Jemez 50 Mile Race Report

“[Kris] Kern estimates that [Jemez] is among the three toughest events in the United States with all three being almost equal in degree of difficulty.” Those are not words you want to read in the Los Alamos Monitor the night before tackling the 50 mile course.

Today is sure to be a roller coaster of an adventure. I’m here at the race site at 4:00am. Why, I don’t know, because nothing is going to happen until 5:00. After sitting in the car with Triple C (Crew Chief Cara), I go to the Posse Shack and check-in with race officials and then put my two drop bags in the proper place.

Jemez Mountain 50 Mile Run

Update: (Sun, 22 May) I'm sorry to say I did not finish the 50 miler. The altitude was a factor and nausea and headhache got the best of me. I made it to mile 32 which I'm proud of in light of the rough day I had.    Read full race report

The weekend I have been waiting for has finally arrived. I am in Los Alamos, NM at 7500 ft elevation acclimating for tomorrow’s 50 mile trail race in the Jemez Mountains. Last night I went with Crew Chief Cara (CCC) to the ski lodge where she will meet me at mile 36. We saw several grey birds on the way and found out later that they were female Dusky Grouse. We also enjoyed seeing some deer and beautiful yellow flowers called Spreadfruit Goldenbanner. The snow that fell up here last weekend has melted so I am hoping for good trail conditions.

Preparing for Jemez Mountain 50 Mile Trail Run

In this last week of preparation for my 50 mile trail run in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, I’m mostly resting and taking care of logistics. Resting is harder than you might think because I’m used to running all the time, and now I have all this extra time on my hands. My dogs are not usually happy about it either so I will take them on some leisurely walks. Rest is very important before a run of this magnitude so I will do my best to just “chill” this week.

Back to Back 15 mile runs

Well, this is the last big push before I run the Jemez 50 mile endurance run in two weeks. I’ve got two 15 mile runs planned for this weekend. The first is a flat 15 along the Rio Grande with my three canine running partners. The second is another 15 mile run through the Organ Mountains in New Mexico. My plan is to tire myself out on Saturday and then run on tired legs in high elevation on Sunday. This will partially simulate what I will be dealing with during my race.

Day 1 (2:30pm): I usually prefer running in the morning when the sun is low, so this afternoon will be a good opportunity for some heat training. My three dogs are excited and ready for their adventure. We start at the trail head and run upstream. I try to keep my pace fast since the route is flat.

Running Solo at Kilbourne Hole

Is it really 4:15am? What am I doing up at this time of the morning on a Saturday? Oh yeah, Kilbourne Hole run. What is Kilbourne Hole you ask? It’s a shallow crater, or maar, on the east side of the Potrillo Volcano Field in Southern New Mexico

Kilbourne Hole was formed when underground water was heated by magma and then escaped from the Potrillo fault causing a sudden explosion of rock, sand, and basalt. Most of the material fell back into the depression filling it, but some rested on the edge creating the lip of the maar. I can’t wait to get there and run around the rim of this geologic wonder.