CrossRoads Blog

So we found another perfect training run for my upcoming Zane Grey - or should I say our friends Erin and Tim found and we decided to join in the fun. It’s like we always say about races, we have to do a long run anyway and by doing a race you get people filling your drink bottle, a cool new track to run, other people to run with, and sometimes some bling to hang on your wall. A cool thing about this race was it was located just outside Vegas in Boulder City - the Desert Dash 50K. So of course that meant - VEGAS BABY….

Got to love the deals in Vegas right now. I tell everyone we don’t need any economist to tell us when the tide will turn with the economy - we can just track Vegas Hotel rates. Right now, based on the deal we got at our hotel with the best pool (very relevant a pool after you run 50K in the desert sun) Mandalay Bay.

We scooted up Friday, checked in and pretty much headed straight to the pool. Unlike a lot of Vegas trips this one was all about chillin’ and doing the run. We met runner friends Tim and Erin from Vancouver at the Pool, hung out a bit and made plans to connect up the next day again hanging at the pool. Erin is a sponsored Tri-Athlete and husband Tim is pretty much a Marathon maniac like us too. They were headed to Vegas to look for a second home and figured they would do a race while they were there (we know this logic!). They found the Desert Dash 50K, Half Marathon and 5K. They planned on doing the Half as it was their first trail run. I of course needed the 50K for Zane practice

We pretty much just chilled all weekend. Aside from the race we were at the pool. We hung most of Saturday and the rest of Sunday after the race. On Sunday night we did go check out a hot new restaurant/club at the Palazzo called Lavo. It was decent, but not quite as good as I hoped. With so many choices in Vegas I would have trouble ever get back there. We also did pick up a new bathing suit for Kimberly - man she looks good in too

As for the race it was really fun. The course was essentially two 15 plus mile loops in Boulder Canyon. There was for sure some elevation, much more than Pemberton, but less than Mesquite. When you were about half way out you came over a mountain and right in front of you out there in the middle of nowhere was the Vegas skyline - pretty cool. On another part you were running along a single track ridge-line that was pretty crazy in spots, not sure I would have been comfortable at all if the Mrs was running it. The support was decent, the day was hot, the people where cool, it was a good run and I would for sure run this course again. I ran in 5:28:10 which was 3rd place overall and 1st in my age but it was a very small race for the 50K. Tim and Erin did great in their run which had many more people.

We all had a lot of fun, I plan one more big race before Zane, probably a 50 miler that’s a much easier course. The fun continues….