My Day on the Mountain

As I mentioned in last week's post, I'm now two weeks out from my longest run to date, the 52 mile distance at the Aravaipa Coldwater Rumble on January 25th.  Coach Luis and I worked out a training schedule where I spend most of my weekends on the trails, putting in long distances on both Saturday and Sunday, as opposed to trying to cram 40+ miles on one day of the week.  So far, things seem to be working pretty well, and at this point, I feel as ready as I'm going to be for the big event.

Yesterday, Saturday, 1/11, was the longest single run of my training for Coldwater at 25 miles.  Since I clock in at a blistering speed of roughly 4 miles per hour (I KNOW - speed demon!) - with breaks taken into account - it took me just over 6 hours.  How does one spend 6 hours trail running, you might ask?  Composing a blog post in which I take all of you on a tour of Thunderbird Conservation Park, where I've been spending most of my weekend time.  The park is really a great place - there's ample parking, the trails are well maintained, restrooms are in convenient places, and since it's funded by the City of Glendale, admission is free.  For me, it's biggest draw is that it's 10 minutes away from home, but it really is nice.  Here we go!

First of all, here's a map of the park followed by the map generated by my Garmin Connect data from yesterday's run...see a theme here?

Official park map

Official Amy map.

This is why I feel properly qualified to take you on this tour.

I normally start out at the parking area near the entrance, then head up the Coach Whip trail, take a left (heading clockwise), then end up on the Cholla Loop.  There are three major peaks in the Park, and Cholla Loop takes you to one of them; it's also probably the most popular trail in the park.

Up the Cholla Loop

Since the Loop heads to a peak, it's pretty steep in places, but the switchbacks generally keep things manageable.

Hot air balloons in flight from around halfway up the Loop

(looking west)

The valley spreading out below the peak to the south

A shot to the north from the peak

After heading back down from the peak (continuing clockwise on the Loop), I join back up with the Coach Whip trail (paralleling 59th Ave and watching the cars for a change of scenery), then head back to the parking lot.  I do a few in and outs on smaller side trails, so I normally end up back at the car after around 4.5 miles and just over an hour.  I grab a few gu's and other nutrition, have a bathroom break, then head back up the Coach Whip.  Instead of turning left at the junction, I continue straight and cross the pedestrian bridge which runs over 59th Ave.

When I'm doing a longer run (over 20 miles or so), I head up the Arrowhead Point, which takes you to the second of the three peaks in the Park.  Frankly, I hate this trail, which is why I eliminate it on shorter runs.  It's steep as a mother one way and has a series of shorter switchbacks with large, hard stone "steps" (natural steps, not man-made, so they're really large) down the other side.  Personally, I'd rather hike up the steeper side and run down the switchbacks than vice versa, so I start at the southern side of the trail and head up counterclockwise.

I know it's hard to tell,

but the people in this picture are only around a tenth of a mile in front of me.

It's normally about this point that I look up and think:

FRAAAAAAAAAAAK.

Made it to the peak!

After heading back down the other side of the peak, I end up on the Coach Whip trail on the eastern side of 59th Ave.  I then take it out to the east through the length of the trail.  I do this not only because it's a good stretch that eats up the miles, but it's also my favorite trail (I figure I just did my least favorite trail, so this is a reward).  This stretch of trail is generally very quiet (since the parking lots aren't anywhere near it, it gets little foot traffic), and it has wildlife blinds set up for viewing the lake nearby.  I normally see a fair amount of wildlife on this trail from bunnies to chipmunks to lizards (thankfully, nothing more terrifying than this).  It also runs decently close to a rather prosperous neighborhood, so you can turn to your left and see the mountain rise up over you or turn to your right and see the massive houses.

Up the mountain

One of the enormous homes -

this thing must be around 8-10,000 square feet.

The trail exists out of the park for a brief moment, then heads back in, as you can see all the way on the right side of the map.  When you get near the end, you can look down into the neighborhood below which has constructed an elaborate series of canals.  It's cool - I'm sure they're donating money to the homeless or something as well.

What water shortage?

