Entry #7 Runner Safety

On October 1, 2022, my friend and DRC member David Lunde parked his car in La Plata Canyon and started up the trail towards Parrot Peak. Early the next morning, I was notified that he had not made it back that day. Along with many other DRC members and volunteers from La Plata County Search and Rescue, I spent much of the next several days searching for him. Inclement weather cut most of the days we searched short. Three years later his body has not been found.

David running the Kennebec Mountain Run, where he finished 10th in a loaded field that year.

May We Never Forget

In three years, there has been much turnover in the Club and many of our newer members never have had the privilege of meeting David or had to deal with the shock of his passing. David was one of the kindest and most-down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. He had only moved to Durango about a year before he went missing to manage the cattle herd at James Ranch. In a post-covid era where a lot of newcomers to Durango were transient remote workers, David instantly stood out as someone that was here to be part of this community, and he made a lot of friends here very quickly.

In this blog, I’m going to be critical of many of the decisions David made the morning he went missing. Please don’t interpret that as criticisms of him as a person or his character. I truly believe, as his friend, that he would want us to remember and learn from the mistakes he made that fateful morning so we don’t make the same ones.

Don’t Underestimate the Season Change

September of 2022 was very warm and dry. I was summiting peaks in a tank top and running shorts without concern for monsoon thunderstorms or fall snow squalls. When it is that warm, it’s really hard to fathom that literally the very next day you could die from hypothermia if the weather changes. Places you went yesterday may not be safe tomorrow if they are slick due to a thin coat of snow or ice. Although David had lived here the prior winter, he had never experienced the sudden season change of the San Juan Mountains before. I think this, more than anything else, was probably the biggest contributing factor to what happened. Had he anticipated the conditions he would find himself in, I don’t think he would have attempted summiting peaks in the La Platas that morning, but given how warm and dry it had been in the days before, he was not able to anticipate the severity of the change.

A warm and clear September day at 14,000 feet just two weeks before David went missing

Have a Safety Partner

Obviously the safest decision would have been to not attempt to summit multiple peaks at that elevation given the forecasted conditions, but once he made the decision to go for it, the next riskiest decision was to attempt it alone. If he slipped and hit his head (very plausible), a running partner could have revived him and gotten him out of there before hypothermia set in. And if unable to help David themselves, a running partner could have directed Search and Rescue to a much more precise location than we were dealing with. Running with other people is also way more fun than running alone. Locally, joining the Durango Running Club is the easiest way to meet potential running partners. When doing group runs together, you will quickly recognize the other runners that are at your fitness level and can arrange to run together. I realize that sometimes it can be difficult to find a running partner for the exact route you want to do that day. Perhaps your coach prescribed a very specific mileage and vertical climbing that day in preparation for your next race. This is when you should recognize that personal safety is always more important than any training plan.

Trail Running and Mountaineering Are Not the Same Sport

The route David was attempting that day is known as the “La Plata Enchilada”, a 50km loop with 18,000 feet of vertical climbing that summits most of the peaks on the western ridge of the La Plata Mountains, crosses over at Kennebec Pass, and then summits the peaks on the east side of the canyon on the way back. This route includes the infamous knife ridge ridge segments connecting Burwell, Spiller and Babcock Peaks. When I first joined the running club, no one I knew was attempting routes like the La Plata Enchilada, at least not in one day. I did have climber friends that would complete some of the more dangerous traverses in the La Platas, but they did so with helmets, ropes, and something like the Babcock Traverse would take them all day. Instead of trying to get through the environment as quickly as possible, which tends to be a runner’s mindset, the climber’s goal is to complete such a traverse as carefully as possible - checking every handhold and foothold to make sure it’s solid before going to the next one. I’m not saying trail runners should not attempt routes that include mountain traverses, but we should always be aware of when the route we are on changes from a trail running environment to a mountaineering environment, and make sure our mindset changes at the same time.

Gear

Most of us believe that David attempted his run that morning carrying no gear at all. This was not uncommon for David. His preferred approach was to eat a big breakfast, drink out of the streams, and carry nothing with him. For a run as big as he was attempting, I suspect he probably had some bars or gels in his pockets, but that would have been it. Without knowing what happened, we don’t know if carrying some gear with him could have saved his life, but there are several scenarios where it could have. I’m not a fan of “every runner should always carry these items” lists. The gear I carry varies tremendously from run-to-run depending on many variables such as the location, time of the year, length of the run, terrain, how difficult the route is to navigate, and forecasted weather conditions.

Getting wet in the mountains can lead to being dangerously cold any time of year so every runner should carry rain gear in the mountains if there is any chance of rain. And you want something that’s truly waterproof, not just water resistant. Also be aware that a waterproof item will lose its ability to shed water over time. I learned this the hard way just last year. Needing a new waterproof layer I went to a local outdoor consignment shop and bought a GoreTex shell that appeared to be in great condition. Unfortunately, the first time I needed it (in a pouring rainstorm that arrived earlier than forecasted on top of the aptly named Hurricane Pass near Silverton), I got absolutely soaked to the bone. Luckily temps were not quite cold enough to make me hypothermic, but it was extremely uncomfortable. The lesson I learned is don’t buy used rain gear. There’s probably a reason the previous owner no longer wanted it, and that reason is likely because it leaks. And to whoever consigned what they knew was a leaky rain jacket, shame on you.

Another item David would not have carried would have been an emergency communication device. Recognizing that the cost of these devices likely discourages their use, following David’s disappearance DRC acquired two Garmin inReach units that are available to any of our members to take with them at any time, free of charge. Both units are available for checkout from the Durango Running Company. Please keep in mind, carrying a Garmin is not a get-out-of-jail free card. Proper planning is still the best way to stay safe.

