Because we'd planned to do a Vegas-y thing tonight, Mark and I had to hustle over from Mandalay Bay to The MGM Grand to pick up show tickets. That was a hike. I considered it our pre-race-day work out. We returned in time to meet up with his fam and jump on the waiting shuttles to head over to the convention center and the Race Expo.
Remember how I said we were warned it was "a bit crazy?" Yeah. Understatement. We got there as close to opening as the (slightly misguided) shuttle driver could get us and we emerged into a crush of people. The VIP line to register for Team Challenge was already snaking around the back of the registration area a bit. But, the people in charge got on it quickly and moved through the line checking registrations and IDs so all we had to do when we got to the front is get our packet.
If, like me, you are clueless, this particular packet included our numbers (Mark = 19219, Amanda = 19214), pins for attaching said numbers to our race singlet, and dohickies (no clue what they're really called) that we loop on our shoes so that we can be tracked and timed. We then moved stage right and picked up our swag bag and free Rock 'n Roll Marathon T-shirt. The swag bag included a head-lamp light that we could wear if we wanted to since this is a night race (and could perhaps be used for spelunking in the future), fliers and coupons for the weekend (nothing we'll probably take advantage of), and some GU 'fuel' pieces (looked like fruit snacks, but are for a quick re-charge).
We met up with Mark's family, did a brief turn through some of the expo, but soon tired of the massive amounts of people. Plus, I was hungry. And Mark knew that a hungry Amanda = a grouchy Amanda, so we left, walked to the Venetian with hopes to eat on the "canal." Due to the surplus population, however, there was a bit of a wait, so we went to a food court and got what was probably the best tasting piece of pizza I've ever had. Or I was just really hungry.
Unfortunately, before we could head back to relax for a little bit before the Pasta Dinner, we had a small medical mishap. Mark's mom passed out -- due to dehydration, according to the EMTs -- and it was a little scary for a minute there. Luckily, we had two nurses with us (Mark's sister and aunt) and directly behind us was an off-duty EMT. I'm not ashamed to admit that it rattled me. I moved tables out of the way and made room for the people who could actually help her, then got her water and pretty much ordered the casino security guy to get her a wheelchair (so she didn't have to walk through the casino to the taxi stand) once the EMTs cleared her.
I was shaking, but Mark was a rock. He was right beside her and he was quiet and calm and pulled together in a way that I have always admired him for. His mom is a trouper, boy. The EMTs said all her vitals were normal and said that she needed to hydrate (we pushed water on her roughly every 5 minutes after that), so despite feeling tired, she pulled herself together and made it to both the Pasta Dinner and the show later, ignoring our suggestions that she could do otherwise.
And I wonder where he gets his stubborn streak from.
I'd been told the Pasta Dinner was a pretty significant event for those who fund-raised and trained during the last 15 weeks, and they weren't wrong. On our way down to the convention center, each team wore their individual Team Challenge T-shirts.
I lost track of the number of teams (though each team was called out and given a chance to cheer), but there are roughly 1,300 Team Challenge peeps participating in the half marathon. That cumulative team raised 4.5 million dollars. Million. The amount of good those funds will be able to do for CCFA and those afflicted with IBD is phenomenal. The hosts provided awards to the top 10 fund raisers nationwide (lowest being roughly $12K, highest at $50K), and then Mike McCready, lead guitarist for Pearl Jam -- who is going to be participating in the race this year and has been living with Crohn's disease for many years -- gave an award to a woman who has now participated in 11 Team Challenge events, raising money, being a coach and a mentor, and generally promoting the heck out of this organization.
The most moving speech, though, was that of a 7th grader named Abba who had been diagnosed when she was in 2nd grade. She was poised, articulate, and wise beyond her years. She broke my heart and encouraged me all at once. We also found out that the Senate just recently approved December 1-7 as 'Crohn's & Colitis Awareness Week,' and as they said, awareness means funds, funds mean research, and research means more treatments and, hopefully, a cure -- so that kids like Abba don't have to suffer the way I know she has in her short life.
After a brief meeting and team pic, we met back up with Mark's family and cabbed it over to The MGM Grand for the Cirque du Soleil show, Ka. As all Vegas shows are, this one was amazing. The theater looked like the inside of Zion from The Matrix and the impossible feats these athletes performed (all to some very stirring music and following a -- mostly understandable -- storyline) were incredible. Mark's family headed back, but he and I hoofed it to New York for a late-night snack and then took the tram back to our hotel.
Tomorrow is a sleep-in, take it easy, try not to get nervous day. We are to meet up with the team, in our gear, at 4:30. Our 'corral' is 19, so our wave will probably start around 5:30. And...four short hours later? This will all be but a happy memory and we'll be able to nurse our sore muscles. Wish us luck!
Go y'all, go! --Yasminke
ReplyDeleteI can't believe the day is finally here! You're both going to do fantastic - and it sounds like you just narrowly missed being one of those top teams - I'm betting you were easily in the top ten for first timers.
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