A Return to the Trails

Winsor Trail with eastern sun and cloud

I've returned to running again. A busy work and family life shifted priorities elsewhere. Work obligations take over for months each Spring and we compounded the bottleneck this year with a second child that arrived in late March. One finds when they're away from activity that it's quite natural to settle into a state of entropy. Injury and time constraints create challenges but at the end of each day it's the inertia of doing nothing that slowly takes hold.

What is missed most deeply of course is the time spent being outside - that sights and sounds of daily adventure and exploration. I'm prodded along now with some urgency to get moving again because I've reached a hard and awkward inflection point. In my current middle-age and often workaholic state I am now void of fitness to the extent that my clothes strain at the seams, and this is something I just cannot allow. I hold this ace card - which perhaps has let me defer and delay for as long as I have - hundreds of hours of detailed knowledge that by simply lacing my shoes and passing through the front door frame I can rewind most of this entropy to a happy balance.

And interestingly I find that in my regained alone-time I think about many fascinating things that I frankly must write down (laughing).

2018 New Mexico Outdoors Calendar

West Rim Trail

The calendar has flipped and the 2018 Event & Outdoors Calendar has now been brought up-to-date (see Tab at page top^). Most of the year's early season events have been pushed back in hopes of snow, we'll see if the storms are late to arrive or pass us by.

The U.S. Indoor Track & Field Championships is back for another go at the Abq Convention Center. Love this event so much. One season-changer finds the fledgling Outside Bike & Brew event here in Santa Fe jumping from May into early September.

Big additions to the calendar or events that have ceased operations? None that come directly to mind. Announcements or listings welcome at highdesertdirt at gmail dot com.


Related Posts:
 - 2018 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2017 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2016 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2015 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2013/2014 Outdoors Calendar

UNM Lobos Top the NCAA XC Podium for a 2nd Time

Lobos champion 7; Prouse, Kurgat, Kelati, Buck, Casey,
Negròn Texidor, Wright

The UNM Women rolled to both the National NCAA XC team and individual titles this past weekend. Ednah Kurgat claimed the individual crown, All-American honors to the team's first four runners. The team title is the Lobo's 2nd in 3 years, and 3rd podium finish in the last 4 years, and collectively totals 8 top-ten finishes over the last 10 years.

The team was ranked 2nd going into championship weekend behind Colorado. The title hinged on the effort of their fifth scoring runner, Alondra Negròn Texidor, who crossed the line in 85th place securing the winning margin.

UNM Women's Cross Country Wins 2017 NCAA Title

1. UNM Lobos (ranked 2nd nationally): 90 points
2. San Francisco (ranked 3rd nationally): 105 pts
3. Colorado Buffs (top ranked): 139 pts

Read all about it! We win our second #NCAAXC title in the last three years behind individual champ Ednah Kurgat and four total All-Americans! #GoLobos https://t.co/JF4TrV7Yri

— New Mexico XC/T&F (@UNMLoboXCTF) November 18, 2017

Related Posts:
 - Lobo Cross Country Continues Elite Run at NCAAs (Nov. '16)
 - New Mexico's Newest Olympic Hopeful (Jun. '16)
 - UNM Lobos Crushing It (Mar. 13)

2017 New Mexico Outdoors Calendar

Galisteo Basin

The 2017 Race/Outdoors Calendar has been brought up-to-date (see Tab at top of page ^). The one significant addition for the current year is the return of the U.S. Indoor Track & Field Championships to Albuquerque. U.S. pros had a huge haul of Olympic hardware across several distance events in Rio and will no doubt be gunning for more at this summer's World Champs. U.S. Indoors is the season's first shakeout at the elite level.

Deserving of a highlight - two additions to last year's outdoors calendar that stood out as welcome events to the area race scene were Ultra Santa Fe and the Bull of the Woods Trail Run in Taos. If you couldn't make either event last year you ought to make plans to do so this Fall.

At least one event falls off the calendar, the Ragnar Relays in Angel Fire does not look like it's returning in 2017. An entertaining writeup in Outside published recently comes to mind. I didn't run at Angel Fire either year however the website was on the receiving end of several emails about promoting and volunteering for the event.

Two great events that always come and go before I can get my bearings set for the new year are the Chama Chile Ski Classic and Santa Fe WinterFest (beer!). Fast approaching as I type.

Related Posts:
 - 2017 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2016 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2015 Outdoors Calendar
 - 2013/2014 Outdoors Calendar

Lobo Cross Country Continues Elite Run at NCAAs

UNM Lobos - Defending NCAA Champions

The UNM Women's Cross Country Team ended their season two weekends past with another top ten national finish (7th place, 310 pts). The team entered the NCAA National Meet as the defending champions, seeded 6th. Their result marks the eighth straight top ten NCAA finish for Coach Joe Franklin's program which goes along with nine straight Conference championships. It's a real treat to have a national class program in our backyard considering the international champions that have come to New Mexico to train since the 80's.

Alice Wright (Jr.) and Calli Thackery (Sr.) achieved All American honors (top 40 finish). Home state athletes included 5th scorer Natasha Bernal (So. - La Cueva HS) and 6th runner Kendall Kelly (So. - Bosque School).