If you see something, say something

I’ve certainly done and said many things, particularly in my youth, that I’m not proud of, but given that all of the good and bad decisions I made have led me to where I am today, I have almost no regrets. Almost. I have one regret that will likely haunt me for the rest of my life. David attended nearly every trail run that DRC put on in 2022, both on Wednesday nights and our Saturday long runs. On a previous DRC long run from Coal Bank to Rolling Pass and back I noticed that David did not carry any gear. Luckily we beat the rain that rolled in that afternoon and everyone was fine. However, that October 1, DRC had planned its longest group run yet, to Emerald Lake and back, 22 miles roundtrip, with a highpoint over 10,000 feet in elevation and the weather did not look promising. The Wednesday before I asked David if he planned to join, and if so I planned to offer him some of my gear to ensure he was carrying what he would all need if the weather turned on us. He informed me that, no, he planned to do his own run in the La Platas that morning. Since he was not joining the DRC run, I no longer viewed David’s gear or lack thereof as my responsibility, and did not push the issue further. That was our last conversation, and man, I wish it had gone differently.

The DRC run to Emerald Lake the same morning David went missing.

Final thoughts

This blog is obviously not the definitive guide on how to run safely in the San Juan Mountains. But hopefully, especially as we enter the season change, it will help keep safety top of mind for you and that can in turn help keep you and everyone you run with a little safer.

Race Directing (Entry #6)

Well, I’m well behind schedule on my goal of a monthly blog on 2025 given that it is mid-September and this is only Entry #6, but summer is a busy time of year for DRC.  With the completion of the Thirsty 13 on August 26, we wrapped up our summer race season, and that made me think about the work our race directors put into these events, with the purpose of this blog to pull back to the curtain on what goes into making these events happen as I assume most folks reading this blog run races at least occasionally.

An Exercise In TRust

More than anything else, race directing requires trust that others will come through for you. For the Vallecito Heavy Half Marathon, the DRC race that I direct, I rely on probably at least 100 other people to complete their respective tasks described below.

Permitting

Vallecito requires permits from the Forest Service, Pine River Irrigation District, and La Plata County. Although I prepare the applications, I rely on staff of these agencies to provide the permits, which is why I usually start working on these in January for a race that happens in May. Fortunately, the staff at these agencies have been super helpful over the years and all permits have been received with no snags. The permits also require that I provide insurance coverage, so I need that from the rep at our insurance company.

Sponsors

I set the price of the race based on sponsorships I expect to receive, but haven’t yet received when registration opens. Without the sponsor donations, I’d have to raise the price of the race by at least $50 per runner to provide the same experience, which is why your race shirt has all of those logos on the back. The race lost a couple sponsors this year, but fortunately we gained a new sponsor and received increased contributions from some existing ones. One sponsor lost was trash pick up, and as a result the race went cupless, which I think is better anyway. Please remember the local businesses (such as the Weminuche Grill and Rocky Mountain General Store) that support our races.

Vendors

A race director is also dependent on folks to deliver and/or provide the services the race pays for. This includes the timing company, race day swag, professional photography, graphic design for logos/posters, and for Vallecito, a band that did their own set up outside in an area with no stage (shout out to the One Heart Orchestra). A critical vendor is the porta-potty delivery, setup and haul away. At a DRC race several years ago the vendor was late and there were no porta-potties at the start line. We now use a different vendor.

The One Heart Orchestra at the Vallecito Finish Line

Volunteers

The most humbling part of putting on the race to me is the amazing support of the volunteers. At Vallecito I had over 50 different folks help with the race and all were at the right place on time doing their job. I even had to turn away a few people that wanted to help because all roles were full.

What Race Participants Can Do

The main thing runners can do is be aware that they are one of many participants and think about their actions in that context. What if every runner showed up at the last minute of race morning for packet pickup? What if every participant had a vehicle following them cheering them on? Speaking of people following you on the race, unless you have arranged for your mom to follow you around that day to pick up your trash, don’t leave it on the course or anywhere it shouldn’t be. Also, be patient with your race director immediately before and after the race, which is a busy time.

So Why Do We Do It?

Make no mistake, putting on a good race is a lot of work and stress. I think there are two main reasons we do this. The first is that most race directors love running great races themselves (I just ran and had an amazing time at the Imogen Pass Run last week). As such, putting on a great race is a way to give back to the sport and community that gives us so much joy. The other reason is similar to why we enjoy running in the first place: We simply enjoy doing hard things. But when the runners start crossing that finish line, the most comparable feeling I can think of is when I finish a great race myself and know the hard work put in, whether it be the miles of training, or hours of emails were worth it.

The author kicking off the 2025 Vallecito Heavy Half Marathon

Support DRC Races

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss the other great races the Club puts on and the great work of our other race directors.  In 2025, there are more race options than ever before.  Like many of our members, I enjoy traveling to locales I haven’t run before to run a race.  That being said, I still love running and being involved in our local races.  In addition to just being great community events, since DRC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, none of our races have a profit motive.  It’s how we are able to keep race registrations cheaper than comparable races (with DRC members getting an additional discount) with proceeds going to good causes.  

NARROW GAUGE RACES

The Narrow Gauge 10-Mile Run is the longest continuously run road race in Colorado as it’s been around since 1978. At 10 miles, it’s accessible to most runners, even if you rode the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic the day before and did the Narrow Horse 1500m swim two days before (to complete the unofficial Durango Memorial Day Triathlon). Longtime DRC member (and DRC sponsor through his business - Victory Wellness Massage Therapy), Victor Ruggiero took over as race director. Any freshman race director has a lot to navigate, but unfortunately for Victor, soon after he agreed to be the race director, the City of Durango announced the closure of the River Trail from the Double Tree to Santa Rita Park, which was most of the course. Victor did a ton of recon to find a suitable replacement course, which was so good that it will likely remain the course in future years. Thanks in part to Victor’s energy in promoting the event, the race sold out and was able to generate over $7,000 of revenue, all of which was donated to the Ft Lewis College Cross Country Team, the Durango High School Track and Cross Country Teams, the Liberty School, and Animas High School.

