I mentioned that my project two weekends back was to put together the Bulletin Board for the elementary school library. I spent most of my day off acquiring the materials and piecing it together.
**New Parents, Those Expecting, DINKS (Double Income No Kids) and Single People Without Kids (pronounced Lucky bastards who don’t know how good they have it) please take note: you will be expected, encouraged and even coerced into all manner of things at your child’s schools. Many of them you will willingly take on, especially in the early years. Kindergarten parents…well they are just funny now in their zealotry. Many things you will not be interested in. Such as PTA membership, Door-to-door cookie sales and fucking choir boosters.**
This was a project I volunteered for. I have something of a creative streak in me. I play DnD. I took every art class in high school. I did theater. I can rock a bulletin board.
Honestly I just wanted the chance to have a little fun and do something the kids and maybe the grown ups can enjoy. Here is my finished product:
I had more ideas, they just kept coming but I didn’t really have enough time and I was already late on turning it in. I’m happy enough with it. I’ll just have to do more with the next one in May.
My favorite poem is on the road there. What is a favorite poem of yours? Do you have one?
Today was my day with the girls! Yay! Lisa decided to head off and so some yoga all day. LAME. I’m just kidding (but not really). In all seriousness though I am happy to have sent her off to take a day for herself. She doesn’t get it enough.
This did mean that the girls and I got to spend the day together just the three of us, which also doesn’t happen enough. I had no idea what we were going to do but that wasn’t really the point is it?
First Thing First: Run
As I have been doing lately, I continued to get up early and drove up to the peak to run. I had selected the 7 mile course listed at sandiahiking.com but when I ran it my Garmin told me it was only 3.8. Granted it was 3.8 miles at 10000 feet in the dark so it was tough but still I intended for a bit more.
Full Moon over the parking lot.
In the end (as usual) the run was worth it just for the views. I started in the dark and was able to see the full moon hovering gently over Albuquerque.
I ran south along the Crest Spur trail then rudely awoke some campers sleeping at the fork that leads over to the Tram. I’m not sure they were supposed to be there but I don’t give a shit so long as they take care of their mess.
At the Tram station I had a clear view to the East. The sun had not yet broken through the clouds but it was getting stronger.
From here it was North, this time along the Crest Trail. It is well traveled but root-y and rocky so in the half-light it is a bit tricky. About 1.5 miles in I cut to the left and climbed a short but steepish route to the Kiwanis Cabin that sits up on a fucking rocky point overlooking the mountain. It’s a pretty bad-ass view and place to make camp. Those 1930s Conservation Corps workers were rough.
As I was heading up to the cabin I looked back to the east and saw the sun was ready to break through the cloud cover.
As I stepped up to the cabin the light noticeably changed. I had made it to the cabin right at the moment the sun broke through the clouds. What fortuitous circumstance be this?!
After attempting to take a few artistic shots I packed up the camera and continued on the trail to the parking lot. I knew it wasn’t going to be long to get back and I was a bit confused/sad as I was planning for more. I hopped in the truck and headed back home though, not wanting to head down the trail and risk being late and delaying Lisa getting off to her class.
When I was close to home though I really did have about 30-40 minutes of spare time before Lisa left. So instead of heading home I stopped at a favorite trail-head and knocked out another three miles in 30 minutes. Then I headed home. Happy to have boosted my numbers a little if not getting the full long run in. I got home on time, Lisa took off to get bent and it was Daddy/Girls Day.
Daddy Girls Day
We started this chapter of the day with a very exciting round of chores. Yes, chores. Sometimes you have to work before you can play. It wasn’t much, some homework, put clean clothes away and I cleaned the rabbit cage and swept and mopped the kitchen. Then it was up to the girls to decide what we did. Their choice? A resounding ARCHERY!
Back to the Bow! we went back to the Archery Shoppe here in ABQ and spent about an hour Flinging arrows at the targets. Actually it was mostly the girls. I spent much of my time helping Sweetums who had a good time but tired quickly. She did manage to hit the center ring at least once! She was super happy!
This might be my favorite pic of the day.
This posture kind of reminds me of Will Ferrel in the gunfight at the end of Jay and Silent Bob. Makes me smile.
Proud shooter!
It was lots of fun and I wonder if it is going to become a regular thing. We could do a lot worse.
To cap off Dad day we headed back home and watched Pirates of the Caribbean:Dead Man’s Chest. Nothing says dad like pirates.
