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	<title>Aravaipa Running</title>
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	<description>Trail and Endurance Runs</description>
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		<title>2011 McDowell Mountain Frenzy Report</title>
		<link>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2012/01/29/2011-mcdowell-mountain-frenzy-report/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2012/01/29/2011-mcdowell-mountain-frenzy-report/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:57:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jamil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Race Report]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/?p=823</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The 3rd annual McDowell Mountain Frenzy trail runs again featured 50 kilometer, 25 kilometer, 10 mile and 5 kilometer courses primarily on the rolling and technical competitive mountain biking tracks.  These courses feature tight banked turns, lots of rolling hills, desert wash crossings, and several &#8220;stunts&#8221; along the way to keep things interesting.  In its second year, the Frenzy 50K leaves the competitive tracks and heads out towards the foothills of the McDowell Mountains, turning around at the Dixie Mine. Runners couldn&#8217;t have asked for a more perfect day, as the glow of dawn revealed a beautiful cloudless sky and cool temperatures.  The 50 K runners gathered just before the 7am start as Nick gave out the final race day instructions.  Next thing we know, over fifty 50 K runners are heading off on the sport loop! By the time I saw the 50 K runners for the first time around mile 3, the front pack had already disintegrated as the front runners were really pushing the pace on the super runnable mountain biking courses.  Tony Delogne from Sedona was in the lead, followed closely by Fred Thompson from Helena, MT, Scot Bajer of Flagstaff, Michael McCorgary of El Paso, TX and Jeremy Schmuki of Tonopah. As the day wore on and the quick pace took its toll, it was Fred Thompson who came through the start/finish area in 1st place after mile 26.  He came through in 3:11, but was trailed closely by the Flagstaff duo of James Willis in 3:13 and Scott Bajer in 3:14.  Michael McCorgary was just being them in 3:18.  It was ultimately Willis who pushed hard on the final 5 mile stretch to finish 1st in a new course record of 4:00, followed by Bajer in 4:03. In the ladies race, Aravaipa team member Kat Metzger of Prescott led early on and came through mile 26 in 4:05 just a few minutes ahead of Chrissy Parks of Tucson.  Kat was able to hold off Chrissy in the final miles to finish just under 5 hours in 4:59:28.  Chrissy finished 2nd in a close 5:03 and Lori Hickernell was 3rd place in 5:31, bettering her &#8217;10 finish by almost 15 minutes. The 3rd edition of the Frenzy 25K produces some great competition and fast times, with new course records for both men and women.   Paul Kramer led early on for the men, but was chased closely by Stephen Hannaman of Scottsdale and Jules Miller of Madison, WI.  By mile 10, Jules had taken the lead, followed by Kramer, Kevin Tuck of Salt Lake City, UT, and Hannaman in 4th (all within 4 minutes of each other).  In the final 5 mile loop, they all maintained there positions, with Miller setting a new course record of 1:42:25, taking 2 minutes off of Ian Moore&#8217;s time from the inaugural running. Kramer and Tuck finished just 5 minutes back and within 20 seconds of each other! The women&#8217;s race started with Lauren Besenfelder of Scottsdale taking the early lead followed closely by Brittney Orkney of Tucson.  Lauren was out of reach by mile 10, coming through in 1:16 and Brittany 4 minutes back. Lauren finished in a new course record of  2:00:44, taking over a minute off of Angie Kell-Robertson&#8217;s time from &#8217;10.  Brittany finished just 4 mintues back, not losing any time in the final 5 miles. The 10 mile Frenzy course takes runners on a combination of the Sport, Technical and Long loops.  The course is also the first loop of the 25 kilometer course.  This year ASU runner Josh Walker from Tempe won the men&#8217;s race with a new course record of 1:05:26, taking almost 4 minutes off the previous record. Boris Granovskiy from New Haven, CT finished second in 1:09 and Cam Hill (who won the inaugural MMF 10 mile) was third in 1:10:29. Lisa Raykowski came away as the women&#8217;s winner by finishing in 1:23, 7 minutes ahead of second place Lindsay Cavner of Colorado Springs, Colorado.  This was Lisa&#8217;s second win at a DRT series race (she previously won the 10K at Cave Creek). Last, but not least, the 5 kilometer race takes place exclusively on the sport loop.  Just 31 runners joined us this year, but we had a good battle up front between Dan Brinkman and Tim Merritt who finished just 22 seconds apart.  Unfortunately, the rest of the field took a turn down a service road, adding a bit of distance and time to their run.  Sarah Kuzmiak of Tempe was the first female finisher in 31:00. We&#8217;d like to thank Rand Hubbell and the staff at McDowell Mountain Regional Park for their continued support of this event and for helping to deliver aid station supplies out on the course. Our amazing volunteers were an integral part of our aid station and on course support.  We&#8217;d like to thank Justin Lutick for not only staffing the Dixie Mine aid station but also sweeping the back half of the 50K course! We have some exciting changes in store for next year&#8217;s McDowell Mountain Frenzy scheduled for December 8, 2012 including a new 5 mile course replacing the 5K and another surprise that we can&#8217;t quite announce yet!  Hope to see you all back in the desert in December!]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>2011 McDowell Mountain Frenzy Preview</title>
		<link>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/12/06/2011-mcdowell-mountain-frenzy-preview/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/12/06/2011-mcdowell-mountain-frenzy-preview/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:28:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jamil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Race Preview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coach Whip Trail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dixie Mine Trail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McDowell Mountain Frenzy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McDowell Mountain Regional Park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pemberton Trail]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/?p=616</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The 3rd edition of the McDowell Mountain Frenzy comes to McDowell Mountain Regional Park this weekend, taking place mainly on the &#8220;competitive track&#8221; mountain bike courses first built in 1998.  The competitive tracks feature rolling hills, narrow single track, banked turns, and several named &#8220;features&#8221; including &#8220;T-Bone Ridge&#8221; (the final climb in the 25 Km &#38; 50 Km courses), &#8220;The Chunnel&#8221; (a horse tunnel/bridge featured in all races), &#8220;Double Dip&#8221; (two steep descents at the start of the race), and &#8220;Cactus Corner&#8221; (aid station on the far southwest corner of the 10 mile course). The 5 Km race is the shortest in the DRT series and follows the Sport Loop, featuring a single loop around &#8220;T-Bone Ridge&#8221; before descending through the &#8220;Clay Pit&#8221; just before climbing back up to the finish. The 10 Mile is a combination of the Sport Loop, Technical and Long Loops, taking the outermost line around the entire competitive track.  