Kennebec Mountain Run

At 15 miles, with over 3,000 feet of climbing and a high point over 12,000 feet, the Kennebec Mountain Run is the most challenging race that DRC officially puts on. With stunning beauty and a chill vibe (think Imogene Pass, but with 150 instead of 1,500 participants), it's also my personal favorite race, having run it 5 times now. This race is also a result of DRC’s long-standing partnership with La Plata Search and Rescue. SAR personnel volunteer their time to be located throughout the course to provide aid, if needed. Although final accounting is not done for 2025, in 2024 the race was able to donate $4,000 to SAR. Unfortunately, for the first time that I’m aware of, the race did not sell out this year, so the donation will likely be lower than in 2024. Former DRC president Brendan Trimboli has served as the RD for the last 4 years, and next year former DRC Vice President Robert Marks will take over as RD. Rob will need volunteer help and most importantly, let’s get to selling this thing out again. Also, although not required, it’s highly encouraged to run the race before participating in the post-Kennebec 15 mile bicycle pub crawl to complete one of the more epic days in Durango.

The Crew in front of the Durango Running Company - Stop No. 2 of the 2025 Kennebec Bicycle Pub Crawl

Thirsty 13

The final DRC race of the summer is also our biggest participation-wise, the Thirsty 13. A point-to-point downhill road half marathon from Hesperus to Ska Brewing is a race accessible to all abilities and great for a personal half marathon PR, even at Durango’s elevation. This race partners with the San Juan Brewfest, which takes place later that afternoon (discount provided for those that sign up for both) to benefit Team Up (formerly United Way of Southwest Colorado). Showing up at the brewfest with your race shirt is a local tradition. The Thirsty 13 also donates a portion of race proceeds to a bus driver appreciation fund created by the race and the Durango Running Club. This fund is used to recognize all the bus drivers and the great work they do to get our kids to school safely each day. DRC Vice President Matthew Krichman is the race director and founder of the event. Matthew is the best RD around and pretty much everything I know about race directing I learned from him. Per usual I picked up the course upon the races completion and it was great seeing so many of the runners at the Brewfest afterwards.

San Juan Softie

Lastly, I want to give a shout out to the recently completed San Juan Softie, which is directed by DRC member Joe Storc, and has a board composed entirely of DRC members, specifically, Anya Kuznetsova, Liz Haubert, Tony Cisceros, and Mike Kubicek.  Countless other DRC members volunteer their time to make this race happen.  This is truly a grass-roots ultra marathon.  It’s not a qualifier for other races.  You don’t earn stones, points, or tickets.  In other words, it’s not part of the ultra-industrial complex.  It’s just for people that want to run 100 miles in the spectacular San Juan Mountains with no other agendas.  DRC is proud to sponsor this race and congratulations to all the runners that attempted this race.  

DCR Member Dylan Netter on the course of the San Juan Softie

Emergency Blog! Our Public Lands for Sale (Entry #5)

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard that on June 14, 2025 Senator Mike Lee (R, Utah) added a draft verbiage to the “Big, Beautiful Bill” that that requires the federal government sell between 2.1 and 3.2 million acres of public land in the West (including Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona) The supposed intention is to provide the land for “housing”; however, there is no requirement in the language that the housing is affordable, and with nearly all the eligible land located in mountainous or desert regions that are far away from population centers (i.e., where people work), you can imagine who would buy most of this land and what it would be used for, specifically second or third homes for rich assholes (warning, I’ll be coming out swinging in this blog and a reminder that my views do not necessarily reflect those of the DRC board or membership). Before those luxury homes are built, the lands will likely be purchased by investors that will sit on them hoping for a good return on their investment and lock us out in the meantime.

What Local Lands Are Eligible for Sale?

There is a great interactive map of lands eligible for sale here:  https://www.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=821970f0212d46d7aa854718aac42310. Many of the places that DRC does group runs on a regular basis would be eligible for sale.  This includes Animas City Mountain, Junction Creek/Colorado Trail, the Log Chutes system, Dry Fork loop, Falls Creek, Hermosa and Jones Creek, and Missionary Ridge (Haflin, Baldy, Shearer Creek).  You can imagine how lame these runs would be if passing through high-end neighborhoods instead of beautiful forests, assuming the new owners don’t lock us out entirely.

DRC at Gudy’s Rest on our last run up the Junction Creek Trail, a location eligible for sale in the current draft of the bill. Photo courtesy of Katie Seiverman

Other local favorites include the spectacular mountain ridge between Silverton and Telluride, which is home to the many brilliant blue and turquoise lakes such as Ice, Island, Fuller, Clear, Hope, Crystal, and Columbine.  Much of the high country between Silverton and Lake City, including 14ers such as Handies, Sunshine and Redcloud Peaks would also be eligible for sale.  Our nearby desert trails are also under threat, including Phil’s World, and many great areas around Moab such as Grandstaff Canyon, Prichett Canyon and the Poison Spider Mesa.  As a National Monument, lands in Bears Ears are currently excluded, but that could change if (more likely when) President Trump shrinks the monument again.

Crystal Lake at the top of Ophir Pass is eligible for sale and located less than 0.5 mile from existing plowed and maintained county roads.

A Threat to Our Commons

I don’t think it’s a coincidence in this age of modern-day robber barons that our common areas are being targeted to pay for the “Big Beautiful Bill” provisions that benefit the rich.  Our common areas are how someone like me, a public servant that lives in a trailer park, can legitimately believe that he has a better life than Elon Musk.  Why do I feel that way?  One reason is because, along with all of you, I’m a co-owner of the over a million acres of public land in La Plata County.  And with an average value of over $10,000 per acre, this asset that we all co-own and enjoy is worth over $10 billion dollars.  

Not only do we have full access to enjoy this $10B asset whenever we want, it is managed for us basically for free by the San Juan National Forest and Bureau of Land Management, other than the less than 1% of our federal tax dollars that goes to that purpose.  Although we may not all agree with every management decision these agencies make, on the whole there’s no denying that we benefit greatly from what they do.  A couple of years ago the BLM conducted a prescribed burn on Animas City Mountain, which reduced fire risk for all Durango residents.  As soon as that land is privatized, we lose control over the management.

