Running to Travel: Las Vegas 2011

Two half marathons down with a third to go!

Vera Bradley Seaside Half, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Half, Rock n' Roll Nashville Half

It's been exactly one week since our running group (yet to be named) ran the Rock n' Roll Las Vegas half marathon - 13.1 miles. The weeks leading up to the event were stressful because my mom and I were injured and not able to train as well as we should have. About a month and a half before the race, all we could do was ride the stationary bikes at the gym and hope that our legs would hold up on race day. Mom purchased water jogging equipment but never had the never to wear it or aqua jog in public. We both went to the doctor and to physical therapy; we were told not to run and to rest our legs. Naturally, we did the opposite. A person doesn't pay $140 to enter a race and not run it! Against our doctor's better judgment, we finished the half marathon. We even ran (or should I say limped) the whole way! Without a doubt, we earned every bit of our glittery, glow-in-the-dark, Vegas-y medals received at the finish line.

I mentioned being part of a running group. Our running group consists of fellow church members, family, and friends from different cities across the state: Birmingham, Mobile, Gadsden, etc. We even have out-of-state group members - Christi and Chris from Ventura, California (pictured in black above) and the Richards from Crestview, Florida. J.T.'s (my husband) love for running is what first sparked our interest. Two years ago, he started my family on the Couch to 10K program, and we've been running ever since. We started with fun runs and 5Ks, but now we're running half marathons - the Rock n' Roll Las Vegas race being my second half marathon experience. To share our love of running and to get more of our friends and family involved, we started the Run with Perseverance group on Facebook. J.T. also has a blog where he posts helpful (but witty) advice on all things running related. 

Click our group name to be relocated to our Facebook page: Run with Perseverance. We'd love for your to join us! 

When I first started running 2 years ago, I wasn't all that enthused about it for several reasons: I got extremely bored (even with an iPod); I didn't lose incredible amounts of weight (running, for the record, makes you hun-GRY!); and I didn't have a group with which to run. However, my outlook on running is different now, and I absolutely love it! 

What changed?! 

I've made a list of the top 8 reasons why (in my humble opinion) running is so darn fun:

1. Staying healthy - I may not be the skinniest person you've ever seen, but I bet I have one good looking heart. Running also relieves stress and prevents the onset of diseases such as Alzheimer's and other diseases involving dementia.
2. Accountability - By sticking to a weekly running regimen and planning on meeting friends and family members for both short and long runs, I have people I'm accountable to, and I never have to run alone. 
3. Shopping - All girls appreciate the thrill of buying and wearing a new pair of shoes. As a runner, you're pretty much guaranteed that thrill once every year. You also get to shop for stylish workout wear and accessories. My favorites are Lulu Lemon and Nike. 
4. Music - As a 27-year-old woman, it's no longer considered acceptable for me to ride around listening to Jock Jams, Britney Spears, the PCD, and rap. For some reason, however, it IS acceptable to run to this type of music. If it pumps you up and helps increase speed, run to it! 
5. Social Aspect - I like to talk...a LOT. It's a common misconception that you cannot talk and run simultaneously. With the proper conditioning, it is entirely possible to do both! In fact, I've had some of the best heart-to-hearts while running. It's a great way to pass the time and make an hour-long run seem as if it lasted only 5 minutes!
6. Philanthropy - You can even support a cause while running! Did you know that by running a 5K or a marathon, you could be helping to eradicate various types of cancer, donating to animal shelters, and raising money for a variety of noteworthy causes? Our Sunday school class at Dauphin Way Baptist has committed to running the Rock n' Roll Nashville half marathon (sponsored by St. Jude's) in honor of our pastor's son, Carson, who was diagnosed with leukemia several months ago. 
7. Local Exploration - On our Saturday long runs and even on some mid-week runs, we like to mix it up by changing locations. It's amazing what you can learn about your city while rediscovering it on foot. We will run to farmer's markets in Cathedral Square downtown; we'll run to local coffee shops, art walks, etc. We will run across the bay on the Eastern Shore Trail alongside Mobile Bay. Running brings out the adventurer in me!
8. Travel Opportunities - This may be my favorite aspect of running yet. Once we started running longer races, we realized the travel opportunities associated with our newly adopted sport. There are full and half marathons to run all over the world. So far, we have run beside the beach in Seaside, FL. and in the desert at nighttime in Las Vegas, NV. In April, we will be running in the Music City - Nashville, TN. If you ever needed an excuse to see the world or travel within the United States, then running may be just the thing!

The Mandalay Bay Casino & Resort was the starting point for our Las Vegas nighttime 1/2 marathon.

Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon: With over 44,000 runners participating, this was the world's largest nighttime run. The picture above is one I took before the start of the race. We started running down the strip around 6 p.m. With a band playing music at every mile and thousands of spectators cheering us on, we were able to feed off of their energy and finish strong (and under 3 hours...not bad for being injured)! 

  

We are already training for Nashville in April 2012. I can't wait! 

HAPPY RUNNING!

- W:)