What Happens in Vegas...

...stays in Vegas. Like a marathon. Okay, a half marathon. And sure I walked and didn't run, but whatever, it's still a huge accomplishment! And especially for me.

You know, the girl who spent months going to physical therapy to learn how to properly pick up a gallon of milk or how to step into each vacuum stroke without rotating my spine. Who actually learned several step by step processes to everyday chores that most people don't think twice about. Because as much as I am terrified of hospitals I don't want to end up in one and I am told that's where one has to go when one requires back surgery. And one is just a few bulging discs away...

But pity party aside...I DID IT! And I'm pretty sure I'll never do it again. I birthed four babies au natural, no drugs. If it were available at one of the water stations, I would have begged for an epidural on that walk.

I walked with my mother in law, my sister in law and my stepsister in law. Well I started with them. Two of them left me at the start line and I lost Kristen at mile 8. But let's back up...

We woke up at 4am to make it down to the start of the race. On the way to the course I met a few Elvis impersonators. Sure they're blurry, you know Iphones, but just put yourself in a Vegas state of mind and it might clear up a bit for you ;-)

It was freezing! We waited for the start for what seemed like 5 hours. Hours I could have been sleeping, by the way. And don't you dare make fun of my poncho, it kept me warm. Kinda. Okay not really. But it blocked the wind and made me look like a ferocious competitor. We were at Mandalay Bay after all...isn't that where all the boxers hang out?

And then finally we were off. And I spent about a mile and a half fiddling with my Ipod. And it took me quite a while to realize that my earphones were uncomfortable because they were upside down and in the wrong ears. And then I had to take off my gloves everytime I wanted to change a song because apparently they need to rename the Ipod Touch to the Ipod must touch with skin. And somewhere along the way I tossed the poncho, lost my earwarmers but then found them, dropped a glove (a few times) and went back to retrieve it. I enjoyed the bands at several of the mile markers, after all it was the Rock n Roll marathon. And somehow kept on trucking by our hotel, Caesar's Palace, TWICE, while resisting the overwhelming urge to just vacate the course and go be one with the video Poker machine.

I honestly thought it couldn't be that hard. I mean, it's walking. I walked 80 blocks in NYC, in flip flops, how hard could a few miles in comfortable supported Nikes be? I even trained some. But it was damn hard! And I don't know how people run a full. Talk about crazies...suddenly my home birth stories make me sane. And believe me...this isn't a smile, this is delirium.

But the reason we went on this little adventure in the first place was to honor a very special person in our lives. Poppy. Who walked this race two years ago while battling cancer. And who finished. And who was an inspiration to just keep on going, no matter how much I wanted to quit at mile 10, 11 and 12. Who we love and miss.

And whom I shared many of the same feelings about after the race with, most importantly...Why the hell did I think that was a good idea?*

*also applies to my bet on the Texas game...but I just couldn't bring myself to utter the word "Nebraska"