The Team's 2017 season has begun with a promising start, receiving a commitment from one of the top rated high school runners in the country - Footlocker Champion Weini Kelati out of Virginia.

Blessed to announce my commitment to the University of New Mexico to further my academic and athletic career! #golobos pic.twitter.com/H6HM9Xrril

— weini kelati (@KelatiWeini) November 4, 2016

Related Posts:
 - Cross Country 2013: UNM Runs 10th at NCAA
 - US Men Claim Silver at World Cross (2013)
 - New Mexico's Newest Olympic Hopeful (2016)

Norteños at the New York City Marathon

Smyth - US Mountain Running Champ

The New York Marathon kinda got lost in the madness that was the World Series and election combo last week.

It was a fine race up front and a fantastic race for American athletes. US finishers took six of the first eleven places on the men's side, including former La Cueva High standout and UNM alum Shadrack Biwott in 5th (2:12:01), and Santa Fe based pro Patrick Smyth in 10th (2:16:34).

Biwott at NYC

Pat ran a minute faster at February's Olympic Marathon Trials, finishing 8th - 3 secs back of 7th place Shadrack Biwott. Seems to be a thing with these two. I'd think Shadrack ought to probably spring for the tab if they ever hang out. For what's its worth I raced Pat back in May and he got the best of me. We squared-up with a few hundred other runners at the Jemez Mountain Trail Run and the dude put me in his wake by an hour+ over a 13mi course. I'm going with a strategy of patience and I think I'll close the gap over another 15yrs when he doesn't see me coming.


On the women's side the Americans fared quite well again with three in the top ten, but I was mostly focused on gold medal triathlete and CPA Gwen Jorgensen in her first attempt at the distance. She faded to 14th overall, 6th American (2:41:01), however I'm going to imagine she had the tax liability on her winnings calc'ed out before crossing the line and that counts for something in my book.

Additional notes and connections: Molly Huddle finished 3rd overall (2:28:13), notable here because she was a college teammate of Smyth's at Notre Dame. Prior to Biwott's 5th place finish, fellow Oregon alum Ken Martin ran to a 2nd place finish in 1989 (2:09:38). Ken lived and trained in Santa Fe in the year(s) leading up to that performance. The best finish at NYC by a New Mexican local was of course Tony Sandoval, (2:12:12) for 6th overall in 1981. Tony passed over both Oregon and Notre Dame to run for Stanford.

Ken Martin in '89 besting Italy's Olympic gold medalist, Bordin

NYC Results - 2016

Related Posts:
 - New York's Incredible High Line Park (2013)
 - NYC Marathon - Race Report (2011)
 - New Mexicans at the Olympic Trials Marathon (2016)

Prep Miler With New Mexico Roots Qualifies for Olympic Trials

Aragon - Olympic Trials qualifier

Several high school athletes will be competing at this weekend's Olympic Trials in Eugene, including two high school seniors in the women's 1500m. Kate Murphy (Lake Braddock HS, Virginia) and Christina Aragon (Billings HS, Montana) both qualified by time with the #3 and #4 prep marks of all-time (4:07.21 and 4:09.27).

Aragon happens to be the youngest daughter of legendary New Mexico miler Chuck Aragon, a former Los Lunas HS state champion, an MD and graduate of UNM medical school, as well as the alternate on the 1984 Olympic Team in the 1500m. Her mother Kathy (Pfiefer) was a standout runner at UNM who qualified to run in the Trials more than once (3x to be specific).

Quality genetics led to multiple national championships on the track as a junior last year for Christina, and at a recent qualifying race in Portland she ran away from a field of professional and collegiate runners, just dipping under the Trials mark of 4:09.50, running solo and chasing the time by herself over the final lap.

Aragon is not expected to compete at the front for one of the spots on the Olympic team, her effort will be measured a success if she can make the finals. She has committed to run for Stanford in the Fall unlike her sisters and father who all ran for the University of Notre Dame.

See the bios and achievements of all sixteen prep Trials qualifiers (12 girls, 4 boys). They include one current world champion, a couple junior world champions, and several national record holders.

Update:
Christina ran through to the semi-finals, missing out on a finals qualifier by two places finishing in 4:12:71. Kate Murphy also missed qualifying out of the semis.


Related Posts:
 - New Mexico's Four Minute Milers
 - New Mexico's Newest Olympic Hopeful (2016)
 - The Tough Guy List (Chuck Aragon)

New Mexico's Newest Olympic Hopeful

UNM's Courtney Frerichs

The Olympic Trials are one week away and the NCAA Championships are two weeks past. This small window of time allows a moment to reflect on UNM's first and most recent individual national track champion, Courtney Frerichs. A member of last fall's national champion cross-country team, Frerichs ran away from the field in the 3000m steeplechase and soloed to the title as well as a new UNM and NCAA collegiate record in 9:24:41, breaking the previous record held by 1500m world champion Jenny Simpson by a little more than a second. Frerichs was NCAA runner-up last year running for University of Missouri Kansas City before applying as a graduate transfer to UNM for her final year of eligibility.

