#52--Day of the Dead Marathon

October 27, 2014

Las Cruces, NM

5:40:04

With this weekend marking the "Day of the Dead" holiday, it is a good time to post about the marathon I recently completed in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  This was a really unique race.  Named after the Mexican holiday honoring the deceased, "Dia de Los Muertos," is not one marathon but actually a series of SEVEN marathons on SEVEN consecutive days!!

I was supposed to run in Albuquerque, NM, but changed plans at the last minute.  Thankfully, this race was still open.  I only ran the first marathon of the series, but about half of the 25 or so runners who showed up for the first one on 10/27 intended to run most or all of the races.  CRAZY!

Getting to Las Cruces wasn't real easy, but travel went smoothly and I checked into my hotel, where the World's Largest Chili Pepper greets guests at the front, shortly before midnight.

After a short night, I showed up to the race an hour before the start at picked up my bib and shirt.  I mingled with the Marathon Maniacs and we traded stories about favorite marathons, etc.  One of the guys was running his 200th marathon that day.

The course was flat and fast.  I guess you could still call it a course.  It was along the Rio Grande River bike trail.  Runners would run out a little over 1 mile and turn around and return to the start.  We did this 13 times.  It was very monotonous, but runners would high five others as we passed one another on the trail time after time after time.

The race organizers take care of the food and stocked the tables in front of their RV with anything you could want or imagine.  I don't think I've eaten so much during a race before.  I particularly enjoyed eating olives, a first for me during a marathon.  One lady even offered to warm up some lasagna for me if I wanted.

There was no time limit and I wasn't going to be able to catch a flight until the next day, so I wasn't in any hurry.  I basically took a short break during each turn around spot, enjoying the food and drink offered, and visiting with the organizers, volunteers, and fellow runners.

Temperatures climbed into the 70's, which for this time of year is pretty warm.  That affected my pace some.   After mile 16 or so, my left IT band flared up, and this forced me to walk a fair bit and stop and stretch some.  This race was only a week after my Maine marathon.  Although my knee didn't bother me in Maine, all of the hilly miles on the cambered road had finally caught up to me.

I ran slow, finishing in just over 5:40.  This actually put me in the top half of the runners for the day.  Most, I assume, were pacing themselves for the following days races.  The last place runner was awarded a commemorative caboose, the only prize given to any runner.

New Mexico marked my penultimate marathon.  The Las Vegas Rock and Roll Marathon, which I have called my Las(t) Vegas marathon, will be my 50th state.   What a long, strange trip it's been.

Here are some pics from "El Maraton."