Episode 90 - Lionel Ortega; Former UNM Athlete and Professional Runner

This week I had the pleasure to speak with Pablo Vigil. We talk about his humble beginnings in the Mora Valley of North New Mexico and how running helped propel him to greater things.  He went to school at Adams State in southern Colorado, which has a long history of New Mexican runners, which we touch on. He also talked about learning from the great Coach, Dr. Joe Vigil. Pablo talks about this time and what it meant to learn from Coach Vigil. He goes on to talk about his journey into marathon training and how he got involved with Frank Shorter's training group in Boulder. It's a fascinating story that he says changed his life. Pablo also talks about getting into mountain running and touches on how different it was then to now. At the time, it was a great way for him to extend his running career. We also talk about his journey into teaching and education. It was a fun conversation that I hope you enjoy and get something from. Pablo is passionate about running and really wants people to find what inspires them. This heat has been rough. There's not much you can do, other than try and run early or late. Listen to your bodies and slow down in the heat. Stay hydrated, stay cool, and keep running, New Mexico. Photo Credit: Alexis Berg

This week I had the pleasure to talk with Leah Purucker. She is a Trail runner and chef at Daily Grind. It was great to have her on and talk about how she got started in running at a young age, but never competed in running until later in life. She talks about learning about running and training for her first race, a marathon! We also talk about how she became a chef and some similarities in competing between running and cooking.  She isn't competing currently and it was interesting to learn about an injury she's been dealing with and the doubts that can creep up for any runner when we have a longer hiatus. It was great to talk with someone that I've seen out in my running area and really get to know her better. I hope you enjoy our conversation. The heat is really starting to come on with some triple digit numbers in the metro area and down south dealing with even higher temps. It's always important to hydrate, but in the heart of summer, it's especially important. So listen to your body, wear that sunscreen, and keep running, New Mexico.

This week I had the pleasure to talk with AJ Beach. He is a Sandia Prep and UNM graduate. He is an athlete performance therapist and has helped many people get through injuries and back to performing the way they are comfortable with. We talk about how he got into running and competing at the New Mexico State meet. He talked about some of the expectations and how that can be a burden when you are not performing the way you want or are expecting to. We also talk about how that disappointment helped him find something he became more passionate about. We talk briefly about his brother, Curtis Beach, and how AJ never really felt in competition with him and was able to do his own thing. That can be a difficult thing for many families, so it was good to hear about their relationship and the positives. AJ also talks about the specifics of what he does and who he works with. He has worked with high school athletes to Olympic caliber athletes, from pets to grandparents. He truly wants to help anyone he can. If you are interested in seeing AJ, you can check out his website here. It has been a crazy beginning to the summer for me, but I am happy to have some guests lined up. I'm also excited for a new cross country season. There is a wonderful new group of athletes at my school and no doubt around the state. I'm excited to see what everyone is able to do this Fall. Hopefully everyone is taking care of their bodies, hydrating, and preparing well for any upcoming races or challenges. So keep on moving, listen to your body, and keep running, New Mexico.

This week I had the pleasure to speak to Kelsey Long. She is a Navajo runner living on the Choctaw Reservation in Oklahoma. She recently completed the Boston Marathon for Rising Hearts. She is also part of the Renew Earth Running Run Team and helped create a Dirtbags Run, a  Dirtbag Runners Program, that consists of 21 BIPOC trail runners. Talking with Kelsey was so much fun. She has done quite a lot in the short time that she has been running. She talks about hating running and only getting into it several years ago because of her energetic dog. She talks about finding her group and starting to attend races and how she had caught the running bug. We talk about her journey and finding a running coach to help improve and then looking for another coach when that didn't work out. Kelsey talks about seeing other native runners using their voice and running to advocate for things she also believes in and wanting to do the same thing. We talk about running Boston to fundraise for Rising Hearts. She also talks about the Boston Marathon experience. We also talk about the forming of Dirtbags Run, their goal, and being visible. I didn't realize this was something she was involved in and I'm really impressed and excited about the group. As Kelsey herself says, she's high achieving, and I'm excited to see what she does in the running space with her advocacy going forward. It's getting warm out there (finally). I am hoping the whiplash of cold and warm weather is finally over, but that means it's time to run early and hydrate well. We also have state track meets going on. I hope you are enjoying where you are in your training and running. So get your shoes tied, get a buddy, and keep running, New Mexico. The photo was providing by John Knepper (@john_knepper) / Mile 90 Photography (@mile90photo) from the Dark and Dirty Miles race by Outlaw Trail Series (@theoutlaw100)

This week I had the pleasure to speak with Timberlin "Timbo" Henderson. He is a Dine trail runner from Fruitland, New Mexico. He graduated from Piedra Vista in Farmington, NM before going on to Western Colorado. We talk about how he got started in running, doing youth races, and becoming more serious as he got older. He talked about some of the runners he looked up to growing up. He then talked about continuing to pursue his running into college. We talked about his transition from running in the traditional college system before moving to the Mountain Sports division of sports at Western Colorado and into trail running. It is a fascinating program that I would love to see take  hold here in New Mexico.  Timberlin also talks about his 420 Run Project from November and the two charities he worked with for the project, Every Mother Counts and Fundamental Needs, as well as his sponsor, Stigma Wellness.  It was a fun interview and I'm glad to have gotten the chance to talk with Timberlin. He is currently training for some other big races, but is coming back for the Shiprock Marathon on May 6th, register here.  The weather has been up and down, but it finally is feeling warm. Those spring winds are still here in the afternoon. It's marathon season. It's track season. It's running season, as always. Enjoy your training, trust the taper, and keep running, New Mexico.