New collegiate 3000m steeplechase record

She was a heavy favorite to win the title, winning by nearly 100m. Her time however was exceptionally fast, 6th fastest all-time among US women, which now positions her for a realistic spot on the US Olympic team. She's currently the third US ranked woman by time:

  1. Coburn, 9:10.76 AR
  2. O'Connor, 9:18.85
  3. Frerichs, 9:24.41 CR
  4. Higginson, 9:33.38
  5. Cheever, 9:37.12 

This ranking comes with the caveat that two of the top 5 US women (Garcia, Quigley) have yet to compete this year. Both have PRs within one second of Frerichs new best. Should Frerichs find her way into the top three next week she'll be the first Olympian hailing from New Mexico since Shelly Steely and Aaron Ramirez in 1992.


Updated:
Left out a few athletes with local ties (naturally).

 - Santa Fe athlete Aliphine Tuliamuk-Bolton is one of a handful of Americans in legitimate contention for one of the 10,000m spots. She'll be competing this weekend at the US Trials.

 - Albuquerque Academy alum and prep track phenom Curtis Beach will compete for a spot in the Decathlon. He runs for Nike, and lives and trains in Arizona.

 - Former Lobo standout Ross Millington has punched his ticket to Rio and will be representing the UK in the 10,000m. He lives and trains in Europe.

 - Another former Lobo standout and European Champion Lee Emanuel has a shot at representing the UK in the 1500m. He needs to record a time of 3:36.20 by weeks end. Lee lives and trains in Europe.

Several other UNM sprinters and field event athletes will be competing in their respective nations trials this weekend. A write-up and list of these athletes was pulled together by the UNM athletic department.

Updated 2:
Courtney finished 2nd in 9:20.92 and will be running in Rio as an Olympian. So awesome.


Related Posts:
 - New Mexicans at the Olympic Trials Marathon (2016)
 - Chuck Aragon's Kid Earns a Trials Spot in the 1500m (2016)
 - Olympic Steeplechase Recap (London 2012)
 - A Brief Meeting with Billy Mills

New Mexicans at the Olympic Trials Marathon

Pay Smyth - 2015 XTERRA worlds

This year's Olympic Marathon Trials run Saturday in Los Angeles. Organizers report a record number of qualifiers (457) for the race, 211 men and 246 women of which a total of 373 appear entered to run. There will be a small New Mexican contingent out there including Magdalena Donahue (Sandoval) of Albuquerque/Los Alamos, Patrick Smyth of Utah/Santa Fe, and the Navajo Nation's Linnabah Snyder.

For Donahue this is her second Trials. She competed in Houston in 2012 but didn't finish the race, running three months pregnant at the time. Her qualifying time has improved though she's just four months removed from delivering her second child and a recent defense of her PhD dissertation. To be considered a national-class athlete in this context is somewhat extraordinary. Her father won this race in 1980. A recent Q&A with the Duke's Track Club can be found here, Magdalena's insight and training updates can be found here.

Donahue's personal photo-shop effort - 2012 Olympic Trials

Smyth has recently moved to Santa Fe to train with Ryan Bolton and his group of elites. He's originally from Utah, ran at the University of Notre Dame (HOW 'BOUT THEM IRISH!), and in his brief pro career has run World Cross Country (36th), collected 1st and 2nds at the US Mountain Running Championships (10th at Worlds), and is the three-time XTERRA world trail running champion.

Linnabah Snyder

Don't know much of Snyder other than she made it happen by one second with a 2:44:59 finish at the California Int'l Marathon, and will be on the line in LA tomorrow. Whole lot of respect for a runner that can get it done at that level.

NBC will be carrying the race live tomorrow, 1100am MT. All three 2012 Olympians on the women's side are running (Flanagan, Goucher, Devila). Meb Keflezighi is the only returning Olympic marathoner from 2012 on the men's side, Dathan Ritzenhein represented the U.S. in 2008 but finished fourth in the 2012 trials and later qualified in the 10,000m.

Men's 2016 Qualifiers
Women's 2016 Qualifiers

Update: I'm told Craig Curley of the Navajo Nation will be running as will UNM alums Shadrack Biwott and Chris Barnicle. Good luck to all.

Updated Results: Biwott 7th, 2:15:23; Smyth 8th, 2:15:26; Curley 98th, 2:42:55; Magdalena Donahue, DNF; Linnabah Snyder, DNF.
Full results here

Related Posts:
 - Olympic Marathon Trials (2012)
 - Armijo Runs to an Olympic Trials Qualifier
 - A Brief Meeting with Billy Mills
 - Meb Wins Boston

The Running Times Signs Off

The Running Times has ceased publication as of this last January edition and I am seriously bummed. Editions remain in news stands at the Running Hub and elsewhere. The last pure running publication, pure in the sense that a fresh copy of the RT best conveyed that running meant something. Its articles and writing best captured the sense of athlete performances in context of the sport, of the relevant history, and of whom was leading its newest charge. Other outlets will fill the void but they're varied and dispersed in a sport that carries niche attention. A sad day.