The 25 Km race begins with the 10 mile course and then continues on to an additional 5.5 mile loop made of the Sport and Technical Loops.  The race finishes with a bone crunching climb over &#8220;T-Bone Ridge&#8221; and a final screaming descent into the finish. 50 Km runners will run the 25 Km course with the addition of a figure eight &#8220;spur&#8221; out into the main park trail system and the Dixie Mine on the far West side of the course.  50 Km runners will depart the 25 Km course at the Gate Aid Station at mile 4, run a service road out to the Pemberton Trail junction and head in the clockwise direction out towards the Coachwhip trail.  After turning down Coachwhip and visiting the Dixie Mine itself (Aid Station with drop bags located here), return to the Pemberton Trail via the Dixie Mine trail and continue again in the clockwise direction to the Tonto Tank Trail.  A quick trip down the Tonto Tank will return you to the Pemberton Trail where you will again go clockwise back to the service road and the Gate Aid Station. 50 Kilometer Race This will be the largest  50 Km so far in the DRT Series (currently 56 registered runners) and a large increase from last year&#8217;s inaugural MMF 50K which had 33 finishers.  Current course records are held by Don Helfer (4:30) and Paulette Zillmer (4:47).  In the women&#8217;s race, all 3 women leading the DRT Ultra series are registered to run (Deb Hamberlin, Margaret Dehesse and Carin Schmidt).  Tony Delogne of Sedona is the pre-race favorite for the men with a win at last year&#8217;s Pass Mountain 50K, but will be followed close by Flagstaff&#8217;s Scott Bajer who has been up near the front of this year&#8217;s CCT and PM runs. Expect Tamas Varga, Jordan McKnight and Jeremy Schmuki to be in the mix as well. 25 Kilometer Race The 25 Km course will stay the same for the 3rd straight year, but the field continues to grow.  There were 56 finishers last year and currently 80 entrants for this weekend&#8217;s race.  Try not to curse the course designer too much as you climb the final hill over T-Bone Ridge!  Watch for Lauren Besenfelder to run away with the women&#8217;s race as she steps up to the 25 Km distance from last year&#8217;s 2nd place in the MMF 10 Mile. The men&#8217;s race should be closer, with a solid Paul Kramer running against last year&#8217;s MMF 10 mile winner Brian Dunn. These guys better keep an eye out for out of stater Kevin Tuck from Salt Lake City, Utah who has won several events in Utah over the past few years including Moab&#8217;s Red Hot 33K and the Antelope Island Buffalo Run 25K. 10 Mile Race The 10 mile race is a fast, rolling course with a winning time just under 1:10 last year!  Lisa Raykowski and Melanie Zeese should be up at the front of the women&#8217;s race this year as both have run well at PM and CCT this year.  Brian Wieck, founder and race director of the Pemberton 50K and last year&#8217;s MMF 10 mile runner up is the pre-race favorite in the 10 mile. 5 Kilometer Race The 5 Km race is a bit small this year, likely due to the Sally Meyerhoff 5K sharing the same day, but will feature Tim Merritt who has run 1st and 2nd at the CCT 10 Km and PM 11 Km respectively. Registration for all events will be available online through midnight on Tuesday, December 6, at packet pickup on Thursday, December 8 at iRun from 4-7PM or on race morning at McDowell Mountain Regional Park 6-8:15AM. We&#8217;ll be hosting a live web cam of the finish line and instant results on race day through our Ultracast for family and friends back home.]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>2011 Pass Mountain Report</title>
		<link>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/12/06/2011-pass-mountain-report/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/12/06/2011-pass-mountain-report/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:27:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jamil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Race Report]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[11K]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[26K]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[50K]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blevins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brian Folts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lauren Besenfelder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Smith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pass Mountain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paulette Zillmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tonto National Forest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Usery Mountain Regional Park]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/?p=606</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The 2nd edition of the Pass Mountain Trail Runs featured slightly modified courses of the 50 Km and 26 Km routes and the consolidation of last year&#8217;s 10 Mile and 9 Km into a single 11 Km race.  With an overall entry limit of 200 runners, we knew we could only offer three race distances this year.  During race week, the race sold out (the 2nd DRT Series race in a row to sell out) and we were primed to have 200 runners join us for a beautiful day out at Usery Mountain Regional Park. The changes to the two longer courses were slight: we moved runners from the sandy and convoluted Channel Trail up on top of the Levee Trail which is flat and fast, offering spectacular views of the Flatiron and Superstition Mountains directly to the East.  There was also the addition of the Cat Peaks Pass Trail, bringing one additional hill into the mix. 50 Km runners traverse two big loops (a mix of mostly flat trails within Usery Mountain Regional Park and a loop on the Pass Mountain Trail within the Tonto National Forest), but only return to the start/finish line at the end of the race.  Over 30 runners joined us this year for the 50 Km distance including last year&#8217;s 50 Km women&#8217;s winner Paulette Zillmer, Deb Hamberlin who won the Cave Creek Thriller 50 Km this year, Michael Smith who placed 2nd at the Cave Creek Thriller, and Scott Bajer who placed 4th at the Cave Creek Thriller 50 Km. Smith led early on the first loop around Pass Mountain, holding a 9 minute lead over 2nd place Scott Bajer from Flagstaff coming into the Blevins Aid Station.  Rhet Stinson followed 2 minutes behind Bajer and was closely followed by Tory Kendrick from Missoula, M0ntana and Jordan McKnight. Smith paid a bit for his quick first lap, slowing down on his second trip around Pass Mountain, but held on to the win in 4:39:51.  Tamas Varga who was in 6th place after loop 1, surged ahead and finished 2nd just 6 minutes back of Smith in 4:45:43.  Bajer, Kendrick and Stinson rounded out the top 5 all finishing within 5 minutes of each other (4:46, 4:48, &#38; 4:51). Paulette Zillmer led the women&#8217;s race from the start, building up a 6 minute lead after the first loop over Aimee Kendrick visiting from Missoula, Montanta.  Zillmer continued to build up her lead on the second trip over the mountain and with a strong kick, squeaked under 5 hours to finish in 4:59:53, 7th overall and lowered her time from last year by almost an hour.  