Another Friday half-day work day, this weekend’s trail destination: Las Cruces NM.
Boarded a small plane to El Paso (anytime you walk outside to board a plane, ya know it’s a small ride) – easy 2-hour flight, landed in balmy 86-degree heat. Think I’m gonna cook tomorrow. Yikes!
Hour drive in the desert. Arrived at bib pick-up, 20 minutes to spare. Dollar Tree snack purchase (tomorrow’s an ultra, I’m comin’ prepared), Italian carry-out dinner, early zzz’s at the Sleep Inn-Las Cruces (good name for a hotel chain, huh?).
The race takes place 99% desert, single track trail! All races will begin at the northern terminus (Sierra Norte trailhead) of the Sierra Vista Trail. This is located off of Dripping Springs Road. All distances are out and back routes and actual mileages are approximate. The 50k is an out and back from Sierra Norte trailhead to the Vado trailhead.
Headphones are allowed but be aware that rattlesnakes may be out and you won’t hear them rattling if you’re rockin out! This is a trail run on challenging terrain and differs greatly from running events held on road. We are not responsible for any injuries sustained during the day of the event.
50K Finisher tile
Early Saturday a.m. start – ok by me, happy to log in as many miles as possible before the day heats up. 15-20 minute drive north to the Organ Mountains, parked off-road, half-mile hike to our trailhead Start. Been struggling with trail racing thus far, but LOVIN’ these small grassroots events. Pop a tent & 2 tables at a trailhead – and BAM you’ve got racing. Much more intimate than road races. 4-5 Aid Stations tops. Much more a thinking man’s run. Gotta stay alert or risk injury tripping over rocks, roots, downed trees, trail debris. Gotta manage hydration & food intake. Gotta be self-supportive. Hoping to improve endurance & nutrition over the next couple months – really diggin’ mountain trail racing (sport combining both loves, hiking & marathoning).
Met Hoosier-native Carolyn just before today’s 50K trek – she’d be key to [me] finishing with a smile on my face. Race director added .75 miles to today’s Start – an early extra loop to space out runners before we hit the single-track path in the desert. Started slow, stopped by my rental & peeled off a double-shirt layer…temps now mid-60’s.
Rolling hill terrain through sage, dirt & loose rock. Caught Carolyn early, slowed my pace & enjoyed the ride. Upbeat outgoing personality, this runner’s also chasing 50 States. Only three miles in, passed our first Aid Station – and we ate. Not this gal’s first rodeo, Carolyn’s finished multiple trail ultras – so today I stopped, looked & listened. Go out slow, eat early, stay ahead of hydration. Not JUST talk, we followed this strategy.
Temps continued to rise; we continued to hydrate. Terrain turned to open desert, miles 12-19. Dirt gave way to sand & cracked clay – even cactus grew sparingly.
Turnaround at 16.3 miles…today’s 50K was gonna run longer than 31 miles.
Clicked 80 degrees now, but thankfully ran a cloudy day. We’d catch a short breeze from time to time. Not glossing over details, it was warm – but appreciative not to be running when summer temps top 120, it IS the desert.
Barrel, hedgehog & prickly pear cacti, multiple varieties of flowering yucca – and POPPIES. Each spring (once a year), desert poppies garnish the sage-choked panorama. Truly BEAUTIFUL!
Spewed twice over the last 4 miles but moving in the right direction. Felt much better today. Transitioning to trail & ultra distances been more of a journey than originally visioned – been at it for just 4 weeks, gonna celebrate all small victories.
Stroke a pose at the Sierra Vista Trail sign (last Aid Station) – only 3 miles more. Steady pace, arroyo (dry creek bed) ups & downs, towering “needles” of the Organ Mountains poised directly ahead. Having already surpassed 32 miles, no way of really knowing when today’s race would end. Super excited when I popped up the last rolling hill & could see the Finish Tent in the valley below.
55th marathon finish, 3rd ultra distance – that’s 3 trail ultras in 4 weeks. FAAANNNTASTIC!
Sierra Vista Trail Runs – 50K – Las Cruces, NM Mar 5, 2016
Keenan Haga
Overall: 46 8:25:03
Received a Finisher’s tile (not a lotta medals in ultras) & snapped a shot with Carolyn before highway trekking back to El Paso.