OK I meant to get a post out earlier than this but as the title implies, I’m a busy man. I have a busy wife. We have busy kids. All of which adds up to a full and sometimes overwhelming life. Though usually, we are happy and blessed to be able to live so fully. Let us examine last weekend, Labor Day weekend.
Our Labor Day Weekend schedule included the following:
Birthday Party #1 (Sweetums)
Birthday Party #2 (Sweetums)
Birthday Party #3 (Animal)
Pool Party (All)
BBQ Party (Josh)
Study Circle (Josh/Lisa)
MockingJay Part 1
Long Run (Josh)
Yoga class (Lisa)
Hike (Lisa)
Fuck me, that’s enough.
I started Saturday with a new routine. I get up and run every morning before work but on the weekends I’ve been sleeping in (meaning no alarm and I get up when I get up then I run). So I wanted to try something new.
I got up at my regular time (4:30 am) and drove up to the peak of the mountains (about one hour) and then ran up there. Training at altitude is nothing new and technically I’m always at altitude since we live at approx 6000′ but I figure going from 6000 to 10000 feet once or twice a week will yield benefits. At the very least it provides for some amazing views. The trails on the top of the Sandia Mountains are scenic and well just beautiful.
Looking back at my starting point.
I took the Crest Trail north from the parking lot. I intended to do a nine mile lollipop run but that didn’t exactly happen. After 6 miles I lost the trail in front of me. I was cruising right along and then …nothing. I spent 5-10 minutes looking and I had a pretty good idea of the direction I should have been going but I did not feel comfortable bushwhacking.
So instead of quickly finishing the last three miles back to the truck I turned around and ended up running a total of 12 miles up there. I was tired and not mentally prepared for that but as I already said, the views were worth it:
Peñasco BlancoLooking down on a “fluffy” cloud. I miss Bob Ross.
I came home later than intended but still with time to settle into our day. Lisa took Sweetum’s to Birthday Party #1 and I got a little quality time with Animal. It had been a while since we had our own date so I surprised her with a little something special.
We went to an archery range.
We have all read The Hunger Games series and we are finishing the movies this weekend and Animal has remarked a couple times about wanting to shoot a bow. I used to shoot as a young (er) man and even owned a pretty nice recurve bow for a while. She was happy and we spent about 2 hrs there. I think she would have stayed all day and she is already asking to go back.
I do think I’m obligated to point out that both she and I hit a few targets in the center, pretty near the bulls-eye. Not consistently mind you, but it’s fun to brag about.
We celebrated by heading home and watching Mockingjay Part 1. meh
Watch out Katniss!
Sunday involved a pool party for the Baha’i children’s classes. Lisa took Animal and Sweetums and I stayed home. We skipped that pool
Owlbear!
party in favor of resting, catching lizards in the backyard and painting prior to Birthday Party #2 that evening which was also a pool party. I painted a Mockingjay propoganda poster and this little tidbit:
Yeah that’s right. Owlbear baby! Look out professional artists everywhere! Somehow I always end up drawing or painting something related to DnD or fantasy or something like that. I’m a nerd and I’m proud to say so.
The evening Birthday/Pool Party was lots of fun. I played and splashed with the both kids and though she was timid at first, once Sweetums went down the water slide once she couldn’t get enough! Then it was home to bed.
Monday (Labor Day)
At this point we were just trying to make it through the day. Lisa went for a long hike and I played with the girls at the park. I do love Frisbee. Animal went to Birthday Party#3 (another pool party) and Lisa and I played at home with Sweetums. A friend came by to visit with us and have dinner as the rest of her family was out of state or working.
It actually turned into a pretty relaxed evening and a great way to end a long and full weekend.
I am grateful to be blessed with family and friends about me, to be able to enjoy the world around me (on fucked-up extra long runs) and to sit at home and nerd out. I think there will be lots more of that very soon.
I pray you all had safe and happy holidays. What were you up to? Did you get outside and enjoy nature?
Just a quick little update on (what else) running.
Those of you following along at home know I’ve been trying something new this year: actual training. I’ve been following this plan laid out by Trailrunner Magazine’s resident coach and funnyman David Roche.*
* Let it be known I’d love to have David as a running coach but since we cannot currently justify any expense in that area I secretly steal his secrets from his articles online and in print
As a part of following a plan beyond “Run today” I have been implementing intervals on Wednesdays. Aside from telling me to “Slow down you fat fuck!” my Garmin is willing to help me train. It comes embedded with training programs including intervals. I’ve been running 4 x 1 mile intervals on Wednesdays with a 1 mile warmup and 1-2 mile cool-down.
