Slim Shady to Made in the Shade

Seven NATRA runners ran a mix of trails around Yavapai Vista west of Bell Rock, mostly the ones called Slim Shady and Made in the Shade. As a result of bumping into Sedona running icons Adam and Lindsey of the Sedona Running Company, I fell behind the gang and missed the Made in the Shade turn. Eventually I ran into the rest of the gang and figured to stick with them for the rest of the run. When I asked Betsy how far her runkeeper app tracked us she said 2.6 miles. Since we were about an hour into the run, we were both happy just to make it back to the trailhead and wait for the rest of the group to finish the double loop. For me, the run felt like 8 neils. 10 for those that did all 5 miles! Exhausted and hungry we relaxed at the Blue Moon Café in the Village of Oak Creek. I found some interesting reading which helped me better understand the group surrounding me. The picture says it all..... Don't forget we celebrate the Winter Solstice with a 3 mile run in Buffalo Park at 4:30 PM sharp tomorrow!

Railroaded by Snow

 

 

 

 

The blizzard was a bust but the slick skiff of snow created some nice wintry running scenes for about 7 miles of slipping and sliding at Fort Tuthill. Instead of running the Soldiers Trail, Neil, David, Betsy, Bruce, and Susan decided that running the old railroad grades would be less muddy than the traditional route.

Having been absent from the runs for a while, I realized how quickly one can lose the altitude advantage. Having been at sea level on both coasts for most of the past 3 weeks, I struggled with my breathing. Thankfully Betsy, Bruce, and David took lots of breaks and I slowly was able to build into a rhythm, feeling better after each stop.

 

We were not sure that proved true as the 7 miles of slipping, sliding, and sinking felt more like 10. We warmed up at the Campus Coffee Bean which was packed with NAU's December graduates. Next week we return to the warmer confines of Sedona's Yavapai Double Vista Loop. Meet at Fort Tuthill at 8 AM sharp. http://www.dblanchard.net/TrailRuns/YavapaiVistaLoop.html