My Year in Review 2018

2018 was a good year for running especially compared to a lackluster 2017 where I was sick for much of the year and had several DNFs. I grew stronger with each month in 2018 though, and finished the Jemez 50 miler for the fourth year in a row and also tackled two tough 50K races, the Mt Taylor 50K in Grants, NM and the Franklin Mountains 50K here in "El Chuco". I was also very fortunate to have finished my seventh Bataan Memorial Death March in White Sands Missile Range, NM where thousands gather every year to remember and honor our POW war heroes who perished or survived the horrific march during WWII. To read my race reports jump on over to my Table of Contents page here.

Moonset over Banderas, Mexico from Hudspeth County, TX

Red-spotted toad in the Franklin Mountains S.P., TX

In addition to finishing these races, I trained diligently for the Bandera 100K that I will run next weekend in the Texas Hill Country. I also enjoyed some fine running adventures in the Lincoln National Forest in Cloudcroft and Ruidoso, NM. On several occasions I traveled up the road to Las Cruces, NM where I ran the Baylor Pass and Pine Tree trails in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument as well as parts of the Sierra Vista National Recreation Trail.

Black vultures (Hudspeth County, TX)

Vermilion fly catcher

Earlier this month I ran an unsupported 43 miler with over 8500' of vert in the Franklin Mountains to prepare for several upcoming 100Ks. I ran one loop of the Lone Star Hundred 100K but started from the Lost Dog Trailhead in West El Paso to make sure I got plenty of bonus miles. I was hoping for a 40 miler, but ended up with 43 total. I carried most of my food in my pack but, the day before, I stashed a few mandarine oranges, an apple and some chips in a ziplock baggie near the pavilion in the state park. Well, when I uncovered them during my run, a mouse or some other rascal had chewed some skin off the apple and gnawed through the ziplock to get to my chips. I was so hungry at mile 37 of my run though, that I devoured every one of those chips. As for water; I have established several personal caches throughout the park that I keep stocked.

Here's my Strava track that should actually read: Morning, Afternoon and Evening Run. (If it ain't on Strava, it didn't happen.)

Franklin Mountains State Park Eastside

The toughest part of my run was coming down the Upper Sunset Trail (Southbound) that is very steep and gnarly. I contemplated taking the park road that parallels the ridge instead, but decided not to wimp out. It was dark and I was plenty tired by this point and did a lot of rocking and rolling on the softball-sized rocks that fill the route. I almost ate it into the shin dagger and cactus that line the trail several times. I was beat by the time I returned to Lost Dog, but made pretty good time considering I had to climb the N. Franklin Peak at 7192' elevation early in my run.

Wild horses along our southern border

As always, I spent considerable time at our family's ranch in Hudspeth County, TX where I ran along the US-Mexico border and through the Quitman Pass. Wild horses meander back and forth across the Rio Grande that has been flooding here in recent years and many waterbirds have made this newly formed bosque their home. Just this week I went for a run and noticed yuccas blooming already in December; another sign of the global weirding that has become so eminent on our planet lately. While recovering from my runs I enjoyed some birding while taking many photographs highlighting the beauty of this rich landscape.

Weird! Yuccas blooming in December! (Mt Quitman background)

2019 is sure to be an exciting running year for me. After the Bandera 100K I will run the Lone Star 100K in the Franklins, the Old Pueblo 50 miler in Arizona, the Bataan Death March and Jemez 50 Miler in New Mexico and hopefully the San Juan Solstice 50 Miler in Colorado. In addition, I hope to return to the Grand Canyon to run the Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim (R2R2R). Whew! I'm tired just writing that paragraph!

Sunset on the ranch

Quitman Mountains, Texas

See you on the trail.

