Words: Matt Medendorp

Photos: Matthew Tangeman

 

Northern Arizona is built for running. From the storied, high-altitude training grounds of Flagstaff to the red rock-lined canyon trails of Sedona, running culture burns vibrantly where the Sonoran Desert and the Coconino National Forest intersect.

 

It’s also a hotbed of ultras: from the Cocodona 250 to the Javelina 100, ultrarunners flock to Arizona’s blue sky and desert paths to test themselves, their limits, and, of course, their shoes.

 

 

 

With this in mind, we gathered a team of Mount to Coast athletes, brand reps, and journalists to spend a few days in the October Arizona sun on an intentional running retreat. Our goal was not to necessarily run the distance of ultras—runners from a wide range of abilities were in attendance, from neighborhood 5k-ers to an Olympian–but to inhabit the spirit of ultras by transcending distance and focusing on the mental and physical benefits of running. We designed an itinerary focusing on running well, recovering well, and the gear and innovation required to help us along the way.

 

Our basecamp for the retreat was the Wilde Resort and Spa: an oasis of a hotel tucked away in West Sedona and juxtaposed dramatically against a backdrop of sandstone cliffs and grocery stores, offering a snippet of the town, a place where day-to-day life and extraordinary views combine for a surreal blend of crystal vortices and picturesque roads.

 

DAY ONE: Red Rock and Pavement

 

Step one, meet the tech. Once gathered at the Wilde and recovered from yesterday’s travel (some via an early AM shakeout run, others via a much-needed lie-in), Mount to Coast US Country Manager Doug Rosenberg, and Head of Product, Yeti Zhang, walked attendees through the driving ethos and technology of Mount to Coast’s shoes. Delving deep into the benefits of supercritical foaming (less waste, lighter shoes, better products) the F1 racing car derived ZeroSag material, and future plans (and products) for the brand.

 

 

 

 

Mount to Coast athlete Ben Blankenship brought in his well-trodden R1s, his first training pair having seen over 800 miles of hard use before being reclaimed by the Mount to Coast Product Team for durability testing.

 

After waiting out the midday heat (and some of us indulging in the Wilde’s excellent sports recovery massage at the attached spa) we were raring to test the technical features of the R1 and S1. Luckily, Sedona provides. An obscure road bordering the Coconino National Forest allowed for a proving testing ground, flexible mileage, and watercolor sunsets.

 

 

 

The run started as a group, the team amiably chatting and warming up on hilly roads–passing trail heads and off-road jeep tracks, sticking to the asphalt. The bright white of the new R1s and S1 colorways stood out in the high desert’s stark contrast, clean and pristine.

 

 

 

But we couldn’t resist the siren’s calls of Sedona’s red dirt. The group soon broke off to unplanned trail runs, testing Mount to Coast’s road shoes on the ground they weren’t quite designed for. We may have been operating outside the intended use of the road-focused R1, but we still made it to the top of the famed Devil’s Bridge, stood in line for our chance to cross the structure, and hoofed it back on a very fast downhill section to make it back to the van and reunite with separated companions in the waning light.

 

 

 

We ended the evening at Mariposa, a Latin grill with a spectacular view it was too dark to appreciate, and mushroom empanadas that we scarfed down regardless of the lighting.

 

 

DAY TWO: High Altitude Training

 

You can’t run in Northern Arizona and skip Flagstaff. Home to the NAU Lumberjacks, whose cross country team has won six of the last eight NCAA National Titles, the mountain town is a mecca for elite runners. It’s also 7,500 feet above sea level.

 

 

 

Having braved the winding road up Oak Creek Canyon and powered by Tourist Home’s cinnamon churro donuts (we bought out the early morning selection, sorry fellow shoppers) we decamped to Buffalo Park for our morning run. The limestone paths provided a perfect testing ground for the R1, S1, and P1 our runners chose. As happened the day before, the group started together chatting and warming up for two miles before splintering into different pace groups for longer efforts or shorter sprints, depending on personal training plans.

 

R1s during long runs

 

 

 

We hustled back to Sedona for a virtual talk with ultrarunner Pete Ripmaster. Winner of the 2018 Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI) 1000 – a 1000-mile foot race through the harsh winter conditions of the Alaskan wilderness. Pete’s on a current quest to be the first person to run 100 miles in every U.S. state and raise $50,000 to support the Owl Research Institute along the way.

 

The mental strength and fortitude it takes to race this discipline at such staggering levels, and how that same mental strength has helped guide him and his family through the devastation of Hurricane Helene on their hometown of Asheville, NC.

 

Inspired by Pete’s talk, the team transitioned into a Breathwork and Sound Healing session led by the Wilde’s spa, focusing on the mental strength and honesty needed to pursue the ultra discipline. Some of us chose to channel this motivation into a post-session, second run of the day while others chose a well-deserved afternoon nap. Different kinds of mental self-care abound.

 

Mount to Coast athlete Ben Blankenship fits in some late afternoon training miles

 

 

Our final farewell dinner was a little bittersweet, tucking into luxuriously rich plates of risotto for a post-run carb-up at the secluded Junipine. At a big tale, surrounded by new friends, we discussed running goals for the rest of the year and beyond. Inspired by the miles and the stories we swapped, we resolved to try professional coaching, beat half marathon PRs, sign up for 50ks, and get together again next year to do it all over again.