Vegas Running

A four mile hill run this past Saturday. 2 miles down hill and 2 miles up. Does not sound exciting does it? However, when you are in Vegas, you just never know what will/hill happen.

The run is not near the house. I would have to run about 10 miles or more just to find a hill to run up or down. Pretty flat where I currently live. The Irony is I could walk out my door in Kansas - see hill and run. I lived on a Hill and most of the area around my house there was hilly. So, anyway, here in Vegas I drive further into Henderson (voted by Sports Illustrated as the only Sports Town in Nevada - whatever that means?), park at the Community Center which is titled The Multi-Generational Center. Yeah, I know. Who came up with that one? Someone in the Henderson planning dept. who actually was under 40 and decided the image of Henderson being a retirement community needed a face lift. Yet, if you were to ever go there and use the facility - the name fits.

So, yeah, it is my Park 'n Run location. Park, get out of car and see hill. Kinda like Kansas, but well not. You see in Kansas, I could run for maybe a lifetime there and not see belly dancers (I think?). Wearing middle eastern attire, and not much of that. They did cover public naughty bits, barely. Anyway, not something one would see on a walking/running path alongside most downtown USA mainstreets. I must admit I wanted to ask if I could join them for a quick photo. That is what they were there for - or at least I thought. There was a man with very large lens on a camera taking shots. His lens seemed much to big for the shots he was taking though. Close ups? That was the entertainment portion of the run.

Inspirational portion came next. As I was beginning the uphill slog of the run, the opposite direction passing me coming down hill, was a running goddess. She was fit. Very much looked like an elite runner. She passed me saying hi holding up two fingers - old 60s- 70s peace sign fashion. A few moments later, as I continued my uphill torturous slog in 90 degree heat she came back. Passing me she yelled back, "keep it going! You are my personal inspiration for the day! Thanks!" Wow, who would have thunk anyone could get inspiration from a 30 pound overweight body going as fast as the slowest slug around. Yes, I know. I know what this all means to her. I must have looked pretty desperate looking and pathetic. Maybe, just maybe I was inspiring her? However, her words were more meant to keep me going in a reverse positive coaching technique. It worked. Little things like this mean a great deal to me right now. In fact, the little peace sign symbol, that was actually the third person running passed me to give me one that AM. Even a little thing like that is worth 3 miles of inspiration or more.

The run completed. It ended up being a very strong run for me at this point. I just wish, and here is my goal these days. It is not completing a Marathon or Half marathon. It really is the feeling, a fit overall feeling - That on any given Saturday AM, I could wake up knock down 10-12 miles. In a easy, this is what I do like putting pants on every morning lifestyle. Yeah, of course I would like to finish a half marathon or full. More importantly, I would like to be fit for any reasonable (or not), fete of strength I want to do at any given moment no matter my age. In a word Freedom of motion, action in an overall fit lifestyle. I love running.