It’s been about a month and a half I think. It has been going well but some days I feel pretty sluggish. OK most days I feel pretty sluggish. Some days I feel like Speedy Gonzales.
OK not very often but it feels good when I do.
Anyway it’s been a bit and often I still feel slow even during the intervals (who doesn’t feel slow at 5am?) though it generally doesn’t hold true.
Yesterday I got up and headed out the door. Same as usual, 1 mile warm-up up to Tramway then 4 1-mile intervals. I as feeling good so I extended the cool-down a bit by heading down the arroyo and getting some trail under my feet, ending up with 8 miles.
Once finished and showered I was able to look at my stats for the run and Lo! and Behold! I was not only feeling pretty good but I was moving pretty quick.
After a nice easy warm up, my intervals were pretty quick and each one was faster than the other! I’m not breaking any speed records but I’m pretty happy with that. Do I expect to repeat it every time?
No but it is gratifying to see progress I wasn’t expecting to see. I guess I better keep on keeping on.
For those interested here is the link to the run details on Garmin Connect. Strava is not accurate as it doesn’t distinguish the 1 min rests in-between each interval.
** F.Y.I. when I Googled ‘pleasantly surprised’ for images the Nacho Libre gif popped up. I don’t know why but it did so I felt obligated to use it. That and it pretty much looks like me with a mustache. **
School has set in for the girls which means Lisa and I are back to work double-time. Our work and managing the kids schoolwork. Now, granted Animal is much easier to handle because she is old enough to manage a lot of her stuff. Sweetums? Well she’s just adorable.
No we didn’t bring this one home…….but it was close.
Back at the beginning of August my mom, her husband and my nephew came into town to visit before the girls started school. It was great to see everyone and we were able to show them a few things around town.
Firstly we took them to the zoo for a concert. Albuquerque brings lots of acts in to play at their beautiful venue and regardless of the type of show it is a good time. We saw a bluegrass band, The Infamous Stringdusters. They were pretty fucking good. Good enough in fact that we stayed throughout the rain for the whole show and by the end we were all up dancing.
Don’t mind the eyes, she’s really very nice.Even Rainbow Dash came along!
I danced for at least an hour, probably longer and some of it with Sweetums up on my shoulders. It was a workout, but that’s not the most important thing to say about this:
Dancing barefoot in the rain to bluegrass music while I live in the Southwest? OK mom, you win. All your cowboy propaganda when I was a kid must have worked.
Oh and they did a killer bluegrass rendition of Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright. That’s Bob Dylan for those of you wondering.
The Next Day (David Bowie reference btw) we took them all out to Acoma. Lot’s of people here are of the mindset: if you have visitors and you can only take them to one place: Take them to Acoma. So we did. We had been out there previously but it was great to go back.
I attempted to take a few artsy pictures as well and was moderately successful.
And of course the Pretty Lady I kept following around:
Bottom line: Our family had a great time and we did again. It’s a beautiful place with a scarred history and I would highly encourage anyone nearby with time to go and see Acoma.
Do you see the secret staircase?
The rest of the visit was mostly calm and quiet. Maybe I’ll get into the parts that weren’t later. I’m happy that they came and even a little happy they left. I love my family but yeah we moved away for a reason. Ha!
I pray you all have had a happy and healthy summer. Anybody do anything special?
Another one in the books. This wasn’t my best race but it wasn’t my worst.
There. Is that enough of a summation? No? Oh OK then.
For those that don’t know, the La Luz Trail run is 9 miles up the Sandia Mountains here in ABQ, NM and the elevation profile looks like this:
It was a beautiful day for a race. It was cool and clear in the morning but not cold. How could it be cold in NM? In August.
Race start was at 7 so I went to bed plenty early the night before. I got up at 6, did some light stretching, had a glass of juice and a piece of peanut butter toast. I had two large poops (what is it about race day? My body always knows when I’m racing), grabbed my water bottle and headed for the door.
Lisa dropped me off at the start and headed back to round everyone else up to meet me at the peak. I wandered up to the start, continued stretching and bang! We were off.
The first 1.8 miles are road leading to the trail-head. I think this is the most difficult section. It is about 7-10% Grade, it is long and feels really slow to me. It is also a really crucial section. This is where you determine your place in line when you hit the trail. Once you hit there trail there is still some passing available (if you are assertive) but for the most part you’re kind of in your spot due to the single-track width of most of the trail.