Franklin Mountains Trail 50K

I love the sting of shin dagger in the morning, don’t you? There’s nothing like starting a 50K trail run on a cold dark morning, pointy vegetation lapping at your ankles and shins while you slog up a rock strewn trail that ascends 400 feet in about a half mile. The Franklin Mountain Trail 50K, held in the Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso, is the toughest of its kind in Texas. Later this morning we will climb up to the N. Franklin Peak at 7192’ elevation and the entire course has around 7500’ of total vert, qualifying it for the USA Skyrunner series. I’ve never run this race, but have been training on this course for quite a few years so I know every twist and turn, rock garden and Spanish bayonet plant to watch out for. Even so, one can never fully prepare for the Franklin Mountains; they will destroy your body and soul!

N. Franklin Peak
Photo: Trail Racing Over Texas

El Malpais National Monument

El Malpais National Monument is a gem just south of Grants, NM. I visited the day before I ran the Mt Taylor 50K so I didn’t do any running, but drove to a few scenic overlooks to take in the sights. El Malpais is a volcano field with lava flows, cinder cones, lava tubes and caves. The McCartys Flow, one of the youngest lava flows in the lower 48 states, can be seen here and is only about 3000 years old. 

Sandstone Bluff Overlook

Mt Taylor 50K 2018

I try my best to not break my ankle as I navigate rocks and other tripping hazards at the base of Mt Taylor near Grants, NM. The sun isn’t up yet, so I steal a little bit of light from those running with headlamps around me. Wouldn’t it be a shame to get injured in the first half mile of the Mt Taylor 50K trail race? I’m careful and take my time; the sun will be up in 15 minutes anyway. Before long I’m power hiking up a forest road with about 180 other runners. The weather is perfect; about 45 with little wind and dry as a bone. We will eventually go to the peak at 11,300’, but not before we run a 16 mile hilly loop to make sure our legs are good and trashed before the brutal ascent. 

Mt Taylor as seen from Sandstone Bluffs, El Malpais National Monument

Tarantulas Are Pretty Fast!

One of the benefits of being on the trail for many hours at a time is that you get to see amazing wildlife, cacti and wildflowers along the way. The saying goes, “If you run long enough, something is bound to happen.” Usually those happenings are good like seeing a colorful bird flash by or stumbling upon a herd of elk (read my previous post). Occasionally the thing could be bad though, like eating the dirt, falling in the creek or being chased by zombies during your all night run.

Indian Paintbrush in the Franklin Mts State Park, TX

Lookout Mountain and Crest Trail

The stinging nettle plant contains thousands of tiny hollow hairs that release histamine and formic acid when broken off, creating a nasty burning sensation on the skin. Well, that sounds like something to avoid, doesn't it! More on stinging nettle later, but what I wanted to tell you now is that I recently went to the White Mountain Wilderness near Ruidoso, NM to do a little altitude training to get ready for my upcoming race, the Mt Taylor 50K. This race takes runners to the top of sacred Mt Taylor (11,300’) which is near Grants, NM. Near Ruidoso, I climbed Lookout Mt (11,580’) which is a bit higher so this was a perfect training run to help me prepare for my race. I tried this hike over spring break, but the snow was still very deep and I wasn’t able make it to the top.

Lookout Mt and Sierra Blanca Peaks

Crest Trail

I began my adventure at Ski Apache at around 10,000’ elevation and took the Scenic Trail (T15). The narrow path climbs a grassy slope with lots of wildflowers. In a little more than a half mile, I reached the Crest Trail (T15) which is a 20 mile route that traverses the mountain range. Unfortunately, the Little Bear Fire burned much of this area in 2012 and parts of the this trail are difficult to travel. More on that later.

Running Almost Mexico

I recently spent some time running our southern border in Hudspeth County, TX. With only three fourths of a person per mile it is the 45th least populous county in America. Loving, TX is number 5 with only a tenth of a person per mile. In comparison, New York County, NY is the most densely populated with 69,468 people per mile! (Wikipedia) No thank you! I prefer Texas, so the fam and I went to our family’s ranch in West Texas to enjoy a very quiet weekend in Almost Mexico.

Hudspeth along the border is much like the Big Bend area of Texas with a high wall of mountains in Mexico, the Quitman Mountains in the US and the Rio Grande slicing through the valley between the two countries. On both sides of the river, as far as the eye can see, is dry desert, rocky outcrops and sand hills dotted with creosote bush and gnarly vegetation. With only around nine inches of rain per year, it is one of the most inhospitable regions imaginable where everything bites, stings or scratches. It’s also one of the most beautiful. 

