Keep Moving Forward: A Training Log (Comments Welcome)

Day 5 - Vegas

We got up Friday morning, showered, loaded up the van and said goodbye to Utah. We had one last stop on our trip, Sin City.

I had been to Las Vegas once before, but I was 19 and with a girl I was dating and her parents. She was a bit of a wet blanket (and I was underage), so I wouldn't say it was your "typical" Vegas trip. Now, I'm not much of a gambler, but I do enjoy an adult beverage, so I was looking forward to seeing what Vegas had to offer. On top of that, two of my traveling companions had never been to Vegas.

One more thing, it came up during our trip planning meetings (aka, sitting at the bar back home) that three of my buddies had never been to a Hooters before. Now, this is not some impeachable offense, but I do happen to think Hooters food is actually pretty tasty (albeit overpriced due to the "atmosphere"). As it turns out, there is a Hooters Hotel & Casino right off The Strip and the rooms were pretty cheap, so I secretly booked those and waited until we got there to surprise my buddies. It was a good laugh.

Here's what sucks about Vegas, though: We got to the hotel around maybe 12:30 or 1. Check-in wasn't until 3 or so and we had all of our luggage, but nowhere to put it. Hooters was happy to let us check in early...for $25 for each of our two rooms. Oh, and there was a $35 resort fee that wasn't mentioned anywhere (that I remember seeing) when booking the rooms. So, that kind of stressed me out since our cheap rooms quickly doubled in cost. But, after we got checked in, I just kind of let it go.

After getting up to our rooms, we went back down to the gaming floor where the actual Hooters restaurant was located and we had lunch. I had wings and a beer and it was way bueno. But, again, overpriced. After lunch, we set out to explore The Strip.

Vegas1.jpg

So, like I said, I'm not a big gambler, but I love Vegas. It's like being in a whole different world and I find the atmosphere to be really energetic and entertaining. We first popped in to New York, New York where we purchased alcoholic slushies and then dropped a few bucks in the casino. We continued our way down The Strip making short stops at the Bellagio and Caesar's Palace. I don't think I gambled at the Bellagio, but I spent a few bucks at Caesar's Palace. And when I say, "spent a few bucks," I mean 10 bucks in a slot machine, which is about all I do.

We crossed The Strip, went down some side street and bought another slushie (those things go fast when you're walking and it's hot out) and made our way back up the Strip toward our resort.

Back at Hooters (I'm not going to lie, I feel a certain degree of shame every time I say that), we got cleaned up and went down to the pool/bar area where we cashed in some coupons for free drinks.

After grabbing some drinks, we went onto the gaming floor for some slots and waited for a blackjack table to open up. We got a table together and a very patient dealer who talked us through strategy and whatnot. This was probably the highlight of Vegas for me. It was low stakes and we didn't have to worry about anyone else at the table. We could just play cards, lose our money and have a good time together. Unfortunately, after a bit, some dude with like $400 in chips (we were all playing with $20-$40) sat down. Since you can get hosed over by a bad player (us) at a table and I didn't feel like being that guy, I cashed out and got up. My buddies did the same shortly thereafter.

At some point after all of this, I played some slot machine and won $100, so that was cool. Then we ventured back out on to The Strip. The sun had gone down and it was a GORGEOUS night.

Vegas2.jpg

We worked our way to our next fine dining stop - The Taco Bell Cantina. Yes, there were far better dining options for us, but two of my buddies and I go to Taco Bell back home together all the time and this was supposed to be the Mecca of Taco Bells. We wanted to check it out. Another one of my travel companions had never been to a Taco Bell, so we wanted him to have his first Taco Bell experience in Vegas.

The Taco Bell Cantina was ... fine. The food was about the same, just more expensive. You can (and we did) buy alcohol there, which is novel. They sell T-shirts and stuff like that. Mostly, it was just novel eating Taco Bell on the Vegas Strip, so I don't regret my decision at all.

After dinner, it was dark and we went back to the Bellagio to watch the fountain show. To be honest, it was a lot cooler in Oceans 11, but now I can say I've seen it.

Vegas3.jpg

I'd like to say we had some wild, crazy and rowdy night and Vegas after this, but I think we were all feeling the wear and tear of several days of hiking. We went back to Hooters (shame) and gambled a little more and then popped over to Excalibur, where they have a giant arcade. Unfortunately, the arcade closed just as we were getting there (around 11). So, we grabbed drinks and gambled a little bit at Excalibur before heading back to Hooters and calling it a night.

Despite a pretty pedestrian night, I had so much fun in Vegas and it was a great way to end an awesome week (and I broke even on gambling!).

The next day, we flew back to Iowa. THE END
 
Running this week:

Tuesday

4 miles @ 9:12/mile. I don't recall much about this one. I don't think it was too hot yet.

Wednesday

4 miles @ 8:59/mile. I've been feeling really conflicted while running this week. On one hand, I feel like I'm going too fast on these easy runs. On the other hand, I haven't had any hard runs when I've been pushing myself, mostly because I don't know when or how hard to push myself. So, I'm feeling too slow, too fast and just kind of rudderless with my training lately.

Friday

4 miles @ 9:03/mile. By this point in the week, it was definitely starting to heat up, even first thing in the morning. Signs to come for a toasty weekend.

Saturday

6 miles @ 9:00/mile. And there you have it, the oppressive heat. I was soaked in sweat by the time I got back from this one, despite starting around 7 a.m. Just a hot, muggy morning.

