I just dont get it!

So I guess most are still out on Holiday Vacation as the blogger posts on others pages have been few and far between, it's all good. I actually got to the gym yesterday and got a quick back workout in and work up this morning tight and sore. I actually forgot how it feels. One problem today is that I also woke up with a SORE THROAT!!! WTF!!! I can't believe I am trying to get sick again. This would be like the 3rd cold in about 2 months, I just don't get it. I remember last year and the previous years before when I was constantly working out and lifting weights with cardio sessions, taking vits, and supplements I was NEVER Sick! And now that I don't take as many supplements, still take Vits I get sick more. What Gives? Is it a different type of stress that the body takes on while run training vs. weight lifting or was it the simple fact that I was taking the supplements which contain various amounts of vitamins and minerals which helped my body recover. All I know is that I am going to back to more weight lifting and supplements. I also will be cleaning up my daily nutrition. Currently it is not the best especially during the holidays. And I have been getting plenty of sleep so I am missing an "x" factor in there somewhere that causes me to be more acceptable to cold bugs.

Enough about my whining..lol... So what is everyone doing for New Years Eve? We will be heading out to a birthday/new years party that is close to our house. It's a BYOB type thing with music and food so it should be fun. Can't get too drunk because I have to be in court the next day at 8 am for a freakn speeding ticket I got about 3 months ago! Along with Operating a Motor Vehicle under a Restriction ticket. OK, WTF is that you ask. Let me tell you. I have a restriction on my drivers license that states I wear Contact Lenses or at least I used too. I had Lasik correction in Feb 06 and was supposed to go to the DMV and retake the eye test to have it removed. When I got stopped for speeding 70/60 mph the officer was in a foul mood and asked me "Sir, are you currently wearing your contacts lenses? I immediately thought of 2 things. 1) I could lie and say yes, how was he really going to know unless he trumped me and shinned a light or something in my eyes and physically looked which would not have been out of the question being as he was in a pissy mood or 2) just tell the TRUTH as you should when speaking with an officer or so I have been taught. Then I thought if I don't tell the truth and he busts me he's going to give me another ticket for lying to an officer. So I just told him the truth "No sir, I underwent lasik correction recently and have not gone to change it" He said "Well, you should have already done that, I am going to have to site you for that infraction as well!" Can you believe that shit! I tell the truth and this sob gives me a ticket for some petty crap as drivers license endorsement. Anyway that damn thing costs $205 bucks! if you decide to pay it which I opted for not guilty trial by jury. So now I go to court on the 2nd. It's all BS because the last time I went there about a month ago for another speeding ticket (I know, I know, SLOW DOWN!) I had an attorney and they basically got it reset for another date in April where the officer agreed to dismiss the ticket. This time I will not take an attorney and just go on my own because they will either offer me to pay the ticket, take drivers class or go to trial, I thought about going to trial. Whats my defense? I wasn't speeding as I was in the center lane and I corrected my driver license so there. Haha.. would be funny because I am sure I would lose on a defense like that. I'll take my chances and go it alone on this ticket and see what comes about it, either way I figure I have to pay for the speeding and will probably let the drivers license thing go or at least I am hoping.

Well until next time....

Tuesday.. 12-26-06

So hope everyone had a great Christmas and you were good and Santa brought you what you were wishing/hoping for. Somehow Santa missed my house with the new Tri-bike (haha).. maybe for my birthday!

Anyway, got my run on this afternoon being as I didn't have to go to work today. The run was great! It was a 5 mile up tempo run. I felt great running and during the first 4 miles my HR managed to stay in Z3 but after that it was in and out of Z4 and I could feel that I was sucking wind. I covered the 5 miles in 53:46 or 10:45/mi pace!!! That's a new PR everything for me!!!

YAAAHHHHOOOOOO!!!!!

Only about 3 weeks left till the Houston 1/2 so I have to focus on a couple of longer runs although I feel pretty confident in my ability to finish it will just depend on how fast.

Well I am taking the wife to see Dream Girls as she watched Casino with me last night on DVD! Love that movie and it was a stocking stuffer from Santa.

back to work tomorrow...boooooooooo!!!!

rockon`

Booked Tagged!

