Revel Marathon

Mt. Charleston, Nevada 

April 5th 2025

     Here we go! What a difference a year can make. One year and three days ago my husband and I were in a rut. He retired and we settled into slowing down and getting old. This however, did not feel quite right. I know deep down there is still more to accomplish and more life to live. The time has come to get after it and so we got after it. Our thirty days of healthy eating and exercise turns into a year of milestones. Shedding pounds leads to setting new goals and striving to accomplish those goals.

     The target race is Two Cities, but others are thrown in as tune ups and training runs and Revel Mt. Charleston is also added as a fast downhill potential BQ race. We ran it in 2019 and know it has 21 miles of downhill before it flattens for the last five miles. Initially, my husband is interested in the Big Bear race in November instead of Two Cities, good thing we ruled it out as it gets canceled on race day to due to snow. We register for Two Cities and Mt Charleston at the same time to have races on the calendar forcing us to stay committed to our objectives of fitness and good health. 

     After the jubilation of qualifying for Boston at Two Cities in November, life quiets and we enjoy the holidays. We taper our training to maintenance miles. We keep our running base and gym schedule, but also allow our bodies to rest and recover before ramping back up for Mt. Charleston. In January, the thought of a twenty mile long run around town does not sound too fun, hence the search for a marathon in February. The options are limited. I suggest Surf City, but my husband vetoes that idea.  My husband dislikes the monotonous long out and back on the highway at Surf City, yet five loops of the American River with mud and roots and unstable footing is not somehow monotonous. At least we add something different to our repertoire. 

     My race time at Jed Smith is disappointing, my legs just run out of gas. After taking time to recover from the race, it is time to dial in our training runs in preparation for Mt. Charleston. I haven't been this hyped to run in a long time. We incorporate speed work and weekly miles at Rocky Hill. Hill work is crucial for a successful downhill race. Clocking a 6:55 on one of my downhill miles gives me an extra boost of confidence. The last time I ran that fast I was in my thirties. Maintaining my forty pound weight loss is key to my training this time around. Instead of yoyoing my weight remains steady. The overall change to our diet is transformational.  That is not to say we have a perfect diet, we still indulge on holidays, birthdays and special occasions, but eliminating seed oils and focusing on protein, fruits and vegetables makes a profound difference.

     This year on my husband's birthday he is wearing 31 jeans instead of 36 that he squeezed into last year. For him giving up packaged cookies and cereal is the secret to his success. Focusing on whole foods and eliminating processed foods has made a tremendous impact on our overall health. Too bad it took us so long to figure it out. This year's birthday cupcakes are homemade, no store bought frosting full of junk ingredients. We snack on fruits and vegetables instead of chips and dips. Feeling fit is the best gift we can give ourselves.

    Surprisingly, as marathon day approaches I feel good. There are no aches and pains and my IT band is not full of inflammation for once. The Tuesday before race day I run my predictive five miler. The 40:22 indicts a sub 3:45 marathon, but there are never any guarantees. Taper time is always good and bad time. It is nice to cut out lots of miles, but not as fun to reduce calorie intake with less running.  A spin class on Wednesday, a walk on Thursday and we are ready to drive to Vegas on Friday. My mom joins us on the trip so she can visit my brother and his family. Once in Vegas she hops on a shuttle to Mesquite and we head to the expo. 

Revel is a great marathon organization. The expo is a fun experience. The highlight is listening to coach Paul's advice on how to tackle the downhill course. With seven years of experience running the race he has many helpful tips. Mainly, he says to use gravity as our friend. He recommends starting slow with the first .43 being uphill and high attitude and then to let off the brake and pound down the hill for 21 miles. Mile 5 being the only exception with a uphill portion. After getting our bib and shirt we head to our hotel in Summerlin near the bus loading area. Many people like to stay in Vegas which also has a bus to the start for an extra fee, but we prefer to stay off the strip.

     Diet rules go out the window the day before the marathon. We have a hamburger for protein at lunch and pizza for a carb loading at dinner. We find a surprisingly good pizza place called Lino's in a strip mall. We elect to go the hot tub to loosen our muscles, but the jets are more of a bubbler than a jet. We do talk with four young guys who are hoping to BQ, they need a sub 3:00 to qualify. I share the information from the run coach. They are hesitant to bank time, but it really isn't banking, it is running at race effort and less effort is required on 3-5%  grade. I should have asked their names to see how they all did.

     Now, the challenging part of the day, sleep. With a 3 a.m. alarm set I am hoping for at least two hours of sleep. Me and hotel noise always have a way of finding each other. I turn on a podcast and beckon sleep. My husband is out cold until the hall noise begins. Loud talking, laughing and running down the hall causes him to bolt up. I get to the door before him and nicely ask the fifteen girls who are living their best lives, if they can quiet down. Is the second floor hallway really the best place for Friday night fun.

