Race Across New Mexico, Stage 12

Stage 12 brought with it a lot of snow and ice on the road. Because it wasn't sleeting and raining and snowing like yesterday, I actually preferred the conditions today over yesterday. I was just chillin at a pretty good clip, and would have finished today's marathon in around 4:40...but then, the road was closed after mile 19. Actually, the next 60 miles of the road were closed (between Roswell and Tatum, NM). This was sort of a bummer, because I was feeling good and in a nice groove.

It would make sense to just consider today's run as the 19 mile section that we would have run on Monday, but the race director was thinking that we would tack on 4 miles or so over the next two marathons. So, yes, that would mean that we would have to run 30 miles tomorrow, and then 30 miles on Sunday! (And then, only 19 miles on Monday to reach the border of Texas). I am hoping that we just do marathons for the next 3 days...

Below are some photos of today's run. It looks pretty bad, and it was, but I was actually enjoying myself quite a bit, and was bummed that we had to call it quits. Us runners, we could have dominated that hill like it was nothing :)

Right before we started the run

 Look out for trucks!

 Getting er done!

 Icy roads

 An awesome action shot

 Running through Roswell. I haven't run in an urban environment since 2012! And, I didn't like it.

 East of Roswell

Groovin

 "Befriend someone"

 Mile 19, where we had to stop. 

 This weird icicle formed on my facemask.

Stage 12
Distance - 19.11
Time - 3:21:55
Pace - 10:34
Calories - 1443
Elevation Gain - 121
Elevation Loss - 598
Elevation Change - 719
HR Avg - 139
HR Max - 168
Minimum Elevation - 3448
Maximum Elevation - 3948

Totals (10 stages)
Distance - 258.72
Time - 48:57:47
Pace - 11:19
Calories - 19561
Elevation Gain - 9713
Elevation Loss - 11799
Elevation Change - 21512
HR Avg - 138
HR Max - 181
Minimum Elevation - 5579
Maximum Elevation - 6581

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 11

Stage 11 was definitely a day to remember! With the temperatures hovering around freezing when we began, a light rain/snow started falling upon us. I am never worried about snow, because you can just bundle up, but when it is rain and makes you wet, then the precipitation becomes a problem. Over the next miles, the temperature continued to drop, and the wind seemed to pick up even more. At mile 19, I asked one of the volunteers what the temperature was like, and he said that the windchill was somewhere in the mid-teens. Fun!

The first 6 miles were really good, and I was just chilling out listening to some Handel and Scarlatti piano music. Then, between the first and second aid station, the rain seemed to pick up, and my clothes quickly became wet. We climbed this long hill that seemed to take 5 miles to ascend, and then Max (my crew member) was waiting right before 13 miles...I changed all my shirts and jacket, and put another pair of pants on...my Gore Tex jacket had developed a thin layer of ice all over it, which I guess could have been good in a way to further block the wind, but I left it to dry out.

I asked Max to just go 3 miles up the road (as he did until the end), and this seemed to keep my spirits high. All I had to do was run about 30 minutes, and then I could change out my clothes if I wanted to. My hands got really cold between miles 6 and 13 due to the freezing rain, so I had to put on these dang work gloves that were in the back of the car. They didn't offer too much insulation, but at least they were dry. When I tucked them into my jacket, it provided just enough of a barrier to keep my hands warm for the remainder of the run.

Have you ever looked outside and wondered if it is too cold to run? That was basically what today was like, except we had to run. When there is a threat of frostbite, that's when you know the real fun starts! :)

Despite these fun conditions (which some may call miserable), I maintained a low heart rate average of 136 and a max of 165. I just took it easy and didn't stress the system too much.

 The weather at the start reminded me of the weather prior to the Boston Marathon in 2007...cold, windy, and gross. Perfect for a real good 26 miles!

 The last half reminded me of Highway 50 between Pueblo West and Florence. Perfect!

 "Ice Man" style. A thin layer of ice covered my legs and my jacket. 

 And...a thin layer of ice covered my sunglasses, making them un-wearable.

