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When I ran my first half marathon five years ago, I only had to take a subway ride into Brooklyn; the race was in Bay Ridge and it was off the water. Sounds lovely, right? False: it was pouring down rain the entire time. The course was just up and down a few times so it was incredibly boring. And the race was so disorganised, the volunteers who were supposed to give us the mile markers didn't even know what mile we were on. Needless to say, I swore off long races after that.
Although there are plenty of fun, well-organised races in the New York City area, I decided to give half marathons another go and sign up for the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Las Vegas on Nov. 17. I have heard from friends that Rock 'n' Roll races are a lot of fun, and the race is around the strip in Las Vegas at night. Plus, there are tons of perks as a VIP such as a Kesha concert, after-parties, and VIP bathrooms (score!).
However, this is my first time running a long-distance race out of town, which means I need to be extra prepared. I'm only bringing a small carry-on suitcase and a small gym bag as my personal item, so I've gotta pack efficiently. And while I have my Vegas outfits planned out — trading in my sneakers for some club attire — I want to make sure I'm prepped for the race and the days before and after. Check out what I'm planning on packing ahead.