Magi Redlich (Winner of this year&#8217;s Man Against Horse 50 Mile) of Tempe finished 2nd in 5:19, followed closely by Kendrick in 5:21. Ultra Points Standings &#8211; After two events, Michael Smith is leading the Ultra division with 1923 points, followed by Scott Bajer with 1833 points and Tamas Varga in third with 1775 points. Deb Hamberlin is currently leading the women&#8217;s field with 1872, Margaret Dehesse is in second with 1664 and Carin Schmidt with 1577.  Points are awarded based upon a percentage of the winner&#8217;s time at each race up to 1000 points.  Up to three races may be scored. The 26 Km runners also enjoy a trip into the Tonto National Forest around the Pass Mountain Trail.  The 2nd race in the DRT Series really kicked up the competition this year with some runners laying down some fast times! Brian Folts shot out of the gates and led the race wire to wire sporting pink compression socks and a speedo printed with &#8220;Smashing it for Sally&#8221;, showing support for the Sally Meyerhoff 5K on December 10.  Brian finished in 1:57:30 and held off Nick Goodman of Fountain Hills and Cave Creek Thriller 30 Km runner up Paul Kramer who finished in 1:59:21 and 2:00:03 respectively. The ladies race wasn&#8217;t quite as close as some in the past, as Lauren Besenfelder of Scottsdale took the win in 2:15:59 over Ivana Jourdon in 2:20:43.  They were both way under last year&#8217;s female best time of 2:38.  There were a total of 94 finishers in the 26 Km race. &#160; Trail Points Standings &#8211; Paul Kramer is currently leading the DRT Trail Series with 1979 points, Eric Weber is second with 1724 and Eric Weber is third in 1688.  Michelle Patuto is leading the women&#8217;s series with 1855 points, Mary Knott is in second with 1784 and Erin Glenn rounds out the top three with 1732 points. The 11 Km was a totally new distance and course this year, following roughly the same trails as the 26 Km, with the noted exception of the 800+ foot climb over the difficult Pass Mountain Trail.  Runners were still treated with fantastic views of the Supersition Mountains and the beautiful trails within Usery Mountain Park.  John Borrego who placed 4th at the Cave Creek Thriller 10 Km in October pulled off the win (50:26) over CCT champ Tim Merritt (51:19).  Following closely in third was 16 year old Benjamin Krakoff of Paradise Valley (51:45).  After her win at October&#8217;s CCT, Lisa Raykowski (59:40) was edged out by first time DRT runner Shelby Lile of Tempe (58:00) in the women&#8217;s race.  A total of 78 runners finished the 11 Km. We want to thank Jennifer Johnston, park supervisor of Usery Mountain Regional Park, Don &#38; Molly Quinn, park hosts at Usery Mountain Regional park, the Tonto National Forest, and Solomon for coming out and setting up their booth at the race. Event Recap 50 Km Results 26 Km Results 11 Km Results 2011 Pass Mountain Event Photos Stay tuned for next year&#8217;s Pass Mountain Trail Runs to be held November 17, 2012 with a 250 runner limit!]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Koerner &amp; Howard Crush The Javelina Jundred</title>
		<link>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/11/27/koerner-howard-crush-the-javelina-jundred/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/11/27/koerner-howard-crush-the-javelina-jundred/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:13:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jamil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Race Report]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[100 Miles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Course Record]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hal Koerner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Javelina Jundred]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liza Howard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McDowell Mountain Regional Park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pemberton Trail]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/?p=561</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s not every day you can simultaneously run a 100 mile race and watch as both the existing male and female course records vanish before your eyes.  Participants in this year&#8217;s Javelina Jundred witnessed a rare event this November as both Hal Koerner and Evan Honeyfield went under the previous best time of 14:20 set by Dave James in 2009 and Liza Howard dismantled Jamie Donaldson&#8217;s best of 17:11 set in 2010.  Javelina&#8217;s unique &#8220;washing-machine&#8221; style (reverse direction each lap) repeats the 15.4 mile Pemberton Trail, allowing not only for the elite runners to see where they stand against their competition, but also for the rest of the field to watch the race up front unfold.  This year&#8217;s full moon schedule pushed the race into mid-November, allowing for cooler daytime temperatures and ideal running conditions, albeit a few late night / early morning showers. When Geri Kilgariff (race founder) first promoted the Javelina Jundred to the ultra community back in 2003, she dubbed it the &#8220;fast 100&#8243;, &#8220;virgin 100&#8243;, &#8220;slowpoke 100&#8243;, &#8220;goof-off 100&#8243; and &#8220;DNF-redemption 100&#8243;.  Geri admits that the six and a half loop race in the desert (modeled after the existing Pemberton 50K) started as a sick joke to be played on unassuming runners who would be tortured into running the monotonous loop repeatedly day and night.  Going along with the “spirit” of this joke, a fun party atmosphere was born that first year that has earned Javelina a reputation as 100 mile trail running’s weird, eclectic brother.  Costumed runners circling the desert, a “best ass” award handed out to a runner showing their “full moon”, a Jalloween / “Day of the Dead” theme, loads of pumpkin pie and plenty of purposeful misspellings don’t exactly focus energy towards promoting any sort of legitimate athletic competition.  Despite this, Javelina has drummed up some of the best runners in the country each year looking for a warm, late season race to close out the year. A fast field of Javelina “virgins” (100 mile champions in other races) including Jay Aldous, Zach Gingerich, Hal Koerner, Liza Howard and Evan Honeyfield took advantage of the mild race morning conditions, all finishing their first lap within minutes of each other. Talk of course record splits were already in the air as these five reversed direction and headed back out on Loop 2.  Hal Koerner assumed the lead shortly thereafter and built up a 5 minute lead, finishing his first 50K in 3:50. Evan, Zach and Jay essentially came in together in 3:56 and Liza wasn’t far behind in 4:04 (just 2 minutes off the Pemberton 50K course record).  Hal continue to run very consistent laps, completing 46.2 miles in 5:49, 61.6 miles in 7:56, 77 miles in 10:10, 92.4 miles in 12:25 and setting a new course record in 13:47:43.  This was Hal’s second sub 14 hour 100 mile finish time this year. Evan stayed close in Hal’s shadow, between 6-14 minutes back through the remainder of the race, and also finished under Dave James’ course record in 14:00:59. Jay faded a bit, but finished strong with the 4th fastest time ever on the course in 15:20:56, establishing a very stout master’s record. Despite having ample access to diet soda on the course, Zach Gingerich couldn’t pull his race together and was spat out at mile 77. Liza continued her stellar race, putting down splits of 6:21 at mile 46.2, 8:50 at mile 61.6, 11:29 at mile 77, 14:08 at mile 92.4 and setting a new course record in 15:46:59.  