 Barefoot Alex, displaying his "ice beard"

Finishing the day's run in high spirits! It's always a great day to run! :)

Stage 11
Distance - 26.49
Time - 4:51:59
Pace - 11:01
Calories - 2026
Elevation Gain - 850
Elevation Loss - 1864
Elevation Change - 2714
HR Avg - 136
HR Max - 165
Minimum Elevation - 3934
Maximum Elevation - 5138

Totals (9 stages)
Distance - 239.61
Time - 45:35:52
Pace - 11:25
Calories - 18118
Elevation Gain - 9592
Elevation Loss - 11201
Elevation Change - 20793
HR Avg - 138
HR Max - 182
Minimum Elevation - 5816
Maximum Elevation - 6873

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 10

February 25, 2015

Stage 10 was a pretty good day! The weather was really nice, for the most part. We we started at 8:15 am, the temperature was about 40 degrees and a slight wind was coming out of the northeast.

The first 6 mile went by pretty quickly, and there was this mean looking dog that tried to get us. Fortunately, the woman I was running with had a high-pitched whistle that evidently hurt the dog's ears, so the beast stayed away. The beast did, however, nip one of the runners in the butt! Newton Baker, who is 73 and is running across the entire US, was all alone in the back of all of us, and the dog ran at him and actually bit him! It did not puncture the skin, however.

This will be a reminder for all of us to have precautions when running! I will invest in a high-pitched whistle and some pepper spray as soon as I can, and strap it to my hydration pack!

My heart rate average was pretty low today, at 134 bpm...this is a combination of the downhill course, as well as descending from 6000 to 5000 feet! Air, I can breathe it in now! :)

The highlight of the day was running through the town of Lincoln, NM. All kinds of crazy action went down in this town back in the day. This was also the historical home of Billy the Kid. Pretty cool!

A neat little building in Lincoln, NM

Stage 10
Distance - 26.81
Time - 4:45:22
Pace - 10:39
Calories - 1732
Elevation Gain - 414
Elevation Loss - 1548
Elevation Change - 1962
HR Avg - 134
HR Max - 191
Minimum Elevation - 4945
Maximum Elevation - 6098

Totals (8 stages)
Distance - 213.12
Time - 40:43:53
Pace - 11;28
Calories - 16092
Elevation Gain - 8742
Elevation Loss - 9337
Elevation Change - 18079
HR Avg - 138
HR Max - 184
Minimum Elevation - 6051
Maximum Elevation - 7090

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 9

Stage 9 was a pretty good day. I awoke in Capitan, NM (home of the first Smokey Bear) to a very bright sun coming in the window and birds singing in the trees. This weather, however, didn't last long, as a brisk wind came out of nowhere after 6 miles of running. The remaining 20 miles were straight into the wind, over "Indian Peak" at just under 7,000 feet, past a dead elk in the ditch, and through the small, pretty town of Capitan. The temperature dropped so much in the last couple miles that I needed to switch into a warmer jacket.

The highlight of the run was coming into the third aid station at around 19.5 miles. I strummed on the guitar a bit, ate half of a banana and some bbq chips, and hit around the hacky sack a bit with one of the volunteers. Overall, a fun day! Finished feeling pretty good and ready for another day on the road!

 A sunny start!

 Valle del Sol

 Right before the hills started

 The clouds moving in, bringing greyness and cold.

Finishing the day!

Stage 9
Distance - 26.54
Time - 5:04:56
Pace - 11:29
Calories - 2069
Elevation Gain - 1887
Elevation Loss - 1105
Elevation Change - 2992
HR Avg - 146
HR Max - 173
Minimum Elevation - 5326
Maximum Elevation - 6963

Totals (7 stages)
Distance - 186.31
Time - 35:58:31
Pace - 11:35
Calories - 14360
Elevation Gain - 7176
Elevation Loss - 6824
Elevation Change - 14000
HR Avg - 139
HR Max - 183
Minimum Elevation - 6209
Maximum Elevation - 7232

