Cocodona 250 is a 250 mile point-to-point trail race starting just north of Phoenix, AZ and ending in Flagstaff, AZ with an elevation gain of 39,410’ and loss of 34,286’.  The race goes from May 1, 2023 at 5am through May 6.

I finished Cocodona 250 in 101hr 23min 13sec, placing 42 out of 191 runners.  I ran the 250mi race without a crew, without pacers, in a single pair of shoes.  During the race, I dealt with 95+ degree temperatures to below freezing wind chill, dehydration, climbing over 39k feet of elevation, and one of the roughest starts to an ultra-distance race I have ever experienced.  Cocodona 250 was my sixth 200+ mile trail race.  Despite my rough start and missing my goal time, it was my favorite 200+ race.  I am already registered for next year’s race (less than a week after finishing this one).  If you are reading this report because you are considering signing up for Cocodona 250, DO IT!!!  

Why is Cocodona 250 my favorite 200+mi race and why am I already signed up to go back?  

• The challenge: This race is not easy.  The first 50k wrecked me.
• The variety: From running in the desert to climbing Mt. Elden, which is over 9,000’ above Flagstaff
• The towns: The course goes into 8 different towns along the way.
• The livestream: Aravaipa live streams during the entire race, allowing friends and family to see what is currently happening.
• The aid stations: As a plant-based runner, every aid station had multiple real food vegan options for me.  This is a huge benefit for me since I usually run without a crew.  Knowing I could get real food at just about every aid station removed a layer of stress for me.
• The climate: It turns out that I really like running in dry, hot weather.  Although next time, I need a hat and better sunscreen for my nose and cheeks.

As an experience, Cocodona 250 is greater than the sum of its parts. 

Like many of my other race reports, this will be about my view point and experience.  If you are looking for specific details on the trails, check out the Runner’s Manual and links within.  Those will give you much better, more detailed information than I could. If you plan to run Cocodona 250 and have questions or looking for tips, feel free to reach out to me.

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A Couple of Quick Race Stats

Cocodona 250 is a point-to-point race started in 2021 run by Aravaipa Running.  It describes itself as “The experience of a lifetime running 250 miles across the most scenic lands in Central and Northern Arizona connecting together multiple geographic zones, towns and communities highlighting the best of what Arizona has to offer.”

• 250.1 Miles
• 125 hour cutoff
• Elevation Gain: 39,410’
• Elevation Loss: 34,286’
• 20 Aid Stations
  • 9 with Drop Bags
  • 8 with Sleep Areas

Preparation: Training, Spreadsheets, Notes, etc.

I originally planned to run Cocodona in 2022, but the timing did not work out.  I was about to start a new job and I had Tahoe 200 planned for about a month later.  I made the decision to put it off by a year.  

Goals:

I had 3 tiered goals for this race:

1. Finish in under 96 hours (4 days).
2. Finish before the Friday Shuttle leaves – Friday 12pm (103 hours).
3. Finish the race

Training:

From reading race report summaries and talking with folks that ran the race, I knew that I would need to train for: climbing & heat.  Unfortunately due to family and work schedules and lack of sustained climbing options in my area, I was not able to train for climbing as much as I would have liked.  While Central Texas usually offers good heat training, this Spring has been mild.  Basically, I did not get in the climbing and heat training that I wanted.  

That said, I was determined to put in the miles and other training.  I even built out a dashboard, based on my Strava data, to compare my weekly mileage to the previous two years.

My typical weekly training routine:

• Every Morning:
  • Body Weight Exercises
  • Stretching
• Every Weekday Morning:
  • Weight Training
• Mon – Thu Evening:
  • Body Weight Exercises
• Monday: 3.2mi Run
• Tuesday: 3.2mi Weighted Vest Run, Tire Drag, or 40+ lb Ruck
• Wednesday: No running
• Thursday: 7.5 to 8 mi Trail Run (Usually a ~4mi solo run plus a 3.5mi group run with Austin Dirt Runners)
• Friday: 30 min Rowing Machine
• Saturday: Either Hill of Life Repeats (13 loops) or 20+mi Hybrid Trail Run
• Sunday:  20+mi Hybrid Trail Run

Preparation:

In preparation for Cocodona, I printed out the runner’s manual, made it into a nice notebook/folder, and copied all my spreadsheet templates from Tahoe 2022.  Using my spreadsheets and the runner’s manual, I made a basic race plan.