Liza finished 4th overall, ran the 6th fastest time ever on the course, and was an hour and 24 minutes under Jamie Donaldson’s 2010 record, adding a third sub 16 hour 100 mile time to her stellar running accomplishments. Mark Matyazic from Irvine, California rounded out the top 5 with a 100 mile PR of 16:34 and his 3rd straight Javelina finish, while Brenda Corona ran another consistent race, placing 2nd female and also setting a PR of 19:54 in her 5th straight Javelina Jundred finish. Runners benefited from an additional aid station (Rattlesnake Ranch) and water only checkpoint (Tonto Tavern) on the course this year, meaning aid was an average of only 4 miles apart.  While a storm was first predicted to hit the race on Saturday, the rain held off until early Sunday morning, but finally hit with a vengeance. A nice layer of clouds held off the seventy degree temperatures through the day, but the course turned cold, wet and muddy in places into the early hours on Sunday morning.  Despite this, there were a total of 174 finishers of the full 100 mile distance and 126 more who opted for the 100 kilometer option. Best female costume went to Kristin Searing who dressed as a peacock (complete with real feathers) in her first 100 mile finish and best male costume went to George Velasco who ran a full 100 kilometers wearing a toilet costume.  Our youngest finisher was 24 year old Arizona local Michael Carson who finished his first 100 mile race in 18:53 and our oldest was 69 year old Todd Leigh from San Diego, California who completed his 2nd Javelina in 29:26. Rumor has it that now former course record holder Dave James was seen celebrating (or maybe sulking) with a couple shots of tequila while out pacing in the evening after receiving word at the Tonto Tavern checkpoint that Hal Koerner just broke his 2 year old course record.  We’re sure this will give Dave the needed motivation he needs to return next year and attempt to reclaim his title. Although once dubbed the “goof-off 100”, the Javelina has quietly grown into the 3rd largest 100 mile race in the country, with 339 starters this year.  If trends continue, the race will likely pass Western States in total numbers of starters by next year, scheduled for the full moon weekend closest to Jalloween, October 27-28, 2012.]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Revival of the American Ultra-Distance Track Race</title>
		<link>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/11/27/the-revival-of-the-american-ultra-distance-track-race/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/11/27/the-revival-of-the-american-ultra-distance-track-race/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 27 Nov 2011 13:40:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Race Preview]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/?p=553</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An introduction to the Desert Solstice 24 Hour. This article is featured on iRunFar.com &#160; &#160;]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>2011 Pass Mountain Preview</title>
		<link>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/11/17/2011-pass-mountain-preview/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/11/17/2011-pass-mountain-preview/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:01:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jamil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Race Preview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Carson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pass Mountain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paulette Zillmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Usery Mountain Park]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/?p=508</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; The second annual Pass Mountain Trail Runs will feature 50 Kilometer, 26 Kilometer and 11 Kilometer race distances on trails within Usery Mountain Regional Park and the Tonto National Forest.  This is the only race in the DRT Series that ventures outside of the regional park system and onto Forest Service land.  The views from atop the saddle on the Pass Mountain Trail are quite spectacular, with the Goldfield Mountains spreading out to the east towards the Superstitions, and views of the Salt River to the north. While the 11K features little elevation gain (with the exception of going over Cat Peaks), the 26K and 50K courses will conquer an 800 foot climb up and over the Pass Mountain Trail.  50 K runners will make a second trip up and over Pass Mountain before heading into the finish. 50 Kilometer Race The three DRT Ultra Series points leaders in the women&#8217;s field will all be running this weekend (Deb Hamberlin, Margaret Dehesse, and Carin Schmidt) along with last year&#8217;s Pass Mountain 50K winner Paulette Zillmer.  Paulette is coming off a win at the Bootlegger 50K near Las Vegas two weeks ago and will be looking for her first win in this year&#8217;s DRT Series. In the men&#8217;s field, several of our top runners will be sitting on the sidelines since they just ran the Javelina Jundred this past weekend.  Keep an eye out for Michael Smith and Scott Bajer who both raced well at last month&#8217;s Cave Creek Thriller along with Rhet Stinson who placed 3rd at last year&#8217;s McDowell Mountain Frenzy 50K.  Michael Carson, the DRT Ultra Series points leader will be out volunteering at the Meridian Aid Station, taking the week off after his first 100 mile finish at the Javelina Jundred! 26 Kilometer Race The women&#8217;s race should be a close race down to the wire, as Lauren Besenfelder (winner of this year&#8217;s San Tan Scramble 25K and Coldwater Rumble 18K) goes up against Ivana Jourdan (winner of last season&#8217;s Mesquite Canyon 1/2 and McDowell Mountain Frenzy 10 Mile). These ladies went head to head at last year&#8217;s McDowell Mountain Frenzy 10 mile, with Ivana edging out Lauren by just 11 seconds! Michelle Patuto, the current leader of the DRT Trail Series will also be racing. Paul Kramer who was edged out in the closing feet of the Cave Creek Thriller may be able to breathe a bit easier since Bret Sarnquist (who won the Thriller) ran the Javelina Jundred this past weekend (finishing 8th in 18:21).  David Santiago who finished 6th at the Thriller will also be back for Pass Mountain. 11 Kilometer Race Lisa Raykowski who placed 1st at last month&#8217;s Thriller and 2nd at last yea&#8217;rs Pass Mountain 10 Mile, will be running along with Amy Boodry who placed 2nd at last year&#8217;s Pass Mountain 9 K. The men&#8217;s race should be close again, with Tim Merritt leading the pack after his win at the Thriller 10K, but he&#8217;ll have to contend with Bryan Dunn of Fountain Hills who won last year&#8217;s Frenzy 10 Mile.  John Borrego should be close behind for 3rd place. We will be broadcasting via our &#8220;Ultracast&#8221; on race day featuring instant results and a webcam of the finish line.]]></description>
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		<title>2011 Cave Creek Thriller Report</title>