Sunday

Nada. I told myself I was going to run today, maybe another 8 miles, but I am just not feeling it this morning. I mowed for 2.5 hours yesterday and it was in the 90s the whole time. Then I cleaned gutters, got up on my roof and took care of some wasp nests and grilled dinner. So, in honor of Father's Day, I'm giving myself the day off.

Miles this week: 18
Year to date: 683
 


The shame of staying at Hooters ... I'm cracking up.
Sounds like a great trip overall - thanks for sharing your recap and amazing pictures!
 
The shame of staying at Hooters ... I'm cracking up.
Sounds like a great trip overall - thanks for sharing your recap and amazing pictures!

The shame is real! I didn’t tell any of my coworkers where we stayed or post it to FB. I don’t know the big deal is, they’ve got a kids menu!
 
I love Vegas. We also don't gamble much but I love the spectacle of it all. And a few days is usually more than enough of Vegas and just every few years for me, but when we go, I just love it!
 


I love Vegas. We also don't gamble much but I love the spectacle of it all. And a few days is usually more than enough of Vegas and just every few years for me, but when we go, I just love it!

I’d definitely like to go once more than every 15 years - and I’d like to see/do more next time - but I agree that a few days would be plenty!
 
I love Vegas. We also don't gamble much but I love the spectacle of it all. And a few days is usually more than enough of Vegas and just every few years for me, but when we go, I just love it!

We go every year. We hit our favorite bars & restaurants, see a show or two, and find something else fun to do like renew our vows at the Elvis chapel.
 
We go every year. We hit our favorite bars & restaurants, see a show or two, and find something else fun to do like renew our vows at the Elvis chapel.

What are your favorite bars and restaurants there (other than the Taco Bell cantina, obviously)?

Vegas is one of the few cities I can fly to directly from the Cedar Rapids airport. That has me considering doing the Vegas marathon one day.
 
We go every year. We hit our favorite bars & restaurants, see a show or two, and find something else fun to do like renew our vows at the Elvis chapel.

I've been wanting to do an Elvis chapel vow renewal for years. Just haven't pulled it off yet. There are a lot of Elvis wedding chapels I recall from when I did some research. Any particular one you favor.

Also, when we went in the fall we went to see Absinthe. It was amazing. Incredibly offensive, so if you are a sensitive soul (which I somehow don't imagine you are) it's not for you, but we LOVED it. I laughed so hard my sides hurt- and my butt due to the incredibly uncomfortable chairs.
 
Did you go down to The Strip much? My understanding was the novelty wears off real fast for locals and it tends to be avoided.
I would guess we went to the strip probably 3-4 times a year, for birthdays or concerts. But even for a concert we can get in and out of the strip without much fuss at some venues. There are so many other places to go -- Fremont is a favorite of ours, along with some good off the strip food places.
 
What are your favorite bars and restaurants there (other than the Taco Bell cantina, obviously)?

Vegas is one of the few cities I can fly to directly from the Cedar Rapids airport. That has me considering doing the Vegas marathon one day.

In no particular order.....

El Segundo (cilantro jalapeño margaritas!)
Joel Robuchon
SW Steakhouse (great vegan menu)
Burger Bar
Five50
Vesper
Parasol Down
Julian Serrano
SEA Thai
 
In no particular order.....

El Segundo (cilantro jalapeño margaritas!)
Joel Robuchon
SW Steakhouse (great vegan menu)
Burger Bar
Five50
Vesper
Parasol Down
Julian Serrano
SEA Thai

I'll add:
Bouchon
Yardbird
Le Cirque
Sugarcane
Bardot Brasserie
Steakhouse at Circus Circus

Olives at the Bellagio was always a favorite, but's closed now and is instead Spago from Wolfgang Puck. That makes me sad.
 
So, I hit a milestone this week: 700 miles run so far this year (according to Strava). The actual total for the year is slightly higher, thanks to a treadmill run I didn't log, but this is close enough. Barring any injuries, 1000 miles for the year should not be a problem, at all. 1500 miles might be feasible, but I need to get my mileage up a little bit during these summer "off" months.

I didn't get a ton of miles in this week, but I did run in two different states.

Tuesday

4 miles @ 9:15/mile. Not much to report.

Wednesday

4 miles @ 8:48/mile. This run took place on the Indiana University campus, where I was attending a conference. I got up before the morning session started and ran around the campus a little bit. I'm partial to the University of Iowa campus, of course, but IU was picturesque and had some nice, wide sidewalks and paths for running. I was warned it'd be hilly and it definitely was not a flat run.

Saturday

6 miles @ 9:01/mile. My typical Saturday morning run.

Sunday

3 miles @ 8:43/mile.

So, confession: I went out with some buddies last night, had a good time and did not feel like running at all this morning. BUT...because I am a safe and law-abiding person, my car was still downtown, about 3 miles from my house. So, I stuffed my keys and wallet into my running pouch and ran down to get my car. Nice, little workout.

Miles This Week: 17
Year To Date: 700
 
lhermiston - I stumbled onto this thread from the WDW Marathon thread, looking for some direction in training for the Dopey.

When I flashed through some pictures of Zions and Bryce I had to stop and take a gander. These national parks are in my backyard! It is cool to be on a Disney message board and find someone who is visiting and posting about these amazing places. We took a youth group to Zion's just a few months ago and hiked Observation Point. I had done Angels Landing before, but not this. It wasn't as harrowing a hike as AL, but still had a spectacular view. Bryce is another gem, and we were there with extended family over our Fall Break in October. I never tire of visiting these places.

Glad you had a great trip! Hope you enjoyed Utah. Thanks for sharing.
 

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