What Can We Do?

Fortunately, for those of us living here in La Plata County, both of our U.S. senators, our governor, and all three county commissioners are opposed to this action.  Therefore, I recommend contacting our Republican congressman, Jeff Hurd, whose vote could be critical to the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill when it returns to the U.S. House for a vote.  To contact Congressman Hurd, follow this link:  https://hurd.house.gov/contact

I also recommend supporting many of the great local non-profit organizations working to protect public lands in our area. We were fortunate to have the San Juan Citizen’s Alliance attend our last run at Hermosa Creek. Although the entirety of the Hermosa Creek trail is eligible to be sold, none of the western half of the Hermosa watershed is eligible for sale thanks to the work they were involved with in getting it designated wilderness protections. There are several other great regional non-profits working tirelessly to protect our public lands, these include Great Old Broads for Wilderness and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.

Rane Dickerson and Brian Rogers of the San Juan Citizens Alliance with your club president. Rane, Brian, and John Rader (not pictured) spoke before the DRC run up Hermosa Creek and all joined the run afterwards. Photo courtesy of Bill Benac.

Trail Runners Don’t Let Other Trail Runners Vote Republican

The single most powerful action any of us can take is to vote against the Republican party until it changes it views on public lands. It pains me to make that statement, as Republican president Teddy Roosevelt is the architect of our modern public lands system, having established approximately 230 million acres of public lands, including 150 national forests, five national parks, and the first 18 national monuments. Republican president Richard Nixon signed into law some of our most significant environmental protections including the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act. Even as recently as 1989, Republican president George H.W. Bush strengthened federal wetlands conservation.

But in 2025, it was Republican Mike Lee who introduced this subject provision. It was Republican representatives Mark Amodei (R, NV) and Celeste Maloy (R, UT) that introduced a similar provision in the House to sell public lands in their states. It was Republican president Donald Trump that greatly reduced the size of the Bears Ears and Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monuments in his last term, and a Republican-appointed justice department that recently stated that a president can revoke national monument status, paving the way for these monuments to be reduced again, and subsequently eligible for sale.

DRC has always strived to be as inclusive as possible, which includes differing political opinions. I realize there are several reasons why people vote, but if being a co-owner of the places we trail run is as important to you as it is to me, then there is only one logical way to vote.

Entry #4 Injury (OH NO!!)

Two months ago I injured my lower back. It started as a niggle about a month before the injury. A niggle is what runners call an injury that is not so bad that it makes you quit running. For smart and experienced runners a niggle should be a warning to be somewhat careful. Being experienced, but not very smart I proceeded to run a 55 mile week and a couple days later I thought it would be a good idea to do a speed workout consisting of five 1-mile repeats fast. Since I was on my lunch break, I ended up doing a sixth mile fast instead of using that distance to cool down. I then went straight to a three hour meeting where I was hunched over my computer. When I tried to get up after the meeting, my back seized up and didn’t let go for several weeks.

What I Was Doing Right

2024 was the first year of my running career that I did not miss a single run due to injury. Not surprisingly, it was also the year I ran the most miles. Through many years of trial and error, and plantar fasciitis, and IT band tendonitis, and calf and hamstring and hip flexor strains, I stumbled onto a list of best practices that I’ll share here.

Careful Cross Training

When I first got into trail running, I loved it so much that I gave up all other forms of exercise and promptly got hurt from over-use injuries. Now at least 25% of my exercise time is doing things other than running. Much of my cross training is just adding in some walking miles. This is also the most applicable since any trail run longer than a half marathon typically includes a lot of hiking. This is also one of the favorite activities of the first mutt, who is now mostly retired from trail running at age 13. These extra steps and time on your feet can increase fitness without the impact of running. At worst, walking miles are just as effective as slogging through a couple junk miles just to hit a weekly target.

The author and the First Mutt doing some easy hiking in Goblin Valley State Park, UT

I also try to get to the gym to do strength training a couple times per week, but during trail season I skip leg day. When you think about how many lunges, calf raises, etc you do when trail running in the mountains, doing more in the gym is not cross training at that point, it’s just adding more stress to already over-stressed muscle groups. I hate stretching, but do enjoy yoga, but didn’t go for a few months before the back injury, which is probably not a coincidence. Cross country skiing and paddleboarding are my personal favorite forms of cross training, both of which really work your stabilizers. Lastly, cycling is of course a great way to build endurance without impact, but remember that it still tires out your legs so a big day on a bike doesn’t count as a rest day. Speaking of…

Rest Days are Overrated

Previously, running dogma indicated we should all take at least one rest day per week to prevent injury. Then we started seeing people with amazingly long running streaks not getting hurt. Long-time DRC member Matt Sheldon is currently on 4-year + running streak. I asked my buddy and fellow DRC member Cole Peterson during his nearly 500 day running streak, how he did it. His answer was surprisingly simple: if he didn’t have a good reason not to run, he would go for a run that day. What I took from that was that advice is sometimes life gives you a rest day. Otherwise, get out there. I’ve found my body feels better after a “recovery day” (slow easy run or cross training day) than after a day completely off.

The exception to this would be the day(s) after a race. I find it takes my body at least two full weeks to feel back to normal after a race. During this time, the body is in a state of sustained inflammation, and I’ve suffered some of my worst injuries not during the race, but a few days later when I thought I was ready to resume my normal running regime, but wasn’t.

Baby Your Feet

Despite what you may have read in “Born to Run”, I can say with 100% certainty that I don’t have a single ancestor that ran as much as I do at my age and size (given life expectancy didn’t exceed 40 until the 1940s and that the average height of people in industrialized countries has increased by four inches since then).