		<link>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/10/30/2011-cave-creek-thriller-report/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/10/30/2011-cave-creek-thriller-report/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:20:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jamil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Race Report]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cave Creek Regional Park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cave Creek Thriller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Deb Hemberlin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DRT Series]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Flume]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Go John]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Carson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Overton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/?p=399</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the subtle glow of dawn appeared off to the west, runners bustled about the ramadas of the group picnic area; some checking in, others placing their drop bags along side the trail, and some catching some warmth of the umbrella heaters while chatting with friends.  The morning was cool, but not quite brisk, ensuring a warm day ahead.  At 7am, 41 runners headed out on their first loop of the 50 kilometer course led by Ian Torrence, Jay Danek, Scott Bajer and Michael Carson. They would first head out on the newly added out and back section along the Slate and Flume trails before completing the main Go John and Overton loop used at last year&#8217;s race.  This new section features a relatively mellow elevation profile and a 1.8 mile section along an old dirt jeep road. As the 50K runners headed around the back side of the Flume trail, hot air balloons could be seen rising up to the southwest amid a forest of saguaro cacti and cascading mountain ranges. After completing the out and back, the 50K runners headed up the Go John trail, encountering the first major climb of the day.  The first couple miles of the Go John trail are smooth, wide enough to run side by side, and quite gradual.  A nice surprise to those who ran last year was a 1.5 mile section of very rocky, eroded trail at the top of the climb that had been rerouted, cleared and widened by the park trail crew.  This section went from a rocky trench to one of the most enjoyable and runnable sections on the course.  The smooth section ends abruptly into the second major climb up to the high point on the course.  This part weaves in and out of a wash and includes many steep pitches up boulders and jagged rocks.  Upon attaining the saddle, a stunning view opens up to the north of open desert, untouched by development.  There isn&#8217;t much time to take in the view, since the descent is rock strewn, steep and technical. The clanging of a cow bell signified the location of the Go John aid station, nestled in a valley on the north boundary of the park.  A small gate leads north into Arizona State Trust Land onto the Maricopa Trail which links up to other regional parks.  The Go John aid station sits at the bottom of the final climb on the loop, but also signals the end of the truly technical section of trail.  After that climb, runners join the Overton Trail for a quick descent back around the mountain into the start/finish area. Michael Smith who placed 2nd at the Coldwater Rumble 50K this past January, came in at 1:38, only 50 seconds in front of last year&#8217;s DRT Ultra Series winner Michael Carson.  Carson finished less than a minute back of Smith at Coldwater.  Both were in and out of the aid station quickly and back out on their second loop of the course (identical to the first). Alexander Kaine was only 2 minutes back after the first loop and a pack of 4 came through at 1:45 (Don Solberg, Jeremy Schmuki, Scott Bajer and Jay Danek).  On the women&#8217;s side, Kerry Herbine came through 1st in 1:57 (but later dropped), followed by Lori Hickernell and Deb Hemberlin. The second loop spread things out a bit as Michael Carson took control of the lead, finishing his second loop only 5 minutes slower than his first. He put 12 minutes on Smith, who maintained his second place position, while Solberg came in 10 minutes behind Smith. Carson extended his lead and laid down an impressive 63 minutes final 10Km loop for the overall win in 4:26.  Smith and Solberg held 2nd and 3rd, finishing in 4:48 and 5:05 respectively.  Deb Hamberlin stayed strong through her second loop, taking the lead and going on to win in 6:12.  Margaret Dehesse finished 2nd in 7:03 and Caren Schmidt in 7:12. If you enjoy close finishes, it&#8217;d be hard to find a better one than in the 30 Km men&#8217;s race.  Paul Kramer who placed 2nd at the Buckeye Endurance Runs 100K led from the start and seemed to be on his way to an easy win after coming through on his first loop in 1:35 with an 8 minute lead over Bret Sarnquist (&#8217;11 DRT Trail Series winner) and Van Patterson (&#8217;11 Coldwater Rumble 18K &#38; &#8217;11 San Tan Scramble 25K winner). Unbeknownst to Paul, Bret planned on taking his first loop easy and treating the final 10K loop as a tempo run.  Bret did exactly that, blasting the second loop in 50:34, he caught sight of Paul on the final downhill of the course.  Paul, not seeing anyone all day had settled into cruise mode.  Bret came up on Paul in the final stretch and was able to time a final kick around Paul and up the hill to finish in first in 2:34, just 3 seconds ahead of Paul.  We&#8217;re not sure how things might have turned out if Paul had seen Bret earlier, but it sure did make for an exciting finish for the spectators. Michelle Patuto returned to the Cave Creek Thriller this year having competing in every DRT Series race on last year&#8217;s schedule (including 5 trail series races and the 50 Km at Mesquite Canyon).  She was leading after finishing loop 1 in 2:04, followed by Mary Knott in 2:11, Katherine Redden in 2:12, and Lindsey Sheiwiller in 2:13.  Michelle  held strong and pulled off her first DRT Series win in 3:18. Katherine Redden from Austin, Texas placed 2nd in 3:28 and late starter Holly Miller edged out Lindsay Scheiwiller and Mary Knott for 3rd with a time of 3:30. Over 100 runners joined us for what has to be one of the toughest 10 Km races in the Phoenix area.  First off, the course is a bit long (sometimes the trails lend themselves to a certain course), second it features several hundred feet of elevation gain and loss, and third takes place on some fairly technical and rocky terrain.  This didn&#8217;t stop a pack of talented locals from running hard and fast. Tim Merritt of Chandler was the pre-race favorite, having won the 2010 Mesquite Canyon 5 Mile.  A pack of 10 guys formed at the front as the group headed off the park road onto the Go John trail.  In the end, four runners hung on to finish within a minute of each other, and Tim was out front for the win in 47:46.  Steve Rink was 2nd, John Hetrick 3rd, and John Borrego 4th. In the women&#8217;s race, Lisa Raykowski of Phoenix won her first DRT race after a string of 2nd place finishes last season in a time of 56:12.  That placed her just ahead of Jona Davis of Scottsdale who ran 57:44.  A special shout out goes to our youngest finisher Loganne Stepp of Chandler who finished in 1:50 at nine years old! She completed the run with her grandfather Ted Buxton. Thanks to everyone who ran this weekend and we look forward to seeing you out at Pass Mountain on Saturday, November 19.  We leave you with a few parting shots: 2011 Results &#38; Photos]]></description>
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		<title>2011 Cave Creek Thriller Preview</title>