Looking back I could probably have pushed it a little bit harder here and gotten into a better position on the trail but I was actually consciously running with a mind of being able to run strong the entire time. More on this later.
I hit the trail and pretty much found my groove. I kept running and only power-hiked in a few places, primarily the boulder field. I struck up a conversation with a fellow runner whom I knew loosely from the hospital and another who overheard where I was working now asked if we were hiring. It is an amiable world on the trail if you are open to it.
I slowed as the elevation piled on, but I was pretty much able to run it in Except for those god-damned stairs)
They ARE that steep.
and as I crested the peak I was greeted warmly by not only the sun, but many cheering faces, most importantly my family including my mother, her husband and my nephew who were visiting.
So official time is 2:17:54. That’s a long time for nine miles but it is over 4k feet of gain so I’m OK with that. I had hoped to crack the 2hr mark this year. Instead I ended up 3 minutes slower than last year. I could come down on myself for this (and I was tempted) I was really very proud of how the race turned out. Let me tell you why.
That’s my heart rate for the entire race. Apart from the two spikes (which very neatly coincide with hitting the trail and the beginning of the boulder field) I maintained a fairly consistent HR and averaged 165. That seems like solid gains. Upon initiating HR training with the Garmin, the fucking thing would go off if I got out of bed, but I was able to run a 2+ hour race up the side of a mountain and effectively maintain a thresh-hold heart rate.
I’ll count that as a win.
I love this race and I’ll run it as long as I can (and if I get in the lottery). I highly recommend anyone looking for a challenge and some beautiful scenery put your name in the lottery. You just might get in and it’ll be worth it. (There’s always breakfast burritos at the crest so it’s worth a fuck ton of effort).
This weekend was my final training run up the La Luz Trail. In one week I’ll be huffing and puffing my way to the top with all the other racers. It is going to be a blast.
This is my third run up the side of the Sandias. I’ve been pretty consistent with my time though my training previously consisted of “running lots, sometimes uphill”. I’ve been a bit more constant and mindful with my training so we’ll see what happens.
The Run (up then) Down
For my final trial up the trail (see what I did there),
ABQ in the early am.
I had planned on running twelve miles, six up then back down. I started early to avoid the crowd that hits the dirt later in the morning.
La Luz really is a beautiful trail and there are so many amazing sights to see. It is so close to the city that you get an illuminated view in the dark.
I think I stop and look at this Ponderosa Pine every time. It comes at exactly three miles up so it’s a good friend telling me how far I’ve come.
Boulder field starts at 5 miles up.
I was feeling pretty good though so at five miles I decided to tack on the extra mile and hit the crest.
I can understand this looking back as I somehow managed to keep my heart rate at or below aerobic for the majority of the uphill running. Not bad for uphill mountain running. Maybe I’ve learned to pace myself and take it easy?
I was treated to a few more spectacular views, some informative signage and those fucking stairs.
After the stairs it was a simple half mile to the crest. I snapped a photo, sent it off to Lisa and headed back down. That’s when the trouble happened.
Bonkers
I had been running for 2 hours at this point with plenty of water but I didn’t bring any food. I didn’t plan on being out this long. Needless to say almost immediately after turning around and heading back down the trail I bonked so hard I was worried for my health.
I was light-headed, tingly all over (not in the good Las Vegas way) and pretty well fucked up. I slowed to a hike, then a walk then I sat my ass down and hydrated and breathed. Last thing I needed was to tumble down the side of a mountain because I tried running while dizzy. I considered turning back up to the peak, hiking over to the tram and riding it down and having Lisa come and get me. It would have been faster.
Alas! I am a stubborn fool and I took my time and worked through the bonk. Walking and pausing as needed and working my way back to a slow jog downhill.
I made it back safely, though far beyond my initial estimates for duration. I slowed when I needed to and drank plenty of water. I never fully bonked again but I felt it lingering on the edges, looking for a way back into my brain and muscles.
I brought it on myself, overextending a run that required more prep than I had completed. Had I brought some food I am quite confident that this would not have happened. Live and learn.
I was pretty well fucked up for a bit of this run, but less so than I feared AND I pulled through it. I didn’t panic, I cared for myself as best I could and I finished. The view from the top was well worth it.
OK so this happened last weekend right before the Fourth, but life is busy and I do some stuff from time to time. Anyway better late than never.
This is it for three days of outdoor activities. I travel light.
I took off a few minutes early from work to rent a couple kayaks from the Recreation Office and we headed north towards Heron LakeNew Mexico.
