1,000's of people flocked to Flagstaff, Arizona to escape the heat of the valley and to compete in the Terrain Race on July 21st. While the valley hit temps of 116 degrees, Flagstaff was an absolutely beautiful 75 degrees. Nowhere else in Arizona are you going to find an obstacle course race in the middle of summer. It was a perfect spot for a weekend getaway, so we rented a cabin in the woods with some friends and enjoyed the race and the cooler weather all weekend!
The Course:
This course is one of my absolute favorites and this is the 4th year in a row that I had the opportunity to race in the Ponderosa pines of Northern Arizona. Flagstaff sits at an elevation of about 7,000 feet above sea level. For many of the competitors (myself included), altitude played a major factor during the race. I felt the effects of the altitude within the first 10 minutes of the race. The course weaved through the Fort Tuthill County Park, there were rolling hills, about a dozen equestrian log jumps and a few water pits. Overall, this 5k race was a trail runners dream.
The Obstacles:
Tire flips, tire hockey, tractor pulls, cargo climbs, ascending and descending monkey bars, we saw all of the Terrain Race staples in this race, but the two obstacles that took the most wristbands in the competitive heat were once again the Tarzan swing and rig. I was in 7th place for the duration of the race (thank you lead legs and altitude), when I hit the Tarzan, I came up to the women who were previously in 2nd-6th place. I had the opportunity to race Terrain 2 other times this year (running the course multiple times at each race), so I was able to cruise right through the Tarzan swing and was all of a sudden in second place. The rig was the very next obstacle, and I have to say Terrain does an awesome job at creating a challenging and fun rig at every race. This one, in particular, started with about 8 alternating rock climbing grips, you then had to move to a 6-foot traverse pole and finished with a 3 various grip obstacles before ringing the bell. I got through the rig without any issues and was able to maintain 2nd place for the remainder of the race.
A Podium Finish…finally!
Over the last two years, I have consistently placed 5th or 6th in almost every race. To finally stand on the podium in Flagstaff, was seriously amazing! Even better, was that my family and friends were able to be there along with everyone from Phoenix Evolution, the OCR gym in Chandler, AZ. that I train and coach at. This race fueled my passion even more for the sport of Obstacle Course Racing and I am already looking forward to the next race!