Monday Musing 16: 110 miles through the mountains in Mexico

It’s Friday, October 28th. I am about to run 110 miles through the mountains in Mexico. It’s the inaugural race, and no one knows what to expect. There isn’t even a Strava heatmap to ease the anxious unknown. As far as I can tell from my research and the research of people much more meticulous than I am, we will be the first to run this route. The gun goes off in five hours, and while there is crew access, I will only see them every 20 miles. This is the essential gear I will be depending on over the course of the next 18-44 hours.

1. The Brooks Running Caldera 6. The shoes I have worn throughout this training block. They have enough cush to get me through 100 miles of unknown terrain, through rugged mountains with 30,000 feet of downhill. Not knowing what to expect, I brought two pairs so I can switch them out if need be.

1. My Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar, with enough battery to take me through what could turn into 40 hours of running, on full GPS mode, and that will alert me when I make a wrong turn and every 30 minutes as a reminder to eat.

1. My Garmin InReach Mini as additional tracking to ease Carson’s mind. This is a very safe and friendly part of the country, but the mountains in Mexico do have a certain reputation, and additional safety measures were encouraged by my loved ones.

1. My Brooks Running x Ultraspire back that will carry 2 liters of water and enough food to get me through each 20-mile section without crew.

1. My Method Seven Ultra Trail Huntress 26. These are sunglasses, but unlike other sunglasses, The Huntress is a piece of gear, not an accessory. Under the hours of unrelenting sunshine, the notch filtering will allow me to see a crisper and clearer trail, even when shadowed. In theory, I will experience less fatigue on the eyes and brain for the long upcoming hours on the trails. As an ultra runner, I must consider what I wear for eye protection. Not only for immediate performance but for my long-term health.

Excuse my brevity in this musing. I have 100 miles to run and gear to pack. If you know me, then it’s no surprise that I filled every last minute with work and play and only left the hours before the race to get ready. Oops, I did it again.

Stay tuned for next week's Musing, where I recount what actually happened out there and how The Huntress performed. While I have worn the beta version and have been training in The Huntress quite a bit, I have never raced in it. Now is as good a time as any!

Time to do the thing. LFG.