		<link>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/10/23/2011-cave-creek-thriller-preview/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/10/23/2011-cave-creek-thriller-preview/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Oct 2011 23:25:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jamil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Race Preview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bret Sarnquist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cave Creek Regional Park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cave Creek Thriller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Costume]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Deb Hamberlin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DRT Series]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Flume]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Go John]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Halloween]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jasper]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jay Danek]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lori Hickernell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Carson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Overton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/?p=279</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160;   The 2nd annual Cave Creek Thriller will once again jump start the Desert Runner Trail Series.  The race is nearly a sell out, with over 190 runners currently registered.  Although the distances are the same as last year, the 30 Km and 50 Km courses have been changed up to include some of the other trails within the park. An out and back spur along the Jasper, Slate and Flume trails will take runners to the southern reaches of the park and reduce the total number of loops.  There will also be a new remote aid station (Flume) at the turn-around on the out and back. The main 10 Km loop of the course (utilized by all races) will remain the same combination of the Go John and Overton trails. If this is your first time out to Cave Creek Regional Park, be prepared for a tough set of race courses!  The Go John trail is especially hilly and rocky, while also providing the most secluded and stunning views that the park has to offer.  Life gets a bit easier on the Overton Trail where the trail smooths out and is mostly downhill back to the finish line.  Cresting the final hill of the course a 1/2 mile out, you&#8217;ll get a glimpse of the orange tents at the finish line and will have one last screaming downhill to the end. Costume Contest As this race again falls on Halloween weekend, we are holding another costume contest.  We&#8217;ll be giving out &#8220;Zombie&#8221; awards to the best showings! New Ultracast Another exciting Aravaipa Running innovation that will make it&#8217;s official debut at the Cave Creek Thriller is the new &#8220;Ultracast&#8220;.  Nick Coury, the developer of the project explains, &#8220;The Ultracast is the new standard in running webcasts. Updates and results are streamed instantly, without a second’s delay. Now, family and friends all over the world will be able to watch your progress in real-time!&#8221;  Be sure to share this link with family and friends who will be able to watch a webcam of the finish line and see your results pop up instantly.  This new feature will become standard at all Aravaipa Running events in the future. We&#8217;ll end this year&#8217;s race preview with a summary of the top runners going into next weekend&#8217;s race. 50 Kilometer Race This year&#8217;s ultra crowd should like the fact that there will be more than a dozen runners (last year&#8217;s field size), meaning more company out on the course.  Last year&#8217;s winner Jay Danek is returning and we bet he&#8217;ll be looking to get a jump on the DRT point series. Jay is also coming off a win at the Javelina 12 Hour on October 15.  2010-11 DRT Ultra Series winner Michael Carson is a last minute entrant and with his recent wins at the Paatuwaqatsi Water Is Life 50K and Man Against Horse 50 Mile, is a clear favorite. Expect Alex Kaine and Tamas Varga to be within reach along with 1998 Hardrock winner Ricky Denesik from Telluride, CO.  On the women&#8217;s side, Lori Hickernell (who also recently won the Javelina 12 Hour with 75 Km) will be back to defend her title from last year, but will have to contend with this year&#8217;s Lean Horse 100 winner Deb Hamberlin. 30 Kilometer Race Out to test the new 2 loop course will be last year&#8217;s DRT Trail Series winner Bret Sarnquist coming down from Flagstaff.  He&#8217;ll be going up against Tony Delogne from Sedona who won the inaugural Pass Mountain 50 Km, Jordan McKnight of Safford who placed 2nd at the McDowell Mountain Frenzy 50 Km and 4th at Pass Mountain 50 Km, and David Santiago who won the Master&#8217;s DRT Trail Series last year. Michelle Patuto, last year&#8217;s 2nd place finisher at the CCT 30 Km will be returning and is looking to be the favorite so far. 10 Kilometer Race There are currently 77 entrants registered, so expect a bit of a crowded start as the course narrows directly onto a single track.  The 2010 winner of the Mesquite Canyon 5 mile, Time Merritt will be racing, so we&#8217;ll see how he does on a much tougher course. For the women, Lisa Raykowski (2nd at several DRT Series races) and Jona Davis (3rd Mesquite Canyon &#8217;10) should have a good battle up front. Race Week Make sure to join us for packet pickup on Thursday at iRun from 4-7pm.  Enjoy 10% off anything in the store when you pick up your packet.  If you have any other questions about this weekend&#8217;s race, you can contact us by phone, email, or join us for the weekly Papago Park group trail run on Wednesday at 5:30pm.]]></description>
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		<title>2011 Javelina 12 Hour Report</title>
		<link>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/10/18/2011-javelina-12-hour-report/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/10/18/2011-javelina-12-hour-report/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:15:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jamil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Race Report]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Full Moon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Javelina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jay Danek]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McDowell Mountain Regional Park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pemberton Trail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pumpkin Pie]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/?p=124</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The 15.4 mile Pemberton Trail within picturesque McDowell Mountain Regional Park served as the setting for this weekend&#8217;s Javelina 12 Hour night run hosted by Aravaipa Running.  This gathering of Arizona&#8217;s ultra and trail running community kicked off at 6pm, just as the sun set behind the McDowell Mountains to the west of the park.  Runners ranging in age from 15 to 76 set out to tackle anywhere from 1 to 4 loops on the trail. One of the unique features of this trail run is special permission to access the park&#8217;s trail system at night (trails normally close at sunset).  Although flashlights were needed for the first two hours, the  almost full moon eventually rose as runners neared the end of their first loop, offering spectacular views above Four Peaks. Many runners used this event as training and simulation of the upcoming Javelina Jundred taking place on the same trail November 12-13.  This is a great way to test out shoes, lighting, pacing strategies and nighttime conditions before the &#8220;big day&#8221;.  Others were simply out to enjoy the trail or compete in their first ultra marathon.  One other unique aspect of this event, is that runners do not have to declare how many laps they will be running in advance.  