Vegas -- an iconic run

LAS VEGAS -- I've wanted to run in the Rock'n'Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon for years, even before it was named that.

I just never really had the time, or ever was in enough shape to do it. The closest I came was a few years ago, when I was driving down the Strip at night, not putting two and two together that the announced road closures for the next morning were for the race.

But this year I had the time and the training to do so. I was so excited about running in the race that I didn't go down to play poker in the Excalibur's juicy poker room the night before.

The race didn't disappoint. It started at Mandalay Bay and went through the Strip to downtown. I'd run (on the sidewalk) pretty much the entire way in the past, in three chunks: I used to run downtown to the Stratosphere when I stayed downtown.

When I've stayed at the Sahara and Stratosphere, I'd run to the Mirage and back. And I've run from the Imperial Palace to the MGM Grand and back.

It was really cool to run down the Strip and to know your progress in the race based on what casino you were near. Heading downtown and back up, the Stratosphere was a huge beacon in the race. Near the end, I started counting down the properties -- from Caesar's Palace to the Bellagio to New York New York until I finally could see the last casino -- Mandalay Bay.

I totally want to come back and do this race again. It's funny that it's that way, since I really don't need another excuse to return to Vegas.