Running New Mexico Podcast runningnewmexico

This week I had the pleasure to speak with Anicka Newell. She is a Highland High School graduate, with a state championship in the pole vault in 2009. She went on to have a great collegiate career at Texas State University winning two outdoor Sun Belt Conference pole vault championships. She has since competed professionally and has represented Canada in two Olympic games in 2016 and 2021. She is currently preparing for the Canadian Olympic Trials June 26th-30th.
We talked about her time at Highland in Albuquerque and the coaches that influenced her. She talks about her preparations and teaches me a lot about pole vault in the process, including the joys of traveling with a 15 foot bag of poles.
She talks about coaching younger athletes and how that has influenced her own preparation. We also talk about the newly announced Grand Slam Track and the exclusion of field events. She also talks about how tough it is being an un-sponsored athlete and how a league like what is proposed could help athletes like her.
It was a really fun conversation and I learned a lot about an event that I don't know enough about. She is a wonderful person and I hope you'll join me in cheering her on with her trials and hopefully on to Paris.
I am so happy to be back at the podcast, talking to passionate people and building connections within our sport. We've got a lot of amazing people doing some great things. I hope you enjoy this episode and the little break in the heat we got with the rain. Stay motivated, listen to your body, and keep running, New Mexico.

The podcast is coming back!
I've got a few guests lined up and I'm talking others. It may not be weekly, but the goal is at least two a month. 

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)