Scottish Sun man gives Las Vegas a run for its money at Humana Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon – The Scottish Sun

On and on I plodded past wedding chapels and out towards the desert, away from the speakers booming out Rock-a-Hula Baby.

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As you might have guessed by now, I was in Las Vegas.

A place best-known as a haven of unhealthy excess.

Me? Well, I’d flown to Nevada’s largest city to see what it has to offer visitors who are more into fitness and wellbeing.

Oh, and to run 26.2 miles in the Humana Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon. After checking into my room at the Park MGM hotel, I took a stroll along the famous Strip, checking out the packed streets and huge hotels, each with a casino in the foyer.

You don’t have to pay a cent to see the water fountains show at the Bellagio or wander round Caesar’s Palace next door. Great fun. Next morning I headed to The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, another enormous hotel complex, for a healthy smoothie at the Juice Standard stall.

I asked for a Sexy MF containing cashews, cacao, avocado and banana. Delicious.

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With my big run just a day away, I got the chance to loosen off in the Cosmopolitan’s fitness suite, where expert instructor Kimberly Parrish led her Yoga Blend class. This was a full body workout, even for a novice ‘yogi’ like myself.

Feeling relaxed, I was in the mood for a good feed of pasta to boost my carb reserves.

And the Grand MGM’s stylish Ambra restaurant provided quantity and quality.

Meatballs al forno, then linguine and clams plus delicious Ambra vanilla cake with Italian meringue. No need to worry about calories tonight.

Everyone who had entered one of the Rock ’n’ Roll marathon events had free entry to an outdoor concert featuring US singer Kesha. Sorry, not my cup of tea.

Have an unforgettable week in Sin City… without doing anything naughty

Instead I headed across the road to the T-Mobile Arena to catch a gig by the legendary Fleetwood Mac. I sang along as Stevie Nicks & Co belted out: “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow.” As if I could.

Next morning I enjoyed the perfect pre-marathon brekkie in the Park MGM’s elegant, French-style Primrose restaurant — a big plate of porridge.

Or “organic oatmeal with seasonal fruit compote and milk”, as they describe it.

Oats provide the ideal slow-burn energy that long-distance runners need. And with my race not starting till 4.30pm, I also had time to wolf down sourdough toast, fresh orange and a couple of mugs of coffee.

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And then, yes, another yoga class. Plus a trip on a big wheel. Both at the same time! What a treat this was. Ally, our delightful instructor, had us bending and twisting into all sorts of shapes as the High Roller — the world’s tallest observation wheel — took our pod 550ft into the sky to give us stunning views of Las Vegas and its surrounding desert and mountains.

We went round twice in an hour-long experience that was both exhilarating and invigorating. Now I was ready to race. Well, jog slowly more like.

Darkness was falling but the lights of Vegas provided a dazzling accompaniment for the thousands of marathon and half-marathon runners as we set off together. It was a joyous atmosphere, with plenty of music and cheering crowds.

The route saw everyone cover the 4.2-mile-long Strip in both directions — and a lot more besides. More than four hours later my spirits soared as I headed for the finishing line past the Kiss and Elvis impersonators.

I felt elated and nowhere near as exhausted as I feared I’d be. Finishing time: 4hrs, 44mins — Eliud Kipchoge, your world record is safe.

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Back at the Park MGM we were treated to a gargantuan celebratory feast at Best Friend, a laid-back spot that serves up super-chef Roy Choi’s Los Angeles take on Korean street food. Our little group was treated to dish after mouthwatering dish of hot pots, BBQ spicy pork and slippery shrimp plus noodles and rice. A brilliant way to replenish my spent energy stocks. And I wasn’t done yet.

I headed over the road to the Hakkasan nightclub, where entry was free to all Rock ’n’ Roll runners. It was mental in there — packed, noisy, glitter cascading from the ceiling, thumping tunes I’d never heard of.

And every 20 minutes or so a rock band would take to the stage to bang out a classic song such as the Oasis anthem Wonderwall.

So much fun, even though I was probably the oldest person in there by about 20 years.

Next day, after a much-needed long lie-in, we headed to Ferraro’s, one of the city’s most- famous Italian restaurants and a favourite of a host of showbiz stars. Escalope of veal with asparagus and potatoes went down a storm, accompanied by a much-appreciated glass of wine.

After that it was all about recovery. Starting with a visit to the luxurious Sahra Spa at The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. I soothed my aching legs in the hot tub then enjoyed an expert massage from the saintly Ainjal, who rubbed warming oils deep into my cramped-up calf muscles.

Sensational.

Our evening meal, at the Cosmopolitan’s Zuma restarant, was also an incredible treat. We supped cocktails, one of which had its smoked-wood taste supplied by a blowtorch.

And we shared plate after plate of gorgeous Japanese grub — including one tribute to the local Golden Knights ice hockey team that featured tuna, caviar and gold leaf. It went down a treat. So I can now honestly say I have expensive tastes.

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We then headed off to the incredible Venetian, with its gondolas and breathtaking artwork, to see a show called Atomic Saloon. This was a hilarious, bawdy performance mixing acrobatics, songs and laughs. A bit like Cirque du Soleil meets Blazing Saddles.

On our last day our host came up with a daring plan to purge the lactic acid from our aching limbs — a 45-minute spin class. The uber-trendy Soul Cycle session at the Wynn Plaza was led by the enthusiastic Jarreau. And, incredibly, it seemed to work.

I wound down with some top-of-the-range pampering at the Wynn’s luxurious Spa. Followed by lunch at the same hotel’s Tableau restaurant, a classy spot.

Sitting outside in the sun with my fellow “athletes” and sipping a bevvy or two was a lovely way to round off an unforgettable trip to an astonishing city.

As the King said: “Viva Las Vegas!”

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