Race Across New Mexico, Stage 15

Monday, March 2, 2015

I awoke on the morning of Stage 15 ready to get out there and run the last 30 miles to Texas! My legs felt really good, despite the "quick" 30 miles the day before. Max and I had to drive an hour to the start, as Roswell was where we decided to stay. The hotel in Tatum (near the start of Stage 15) was not exactly the most inviting place to stay, and we made the decision to stay in Roswell because of the hospitality and comfort offered there :)

The last stage went really good. My legs felt like they had an extra spring in them, propelling me towards Texas. I was also glad that this would be my last day running on pavement for a very, very long time! As I said in an earlier post, pavement is unnatural, and the slope of the shoulder (even if it is barely visible) will cause injury and muscle imbalances to the leg taking more of the impact.

Anyway, I finished out the 30.4 miles in just under five hours, at a 9:46 min/mile pace. I always made sure to take a bit of a walking break at each mile throughout each stage of the run, and this method worked great!

Some pictures from the last day:

 There were a lot of these metal signs for all the ranches dotting the area. This one must be a big ranch, since it is already 9 miles off the highway!

 Getting ready to run to Texas!

 And, we're off! After today I won't run for a week :)

 Passing mile 14, on the west side of the small town of Tatum, NM

 Somewhere near the end...it is hard to tell exactly where this is, because the scenery was basically the same.

 Getting the last stage done!

A bit of celebrating with Barefoot Alex and Robert Young. Both of these runners are very inspirational and are amazing people!

Riding this Texas sign like it is a bronco.

Stage 15

Distance - 30.41
Time - 4:57:06
Pace - 9:46
Calories - 2253
Elevation Gain - 3
Elevation Loss - 431
Elevation Change - 434
HR Avg - 142
HR Max - 175
Minimum Elevation - 3789
Maximum Elevation - 4217

Totals (12 stages)

Distance - 319.42
Time - 58:49:06
Pace - 11:04
Calories - 23981
Elevation Gain - 10284
Elevation Loss - 12427
Elevation Change - 22711
HR Avg - 139
HR Max - 180
Minimum Elevation - 5286
Maximum Elevation - 6202

***

In the next post, I will give a general race recap. Things I will discuss include general remarks, training for this event, gear, nutrition, injuries, baths, relaxation, sleep, the digestive system, and my next big plans!

:)

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 14

March 1, 2015

The month of March began with Stage 14 of the Race Across New Mexico. Due to inclement weather the day before, I decided not to venture out onto New Mexico Highway 380 for Stage 13. The road was closed, and I did not want to risk going out in the car, or having a vehicle slam into me on the highway. When the race director had not made a decision by 11:30 AM, and because the road was still closed, I made the decision to not risk anything.

Due to the fact that Stage 12 was cut down to 19 miles because of the road closure, the race director decided to tack on the remaining miles onto the last two stages of the Race Across New Mexico. Therefore, Stages 14 and 15 would both be 30 miles in length. 

I actually felt really good during Stage 14. I listened to some Indian music for the first half, and the sound of the nagaswaram kept me going. The entire 30 miles were on the desolate stretch of road between Roswell and Tatum, and because it was foggy, I couldn't tell what the landscape looked like. Overall, it was a great day, and my average pace for the 30 miles (9:43 min/mile) was the quickest pace I had maintained during any stage! My legs felt like they were actually running, rather than slogging along in a shuffle.

 Excited to run!

 Getting ready to start. Lots of fog.

 And, we're off for the first of two 30 mile runs...

 A sweet action shot.

 Running so fast everything is a blur?

Stage 14

Distance - 30.29
Time - 4:54:13
Pace - 9:43
Calories - 2167
Elevation Gain - 568
Elevation Loss - 197
Elevation Change - 765
HR Avg - 147
HR Max - 185
Minimum Elevation - 3848
Maximum Elevation - 4403

Totals (11 stages)
Distance - 289.01
Time - 53:52:00
Pace - 11:11
Calories - 21728
Elevation Gain - 10281
Elevation Loss - 11996
Elevation Change - 22277
HR Avg - 139
HR Max - 181
Minimum Elevation - 5422
Maximum Elevation - 6283