Race Plan:

• Bag Strategy:
  • 9 Drop Bags (5 Large, 4 Small)
  • 2 Camp Blankets at the locations where I planned to sleep
  • All Bags had:
    • Change of socks
    • Blister Kit
    • Batteries
    • Buffs
    • Various food & fuel
    • Disposable toothbrush
    • Shorts
    • T-Shirt
  • Caffeine options in the bags after mile 135
• Sleep Plan: (Quick Preview: I was way off on my sleep plan.)
  • Whiskey Row: 78.7mi
  • Sedona – Posse Grounds: 163mi
  • Munds Park: 191.7mi

New Gear:

For Cocodona 250, I decided to pick up some new gear based on the gear requirements, recommendations, and past experiences.

• Hydration Bladder: I had to replace my Source bladder because it was leaking.  I decided on the Camelbak Fusion Reservoir 2L Bladder.  I picked up two: one for my hydration pack and one for the extra water capacity gear requirement for the first 33 miles.
• Waist Lights:  After the last couple of ultra races, I really wanted to add a waist/chest light.  While I considered some more expensive waist lights, I did not like having to carry the extra battery weight or worry about charging them or carrying extra battery packs.  A couple of weeks before the race, Sally McRea posted about some cheap waist lights she was considering.  I decided to try the same thing and picked up 2 different sets of cheap waist lights.  The idea was instead of one expensive light, I would have multiple cheap lights.  I would replace the one I used with a fresh one from my drop bags every morning.
• Sun Hoodie:  This was a suggested gear item.  Much of the trail is exposed to the sun for long periods.  A sun shirt protects you from UV rays and is made to dry and cool quickly.
• Sun Gloves: I never heard of sun gloves before seeing them recommended in the race manual.  I usually get blisters from my trekking poles, so sun gloves would not only protect my hands from the sun, but also help prevent blisters.  I made a last minute run to REI to pick up a pair less than a week before the race.  

The 4L Water Carry Requirement:

Given the requirement of carrying 4L of water for the first 33 miles, I needed to figure out how I was going to do it.  After considering multiple options, I decided on using the bungie on my Ultimate Direction pack plus rain cover to carry an extra bladder on the outside of my pack.  I also had to determine if I would carry the extra bladder and drop it on my first drop bag or have a second pack ready to go in my drop bag and just do a full swap.  Since I was running without a crew and there were certain items that I needed during the entire race, I was not confident I wouldn’t forget to transfer a critical item from pack 1 to pack 2.  I decided to go with a single pack and connect the extra bladder in a way that was easy to disconnect and drop off.

After one test run, I knew my plan would work with minor modifications.  I added a loop to hook the bladder to, ran the hose through the pack on my shoulder, and added some colorful hair bands to the nozzle so I knew which hose was attached to the extra bladder.  The plan was to drink out of the extra bladder first since it was much easier to refill.  After a second test run with the new setup, I felt comfortable with my plan.

Pre-Race

I arrived in Phoenix, AZ the Saturday before the race.  This allowed me to pick up any supplies and have extra time in case there were any last minute issues or delays.  

I checked in for the race on Sunday.  I picked up the hat I pre-ordered, dropped off my drop bags, and took my pre-race mugshots.  While I was browsing the shop, someone saw my bib and said, “Ed Shelton – I recognize that name.”  Little did I know at the time, but this would become a recurring theme during the race.  In fact, when I went to get my pre-race picture.  Scott saw my name and remembered me, “Ed Shelton – you’ve done these before, right?”  

After chatting with some folks and taking a couple of pictures, I decided to head back to the hotel.  I didn’t go to the pre-race meeting because I was not sure how long it would take me to find dinner afterwards and prepare for the race.

Part 1: “That first section was horrible”

Gear check and SPOT tracker pickup started at 3:45am.  My hotel was about 15 minutes from the start. I got up pretty early, had breakfast, and left the hotel around 3:30am.  

Knowing the first section was going to be a lot of climbing with the extra water weight, I wanted to have my poles but I did not want to use them until I had to.  I found a way to attach them to the front of my pack, the only place I had room with the extra bladder.  This was the first time I attached my poles that way, so I was hopeful it would work out.