Heart Attack Canyon Lincoln National Forest

As the name indicates, Heart Attack Canyon is no joke! I went to Cloudcroft, NM a few weeks ago to get out of the desert heat and enjoy some time in the Lincoln National Forest. I ran the Bluff Springs, Willie White and Wills Canyon trails that you can read about in my last post. Several years ago I ran the Rim Trail that mostly parallels the Sunspot Scenic Byway and noticed a sign pointing the way to Heart Attack Canyon. I became very intrigued by this side trail and thought to myself —how hard could it be? Well, I went back to find out.

Bluff Springs Lincoln National Forest

I recently had an epic running adventure in the Lincoln National Forest just south of Cloudcroft, NM. Bluff Springs waterfall is a beautiful little spot along the Rio Peñasco Rd off of Sunspot Scenic Byway. Water tumbles over a bluff that is adorned by a hanging garden of riparian vegetation including mosses and ferns as well as a smooth algae covered stone. Tall majestic spruce and fir trees tower above the cliff. A short trail leads to the top of the waterfall where water weeps out of the Sacramento Mountains into a lush marshy area before plunging over the scarp.

Bluff Springs, NM

Jemez Mountain 50 Miler

A young lady is bent over retching along the side of the trail as I approach. A photographer walks up to her. “Are you OK?”, he asks. “Oh yeah, I’m good,” she replies. I know she isn’t. We’re at 9000’ elevation on a hot morning at mile 15 of a 50 miler and have another 1500’ of climbing ahead of us to reach the top of Pajarito Mountain (10,440’). I have a lot of pressure in my head and am definitely feeling the altitude. Hopefully she can pull it together when she reaches the ski lodge aid station in another half mile.

The Jemez Mountain 50 Mile Trail Run started at zero dark hundred this morning with about 150 runners toeing the line. They offer three distances —50 mile, 50K or 15 mile. Pick your poison. There was a bit of drama leading up to the race because the Jemez Mountains, where the race is held in Los Alamos, NM are in an exceptional drought (D4, the worst possible) with very high wildfire risk. The course was changed because the forest is in stage 2 fire restrictions and rangers wanted to keep runners closer to town. The Atomic City knows wildfires. In 2011, the Las Conchas Fire, the largest in New Mexico at the time, burned over 150,000 acres threatening the town and the Los Alamos National Lab here. In years past the 50 mile course took us through the gorgeous Valle Caldera National Preserve, but no such luck today. The good news is that we only ascend Pajarito Mountain once, although we have another significant climb up to about 9600’ later in the day.

Everyday is Earth Day

Earth Day was last weekend where many people went out to hike or run a trail, clean up a park or plant a tree. Well, without fear of sounding like a Birkenstock wearing hippie tree hugger who greets everyone on the trail with namaste, I have to admit that, to me, everyday is Earth Day. I spend almost every morning running a trail and taking in nature. The visual beauty of West Texas where I live is stunning, but there are also the smells, sounds and even the feel of the Earth that I enjoy when I’m out on the trail. 

Moonrise Quitman Mountains in W. Texas

Team RWB Leadership Trail Running Camp

Last weekend I taught several trail running classes for our Team Red, White and Blue leaders who were attending the Leadership Academy in El Paso, TX. I’m not sure I was qualified for this task, but was flattered and honored for the invitation all the same. Our Team RWB leaders are very motivated and work hard to enrich the lives of our veterans by connecting them to their communities through physical and social activities. Several other of our El Paso chapter members also taught classes. Jessica covered trail running gear while her husband Tim, an orthopedic specialist, talked about running form and injury prevention. They are both very fast and accomplished ultra runners who are top finishers in some very tough races.

Highly motivated and passionate Eagle leaders!