So I am playing the Blog Book tag game, I guess that is what they call it, so tagged by Allez, here's mine. What I have to do: 1. Find the nearest book. 2. Name the book & the author. 3. Turn to page 123. 4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page. Copy out the next three sentences and post to your blog. 5. Tag three more folks. My nearest book I just started reading last night. Earth's Final Days by McAlvany, Breese, Missler, Arms, Smarall, Church and 6 others. "We see a dramatic increase in crime that makes most Americans feel threatened-even in their own homes and in their own automobiles. Drive-by shootings strike horror in our hearts as they occur closer and closer to home. The phenomenal increase in wickedness should not surprise the Christian who has studied his Father's Word." Tag Steven, IM Able, and Sarah rockon`

Book Recap - Marathon Running

I finished reading the book Marathon Running - The Complete Training Guide by Richard Nerurkar who is world class runner with a few great marathon titles during the 80's and 90's. The book is an easy read and he does a great job at telling his professional career as he goes from chapter to chapter. Along the way he throws in the how to's to of building up to the marathon distance. I felt it was a beginner book with some advice for the advanced runner. The reading is good to follow because of his story and how he trained. How complete it is? Well, depends on if your looking for training programs, which he does a couple in the back of the book with standard stretches, but if your looking for in depth programs you won't find them here. Overall, I liked the book and it's amazing to see how fast these guys can run, in training or in races. I mean Marathons ran at 2:02-04 is truly remarkable and with "slow" races performed at 2:08-10. My new book which I started last night is called Earth's Final Days. But after several pages I just couldn't get into it so I switched to Murder Machine about the Mafia!

Christmas with Meaning

Totally a great saying for Christmas!!! Had to share.

Avoiding Injuries information.

I have been reading this book Marathon Running - The Complete Training Guide that I borrowed from my Dad's collection while in Vegas. I will give a full report once finished but I wanted to share the part on

Avoiding and Overcoming Injuries.

Proper tips for Avoiding Injuries.

1) Warm Up Properly. Come on, we all say we do but do we really take the time. In sessions where faster running or track work is to be done a good jogging warm up is essential. Raising the body temperature and heart rate followed by some easy stretching focusing on the muscles that will take the most stress in your upcoming training session. A good 20 minutes should be dedicated to this section. Once warmed up a few good strides are recommended to prepare your body for the stress it is about to undergo.

2) Warm Down Adequately. Now really how many of us actually do this. The same principles are applied here with an easy jog to cool down with gentle stretching. The benefit here is to allow the body to remove waist products (lactic acid) that has accumulated during your training session. Being as the muscle contract as you cool down it is important to stretch to reduce post-exercise stiffness.

3) Recognize the Importance of Rest. A must for every athlete of every kind. Fitness is acquired through a process of stress and recovery, stimulus and response. Rest cannot be left out at any costs.

4) Respect your own Limitations. If you are training with people who are faster, stronger, meaner, haha, than you, you must know your limits and not follow someone Else's training regimen or that there training will benefit your Goals!.

5) More is Not Always Better. By training more times or longer periods does not always equal better or higher fitness levels. More can lead to over training and injuries. At times, what you might need is MORE REST/RECOVERY.

6) Don't Play "Catch-Up". If you have to miss a few days for what ever reason, don't attempt to make up for lost time or add extra workouts during the day. Continue on track is your best bet. By adding extra days to play make up, you are setting yourself up for over training and/or injuries.

Tips for Overcoming Injuries.

1) Determine the Nature and cause of the Problem.

Musculoskeletal causes of injury include:

- muscle weakness or loss of flexibility. STRETCH. Weakness in certain muscles can cause problems in other parts of your body.

- overloading due to prolonged stress or repetitive stresses can lead to stress fractures.

- sudden wrenching or dislocations such as ankle sprains.

Environmental Factors that can influence the chance of injury.

1) Run on softer surfaces/terrain when possible as harder surfaces can cause Achilles and shin split problems; and possible sore Quads from running down hill.

2) Inadequate or Poorly-fitting shoes.

3) Insufficient Warm-up leading to muscle strains.

4) Dietary Habits (Dehydration or Glycogen can cause muscle cramps.)

Minor Injury's that can be self-treated depending on the nature of the injury.

1) Taking Anti-Inflammatory (Ibuprofen, Advil) or using creams (Biofreeze, Tiger Balm, Bengay, etc)

2) Follow first aid measures RICE. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. To help reduce swelling and bruising in the affected area.

3) Warming the affected area, then followed by gentle massage and stretching usually within 48 hours after injury

4) For blisters, drain fluid from area and keep dry and clean. Using a second-skin or Vaseline or tape to reduce rubbing.

