Cerrillos Adventure

AM: 62 mins. (8+ miles)
PM: 3 miles


Always nice to wake up to a snowstorm.

When we woke up to discover that six inches of snow had fallen overnight, we knew that running on the rail trail was not an option. Simmons' idea was basically to start driving in the direction of ABQ until there was no snow on the ground, pull over on a dirt road and have at it. So that's what we did. About 30 minutes after leaving the hotel we stumbled on the ghost town of Cerrillos, New Mexico, which looked as though it could double as a set for a horror movie (probably one with zombies). Despite the portent of danger, Simmons had no qualms about dropping us off and tasking us with running out and back along a deserted farm road. Okay so I'm kidding a bit; it wasn't at all dangerous (just slightly creepy), and zombies aside the run ended up being pretty fun.


Jenna, Tanya and me doing work at 5600 feet

It didn't start out that way, however. We embarked directly into a stiff headwind, at least 20mph, that chilled us to the bone. Normally we're a chatty bunch but the gusts literally took our breath away for the first few miles. Absent Simon due to an aching foot, it was up to me, Tanya, Nelson and Jenna to put one foot in front of the other in determined silence. The good news, of course, is that we eventually reached the turnaround point. What a relief. The second half of the run was infinitely more enjoyable than the first, and we were actually able to appreciate the stark beauty of our surroundings. I was also tremendously encouraged by how much more relaxed my breathing felt than on previous days. Today we were down at 5600 feet, as opposed to Santa Fe's 7000, which means (I hope) that I'll feel even more normal when we travel down to ABQ tomorrow.

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I bet the zombies are up there in the fog somewhere.


Posing for a quick post-run photo with Coach and Sheepers

After the run we were equal parts tired, cold and in need of refreshment. We opted to drive a few miles to nearby Madrid in search of a place to change clothes and a warm beverage. Only slightly less of a ghost town than Cerrillos, Madrid's main drag consisted of a handful of quaint shops and not much else. Fortunately we lucked out and stumbled across Java Junction, a tiny coffee shop which turned out to be nothing short of awesome. Great drinks--I had a heavenly Mexican chocolate mocha--cool knick-knacks and a laid-back atmosphere completely fitting with its remote surroundings. (I also got a kick out of a variety of magnets for sale with slogans like "Clowns are people too...people who want to hurt you" and "I'm gay but I don't really like rainbows." Funny stuff.) Warm and content, our makeshift family piled back into the Tahoe with another successful run under our belts and, of course, another adventure in the books.


Best (and only) coffee shop in Madrid, NM