Gracing the final cover with Des Devila was an inspired choice. An everyman that penned her own arrival in a dramatic finish on Boylston. Like many that led the way before her, she broke into the elite from obscurity, years of careful ground work in place, and with her the intense belief that she alone could wear the champion's laurel.

No other publication or outlet brought the weight of RT. The sport will be different in its absence.

We have made the difficult decision that Running Times will no longer be published beyond its Jan./Feb. issue. pic.twitter.com/TFL2H8UJ5Y

— RW Advanced (@RWAdvanced) December 4, 2015

Snorkeling Adventures in Grasshopper Canyon

Colors at dawn - Grasshopper Canyon

As of Saturday morning we’d received no snow for several weeks so I went out running in the canyons along Rowe Mesa, figuring they’d soon be snowed in for the season. Been trying to piece together a trail loop(s) out there on-and-off during the year. Explored a nifty new route along the east canyon rim (h/t Georges Malley) then dropped back into Grasshopper Canyon on the return. Was feeling pretty good about myself and my orientation skills and the beauty of the morning, I was maybe even a little bit euphoric as I bounded down canyon splashing through the creek. The thought surfaced for a moment that this feeling is often a big bright red-flag of crushed expectation, on par with false-summits when in the mountains. Of further concern was a troubling observation - I’d parked at the mouth of the canyon where there was a well defined trail, but no sign of trail existed along the section I was navigating. Maybe people don’t hike up this far? Maybe there be dragons?

Pinon and the sunrise

The canyon narrows dramatically before long and I stop to take photos of a few serene waterfalls. Hasn’t become obvious to me just yet, but wait for it...waaait for it...aaand the canyon is blocked by a cascade into a large pool. There are no hike-arounds. Bare rock climbs to more than 200ft on both sides. The easiest route by far is to just down-climb into the pool and wade out the other side however I really didn’t want to do this. It’s 7:45am, cold but not freezing, I’m not certain how far I am from the truck but to retrace my steps would be six difficult miles and I really didn’t want to do that, not least because I don’t carry water with me on shorter outings. The idea then was to scramble down the rock chute and avoid getting hurt while jumping into the pool. Cellphone under my stocking cap at this point I slide/hop into the water and discover the pool not to be waist deep but neck deep. I actually choke on a bit of creek water but my system is in cold shock and my only reaction is to frantically wade to the exit. Now out of the water I remain in shock because I’m completely soaked, and completely freezing, and standing at the bottom of a canyon near Rowe Mesa on a December morning before the sun has lifted above ridgeline. This is a below average situation.

The upper cascades

It’s a good thing I’m out running and (maybe) a good thing I’m alone and not responsible for dragging someone else through this alarming misfortune. A few hundred meters down-trail there’s another less dramatic looking pool to wade through. Disappointment arrives as I soon find the depth is again more than chest-deep. I bark my shin on an awkwardly placed log as I kick to the exit. Alright then, I’m now soaked and freezing for a second time and slightly horrified that there may be more swimming before I’m done (mercifully not so).

I make it to the truck before compounding my problems with the embarrassment of being seen by other hikers. Getting wet isn’t a big deal, however being frozen without the certainty of knowing where you are invites a small amount of panic.

Side canyon falls and foreshadowing

These unplanned moments of panic are often fascinating. You’re zipping along in a security-bubble and in a ‘blink’ everything within view suddenly harbors potential existential challenges. The shadows shift, the smallest change in conditions at this moment may create serious vulnerability, (rolled ankle plus wet & freezing would be bad, slip and fall bad, encounter with wildlife really bad). It’s a fleeting and mostly-safe peek of what waits on the other side of the line between the beauty of nature and its steely indifference. Make it back to the truck and these types of interludes seem to always make the beer taste better. Cheers then, to always making it back to the truck.

Related Posts:

 - Adventure on the Winsor Trail

 - Nambe Creek Scramble
 - Rio en Medio Winter Bike Descent

La Luz Trail Run - 2015

50th Annual race up La Luz tomorrow. Amazing. The list of entrants is up (restricted to 400 runners each year by the Forest Service), and Santa Fe is sending a strong contingent. Sixteen of us scheduled to be on the starting line - ten men, six women.

Interestingly, the Santa Fe crew has a chance to claim not one but possibly both titles this year. Colorado native Jon Severy (runner-up last year) is now calling Santa Fe home. The elite comp for Severy is going to come from Sal Perdomo of Abq, John Ruybalid of Cruces, and Andrew Rhodes of Morgantown WV. Previous champs Houghton and Gutierrez, winners of 12 of the last 13 races, aren't listed to run.

Upper La Luz through the rock fall sections

On the women's side four-time champ Erica Baron of Los Alamos is listed to go. Elite comp will
come from Alyssa Specht and Madeleine Carey of Santa Fe. Ooooh, it may just be a burner.

Santa Fe has not had a champion at La Luz since Danny Maas in 1992. No Santa Fean has stood on the top of the La Luz women's podium since Judy Amer in 1989. Gonna bring the business up on the trail this year.

Updated (8/2):
Albuquerque's Jeremiah Johnson brought the noise this morning, running 1hr 24min for his first La Luz title. Santa Fe's Jon Severy ran four minutes back for 2nd, Jesse Armijo eight minutes back for third.