This week I had the pleasure to talk with Roman Gurule. He is a Pojoaque High School and New Mexico State University graduate. He is also the creator of NewMexico.run. It is a site focused on sharing the wonders of this state through a running lens. We talked about his early days of running in Pojoaque for coach Lockridge. He also talks about Ben Ray Lujan being one of his running mentors at the time. We talk about college and moving to the east coast. He talks about how his running journey started back up when he joined a running group out there and getting into marathons. His heart was always here in New Mexico and he eventually moved back and has continued his running journey and is using that knowledge in his website. If you haven't checked out NewMexico.run, you should. Not only does it offer lots of information on places to visit, eat, and drink, there is a fantastic section on places to run, with information on parking, facilities and more, as well as a section that works to compile all of our local races in one spot. Ramon is a great guy trying to put the running community in the state at the forefront. I was lucky enough to get a run with him recently, which is something I always wish to do with all of my guests. This weather has been more crazy than ever. In the last week we've experienced just about every season multiple times each day. That can make it difficult for track season and marathon season training, but as wise people have always said, if you can't run in it, you can't race in it. I hope you are able to take that adage and use it in the next few weeks as we work towards warmer weather. So layer up, hydrate, and keep running New Mexico.

This week I had the pleasure to speak with Leah Futey. She is a multiple time state champion from Cleveland High School. She is also a future Syracuse Orange. Leah talks about getting into running, and how she would come to her brother's practices. She had a talent for it and started running through Cougar Track Club, a local club, from an early age. She also talks about having a difficult cross country season her junior year and how she came back hungry to improve. We also talk about her track season last year and her summer races where she ran a sub 11 minute two mile and sub 5 minute one mile. She is a young star that you should follow through the rest of this year and into the future. The weather has been up and down, but we know that it's windy season, which means track season! Take some time to get out and support our local high school teams. I hope to see you out there! Stay warm, layer up, watch the weather, and keep running, New Mexico.

This week I was able to talk with Kurt Thomas. He is a Hobbs High School graduate and the current Women's Track and Field Head Coach at UAB, University of Alabama at Birmingham. It was such a pleasure to talk to him and learn about his journey. He talks about running at Hobbs High School, under Coach Jackson, and then walking onto the UNM track team after graduation. Kurt talks about just walking into the coaches office and talking to him, which he says wouldn't happen today. He gives some insight about what it looks like today with kids looking to join his program or walk on. I liked his honesty and how he said he tries to be honest with the kids and let them know if it's a reality. We continue to talk about his coaching journey and how he ended up at the University of Tennessee, where he graduated and worked as a student assistant, before moving on to Mississippi State. Kurt talks about the coaches he was able to study under during those times and how it helped influence his own coaching. We finish up talking about getting the job at UAB and what this season is looking like for them, as we are getting closer to the indoor season. So, tune in and enjoy the conversation. New Mexico cross country is wrapping up with the state meet coming next week, November 5th and the first Red vs Green Championship race the next Saturday. I hope you have had an opportunity to support your local teams and can get out to one of these fantastic races coming up. Good luck to anyone with a race coming up. Those mornings are cool, but the afternoons are so nice. Make sure you layer, wear reflective clothing in the dark, and keep running, New Mexico.

This week I had the pleasure to talk to Christina Aragon. She is a 9x All American for Stanford, 3rd in the 1500 at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She went on to run in USA Championships and recently signed a pro contract with Bowerman Track Club.  Christina talks about her start with running and gymnastics. Then how she balanced the two in high school. She also talks about how her background in gymnastics has helped her with her running. We talk about her time at Stanford and some of her best memories. We also talk about some of her struggles, like a coaching change and dealing with injuries. She talks about cross training and swimming to help deal with them and manage her running load. Christina then talks about signing with Bowerman Track Club. She talks about taking her time with the process and finding the place that works well for her. She talks about the excitement about walking into Hayward Field on a weekly basis (even though it's a Stanford rival). It was a fun conversation that I hope you enjoy this week. I certainly enjoyed it. As high school cross country reaches championship season, I was able to compete in my first USATF cross country race as a master. It was a different feeling. But I encourage you to think about your training, your races, and put yourself out of your comfort zone. I learned something from it and I think you will as well. Enjoy the marathon season, dress in layers, and keep running, New Mexico.

This week I had the pleasure to speak with AJ Jones. They are a trail and ultra runner based in Albuquerque. They talk about their first 100 miler at the Oregon Cascades 100. We start with how AJ got into running in high school and took a long break before getting started again. They talk about some difficult life events that pushed them back into running. AJ talks about wanting to prove that their body could handle tough things. We talk about the southern Oregon area where the Cascades 100 was held and where AJ grew up. We then really get into the experience of the race. AJ talks about their crew, getting through the night, and much more. It was fantastic hearing about their dad being there and helping them get through the end of the race. It's a beautiful moment to listen to. It was great getting to know AJ and I hope you enjoy our conversation and it helps you get motivated to do something big as well. The rain has been a welcome surprise and it's fantastic to see the weather cooling down. I hope everyone's training is going well and injury free. So layer your clothing, stay hydrated, dream big, and keep running, New Mexico.