While waiting for the race to start, I ran into Dave Stinchfield and his wife, Adina.  I first met Dave and Adina at Bigfoot 200, back in 2019.  Since then, I have seen them at every 200+ I have done.  We caught up briefly before heading to the start line.

At 5am, we were off.  The route quickly turns into a single track.  Unfortunately, I was caught in the pack going at a slower pace than I wanted to start out at.  It was not a huge deal and after a little while I was able to get up to the pace I wanted.

The first section was pretty mild.  It was cool to see the sunrise.  We had a couple of water crossings, most could be crossed without getting your feet wet until Cottonwood Creek.  When we came to the crossing, there was a woman who was able to remove her shoes and socks in one motion per foot, almost like taking off a slipper.  I was impressed.

We hit the first aid station 8.1 miles in.  We were required to fill up 4L of water for the next section.  It would be dry and hot with a lot of climbing.  I topped off my 2L pack bladder, but honestly, I should have been drinking more water in that early section.  Then I filled my second 2L bladder and a 0.5L bottle that I mixed with Tailwind.  As I was leaving, I saw Dave enter the aid station.  We exchanged words of encouragement before I left for the next section.  Overall, the stop took a little longer than I wanted, but dealing with the extra bladder was cumbersome.  

It was 3 miles to the next water station where we were limited to just 1L of water.  The section was not too bad.  I did get to see my first javelinas, small wild pigs.  There were two that ran across the trail in between a couple of us.  

It was getting hot, but the section went by quickly.  I made a quick stop to refill my water bottle at the station.  

The next section was gnarly.  It was 14.4 miles to the next water station and a big climb of ups and downs exposed to the sun.  It beat me down.  Between the heat, my lack of heat training, the climbs, my lack of climbing training, and the extra weight, I was struggling.  I was being careful not to push myself too hard.  A lot of runners passed me during this section.  Dave caught up to me and flew by me.  He was running strong.  

After a little while, I ran into Jamil who was live streaming.  While he was filming me, I could hear him talking to the commentators.  They were talking about the section and I was trying to look like I was not struggling.  Eventually, Jamil ran ahead.  

I continued to struggle.  I felt like I was moving so slowly.  I made sure to eat my salt tablets, but they did not have much calories.  I tried to eat my gels as well.  They were hot from the sun and my body temperature.  I was only able to eat half a packet and had to squirt out the rest.  I kept this up every 30 minutes.  I was not getting the calories I needed.  Also knowing that I could only fill up 1L at the next water station, I was severely rationing my water.

But I kept moving forward.  On some of the bigger climbs, I would occasionally take a 5 second break leaning on my poles.  I ran into Jamil again and he was live streaming.  He asked, “What mileage does your watch say?  I know this is a terrible thing to ask you now.”  

I had only checked my watch at the aid stations to make sure it was working and check its accuracy since I was running on ultra mode.  “It says 16 miles, but it is probably under-counting.”

Jamil shared the mileage on the live stream, while the realization that I wasn’t even halfway through this section hit me.  I heard the commentators talking about what this section was like and what was coming up.  I still had about 8 to 9 miles before the water station and probably around 2,000’ of elevation gain.  Jamil soon passed me again and I was left with my thoughts.

So many questions were running through my mind: “Why am I doing this again?”  “How should I have trained for this?”  “What does this mean for the rest of the race?” “Am I getting too old for this shit?”  “How many more 200+ do I have in me?”

While all these questions ran through my mind, I did not think about quitting.  There were 2 main reasons:

1. I knew that even if I was to quit I would still have to make it to the next aid station at mile 33.1.  Quitting was not really an option until mile 33.1, so why even consider it now.
2. I have trained myself through mediation and other methods to not have negative thoughts during an event.  Negative thoughts are not helpful.  I can ask myself questions, but even those should just be questions and my internal answers should be framed in a positive way.  For example:
   1. Why am I doing this again? – I have not run Cocodona 250 before and it seemed fun.  I have never run a race in Arizona before, so I get to see some of the natural beauty of the area.
   2. How should I have trained for this? – I would occupy my mind with coming up with better training plans.  This was a great way to pass the time.
   3. What does this mean for the rest of the race? – I will need to re-evaluate what stations I am sleeping at.  Other than that, no way to know until later in the race.
   4. …

I continued to struggle in this section, but kept moving forward.  I could tell my first bladder was nearly empty.  I kept drinking from it until it was empty.  I moved to drinking from my other bladder, but I was super conservative knowing that I could only fill up 1 liter at the next water station.