5) Replace your Running shoes if tread or cushioning is worn.

Such great information that we all can use. I know we have all heard it, read it, seen it, watched it, seen others do it, so let's set time aside for ourselves and take the few minutes to stay health and avoid those injuries.

rockon`

Easin` back.

into running today. I hit the treadmill for 30 mins which came to about 2.5 miles. It was an easy avg. 12min/mil. as I increased the pace the last 15 mins. I did notice a slight uncomfortable achyness to my right fibular head, which, is similar to Allez's. I hope she's doing better!

Anyway, got the easy run while keeping my heart rate below 153. I will run again a few more days this week to easy back into running as the Houston Marathon (my 1/2) is 27 days away. My goal over those next 27 days is to have 2 long runs of 10 miles and just some shorter mid up tempo runs and stay HEALTHY!!!

Saturday, the family and I went to get our Christmas tree. After about an hour of walking around the lot we found our tree, had them cut about 2 feet off the bottom as it was a 9-10 foot tree and would not fit the ceiling in the house but turns out they cut a little too much off the bottom and it came out a little shorted than we all wanted but still looks good!

Sunday, I rested from a long late night out with friends and then in the afternoon was able to hang the Christmas lights, ya, I know, I'm a little late compared to others in my neighborhood but I got them up. Only thing is, after looking at others, I realized my lights kinda suck and I need more and different colors or something but they will work for this year and will plan on picking up some new stuff for next year!

Overall, I finally feel rested and back in training mode. I really wanted to start running on Friday or Saturday but overall my mind and I think my body was still not ready. Mentally I think was more a challenge as the motivation was just not there. It's amazing when it's there we are like firecrackers but when it's gone, you can't even get a spark.

Have a great day all!! rockon`

Vegas Pictures..

OK Gang, Here are some more pictures from my Vegas trip. Sorry there's so many but we had such a great time! I think I got most of the ones I wanted to share with you all. Thanks for looking.

My Awesome Dad and Mom Just before we left! Love you both!!

Rockon`

Pictures (1)

Pictures of the Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon and Luxor. (more to come)

The amazing New Hwy Bypass Contruction. Myself, daughter, wife, mother-father inlaw

Vegas, Casinos and 1/2 Marathon

So now is the overall Vegas Trip recap. (Its kinda long so if you don't want to read jump down to the Final Recap)

