Luis Contreras-Vidal, local race organizer and outdoor enthusiast, attempted the Flagstaff to Grand Canyon 100 miler in September. It was his second attempt at a 100-mile race. Even though he wasn’t able to finish, he has no plans to give up.

“I was feeling really strong,” Contreras-Vidal said. He trained for five months, dedicating about 20 hours a week to running, lifting weights, cycling and walking. It was important for him to cross train and build his muscles to avoid running injuries. At the peak of his training, Contreras- Vidal was running 75 miles a week for 12 weeks.

“One of my mistakes was not testing my gear, especially my running shoes. When you run that far, every little thing adds up and my toenails started coming off. It reached a point where every step was painful, and I was walking very slowly.” Contreras-Vidal said.

After 23 hours of running, his injuries caused him not to make the 80-mile cut off time. Cut off times are created by race organizers for participant safety and planning reasons. Although disappointed with the circumstances, the experience motivated him to train harder and gave him a new sense of respect for people who have finished 100-mile races. He said his first attempt at a 100-mile race in 2019 he didn’t feel bad about not completing because he felt like he went into it underprepared and overly confident.

His training plan for his next attempt will include 50 mile and 100k races where he can dial in his gear.

Contreras-Vidal has been running on and off for 15 years. He discovered his interest in high school when he was involved in boxing. One of his friends convinced him to do a 10k race and his interest in snowballed from there. But it was his move to New Mexico to study at New Mexico Tech that introduced him to the outdoors and long-distance running.

He considers Socorro a place that offers a lot of variety for runners. He said that for him, trail running is a moving meditation when he can think freely or listen to audio books.

“I think everybody needs some time to themselves and turn off the noise. It’s a good chance to focus on yourself.” said Contreras-Vidal.

Two years ago, he adopted a dog and that brought routine and discipline to his training.
“I was motivated to train before my dog, but I think adopting a dog brought me discipline, because you can have motivation and want to go for a run, but having discipline is going for a run when you don’t want to, and most days you need more discipline than motivation.” Contreras-Vidal said.

Over the last four years he has dedicated himself as the organizer of the Socorro Trail Running Series that includes races in different parts of the county including Box Canyon, Magdalena Mountains and La Quebradas.

“I think Socorro has a lot of potential to create an outdoor economy, we have mountain biking, rock climbing and running, and we can do that while also not displacing local populations. There is a chance to diversify the economy and that is one of my visions, putting money back into the community.” Contreras-Vidal said.

His future plans include finishing his Ph.D., training for his next 100 miler and continuing to develop the trail running series.

Jessica Carranza, Editor