Crew Chief Cara and her Pink Cruiser

I had many great runs this week which ended with a 23ish mile run along the river with Lucy, Sierra, and Taz. We were fortunate to have the support of our ultramarathon crew chief who met us with some tasty beverages and treats.

This running adventure started with a 6 mile run through the west side of El Paso and then proceeded down to the Rio Grande levee trail. After 4 more miles along the rio we rendezvoused with Cara who provided us with much needed aid. After some water and snacks we backtracked along the trail for what I thought was a 5 mile run one way. Cara pedaled along in her beloved pink Electra Cruiser.

After a few miles we spotted a raptor in a tree so, of course, I had to try my luck at getting a picture. I took a few shots, but then the large bird took flight. I could see that his tail feathers were a rusty red color so I suspect it was a Red Tailed Hawk. Soon we spotted some water birds with long slender bills wading in the shallow Rio Bravo del Norte. I later identified these waders as Lesser Yellowlegs.

After another hour of running I was wondering why we weren’t at the turn around point (5 miles). Maybe my mileage calculation was off. We continued for another 15 minutes and still weren’t there. I started to question my running ability and thought that I must be really slow today. After turning around I realized that I was bonking --hitting the wall which usually happens to me between miles 18-20. Cara encouraged me to keep going and handed me some Hammar gel which really helped me make it back to our car.

Later in the day I checked my route and mileage on Gmap Pedometer and realized that what I thought was a 10 mile out-and -back was indeed 15 miles. Oops, my total for the day was somewhere between 22-24 miles in 4:40. Everyone enjoyed an exciting day along the river.

See you on the trail.