Ambition is Risky Business - Cocodona 2024

I quibbled over the decision whether or not to enter the Cocodona 250 in 2024 for a few months. I bounced back and forth in my mind weighing the pros and cons. I sought the opinions of people I trusted, both in and out of the sport, close to me personally and far enough away to give me an unbiased opinion. Ultimately, I decided it's worth the risk of running the 2024 race for a variety of reasons I'll expound in just a minute. The deciding factor though, is simply the fact that the field for this year's edition of Cocodona is stacked with talent.

In the men's race, all of the winners of the past three years are returning, Michael Versteeg, Joe "Stringbean" McConaughy, and Michael McKnight will all be toeing the start line. In addition, legend of the sport Jeff Browning is competing and we can continue down the line with several other recognizable names to those of us knowledgeable about the200 miler scene. Ryan Shephard, winner of the 2023 Bigfoot 200 in the second fastest time ever, Haroldas Subertas, competitive across many different ultra distances, and Jeff Garmire, holder of several well known FKTs, are all going to be running Cocodona in 2024. I'm sure I'm missing out several other people who deserve a mention, but it's rare to see a field so deep in talent in a 200+ mile race. The opportunity to race against a group of immense individuals like this is simply impossible to pass up.

Now, the reason I'm framing my decision to compete in Cocodona as a risk, is that I'm also running the three other 200s this year that make up Destination Trail's famed Triple Crown. Cocodona starts May 6 and then I will be toeing the line at the Tahoe 200 barely more than a month later on June 14. Furthermore, the step up from competing in two 200s in 2023 to four in 2024 is, well, let's say fairly significant.

One of the people I reached out to for advice on this question is a pro athlete whose opinion I truly value. She advised me not to enter Cocodona for the reason that it was likely to negatively effect my other races this year and increase my risk of injury. I think both of those things are undoubtedly true, and yet I decided to take this risk for specific reasons.

First and foremost as I've already laid out, the competition in the 2024 running of the race is just simply unmatched. There will probably be no other 200 in the world (maybe Tor de Geants?), but certainly in North America, that is going to have such a memorable gathering of talented individuals. On top of that, Aravaipa's pioneering livestream is a huge boon for runners like myself looking to make a name and establish some kind of recognition in the community. I want to grow my coaching business into something sustainable, and I can't think of a better way to do it than compete against top athletes in a race that's streamed to the world for the entirety of the event. Last year I led the race for 220 miles, collapsing brutally at the end due to serious health problems, and I was able to attract more clients to Run Tough Coaching and meet amazing people all because of the livestream. I cannot compliment Aravaipa enough on their accomplishment here. Somehow watching runners come in and out of aid stations and plod zombie-like through the desert is something that people want to watch. Who would have thought?

And so here I am, starting training for the first of four 200 mile races in 2024. One of the reasons I felt somewhat comfortable entering Cocodona from a coaching perspective, is that my overall volume for the year is actually going to decrease from 2023. Mimicking some approaches from athletes like Browning and McKnight's training strategies, I am focusing much more on strength training and eliminating some of the top end mileage from my training program. Last year, McKnight won Cocodona and in his training rarely topped 80 mile weeks. I'm going to go a bit beyond that because I like a little higher volume and just really enjoy a good six hour long run. But in contrast to my training in 2023 where I frequently was topping 100 or 120 miles and 24 hours on my feet, I am going to have a peak week somewhere between 90 and 100. So I'm hoping the decrease in volume and an increased focus on strength training will result in an overall strain on my body that is comparable, if not less, than what I experienced in 2023.

Ultimately, training for ultras is an experiment we are all running on ourselves. I've said before and I'm sure I will repeat myself again in the future, but I love the process of trying new things and seeing what works. It's why I'm a coach and it's why the sport continues to draw me further into its clutches. I couldn't be more excited for the 2024 Cocodona and racing against some of my idols in the ultra world. I feel the fire of motivation burning so brightly within myself, like never before, and I am chomping at the bit for the opportunity to beat some of the sports best. Here's to 2024, here's to having ambitious goals that scare you just a little bit, and here's to the dead eyed stare of determination and willpower that accompanies us all through the night at mile 230.