The good news, I came upon the water station not too long after my first bladder ran out.   I crossed a small body of water and went to get my allocated water.  The water station had a few runners there, more than I expected since it seemed I had been on my own for so long.  Jamil was also there live streaming.

For this water station, the water was brought in the day before on burros.  A volunteer was dispensing the water and I overheard him say that some of the containers leaked, so they were being super strict on the water limit.  He did have a small filter and a LifeStraw that runners could use to filter water from the body of water next to the station.  

At this point, I was confident that I was dehydrated.  I could feel the salt residue buildup on my face and neck, I had not peed, and my leg muscles felt on the verge of cramping.  I knew I was not in the danger zone, but I had to drink more.  I decided to wait and use the filter to fill up my bottle.

The filter was so slow and took a lot of effort to get water.  As I was filling my bottle, I listened to the volunteer describe the next section in detail.  One of the statements that really stood out to me was when he said, “It is a different race after the first 50k.”  I made some mental notes based on his description of the upcoming section.  The first half is a bunch of ups and downs before it starts climbing again.  Right before the climb, there is a water trough. 

I only filled a little over half my bottle before returning the filter.  I thanked him for the water and use of the filter.  It made me wish I brought my own filter so I could have filled up more water.

The next section was 7.5 miles with roughly 2,000’ elevation gain.  My plan was to drink from my bottle and extra bladder until I hit the trough.  At that point, I knew I would be halfway there but with a big climb.  Then, I would drink from my main bladder with the goal to finish it before the aid station.

I still struggled over the next section.  It felt like it took forever to get to the trough.  I remember thinking, “How could I only be halfway there?”  I was a little behind my water plan and had not finished my extra bladder, but I was close.  I finished the water in the extra bladder and started to drink from my main bladder.

I was still not able to eat much, but forced myself to eat as much as I could.  I started to think of my plan for the aid station.  I would fill my bottle with the electrolyte drink they had (somewhat of a risky notion since I never used that drink before).  I would fill my extra bladder leaving my main one alone.  My main bladder was hard to get to and it was only 4.3 miles to the next aid station so I would be fine with 2 liters of water.  If they had watermelon and salt, I would get several slices.  

When I got to the aid station, it was a rough scene.  I clearly was not the only one that struggled through that section.  I came in and asked a volunteer to half fill my bottle with the electrolyte drink.  There was an open chair, so I decided to sit so it would be easier to get my bladder out and eat.  I had a couple of sips of the drink and it was entirely too salty for me.  I don’t know if it was the drink or the mix, but I could not finish it.  I had to pour it out and get water instead.  I was super excited to see that the aid station had watermelon and salt.  I had 4 slices of watermelon with salt.  After my extra bladder was filled, I was back on my way.

The next section was mainly downhill on fire roads.  I knew the tough climbing part of the first section was done.  My legs were on the verge of cramping, so I was really feeling the downhills in my quads.  It was getting late and the temperatures were cooling.  I was anxious to get to the Crown King Saloon / Spring Energy Aid Station.  There I would have access to my drop bag, could change my socks, eat, and try to do something about the SPOT tracker.  The tracker was attached to my pack on my shoulder.  The rough side of the velcro had been rubbing and scratching me the whole time.

As I approached the aid station, I realized that this was a little community in the woods.  There was a cool little playground, houses, and campers.  At the aid station, I was surprised to see it was next to a bar with shaded picnic tables.  It was here that I realized Cocodona 250 may be more unique than the other 200+ races I ran.

I asked for my drop bag as I entered and headed to one of the shaded picnic tables.  I knew I had a lot to do.  This was one of the aid stations that I had planned to take more time since I needed to rearrange my pack, drop off my extra bladder, grab some cold weather gear, etc. 

During these races, I normally go completely off the grid.  I put my phone into “Do Not Disturb” and airplane mood.  Part of the enjoyment I get is the ability to completely disconnect.  Given the location, I assumed that I probably would have service, so I decided to send AJ a quick note because I figured she was tracking me and saw how long that first section took.  I turned on my phone and sent her a quick note, “That first section was horrible”, then signed back off.  I realized too late that sending her a note during a race may actually freak her out, especially if she replies and I don’t.  