Just so you know there was a total of 8 that went on this trip. Me, wife, daughter, mother/father in-laws, aunt, and brother/sister in-laws. All staying with my parents in there 3 bedroom house with air mattresses in the living and dining rooms and an extra bed in one of the bedrooms. So we left on Weds the 6th. Check in was fun with all of us under 1 name and all the luggage. Bro in law, Gerado, got caught in security with a bottle of smelly calougn, more than 3 oz, which he forget to give to me before we left the house as he knew he couldn't take in through security. Anyway, they took him to the back and I guess they did the white glove finger check or something because he finally met up with us with a big smile on his face and his shirt untucked (kidding) I actually waited for him while the others went to boarding gate and then we downed a beer while walking to the gate. Got on the plane and starting drinking some more. My ear/sickness was still letting me know what I was not better and my ear canal was causing me some serious pain on the descent. Landed and made our way to luggage claim and meet up with my mom and buddy Mike (who will be in trouble in a while if you didn't read race recap post) Got all the luggage and headed to the house. My mom and I were talking and she said that she didn't know Mike had gotten married. I said "WHAT!" He didn't tell me either and I just asked how his girlfriend was and he said she was great. Oh, I was so gonna tackle him when he steps out of his car at my parents house, I even started driving faster just to get there quicker. As we pulled in and I got out I waited for the attack. Mike got out of his car and came around the back of the car and there I was, BAM! I grabbed him in a big tackle move and said "buddy, your in so much trouble!" He was like why? I said you know why, you didn't even call me or tell me and now I know! He was still like what are you talking about, so I said YOU GOT MARRIED! Oh, yea, he replied calmly. I said when, why, where, invite? Hello? As he informed me I didn't know to finish tackling him or if I was just so happy for him! (your still in trouble for that one Mike!) We finished up and went inside the house with all the luggage and just got situated and went to bed after Mike left. The next morning (Thursday) it was up at 6am! (wait a minute, I'm on vacation!) We were out the door around 7 for breakfast and headed to the Hoover Dam. After sight seeing the dam we headed towards the Grand Canyon. What a drive! After stopping for breakfast, lunch and Hoover Dam we were now behind schedule and realized that the sun was going down and to set at 5:15pm and it was like 4 pm and we were still not there. Finally, arriving at the Canyon it was windy and freakin` COLD! I mean it was like 35*. We all bundled up and starting running around taking pictures before the sunset. Even after the sun went down the Canyon has a glow from the light that is just unremarkable! The view is amazing to the eyes and is a must see if you have never been there. I must admit I was apprehensive about driving all the way out there due to the time and distance and felt we should just stay in Vegas but I am glad we did go because it was something amazing to see. I will recommend that if anyone does go there from Vegas, leave early and go straight there, enjoy the sights, have lunch and then head back unless you want to watch the sunset, if not, you can then stop by the dam and see that. We did it backwards and almost ran out of time. We got home about 11pm and everyone was beat except Gerado and I so we went out to the Red Rock Casino and got home about 2am. Friday, we were out the door about 10 am and went to the Luxor, Mandala Bay (shark reef was cool and packet pick up) New York New York (roller coaster is good and lunch in the Village Eateries is always good too) then MGM to see the tigers, very cool to be that close to them. Headed back home for dinner and then we went back down to the Mirage (neat water/volcano show, nice hotel/casino), Treasure Island (Sirens show (the new pirate show) was not running, Damn it, I wanted to see the lady Pirates!) so went went to Venetian which is super nice! Love the hotel, casino and shops. Saw the gondola's and a newly married couple taking a ride. Also got this totally huge Texas style drink and walked around. Got home about 11pm and went to bed. Saturday was out the door my 9 am and we went to the Harley Davidson Cafe, M&M World, local gift shops, Bellagio (just totally beautiful hotel and awesome Fountains of Bellagio water show), Paris (Eiffel Tower Experience was cool, nice hotel), and Aladdin (lots of forum shops) and met up with one of my wife friends who moved there from Houston, David & Johana. We then headed to meet up with my parents at Fantastic Dave's restaurant where we had some great food and headed home as the race was the next day. I was asleep about 10:30 am. Woke up at 3:30 am and started getting ready. I felt pretty good and was not nervous. I really should have prepared better for eating something before but only grabbed a snack pack of crackers and a snickers marathon bar from the expo out the door we went. The race was fine as I said most in the race recap. Got home about 10:30am got cleaned up, ate and rested. I was watching the IM Florida when I feel asleep for about an hour and then went downstairs to hang out and watch a movie, Pirates of the Caribbean, yes, I know I just finally watched it, good movie. My mom planned dinner for 5:30pm and Mike and his wife, Tris, came over and we all just hung out, ate and then headed to the Stratosphere Casino (Big Shot was totally awesome! Nice views from the observation deck) Gerado got on the X-Scream which he said was OK. No I was not about to get on that thing without a parachute, the damn ride slides you back and forth over the edge of the tower and who knows if the stoppers are going to stop you, if they don't its have a nice ride to the bottom head first. After we went to the Sahara Casino but the ride was closed already so we would come back another day. Then we split off and some went home and Gerado and I went to the Rio (where he won some money, good job) Wynn (very nice place as well but didn't stay long) and The Plaza downtown (ok but it was really dead and smokey). Got home about 3 am. Monday, we got out about 10 am and headed from Primm, NV where the Buffalo Bill's Resort/Casino and Desperado Roller Coaster. The darn thing didn't open till noon so we had to wait around for it which was ok as the others got to do some gambling and we played some video games. Then we went across the street to the Primm Valley Casino where the Bonnie and Cylde car and exhibition was. Pretty neat to see the original car where they were gunned down and some other artifacts. The Desperado ride was totally awesome as well with a huge 225 ft drop, speeds close 90 mph and G-forces close to 4.0! What a ride! We then headed back into town and stopped at the new Silverton Casino where the Bass Pro Shop is. Orange County Chopper had some bikes there so that was one reason to stop. Nice place with lots of hunting/fishing stuff. We then headed for home as everyone was tired again. I dropped the family off and Gerado and I headed to the local Honda motorcycle dealership to see if they had any goodies but they didn't so we then went to one of the Harley Davidson stores near my parents house, then headed home. After my mom making dinner again (thanks Mom!) Gerado, Brittany and I headed back to the strip to pick up a few more goodies and finish riding some rides. We went back to the Sahara to get on the NASCAR Speed the Ride. Great ride as well with speeds up to 70 mph, 3.5 G-forces and 0-45mph in 2 seconds. Right after that awesome ride it was a mad dash for Fremont Street Experience to see the light show which is always cool and neat to see. It's amazing how all those lights are working together. Once there we stopped in at Binions and the Golden Nugget Casino's and then went to the Circus Circus to see if the Adventure Dome was open but it had closed earlier so we were able to catch the overhead Circus trapeze act and have a Krispy Cream. Then headed home about 11 pm.

