Goat's Corner

I have yet to blog on the AFC website as of yet due to the fact that I didn't know the password. Dave and I are awake for our second morning of the day. It's like second breakfast. Our first shift this morning began at 1 am and and we were still in New Mexico. Adam led us into the huge sunrise finishing up New Mexico and into Oklahoma. The crew has been sleeping pretty well with two sleep shifts of 6 hrs each. And Adam and Pat have been feeling better since they've been back on the 2.5 hr shifts at night from 8pm to 6 am. Everyone has gotten a real shower in the last 8 hrs. Kansas is hot and boring, as all knew it already was. This is the third time Adam and Pat have biked through Kansas.

Myself, after only a stroll on the beach in oceanside and no real exercise, I decided to run the highest mountain pass that we have on the entire trip. A five miler up and over La Manga Pass, just on the other side of Chama, New Mexico and in the area of Carson National Forest. The summit was at 21.3 and I first got dropped off around the 10 mile mark. I ran for a mile. I passed a tandem team (JDRF). One their crew members who was filming from their van jokingly stated that "You know you're not allowed to pass the riders, right!" I did not head his word and ran along beside them for a few hundred feet chatting before passing them. I then discovered that it would take me a long time to reach the summit by foot from here, and hoped by in the car after a mile of running. I was feeling kind of tired. 9,000 ft of elevation will do that too you. I downed 20 ounces of water in an instant. I decided that I was still going to run up the summit.

Dave dropped me off once more at 19.0 miles and I sans shirt went for the summit. I passed Alex and his RAAM Media Van in half a miles. I was going a decent clip for nearing the 10,000 ft mark. I reached the 10,250 mark (highest in RAAM). and JDRF van came up and shot my photo with the sign and asked if I had actually run up to here. I was honest stating only for the last mile or so. And they exclaimed they were still impressed. Dave arrived later and I stated that I wanted to run somemore.

He gave me another 10 mins or so. I went 2.5 miles down the mountain from the summit. It was a great run and I was fulfilled. Adam blew past me first and then later the JDRF riders. This is the first blog. others will be shorter.....maybe.-THE GOAT