Los Alamos' Erica Baron ran to her fifth La Luz title (9th in the overall) in 1hr 39min. Abq's Hattie Schunk ran eight minutes back in 2nd, Santa Fe's Madeleine Carey was twelve min back for third.

Santa Fe athletes:
Jon Severy 2nd, 1hr 28min 33s
Madeline Carey, 30th (W3), 1:51:36
Peter Vigneron, 31st, 1:51:58
Tomas Duran, 46th, 1:55:48
Kevin Brennan, 59th, 1:59:33
Benny Montoya, 81st, 2:07:15
Natalie Severy, 91st (W11), 2:09:05
Stephanie Latimer, 113 (W17), 2:14:21
Mark Baker, 114, 2:14:28
Adam Johnson, 121, 2:15:40
Stacy Brossy, 225 (W56), 2:36:46
Mateo Gomez, 270, 2:49:23
Dominic Mandel, 337, 3:35:30
Ranee Onstott, 341 (W117), 3:42:24

Full results here


Related Posts:
 - La Luz Resuls - 2014
 - La Luz Pre-Race - 2014
 - La Luz Recap - 2013



View La Luz Trail Run - Albuquerque, NM in a larger map

When an Awesome Run gets Awesomer

Visiting and running in Boulder this last weekend. Memories from my days as a student are now more than a decade past and my internal map of the area trail system is incoherent. A wonderful side-effect of such haziness is to run unfamiliar trail sections then round a bend or exit a grove of trees to a marvelous and long forgotten viewpoint. Like greeting an old friend - over and over and over again. It's an enlightened experience, especially when you're also running with an old friend.

Our Sunday long run routed up and over and through until we made a quick change in direction and cut to a little known thru-trail in a residential area. At the bottom of the hill, setup right off the footpath, were two guys dolled up in red cocktail dresses and makeup, unloading three coolers of ice and Pabst beer from a truck. It was like the day couldn't have been a more perfect day, than this. Beaming, I laugh and call out through a maniac's grin, 'we've been looking everywhere for you!'

At this, the red-dress guys frown and look confused. They were expecting a group of runners in matching red dresses to come through, but we dropped in from the opposite direction, outfit in regular dirtbag attire plus mud-caked shoes and ankles. Little of this made sense to them at that moment. In contrast and in an apex of irony, their presence made clear and absolute sense to me along with my fading memories of life in Boulder in my 20's. The badassness of hitting an inadvertent beer stop during a long run ranks quite high. To be fair, it's most likely an act of God. I may have even said this out loud, in which one red-dress guy blinked slowly and indifferently in response. Then we remembered there was an incredible amount of beer sitting at our feet and we laughed and laughed. One celebratory PBR and several hi-fives later and we were clipping down the path again, stepping briefly to the side as an impressive fleet of on-coming runners feted in red dresses stormed right on by.

Related Posts:

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 - New Belgium Brewery and Their Awesome Beer

 - Drink Beer, Support Local Trails

City of Holy Faith to Chimayo Mountain Pilgrimage - Cold Beans & Dead Trees

Old and new - Chima 2015

Story and photos submitted by Joe Lewis: 

Rio en Medio to Frijoles Creek > Chimayo VillageDistance: ~21mi
Duration: ~8hrs
Elevation:

I don’t know why I decided I wanted to run from Santa Fe to Chimayo through the mountains this year. It was a combination of things but the main purpose was to challenge myself, test my faith, practice my moving meditation, improve my conscious contact with my higher power, have an adventure, do something no one had done, and see if it could be done. Obviously there is a precedent as Chimayo is one of the largest pilgrimage sites in the USA drawing upwards of 30,000 visitors every year on good Friday. Yet no one I spoke with on our local running team had heard about someone taking the mountain path, everyone goes on the main roads. I am sure the idea came to me while I was running. I have competed in Tough Mudders, Marathons, Backpack trips, and Ultra Marathons in the past so the idea immediately appealed to me. I could get a good training run it, scout some new territory, take my dog Tally Ho, avoid the roads and crowds, participate in a cultural event, and if successful do something no one had done before. But what route would I take? How long would it be?  What would I need to take? Would anyone go with me and did I want them to? Could and would I make it?

The morning of our run was clear and bright. A full moon was setting in the west when I awoke. My good friend Silas Peterson had decided to accompany me and arrived at 530am. I figured a partner would be good to have this first time around plus Silas and I had been through quite an ordeal when he survived a near death 150ft fall in the Grand Tetons this past July done an ice couloir which I witnessed. Our relationship since had been good but there was some kind of underlying dude tension between us (not wanting to admit weakness, fear of mortality, stubbornness...etc) that we never really talked about. We needed this challenge and the potential for healing.

After a quick stop to say a prayer and connect with a buddy who was going the 28 miles on the road we hopped back in the truck for a drive up to the trail head at Rio En Medio. It was chilly and dark when we arrived. I had a larger 2 day pack and Silas was only carrying a small water vest. We set off almost due east up the Rio En Medio on trail 163. It was slow going warming up the bodies and with the spring run off we had a few stream crossings but we managed to stay dry and made our way to trail 179. After about 1 mile this trial cuts northeast into the mountain over a ridge into the Rio Nambe canyon. This trail was obvious but had some rock slide areas that were almost impassable as well as some dead fall. Generally though it was pretty smooth going.