Tuesday, was up with my lovely mom bringing me coffee in bed! Dang how spoiled I am, thanks again Mom, I love you. Once up, it was a mad dash to finish packing and emailing photos that I had downloaded to mom's computer to be ready to leave the house by 9:30 am as the plane left at 12pm. We got there in time and I had time to go to the gift shop and pick up totally sweet coffee cup and thermos. We made it back home a little early, which was nice, basically threw everything down in the house and headed out to dinner with my wife and daughter. Then some last minute Target shopping as my daughter needed supplies for a school project. I must give it up to her as she not only took 5 days of school off 2 days before Finals, worked on her homework while in Vegas, and stayed up late on Tuesday night to finish a project due Weds! Very proud of her for working so hard and being able to enjoy the trip. Great Job Brittany!

Wednesday, was back at work and good thing it was slow as I needed to rest. I basically sat around for about 6 hours and checked out marathon pictures, blogs, emails, did some paper work and thought about the next 4 weeks till the Houston Marathon 1/2. I totally crashed last night at 9:30 pm after the Biggest Loser Finale, Congrads to Eric, the guy who won and lost 214 lbs.!

Overall, I totally loved the Trip, the run and the sights. I ended up going to 22 different casinos and walked more than I ever had any other time I had been in Vegas and got to see the Grand Canyon! Everybody else had a great time as well and it was nice, as always, to see my Mom and Dad and friend Mike and his new wife Tris.

Thank you mom and dad for letting us all stay in your house as cramped as we were and cooking dinners and letting us use the van. I love you all very much and miss you already!

As for training, I will wait till Saturday to get back on the road. I have 4 weeks till Houston 1/2 so I have time and the fitness, just have to stay healthy.

Final: Vacation - 6 days, 2 states (AZ, NV), 22 Casinos, 1/2 Marathon, Family, Friends and a totally Awesome Time!

Las Vegas Race Recap.

So I'm back in town and back at work, can I get a BOOO!! Unpacking, downloading pictures, going to the grocery store for food, putting gas, etc..!! I need another day just to recover and get back on track, let alone just get some sleep! Race recap: My dad and I left the house at 4:14 am and headed for the Mandala Bay. It was windy and cold out with a slight drizzle out, Yuk, I said. This is not going to be a fun run if the weather keeps up. As we got to the parking garage I noticed alot of the runners not wearing much more than shorts and a long sleeve so I thought it couldn't be too bad out there. I had dressed with my shorts, long sleeve under armour shirt and 2 long sleeve t-shirts. I seriously thought about ditching 1 of the t's but then just kept it and thought I would tie it around my waist if I got too hot. As we made our way through the hotel and out to the parking lot where the start line and booths were the windy was really kicking up and it was cool. It was only about 5am so we had a good hour to wait, I hate waiting around. Luckily there were these great big tents with heat blowing inside of them so we stepped inside one of them only to realize that these were not just ordinary tents, they were Runner Incubators! It was so freakn hot in there I felt like an chicken egg waiting to hatch. Needless to say we did not stay in there too long as it was too hot so we step out and stood next to the seam of the tent where you could feel some heat blasting through. It was a great spot as the construction of the tent did allow for heat to blow down from the top where the roof was attached, so we just stood there. Other runners stood along side as well and we talked to a few for a while. At about 5:50 am I told my dad that we should head to the start line. As we got close to it, it became apparent that there were alot of runners and the line was starting to back up on the street so we cut through the porta cans only to find that everyone else was doing the same and coming to a halt just on the other side near the road where the line of runners was already past us. We stood on the side in some rocks till the start and that is where I took the pictures of the start. The gun went off at about 6:18am and of course with that many runners it takes a while to get going in spite of your anticipation to just go. I crossed the mat about 10 mins after the gun went off only to hear the announcer say that the back of the pack would not cross for another 20 mins! On the right of the start line was the Blue Man Group performing so I snapped a couple of pictures as I was running (will post later).

