I've said many times in previous posts and I will probably continue to repeat myself in the future, that the best part about being an ultra runner is the training. There is little I love more in life than perusing Trail Run Project or other similar mapping apps and finding a new zone to go explore. This past training cycle, I was lucky enough to have time to go and experience multiple new areas with amazing trails and interesting environments. In addition to the exploration, I was able to build on previous cycles of training and challenge myself in new and interesting ways that I hope will lead to success at Cocodona and my other races for this year.
I typically structure my training cycles with three build weeks and then an easier week for four weeks total. The first week of this past cycle, I spent three days traveling for some awesome destination runs, hitting first the Grand Canyon, then Sedona, and lastly Red Rock Canyon outside of Las Vegas. Starting off in the Grand Canyon, I made a little mistake on this run, descending South Kaibab a little too aggressively having not done a five or six mile downhill for quite some time. My quads paid for this over the next couple days of adventures. I'd run in Sedona before, last year during Cocodona, but it was at night and I didn't get to take in any of the awesome sights. The trails around Sedona are pretty dreamy, soft desert dirt mixing into sections of juniper and pinon pine. The rock spires are a unique flavor of desert, reminding me of Gothic cathedrals springing up naturally from the valley floors. And finally, Red Rock Canyon was the denouement for this week of training. My opinion of Vegas as a city is fairly negative, but that was somewhat changed by experiencing some of the natural beauty right outside its borders. Red Rock is interesting, a colorful landscape with pyramidal peaks abounding around a softer and less imposing valley, and definitely worth visiting, although you do have to deal with the annoying recreation.gov website to get a timed entry permit.
These three runs amounted to my first big section of back-to-back days in preparation for the 2024 Cocodona, totaling about 60 miles of travel and 16,000 feet of vertical gain over the course of three days. My legs were well and truly shattered after the third 20 mile day and it took longer than I expected for my quads to return to normal following the shock of long, steep descents.
The trails aren't going to lie to you, and I was a little disappointed that my legs didn't recover and respond as fast as I would have liked to these three runs. But ultimately, it's good to get an honest assessment of where I was at and I felt confident that the training benefits would show in a couple weeks time.
An "Easier" Week and then The Superstitions
The middle build week of this cycle was less eventful. Weather wasn't great in any areas that I could potentially drive to and so training stayed closer to home. I was also dealing with a minor illness that led to some extra tiredness and stomach issues so though I was able to increase my mileage from the previous week, my long runs were a little shorter and involved repeating some trails in order to get some substantial vertical gain which is hard to come by in my part of the desert.
And this brings me to the most challenging and fun week of training I have had for a long time. Inspired by Anton Krupicka's recent travels (a great follow on Strava or Instagram), I decided to drive 10 hours to the greater Phoenix area and spend a couple days exploring the Superstition Wilderness. I didn't know much about the place, other than that it looked cool in pictures and that I'd be able to link up some big routes with a good amount of climbing. I probably could have done a little more research and made my days there go a bit smoother, but I had a blast being surprised by the rugged, intense, and beautiful nature of the terrain.
Day 1 in Arizona, my goal was to traverse the Superstition Ridge twice, as an out-and-back. I'd read about the route on Trail Run Project and drawn it out on Strava, thinking that about 22 miles and ~8k worth of vertical gain would take me something like six or seven hours. It almost immediately became clear to me upon gaining the ridge after a massive technical climb up its south side that I had underestimated the nature of what I was undertaking. On the way out, it seemed like every possible route finding decision I made led me to the more difficult of the options available. If I went left around some rock spire, following what seemed to be a well worn trail, the path would soon disappear and I would find myself scrambling back up to the ridge hoping to get a glimpse of a more trodden patch of dirt.
Despite these issues, I was having so much fun and enjoying the spectacular views from the ridge. Looking down into Phoenix to the west, one is struck by the endless sprawl and then the view to the east is a desolate and gorgeous desert vista enhanced by towering rock formations springing up like skyscrapers from deep valleys.
