a propeller from a C-54 aircraft that crashed on Mt. Charleston in 1955 on a secret mission to Area 51 (USAF 9068).  Southern Nevada becomes more interesting when one listens to its pulse.

After five or so miles of gliding along the highway as if I were on a large treadmill, I searched for a mantra germane to the course.  I told my inner self to relax and to just float down the hill letting the gravitons mediate the forces of gravitational propulsion.  Then it hit me, I finally found that mantra from the lyrics of a Tom Petty song, Runnin’ Down a Dream.

“It was a beautiful day; the sun beat down…I put the pedal down to make some time / there’s something good waiting down this road / I’m picking up whatever’s mine.” 

I glanced at my Garmin to gauge my pace and as I looked up, I heard a chirping noise in the distance – the 6.55-mile timing station (1/4 marathon).  I darted across the rubber mat with a time of 1:00:54. The distance between the timing mat and my Garmin differed by 0.07 mile – fairly consistent with all the previous miles.

With my legs feeling nearly one hundred percent, I continued to press forward down the hill increasing my pace near the 8:30 range as the gradient slightly increased.

The scenery of the canyon’s geologic and hydrologic features and formations kept my mind engaged and away from the mind-numbing scenery I was about to witness.

Between nine and ten miles, runners passed some interesting geologic creations and one that resembled a giant gate.  About this same time, the course’s grade became more uniform.  On average, it wasn’t as steep, but with less variation, I was able to get into a uniform rhythm.  Since the grade wasn’t as steep, gravity released its solid grip.  I slowed a little as I began to feel some fatigue, and my pace drifted to around ten minutes.

At an aid station, I heard a man advising runners to take short strides with a rapid cadence, to avoid overstriding.  Realizing I was probably doing just that, I shortened my stride and picked up my cadence.  Instead of floating downstream, I was now conscious of everything I did.  At the risk of overstriding, I decided to go back to my mantra – “there’s something good waiting down this road / I’m picking up whatever’s mine.”  The finish line and a medal.

I crossed the half marathon timing station with a time of 2:03:40. My goal was 2:00 or less.  I had no choice but to toss that out the window.  Was I making a mistake?  I chose to listen to my body and trust that I was running the pace that felt best for my legs.  It wasn’t too fast and it didn’t feel like I was working too hard.  Gravity was doing all the work. I was just along for the ride.

The second half: (11:18, 11:46, 13:25, 13:23, 14:16, 10:53, 13:05, 14:22, 14:55, 15:56, 17:22, 16:32, 16:06, 12:29 [final 0.29 mi])

In general, I wasn’t thinking too much about my running mechanics.  I let myself subconsciously find the stride that felt comfortable.  Gravity’s tug made it easy to run fast.  I just had to keep my legs moving fast enough, hoping not to tire out too much, and rapid turnover requires good hip rotation and core strength.  In the gym, I’ve been working on my core strength, but my lower back began to ache. 

I expected to slow down in the second half as the course begins to level off on the desert floor as Kyle Canyon Road straightens out for a long sustained shadeless boring section of highway.  As runners exited the valley, everyone became more exposed to the rising temperatures and dry desert wind.  But lucky for us, it was a tailwind, but mostly it was a gentle but subtle headwind.  The headwind felt good against my face, cooling by body’s furnace as my sweat levels dwindled to near zero, a sign of dehydration.

I wolfed down several cups of water and PowerAde at each aid station trying to maintain some sort of a hydrated state.  However, as I approached the aid station near Marathon Mile 14, staffers informed runners they were out of cups and were giving out what water they had in one-gallon jugs.  Drink from a jug, whether someone drank from it or not.  Deal with any consequences later.  In essence, they ran out of water.  My mouth was parched and I needed water.  I was tempted to pick up a cup on the ground, but I waited until the next aid station. 

I surmise that the half marathon runners and those ahead of me consumed all the water.  I had a reason to be concerned about the aid stations ahead, but all I could do was hope that the next aid stations had ample water supply.

Vegas in the background

Somewhere around Marathon Mile 16 or 17, the 4:20 pace group passed me.  I started to see Las Vegas off in the distance to my right.  As we got out of the canyon confines, runners became more exposed to the wind as it wafted from the northeast. 

To my astonishment, I began to pass other runners.  I wasn’t actually speeding up that much.  They were slowing down.  We were at that point in the race where runners who went out way too fast start to regret it.  So far, I wasn’t one of them.

At Marathon Mile 19, I could see the road gradually curving to the right.  I started to notice some tightness in my shins, lower calf muscles and Achilles tendons.  That’s the predictable result of overstriding.  It wasn’t a big issue, but I knew it would tighten up more after the race and the days following.  I wasn’t noticing many other issues.  I had a little soreness in my groin and hamstrings, but it didn’t feel like an injury.  My quads still felt okay and my back was still bothering me, but tolerable.

At Marathon Mile 20, I figured out how fast I would have to run to break five hours.  I still had hope five hours was in the bag, but I needed to run the last 10K in 59 minutes.  A very tall order given my fatigue levels.  I certainly wasn’t counting on my legs to deliver such an order.