Returning in 2 weeks to NM’s White Sands Missile Range, as a Bataan Memorial Death March participant – marathoning with our military in honor of service members who defended the Philippine Islands during World War II.
Bataan’s a HUGE bucket list event – much more than a Sunday 26.2. Can’t wait!
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- small plane to El Paso, followed by an hour drive in the desert
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- early crack of dawn Start
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- SUNRISE COLOR over southern New Mexico
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- diggin’ grassroots trail events
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- cloudy, cool & SAGE
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- rolling rock & dirt, still all smiles
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- terrain change (less sage, more cactus) & SUN
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- Yucca carnerosana, the “Giant Spanish Dagger”
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- desert beauty
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- blooming barrel cactus
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- landscape dries & temps start to climb (miles 12-19)
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- desert SPRING — once a year, POPPIES
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- soaptree yucca
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- photo opp: only 3 miles to go
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- towering “needles” of the Organ Mountains
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- shared 32 miles & 8 hours with this gal — thanks Carolyn!
Sierra Vista Trail Run
20 hours in Sin City – quick in & out, logged my 53rd marathon finish.
Another half-day Friday workday, autobahn’d to the airport, less than 2 hours later – palm trees & desert in sunny Las Vegas. Scored a ride to Suncoast Resort, our host hotel in North Las Vegas. [As luck would have it, saw a fellow 50 Stater on my flight & hitched a ride.] Walked thru the casino to registration – smell of cigarette smoke always comes as a surprise. No allergies here, just odd to see cigarette smoking…think it’s been outlawed in public buildings & restaurants since the 1980’s.
Lucked into a dinner invite, tagged along with 3 other marathoners – fun pre-race Italian feast. Big fan of red sauce 🙂
Early, early a.m. – bus transportation started at 4:45am to Red Rock Canyon. Staying at the host hotel, luckily slipped onto a later bus – arrived 30 minutes before the 6:15 full marathon start (halfers left from the Visitors Center, 13 miles away).
Quads still tight from last weekend’s 55K mountain adventure in Moab. My sis ran the Red Rock Half while at a work conference last year, forewarned ‘bout the climb & struggled with altitude. Head manta scroll: I eat HILLS for breakfast. I’ve got this – no fear.
Snapped a few pics of the desert landscape & BAM – on our way. Rolling ups & downs…nothing noteworthy – long hill incline started at mile 4. Five miles later, stayed at it but yeah, I felt it. Fast 2-mile downhill – 7:30 minute/miles…dodged shared-lane Halfers ‘til mile 12. Two laps ‘round the Visitors Center, dropped my 2nd shirt, popped salt pills & Advil, juiced three orange slices. Mile 14 loomed ahead AND our 2nd five-mile incline. This is the climb Sis warned about. Walk, jog, aid station water. Short run, walk, jog. Aid station water. No joke. Passed a cyclist – must be a tough climb even on wheels…’cause I certainly wasn’t moving fast.
No 7:30-minute brag pace on the downhill return – LOL> trotted to mile 22….but credibly, no walk – paced slow but ran with 2 other runners thru mile 25. They dropped me at the last water station .7 miles from the Finish.
Red rock beauty & vacant desert calm. Not a great run, a 5 hour full. BUT coming only 7 days after Moab, I’ll take it.
Last Saturday 55K trail run in Moab, this Saturday road marathon in Vegas – next weekend? BOTH. Attempting my first double in Tulsa OK – 50K trail on Saturday, full marathon Sunday. Goal is a multi-day adventure race in 2017. Can’t fail if you don’t try 🙂
Red Rock Canyon Marathon
February 20, 2016 — Results By Calico Racing
K R HAGA Louisville CO 5:01:40.2
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- pre-race, pre-dawn smile share
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- canyon rock & sage brush
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- Calico Rock
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- popular with rock climbers, easy on the eyes
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- protected species living in Red Rock Canyon; depicted on today’s finishers medal
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- beautiful, hill-brutal course (heat-exposed finish pics)
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- colorful desert landscape — LOVED it!