The wind was still blowing as we finally started to run. It was pretty cool running down the strip with all the lights and seeing some spectators cheering us all on. After about 2 miles I was ready to go on a shopping spree! I mean there was so many jackets, gloves, hats, sweaters and t-shirts laying all over the road it was crazy! I mean there was really good stuff laying out there. My dad and I talked about how neat it was to be running down Las Vegas Blvd. I ran ahead of dad and took a few pictures. As I got to about mile 3 I had to use the bathroom so I ran inside the Frontier Casino where Gilley's is located. I knew exactly where it was at as I have been there before and there were other runners popping in. I heard a guy in the casino say where else can you go gambling and find marathon runners coming in to use the bathroom. I headed back out and caught up with my dad and then he had to go so he hopped into the Slots-O-Fun. I kept running and didn't see him till the end of the run.

As I approached Fremont Street and made the turn I stopped to take some pictures and realized that I had not been paying attention to how cold it had been. Once I made the turn and started heading back I immediately noticed the head wind and the cold and was glad that I did not ditch the extra long sleeve t. A few short blocks and I checked my HR which had been running Z3 (~156) was now in Z4 at ~165. The damn wind jumped my HR like 10 beats/min! I felt fine so kept going.

The run back was kind of boring as scenary goes, as it was on Industrial. There were a few dj's playing music and a couple of bands but most of the entertainment started at the 9 mile mark with bands, a local cheerleading high scool, and some african band music with drums and stuff.

The volunteers were great handing out lots of water and gatorade and just making the overall run great. The other entertainment was the running Elvis'. They were great throughout the course and even stopped at one of the wedding chapels where several runners were getting married while on the run! The Elvis' caught me at about mile 7.5 and then I caught them at about the 10 mile maker and ran with them for a while until they stopped.

As I rounded the corner of the parking lot of the Mandala Bay the pace quickened and my heart rate went to ~178 and I knew that I was not going to last long running that fast but I also knew I was less than 1k away so I felt going and made the final corner to see the Finish Line Banner!

I crossed the mat and hit my stop watch, proceeded down the shute to get my chip removed, grabbed a neatO space blanket, got my finishers medal and went to stand in line to take a picture with a ShowGirl. After I got a banana and some water. There was not really much food at the end which I was suprised being as it was a marathon. Water, gatorade, smoothies and bananas (which were gone by the time my dad got there so I was wondering if they brought more later or the other full marathoners were SOL) I calculated my dad's time and went to watch others finish and wait. My dad hit the mat at 3:15 and I headed to the finishers area to meet up with him. After we made our way back to the car and headed home, we didn't stick around too long because it still kinda cold and I was totally starving after burning about 3600 calories!

I rested in the afternoon and we had dinner that my mom had cooked with my friend Mike and his new wife, Tris, which he didn't tell me he got married on 8-7-06. Your still in trouble for that one MIKE! Then we headed out to the strip.

I will make a Vegas recap.

According to final results there were 7,222 in the half marathon and 5,957 full's with the web site stating 16,047 total runners!

My results:

Place Gun_tm Chip_tm Pace 5097 2:52:57 2:42:13 12:23

Las Vegas Machine!!

Sweet, I posted a 2:40 time at the Las Vegas 1/2 today. It was cold and windy. Brief Recap. Race started about 6:20 am with about 15,999 runners and my Dad! He ran a 3:15ish at 6o years young! Great Job Dad! It was about 45* winds blowing 8-10mph so it made it feel colder, near 40*. First half of the run was great, all the way down the strip from the Mandala Bay to the Fremont Street to make the turn around. Once the turn around was made the wind which didn't seem to be a factor once we in between the hotels was now a straight in your face cold wind! Which caused my heart rate to immediately jump about 10/min. The back run was kind of boring with not much to look at expect fellow runners although there was music starting about the 8 mile which helped the time go by. One thing I think they could have done was marked the course. There was only like 3 places marked, I guess I was just looking for more. Rested for about 2 1/2 hours and now heading out to the strip again! I have probably walked about 26.2 miles or more by now. It's all good!

Here are some pics.

rockon`

Last picture of my Dad and I back at home! Way to Go!!!!

More pictures to come.