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 …

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 …

Running Scrappy In The Old Pueblo

Jamil CouryRace Report

I was exhausted, tired and dammit my feet hurt. I was trudging through dry grasslands not sure of why I had even decided this was a good idea. I was in the foothills of the mighty Santa Rita Mountains South of Tucson, walking along the Arizona Trail bound for Kentucky Camp, under the shadow of Mount Wrightson and just a couple small towns and a few dozen miles from the Mexico border. I had put myself through an ordeal and at the end of the day had absolutely nothing to show for it except a stinging, biting DNF. No, this was not the 2013 Old Pueblo Endurance Run, I am rewinding back to April 2011 when I …

Tips For Crown King Scramble Virgins

Jamil CouryNews, Press Release

Ok, so you’ve heard the hype, caught the Crown King Scramble bug, somehow convinced by a friend this was a good idea and signed yourself up for this point-to-point monster of a course. Now you are just one week away from scrambling your way from the desert to the pines, driven forward by that elusive cold brew at the finish line. “Wait, did you just say one week away, holy crap!” With so many first timers taking on the race this year, we thought it would be a good idea to pass on some wisdom from those who know this race intimately, in the good times and the bad. James Bonnett has shared some tips he considers …

Jump; Ailes Isnick Win San Tan Scramble 50K

Jamil CouryPress Release, Race Report

February 2, 2013 (Queen Creek, Arizona) – Jay Jump made his Arizona ultra running debut at last month’s Coldwater Rumble 50 Mile, placing second to winner Dave James in a time of 8:03:45. Jump returned this weekend to take on the San Tan Scramble 50 Km, a three loop course in the foothills of the Goldmine and San Tan Mountains near Queen Creek. This year would be the course addition of a new trail – Dynamite which was installed by the park around the time of last year’s race. The original course featured an out an back trip over Goldmine Pass on each loop which is the most technical, steep and challenging climb in the …

’13 Coldwater Rumble

Jamil CouryNews, Race Report

Just days after a cold snap hit the Phoenix area, freezing pools and bursting water lines, we found ourselves with some beautiful above average temperatures in the mid to upper seventies for the inaugural Coldwater Rumble 50 mile & third annual 50 km trail runs. The races are located within the Saguaro cactus studded foothills of the jagged Sierra Estrella mountain range which rises to over 4500 feet in elevation above the sprawling suburbs of Phoenix. Estrella Mountain Regional Park plays host to this race which is also the 4th in Aravaipa Running’s Desert Runner Trail Series (7 race series with 50 km & 50 mile distances). Thirty hearty souls took to the trails in …

mogollon monster

The Moments I Live For Part II – Mogollon Monster 106

Jamil CouryRace Report

All we could do was laugh out loud as we trudged and waded our way through a chest high sea of grasses which had completely covered up what was left of the eroded, rocky and deteriorated Highline Trail.  It was dark and eerie, with a full moon overhead and who knows what types of creatures rustling in the bushes all around us. Any attempt at running was futile as we would either roll an ankle on a hidden rock, slip on a large tuft of grass or step on one overhanging stalk of grass and stumble as the other leg tried to lift through the tangled mess of vegetation.  We would always be scanning for …

Flagstaff 50 Endurance Runs

Jamil CouryRace Report

Running in Arizona isn’t limited to hot, desert trails winding around saguaro cactus and ocotillos. Although that is the typical scene around the Sonoran Desert surrounding Phoenix and Tucson, just a couple hours north brings higher altitude and the dense Ponderosa Pine forest surrounding Flagstaff. The town itself is at 6,910 feet and is situated at the base of Arizona’s highest mountain range – the San Francisco Peaks which rise up to 12,633 atop Humphreys Peak. Flagstaff is well known in the running community as a hotbed Olympic caliber athletes looking for high-altitude training. Flagstaff also offers one of the best mountain trail systems anywhere, with a local urban trail system, trails in the Mount …

Black Canyon Trail Runs

Saturday, February 14, 2015 100 Kilometer Start – 7AM 50 Kilometer – Start time TBD 18 Kilometer – Start time TBD Black Canyon Trail Spring Valley to New River, AZ 2015 Registration NOW OPEN! 2015 Host Hotel Link A point to point 100 Kilometer trail run on single track and non-motorized jeep trail of the world-class Black Canyon Trail. The Black Canyon Trail 100 Km is permitted by the Phoenix District of the Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Land Department, Yavapai County and approved by the Black Canyon Trail Coalition. Quick Links: Race Info | Registration | Course Info | Results | Photos | Race Day RACE INFORMATION Start Location Mayer High School, 17300 East Mule Deer Drive, Mayer, AZ 86333 Finish Location Emery Henderson Trailhead, …

Flagstaff Endurance Runs – Approved!

Jamil CouryNews

We have some very exciting new this week, as we just received approval for a 50 mile & 50 kilometer trail ultra in Flagstaff, Arizona.  AlthoughFlagstaff is a mecca for some of the nation’s best runners, has a thriving running community including a growing number of ultra runners, and some of the most beautiful high altitude trails in the Southwest, there have been no ultra runs permitted in the area (the nearest being the Zane Grey Highline Trail 50 mile and new Mogollon Monster race near Pine/Payson about an hour and a half away). We’ve been working on obtaining permits for well over two years, confronting a myriad of issues that has likely prevented any sort of …