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- quick 20 hours in Sin City; back home in time for dinner 🙂
Road tripped to my last marathon of 2015 – 9 hours southwest to Monument Valley Tribal Park in Navaho Nation.
pre-race pasta dinner
Saturday’s inaugural marathon would be my 1st outside of 50 State Quest, my first repeat state – would start/finish in Utah, majority of run on dirt roads & trail in Arizona.
Pulled into Goulding’s Lodge on the Rez just before 7pm [arrived after nightfall]…so would have to wait ‘til morning to see Monument Valley’s amazing red landscape.
Bib pick-up & pre-race pasta dinner – my first exposure to the Navajo. Native flutes piped thru the dining hall while tribal leaders spoke of their efforts to organize the run and improve the wellness of their people.
dirt road & trail — orange flags (tied to sage) marked today’s route
#2016whyIrun Marathon dues were paid to NavajoYES – an organization created to improve lifelong fitness & youth native empowerment across Diné Bikeyah.
Mission Statement: “to develop a healthy, positive and drug-free lifestyle” – a problem plaguing Rez youth across the Navajo Nation.
Night concluded with a slide show & details ‘bout tomorrow’s run – 10+ miles of red sand, trail dotted with orange flags, followed by a hard-packed dirt shared with half-marathon participants.
cold temps, 30mph gusts & morning snow welcomed our Start
Race morning – cold & windy…actually bitter cold, wind chills near zero, winds gusted to 30mph.
Waited inside the Navajo Visitors Center ‘til race start. Darted out to hear the National Anthem – sung in Navajo Diné, amazing cultural experience.
Started off quick – course descended almost 1000ft, clouds cleared revealing majestic red rock spiraling upward to the heavens.
WOW moment, absolutely stunning!
Dropped off hard-packed dirt road at mile 4 – half-marathoners continued on, marathoners took to trail. From there, ran in dense red sand – gaiting right, then left, watching my footing, attempting to avoid the deepest sinking pits.
Crossed 2 privacy fences. Ran free across the Rez today, passed circular communal buildings & painted ponies – terrain switched from sand to frozen mud imprinted deep with horse markings.
last marathon of 2015 – toughest run of my life
Mile 9 – Totem Pole. Toughest trail climb of the day – not so much running as hiking in sand. Dug deep & passed a number of participants. Vertical hiking – this I can do 🙂
Rejoined hard-packed dirt somewhere near mile 14 or 15 – hard to tell…no mile markers; aid stations were abandoned, unmanned in the extreme conditions.
WIND. Ran with right eye closed, left eye squinted to avoid blowing sand – sand which coated my mouth, nose, ears, both eyes. Tough physical conditions, tougher mental challenge.
Dirt devils formed far in the distance. I’d watch them approach, stop, close both eyes tight & wait as they passed over me. Near impossible to run in the swirling headwind.
Didn’t see another human until mile 23 when a Navajo officer met me with PowerAde from his truck. Only two miles more he promised – last mile half would be UP in the unrelenting wind. I could now see the Visitors Center, high on a towering red clay bluff.
Standing thru ground swells, running, shuffling, walking, hiking hands on quad – pushing, pushing upward to the Finish line.
Most extreme marathon of my life – fitting way to end 2015: 32 marathons in 32 different states.
BIB# NAME TIME
9 Haga, KR 5:36:58 Louisville CO
Wrapped in mylar, sat in a nearby warming tent & watched the Navajo blessing ceremony. Back to Colorado in the morning. Winter break, no running for a couple weeks – in the mountains next weekend, laying low during the holidays.
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- one of the most scenic races I’ve run
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- West Mitten & Merrick Butte
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- post-race Navajo “Blessing” Ceremony
Salmon: Jul 22 – Aug 21 [my Native American Animal Symbol]
Electric, focused, intuitive, and wholly creative, the Salmon is a real live-wire. His/her energy is palpable. A natural motivator, the Salmon’s confidence and enthusiasm is easily infectious. Soon, everybody is onboard with the Salmon – even if the idea seems too hair-brained to work. Generous, intelligent, and intuitive, it’s no wonder why the Salmon has no shortage of friends. This Native American animal symbol expresses a need for purpose and goals, and has no trouble finding volunteers for his/her personal crusades.
National Anthem in Native Navajo Diné
post-race Navajo ‘blessing ceremony’
