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

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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!

:)