Tree and creekbed damage

Silas with the Sangres to the east

By the time we made it down into the canyon it was warming up and the sun was peaking through the trees. We had been going about 4.5 miles by this point. The canyon itself was a disaster zone. Literally it had been the site of a large forest fire two years ago and the trees still standing were charred and the stream itself roared through denuded banks clearly eroding and cutting new paths that would have been impossible with vegetation. A huge ponderosa pine lay across the stream with roots exposed gripping large river boulders like a fisted hand. It made a good bridge but the scene was surreal. As we made it a bit further up we got into some clearings which had some more life with new grass shoots and aspens budding. We had planned to cut north and then meet up with trail 234 going northwest onto the Nambe mesa but we somehow missed it. Instead we ended up on Borrego trail 150 headed due north. I figured that was the case looking at the topo map and the fact that there was no western trail taking us out of the mountains the way I had planned. I was a bit nervous at this point. This was the dark area that I had not scouted in advance and we had clearly missed the trail I was hoping to find. I joked and tried to downplay it but I was unsure and fear was creeping in.
While the unknown trail was difficult with endless deadfall and some icy snow patches we kept at it. After all this was some kind of pilgrimage and while Silas is a professed atheist and I am more of a spiritual leaning agnostic we had to trust the universe had our backs on this one. One foot in front of the other and we would make it out. Around mile 9 we crested a ridge and headed down. I guessed at this point we were in the frijoles and Santa Cruz lake water shed. A mile further on we arrived at a swollen stream which I guessed was the Rio Frijoles (frijoles is beans in spanish thus cold beans). I figured if we followed it down stream we would end up coming out on the roads where I had done my first scouting mission. That however was easier said than done. The canyon was steep and the trail crisscrossed the stream over 20 times. Just when our toes regained feeling it was another back and forth and a re-numbing with needles in our soles to follow. At 11:30 we stopped for a quick lunch and shed layers as we were dropping elevation at this point and the sun was getting high and warm overhead. At about 12.5 in we were making good time and steady progress.

I figured we were a little over half way there but that didn't make the navigating the canyon any easier. The fire hadn’t come down this far but there was still plenty of dead trees. Some we went over and others had enough clearance below to squeeze underneath. This was becoming a real obstacle course. We had a feeling of anticipation but with frozen feet a sprained ankle was a real possibility, we weren't out of the woods yet. At mile 13.5 some ATV and jeep tracks started showing up. This was a relief and then I saw the area I had run on my reverse scouting mission. Our legs were in good shape as most of the past few miles had been downhill with plenty of distractions but now it was up a ridge across country to intercept cnty rd 123 and south around Santa Cruz lake to the Santuario. I figured we had another 6 miles to go after having covered about 14.5 by this point (my Garmin died so these are approximations). We started getting into our food and electrolytes but we were out of the mountains, they had released us. That low grade anxiety of being so remote, blind and isolated vanished. We looked back up at the mountains and out over the washes and foothills we had yet to cover with a sense of purpose and levity.

Cundiyo overlook and a parade of Good Friday pilgrims

We made good time across the foothills. Following some cow tracks and jeep trails I saw my old prints in the dirt from my scouting run weeks before. We intercepted county rd 123 then crossed Hwy 503 to Cundiyo climbing up onto the mesa south of Santa Cruz Lake. One more drop into a wash then we were up on the western mesa above the Lake and the town of Portero and Chimayo. We started seeing the cars and walkers headed to the shrine as we were. We hugged a ridge and dropped down right above the church where hwy 98 and county rd 92 converged. Loud motorcycles rumbled by, trash littered the shoulders of the road, and portapotties stood sentinel. After 8 hours and about 21 miles on trail we had arrived. We joined the masses and headed down towards the river. As my dog Tally Ho drank and frolicked in the stream with the kids I thought about the water and how it was the same runoff, with a brief reservoir stay, from the high peaks which had been freezing our feet a couple hours previously. We walked around the gardens and then past the line to get into the church itself. The structure has become such a well known site as many miracles have been attributed to the place, injuries cured, and the dirt is believed to be holy. It was crowded and tourists mixed with serious devotees of Spanish ancestry with rosaries and screen printed Jesus shirts. It was quite a shock to be surrounded by all that humanity, cultural history, juxtapositions, and faith after being so quiet and alone in the woods.

Good Friday at the Santuario

Santuario de Chimayo

We met Silas’s girlfriend Abby on the road and got in the car for the drive back to Santa Fe and my truck at Rio En Medio. It was a very cool experience and I would certainly do it again. Maybe I was expecting too much though as I sat in the back seat of the car exhausted and slamming chia seed Kombucha. There was no white light experience, no deep immediate faith gained. Yet I think the real lesson is that this was a challenge. Something no one else had done and I scouted it over 2 months, mapped it, trusted I could do it, believed the universe would see me through and completed it. My faith is not some guilty conscience and penance of sin and repentance. My faith is a steady and persistent discipline much like the run itself with one foot in front of the other and when the trail is lost a belief in the universe that we will find our way. It is at times nerve wracking and painful but also allows me to run through cold mountain streams with my best friends jumping over logs and freezing my toes. I like to think Caballo Blanco would have approved.

