ArizonaReg 10 Mile Trail Race

On Thursday evening, I caught wind of a trail race that was taking place in nearby Scottsdale at the McDowell Mountain Regional Park. There was a choice of distances ranging from 4 miles up to 10 miles, and with having a 15km easy trail run scheduled in for that day, I decided to enter the 10 mile race and give it a try.

At the minute, I'm building up to the Las Vegas Marathon which takes place in mid-November although after that, the plan is to get back out on the trails and return to ultra running. I currently have a 24 hour race planned at the end of the year which will be my first attempt at a 24 hour, and I'm also contemplating running a 100km in February- the Black Canyon Ultra which is a point to point race in nearby Anthem and which will also be a qualifying race for the Western States 100 miler in 2016.

With that in mind, I thought doing the ArizonaReg 10 Mile Trail Race would be a good introduction to trail running in Phoenix, to give me an idea about the organisation and the types of trails used for racing, as well as seeing how well I would cope under "race" conditions in the heat. The list of entrants showed that there would be just under 30 runners registered for the various distances so I figured it wasn't going to be anything too serious. This fitted perfectly with my plans - I could run it steady without being dragged into a full blown race that was not on my agenda, and I knew it wouldn't screw things up leading up to Vegas.

The event was being held alongside the State Mountain Biking Championships and the Arizona High School Mountain Bike Championships with the trail races starting first, but with a 10.35am start time, it was quite late in the morning given the intense heat that we are still encountering here in Phoenix at present. Although I was feeling pretty relaxed about the run, my main concern was how I would cope in the heat, so I was curious to find out how my body would hold out.

We wandered over to the start area, only to find out that it was actually the mountain bike races that were starting on that side, and with just 5 minutes until the gun, I gave Andy and the dogs a brief hug as I sprinted back across to the other side, joining the other runners as they started the 30 second countdown before we headed out on to the trails.

The entire race would be run at the McDowell Mountain Regional Park which sits in the lower Verde River basic. The area covers over 21,000 acres with some parts of the park rising to 3,000 at the base of the McDowell Mountains. There are spectacular views of the surrounding Sonoran Desert which stretches out for miles, and the park boasts some 50 miles of trails to explore which I was excited to see in order to give me ideas for other places to run on my own during training.

Being such a low key race, the start was far less erratic than others I've experienced, and although my first km split came in at 4.15, once the shorter distance racers split from the 10 milers, things settled down and I found I was running well within my means at a nice and steady, comfortable pace.

The trails were simply beautiful. Hundreds of Saguaro Cacti lined the route, along with low level bushes and a variety of other cacti amongst them. The trails twisted and turned, climbed up and down, and were very dry, sandy and dusty as we meandered through the desert landscape. It was nowhere near as green as the gorgeous trails and forests that I've been used to in Canada, but this place still held its own magic and I found myself lost in my surroundings, enjoying the stillness and the quietness, except for the sound of my footsteps as I ran along the trails.

McDowell Regional Park Pemberton Trail - Photo TripAdvisor

One of the things that I was very much aware of more than anything was the exposure to the sun. There was absolutely no shade at all on these trails, and although there was cloud cover today, it was still very warm with temperatures in the high 80's. Thankfully, I had taken a drink with me as I didn't know how far it was until the first aid station, but the lady ahead of me didn't appear to have anything, and whilst she was still looking strong, I could also see that she appeared to be struggling. The gap between us was closing even though I hadn't increased the pace, and as we finally arrived at the unmanned aid station at 5 miles, I caught her.

Pemberton Trail - Photo credit Edward Munrad

I was surprised that a local was saying how hot it was and how unprepared she had been for racing 10 miles in desert conditions - she seemed to spend ages at that aid station whereas I quickly swapped my empty bottle for a full one, dunked my hat in the iced water, and then continued on my way. I was feeling fantastic - warm yes, but coping far better than I thought I would - and I somehow managed to put a good 5 minutes or so between me and the other lady by the time we'd finished.

This now meant that I was leading the ladies race and was currently second overall, but with so few taking part, it was nice to just maintain my steady pace and not worry too much about chasing others or being caught. The trail flattened out for a couple of miles at this point but with that, it brought far more sandy trails which meant that with every step I took, my feet were sinking into the sand. It got in my shoes along with bits of gravel and it became apparent that when racing here, it may be a good idea to wear my running gaiters next time!

A short while afterwards, we merged with the shorter distance racers and it was just a couple of miles to the finish. Things started to get a bit more undulating again but I was still coping ok and running comfortably, and as I approached the "1 mile to go" sign, it was only then that I picked up the pace for a strong finish.

The distance in the end was just shy of 10 miles and I finished in around 1 hour 17 minutes, 1st lady and 2nd overall. Being such a low key race, there were no fancy prizes or presentations but I did walk away feeling satisfied and far more confident about committing to longer trail races out here now. It was a great experience and was very happy with how it went - I know I can now look forward to some good races again next year :-)

Post Race

For now though, I am still focused on having a good run in Las Vegas in around about a month's time - back to the roads for now!

SAGUARO CACTUS PHOTOS