The trail dead ends into a cul de sac around 51st Ave, so I generally touch the signpost (it's not official unless you touch the signpost and go "boop!"), then turn right around and head back up into the park.  After heading all the way back into the main area of the park, I stay on the eastern side of 59th Ave (and the pedestrian bridge) and head out toward the entrance on Pinnacle Peak road.  Getting down to the parking lot are more of the hard stone steps that bring you off the Arrowhead Point trail, so my knees are generally sore by this point.  They get rewarded with a trip around the Flatlander trail, which is exactly as advertised - flat and lovely.

As flat as it gets around here - 

check out the new LDS temple under construction in the background.

Look, nature!

I generally cross 59th Ave at the corner where it meets Pinnacle Peak and hook back up with the Coach Whip trail, heading back - once again - to the parking lot.  By this time, I've normally logged another 2 1/4 hours and 8-9 miles (1.5 on Arrowhead Point, 1.5 on Flatlander, and the remainder on the Coach Whip), so I'm out of water and snacks.  Back to the car I go!

Up until this point, all of my running has been done on the trails on one side of the parking lot, to the north and east of the main park entrance.  Time to turn around and hit the trails on the other side of the park!  I generally head up the Sunrise trail and on long run days, up to the third summit in the Park.

About halfway up to the summit - 

looking east toward the main entrance and parking lots

The reservoir for the City of Glendale

"Hi Car!"

The view from the top

Another view from the top

After heading back down from the summit, I hop on the Ridgeline trail and then join up with - yes - the Coach Whip trail yet again, albeit in a different part of the park.  I head north and pass a third park entrance, smaller parking lot, and horse staging area on 67th Ave.  By this point, it's generally around hour 4 (mile 16) and sh*t is getting real.  I smell horrible, it's around 1pm so the sun is high in the sky, and even though I've had gu's and other nutrition, my body is starting to nag at me for actual lunch.  Enter the savior of my sanity:

Harry Potter may have been a work of fiction,

but J.K. Rowling obviously knows a thing or two

about the restorative powers of chocolate.

I then hit up the Chuckwalla trail, which is great for mountain biking.  There are some great dips in the trail and even a sort of half-pipe built into the side of a hill that would be a lot of fun on two wheels (with two legs, it's still pretty fun - I can't deny that I make zoom noises as I run through this area).

From a higher spot on Chuckwalla.

That's the overflow parking lot from the 67th Ave entrance.

Chuckwalla parallels the Desert Iguana trail, which is thankfully, almost completely flat.  Since it leads to the horse staging area, I often see folks riding along here.  This is one of my favorite trails to hit at this point in the run, since it's flat but firm, and it's a nice respite for the legs.

Sweet, sweet bliss as far as the eye can see

After hitting the end of the Desert Iguana (which coincidentally enough, is where the car is parked), I turn around and head back.  I join back up with the Coach Whip at the 67th Ave entrance, then turn south and then east to get back to the main parking lots and entrance to the park.  

Someone on the signage staff has a sense of humor

Right before you get back to the main entrance, there are a series of switchbacks, which for me going this way, are heading up.  As I hiked up yesterday, I heard a little bird signing his heart out - it turned out to be a hummingbird, and he sat still long enough for me to snap some pics.  This was the only time on the run I wished I had a real camera, as the pictures on my phone don't do him justice:

If you look closely, you can see his neck ruffle puffed out from singing

I do a quick jaunt along a berm of sorts that runs from the park entrance out to 59th Ave and through a field that while it's part of the park, isn't an actual trail.  When you have to run 25 miles, you gain mileage wherever you can.  Thankfully, I have enough mileage left (around 2 to go) to head back up the Sunrise trail, down past the reservoir and continue to the section of the Sunrise I like to call the "Irrigation Education" trail. 

Let's learn about valves!

Ooh, the elusive 36" butterfly valve, in its native habitat!

Bucket list - check!

Back up the switchbacks, past the Amphitheater, over to the car, and done!  25 miles and not a moment too soon!  Time to rest!

Later!

Amy