DAY 1

• Date: April 18,2026
• Start Time: 0759
• End Time: 2234
• Daily Miles: 360.85
• Weather Conditions: Clear, 18 F/ 54 F, Wind 8.8 mph + Gusts 16 mph
  

Fuel:

• Cinnamon Raisin Bagel + Jam, Black Coffee
• 4 PB&J Sandwiches
• 2 Fig Newtons, Gummy Bears, Fruit Snacks, Fruit Roll-up
• 7,096 Calories of Formula 369 Endurance + Recovery Mix with Coconut Milk
• Rice, Guacamole, Salsa

Well, the day did not start off as planned. Hoping to beat the winds, I decided I’d begin at 0400 MT. I knew it would be cold, but I had no idea how much that would affect things. At 21℉, I had been out for 20 minutes when my nutrition hoses were frozen. Needing a few extra layers, I turned back and left my nutrition bladder for Bailey to meet me with later. Another 20 minutes out and I knew that if I pushed through this on the first day, it was just going to be digging a hole that was unnecessary. Confirming that we could restart when the sun rose, I had a quick bite to eat and went back to bed for 1.5-2 hours. AT 0730 MT, I was ready to begin anew. Now at 24℉ and with nutrition strapped on my chest, inside my jersey, it was still frigid, but doable.

Yesterday, as we drove to Alamosa for supplies, I noticed how smooth CO 17 was and that there was a large shoulder from Center to Alamosa. After analyzing it on Gaia and Google Maps, and noticing that it had 17’ elevation, I knew I had to make a last-minute adjustment. The course I had originally planned was HWY 285. It’s not a bad choice, but it had half as much shoulder and twice as much elevation. Since the wind varies slightly between the two, there may be days where it will make more sense to be on HWY 285, but we’ll make that choice when it’s necessary. Having not been on this new route, I had to be very vigilant–scouting the road for debris, looking for a good turnaround point, watching for vehicles.

The cold was a significant challenge, but knowing that it was the coldest day of the week, I just gritted through it. I stayed bundled up for most of the day, removing only knee warmers and a vest throughout. It was difficult to finish in the cold and I could have used a few extra layers. It took some time to re-acclimatize once I was done for the day. Honestly, I’m not even sure how to judge the effort from today because the cold was such a factor.

Another challenge came with nutrition. At 6 hours in, at my first stop, I was much more hungry than I anticipated. Bailey brought me a few extra solid foods to consume at that point. Hours later when Bailey was preparing the next batch of nutrition, she realized that she had miscalculated and shorted my Formula 369 Endurance Mix, meaning I had been consuming 460 calories per hour instead of the planned 600 calories. It all ended up fine, but it will be great to have it worked out for tomorrow.

There was a point before sunset when the traffic slowed and I was just cruising. It was a super peaceful time before temperatures started to cool again and the wind was pushing me slightly.

Mantra of the Day:

We’ve won a lot of battles today. Just make it to the end. We can do hard things.

Song of the Day:

No time for music today. Only my thoughts and vigilance.

FOLLOW MATTHEW'S HWMR EFFORT HERE >>