We’ve never been up here so we were very excited to check out a new outdoor space in NM. Let’s start with a picture of what I packed for three days of camping.
Day One – Moist
Firstly “moist” is one of my favorite words. All on it’s own it paints a very vivid word-picture. Yeah you know what I mean.
What I’m trying to say is that after we got on the road to head up to the lake we ran into rain. Not a little rain but ALL OF IT. We didn’t take any pictures of this while driving. We just drove slow and kept moving.
Getting to the sodden campsite, the rain had abated so we quickly set up shop in the interim. We had a good view of the northern portion of the lake from our site. Normally the water would be much closer to us but we live in the desert and it’s been very dry in recent years. I’m told the water level is actually higher than it has been.
It was late enough that I started a fire and made dinner for everyone. Lisa demonstrated her S’more eating technique. Very technical but effective.
After dinner we headed down to the lakeside to do a little fishing. What looked like an easy walk down to the shoreline was actually an easy walk through wet and tacky clay. This area used to be lake bed and it had been raining all day. It stuck to our feet and built up under our shoes so it was like walking in heels. Something I’m not experienced in despite rumors to the contrary.
Sunset over Lake Heron. Day One.
Day Two – Make up your Damn Mind About the Weather!
I woke up early after a solid nights sleep (I didn’t even get up to pee once!) and headed out for an early morning run. I headed south from our campsite along Salmon Run. I figured I’d be getting in about 5 with the out and back based on the map.
I was very excited to hit new dirt. I always enjoy exploring new running routes and experiencing new scenery and today was all new!
Almost immediately after entering through some tall Ponderosa Pine I noted some movement off the well-groomed trail and saw two wild turkeys cross the trail quickly.
The trail continued to meander south and was mostly runnable and well groomed, but I encountered patches of that same tacky lake bed. While my Salomon’s have been pretty good about shedding mud this stuff just clung to me and almost dragged my shoes off my feet!
It built up so quickly that I had to stop and scrape it off about every 10-20 steps for a mile or so. It slowed me down and made me walk on my toes like a god-damned princess.
It’s tough to see but if you look closely you can see the layer of mud under my sole.
I made it down to the dam though and was treated to beautiful views of Lake Heron on the north and Rio Chama to the south.
Lake HeronRio Chama. Look at the colors!
I then headed up the road and took the trail over to the Rio Chama suspension bridge. I got some beautiful views down into the valley but I couldn’t go down to the bridge. The stairs are closed!
and then the rain started!
The rain kicked in then so I headed back to camp for breakfast! Pancakes and bacon and fresh coffee!
Then it was off to find our adventures for the day. First stop was the Visitors Center to follow breakfast up with free muffins and cupcakes. Oh and advice about places to visit. The girls were anxious to hit the water so we loaded up the kayaks and put them in, only to get rained out immediately. We packed them up and headed back to camp for lunch, which was intermittently rainy and sunny. We were very confused.
Afterwards we decided to try the kayaks again and were blessed with sun for the rest of the day. We launched the kayaks and swam and played at the boat landing which was frigid. It’s a good thing I’m sterile already or that water would have done it! The girls didn’t seem to mind though.
Dinner followed and the sunshine continued. The girls played a game or two of Uno whilst I played in my hammock. Then bedtime. I did get up to pee and boy I was glad I did. The stars were IMMENSE. I swear there were more stars than there was darkness.
Day Three – Sunshine
Or last day at the park was marked by lots of time out in the sun. I headed north for a run to explore the other half of the Salmon Run trail (I saw a herd of deer), then after breakfast we hiked a short nature trail, then tried to get down to the Rio Chama suspension bridge (too rough a hike with the girls). So we headed back to the beach and hiked and kayaked and fished.
This is how I found them when I returned.Animal, my breakfast buddy.Eggses! And Bacon.
The nature trail was short but very informative. I’d wager we can all correctly identify Ponderosa Pine, Juniper, Gambel Oak, Piñon Pine, Mountain Mahogany and Soapweed Yucca!
Rio Chama with suspension bridge in the distance.
Since we couldn’t get to the bridge we spent the rest of the day playing at the beach before heading home tired yet refreshed. You know what I mean. We had a blast here and plan on coming back and getting out to that bridge and exploring more of the trails.
It was supposed to happen back in April but heavy snows got in the way of the race and it was pushed back to last weekend. Fathers Day Weekend! So in a sense last weekend ended up as my weekend, but I happily shared it with Lisa and the girls.