After suffering from plantar fasciitis, reading “Born to Run” and being exposed to marketing from the minimalist shoe brands, I was convinced that my upbringing in cushioned western shoes instead of wearing sandals or going barefoot all day was the problem. So I switched to minimalist, zero drop shoes and got a Mobo Board with the intention of making my feet stronger. Didn’t work. I now believe the answer is more cushion, not less. No person that averages 20,000 steps a day has “weak feet”. They just are more susceptible to foot inflammation. So now every one of my 20,000 steps is in cushioned running shoes or recovery sandals (even the first steps of the day from my bed to the bathroom in the morning). The result was a gradual reduction in foot inflammation and healing of my plantar fasciitis.

Things to Avoid

The biggest thing I’ve learned is to not do speed work or hill workouts when also trying to increase mileage. This is what caused my current back injury. Combining mileage increases with speed work is like drunk driving while speeding. Both activities are risky enough. Don’t stack one risk on top of another risk as it often ends in disaster.

I also try not to run twice in the same day. After the first run, even if it’s not a huge run, your body will still be in a state of inflammation until adequately rested. Doing a repetitive motion like running while in that state of inflammation is another way I’ve gotten over-use injuries. I ignored this advice to myself recently and my back instantly felt worse after weeks of steady improvement. If you have time for a second workout that day, cross train.

I got Injured Anyway, Now What?

A significant injury can be pretty devastating for a runner. Not only do we lose our favorite activity, but we risk losing our community, which is often centered around running. First remember that this too shall pass. Whether it's a few days, weeks or months, you will most likely get healthy enough to resume running again and all the trails and mountains will still be there when you are ready. Second, stay socially connected to the community. At almost every Wednesday run there's a group of people that either walk, bike or just come for the post-run socializing. This is also a good reminder to make and keep friends that aren’t runners. Lastly, without running you are going to have more time for other things. Even if the other things are stretching, strength training or other physical therapy to make you an even stronger runner when you get back. Everybody has things they wish they had time to do. This is that time.

Trail season kickoff run in 2025. Not pictured are another 10-20 people that came to the event but didn’t run.

So How’s the Back? (You probably didn’t ask, but I’ll tell you anyway)

All in all, this has been a fairly minor injury compared to others I’ve had. I missed about a week of running before I discovered that short, slow runs didn’t feel worse than not running. But since my back still hurts and I’m still running slower than I otherwise would, I would still say that I’m injured. I’ve gradually been able to build up my miles, culminating in joining the Club for the 14.5-mile run to Piedra Hot Springs and back. I wrote most of this blog while camping in Goblin Valley State Park in Utah during a spring break trip where I was able to run and hike about 60 miles. So life is pretty good. Now I just need to remember the things I’ve written in this blog or I’ll likely re-injure myself before fully healing.

The author and friends about to embark on a 14.5-mile roundtrip run to the Piedra Hot Springs.

Entry #3 SNOW!

taking an offseason and cross country skiing as the perfect cross training activity

Before I get into this blog, I want to sincerely thank everyone that reached out with support following the last blog entry.  And to update those that were concerned, there have been no setbacks with my daughter and her vision has continued to slowly improve so we are both in a much better place.  Now about that snow…

Durango Legend Martha Schoppe (Read Why Here) with the DRC First Lady on Junction Creek Road.

Those of us that enjoy the snow received a Valentine’s gift when about a foot of snow fell that morning, giving Durango and the surrounding areas a sense of normalcy we hadn’t had all winter.  To take advantage of the fresh white stuff, I cross-country skied four days in a row, and I didn’t run those four days at all.  Which is how I like it this time of year.  I usually reduce my running to about half of my normal volume from Christmas through Spring Break.  This is why:

Trail Running Typically Sucks Anyway During This Time Of YEar

By the time I write this, so much of the Valentine’s Day snow has melted off that the realization is quickly setting in that we’ll need three more of those dumps between now and the end of the season to end up with just an average winter, which is very unlikely.  Newbies to Durango that have been running all winter should know that these are very atypical conditions.  Up to the Valentine’s Day Dump, this had been the driest of the 13 winters I experienced in town, including the notorious winter of 2018, which was of course followed by the devastating 416 fire.  The old-timers I’ve talked to say this has been the least snow in town that they’ve seen since 2002, which of course was the year of the even more devastating Missionary Ridge Fire.

In a normal year, Durango is not a year-round trail running location. In late December and January, you have to post-hole through deep snow. In February that snow turns to ice, and March is full-on mud season. You can either slog through these miserable conditions or go with the flow of our natural seasons and find more enjoyable ways to stay fit this time of year.

It’s Good For You Mentally to Get a Break

We should all remember that every single run is a great privilege.  That we have world class trails, have an hour or more to spend running that day, and are healthy enough to run is something most people in the world simply don’t have.  However, if you do anything often enough, you will eventually start to take it for granted and you will get less enjoyment from it.  It’s like when sometimes you have to go out of town to be reminded of how awesome Durango is. If you never have a break, your running will start to feel only like work, and for most of us, running is how we play, not how we work.

A Break Can Be Good For You Physically As Well

The longest race I run in a typical calendar year is in the fall.  Following that training block and race, I always have a few niggles, or what runners call injuries that aren’t so bad that we actually have to stop running.  In the aforementioned winter of 2018, I ran through that entire winter and all of the niggles only got worse, not better.  The only way I’ve found to get those running-induced niggles to feel better is to back off your running.  

This doesn’t mean you should take a break from physical activity (although that’s also okay if you need to).  I’m not a doctor, but it’s been my experience that the best way to heal those niggles is to get as much blood flow to them as possible without the impact of running.  You can do that through multiple forms of cross training (with my favorite described below).  I’ve also discovered through trial and error, that you will have a rough spring getting back in running shape unless you keep at least a baseline level of running.  I still try to run at least four days a week in the winter (usually on the River Trail), but typically don’t do any long runs (for me a 10+ miles).

So What is So Great About Cross Country Skiing?

