RUN SMART RETREAT

Debbie P

Sea-level sucks! Not only a catchy slogan of Flagstaff t-shirts, it was also the slightly ambitious motto of the attendees at the 9^th Run S.M.A.R.T. retreat, held from August 2nd-7^th in Flagstaff, Arizona. More a vacation for runners than a training camp, 25 of us from across US as well as Canada, Australia, England, and Colombia, were captivated with the vistas of our daily runs at 7000 feet.

 

2 of the 7,000 Feet with
1 of the Captivating Vistas

Since 2009 the Run S.M.A.R.T. team (including its CEO, our awesome coach Brian Rosetti) have hosted runners in the idyllic town of Flagstaff, where elite athletes flock to live and train at altitude. I was thrilled to join this year’s cohort, which also included Flyers Jennifer C., Ilse A., and KC C., who has attended each year and manages all of the communications for the retreat.

With Jennifer C

Our Run S.M.A.R.T. hosts Mike Smith, Vince Sherry, & Sarah Sherry provided this year’s participants the opportunity to run scenic routes on which the elites train, and even to run alongside some of them! We were joined on the trails by 2012 Olympian Janet Cherobon-Bawcom & 3-time Olympic Trials qualifier Alvina Begay as well as ultrarunner Brian Tinder and various other elite trail & college runners. Even Ryan Hall stopped by our hotel, but clearly was too intimidated to come out with our impressive crew.

With Jack Daniels

Leaving our hotel each morning at 7, the group was caravanned to runs around Flagstaff, starting on Monday at Buffalo Park, where we started acclimating to the altitude on a local 2 mile loop with panoramic views of several peaks.  Alvina welcomed us in Navajo, sharing a bit of the local sacred history of the land which made the run that much more breathtaking (really, it wasn’t just the altitude!).

Views of the red rocks during a trail run in Sedona

Tuesday we had options of two trail runs through the stunning red rocks of Sedona, and Thursday along the awe-inspiring north rim of the Grand Canyon -- that turned out to be a walk-run due to frequent picture-taking.  And yet, my favorite run (and I heard others say the same) was on Wednesday, when we drove up another 2000 feet to Aspen Corner. There we ran 7 gently rolling miles on soft trails amidst towering aspen pines and in the shadows of Humphreys Peak, the highest in Arizona. 

Isn't It Grand?!

Wow These Trees Are Tall!

As the group spread out, each of us ended up enjoying some solitary reverie, absorbed in the placing one’s feet carefully and listening to the wind in the trees. It was so spectacular that I stood up short at one point, certain I’d either wandered onto a movie set entitled “beautiful wooded trail,” or into the after-life for runners.

To complement our daily trail runs, we were also instructed in active-isolated stretching, drills to improve our running mechanics, and offered instructional talks on topics including positive psychology and running nutrition. The “World’s Best Coach” (and Flyers’ 2013 marathon pasta party speaker) Jack Daniels was there to talk running, science, VDOT, & 180 steps/minute, and Rob Krar (winner of the 2015 and 2014 Western States Ultra) wrapped things up on Friday, discussing the physical and mental challenges of long-distance running.

If Gotta Do Running Drills,
Then Here's the Place to Do Them!

Jen C. & I went off our MTP plans for the week, as speedwork efforts at altitude apparently weren’t recommended by (awesome) Coach Brian, and I learned quickly how grateful I was that the goal was to run “easy” all week. I was already a bit nervous about running at 7000ft as my asthma often doesn’t like dry air, much less oxygen-thin dry air, and none of the runs in that sense were “easy”. However, I adapted enough that the splendor of the runs far outweighed the struggle to develop more red blood cells :)

Group Shot and Hoping to Come Back Next Year....

A wonderful group of new running friends, stunning panoramas & trails, good food, lots of learning and much laughter- what a fabulous vacation. The 10^th Run S.M.A.R.T. retreat will be held in August 2016 (dates TBD), and I hope to be losing my breath again (literally & figuratively) again in Flagstaff next summer!

-Debbie P