Runners are free to continue accumulating laps up to the 12 hour time limit.  As for top placing, if a runner continues on past a shorter distance, they are no longer eligible for that award, even if they technically had the fastest time of the night. Now onto the race. 134 runners set out into the fading twilight promptly at 6pm with darkness quickly enveloping the dramatic mountain landscape in all directions. The first few miles of packed gravel trail meanders and rolls across the desert floor. The trail crosses through numerous dry wash beds that drain the imposing McDowell Mountains out to the Verde River. As the runners made their way up the gradual first climb of the course, back at Javelina Jeadquarters, volunteers were busy preparing food, slicing pumpkin pie, and picking up pizza from nearby Fountain Hills.  The normally quiet trail head was transformed into a colorful city of lighted tents, glowing orange, blue and white under the night sky.  Family, friends and spectators assembled around the staging area, lining up chairs to watch the evening unfold and passing guesses on when and who the first runner would arrive over the hill.  Time always seems to fly by at these endurance events, and before long shouts of &#8220;runner up&#8221; could be heard echoing across Jeadquarters.  Tucson runner Brian Zacher came flying in just over 2:08 and Alex Kaine was one minute back.  Loud cheering erupted out of the &#8220;stands&#8221; as bottles were quickly refilled and calories replenished.  They both made a quick turnaround and headed back out the same way they just came in for their second loop (the course reverses direction each lap). This year&#8217;s Angeles Crest 100 winner Paulette Zillmer was the top female in off the first loop and decided to call it a night, claiming the 25 Km award. Graham Bailey from Mesa was the top 25 Km runner, finishing in 2:22.  Sixty runners returned back out on the course for their second lap.  Geoffrey Foote was the top 50 Km finisher in a time of 5:10 and Rachel James completed her 50 Km in 5:17.  A total of 32 runners completed the 50 Km ultra distance, including 76 year old Eugene Bruckert from Illinois! Twenty-eight runners decided they didn&#8217;t get enough yet, and continued on.  Brian and Alex who led on lap 1 stayed in the lead through 75 Km, but both had enough and decided not to head out on a fourth lap.  Out of those 28, only three completed the 100 Km distance including winner Jay Danek who is training for his second 100 mile race next month at the Javelina Jundred, first time ultra runner Dov Greenberg, and two time Javelina Jundred finisher Mark Kirkby in a close third. Thanks to all of the great volunteers who were out on the course and in the aid station serving up food and drinks for everyone! To wrap up this year&#8217;s report, we&#8217;d like to give a few runner perspectives on the race.  Jay Danek (who won the 100 Km), Christine Harrison and Nancy Ishizawa all offered up their take on the event: Jay Danek 1. What made you decide to enter the Javelina 12 Hour? Did you have a goal coming in to the race?  This race intrigued me a lot last year because it was my first opportunity to run a supported trail race that gave several different distances.  I wasn&#8217;t sure last year how far I could go since I had never run over 22 miles and was able to complete 46.  When I finished, it was such an emotional high that I vowed to myself that I would be back again and again to run this race.  The runners out there and aid volunteers were so positive that it makes you try to achieve things that I never knew were possible.  This is not a marathon type atmosphere when you finish, because every runner is celebrated equally regardless of there time. &#160; Fast forward to this year, I signed up as soon as registration opened because I love the atmosphere, ultra community, and I went in looking to complete an extra lap this year.  My training has been there and I had no expectations of winning but based on my JJ goal I wanted to come in around 11 hours and try to run as even as splits as possible.  I would like to be sub 20 at JJ and I knew I would have to run well last night to mentally be prepared to run 2.5 more loops in a month. &#160; 2. You were up towards the front most of the race and ended up first in the 100 Km.  How did things unfold from your perspective?  Did you have any real low points?  I did run up front from the very beginning and worried slightly at first that I would be out of my comfort zone especially since several of the initial faster runners would only be trying to complete one or two laps.  I settled into a great pace with Paulette early on and we found a pace that was very comfortable to run and at a pace that would not put the rest of my race in jeopardy.  The two front runners were amazing from the beginning and they never looked back, but I thought I had the endurance to make a move late if necessary.  Great job by everyone and I&#8217;m happy I ran a smart race. &#160; During the second loop I suffered through some intense back pains after coming up the long gradual ascent because I was running with poor posture and after leaving the aid station I did suffer through some stomach cramps that I was able to manage with Tums every mile. &#160; The third loop my stomach pains returned and I was able to run through most of them but I did utilize the Pedialyte to settle my stomach.  I have never had success with ginger, so I thought last night would be a good time to try the baby formula before JJ. &#160; 3. What was your favorite part of the race? My favorite part of this race is the atmosphere and how the ultra community always seems to come together to cheer on every runner.  It amazed me last night that one year ago I knew two runners and this year it felt like 75 percent of the field would say &#8220;go get it Jay&#8221; as they passed or &#8220;great job Jay.&#8221;    This is a race that is the perfect first trail running experience for any level runner and is a great opportunity to try and run one&#8217;s first ultra. &#160; 4. Anything you learned from this event that will help you at the Javelina Jundred in one month?  I never had a big appetite all night but did consume Ultragen recovery (320 calories) after each lap and it provided my stomach with an easy settling high calorie liquid.  I felt my split times were right where I wanted to be and pretty even throughout.  I was slightly fast on my first loop, but I ran all night with the intention of moving forward unless there was a real need to stop and walk.  The counter clockwise direction is a much tougher direction and it is important to not burn too much energy during the six mile uphill stretch. &#160; I ran Lean Horse 100 in August and ended up pushing myself too hard to the point of being reduced to long stretches of walking. This time, I decided never to let myself breath hard so I never pushed out of my comfort zone.  I&#8217;ve found that going hard on an uphill may gain a few minutes of time on the way up only to leave you crushed for the downhills. More conservative runners don&#8217;t actually lose much time at all in the grand scheme of an ultra run. &#160; Read more about Jay on his website &#38; blog: McDowell Mountain Man &#160; Christine Harrison &#38; Nancy Ishizawa We noticed Christine and Nancy (both from California) finishing each loop running together and they were kind enough to share how their race went.  They finished 75 Km in 11:05: &#160; 1. Did you plan to run the race together?   Christine - Nancy and I met at another race in California.  