From the Bus

August 5, 2012

Not a bad ride out to the middle of nowhere.  I’m a bit paranoid to get out and wander too far to watch the start of the crazy 51k people and full marathoners -  it’s dark.  I have no cell signal if the bus leaves without me.  Plus,  the bus bathroom is relatively unoccupied   Plus, there are flashes of light EVERYWHERE.  Most likely it is lightning, but with all the mountains and hills around here, I’m only seeing the “glow.”  This is Area 51 afterall.

Someone on here didn’t shower.  We haven’t run yet. There is no need to smell that bad this early in the game.  This has made me think about the ride back to civilization.  I’m hoping to be too exhausted to notice on the way home.  Eek.

The guy sitting in front of me is psyching me out.  He keeps panting and grunting while rolling out his muscles.  Who rolls out their muscles before running?  I’m new to running, but I thought this came after… I get warming up,  rolling and stretching,  but muscles are cold. Then body glide…. Things I didn’t think would be necessary to body glide.  Wtf.

We’re taking off again soon.  The bus is re populating.

Part 2 – After the half marathon

I finished relatively slower than expected.  Nothing like Nike+ to be off…. By 1/2 a mile… So needless to say I was way depressed passing actual mile markers.  My bursitis, calves, butt cheeks kept tightening so I stretched a lot.  I started feeling my groin muscle strain so I was trying to watch my form, but I realized I was too tired to concentrate…so walking it was!  Also – those people who write and say that hill the first 6 miles is gradual – my Fitbit said I’d climbed 91 flights of stairs – I’m going to call that hill at 80+ of it because the drive home could cause a few if it’s a rough patch in the road while “climbing”, plus bus and hotel stairs.  Gradual or not – it still killed me!
I made it to the finish line and finally found the back entrance to Little Al’E'Inn.  Gimme food! It was edible,  but it needed something…. Like serving utensils.  Biscuits,  sausages and veggies (zucchini and cauliflower… strange – usually carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, celery…you know?) needed something so people’s fingers weren’t touching them. Gravy,  fruit and I think most of the pastry stuff had utensils. It was good enough,  but I really just wanted to go to bed.  That which doesn’t kill me, only makes me stronger!

I made my way to the Vegas bus after finding my bag (using CHAIRS as bus/bag drop markers bad idea at the end of a race). I decided I’d avoid changing because I had no desire to take my shoes off in a porta potty.  But I did use the bathroom on the bus.  Omg knock me over.  Since I was one of the last people on the bus,  I was near the toilet.  I gagged a few times.  I could barely pee because I was so tense trying not to die in a confined area.  It was awful.  At one point I think the air on the bus stopped circulating because the smell got super strong!  I wanted to BEG people not to use it and let the smell escape, but I was too tired.  You know some asshole is laughing about violating that toilet for poor exhausted runners to suffer through on the THREE hour trip back to hte Hard Rock.   I also had a panic moment when I woke up from my wedged window fetal position when I noticed the older lady next to me with her forehead against the seat in front of her.  She was fine…I wasn’t sure if I should have yelled for help or moved my stuff just incase she was bus sick.  Neither were the case…and I decided I was too tired to be a good semaritan.  Now back to this three hour trip – everything says its like a 2-2.5 hour trip from Vegas to Rachel, you’d assume Rachel to Vegas should be the same.  We made it out there in 2.25, but we were also about 20 miles from where we departed at the Little Al’E'Inn.  However, 20 miles should not have meant another 45 minutes!  We stopped a few times – I’m guessing our driver was lost.  Also – we hit a lot of those wake up strips on the way home…how is a girl supposed to BRRRRMMMMM sleep BRRRRRMMMMM so she can BRRRMMMMMM drive al lthe way back to Tucson on just BRRMMMMMM 3 hours of sleep after BRRRRRMMMMM running a half marathon?!  Needless to say – a bit rough getting back, but I am very grateful for what little sleep I did get.

All in all, I enjoyed myself.  I’d do it again next year, but since as far as I can tell, the loot is the same for ALL of the different distances, I’d probably just do the 10k one so I can be more discriminatory about the bus I ride to take me back to Vegas- and, I better start getting some supportive people in my life – as in SOMEONE had BETTER go with me next time.  Or seriously, I’ll post a “moooooo” on Facebook and all these people will never hear from me again.  They will be left to assume I’ve been abducted unless they spot me out in public somewhere.