icah True was given his nick-name meaning White Horse by the Mayans Mwho inhabited the highlands of Guatemala during the time of their civil war. While spending a few winters circling the vol- Meet Micah True, known as canic crater lake of Attitlan, True would run into a village, greet the Indigenous people, buy some tortillas and bananas, then move on from village to village. Eventually as he entered the outskirts of each village, the women and children would line the streets calling out “El Caballo Blanco,” CABALLO and the kids would follow him, laughing. He thought this sweet so he carried this name throughout his travels in Latin America. In his article Meeting the Tarahumara at the Leadville 100 (www.caballoblanco.com) he BLANCO writes “The image of a Caballo Blanco must be Caballo Blanco, the rather endearing to Latin and Indigenous peo- ple, because I have always been greeted warmly, central character in bringing a smile when I introduce myself.” I first met the soft spoken True at Sole Christopher McDougal’s Sports in Tempe where he spoke to a group popular book Born of runners in late June. Slender, he stands 6’2, weighs 170 pounds with a shaved head and to Run is no ghost as strong, working man arms. You can sense his kindness and warmth through his hazel eyes. described in the book He talked about his experiences with and never was. the Raramuri (Tarahumara) and the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon (CCUM) he started by Sue Berliner in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Mountains. His Photos by Luis Escobar 51-mile race dubbed “The greatest race the world has never seen.” was the focal point of McDougal’s book. Life is full of coincidences, especially with the advent of social media. Maria Walton, Micah’s girlfriend, and I became friends via Facebook prior to the presentation. We made plans for a feature on Micah. Maria, an Operating Partner for P.F. Chang’s in Mesa, arranged for the three of us to meet at P.F. Chang’s, Scottsdale Waterfront in mid July. True, 56, splits his time between Colorado and the Copper Canyons with stops in between. He is humble, passionate, and wise. Here is your chance to meet the True man behind Caballo Blanco. First Race About every seven or eight years Micah True has those turning points choosing either to live or start dying. At an early age Micah True knew he would not live a conventional life. After growing up in California and attending school in Humbolt County his wandering ways began. “I was very transient,” said True. “I wandered all over the place. I was in Hawaii when I was 25, 26. I landed in Colorado when I was about 27. I was a prize fighter, a professional boxer. I ran some for that, I ran more than other boxers.” Once in Colorado while still boxing he started running more and got into full contact karate. He began traveling to Mexico and Central America traveling by foot. 14 SWEAT magazine September 2010 www.sweatmagazine.com “I thought it was romantic and special The hardest part and I just got around by foot, self propulsion so that is what I did,” said True. “I did not run sometimes for any a race until I was 32, but I ran 100 plus mile runner is just getting weeks for years. When I finally did run a race I had been running 170 and 180 mile weeks for out the door. You move a year, for fun as an experiment. I would get up at 4 in the morning and run 25 miles. At through the barriers noon, I would run another 10 miles. you get into that zone. “I ran my first race because someone talked Micah True me into it. He [the friend] said there was a fifty miler up in Wyoming. So my first real race He also started the race to encourage the was a fifty miler and I accidentally won. I got Raramuri to keep running free and to continue stronger as I went.” their age old traditions. He added “To have pride That was in 1986 at the Rocky Mountain in who they are. That is a free running people Double 50 miler from Laramie to Cheyenne on It was a different team that year. True because a lot of humanity is not free anymore.” the back roads of Wyoming. said the promoter from Tucson had a fall- Six Raramuri and True ran the inaugural “I did 6:12.That was a pretty good time ing out with the 93 team. So the promoter CCUM in 2003. In 2006, the event Born to Run for a High altitude 50, I guess. My first race brought a different team. covers, seven gringos and 25 Tarahumara and my record,” said True. “They were younger and they came in 1, ran the race. Before the book left the editor’s “Fifty-one out of the all time fastest 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11,” said True. “That was the year desk, the race had already gained popularity 50s,” Maria Walton added. the La Bruja, Ann Trason came in second. That attracting a couple hundred Raramuri. “I won a few fifty milers and started is when we named her La Bruha. They were in In 2005 he moved the race from Batopilas, taking myself seriously,” said True. “I started awe of the ‘witch’ right away.” where most of the Raramuri live, to Urique. thinking I had to keep up the mileage. I “That was the year Urique wanted to help started getting competitive and I don’t really Ghost Stories sponsor it. The Presidencia wanted me to like myself then. Starting to get injured, in True started going to the canyons in 1994, have the race there because they liked what I the long run, was a good thing because it stopping on his way south to Guatemala. Then was doing. Previous to that I would hike over lightened me up and opened me up to other he started