Guest Post by Shelby Farrell | Follow her Cocodona 250 training journey at @shelbzzf & shelbzzf.com
On the morning of May 3, 2021 a group of brave endurance athletes will be setting out to run the inaugural Cocodona 250. Two hundred fifty miles starting in Black Canyon City, Arizona, through Crown King, Prescott, Jerome, Clarkdale, all the way to Sedona, concluding in Flagstaff. The race is six weeks out, so basically it is just around the corner. Eeek! For me, this means a month to fully dial in my training, enjoy a chill taper for two weeks (aka try not to go crazy), and then wake up ready to send it on that first marvelous Monday in May.
What does, “fully dialing it in” entail? Personally, it is a combination of honing in on nutrition, ramping up weekly mileage, and continuing to crosstrain via my personal faves, CrossFit and spin class. It is making sure that I have a training plan mapped out on my 2021 Catzilla Calendar, and starting to prepare my mind for traveling 250 miles on two feet.
Oh, and not to mention chipping away at logistics: Who are my Cocodona crew and pacers going to be? What food do I need to bring to compliment the 21 aid stations? What shoes (definitely plural) will I rock on course? Sooo many questions, and less than six weeks to figure it all out. Strategizing is part of what makes ultra running so much fun.
The Course – Starting in Black Canyon City
The Cocodona 250 course meanders through numerous notable towns, rich with AZ history. I’m making a point to research more about them as a part of my race prep. Two of my friends coined the term “running tourism” (or so I’d like to believe they did). By mentally framing Cocodona as a tour of iconic Arizona pioneering towns, I might magically forget that I am running 250 miles. I’ll let you know if this theory checks out.
The race begins roughly 22 miles as the cactus wren flies (AZ’s state bird that probably doesn’t actually fly this far as they are not migratory) north of Phoenix at Rock Springs in Black Canyon City, Arizona.
Runners get to enjoy the early miles of their great endurance feat on the 80-mile Black Canyon National Recreation Trail. This extraordinary trail follows a route that has been used since the time of Native American traders and travelers. It was a sheep herding migration path, as well as an old stage coach route. Throughout this section participants can expect numerous elevation changes on a variety of technical and smooth single track. The raw desert climate is decorated with sweeping views of the Bradshaw Mountains, as well as the classic saguaro cacti. As they stand there tall and proud, I like to think that they are silently cheering me on.
In other Black Canyon City news, meet famous ex-resident, John W. “Jack” Swilling (1830-1878), known as one of the OG founders of Phoenix. Swilling made Black Canyon City his home in 1871 to pursue mining. Story goes, he was quite successful. What’s wild is that the walls of his ranch house still stand, therefore making it the oldest building in Black Canyon City. Maybe if I’m lucky I’ll hallucinate his ghost when things start to get loopy out there.
About the author/athlete: Shelby Farrell is a distance runner born and raised on the East Coast, currently running wild in Southern California. Her longest race was the 2020 Javelina Jundred 100-miler where she finished fifth for females. Relive the desert magic here. Be sure to creep her YouTube channel for weekly training highlights as she prepares to tackle this new (some may say absurd) distance. @shelbzzf | shelbzzf.com