I'd set myself a four hour turn around time, and as I got close to that, my legs felt near to cramping. I'd never before dealt with cramps out on a run and I'd stupidly forgotten extra electrolytes. Planning to fill up water at Lost Dutchman State Park, I stood atop the descent back to the valley on the north side of Superstition Ridge weighing my options. Luckily, I had good service and was able to call the visitor center at the state park and ask if they had any electrolyte beverages. Unfortunately, I only had my phone and they didn't accept tap to pay. Still, the gentleman on the line said to come down and that they would probably be able to help me out and so I descended the steep and technical Siphon Draw trail and made my way to the visitor center.
Arriving stinking, sweaty, and salty from my day in the sun so far, I once again explained my situation, hoping I'd be able to grab some Powerades and either pay for them the next day or Apple Pay one of the employees some money to buy them for me. Luckily for me, a nice lady in line next to me offered to get me as many as I needed, so I am really grateful to Carrol for helping me out that day. I offered to pay her back, but she refused even when I insisted. Relying on the generosity of a stranger wasn't the plan, but she was extremely friendly and ensured I wouldn't deal with muscle cramps on my way back over the ridge.
After taking some time to re-hydrate and eat, I started back up Siphon Draw, scrambling up the steep trail and gaining the ridge once more. On the way back to the south side, I made the opposite of every route finding decision I'd made on the way out and negative split the day by almost 45 minutes as a result. 8.5 hours, 25 miles, and 9,500 feet of climbing later (all more than anticipated), I got back to my car, ate dinner, and promptly fell asleep looking forward to another day of exploring the amazing Superstition Wilderness.
My second day in the Superstitions, a rock formation called Weaver's Needle was to form the centerpiece around which the run was oriented. I'd planned for 27 miles, but starting out knew that I'd be able to cut it short if time necessitated and once again, the ruggedness of the trails and the nature of the travel resulted in my pace being much slower than normal for a run with this kind of topography. It seems like everything in the Superstitions is working to slow you down. From the abundant cacti lining the sides of the trails, to steep climbs and loose, rocky descents, and the fact that almost every section that looks runnable on a map criss-crosses a creek about a thousand times, there were few moments I was able to open up my stride and really run some swift miles. But on the positive side, the land itself is stunningly beautiful and unlike anywhere I've been in my life. Forests of saguaros give otherwise bland hillsides a kind of whimsical character. Rock formations of all shapes and sizes jut out of the ground at seemingly impossible angles. And the aforementioned Weaver's Needle, its improbably bulk and mass visible from many miles away, towers above you like a medieval watchtower on guard.
Before starting down the last steep, uber-technical descent of the day, I took some time just to admire the immensity of the Needle and enjoy the endless views provided by the wilderness and the mountains beyond. Sometimes while running, it's easy to get in the mindset of just getting miles under one's belt. After all, in a race, that is what we are there to do, travel far and fast. But sometimes during training runs in new and beautiful places, moments of stillness and majesty should be treasured. I'll think about this time, standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Needle and its immense, jumbled valley and I'll remember how the breeze felt against my face and how blue the sky looked against the sharp outline of the green ridges on the horizon. This feeling, this is what ultra running and exploring the outdoors is all about. Sure, I have concrete goals this year for races, but ultimately they would be hollow and meaningless if I didn't get to have moments like this one to enjoy the spectacular world in which I feel so lucky to live.
A Successful Cycle
After struggling with muscle soreness the first week of training, I found that my legs had adapted to longer descents and climbs by the time I was in the Superstitions. After the long day on the Ridge, I felt surprisingly good. And even after the second day wandering around the desert, my muscles and body responded and recovered, showing that the three day cycle two weeks prior hand resulted in some useful training adaptations.
Overall, this past build cycle involved 276 miles of running, 47,000 feet of vertical gain, and 57 hours on my feet (with an additional 10 hours of time in the gym). The process of training is so rewarding, and each one of those 57 hours is a gift, even if sometimes my motivation on a day might make some runs feel like a slog.
With just one more 4-week cycle until taper, I'm excited to do some further exploring of the beautiful American Southwest and to take in some breathtaking landscapes. Obviously, I'm thrilled to be taking part in what is likely to be an exceptional running of Cocodona, but before that I've got a few more long runs in amazing places to enjoy. Training is, of course, to help hone our skills and sharpen our minds and bodies in order to perform at our best on race day, but it should also be fun and rewarding in its own right. The best part about ultra running is that training can, and in my opinion should, result in its own adventures.
Comments