If I had to summarize the four things I love best about trail running, they are as follows:  1) the deep connection you feel to nature when you are several miles from the trailhead; 2) the “runners’ high” or “flow state” you experience typically when running downhill; 3) the deep sense of relaxation bordering on exhaustion following a few hours out on the trail; and 4) doing the majority of the activity at conversation pace so you don’t have to do it alone.  Cross Country skiing is one of the only other activities I’ve found that checks these boxes, which is why I think most runners that try it like it.  

But be advised you might have to try it a few times before you discover how great it can be.  Great skiing requires great snow.  Not too soft and sticky, not to hard and icy.  Not too deep and not too shallow.  There’s a Goldilocks zone that you are never guaranteed to get on any outing, but when you get it you know it.  Some places may only have that perfect snow a couple times per year, and if you are lucky enough to ski that spot in those  conditions, you know you hit a potentially once-in-a-lifetime jackpot.  Even when you don’t have great snow conditions, it’s still a good workout but more important to have a friend along to help you forget about how hard you are working.  A coffee stout or canned white russian can also make the hard work more fun.

The author and the First Mutt at the Vallecito Nordic Area (also home to the world’s best half marathon).

A Potential Fountain of Youth

Most people in the club know me as the guy at the group runs with the most gray hair.  However, this past weekend on some groomed trails in the Pagosa area, the First Lady and I were the youngest people we saw.  I look at it as learning from my elders.  The old-timers out there on skis are probably some of the fittest people in the world at their age.  When people discover it, they discover a lifelong hobby.  Cross country skiing is a great cardio workout, with almost no impact on your joints.  Not surprisingly, my watch actually tells me that I’m fitter in the offseason when running half as much, but skiing at least twice a week. 

Skate or Classic?

Skate skiing requires use of a wide path that is regularly groomed.  Within a one hour drive of Durango the Vallecito Nordic Area is the only groomed area fully open to dogs.  Since cross country skiing is the favorite sport of the First Mutt, I’m currently just on classic skis.  On classic skis, you can still use the groomed areas, but can go on pretty much any seasonally closed Forest Service Road as well.  This includes Junction Creek, La Plata Canyon, Lime Creek, Missionary Ridge, Echo Basin, etc.  Classic skis also work well on areas groomed specifically for fat bikes and snowmobiles where the groomed path is often either too narrow or too rough for skate skis.  During the epic winter of 2023, I was able to ski 30 different locations within a two-hour drive of Durango, probably six of those locations were groomed specifically for skiing.  Lastly, classic skiing is easier for newbies to the sport, and doesn’t require lessons.  All of this said, if a canine companion and diversity of locations are not important to you, skate skiing would be a great option as well.

If You still want to run year-round, know the Leave-no-trace ethics of running this time of year 

Let’s start with winter trails.  First, never run on groomed surfaces.  Many hours of volunteer time went into making that groomed surface specifically for skiers.  A few years ago I observed a couple running on the groomed trails while skiing in the Chicken Creek nordic area, despite signs clearly asking people to only use the trails with skis or snowshoes. Please don’t do this.  With regards to ungroomed trails, it takes a lot of work on classic skis to break trail after a good snow.  A good rule of thumb is to just never run on top of what are clearly ski tracks.  If the snow is so deep that you can’t run without running on top of the ski tracks that were set by that skier for the benefit of their return trip or other skiers, then you are mooching off of their work and making their experience worse as the post-holing of that track makes it less smooth and more difficult to ski.  

With regards to mud, a couple of years ago Durango Parks and Recreation staff asked me if I could put an end to Hognar, the annual tradition of running to summit Hogsback as many times as possible during Snow Down, due to the trail damage that was done.  I said it was not a Running Club event (which it’s not) so I couldn’t stop it, but would try my best to spread the word to stay off the trails when muddy.  One year later, it’s my understanding that there were renewed complaints to the land managers requesting that the trail be closed because so many runners either didn’t hear or ignored the message I tried to spread.  Luckily this year conditions were unseasonably dry. (For the record, I typically do participate in and love Hognar, but only when the mud is frozen before the sun hits it.)

Our partner Durango Trails has a simple saying, if you leave a track, go back.  This message is either ignored or misunderstood as every spring almost every trail in Durango is covered in deep shoe prints.  This is most apparent in a location like Twin Buttes where the lower trails are open during mud season, but the upper trails are closed for the annual wildlife closure.  When the upper trails are reopened each spring, the conditions on the lower trails are always terrible.  Then you reach the upper trails and the conditions are all of a sudden fantastic because no one was allowed on these trails when they were muddy.  I think a reframing of our mindset as runners is necessary.  Right now I think most people stay off the trails when they determine that the conditions are bad enough that they would make their own experience miserable.  Instead what we all should be thinking before every trail run is if our run makes others’ experience worse.  No one wants to see your shoe prints on a trail.  Be honest with yourself on whether or not you are in fact leaving a track, and if so, turn back. 

Entry #2 Keeping Perspective

On Friday January 31, I took my daughter in for what was supposed to be a very routine procedure, LASIK surgery.  We both know several people that have had it done and everyone we talked to was happy with the results.  Given that wearing contacts or glasses all day had become problematic for my daughter as her current job involves her often looking under a microscope it seemed to be a good idea.  She was referred by her eye doctor to a surgeon, both of whom thought she was a good candidate for the procedure.  

Unfortunately, the next morning it was evident that something was wrong.  She was in great pain and her vision had gotten worse, not better. An appointment was quickly made for a follow-up surgery where they stretched and reset her corneas to try to fix the issue.  The next morning she was in even more pain and still couldn’t see.

My daughter is physically disabled and we’ve been through a lot in her 25 years, including at least a dozen surgeries.  But the fact that this situation involved her eyesight made this situation the scariest thing we had dealt with to this point.  

WHAT DOES ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH RUNNING?

