Tag: Arizona

Arizona Dreaming – Part 2

Sedona, Red Rock Country

Straight from our successful morning at the XTerra Black Canyon trail run, our convoy headed north to beautiful Sedona for a week at the Seven Canyons resort. Our theme for the week was “Elevate Performance”, and our hosts, Bill and Janice, were exceptionally generous, opening their home and directing all manner of activities. 

We explored the extensive trail system around Sedona, which brought us awesome views of the stunning “red rocks” for which the city is famous. Sedona was much busier than what we remembered from our last visit, so we made sure to get an early start for our trail runs. 

Did you know that the unique red colour of Sedona’s geological formations comes from iron oxide? The rocks are primarily sandstone and limestone. Because these are relatively soft rocks, they are susceptible to physical and chemical erosion. Wind and water (think flash flooding) have played a significant role in shaping the landscape over millions of years. And the result is spectacular… it’s unlike any other place I’ve been.

Our first group run was on the Little Horse-Bell Rock trail. We could have legitimately said we were still recovering from the race a couple of days earlier. That may have been partly true for Deb, but I was definitely okay with an easy start as I was still feeling the effects of my fall (and knowing that we had a busy week ahead of us.) This trail was perfect, even for those in our group who were a bit more ambitious. We did an out-and-back route that brought us all to the trailhead at the same time, so it all worked out. And what views!

“Elevate Performance” – Adrenaline Rush hits the trails at Little Horse

A highlight of the week was a trail run starting from the Dry Creek trailhead. We went out on the Long Canyon trail and returned via the Mescal-Yucca loop. We knew this route from prior runs, and we stopped along the way to enjoy the breathtaking… in both senses of the word… views.

Taking a break on Mescal

We added a second trail race to our calendar, given that the Sedona Stumble was conveniently scheduled for Saturday March 23, at the Posse Grounds Park in town. The 5k and 10k distances were full of challenges, including sections on a narrow single-track circuit and a mountain bike slalom course. Wow!

The race was very well organized by Run Sedona. Adrenaline Rush runners tackled both distances. Once around this technical loop was enough for Deb and me. We enjoyed the post-race snacks and festivities, especially the delicious donuts provided by Sedonuts. It was no surprise that Adrenaline Rush runners again made an impact on the podium. Congrats to Allison (1st in F50-59) and Al (1st in M60-69) in the 10k, to Doreen (1st in F60-69), Janice (2nd in F60-69) and Carolyn (1st in F50-59) in the 5k, and to the rest of our group on your strong results!

In addition to trail running, there was a lot of golf action on the beautiful Seven Canyons course throughout the week. Deb and I enjoyed a few casual games, although the glaring truth, for me at least, is that my game needs serious attention. A summer project, perhaps?

It was all smiles after the (cool and breezy) Adrenaline Rush golf game

Of course, I carried my Ricoh GR III with me on our runs and was rewarded with some good shots. From our vantage point on Rachel’s Knoll, I also got some amazing landscapes. The weather was cool and breezy, which meant some very interesting evening cloud formations. And the sunsets were outstanding.

Evening clouds roll in, Sedona

All told it was a magical week in paradise.

Thanks for reading,

Arizona Dreaming – Part 1

XTerra Black Canyon Trail Race

It was a monster day of trail racing. An early start on a rainy St. Patrick’s Day morning in central Arizona didn’t deter a large Adrenaline Rush contingent for the Black Canyon XTerra trail races. 

Our runners toed the line in the 7k, 11k and Half Marathon distances… sadly there were no takers for the marathon. The rain eased up just in time and gave way to perfect racing conditions on the scenic course in the Sonoran Desert.  

Early morning in the Sonoran Desert (March 17, 2024)

Allison Blackmore and Mark Martens were off first in the half marathon. Allison smoothly made her way around the course, a challenging mix of single track and horse trail. Her legs held up until the 16k mark, and she managed the fatigue induced by 525m of elevation gain. Allison nailed down a first-place finish in the F55-59 age group and was fourth overall female in a time of 2:01. 

A stir went through the crowd when word spread of a Sasquatch sighting on the trail. Of course, it was only Mark, who overcame a few nagging injuries that have kept him out of interval training for the winter. He put in a solid performance, finishing in 2:19 and fifth in the M50-54 AG. His performance leaves him optimistic about his chances in the upcoming HM in Mississauga.

A St. Patrick’s Day Sasquatch sighting!

142 runners tackled the 11k, including four AR racers, who left a definite mark on the event. Al Blackmore continued his recent good form by racing to an 18th-place finish. He looked very comfortable running to an excellent time of 1:08. This was good for third in the highly competitive M60-64 AG. 

Doreen Katchmar admitted she couldn’t sleep the night before the race, worrying about getting lost on the course. Fortunately, the XTerra route was extremely well-marked. That meant Doreen could focus on staying upright and running strong… and it was mission accomplished! She turned in a nifty performance of 1:19 and first in her F60-64 AG. What a result!

Carolyn Leonard enjoyed the race and delivered a great performance. At 1:21, her time won her a first-place finish in the F55-59 category. The entertaining race announcer kept her in suspense, but there was never any doubt that she ran “the most perfect race.” Carolyn appreciated the supportive atmosphere among the racers on the trail. 

Coach Janice McCaffrey got into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit (and was easily the best costume of the day, but sadly there was no such category). We heard later that she may have lost a bit of time on course when her green tutu got snagged on a Saguaro cactus. Fortunately she was carrying poles, which she put to good use, en route to a third-place AG result and a 1:29 time. 

Debbie and I had modest expectations for the 7k, due to a sore hip and Achilles, respectively. Things started well, with Deb leading a small group of runners through the single-track section. That is until yours truly hit a rock and went down hard. After a brief pause, we carried on, but not before Deb had confirmed that no women in her age group had passed us. She need not have worried. In the immortal words of the race announcer, she was an “ultimate monster” with a convincing first-place finish in the F65-69 AG in 57:45. And me? I managed 2nd in my AG and was happy to still be upright. 

Deb cruises past the horse stables and heads for home

Rita and Jamie Bertwell turned in awesome performances on what they described as their “first day of training.” They looked like race veterans as they handled everything the course threw at them, including 10-12 fords of Black Canyon Creek in the last 2k. Jamie noted that while it wasn’t a contest, he did notch one better AG place in his race than Mark did. And Rita? She was a cool 5th. Our intrepid announcer called it correctly for their hand-in-hand 1:22 finish: “Now THIS is what it’s all about!”

And in summary, those words rang true for all the AR racers on the day.

What a day at the races for Adrenaline Rush!