I was supposed to have Friday off but went in to work to re-certify my BLS and ACLS. Having accomplished that (I CAN save your life, just saying), we headed out Friday night for the caldera.
A caldera is a large volcanic crater, typically one formed by a major eruption leading to the collapse of the mouth of the volcano (Thanks wiki!). The Valles Caldera in northern NM is one of the largest type of calderas and measures about 13 miles across. Yeah, big stuff. and beautiful.
Our plan was to head up to a nearby campground, spend the night relaxing in the outdoors and head into the race the next morning. That was the plan. This was the reality:
We got up to the Jemez Falls and Redondo campgrounds too late, they were full. I was under the impression they were first-come, first-served but when I was looking for a spot I found a notice detailing the reservation procedures. Fuck me! This was my campsite AND my back-up site.
Thankfully we were about 45 minutes from Bandolier National Monument (another beautiful area of NM, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lisa and I retire to Los Alamos/Bandolier area). We drove over and camped in the same spot Lisa and I had the year before. More time in the car and less hang-out time, but we managed to squeeze a little in.
StargazingSetting up in the dark.Ready for bed!
We hit the rack early knowing we’d have to be up early to get me into the race on time. I had one of the best nights sleep I’ve had in a long while (I didn’t even get up to pee once!) though Lisa and Sweetums had a rougher time. Animal was snoring. Happy family camping.
We got up at 5am, quickly and quietly packed up our campsite and headed into the caldera. After picking up my race bib and packet we had some time before the race start at 0730. We sat in the van and ate breakfast and chatted.
Spoiler: Though I finished, this race kicked my ASS. It is easily the hardest race I’ve run, including the few ultras under my belt. I attribute this to a few factors:
Heat
Elevation
Fitness loss after injury
It’s getting hot in here….
0730 race start is a bit late for this time of year. The race was initially supposed to be held back in April but heavy snows made for difficult terrain and it was pushed back to now. While it was a nice and cool 66º at 0730, by the time I finished at 1:30 (yes you read that right 6 hours for this bad boy) it had gotten up to 88º.
I don’t have much insight on this one. I normally love running in the heat. The only thing that comes to mind is that since I’ve been working days for the last year I have not been out running during the hotter parts of the day as I have in the past.
They will see us waving from such great heights….
Here in the foothills of ABQ I generally run anywhere from 6-7 thousand feet. At the Caldera my lowest point was 7948 ranging up to 8871. 1-2k feet higher. I could feel it that’s for certain. Looks like I need to do more running higher up in the mountains. I used to run up and down Piño Trail often. Piño and La Luz here I come!
I ain’t as good as I once was….
I was running 50 mile weeks prior to my bike crash back in March and I’ve NEVER had a running injury. I took almost a month off after the crash from not only running but yoga too (I couldn’t bear much weight on that left foot). I came back slowly and intentionally wanted to listen to my Garmin and train by HR which meant moving very slow. I was at 20 mile weeks still just before the race and no more than about 7-8 miles at a time. So 26.2 was a bit of a leap I guess.
Before.
Race Recap
This is a very runnable race. It takes place almost entirely on current and former logging roads with a little bit of trail. Marathoners did two loops of the Half course as the initial marathon course was scrapped due to insufficient volunteers for the aid stations on that out-and-back. This meant all the hills I climbed the first time around were waiting for me on round two.
The first three miles were on actively used roads which meant they were very very dusty. Those big trucks and gear coming through just beat the roads into silt. It made for boggy running and clouds of dust in the air from all those feet coming through.
The great thing about being on those logging roads is you can’t see around the corner since the trees are cleared only as wide as the roads and vertically.
It made for a nice surprise to be running thick among the pines and piñon and come around the corner to see a wide open meadow.
From this point (the second aid station) we headed along an unused road thick with fallen pine needles and even a few downed trees we scrambled over or around. It was all generally uphill with a couple plateaus and dips though Mile 7 and 20 where the highest points in the race.
El Cajete
After the large climb we dropped quickly down into Redondo Meadow. Stepping across Redondo Creek, we find a bunch of nerdy scientists were camped out in hunting blinds. Equipped with binoculars and notebooks there were there to observe the Prairie Dogs. I can’t make this shit up.
The course follows the road a bit more and after another aid station we cut across the meadow, carefully watching our footing to avoid stepping into the numerous prairie dog holes. We cut across the creek again then followed the treeline northwest for about a half-mile before cutting up the ridge and climbing our way along a light trail back to the start/finish.