Here, the road began to level off.  It was still “downhill”, but it sometimes seemed flat in comparison to the earlier miles.  The slight tailwind was the only thing making it feel easy.

At Marathon Mile 21, it was markedly hot as I made a right turn onto a frontage road (Oso Blanca Road) sweeping around to parallel U.S. 95 heading back towards Las Vegas.  I began to feel the wind at my back and for about a mile, running felt somewhat easier.

By now, I realized I still had hopes of breaking five hours, provided I didn’t have a meltdown in the last five miles.

Shortly after Marathon Mile 22, the road crosses under an expressway providing the first shaded section of the course.  I immediately began walking, soaking as much of the cool shaded air as I could.  Other runners sat on the curb, sprawled out and enjoying the cool air. 

I passed the Marathon Mile 23.1 timing station with a time of 4:18:45.  With only five kilometers left, I needed forty-one minutes to run 3.1 miles (13:13 pace).  Judging by my health at the moment, I did have my doubts.

It was a relief to make a right turn onto Grand Teton Drive.  At this point, runners faced the hills of the city leading to the finish line.  I stopped to drink several cups of water at one of the last aid stations set up at the corner.  I was dying and needed something cool to drink.

I knew I wasn’t going to finish in under five hours, so I felt content to walk the remaining miles.  I listened to what my body told me.  Succumbing to some heat related illness isn’t worth the risk.

With a little under three miles left, I noticed a runner donning a familiar looking Humboldt Bay Marathon shirt.  As I spoke with her, it turned out we were both born and raised in Humboldt County, CA and long-time residents, but have since left the area.  She told me that she was too worn out to run any further and decided to walk the final miles.  I was in total agreement and with someone to chat with, the miles go faster.

We noticed a plethora of small towels littering the street.  I assumed that those lucky runners ahead of us enjoyed an ice-cold rag to cool their hot sweaty faces.  Of course, no more towels were to be had when we arrived.

I thanked an LV police officer stationed along Ft. Apache Road for his time as I paraded through an intersection.  I told him, “I just wish it was twenty degrees cooler.”  He responded, “it’s only 87, I just checked.”  It’s no wonder my head was pounding from the heat.

This section nearly broke me.  I was tempted to run an easy pace to the finish, but I knew I could not break five hours.  I found walking the final two miles were perhaps the most difficult part of the race, but I had some great company to pass the time.

I never saw the Marathon Mile 25 sign, but I crossed the Marathon Mile 25.2 timing station with a time of 4:53:04.  That means I needed to complete the final mile in 6:55 – NOT going to happen. 

A hot spot began to form on the ball of my foot, likely from the differing gaits between running and walking have on the feet.  Here I heard a spectator say we were “you’re almost there.”  I mentioned to my co-runner, “if I cannot not see the finish line, I’m not almost there.”  She agreed.

After a right turn onto Durango Road, I saw a sign in the distance that looked like a mile marker.  It was Marathon Mile 26 and I could see what looked like a finish line.  I had less than a quarter-mile.  We both began to run as we turned off Durango and into the Thunderbird Family Sports Complex parking lot.  I fought hard giving it my all as I turned the final corner to the final timing station, stopping the clock at 5:09:05.

RACE STATS:

Distance: Marathon (26.2 mi) – my Garmin clocked it at 26.29 mi

Date: 27 April 2019

Bib No.: 1170

Weather at start: 38°F, clear moon-lit sky

Gun time: 5:15:59

Chip time: 5:09:05

Average cadence: 147 steps per minute

Average pace: 11:47 per mile

Overall rank: 1660 of 2205

Gender rank: 871 of 1157

Division rank: 100 of 128

Elevation: 157 ft gain / 4816 ft loss

Half split: 2:03:40 (9:26 pace)

Average finish time: 4:08:21

Standard deviation: 0:46:45

Age graded score: 46.41%

Age graded time: 4:24:56

Garmin splits: (9:46, 8:50, 8:50, 8:41, 10:18, 9:41, 8:21, 8:44, 8:35, 10:15, 9:23, 10:01, 10:47, 11:18, 11:46, 13:25, 13:23, 14:16, 10:53, 13:05, 14:22, 14:55, 15:56, 17:22, 16:32, 16:06, 12:29 projected pace [final 0.29 mi])

LIKES / WHAT WORKED:

• Easy expo.  Sunglasses, gloves and mylar blanket included with swag.
• Downhill course as advertised.
• Very well-organized event from the expo, packet pick-up and to the multiple aid stations along the course.
• Super friendly volunteer support.
• Post-race food and refreshments.
• Easy parking and transportation race morning.
• Luxury buses for transport – not school buses!
• Runners allowed to park themselves in resort lodge to keep warm.
• Nice shirt and attractive finisher’s medal.
• Free race photos!
• Pizza and pie at the finish (a REVEL tradition).
• Great finish line announcer calling out the names of each finisher.
• Fantastic traffic control by law enforcement.  Can’t say enough about the professionalism of the NHP and Metropolitan Police.
• FINISHING!!

