Running New Mexico Podcast

Episode 136 - Jeff Cuno; Trail Runner, Founder of Primal Genes Coaching

This week I had the pleasure to talk with Jeff Cuno. He is a trail runner and founder of Primal Genes Coaching. He was 3rd at this year's Mt Taylor 50k and has a couple of fastest known times to his name.

 

We talked about how he got into running a little later in life and just jumped into trail running. We also talk about the differences between trail running, ultra running, and road racing and how you can take lessons from each to help the others. He talks about some of the races he's done and what he has on the schedule currently.

 

We talk about coaching and Primal Genes Coaching, which is run by him and his wife. He talks about some of the different aspects in his coaching and we talk a little about weight training and mileage. If you're interested, reach out to him through his instagram or Primal Genes Coaching's instagram.

 

It was a fun conversation that I hope you also enjoy. It was great to get to know someone that has been in similar circles, but who I haven't had a chance to meet yet. 

 

I'm not sure if I hate the straight heat or the heat with humidity worse, but either way, it is hot out there. I hope you are getting your training done early, before it gets unbearable, or that you are taking the right precautions. Listen to your body, hydrate, and keep running, New Mexico.

 

Episode 135 - David Krummenacker; 2x NCAA Champion, 3x US 800 Champion, 2003 Indoor World Champion

This week I had the pleasure to talk with David Krummenacker. He graduated from Las Cruces High School, ran for Georgia Tech, and went on to have a great professional career. He was a two time NCAA Indoor 800 meter Champion, a three time US 800 Champion, and a World Indoor 800 Champion. He holds an 800m best of 1:43.92 and a 1500m best of 3:31.91.

 

We talk about how he got into running, via basketball and even one of his first cross country races when a young phenom from El Paso just blew everyone away. We talk about him going to Georgia Tech and his professional career. He talks about his mileage and being a middle distance guy that could hang in the middle of a cross country race and out kick some guys.

 

We also talk about the current running scene a bit. David talks about being passionate and using running and what he learned training to feed into other aspects of his life. He talks about how running helped lead him to the work he is currently doing. We also talk about some of the people he met in Albuquerque between his time at Georgia Tech and moving to Arizona for training.

 

It was a shorter conversation that I look forward to continuing. There's a lot of ground that we didn't touch on, but I really enjoyed getting to know someone that I personally looked up to as a runner. I remember watching some of his races as I was starting to fall in love with the sport and being so inspired that someone from New Mexico was out there doing it at that level. With the Olympic Trials currently on and the Paris Olympics coming up, I love that a new generation of New Mexicans have athletes from our state that they can look at to inspire them as well.

 

With the heat, the fires, and the flooding going on in the state, it's easy to be down. It's heartwarming then to see organizations like Organ Mountain Outfitters, Bosque Running Shop, and many others raising money for the people affected. So look to the positives, get out before the heat hits, stay hydrated, and keep running, New Mexico.

Episode 134 - Anicka Newell; Canadian Pole Vaulter looking for her 3rd Olympic berth

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.

Update

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. 

Episode 133 - Pablo Vigil; From the Mora to the Top of the Mountains

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

Episode 132 - Leah Purucker; Trail Runner, Chef at Daily Grind

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.

Episode 131 - AJ Beach; Athlete Performance Therapist, Sandia Prep, UNM

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.

Episode 130 - Kelsey Long; Navajo, Recent Boston Marathon Runner, Dirtbags Run, and more

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)

Episode 129 - Timberlin (Timbo) Henderson; Dine Ultra Runner, Recent Winner at Monument Valley 50Miler

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.

Episode 128 - Roman Gurule; Pojoaque, NMSU Grad, Creater of NewMexico.run

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.