making the Canyons his home, with the Ramuri and we would race back. things. It took me out of myself and then I living at the bottom of the deep canyon and “The more traditional Raramuri lived stopped running competitively. I started run- began building a house. in Batopilas, the men wearing their kind of ning for the reasons I began with, just to be “They [Raramuri] lived in the boondocks loin cloths and skirts and sandals. In Urique fit and my own reasons other than competi- for good reason. I did not want to intrude they don’t see those kind of people anymore tion. I have been doing it that way ever since on them and wanted to give them space. I except when we walk over for the race. So although I have slowed down quite a bit.” did my own thing and found my own way they really appreciate them. Where as in He attributes the slowing down to getting around. After awhile I started skirting some Batopilas they see them all the time, they older. He has never done speed work. He runs of the villages. That is where Christopher don’t care about them. They are just Indians. because it is meditative. [McDougal] comes up with this ghost thing In Urique they are special because the tradi- “It is a good way to clean myself out and about this ghost [me] running through the tional Rarmuri no longer exist. let ideas flow. I always have better ideas, villages because the Raramuri were curious as “Analagoy: as humans,two legged confused more clear about my thoughts. I need to be to who this guy was because I wasn’t going to ones, we tend to appreciate what no longer happy when I run. When I am not happy I intrude on them. I was respectful. I don’t think exists. When it is gone we wish it was there. don’t want to run. Although, it makes me there was any rumor I was a ghost. They see When the air is no longer clean we long for happier for sure to do it. The hardest part Gringos down there. They see tourists. To make clean air. When you can’t drink the water you sometimes for any runner is just getting out it seem like a different planet is not accurate. It long for clean water. When your partner leaves the door. You move through the barriers you is a different world but not a different planet. you, you wish she was back. We are confused get into that zone.” Sensationalism sells. It is not how it is there.” because we want what is not there. We want After awhile he began to interact with what is not attainable.” A Bicycle Accident Leads the people. He said it takes years before the to the Raramuri Raramuri open up to you. The Present In 1993 he returned to Leadville, Colo. for the This year 367 ran the race, 265 Raramuri, 62 Leadville 100 after a six year hiatus. Copper Canyon Ultra gringos and 40 Mexican Nationals. Nine out “I ran the race to celebrate being alive after Marathon is Born of the top ten were Raramuri. First place wore his traditional skirt, headband and blouse having a really bad bicycle accident and waking He felt the Raramuri were not treated prop- and Asics stability shoes on his feet. The first up in the hospital,” said True. “It was about a erly and taken advantage of by promoters in gringo was Nick Curry from Tempe, Ariz. month before the race and I decided I would the states. finishing 6th, his brother Jamil finished th13 . celebrate being alive by entering the race again. “That is the big reason I am doing the True had just returned from Mexico “So I went and ran Leadville and I met this race in the canyons” said True. “I feel as sporting a few scrapes and injured shoulder 55-year old Indian. Sixty miles into the race he though they are better off where they are when we met for dinner. He was there to passed me and he went on and won the race. at. They don’t have to deal with all that crap. run another race and took a tumble on a I did pretty good. I started getting intrigued People want to run with them where they gnarly descent. He considers himself a good by it. The next year I wanted to enter the race are. They don’t have to leave their homes or downhill runner, but admitted he probably again to bring my time down and I could not go very far from their homes. And they are should not have pushed the pace when the get into the race so I volunteered to pace some winning prize money in corn and prizes and others were walking. of the Raramuri in 1994.” stuff that their traditional races provide.” Join>> Indicates the SWEAT SWEAT Club: Advertiser text SWEAT to 68255 SeptemberJune 10 2010 SWEAT magazine 15 He was also there to check on the status More important to him were the conditions of and then the decision comes up again. of his race. the Raramuri. I was curious if any obligations to run “My race is up in the air for this year “The truth in the conditions of the came with the notoriety of being a main because of the new President and the elec- Raramuri people lies somewhere in between character in the Born to Run. tions and not having sponsorships.” some charity organizations depictions of “I feel bad if I don’t run and I feel good The race he ran was the 14th edition of starving baby’s with their ribs sticking out if I do,” said True. If I don’t run I don’t feel a Mexican government sponsored race. He and desperate women to Christopher’s really good. I don’t have to meet up to any has held his race nine times, with two races depiction of a Zen-like village state. Disease expectations. When I get things moving I some years. less and pure happiness, joy and no prob- feel better, when things aren’t moving they “It is mostly Mexican Nationals and lems. Both descriptions