 

 

DISLIKES / WHAT DIDN’T WORK:

• Getting up so early to catch the start line shuttle bus.
• The heat.
• The post-race aches and pains associated with downhill running.  
• The hills in the closing miles – perhaps to redirect ones focus from a day of downhill bliss to uphill misery.

My Garmin profile

After finishing, I enthusiastically accepted my finisher’s medal, along with a towel soaked in ice water, and an ice-cold water bottle from a volunteer.  Somehow, I wasn’t interested in looking for the post-race food, but rather to seek out some shade and taking a load off my achy legs and back.

Race bibs often display tear-off tags for beer or food.  REVEL bibs have tags for pizza and pie.  Usually, I’m not particularly hungry after pounding out twenty-six miles, but the cherry, apple and strawberry pie looked awfully delicious, and I usually never turn down post-race pizza (even though it was cold). 

What sets aside REVEL races from others is the results tent.  Sure, a marathon may have a results tent where a runner may look at a computer screen, print a slip resembling a grocery store receipt or read from a sheet of paper how they performed, but with REVEL, runners are presented with a postcard-like receipt.  If some lucky runner is fortunate to BQ, he/she is presented with a stylish plastic card printed with “REV >> BOS” they may drape around their neck notifying the world of their achievement.  It’s one of many small details that makes REVEL races so appealing to many.

At the REVEL expo, runners may choose a photo-op with backdrops while holding signs saying BQ or PR.  I did pose for a photo, but with a sign simply reading “26.2”.  I decided not to pose with a BQ or PR sign, because qualifying for Boston or obtaining a PR is still just a pipedream.  I had to do it first. 

Sign or no sign, I’m glad I finished a really tough marathon course.  While downhill running is fairly easy and enjoyable, it can wreak havoc on the legs.   I’d love to say I ran a really fast race, but it’s more accurate to say I ran slow on a really fast course.  With the sun and heat, I found it ridiculously tough and dangerous to run hard while pushing myself to the limit.

My time for the second half was nearly three hours slower than my time for the first half.  Yikes.  Based on the elevation profile, I was expecting the second half to be somewhat slower, but three hours?  I believe I paced myself appropriately, but the heat, sun and leg soreness took its toll during the later stages.

Unless a runner desired additional pain, he/she could walk nearly a mile back to the Home Depot parking lot to retrieve their car, but I decided to catch the shuttle bus back to the parking area.  As I was walking to the bus stop, I began to notice soreness in my quads.  That’s to be expected.  I also noticed some moderate soreness in my lower back, calves and shins.  That’s also to be expected.  But as time passed, it only got worse.  More troubling was the increasing tightness in my Achilles tendons.  Since the race, I’ve been regularly stretching them.  It’s a concern, but I believe it won’t become a major issue.

Final thoughts:

I’m going to speak candidly; consider the day a “death march.”  It was hot, but unlike Hatfield-McCoy, it’s a dry heat.  That was my saving grace.  It was announced at the start of the race that runners need to exercise caution and not overdo it.  I heeded that advice.  For 2020, organizers moved the race up the calendar to 4 April perhaps as a way to mitigate the heat related effects.  But, this is the desert and anything can happen.

Race organizers coned off about a third of the road dedicated for the runners.  On the traffic side, Nevada Highway Patrol escorted all vehicular traffic with well-controlled speeds and organization.  Being an engineer with traffic experience, I thought they were highly professional in their jobs and set a great example of proper traffic control.  Not once did I ever feel unsafe.  Running lanes are wide enough making for comfortable running, passing and aid station stops.

Las Vegas may be a gambling mecca, but don’t expect any gamers to leave the Strip to stop by the course and cheer runners.  Twenty-three miles of the course route is either in a mountainous or desert area, so do not expect many of the residents to show up either. 

However, many spectators lined the course for the final three miles and at a time when runners need inspiration and cheer.  The energy they brought gave me the strength needed to push through some difficult miles.

So now I’ve redone three states with only Tennessee left to conquer in June just two days before I complete my fiftieth state with the annual running of the New River Marathon in North Carolina.

On my 50-state journey, I can honestly say I’ve experienced most of what Mother Nature can throw at a marathon with each one being entertaining and memorable in some fashion.  I’ve pretty much abandoned the thought of a BQ or PR.  My current philosophy is to get in, complete the marathon whatever the time may be, get out and check off the state.  Sure, I strive to do the best I can, but there are times when extenuating circumstances prevent a decent performance.

Mt. Charleston felt like less of a large, overbloated event and more like a runner’s race.  The hospitality was great and you really felt like the organizers wanted you to genuinely enjoy yourself and to qualify for Boston, and you didn’t feel like you were just one registration fee closer to breaking last year’s attendance record.

By Vegas standards, it was a tame weekend.  Nobody (to my knowledge) drained their net worth, accidentally married a stripper or woke up in an opium den handcuffed to a severed leg.  But I won’t complain.  I still had a great time – even with the heat, soreness, being barely able walk and all that comes with REVEL races.

Onward and upward.