Prescott, Arizona
Five stars. (★★★★★)
Arizona has forests. Who knew!
I traveled to Prescott for the Man Against Horse race, which deserves its own post. I found this charming Airbnb in the woods where I could work, acclimate to the altitude, hike a bit, and generally restore.
It was also a do-over for the Colorado trip derailed by COVID.
Days 1-2: Arrival and Settling in
Thu-Fri, October 8-9
Arrived late Thursday night after a delayed flight and a stressful two-hour drive from Phoenix. Terrible sleep.
Friday meetings started at 8 a.m. with a midday grocery run to break up the workday; I could finally exhale and rest in the evening. More terrible sleep.
Day 3: First Hike
Sat, October 10
The Spruce Mountain via Groom Creek Loop trail is a five-minute drive from the Airbnb. I attempted to run, but the terrain was too rocky and incline was hard; I got an altitude headache immediately. Relative to other places I go, the hike was not spectacular - but nicer than I expected in Arizona.
I used the hike to test my new Shokz open-ear headphones ahead of Saturday's race.
Light rain started around midday. I got a strip-mall massage in town, hit Trader Joe's for a few more items, and otherwise took it easy.
Day 4: Forced Downtime
Sun, October 11
Rainy, blustery day! I nested in the cozy cabin and spent the entire day catching up on personal tasks, with small breaks for stretching and comfort food. The downtime was good for my health and recovery. The constant rain was a rare pleasure for me - but maybe not so great for the trails?
Days 5-7: Remote Work
Mon-Wed, October 12-14
Strange days... It's hard to toggle between work and relaxation, especially in a place designed for unplugging. I put in full workdays, preserving a little "me time" in the early mornings and evenings. The rain finally let up Tuesday afternoon so I could venture out to the Goldwater Lakes Loop.
Day 8: Reawakening
Thu, October 15
No work and nice weather, once the day warmed up. After several cozy indoor mornings it took some motivation to get out early to the Wolf Creek Loop. The fresh air was invigorating and I needed to get my legs moving ahead of Saturday's big race.
After the hike I did a few errands in town and tidied the cabin for Leah's arrival.
Day 9: Day Trip
Fri, October 16
In a lowkey throwback to our 2025 adventure, we jumped in the car and and hit the parks: Montezuma Castle and nearby Montezuma Well, then up to Cottonwood for Tuzigoot National Monument and lunch at Crema Craft Kitchen. We got some steps in, but kept it moderate. The drive was easy and scenic.
On the way home we stopped at the race location to pick up my packet and scope out the situation.
Day 10: Race Day
Sat, October 17
That was the hardest 13 miles I will ever run. Detail here.
I'm so grateful Leah was there to cheer me on and make it fun instead of weird.
Day 11: Travel Home
Sun, October 18
We had enough time to walk Goldwater Lakes Loop before final pack-up and the two-hour drive to Phoenix. As usual, I would have been happy to stay another week or two, but I made the most of the trip.