I asked a volunteer about the vegan options.  They had potato soup and smoothies from the Spring Energy team.  They may have had other options, but I can’t remember.  I had both the potato soup and smoothie.  I started running through my planned activities for this aid station.  While sitting there, another runner came in and sat next to me.  We were chatting a little.  It was her first 200 and her partner was crewing for her.  She saw my bib and said “Ed Shelton – I recognize that name.”

My feet were in good shape and the tape on my toes was doing great.  The other tape on my feet was all peeling off.  I asked if the medic could see me, so I could get some more leuko-tape.  I didn’t pack any.  

The medic stopped by and added tape to the hot spots on my feet.  I also asked him to look at my shoulder where the tracker was rubbing.  He could see that it was rubbing me pretty raw there.  He offered to cover the spot with leuko-tape, which I accepted.  The runner next to me was having similar issues with the tracker rubbing her.  I used some of my KT-Tape to cover the velcro on the tracker.  The combination felt much better.

Since it was close to 6pm and 15.7 miles to the next aid station, I knew the next section would be in the dark.  I decided to take out my contacts.  Luckily, this station had a real bathroom (toilet, running water, soap, etc.) inside the saloon.  I decided I would try to pee, since I had not peed all race, and to wash my hands with soap and water.

I was nervous about what the color of my pee would be.  I knew I was dehydrated and my muscles were sore.  My pee was pretty dark, but not scary dark.  I definitely needed to drink more and eat more but I was not in the danger zone.  I went back to the table, took out my contacts, finished my soup and smoothie, returned my drop bag, and started out on the next section.  It was about 6 or 6:30pm when I left.  That first 50k section took over 12 hours.  I was bummed that I would probably miss my goal of under 96 hours.  As I was leaving, I ended up heading the wrong way.  Luckily another runner called out and corrected me.  As we started leaving, we chatted.  He was familiar with this section and gave me a brief overview of it.  I was going at a faster pace than him and started to pull ahead.  We wished each other luck and I was going on my own again. 

Overall, the route was well marked.  This was the first time I came upon a branching path where I was not sure which path to take.  A pair of runners caught up to me as I was trying to figure out the way.  They paused as well and we all consulted our GPS maps.  We wanted the road on the left.  I pointed in that direction, and said, “This is the way.”  As I said that, I heard myself in the Mandalorian’s voice, “This is the way.”

This would become one of the three main themes of my race.  

1. People see my name and say to me: “Ed Shelton – I recognize that name” or some close equivalent.
2. Whenever I consulted my GPS map in the right direction, I would hear the Mandalorian’s voice in my head saying, “This is the way.”
3. The third theme will appear on day 2.

I don’t recall much about the next 2 sections of the race.  I picked up my pace on the downhills.  During this section, I tumbled, scraping up the area right below my left knee.  Other than the shock of the fall, it was not too bad.  

I blew through the Arrasta Creek aid station, only stopping to fill my water bottle with Tailwind and water.  I was keeping a close eye on the time.  I knew I would not make it to my sleep bag at Friendly Pines camp during the night.  Also, I forgot that my sleep bag was actually at Whiskey Row, the station after Friendly Pines.  I would make the call at Kamp Kipa to sleep or not.  They had a sleep station, but I did not know if it was indoors or outdoors.  The temperature was dropping pretty quick.  If the sleep station was outdoors, I did not have the gear to keep warm.

I came into Kamp Kipa around 4am.  It was pretty cold and I was happy to see that the aid station was indoors.  Given the time, I decided to sleep at Kamp Kipa aid station.  The volunteer said that the beds were in the cabins across the way and he suggested I grab a blanket since the cabins were not heated.  I asked where the bathroom was.  He said, “We have a bucket, not a bathroom.”  I decided to skip the bucket and use the woods.

I was very tired and decided to get about 90 minutes of sleep.  The beds were just plastic mattresses on bunk beds.  I found a lower bunk that was empty, took off my gear and shoes, set my alarm, and laid down.  I usually cover my head when sleeping in a sleep station.  The blanket was only 5 feet long, so I had to either curl up under it or let my feet hang out.  I actually had to switch between the two because I could feel my muscles tense up after being curled up for a little while.

