5k race in Vegas

JR and I started our drive to Las Vegas on Friday evening, and we got stuck in traffic at the Hoover Dam. WHY? There were pedestrians...they were walking across the street constantly and us cars ended up in a traffic jam that lasted probably 45 min!!!

Luckily we still got to Las Vegas in time for dinner. Our homestay is about 3 blocks away from the Strip, in Old Vegas. I did not expect such nice houses so close to the Strip. JR and I didn't go party as I was running a 5k race in Henderson at 7 am and he was racing the Collville Bay Stage Race. I got up at 5:30 am and started driving after some coffee and food. I tried Ensure for the first time, easy to digest pre race breakfast as I am still searching for the perfect prerace breakfast. I got to the race with about 20 min for registration and warm up-I don't know how that works, even if I get up super early I still get to the races just a tiny bit late (a 20 min warm up run would have been nice, and 10 min for stretching, some strides,...).
My goal was to run 19 min. since I am coming off a hard week of training and I am still recovering very slow due to the altitude. I started the race, ran relaxed and held back in the first mile-it is better to be smart in the first mile then sorry after the race:-) So I went 6:10 for the first mile, then faster for the next 2.1 miles. I ended up running 19 min just as I wanted adn it felt great.

I did not see any women in front of me during the race but when I looked up the results, there were 2 in front of me...WHAT? HOW DID THEY GET THERE? How could I miss them? After some confusion they started the awards and called the first person's name....she got up there, did not look like a 16:55 min 5k runner, but you never know...and then she told the organizer: I did the 1 mile walk. AHA, ok. Second women came up, same thing. They mixed up the 1 mile walkers and the 5k runners. So I ended up winning the race with a 2:20 min lead to the next women. Yeah, but the main goal was to run smart!!!

And I got to try out my AVI BOLT racing shoes, they are awesome and feel so light and fast and comfortable!!! (2nd place used the same shoes as me I saw!!!)

After my cooldown I went and watched JR race at Lake Mead...what a strange looking area... looks like you are on the moon... He and his teammate did great. Ben got second in a breakaway and JR got third with a 20 sec gap out of the peleton (he had to hold back because his teammate was in a breakaway...those cycling tactics...).
Today is a crit, so hopefully it will go well and do great in GC.

Tonight we are driving back to Flag. I am looking forward to it- I guess I am not a big fan of the Nevada Desert...nice to look at but staying there and people living there is another story.

I like trees and the smell of the forest:-)

Ciao from Las Vegas