We immediately noticed we ran well together and vowed to keep in touch.  After a few emails, we both wanted to do the JJ100 race, new for her, unfinished twice for me (opted for 100K). She mentioned she was coming for the night run and I decided to come to run it with her.  I wasn&#8217;t really sure how well we would run together, but it turned out to be a great match. Although she wanted to start slower than I normally do, we stayed together the entire night run with Nancy being the stronger runner at the end. Nancy - Yes, we planned to run together the whole time and we did.  When Chris found out I was running in this race, she offered to run with me so I wouldn&#8217;t have to run in the dark alone. &#160; 2. What was your favorite part about the race? Christine - I think our favorite part of the race were the aid stations and the slight downhills.  My favorite part was the PUMPKIN PIE! What a treat, no other race has ever offered me!! Nancy - A favorite part of the race were the awesome volunteers and the well stocked aid stations.  The volunteers were prepared for us when we came into the station, and the pumpkin pie was a big hit. &#160; 3. What did you think about the desert under the full moon coming from California?  Did you hear or see any wildlife out there?Christine - After the first loop, we had a plan to power walk the rocky sections on the uphills and run the rest. I would say we ran 90% of the course, which usually in these ultra&#8217;s you have more breaks due to strong uphill climbs so it was a bit tougher on the feet and legs I think.  We took turns leading as we were about the same pace throughout the race. The rising of the full moon was spectacular!! And the silhouette of the tall cactus plants through the night was something we don&#8217;t get to experience in California.  The only wildlife we saw were 2 separate occasions we encountered these black, hairy tarantulas on the course!! Other than that, we were disappointed not to see the infamous Javelina.  I had read up on the history of the Javelina and was able to share some of this with Nancy at one point. Nancy - The desert was so peaceful and still at night.  We heard coyotes howling in the distance several times, and we saw 2 tarantulas. &#160; 4. Anything else you&#8217;d like to include? Christine - We basically chatted the first 2 loops and then listened to music the last loop.  What a great race!!  Loved the lights of the aid stations and the cowbells out in the middle of the desert! Nancy - Just thank you for putting on such a great and organized event.  We both had a lot of fun! Results &#38; Photos 2011 Javelina 12 Hour Results 2011 Javelina 12 Hour Splits 2011 Javelina 12 Hour Photos &#160; &#160; Reports Please send us your race reports to include on our web page!  We hope to include runner perspectives from each of our upcoming events. If you would like to be considered, please email us at: info@aravaiparunning.com &#160;]]></description>
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		<title>2011 Javelina 12 Hour Preview</title>
		<link>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/10/07/11-javelina-12-hour-full-moon-preview/</link>
		<comments>http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/2011/10/07/11-javelina-12-hour-full-moon-preview/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Oct 2011 22:25:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jamil</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Race Preview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Javelina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McDowell Mountain Regional Park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pemberton Trail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ultra]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/?p=63</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As high temperatures dip into the nineties here in the Phoenix area, we are gearing up for the first race in Aravaipa&#8217;s fall race season.  Our first event this year takes place in the rolling, mellow valley of Sonoran desert in between the McDowell Mountains and the Verde River.  This area was first inhabited by nomadic hunters and later thousands of Hohokam Indians who made their home near the confluence of the Verde and Salt Rivers.  Presently, it is home to McDowell Mountain Regional Park and the over 50 miles of scenic trails that meander through hills and across numerous desert washes that drain the McDowell Mountains. The most well known trail in the park is the 15.4 mile Pemberton Trail that makes a large loop across two-thirds of the park&#8217;s 21,099 acres, butting up against the north and west boundary lines with the town of Rio Verde and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve respectively.  The trail head is centrally located along the east end of the loop close to the overall low point of 1800 feet.  The trail climbs a steady 600 feet in either direction up to the high point of 2400 feet near Granite Tank and the north west corner of the park.   It is comprised of mostly non-technical wide gravel trails and old jeep track making for nice running. The Pemberton Trail has been a favorite of valley trail runners for many years as an &#8220;easy&#8221; and scenic long run especially with the stunning scenery of the McDowells, Superstitions, Four Peaks and Mazatzals surrounding the park.  The fact that the trail&#8217;s high point is half way around the loop means there is always a nice easy downhill back to the trail head. It&#8217;s no surprise that in 2001 a two loop trail race was organized and dubbed the Pemberton Trail 50 Km.  Two years later, a six and a half loop 100 miler was created by Geri Kilgariff and named the Javelina. For several years Geri held an unsupported training run under the full moon the month before the 100 giving runners a rare chance to see the trails at night, as they are normally closed at sunset. This year&#8217;s Javelina 12 Hour night run will be held under the full moon on October 15-16, starting from the Pemberton trail head.  With the full moon overhead, expect stunning views of the surrounding mountain ranges. When the moon is directly overhead, there is typically enough light to see the trail without using a flashlight or headlamp (but please bring one anyways)! There will be a fully stocked aid station at Granite Tank (mile 8.5 in the clockwise direction) and lots of goodies back at the start/finish.  There is no set distance, so you choose how far you want to go at the race (1 to 4 loops). If you&#8217;re lucky, you might even spot a Javelina out on the trail. At last year&#8217;s night run, we had three runners complete 100 Km (Tamas Varga, Brandon Wyatt, and Kris Milobar), twenty-eight runners complete 75 Km, forty-seven complete 50 Km, and one hundred four run 25 Km.  The moon won&#8217;t rise until 8pm, so if you want to experience the full moon effect, be sure to head out on a second lap. Everyone who finishes at least 25 Km will receive a Javelina 12 Hour pint glass. We&#8217;ve still got space available, so sign up today, at packet pickup on Thursday, October 13 at iRun, or race day! Here is a breakdown of the sunset and moon rise.  Remember, we start at 6pm! Saturday 15 October 2011 Mountain Standard Time SUN Sunset 5:54 p.m. End civil twilight 6:19 p.m. MOON Moonrise 8:06 p.m. Moonset 10:41 a.m. on following day Phase of the Moon on 15 October:   waning gibbous with 88% of the Moon&#8217;s visible disk illuminated.]]></description>
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