….and My Story Runs On….
WOW…I am really slow at blogging! My goal is to write 50 blog posts about my first 50 miler and I’m only on #9!
Getting ready for a 50 miler is no joke. If you want to train properly, you have to invest the time into training. I used the Ultraladies training plan which was easy to follow.
The hardest part about training for me is getting the long weekend runs. Ultra running training is about doing long back to back runs on the weekend so your body and mind know what it’s like to run on tired legs. Even though we have plenty of long trails, the hard part about training runs is that you either need to have all your food/drink with you for those 20+ miles (downside is that you have to carry more stuff), or you need to do loops and keep your refueling in the car (downside it that it’s easy to stop after a loop when you are back to your car) or you can run races as training runs!
This is where Aravaipa Running comes in the pictures. The 2 major trail running companies here are Aravaipa and XTERRA (more on them in another blog post).
I love running races because you get a shirt, a pint glass, a nice trail and aid stations so it’s probably my favorite way to get a training run in. In can get expensive but the great thing is that they offer volunteer opportunities so you can get race credits. It’s a great way to give back to the community and then pay for upcoming races! The other thing is that depending on how I am feeling on that day, I might choose to push myself a bit harder since I’m in a “race” atmosphere.
I did my first 50K with Aravaipa and two others (Elephant Mountain (1st), Frenzy (2nd) and Crown King (3rd) ). McDowell Mountain Frenzy was a training run for my 50 mile race. So was the Coldwater Rumble (20 miles). One of the advantages of doing their races is that you have plenty of time to finish them. They usually have at least a 50K or 50 miler or 100 miler so as long as you finish within that time, you have no problem. Just always check to see what the course cut off is and you are good to go.
I love my pint glass selection and a few are missing..probably the only thing I would like to be different as you can really only fit so many of these in your cupboard 😉
As I write this post, they also have a night trail running series (Insomniac Series) during the summer which are a blast! I remember when I thought trail running was crazy, let alone running at night time on a trail. But that is now my favorite type of running! I just finished the Adrenaline 26K last weekend (haven’t blogged as I didn’t have time but this is my mini paragraph about it right now.). This is my favorite! First of all, McDowell mountains have some of my favorite trails. I also ran this race a few years ago (it was my first night trail run!) and I was hoping to beat my time…which I did! It was another epic race for me as I shaved 21 minutes off my time from 2014! Click here for some pics of that run 😉 (I’m training for my 4th 50K in Capitol Reef on 7/9/2016) I’m at 22 seconds in this video they made!
I considered doing an Aravaipa race as my first 50 miler because I love supporting local businesses, especially those that support the running community so well. The main reason I didn’t is because I wanted to see a new place so that’s why I chose Antelope Canyon (and Elaine practically twisted my arm 😉 and it was over my 45th birthday weekend )
Aravaipa Running also offer a variety of group runs weekly rotating around the Phoenix area. They are a blast with a lot of fun people! Check them out!
Click here: 50 Miles of Gratitude: 50 Posts about my first 50 Miler
From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)
Forget about all the running stuff, let’s talk about glasses. Getting a participation medal at the pickup table is just a souvenir as is the tee shirt. Dumb, but you can make a case for it. Getting a “finisher” medal at a flat 5K race is downright stupid. Aravaipa gives awards to top 3 overall finishers as races were when this activity first appeared and is at it should be. Giving medals to age group divisions where only 1 or 2 runners participate is what’s wrong with an overabundance of age groups. I have far too many of these. The Aravaipa glass is not an award but a recognition of accomplishment by the participant and finishing an Aravaipa difficult trail event REGARDLESS of the distance is Praiseworthy. As far as not being able to show your glasses in your cupboard, I say, if your cupboard is too small to allow you to store your glasses, maybe it’s time to think about moving to a house with a bigger cupboard!!
Cheers!
You crack me up! I donated a ton of medals to Phoenix Children’s Hospital last year and agree that medals can be overdone. I don’t need any medals from Aravaipa by any means and agree that Age Group awards can be overdone but it’s also motivation regardless of how many people are in the race. It’s still an accomplishment. I’m just maxed out on space on glasses and appreciate that they’ve even changed the type of glass…just maybe time for them to come up with something else for us repeat runners…something useful like glasses though…not medals…thanks for sharing your thoughts!
How about dishes? Monogrammed Arivaipa plate. Or how about silverware? yeah! Place settings for 8 in almost no time!! I got 10 out of 13 in age group at the ARR 5K and my time was decent. Now THAT felt real good!! 3 months till the next age group for me but this one is 70 “until death” so end of the line for me.
PS: dishtowels?? Think about it….