I saw Lisa and the girls at the halfway point which was just over 2 hours. We chatted while I quickly ate some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as the AS attendees refilled by hydration pack. A couple quick reluctant kisses (I was sweaty and salty) and I was back out for round two.
I knew it was going to take me much longer for the second go-round. I was already 13 miles in and the day was heating up. So my goal this time was just to pace myself to run in a finish (walking the uphills of course). I mean it was about 1500 feet elevation gain per loop of the course! Each aid station had a bucket of ice water and I soaked my buff and kept it on my head. Glorious relief!
I spent the whole race looking at the scenery (it’s why I’m there) and I enjoyed the wild-west and unique sights afforded by the setting, which included some old and current logging equipment and a number of recently cut trees. It was cooler in the morning, but by the time I came around again the sun had warmed the trees and released the strong scent of pine from the resin and each cut site smelled of fresh wood and sap.
This was at the highest point in the trail.
Around mile 16 I picked up a buddy. A younger runner named Daniel had passed me at an aid station but waited for me at the top of a hill and we quickly fell into step together. This was his first marathon and major race and I think he was looking for some company to help get through the last ten miles. He was struggling a bit and stopped every so often to stretch out his calves.
I think we benefited each other nicely. I think he slowed me down so that I could finish strong. Otherwise I likely would have pushed myself a little too hard and crashed before the end. In turn I believe I helped him work on his pacing so he could keep running and finish sooner than he though possible.
When I met up with him we ran together for a bit and then he suddenly switched to a walk, which surprised me. I was ready to keep moving. I matched his walk for a while and eventually convinced him to start walk/runs. One minute walking then one minute running. It was a good compromise for the both of us and after cutting across Redondo Meadow and running through the treeline (which was now pretty sunny), we walked up the ridge and ran the last mile in straight through.
Daniel working his way through a prairie dog landmine field.
Lisa and the girls were waiting at the finish line along with Daniel’s family. I ran across and immediately slouched into a chair and dipped my buff into ice water again and set it back on my head.
After.
I was handed a beautiful little pottery piece made by a member of the local pueblo. Say one thing about trail races, say they have fun and unique finishers awards.
Thoughts: This was the hardest race I’ve ever run. I’ve never felt this drained during a race as I had here and I attribute it to heat, elevation and fitness loss after my crash.
Elevation Profile.
That being said I felt very strong as I finished and I recovered faster than expected and spent no time hobbling around over the next few days. We even did a little sight-seeing before heading home.
We tried to get into the main area of the Valles Caldera and visit the Longmire house used in the filming of the TV show. It was a no-go however. They only let 35 cars drive in a day and that mark had long ago been met. We could have hiked up to the structures, but immediately post race I was sensitive to the heat.
Instead Lisa and the girls surprised me with a trip to a natural soda dam which was right down the road. Lots of folks had stopped to use this beautiful little spot to ease the heat of the day.
Lisa and Sweetums walking up the river.
The water was cold and I decided to use it as my post-run ice bath. I promise that despite appearances I am not pooping.
We all got into the fun and Animal and Sweetums were essentially swimming after that point. Animal was even brave enough to work her way up to the waterfall and plunge underneath. I dunno who the big guy is in the picture but I’m guessing he works out.
After this we packed up and headed back home to relax and clean up. I wasn’t driving so it was my turn to enjoy the scenery provided by northern New Mexico.
It was one hell of a good day and it would not have been possible without the love and support and patience of Lisa and Animal and Sweetums. I could not have done this without them and I am so grateful to be able to share this beautiful weekend adventure with my family.
Bears
On a sober note after I finished and left a runner was attacked by a black bear just a couple miles before finishing. You can read about here or in many other places I’m sure. I’m not going to go into the politics of whether races should be in The Preserve or about what happened to the bear. I am thankful the woman survived and will recover fully.
Well it’s been a busy workweek. I am starting to get a better feel for the flow in the clinic but let me tell you this ain’t no regular clinic. It’s special. Dealing with all these ridiculously smart people is not like dealing with the general public. I’m not going to go into it but it’s funny and draining at the same time.
And for the Love of fucking God do not Google things if you you and feeling well. Dr, Google only tells you you are pregnant or have cancer. That’s probably not true.
Bounding through the Bosque
So here we are following a busy and sometimes comical week. Animal is off at a Jr youth function for the weekend, leaving Lisa and Sweetums and myself at home. Sweetums had a birthday party which I opted not to attend so I could go for a run. If you’ve been following my running posts at all you know that my Garmin and I have a Love/Hate relationship. I love to run and the Garmin hates me and tells me regularly.
