Saturday, May 07, 2005

Race for the cure

People (and the IRS) forget that when you decide to support and participate in a cause, such as today's Las Vegas Race for the Cure, you donate more than just time and money. You donate sleep. I woke up at 4:35 am this morning, which is like waking at 2:35 am in Hawaii. (Which is pointless, unless you're Kate Bosworth or Michelle Rodriguez and you're training for a surf contest.)

I digress, already. The race supports the generalized fight against breast cancer, but for me, it's a little personal, as an unhealthy roster of my family members have been so afflicted. So before 6:30 my sister, parents, and I arrive to get prime parking near the Fremont Street Experience, where the race is to be held. We make it a point to drive by Fremont Street at night for any visiting guest, but until today, none of us have spent any time there. (In other words, my best impression of the place was still that old U2 video.)

The event itself is nice -- a much grander scale than the sister event in Cincinnati. The trick is picking a time of year where walking or running in Las Vegas (even in the morning) isn't overrun by the heat. A month ago would be too chilly, a month later too hot. Today was baby bear's porridge. I felt like I walked a lot more than 5 kilometers, though.

We returned by 11:00 to organize our harvest: shirts, plastic mugs, breakfast pastries, refrigerated stuff. (I could have called this entry "Race for the freebies.") I then felt the need to donate to my own cause, the Neel Mehta Take-a-Nap Foundation.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I digress before I've even started... I have both watched the U2 video you speak of TODAY and visited Freemont St (althought not today) and wondered if I needed to go back there next week when I'm in town. A relevant post indeed.

I've never done a 5K sober...Bay to Breakers is 12K and not for such a good cause (although I thought that level of people watching was a fine cause indeed). So kudos to all involved. Hope the nap was enjoyable.

Neel Mehta said...

A 6-hour nap is always enjoyable.

I can't imagine that Fremont Street changes all that much; check it out if you like, but downtown should be about the same since 2000.

That lady with the dollar bills on her vest? Bono liked her.

Anonymous said...

and thus the rest of the female population hates her...