Running the Las Vegas Strip at Night! 13.1

Half marathon #3 for the books! Last race of the year and one of the best! Last weekend I went back to my hometown to run the Las Vegas Rock n Roll #stripatnight Half Marathon. It was such a good one. Vegas shuts down the whole strip and thousands of crazies like myself run it. So freaking cool.

Essentials for a night out on the strip…for a runner at least. My dad got me that cool shirt, It actually glows in the dark! The wireless headphones were heaven. I bought new Asics that day because these pink babies were worn out. My feet and knees definitely know when it's time. Those Nike flash sleeves came off during the first mile. Despite it being so windy and chilly, I got hot really fast. I also wore different capris and compression sleeves, these were just fun for the pic! I was a little nervous for the run because the weather was predicted to be chilly and windy.

My amazing parents came out to support me in the freezing cold. Love them! I'm super bummed my dad had to sit this one out, but it’s great motivation knowing he was tracking me throughout. I started in corral 2 because I wanted to be up at the front (definitely did not stay with those speedy peeps though!).

I was stretching to warm up and thought this would be a great shot. Runner's fashion is the best of fashion. Seriously where else can you wear socks like that?!

This sign was pretty awesome. There was another sign that said "this is the worst parade ever!". I LOL’d when I saw both of these. I love funny signs like these during races. They take your mind off of running!

This was one of my best runs. It’s funny how sometimes long runs feel better than shorter ones! Time wise I was a few seconds under 2 hours and kept my pace around 8:50 for the most part. What I’m even happier with is how amazing I felt throughout! Even though the weather was crazy, (25mph wind gusts of dust and pouring rain around mile 8) I had a blast! My music was on point, my new shoes felt like running on clouds, I was just in my zone. To keep myself going I would pick a hotel and tell myself, "ok, just get to to that one". Before I knew it, I was passing them all up! Mile 5, 6, 7, 8, etc. were flying by. Usually around mile 7 I start to feel comfortable. It doesn't even feel like I've been running for an hour at that point. The last 5k of it (miles 11, 12, and 13) was a little tough, but hey it had to get hard at some point!

Running the strip was such an unreal experience. There are so many people on the sidelines cheering down the whole way, so many lights, just so many distractions! The course was flat so you can just fly. I'm pretty sure I would've PR'd if the weather wasn't so crazy, but most importantly I had fun!

And that's how it’s done. Here I am smiling ear to ear all buzzed out on endorphins for the last picture! After that, I wrapped myself in a foil blanket (which are actually really cozy!) and wobbled past all of the post race goodies grabbing whatever I could and literally putting food in my pants. Not joking.

After stretching it out in Caesar’s we picked up the best pizza in Vegas. Post race din was DeMarcos Sicilian pizza. OMG heaven. I’m not usually hungry after running but I stuffed my face. No regrets. The next day I pretty much bought out Trader Joe's and continued to eat like a man the rest of the week. I took a few days off from moving period. Lots carbs, yoga, and sleep are what really helped me recover and kept my immune system up. A goal for 2016 is to really get my body used to long distance runs so I can bounce back a lot faster.

I cannot wait to do this race again next year. I think everyone should experience this one! You get to experience Vegas in such a cool and unusual way! There is a 5k the night before, a 10k day of, half marathon, and a full marathon...so there is something for everyone. Try it!

In LOVE & Sweat,

Lexi