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 8

Stage 8 came the day before the first scheduled day off. Therefore, I was in a bit higher of spirits. My legs were feeling pretty good, too, for the most part, although there still was a bit of limping involved. No big deal. The left hip was hurting a bit, so I put some rocktape on the sore spot and that seemed to help. This run took us from the middle of nowhere, north of the White Sands Missile Range, to the town of Carrizozo, NM. There were some really cool views of mountains off in the distance, but the most memorable part of the run was the fact that snow came in and the temperatures dropped...and the wind picked up! Some said that the windchill was around 15 degrees. But, no problem! I put on Christine's awesome Gore-Tex jacket and that kept out all the wind, snow, and cold.

Less than a mile into the run, the snow started coming down. They were big, wet drops. I traded my regular jacket for the Gore-Tex jacket, and also put a pair of running pants over my tights:

Loving the variety in the weather:

Awesome views, and long, slow climbs!

The last 10 miles or so had no precipitation, but the wind picked up, gusting to 30 mph. A grey day, but feeling very happy:

Upon finishing this stage, I was immediately ready for some rest and relaxation :) The woman at the hotel even gave us two bowls of Indian curry! Yum!

Stage 8

Distance - 26.63

Time - 5:03:32
Pace - 11:24
Calories - 1921
Elevation Gain - 1361
Elevation Loss - 2339
HR Avg - 140
HR Max - 209
Minimum Elevation - 5221
Maximum Elevation - 6695

Totals (6 stages)

Distance - 159.77

Time - 30:53:35
Pace - 11:36
Calories - 12291
Elevation Gain - 6441
Elevation Loss - 6684
HR Avg - 137
HR Max - 185
Minimum Elevation - 6356
Maximum Elevation - 7277

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 7 - Birthday Run!

Stage 7 marked the day when I was able to run a marathon to celebrate my birthday!

Here I am, pictured at the race start, wearing an incredible shirt that Christine Lanza made for me for this occasion! The weather was lovely, in the mid 40s, and it got up into the 60s during the run. I also put some rocktape on the medial left knee, as well as along the long head of the left gastrocnemius.

Because it hurt more to walk (there is more knee extension in walking, it seems), I just trotted along the entire time at an 11:30-12:00 min/mile pace. This was actually very difficult...and even though the pace was slower, I was running constantly for the 5 hours and 20 minutes. 

To further celebrate my birthday, I listened to the entire recording of LaMonte Young's "The Well-Tuned Piano." I have had this recording for almost a year, but have never listened to it because I wanted to listen to it in one setting. A 5+ hour run was perfect for this occasion. 

Stage 7

Distance - 26.87

Time - 5:20:31
Pace - 11:56
Calories - 2344
Elevation Gain - 1484
Elevation Loss - 272
HR Avg - 140
HR Max - 169
Minimum Elevation - 4957
Maximum Elevation - 6307

Totals (5 stages)

Distance - 133.14

Time - 25:50:03
Pace - 11:38
Calories - 10370
Elevation Gain - 5080
Elevation Loss - 4345
HR Avg - 137
HR Max - 180
Minimum Elevation - 6583
Maximum Elevation - 7393

Race Across New Mexico, Stage 5 and 6

Due to a lot of pain and stiffness in my left knee area, I decided it best to not run Stage 5. Immediately after finishing Stage 4 (walking 24 miles and jogging 2), the place behind the left knee where the long head of the gastrocnemius inserts was very sore and prevented me from fully extending my my left knee. This was a bad sign, and I played it smartly by deciding not to run.

Instead, we went on to the next hotel in Socorro, where the amazing Jose Peres worked on my legs a bit. After taking a nice soak in some epsom salt and essential oils, he performed moxibustion on my calf, and then massaged my legs out. Needless to say, this all felt amazing!

On the day Stage 6 was supposed to begin, my leg still had stiffness and I was limping around. Max and I decided to go down to the town of Truth or Consequences, NM to visit a hot springs. After an hour of relaxing in the healing waters, we ate a nice lunch (salad buffet), and then did some exploring of the area around Elephant Butte.