A dam, a desert, and a drink

18 April, 2015

Las Vegas, Nevada

The trip to Vegas has been planned for a while with the focused activity of racing in the desert. The trip had a brief detour to Chicago for some late night sandwiches and an overnight visit with some friends. 

Friday afternoon, we arrived to Vegas and were greeted by friendly people, a clear blue sky, and absolutely zero humidity. Packed into the little rental car, we maneuvered through the highway and down the scarce, brown roads to a small airport in order to squeeze in a helicopter for the one hour ride over the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and Grand Canyon. The views were incredible. We saw Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah all at the same time because of the clear day. 

Hoover Dam/ Grand Canyon

Saturday morning, we woke up bright and early for the Spartan race, applied sun screen, and filled ice water in the camel pack. The 45 minute drive south to Jean, Nevada revealed the true images and feeling of a desert. The air was so dry and sandy that I couldn't control my coughing and my skin tensed up like a lizard preparing to die. Luckily, the temperature was a nice 75 degrees at the moment, so I didn't fear for the worst (but still didn't know what to expect). The 10 mile course started with at least a mile up a small, rocky mountain. By mile two, my knee was bleeding. By mile four, I realized the high value of the water packed on my back. At mile seven, I had tripped from a cramped leg (adding more cuts and bruises). At mile nine, I was wet with mud. The last obstacle of the race ended poorly for me (but successfully for Pedro) with a rope swing across a mud pit. Two bananas and a beer later, we were back in the car to return to the hotel. 

The final hours of the trip were spent by the hotel pool drinking excessively large cups of mojito and cucumber soda while people watching the stereotypical guests enjoy their afternoon.