A week after the run Silas told me that my friendship was very valuable to him, I had been of incredible service, and I had affected his life deeply. If that isn't cool and a good reason for a pilgrimage I don’t know what is...


Related Posts:
 - Easter Pilgrimage: As Interpreted by Endurance Athletes
 - Nambe Creek - TR 160
 - Scouting Forest Service Trails by Plane

Caroline Rotich Races to Boston Lore

Golden laurels and the champions cup - courtesy NYDaily news

Big day in Boston yesterday. Santa Fe local Caroline Rotich wins an epic duel down Boylston Street with Ethiopian Mare Dibaba, of Dibaba sister fame. Caroline's previous Boston best was 4th in 2011 (besting Kara Goucher). She also ran 4th at Chicago in 2012.

I wasn't even aware that Caroline was running yesterday. Monitoring the live feed I was first disappointed to see Flanagan fall off the lead pack at 1:45hr, then Desi broke at about 1:57hr. Both Americans no longer chasing podium spots. I then took a moment to review who the final three were: Dibaba, Deba, and Rotich. The first two easily recognizable, decorated Ethiopian runners. Spent a moment trying to place Rotich before snapping up in my chair in realization that I was watching Caroline. Holy hell, she was in the final selection at Boston. She could win this thing!

The pace accelerated at oh-shit underpass and Deba was out the back. Caroline lead the race out of the final turn onto Boylston where the finish line is suddenly wating in the distance - dangerously distant 500m off. Can't even imagine what that must be like. Dibaba moved first at about 350m, opening a little space - I cringed watching it unfold, frantically whispering encouragement and gesturing wildly from my desk. But the lead arrested, Dibaba couldn't open a break, a dramatic pause lingered over the two for several seconds, then Caroline moved all-in. The acceleration erased the small advantage and as she caught and moved past Dibaba the other runner's face creased with effort, her stride visibly strained, then she broke. Caroline ran free into open space, a giant grin on her face, the finishing tape a short 70m away. HUGE.

Caroline's winning bid, Dibaba implodes - courtesy of USAToday

Complete disbelief on my part as to what I'd just seen. Exhausted and elated, Caroline staggers around draped with a thin blanket, receiving a bear hug from one of the officials, then Bolton suddenly steps into the video feed to give Caroline a second hug and congratulations. This was happening at the finish line, at Boston, on Patriots Day. One of the most unreal things I've ever seen.

Rotich wins! Rotich wins! Rotich wins! @ccrotich @jhboston26 #TheHarambeeProject
— Ryan Bolton (@CoachRyanBolton) April 20, 2015

A friend and training partner of Caroline's watches the live feed of the final 500m
Posted by K. Hollingsworth Ryals on Monday, April 20, 2015

Every northern New Mexico runner yesterday morning Originally posted by K. Hollingsworth Ryals, Monday, April 20, 2015
Today's Santa Fe New Mexican headline piece (Staci Matlock)
Today's Santa Fe Reporter feature piece (Julie Ann Grimm)
Today's Albuquerque Journal headline piece (Glen Rosales)
Today's Boston Herald feature piece (Steve Buckley)

Related Posts:
 - Luminaries on the Rail Trail (2011)
 - Caroline Rotich and the Santa Fe Elite Training Group (2011)
 - BOSTON! (2015)
 - Meb wins Boston (2014)

BOSTON! - 2015

It's here, Patriots Day in New England and the running of the 119th Boston Marathon. And what a fine, fine morning it is!

I've pulled together a tracking list of Santa Fe area runners heading out from Hopkinton into Boston today. The list below ought to include all runners from Santa Fe and Los Alamos. I found no entrants from Taos, Espanola, or Las Vegas, though there was one from Abiquiu (represent!). This morning's starting list shows 70 runners from the state of New Mexico, nine from Santa Fe including Robert Jones, Vince Hesch, Peter Vigneron, Hilary Lorenz, and Mark Wallace who lives two doors down from us (give 'em hell Mark!) .


Am I missing someone we should be tracking? Let me know.
Boston live-streaming can be found here
The Leaderboard can be found here

UPDATE:   Santa Fe athlete Caroline Rotich just won the Boston Marathon in 2:24:55. So, there's that. Coached by Santa Fe's Ryan Bolton, uses the Santa Fe Rail Trail for a lot of her training (i know because i wave and say hello when she runs past).

Ummm...Caroline just won Boston!? @CoachRyanBolton https://t.co/SbRIn0f7T1
— highdesertdirt (@HDD_santafe) April 20, 2015

230pm MST

1030am MST

830am MST

700am MST

#NMruns_Boston Tweets

Related Posts:
 - Luminaries on the Rail Trail (Rotich)
 - BOSTON! - 2013
 - BOSTON! - 2012

Gunning for a Big December

Dorothy Stewart Trail and the Sangres in morning light

Strava tells me that my running mileage for the year is at a disappointing 409mi. The good news is that I have five weeks to adjust this total. I've come up just short of 500mi in both of the last two years. This is humiliating enough to admit without adding a third year and 50% more failure to the total. Gotta bring it home with 20mi weeks in December. A pathetic goal but every journey begins with the first step.

