Tips for Night Trail Running

Jamil CouryRunning Tips

If you are running your first night trail run this summer as a part of the Insomniac Night Series, we have a few tips that should help make your experience fun and memorable. Running at night poses some unique challenges that you should prepare for.  Take note of these tips and you should be able to enjoy your experience out on the trails at night and successfully finish your run. Lighting The runs take place in the dark on naturally unlit desert trails. Be prepared with a quality headlamp or handheld flashlight to light your way (cell phone apps just won’t cut it!). A headlamp can be a good choice if you like to keep …

Aravaipa Running Shop – Grand Opening and Sale

Nick CouryPress Release

Aravaipa Running is proud to announce the opening of our new web store!  The Aravaipa Running Shop will feature a variety of running apparel and gear, including past race shirts, bags, hats, and much more!  The shop will provide 24/7 access for ultimate convenience, and a slick interface to navigate the store by category or search term. Race director Nick Coury is excited to offer the new store.  “The new Aravaipa Shop will provide a place for runners to find the latest Aravaipa Running apparel, replace their favorite race shirt with a new one, or stock up on all of our race-branded offerings.”  Coury says the store will be frequently updated with old and new …

Perfect Day at 36th Annual Kendall Mountain Run

Jamil CouryRace Report

Over 150 runners lined up on Saturday for the 36th Annual Kendall Mountain Run and 4th Annual “K2” Double. Both races start at 12th Street and Greene and follow the Kendall  Mountain Road 6 miles up to within 250 vertical feet of the 13,066 foot summit of Kendall. Runners then scramble up a steep trail to tag the summit marker before flying back down to town the way they came up. K2 Doublers make the ascent to the top twice for a little more than 24 miles. The race was first held in 1978, started by running enthusiast Bill Corwin who modeled the race after a famous bar bet made back in 1908 which sent …

My Nutrition Failure and Epic Resurrection at the 2013 Hardrock 100

Jamil CouryRace Report, Ultra Thoughts

Moving step by step along a dusty road winding several hundred feet above a roaring river over 10,000 feet above sea level, I was struggling to keep my pace at a something resembling “running”. I was still hiking strong on the ups, but when the road flattened, it took every ounce of my will to shuffle my feet into a run. I was queasy and not eating. Even water tasted bland and un-refreshing, not a good sign just 30 miles in to the 2013 Hardrock 100 Mile Endurance Run. Three weeks prior I had bounded up this road fresh and fit on a 56 mile dress rehearsal training run. Soon the road gave way to …

2013 Silverton 6/12/24 Hour

Jamil CouryRace Report

A smoky morning greeted runners at this year’s 2nd Annual Silverton 6/12/24 Hour Mountain Runs held at the Kendall Mountain Recreation Area.  The run takes place on a 1 mile loop on the Kendall Trail which was hand built by Rodger Wrublik and Jamil Coury in 2010 specifically for the Silverton 1000 mile challenge. The loop is not easy enough being at 9318 feet above sea level, but also climbs 250 feet up to the top of the ski lift on single track trails and a small section of dirt road. This is no Across The Years! The loop was accurately measured with a Rolotape surveyor’s wheel to be exactly 1 mile and runners aim …

Beating The Heat, or: How to Run a Heat Race

Nick CouryRace Report, Uncategorized

On Saturday I ran the Scottsdale Beat The Heat 11.22k, a race touted to be the “hottest race on earth”.  As a tribute to the record-setting 122 degree record Phoenix heat on June 26, 1990, the race date is chosen to coincide with the corresponding weekend in 2013.  With a prize purse of over $8500 for the top 10 finishers, the field arrives hot and ready.  Standing at the start line with James Bonnett, we feel out of place among the ranks of Andrew Lemoncello (2008 Olympian, 27:57 10k), Nahom Mesfin (2008 Olympian, 13:29 5k), Fernando Cabada (2:11:53 Marathon), and many others. I am under no illusion I will place in the top 10.  When the …

Insomniac Night Series Welcomes Nathan Performance Gear

Nick CouryPress Release

Nathan Performance Gear is partnering with Aravaipa Running to provide hydration solutions and night running gear for the remainder of the Insomniac Night Trail Running series.  Nathan will supply over 80 pieces of gear to Vertigo, Hypnosis, and the Javelina Jangover to be awarded to the winners of each race and given out as raffle prizes.  This year’s lineup of Nathan gear focuses on night visibility including reflective gear, LED lights, and reflective accents to their hydration paks, belts, and handhelds.  These items can be critical safety items to be seen by motorists, bicyclists, and other people. What Nathan Products are specialized for night running? LightSpur – A lightweight, waterproof LED spur that attaches to the heel …

avalanche chute

Kendall Mountain Avalanche Chute

Jamil CouryUltra Thoughts

Wednesday morning I climbed to the summit of Kendall Mountain, a peak that rises to 13,066 feet, towering directly over the small mountain town of Silverton, Colorado. When sitting in most homes and shops in town, this mountain fills most of the entire view looking out the window. When looking at Kendall you can’t help but notice the unique “Y” shaped avalanche chute on the face of the mountain facing town. Being a runner and someone who enjoys climbing mountains, when looking at Kendall, I can’t help but wonder how fast I can get up to the top and furthermore how fast someone has EVER gotten to the top. I’m not the only one to …

Adrenaline Night Runs 2013

Nick CouryUncategorized

As the sun sunk over the Arizona skyline, the temperature hovered over 100 degrees.  In excess of 300 runners gathered on a moonless night for the inaugural Adrenaline Night Runs at McDowell Mountain Regional Park outside Fountain Hills.  From first time night runners to ultra veterans, a diverse group assembled to complete 13 km, 26 km, or the all-night 65 km on the Long Loop. Runners arrive as the sun sets. The Adrenaline Night Runs is the second race in the Insomniac Night Series, on a course more challenging than the mild-mannered Sinister only a month before.  Built for mountain biking, the trails feature quick dips and rises, banked curves, and rocky slopes.  Though none …

First Weekend in Silverton

Jamil CouryUltra Thoughts

My first weekend training in Silverton is now complete and I’ve got a full growler of beer from Avalanche Brewing ready to drink tonight to celebrate a solid 7 hours of running on the Hardrock course. I am constantly blown away by the beauty and ‘epic’ness of the San Juan Mountains. The vast mountains and valley’s make me feel quite insignificant in the larger sense. A lightning strike off in the distance while running along a ridge at 12,600 feet on my first training day sent a shot of adrenaline through my body. Running along a thin strip of “quarter” track trail above 11,000 feet on the Kamm Traverse with a ridiculous drop off to …