Rumble Musings: Nostalgia For The Old, Excited For The New!

Jen LaughlinRace Preview, Race Report, Race Update

I’ve been spending a lot of time this month on the “old” Coldwater Rumble Trails. As winter grass over seeding is taking place at my son’s current soccer practice location in Litchfield Park, training has been temporarily moved to Goodyear and as my luck would have it, just a stone’s throw from the main entrance to Estrella Mountain Regional Park, giving me quick access to a sunset trail run while he’s at practice. Outside of Coldwater, I don’t get many opportunities to run these trails, so it’s been a treat to kick up the dust over there a few times a week.  Now, I would by lying if I haven’t been feeling some nostalgia while …

“Stick it : Why Quality Stickers Matter”

Jen LaughlinCommunity, Ultra Thoughts

Where do you put your stickers? Here at Aravaipa, we put them everywhere. From coolers to hydroflasks, the back of our laptops and the back of our vehicles. A quick drive through our office’s parking lot will quickly let you know you’re at Aravaipa Running headquarters because our stickers are everywhere!  We love our races, so why not show the world? But there’s more than just race stickers on our personal items. Looking a bit deeper you’ll see logos of favorite bands and brands, places we love to visit and the schools where our littles were student of the month at. Stickers are so much more than simply a badge of honor that displays a …

Ram Party Course Change Due To Winter Weather

Jamil CouryRace Update

Important Updates About Ram Party Trail Runs [This went out to all Registered Runners for the Ram Party Trail Runs] Hi Runners:  We have an important update for this weekend’s Ram Party Trail Runs. If you weren’t aware a winter storm moved through the mountains above Colorado Springs today (and will be continuing into the night). Our team was out on the course today starting our course marking and setup.  Due to hazardous winter conditions above 8000 feet on the upper parts of the Ram Party course (specifically around the Rampart Reservoir which sits above 9000 feet) Aravaipa Running has decided for the safety of runners, volunteers, staff, spectators and our venue hosts (Pikes Peak …

Heart & Sole: Coping with Loss through Running

Jen LaughlinCommunity

Here at Aravaipa Running, our community means everything. At events, at group runs, and virtually on social media. The passion, kindness and heart of our trail running community continuously motivates and inspires us because there’s usually a reason far beyond fitness for why folks do what they do, and subsequently, a story to tell. West Valley resident Andee Arrom is an example of one of those community members who has a story to tell. Continue below to read more about Andee, her “why” for running, and how she’s successfully blended her career with her passion for exercise and how running and community was imperative to helping her cope with two devastating losses. My name is …

My New Best Race at San Tan Scramble Trail Runs

Jen LaughlinRace Report

San Tan Mountain Regional Park and my house literally could not be father apart. Folks joke that I live in Southern California because of just how far west of Phoenix I am, so it’s no surprise that I rarely go as far as Queen Creek to run a race, but since I had recently had a taste of its sweet trails at Sinister, our night race that we host at San Tan and loved it, I figured it was time to explore San Tan some more, so I signed up for San Tan Scramble 17k back in January 2021. January 2021 was still the “Covid Era”, so things at races were still a bit different. …

Benefits of Trail Running for Marathon Training 

Matt FeldhakeRunning Tips

Trail Running can have significant positive benefits for your marathon training and here’s why: Benefit 1:  Soft Surface = Less Impact Running on the roads day after day can eventually leave you feeling pretty beat up. Maybe your shins, or your knees start to ache? Thankfully there are trails! Trails are typically a much softer surface than roads and sidewalks. Thus, one of the many beauties of trail running is that there is less impact on your body. The surface itself will absorb more of the impact when running so that your body doesn’t have to. Even if you are training for a road race, consider incorporating some trail running into your training routine. Taking …

Tucson Marathon’s Most Accomplished Athlete: Bassirima Soro

Bryce BrooksUncategorized

I first learned of Bassirima Soro while searching through some of the history of the Tucson Marathon. Soro’s name came up frequently regarding his 6 wins from 1999 to 2004. I figured Soro was an elite runner, but what I would come to realize is that he is a man of many talents. Bassirima Soro is also a Licensed Practical Nurse and Afro-Pop/Reggae vocalist and song writer under the stage name K-Bass residing in Tucson, Arizona. Soro was brought up by a loving but poverty-stricken family of musicians on the Ivory Coast of West Africa. In a “true example of the strength of the human spirit, [Soro] overcame severe economic hardships, obtained a hard won …

DISCOVER FLAGSTAFF X ARAVAIPA RUNNING

Kelly PattersonUncategorized

COCODONA 250 Discovering Flagstaff Through the Cocodona 250 By Sarah Ostaszewski It’s no secret that Flagstaff is one of the country’s top high-altitude running meccas. Especially over recent years, Flagstaff has shifted from sleepy mountain town and seasonal training grounds for professional runners and Olympians to full-blown trail running destination with a thriving outdoors community. World-class track athletes and elite-level marathoners are no longer the only one’s training year-round in Flagstaff. Some of the world’s best ultramarathoners have made the high-altitude hub their home. More and more trail runners are considering their own move to Flagstaff, and not without good reason. Easy access to a variety of trails and terrain makes for stellar year-round running. …

The Sleep Deprivation Puzzle of Cocodona

Kelly PattersonRace Preview, Running Tips, Ultra Thoughts

By Jeff Garmire Cocodona isn’t only a long race; it is a commitment to days of racing. Last year the winner, Michael Versteeg, took over three days to finish. At 250 miles, a sleep strategy is as essential as a nutrition strategy. It is the one thing I entered the 2021 Cocodona with the confidence that I could navigate. The race starts early, but this works in our favor. With a 5 am start, runners can show up after a full night of sleep. The batteries are fully charged, and days of racing don’t seem so bad. But, as the first night comes, the miles of pounding dirt through the first 10k feet of gain …

If I can finish a 250-mile race, then so can you.

Kelly PattersonImage, Link, Post-Race Interview, Quote, Ultra Thoughts

Written by Jeff Garmire I signed up for the Cocodona 250 only a couple of weeks before the actual race. I had never run a 250-mile race. I had never even run a 100-mile race. My racing background was a series of fun runs, middle school track meets (fastest time in the district for hurdles!), and one 50k race. I had no idea what I was doing. My world was FKTs, hundreds of miles of self-sufficient adventures, and untimed long days in the mountains. A 250-mile race was something totally new. That is why I signed up. I entered the race with the fitness and training but lacked knowledge about how the event would unfold …