Mini-Dirt running with Waltz and
mini-Waltz

I opted toward a long mtb ride yesterday morning rather than the annual Turkey Trot, but later I brought the little one out to the race (Atalaya) thinking he'd enjoy all the activity. Well, mini-me went crazy with the running. I'd peg his morning running at close to 2mi in random loops, back-and-forths, and roughly half of the Kids 1K race. He got away from me once so that he could run through the finishing chute. He got away from me a second time which prompted an abrupt announcement to my friends, "Shit, I lost the 2-year old". I found him though. He was running. The little fella actually cried later on our walk to the truck because 'I wouldn't let him run'.


Related Posts:
 - Mileage: How Much is Not Enough
 - Year in Review 2010

Arroyo Washout

Two foot+ drop in the arroyo floor at the St Francis Dr. crossing

My weekend run was along the Arroyo Chamiso. I'd seen in passing that the arroyo channel was destroyed near the house and I wanted to tour the rest of the carnage. Storms like the one that produced this flood happen every couple years but they're always a source of awe and excitement.

Massive scouring and drops in some areas; other areas collecting the tons of displaced sand resulting in rises of several feet. Debris in trees at levels above shoulder-height. Amazing stuff.

On the return trip I stumbled on two young graffiti artists in the culvert of the Old Pecos Trail crossing. They called me sir. I critiqued their work and ran on. Good kids.

Storm debris at the bridge along Gail Ryba suggests the flood level was above the bridge deck

Heavy debris (entire chamisa bushes) wrapped on railroad pylons up to 6ft in height

Helpful sign along Gail Ryba:  Don't enter the arroyo when flooding

An up-arroyo property armored with willow and cottonwood plantings. Erosion minimal.

A recent Dia de los Muertos themed piece near the museums

Related Posts:
 - RAIN! - NM River Levels Spike 30x Avg Flows (2013)
 - Come Hell or High Water - Monsoon Season (2013)
 - Floods Ravage Bandelier and Cochiti Canyons (2011)
 - Santa Fe's Arroyo Systems

Santa Fe Thunder Half Marathon - 2013

The 4th running of the Santa Fe Half is just a few short days away. A fine time to recap the prior year's race, particularly when a timely race report never made it to completion the year before. Previously the Buffalo Thunder Half Marathon, the race has shifted its marketing to highlight our lovely town and the more recognizable name of Santa Fe. Solid decision, the miles need to be run just the same.

Last year was my first view of the course. Started out from town on a perfect fall morning for running - a bit overcast, cool, with rain the night before. I ran with Leigland and friends Dan and his wife Cheyenne who had traveled up from Alamogordo. The gun sent us off, starting with two miles of climbing on Old Taos Highway. We ran these fairly leisurely and I think they split at 8min30 then 8min even. Chatted with folks we knew as we worked through the field. Mile 3 started the descent into the Rio Grande valley which went at 6min flat. My watch might as well have just flashed 'DANGER!'. The old run-like-hell-early-and-control-massive-damage-at-the-end strategy was being penciled into the day's schedule.

At the start - bag check

Cruised down into Tesuque Village at about mile 5, stopped for a photo of the outstanding surprise of Bellydancers, then out past the Pueblo and Camel Rock Casino at about mile 7. The grade flattens out quite a bit at this point and the field had thinned into lonely areas of no-man's-land. I was also now carrying a piano on my back. A runner with a cop mustache and a state police shirt passed me. This impressed me and I told him so. Also, the guy was probably carrying so I wanted to be sure I was on his good side.

Fabulous Mile5 Bellydancers

Miles slowed to 6min50s. Sounds fast-ish but the down-slope was a significant aid. A steady moving runner came up on me and I was fortunate to latch on which then carried me through to mile 11. My man blew-up at this point and disappeared (*poof*), but I was near enough to the runner just up the road that I pressed to catch him and we ran it in together from there. Turns out he was a top age-grouper out of Socorro (John Leeper), finishing 2nd in the 55-59 age group just behind the legendary Senovio Torres. My chip time actually edged Torres even though he finished a good 30sec ahead of me. Good company to be in.

The 12th mile was a faded 7min10s but I might have closed the final mile in around 6min45s. Finshing time just north of 90min. An unexpectedly fun and enjoyable morning. High fives all around, except from my quads which were understandably upset. The race organizers have put together a really solid event that I hope will continue to grow.

BTH 2013 - Race results here
Photo album courtesy of Max Mujynya - here (SmugMug.com)

My crew at the finish - Dan and Leigland

Finishers list

Related Posts:

 - BT Half Marathon Notes - 2013

 - A Brief Meeting with Billy Mills - BTH 2012

 - BTH Marathon Recap - 2011

View Santa Fe to Buffalo Thunder Half Marathon in a larger map