I typically run every day and run 40-50 miles per week (although in the winter I count my cross country skiing miles towards that total).  That much training takes a decent amount of time.  When your life is disrupted, your running and training is disrupted.  Your sleeping and nutrition are disrupted.  In caring for my daughter I ended up with 5 days of no running or other training.  I have been able to get in some runs, but shorter than typical.  I haven’t gotten much sleep, and tweaked my back sleeping on her couch for two weeks.  My watch tells me my fitness level dropped more than 20 points.

The author finishing the Deadman Peaks 55k in November 2024.

I don’t give a shit about any of that.  The only thing that matters to me is my daughter’s recovery.  I was feeling fitter than ever going into 2025 and had set some lofty running goals for this year.  But my running goals are always my secondary focus to what really matters.  I still plan to sign up for the longest race of my life this year, but the reality is no one will care if I finish 5th or 45th depending on how fit I’m able to get myself going in.  What people do care about and will remember is if you are there for them when they need you.  Life happens.  Hard times come and go.  When life does happen, remember that running (for most of us) is just a hobby.  Give yourself grace and most of all don’t ever prioritize your hobby over your family, friends, career, or community.

RUNNING ADVERSITY IS NOT REAL ADVERSITY

One thing I often hear that makes me cringe in the distance running world is when someone says they had to “overcome adversity” during a race.  I’m not saying that running marathons and ultra marathons is not challenging, and it is certainly true that great athletic achievements also require a degree of mental toughness.  But real adversity is when life gives you something that you didn’t (quite literally) sign up for.  When real adversity hits, you would absolutely drop out if it would make it go away, but you know that won’t help, so you can’t.

Despite what we’ve been repeatedly told by the running media, shoe brands, and for-profit racing companies, I’m here to tell you that running ultra marathons does not make real adversity any easier to deal with.  Nothing has been tougher for me than seeing the person I love the most (my daughter) suffer, which unfortunately has been a semi-regular occurrence in her life due to her physical disabilities.  This has never gotten any easier, despite the fact that I now run more miles (in races and in my training) than I ever have.   I don’t have any misconceptions that it will ever get easier if I were to just run longer races. 

Recognizing the Real Badasses Among Us

In 2022 my good friend and fellow DRC board member Liz Haubert finished first place overall and set a new record at the High Five 100.  This is an approximately 100 mile unmarked route that summits five 14ers, five 13ers,  and has approximately 40,000 feet of climbing (for comparison the Hardrock 100 only has 33,200), which starts and ends in Lake City.   Liz was the only woman to finish the race that year and she beat all 10 male finishers.  This wasn’t a slow field that she beat.  One of the men would later go onto win the Badwater 100 in Death Valley, often considered the most difficult race in North America.  Liz deserved to be celebrated for this amazing achievement and was awarded the Durango Running Club’s Performance of the Year Award during our annual ceremony.

Photo courtesy of Liz Haubert

This race is not what I most admire about Liz.  In 2023 Liz required labral reconstruction in her hip and several months later needed the same procedure on her other hip.  These procedures were not because she overtrained or didn’t take care of her body.  These surgeries were necessary as a result of hip dysplasia that she was born with.  These are very invasive surgeries with a recovery time of up to a year for each hip.   

Liz is still rehabbing from these surgeries, but over this time she has kept her smile that lights up any room she is in.  She has still been there for her friends and family when they’ve needed her support.  She even volunteers a few hours every week in addition to her full time job to prepare and send out the Club’s weekly newsletter.  She has overcome real adversity (and these surgeries aren’t the first time she’s done that) and that’s what makes her a badass.

Liz is not the only DRC member that has overcome significant real life adversity.  I don’t have time to get permission from all of them to share their names and stories here, but we have members that lost immediate family members, have survived cancer, have overcome substance abuse, and have served our country in combat zones.  One of the great things about being in this club is how many people I’ve gotten to know well through running together.  I encourage all of you to make sure your conversations are deeper than what race you are running next.  It’s then you will discover the real badasses in the Club.

So what happened with my daughter’s eyes?

On a follow-up visit the next morning, it was discovered that one of her bandage contact lenses had fallen out, which was the main reason for the pain she was in.  The doctor put in new bandage contact lenses that were in place for a week.  Those recently came out.  Her pain is gone and her vision is improving, but still blurry.  We are not out of the woods yet, but the doctor anticipates a full recovery and fully restored vision.  It’s just going to take time, patience, and gratitude for incremental progress.

We intended to celebrate the success of her LASIK procedure by going to the Denver Aquarium.  We ended up going a week and a half later with vision not as good as we hoped, but still had a great time.  Life is too short to sit around feeling sorry for ourselves.  My daughter is 5’2” tall, often in a wheelchair, loves Strawberry Shortcake, and has never run a mile in her life.  But she’s the toughest person I’ve ever met and has overcome more adversity in her 25 years on earth than anyone I know.  She’s a badass, and I’m grateful that I was able to take two weeks off of work and my training to care for her through this difficult time.

Checking out the stingrays at the Denver Aquarium

Introducing DRC President’s Corner

A Blog Mostly About Running in Durango by DRC President Tim Funk

A blog?  What is this, the year 2000?

Since taking over as president of the Durango Running Club in June of 2024, I’ve been trying to figure out the right platform to get out what I believe to be pertinent info to the members.  I thought initially about a podcast, but that’s frankly too time consuming. I’m also just too damn old and uncool to ever start a Youtube Channel.  So sorry, a blog is the best you are going to  get with a Gen X and unpaid president.  

First a disclaimer, everything I post in this blog are my opinions only and do not necessarily reflect those of the DRC board of directors or the membership at large.

Blog Entry #1, The State of DRC in 2025

February 2, 2025

Membership and Attendance

Heading into 2025, we currently have about 420 members.  This number fluctuates with memberships expiring and being renewed daily.  This is as high as our membership has ever been and attendance at our runs and events is also at an all time high.  To those somehow reading that aren’t members, at $25/person or $39/household per year, DRC membership remains one of the only good deals in Durango.  Even though it’s cheap there are some members still not getting their money’s worth.  I believe about ¼ of the Club is actively involved and the other ¾ are mostly not.  Hopefully the info below encourages the members that are not maximizing their memberships to do so.

