Again in 2000, I used to be dwelling in Arizona and coaching for the Angeles Crest 100 Milemy first 100-mile race. In these days, there weren’t any 100-mile races in Arizona, so when you needed to run one, you wanted to exit of state, and for me, Angeles Crest was good. As I used to be attempting to determine how one can practice for the race, I reached out to some Southern California locals and ended up befriending an excellent group of men from San Diego, affectionately referred to as the Unhealthy Rats. The group included luminaries from the Nineties, akin to Ben Hian, Tom Nielsenand Al Valverde.
Over Labor Day weekend that yr, the Unhealthy Rats invited me to their annual Angeles Crest 100 coaching camp, throughout which they ran your entire 100-mile course over three days. It was so cool! They rented a small bus with a driver to shuttle the group to the beginning of every day’s run, and by some means satisfied associates and fellow runners to supply help for the group at key places alongside the course. Whereas the course reconnaissance and coaching quantity of these runs proved to be invaluable after I ran the race, it’s the relationships constructed on the path that weekend that I bear in mind most.
The group gathers for Sunday’s 2026 Cocodona 250 Mile coaching camp. Photograph: Andy Jones-Wilkins
It was the cherished reminiscence of these runs over 1 / 4 century in the past that impressed me to host a few coaching runs on the Cocodona 250 Mile course final weekend. Like I did final yr, I assumed it might be enjoyable to deliver collectively of us to run sections of the course a month earlier than the race. The race group hosted a coaching run on Saturday, so I provided to host runs on Sunday and Monday that might permit runners to see a number of the more difficult sections of the course, together with two key sections that come late within the race throughout which runners will not be permitted to make use of pacers.
Because it turned out, about 40 individuals confirmed up for the Sunday run, and 20 runners participated within the Monday run. What struck me concerning the weekend was how rapidly and effortlessly the group got here collectively and bonded. From Saturday morning, when a bunch of people that had by no means met earlier than headed out for a run, to Monday afternoon when the runners mentioned goodbye to 1 one other like household, your entire expertise was wonderful.
A coaching camp can flip a gaggle of strangers into lifelong associates. Photograph: Andy Jones-Wilkins
Over the many years, this sport has given me a lot. But, after I look again on nearly three many years in ultrarunning, it’s experiences just like the Angeles Crest and Cocodona coaching runs that present me with my fondest recollections. On this age of elevated participation and commercialization within the sport, it warms my coronary heart and offers me hope to know that we are able to nonetheless simply pull collectively a gaggle of individuals, get in some miles, and construct a robust and significant group alongside the best way. I hope we by no means cease doing that.
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s Beer of the Week comes from PHX Beer Firm in Phoenix, Arizona. Electrical Palms is a hop-forward IPA brewed within the basic West Coast custom. With a fruity and spicy end, Electrical Palms is the right beer for a scorching desert night time.
Name for Feedback
- Have you ever gone on an event-based coaching run and met good individuals?
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