     Thankfully, I do manage a few hours sleep and awake before the alarm. I haven't been this excited to be up before three in the morning in a long time. We pack up as if we are preparing for the North Pole.  Two pairs of gloves, ear warmers, beanie and a parka. Once at the bus parking area we elect to pass up on the school buses and wait for the charter buses at the back of the line.  A few other runners have the same idea. A few of us keep moving to the back of the line to avoid having to get on the regular school buses. Once the school buses depart we hop back into the line and get the front row seat of the second charter. We board the bus at 4:13 and enjoy the peaceful comfy ride to the top of the mountain. Once at the top the buses one by one move until they reach the drop off zone where we are supposed to get off. By 5:35 we are still on the bus. Our driver is waiting for the okay for us to be let off. Runners begin to get antsy and demand to be let off. Our driver gets upset and starts saying the F word ten times which is ten times funnier in a Chinese accent. Apparently the bus in front broke down. There is momentary chaos, but before anarchy sets in he finally lets us off the bus twenty minutes before the start. The need for our North Pole attire is totally unnecessary. As I am second in line for the potty the announcer states last call for bag drop. I don't want to donate my warm winter coat so I run to bag drop forgetting to take off my running beanie and ear warmers before running back to get in line again for the potties. I donate the items I forget to put in my drop bag.

    Amazingly, we make it to the start area before the official start, but wait for the pack to clear out before we begin, 2,678 people is a lot to navigate in a congested start area. The beginning is just as I remember, hard.  It is hard to breathe and hard to run, but I just need to remind myself it is less than half a mile before the gravitational pull shifts in my favor.

     I quickly regret the fanny pack that I haven't used in years. It isn't tight enough around my waist and is bouncing around like crazy. The first few miles although fast are a struggle with my fanny pack flopping below my fanny. I try to focus on getting into a rhythm and enjoy the scenery. At mile five the parking lot uphill loop is the perfect time to walk and make some adjustments. Taking off my jacket and putting the fanny pack over the jacket eliminates the bouncing and frees my mind to focusing on running. It is also the first aid station for water and electrolytes. The wind is so strong that the cups are flying out of the trash cans creating a symphony of dancing cups as we run. It is one of the craziest things I have heard on a marathon run. 

    Finally, at mile six, I settle in to my stride and start to feel good the miles effortlessly fly by. It feels amazing to be lost in the moment. Most runners around me seem to be in the same Zen space gliding down a mountain with ease. There is no labored breathing coming from me or those around me. A rare magical race is unfolding. Coach Paul said to lock it in at mile six and don't let up until mile 21 and that is what I do. These kind of days are few and far between and must be relished. The only annoying things is having to pee, but I refuse to waste a minute or two of my potential PR time on a potty stop. Shortly after the halfway mark the need to pee dissipates and I no longer have to look it see if there are lines at the potties. Even as the grade lessens I keep reminding myself it is downhill capitalize on it. At mile 17 I start to feel a blister forming on the bottom of both feet. I went round and round about wearing the new pair or the old reliable less cushioned pair. I chanced the new pair for more cushion and tell myself suck it up I don't care how bad it gets, I will run through it. When I hit mile 21, the tough part begins. The blister pain is no longer the focus and the count down begins. The time isn't passing nearly as quickly and the effortlessness is gone. The magic of  the mountain shifts to getting past the 3/4 mile uphill section called "Just Get Over It" mile 23. As I am running mile 23 I keep thinking the hill is coming at mile 24. So as I am powering through the get over it mile it is a pleasant reward to realize the uphill section is done. Mile 24 is actually flat and somewhat downhill. The last two miles are where I completely fell apart in 2019. It reached 87 degrees that day and I began the bargaining of if I run a tenth I can walk a tenth.  It feels so good today to run strong through this section and pass a few people doing the walk run shuffle. When I finally hit the 26 mile marker I know it is going to be a new PR and hang on for the final turn before the homestretch on an incline. I am unable to push that final .20 because I must have left it all on the road behind me and that is all you can ask of yourself. Crossing the finish line is glorious. A year of hard work pays off.

     The weather, the downhill, and the training coalesce into a new personal record. Eight being the theme of the day, my PR at age 58 is now eight minutes faster last broken eight years ago. Once across the finish line, my legs immediately tighten, I take a medal and a water as I seek a place to sit, ground, curb or chair in the medical tent. Let's go medical tent. As I comfortably recuperate I check my watch for my mile paces. My watch indicates four new records fastest 5k 23:26, fastest 10k 48:32, fastest 1/2 1:44:03 and fastest marathon 3:37:22. 

Revel puts on a great runners race. Photos are included in the entry along with a personalized video (still waiting for that). Their downhill courses rank as the top five BQ qualifying courses.  An artificial intelligence analysis of your race effort is also available on the results page.

After our fun run down Mt. Charleston we hobble to the buses to return to the parking lot. Downhill races are twice as painful afterwards. It's the price that must be paid for the effortless euphoric ride down the mountain. We marathon shuffle back to our hotel room and collapse. If not for hunger we may have crawled in bed for the night, but we make it to the hotel diner for a much needed burger and fries before  going straight back to bed. While many running celebrate at pool parties and fancy dinners our greatest reward is sleep and sleep we finally get. Awaking at nine a.m. is a shocking surprise thanks to no hall noise and blackout curtains. Now we are off to Mesquite to celebrate my brother's birthday, but not before a quick stop for a Krispy Kreme donut. My husband has severe calf cramps in the last few mile of his race and he is having a difficult time walking. When we arrive at my brother's house my husband gets so much sympathy and compassion as he struggles to walk and get up and down.

    We enjoy a delicious meal at my brother's favorite restaurant Gregory's. It is the best way to celebrate my brother and the food is amazing. My mom has to go every times she visits. Now that we are home and my husband is healed from his soreness and I recover from a week of the flu...we must contemplate our next big goal.  It is important to always be working for and striving toward something...

also some cat sitting my grand kitties