do the Raramuri stagnate. When water is flowing it is cleaner. Tarahumara,” said True. “They don’t pay no favors. They lie somewhere in between. When you stop moving you die.” near the prize money as my race. My race They have real problems just like all of us. Many people know the Raramuri as had $14,000 cash, 100,000 pounds of corn. They are real people so to put them on some Tarahumara. True explained the difference. This race had no corn. Fifteen thousand sort of pedestal is not realistic and doesn’t “Raramuri is what they call themselves. pesos, which is $1,200, went to first place do anybody any favors. We should respect It means light footed ones or running people. and there was prize money paid five deep. them (we should respect all of us) for who Tarahumara is what the Spanish Conquistadors Our race pays twice as much cash and equal they are but don’t treat them as God” thought they heard from the Raramuri. And the value of corn. Six through 10-wins $250 plus Meeting his dog Guadajuko was one of his Raramuri are gentle non-confrontational people. 1/2 ton of corn per person, 5th place $500 most memorable guiding experiences. They did not want to argue the point, so they plus a ton of corn, 4th place $1,000 plus a ton “He emerged from the river when I was said whatever,” True said with a light laugh. of corn 3rd place $1,500 plus a ton 1st place guiding a group of students, said True. “He $2,500 plus a ton of corn.” escaped from drowning in the river and picked The Future Did he think about working with the Raramuri thirty years ago when he amped When the air is no up his running? “I did not visualize the exact projects I am longer clean we long for doing now but I guess I knew I would live a similar lifestyle. I knew I would not be doing clean air. When you can’t a mainstream thing. Thirty years ago I knew drink the water you long little of the existence of the Tarahumara. I have always been and admirer of indigenous people. for clean water. When your I am sure I have dreamed and fanaticized cer- tain aspects of my way of life. Some of it is not partner leaves you, you as glamorous as I have dreamt and some of it wish she was back. We are is more glamorous. I think I have always had a yearning for adventure and being different.” confused because we want He did not have any set in stone long term goals or plans except to run until he dies. He what is not there. We want is writing a book Born to Run Free--True Trails From the Horse’s Mouth. Meanwhile rumors of what is not attainable. Born to Run on the big screen surfaced when Micah True Jake Gyllenhaal and McDugal showed up at the recent Leadville 100 Trail Run. He used to deliver the corn. Now they give us up. He started walking with us and followed In regards to the Raramuri he hoped they coupons for the value of 100,000 pounds of us all the way over from one canyon to another were going to gain something from the notoriety corn. So the participants can buy beans, corn, and got in on three square meals a day. [He] Slept Born to Run has exposed them to. He feels a big rice, flour, whatever they need from the market. with the girls in their sleeping bags at nighttime. responsibility to keep things real and to do his When we got to where we were going, the girls best to help the Raramuri to help themselves and On the Raramuri, What Makes all left and I got stuck with Guadajuko. It means to continue to run free, be respected and admired them so Good and More the equivalent of cool, awesome. from the outside and looked at realistically. He When asked why are the Raramuri are so Late in the interview, the conversation tuned wants them to gain from the exposure and expe- good. True stated: cellular genetic memory. back to running and why he started running. rience and not necessarily in material ways. “They remember how. A lot of us have “When I was 21, 22-years-old, I had been The Raramuri way focuses on Korima. The forgotten and we are retraining ourselves to smoking lots of dope drinking lots of booze, Tarahumara word means “a gift, the circle of call up our genetic and cellular memories. partying hard,” said True.” And I wanted to sharing.” The CCUM is based on those principals. If you have been an athlete you’ve got it in do something and I couldn’t. It was hard. My “The Ramuri share everything they have, you. So you can recall it and you train your- throat was bleeding, I was panting and feeling said True. “There is no greed to speak of, people self to recall it. On a different level you recall like crap and determined I did not ever want to are just more generous.” it from way back when, from your ancestor.” feel that way again. I thought I was too young Seeing it all come full circle would please During dinner True mentioned there to feel that way and never wanted to feel that the White Horse had been some inaccuracies in the book. I way again. It was one of those turning points “I just want to live a healthy life, live and inquired as to what the biggest were. where you either live or you start dying. I have love,” said True. “To do what I can with what- “Nobody ran barefoot,” True was quick to had a few of those every seven or eight years. ever I am blessed with. I have no material goals note the book did not say anyone ran barefoot. I go through that same thing. So are you going of being wealthy. I feel I am already wealthy in It was how some people were reinterpreting it. to let it go or you going to live? So every now the ways I care about.” S

18 SWEAT magazine September 2010 www.sweatmagazine.com