Vegas, again (DRAFT)

If I've just come back from a business trip to India, then surely it must be time for a holiday in Vegas by now.  And as if by magic*, we found ourselves staying at a nice swanky hotel room in the Mirage.

As readers of this blog should know by now (ie me), I have another passion in life, and that is playing poker.  And what better place to do that than in Vegas?

Unlike triathlon, I'm actually not that bad at poker.  In fact I have actually won quite a bit.  Unfortunately I've also spent all my winnings, mainly on my triathlon habit.  Specifically on buying stuff that match my shoes.   My name is Issi and I'm a Tri-aholic.

I won $200 in my first tournament, which I spent on a fantastic tri suit that matches my shoes.

The second tournament wasn't so good.  I bubbled with AK offsuit when shortstacked.  No, I don't know what that means either.

The third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth tournaments were a bit of a blur, and I don't remember that much about them to be honest.  I do know that I bought a whole load more triathlon-related stuff without having to resort to a credit card once, so it couldn't have been bad.  None of the items were a Bianchi so it couldn't have been that brilliant either.

I then won $200 on my last tournament, which I spent on some new running shoes.  They're the wrong colour.

But I didn't just play poker and shop.


Improvement - training - swimming.  5k circuits. running to another state in another state.

All you can eat buffets followed by free yoga.  Double wind-relieving posture not recommended.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?  (Tattoos, extra weight from buffets, foot injury).  Football.

Poker.  CS not lasting longer.  Bubbled with AKo when shortstacked (no, I don't know what that means either).  Finally CS did last longer.  Finished slightly up on the poker.  I finished slightly down, but it's the taking part, not the winning.  As no poker player said.  Ever.

Kurt lucky $20.

Run across the desert.  Run across the hotels with lululemon athletica people.

*  When I say "magic", I actually mean four grand.

How would you like your eggs in the morning?

Inspirational Kurt has started organising additional training sessions for those of us who are pretty much out of their depth at this triathlon lark, and that's before even getting into the water.  To be honest, I wasn't particularly interested in joining these extra sessions, because I'd still be the slowest by far, and basically if I wanted to come last all the time I wouldn't have left any of my husbands.

But Kurt is clever.  He knows that he can get me to agree to almost anything if it involves food, and that's why he always holds out chocolate at the finish line whenever I'm racing.

However, according to the latest "research", curly wurlies are not part of a balanced diet, even if you eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I'll take that with a pinch of salt.  Although to be honest, I find that the salt doesn't really improve the flavour.

But Kurt had another trick up his sleeve - apparently he does a pretty mean fry-up.  And when I say mean I'm not talking average.  He promised the full works for anyone who got out of bed at stupid o'clock, cycled to Worthing & back (26 miles), ran to parkrun, sprinted round parkrun, and ran back to his place.

I took the car.  I got a poached egg for breakfast.

The Anglo (not Indian) Duathlon Series

I arrived safe and sound back in Blighty (or should I say Brighty?  As it's Brighton?  No, never mind) and managed to clear my digestive system of all traces of mango just in time for the next race of the lycra-clad speed-freaks.  

Me OFFICIALLY coming last in this race.  Although I had Unghhhhh on the bike!

In other news......  Kittens, don't you just love them?  If you don't, look away now.  And probably for the next few weeks.

Who cares how bad you are at triathlons when you've got cute kittens?

The first (and last) ever Anglo-Indian Duathlon Series

I mentioned in my last blog post that all those lycra-clad speed-freaks were about to race their first triathlon of the season, and I couldn't be there because I was in India.  I also said that I was a bit disappointed, which is a massive sign of progress.

So to make up for it, I did the course in the hotel gym in India.  I came last, which is a massive sign of no progress whatsoever.

My time for the first 2.5k above. Everyone else's time left.