Abby Bennett on Racing The Cog & What’s Next

Bryce BrooksCommunity

Abby Bennett is a Western Maine / Mount Washington Valley local who’s been tearing up the trails up in the Northwest. Last week Abby toed the line at Race The Cog to the top of the Mount Washington Railway. We connected with Abby to ask her about her experience at Race The Cog and what else she has coming up on her 2023 racing calendar! 1) Tell us a little bit about yourself? I’m a runner and conservationist born, raised, and currently living in Western Maine! I’m currently working on my master’s thesis in ecology with a focus on conservation science. I’m passionate about rural community well-being (human, economic, and ecological) and how conservation can …

My New Favorite: The 2022 Crown King Scramble 50K

Bryce BrooksRace Report

2022 was my first time running Crown King, so I’ll begin by saying the Crown King Scramble is the most fun 50K race I’ve participated in. Everything from the course itself to the history along the route, to the finish line atmosphere in Crown King all fits together perfectly for this unique point to point uphill 50K. A little background on the history of the race: First ran in 1981, this route was devised by Bruce Wise as a training run for Western States. At the time it wasn’t an official race, but it would soon gain in popularity until 1987 when the official race was first held. Put together by AZ Road Racers, the …

Humbled by My First 50 Miler at Ram Party

Bryce BrooksUncategorized

Ram Party Trail Runs take place out of Colorado Springs, Colorado in May and includes distances from 5K to 50 Mile. The races are split between Saturday and Sunday with the 50 Mile starting from  Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort on Saturday. The “shorter distances” begin at Rainbow Gulch Trailhead and run around Rampart Reservoir before returning to the finish line, where the real RamPart[y] begins. Anyway, last year around April I was coming off a string of 50K races and was looking to jump up in distance so I decided to sign-up for the Inaugural Ram Party 54 Mile race. This was putting myself out of my comfort zone for a few reasons. 1) This was …

It’s All a Blur at Cave Creek Thriller 50K

Bryce BrooksRace Report

The Cave Creek Thriller 50K is the third race in the Desert Runner Trail (DRT) Series. It is unique in that it has the only point to point courses in the entire 7 race Series. Last year’s event was my third 50K (after running the Pass Mountain and McDowell Mountain Frenzy 50Ks). The 50K course, the longest distance at Cave Creek Thriller, begins out of the Agua Fria Trailhead and follows the Maricopa Trail most of the way to Cave Creek Regional Park.  50K runners who are taking the shuttle will need to be at the finish line in Cave Creek Regional Park prior to 5:30AM. If you can talk someone into driving you to …

Winter Running Tips with Corinne Shalvoy

Bryce BrooksRunning Tips

Winter is almost upon us. Here in Phoenix it usually means long sleeve shirts instead of short sleeves, however, that’s not the case for most of the country. Winter brings with it snow, which can make it hard to train! That is of course, if you are not prepared. Aravaipa Colorado Racing Team Member, Corinne Shalvoy is no stranger to running in inclement weather. Being a Castle Rock, CO resident and leader of the Castle Rock Run Club, Corinne is a pro when it comes to running in cold and snowy weather so we asked her to share her most valuable Winter Running Tips to help you continue your training into the upcoming winter season. …

Legends of Superior

Bryce BrooksUncategorized

The History Surrounding Picketpost Mountain and the Copper Corridor Trail Runs There are a few races on the Aravaipa Running race calendar that come to mind when thinking about courses that run through areas containing a lot of interesting history. Copper Corridor is certainly one of those races. Copper Corridor starts and finishes in the Town of Superior, AZ, which is a quiet town about an hour drive from Phoenix. While a one hour drive doesn’t seem like much, there is a stark contrast between the Phoenix Valley and the Town of Superior. Driving into Superior from Phoenix takes you directly east as you skirt just south of the towering Superstition Ridgeline along Highway 60 …

Marathon Race Nutrition – Fueling Tips

Bryce BrooksRunning Tips

Aravaipa Racing Team member Colleen Lingley is no stranger to long efforts. Colleen has completed numerous ultramarathons and trail races, including two 100-Mile finishes. She’s also a registered dietitian in Flagstaff so she certainly knows her stuff when it comes to race fueling… With Colleen being such an expert, we couldn’t think of a more knowledgable person in our running community to provide some guidance around race preparation and in-race nutrition. Here’s Colleen’s most valuable race nutrition tips: Many of us have heard not to try anything new on race day, and in this case, the topic is fuel. Backing up to the week leading up to the race, fueling is also important.  1. Seven …

Tips for Boston Qualifiers

Bryce BrooksRunning Tips

The Boston Marathon, one of six World Marathon Majors, is the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the best known road races in the world. In order to qualify for the Boston Marathon you must run a Boston Qualifier (BQ) marathon at a particular (relatively fast) pace based on age and gender. Qualifying marathons must be USATF certified, have three or more competitors, and be promoted prior to race day. Nicole Lane is a road running specialist on the Aravaipa Racing Team who has a long list of running achievements, including qualifying for the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2020. We asked Nicole for her 5 most crucial tips for running a Boston …

McDowell Mountain Frenzy 50K – Race Report

Bryce BrooksRace Report

The Desert Runner Trail (DRT) Series consists of 7 total events: Pass Mountain, McDowell Mountain Frenzy and Cave Creek Thriller in the Fall Series and San Tan Scramble, Coldwater Rumble, Elephant Mountain and Mesquite Canyon in the Spring Series.  Pass Mountain, the first race in the DRT series, was my first attempt at the 50K distance and it hadn’t gone exactly as I had hoped. I went out too hot and blew up in spectacular fashion. Here’s a link to that race report if you’re interested! McDowell was my second attempt at a 50K, and I was going into it with the specific goal of running the race at my own pace. After going out too fast …

Pass Mountain 50K Race Report

Bryce BrooksRace Report

The 2021 Pass Mountain 50K was the first official ultramarathon that I finished. It wasn’t pretty, but I got it done… A little back story about my running career before I jump into the race: In 2019 I hiked the Arizona Trail with my good friend, Dylan Harris. After returning from the 34-day long hike, I felt like I had built up the endurance to easily run a marathon distance or more. Fast forward 1 year later I found myself driving to Austin, Texas to run the Austin Rattler Race 66K with Dylan and Joe Holway. I ended up DNFing around mile 35 and was in rough shape.  A few months after swearing off ultramarathons …