“Stick it : Why Quality Stickers Matter”

Jen LaughlinCommunity, Training & Tips

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 …

MOG 100 As Your First 100? Survey Says: YES

Jen LaughlinInterviews, Race Report, Training & Tips

The Mogollon Monster 100 mile is not only a notoriously tough race, it’s also Arizona’s only Hardrock 100 qualifier. With around 18,000ft of total elevation gain on mostly technical and exposed trails, this race challenges the most seasoned mountain runners who throughout the point-to-point course will trudge up and down the rugged and steep escapement known as the Mogollon Rim a total of six different times. In a nutshell, the Monster is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not known for being a popular choice for a “first 100 mile”, but there are a handful of runners who beg to differ, and four of them just happen to work here at Aravaipa Running: …

Trail Safety in the White Mountains of New Hampshire

Kristina FolcikTraining & Tips

It’s always wise to be prepared when entering the mountains but in the White Mountain Range this is especially true. Kristina Folcik, Trail Runnner, East Coast Local and White Mountain Endurance Race Director is no stranger to the unpredictable conditions of the White Mountains. Here are Kristina’s 3 most important tips for being prepared and staying safe on your next trip to the Whites! Tip 1: Always check the weather.  The weather in the White Mountains changes rapidly and there are a few things to know before heading out.  It can snow any time of the year, yes, people have died in snowstorms during the summer months.  Lightning can come quickly and winds can be …

Winter Running Tips with Corinne Shalvoy

Bryce BrooksTraining & 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. …

Marathon Race Nutrition – Fueling Tips

Bryce BrooksTraining & 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 BrooksTraining & 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 …

Half Marathon Training: 5 Best Long Run Workouts

Matt FeldhakeTraining & Tips

Many runners all around the world attend the church of the long run every weekend.  Routinely incorporating long runs into your training regimen is critical.  However, always doing easy, conversational long runs is not the best way to improve your race performance.  Incorporating a variety of long run workouts into your half marathon training can help improve certain physiological traits (such as lactate threshold), as well as breaking up the monotony of long runs.  Benefits of Long Runs Performing routine long runs in your running training has many benefits.  One of the biggest physiological benefits of long runs is increasing the number of mitochondria in your cells.  These are the “energy factories” of the cell that power cell respiration and human movement.  Another …

Benefits of Trail Running for Marathon Training 

Matt FeldhakeTraining & 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 …

Five Marathon Training Tips

Matt FeldhakeTraining & Tips

December will be here before you know it!Our goal is to make your experience at the Tucson Marathon as enjoyable as possible and the training you put in now will have a direct impact on you overall experience come race day. Here are some tips from our very own Matt Feldhake which will help point you in the right direction when it comes to approaching your race training plan. Training Tips: (1) Develop Your Why Arguably the most critical initial step to take when deciding to train for a marathon is to find a “why”.What is the deep, underlying reason for wanting to train for this marathon? Finding the answer to this question will give you a …

If It Comes Easily, It’s Worthless

Kelly PattersonTraining & Tips

A profile of ultrarunner, Keith Munch We often meet people at our races or group runs who inspire us, and whenever possible, we aim to share their stories with you. Meet Keith Munch, a member of the Aravaipa running community.  A recent transplant from Arizona to Colorado, he recently finished the inaugural Royal Gorge Groove 60K (finishing with a grotesquely broken pinky finger thanks to misplaced footing on the technical trail early on in the race).  He is preparing to toe the line at Ring the Springs 100 Mile in June, sandwiched by two more 100 Mile races in May and July.  Without further ado, meet Keith. 1. Tell us about yourself!  I was born …