Inclusivity

First, I want to talk about the main reason I care enough about this club to want to be its president, and that is to make it as inclusive as possible.  The low price of membership is one way we remove barriers to entry.  The other way is to try to accommodate runners of all abilities.  I often still hear that the DRC is just too fast for folks.  Then they show up and discover that there are typically folks that run at their speed.  Accommodating runners of all abilities isn’t just my responsibility as the president.  It is something I hope all of our regular runners will think about.  99% of the fast runners in Durango are already members.  The only way we grow this club and therefore get to do even more awesome things is to attract new members.  If you care about this club then keeping this ethos is also your responsibility.  

Lastly, I want to assure all potential runners that everyone is welcome in this club, regardless of race, ethnicity, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, etc.  The only people not welcome are those that aren’t tolerant and respectful of others.

Board of Directors Turnover

The composition of the DRC Board of Directors is very different than it was going into 2024.  This is normal and in my 5 years on the board I’ve observed that all turnover has always been good turnover.  Being on the board is a 100% volunteer effort.  Folks step aside when they recognize they no longer have the time/energy to give their best to the Club and folks that want to join decide beforehand that they do have the time and energy to commit to this labor of love.

The first new addition to the board was Stephanie Barnett, who accepted the entirely new position of Events Coordinator. Recognizing that this club does a lot more than just meet to run, the Board voted on the need for this position, which is responsible for the winter party, summer party, campout, pool party, etc.  Next, Liz Haubert has taken over as our new Communications Director and is already doing an amazing job.  Recognizing that this club no longer has an offseason, Liz has started sending out the newsletter weekly (even in the winter) and is getting info out on social media as well (follow us on Facebook and Instagram if you don’t already to see some of Liz’s great work).  Anya Kuznestova has accepted the position of Community Partnerships Coordinator.  She will be working with all of the Club’s sponsors as well as other important organizations to the Club such as Durango Trails and La Plata Search and Rescue.  The most recent change is that Bill Benac is now the Club’s treasurer.  As one of the founders of the unofficial “Durango Morning Runners” group, Bill will be coordinating all of our Thursday morning runs moving forward.  Bios of the entire board are on our website here: https://www.durangorunningclub.org/board-bylaws

I want to sincerely thank outgoing DRC board members Avery Sheldon, Robert Marks, Karis Morall, Lorna Cambell, and Shea Rivers for their contributions to the board and the Club.  This club doesn’t run itself.  It takes a lot of hard work from a lot of dedicated volunteers.

Winter 2025 Activities

For those new to the club, we have 2 different schedules: a winter schedule from November 1 through the end of March; and a summer schedule from April 1 through the end of October.

Tuesday Winter Workouts

Every Tuesday at noon are professionally coached speed or hill workouts.  These are free to members and coaches are paid through your dues.  So use this service!  The workouts are for anyone that wants to get faster, regardless of ability.  And they work.  If you only run slow and easy you will only get good at running slow and easy.  Locations vary so stay tuned to the newsletter or social media for the location.  Pro runner Kyle Curtin (see Kyle's CT FKT) has coached these mostly solo for the last several years, but we are super excited this year to also have local pro runner Robyn Lesh as a coach every other week (Robyn's bio).

Photo Courtesy of Robyn Lesh

Wednesday Pub Runs

When I joined the Club, the Pub Runs were every other week and typically attended by 5-10 people, maybe less depending on the weather.  Now the runs happen every week and turnout is typically at least 20-25 people.  Runs are still 4-5 miles at a conversation pace followed by drinks at rotating local establishments.  Longtime board member Matt Griffis still organizes the pub runs, but I want to shout out new board member Anya Kuznetsova and her husband David Herrig for leading a lot of the runs so far this year.  Due to the popularity of the runs, it would be great to also get a sweeper for these runs as it’s getting harder to keep a group that size together.  If interested in sweeping, please sign up to be an additional guide here:  Signup Sheet

Thursday Morning Runs

If mornings before work are better for you than evenings, there is a regular group of DRC members that meets every Thursday morning to run about 4 miles at a conversation pace from the parking lot of Sage Fresh Eats (old Zia North location) every Thursday at 6AM.  Snow, shine or extreme cold, this group will be there and is usually about 5-10 people in size. In the summer, some of these runs may switch to trails depending on what the volunteer leader wants to do, but in the winter they will be on pavement.

Photo courtesy of Kara Hellige

Upcoming DRC Races

Vallecito Lake Heavy Half Marathon

This race is directed by yours truly (with the amazing Kara Hellige as a co-director) and will occur on May 17 this year.  This will be the 5th year of the event and we think this year will be the best year yet as we keep finding things we can improve upon.  In a post-COVID world of outrageously expensive race entry fees, this race costs only $65 (until March 1) and DRC members get 10% off.  I’m confident you won’t find a better race at that price anywhere in the country.  But if you want to run it, sign up soon. It will sell out.  Last year the race generated $4,000 for the Vallecito Community Center Scholarship Fund and we anticipate we’ll be able to do that again this year.  Sign up here:  Runsignup.  As always, I need some great volunteers to pull this race off.  Let me know if you can help.

The Narrow Gauge Races

There will be a new race director this year in my good buddy and long-time DRC member Victor Ruggiero.  Established in 1978, the Narrow Gauge 10 Mile Race is the longest continuously run road race in Colorado.  There is also a 5K and 1-mile kid’s race.  Amazingly, this race is even cheaper than Vallecito.  The race will take place on Sunday May 25, the day after the Iron Horse Bicycle  Classic and two days after the Narrow Horse 1500 Meter Swim.  Long-time Durango endurance athletes shoot for this unofficial triathlon every Memorial Day Weekend, although swimming and biking first are not required to run.

Podcast Appearance

Lastly, I was recently invited to be a guest on the Empowered Running Podcast.  Check it out here:  Episode 3:  Tim Funk