Bataan Memorial Death March 2018

Last weekend I ran the Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range, NM. The weather forecast was calling for a hot day with high winds in the afternoon so that was incentive for me to run as fast as possible in hopes of beating the elements. If you don’t know Bataan, it’s one of the largest joint military-civilian athletic events in the country if not the world. Almost 8500 participants marched with heavy packs or ran/walked the 26.2 mile or half marathon route this year. In addition, 2000 volunteers helped make the event possible.

A handful of survivors from the original 60-80 mile death march during WWII were also in attendance and a 100 year old survivor, Ben Skardon, marched a portion of the course. The morning opened, as always, with a somber ceremony remembering the fallen and honoring the remaining survivors of the brutal march in the Philippines in 1942. The ceremony included the Philippine and US national anthems, a ceremonial roll call, prayer and F-16 flyover by the Air Force. 

Running With Gilbert’s Syndrome

I slacked off on my blogging last year because I hadn’t been running much and didn’t feel there was anything worth writing about. I haven’t done a race since last June, but am getting back on track now that I’m healthier. I’ve been training for a few spring races and am looking forward to the Bataan Memorial Death March (26.2 miler) later this month and the Jemez Mountain 50 Miler in Northern New Mexico in May.

Bataan Death March 2017

Last year was a rough year for me health wise. I began feeling bad last spring and decided to back off on my running in the summer to determine what was going on. I was having a lot of fatigue, dizziness, irritability, insomnia, chills, asthma and brain fog. At the time I thought I was having food sensitivities, but my doctor thought it was acid reflux. Doesn’t every male over 50 have acid reflux? Anyway, he put me on some acid reflux meds and things went downhill from there. By October I became very sick with a low grade fever, chills and high counts of liver enzymes, bilirubin and ammonia. 

Volunteering at Lone Star 100

This past weekend I volunteered at the Lone Star 100 Trail Run, a 100 mile or 100K race run in the Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso, TX. This is a brutal race, put on by Trail Racing Over Texas, that I attempted last year, but only making it to mile 60. You can read my race report here. 

Franklin Mountains State Park, TX

The course is a 33 mile loop including an out-and-back trip to the top of N. Franklin Peak at 7192’ elevation. The entire 100 mile course includes around 20,000 feet of elevation gain. (Denali in Alaska is 20,310’). That should give you an idea of the difficulty of this race, but if that isn’t enough to convince you, the course is littered with rocks. Jagged rocks, smooth slippery rocks, razor edged slivers of rock, small annoying rocks that get into your shoes. The vegetation here is pointy, sharp, prickly, barbed, saw-toothed or otherwise covered in thorns. The weather can be anything in February. Last year we had a high of 85 degrees and then the winds came. Strong gusting port-o-potty tipping over gales.

My Year in Review 2017

Happy New Year! 2017 was both a good and bad year for me. The first half of this year was epic in many ways. I started the year by running the Bandera 100K in frigid temperatures, ran R2R2R in the Grand Canyon with a great bunch of guys and ran the Lone Star 100 miler only making it to mile 60 before dropping. I finished my third Jemez Mountain 50 miler, but made the last few cutoffs by mere minutes. I finished my 6th consecutive Bataan Memorial Death March and ran the Bighorn 100, but dropped at mile 50 due to a miserable night of rain, cold and soul sucking mud.

Watch slideshow of my favorite photos from 2017:



All my race times were slower this year and I felt something was off. All during the summer I was experiencing fatigue, chills and my vitamin D was very low. After Bighorn, I took it easy for a few months and tried to determine why I was feeling so bad. By October I became very sick with some serious complications and underwent medical testing. I saw quite a few doctors who were not able to determine the cause of my problem, but I recovered all the same. Doctors continue to monitor my health and have ordered further evaluations from specialists.

Per doctor's orders and on my wife's recommendation, I have changed my diet to a lower carb (no grains/legumes), low sugar regimen because I may have leaky gut syndrome. (I guess that's a thing now.) I feel much better and have been running the last month or so. All said, I'm grateful for the accomplishments I made in 2017 and am confident that 2018 will be a good year of running for me. I've already registered for the Bataan Death March and have run 13 miles for my longest run.

See you on the trail.