We have come to a bit of an understanding AIDAN (my Garmin’s name) and I. I do my very best to listen to him during the week during my training runs and stay within my aerobic zone. But Saturday and Sunday are mine. I get to run with no alarms or alerts and AIDAN lets me just run (is he not merciful). I think it’s a healthy relationship. Healthier than the one we had before at least.
I forgot to ask AIDAN to turn off his alerts and he let me know when I was too slow or too fast. Ah well, he’s just trying to help and I pretty much ignored him and relaxed into my run. I was surprised to see afterwards that I had spent the majority of the run in my aerobic zone, about 30% of the time actually. Success! I generally shoot to have more time in the Aerobic Zone than the others.
I call this one a win.With an average HR in the zone to boot. Double win!!
I decided to change it up since I had the opportunity and instead of running up in the foothills I ran down by the river. In the Bosque to be exact. Here in ABQ it referes to the woods that surround and follow the Rio Grande through the city and beyond. There are some trail in there but I have never run them. Until now.
I left the trailhead and cut under a low bridge to head north along the rio. The terrain was level and very runnable single-track mixed with levee roads and overgrown dirt roads used in maintenance of the bosque. There are a number of places where it is loose sand underfoot and it gets a bit mushy. All this green is a big change from the scrub and juniper I encounter up in the foothills.
As an added bonus of running down by the river, there is a river!
I attempted to run two short loops that were posted on the local trail signage but they were so short I ended up adding on a little extra bit by following a well-worn bootleg out and back.
This resulted in a few curious and delightful finds.
Not sure who made this but it’s fascinating.
I think this is one of my favorite finds on the trail though:
Hoofprints
IU’m not quite sure why but I love that I found horse tracks on the trail. I’m within the bounds of the largest city in the state and there are horse prints right alongside mine as I wander the trails. This is also true when I’m up in the foothills, though I’ve only personally encounter a rider on horseback once to date.
I guess I really am living in the South-West. I guess my mom really did succeed in trying to turn me into a cowboy. Damn.
It got hot (and humid, which I’m no longer accustomed to here in the desert) so I turned around and headed back to the truck. I took the loops a little further from the river and came across this little hippie-inspired scene which I found thoughtful and a little moving.
Congress for the animals?
Good message.
Back at the trail-head it was 91º, explaining the hot run. I took some time to drink more water and wander the little park that was there and take a look at the beautiful scultures. The are all carved out of old cottonwood trees. The detail on them is crazy.
It was a lot of fun to run someplace other than the foothills. NM and ABQ in particular has a lot of diversity to offer runners. I need to be more mindful of exploring that.
This week will be minimal as I’m running the Valles Caldera Trail Marathon on Saturday. Wish me luck!
Baseball!
Animal was away for the weekend so Lisa and I were planning on doing something special with Sweetums, we just didn’t know what yet when the weekend hit. Before I left work on Friday I was approached by the staff in our recreation office and gifted with free tickets to our local Minor League Baseball game! Huzzah!
The three of us had a ball at the Albuquerque Isotopes (yes named for the baseball team from The Simpsons) game on Saturday night. It was my first time at a ‘Topes game and Sweetum had been when she was a baby but that hardly counts. We were close to the field, ate a bunch of junk food and Lisa almost got hit by a stray foul. We had a blast (and need to bring a glove next time).
Bonus Round!
In order to streamline our out of the house activities today Sweetums and I got to have a breakfast date at Flying Star! Insane french toast FTW! I’m no Food Blogger like my frind Anisa over here but:
We split it but she ate at least half if not more. I only got two bites of the bacon.
I hope and pray you all had the weekend you wanted to have. I most certainly was graced with what I wanted and needed.
Minor League Baseball games? Who goes? Who is your team?
Venture onto any new trails recently?
Red or Green? I like them both but Red is my preferred chile.
In all seriousness though I am happy to have sent her off to take a day for herself. She doesn’t get it enough.
in the backyard and painting prior to Birthday Party #2 that evening which was also a pool party. I painted a Mockingjay propoganda poster and this little tidbit:
I woke up early after a solid nights sleep (I didn’t even get up to pee once!) and headed out for an early morning run. I headed south from our campsite along Salmon Run. I figured I’d be getting in about 5 with the out and back based on the map.
itsnotintothinking 
