Copper Canyons 2011
Visiting the village of Urique in the Copper Canyons was truly an amazing experience. From the two day journey through Mexico by train and bus, to the two 18 mile group hikes in the days leading up to the race, and the cultural exchange all made for one of the best weeks of my life! Though I wasn't very fast, things went surprisingly smoothly on race day, I started out at a nice easy pace that I held for the flat sections, and walked the uphills. I felt pretty strong until about mile 22, when I started to hit the wall. At that point I slowed to a pace alternating between walking and running, which I kept up through the toughest climp of the course. Then surprisingly I started feeling stronger as I neared the 30 mile point. I guess it was the adrenaline and excitement of how close I was to completion of my first 50 miler. From then on things went pretty smoothly, I wasn't moving very fast due to my stiff ham strings, but slowly but surely I was inching toward to finish line and feeling stronger and more excited with each passing mile. I crossed the finish line in just over 12 hours and was awarded a voucher for 500 pounds of corn, which I gave to Caballo Blanco to distribute among the local schools and people of Urique. I think it's very unfortunate that Mexico has such a bad reputation right now, when in reality the majority of the people down there are very friendly and hospitable. Caballo Blanco has dedicated his life to helping support the Tarahumara and their running culture, in working hard to collect donations, and organize the race, in addition to Supplying the money for all of the corn out of his own pocket. I strongly recommend this race to anyone not only for the running and beautiful scenery but for the cultural exchange, and what is truly a remarkable experience!
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