I was able to sleep but woke before my alarm went off.  My goal was to leave the aid station by 6:30am.  I took the scary stairs down to the aid station.  I asked what vegan food they had.  They offered to make vegan pancakes, but I did not have the time to wait.  I had a cup of vegan broth before heading out.  I left the Kipa Kamp aid station by 6:30am.

Part 2:  So Many Vegan Options

The morning started off well.  I felt rested and was running at a decent pace.  I thought about what that guy said on the first day, “It is a different race after the first 50k.”  He was right.  

I made it to Friendly Pines Camp, an indoor aid station.  I was looking forward to getting into my sleep bag and having some breakfast.  As I sat down, the volunteer brought my drop bag.  I was surprised to see it was one of my small bags.

I asked the volunteers what vegan hot food options they had.  They listed several and the pancakes sounded good, especially since I was carrying some Untapped Pure Maple Syrup.  While pancakes were being made, I took care of all the start of day tasks – change out my headlamp batteries, replace my buffs, apply more BodyGlide, change socks, put my contacts back in, etc.  I ate the pancakes in addition to one of my protein bars.  

Before I left, I went to the Medic to get the scrap on my leg cleaned up.  It was covered in dirt, so it could use a cleaning plus I wanted to get a better look at it.  The Medic was super friendly and took care of me pretty quickly.  She asked for my name to log the care.  I showed her my bib and she said, “Ed Shelton … I recognize that name.”  I replied that several people have said that to me recently.  I thanked her for the help and was on my way.

The next section went by pretty fast and soon enough I was running on the sidewalks.  I double checked my GPS to make sure.  I told myself, “Yep, keep going straight” …”This is the way.” (in the Mandalorian’s voice).

The route was going right into town.  People waved and asked what the event was.  A woman that was live streaming saw me and said, “Welcome to Prescott .. this way.”  She asked me how I was doing as we ran past the town’s main square.  “Cross here and take a right to the aid station,” she told me. 

As I came upon the aid station, it was not at all what I expected.  It was in the courtyard of a nice hotel.  I was hungry so I asked what hot vegan food they had.  The volunteer said they had vegan pizza.  I was not sure about eating a vegan pizza during a race.  Before I realized it, she was handing it to me and saying that it was really good.  It looked great, was hot, and the crust was crispy. 

I found a chair in the shade.  Put the pizza down to let it cool and get some fuel from my gear bag.  Looking at the pizza, I realized I had to take a picture because I couldn’t believe it.  It was good.  The crust was fantastic.  Before heading out, I decided to use the bathroom and was directed to the bathroom inside one of the buildings. 

It was the nicest bathroom I have ever been in during an ultra race. There was a plant and a stick diffuser.  I thought, “I shouldn’t be allowed in here. I better put some toilet paper down on the seat to protect the toilet seat from me.”

As I left the aid station, I thanked the volunteers and thought about what a different experience that station was.  I spent longer at Whiskey Row than I had planned.  I was not happy with how long the race was taking me.  I checked the time.  I was about 9.5 hours ahead of the cutoff.  I made progress against the cutoff since the Crown King aid station.  I was only about 5.5 hours ahead when I left Crown King.  

The next section really solidified what I was beginning to feel: Cocodona 250 is one of the most interesting 200+ races I have done.  After leaving town, I entered Watson Lake Park.  Watson Lake is a reservoir surrounded by giant boulders and lumpy rock formations.  This is also where I met fellow runner, Aaron Fleisher, and his pacer Justine True, who was only wearing a hydration vest and American flag speedos.  They were really cool and knew the way, so I ran and chatted with them, stopping often to take pictures of the area.  The landscape was like nothing I had seen in person before.  Being surrounded by the amazing scenery plus meeting and chatting with cool people after Prescott & Whiskey Row, I thought, “This is a fantastic race and experience.”

Once we were out of the rock formations, I picked up the pace.  I said goodbye to Aaron & Justin and wished them the best.  As I ran this section, I started to reflect on the race so far.  I thought, this really has been a different race after the first 50k.  Now that I know that and what the first 50k was like, what would I do differently?  That is when the song, “Ooh La La” by Rod Steward got stuck in my head.  Actually, only the lines “I wish that I knew what I know now.  When I was younger.”  These lines would play over and over again in my head throughout the rest of the race.  About half the time it played in my head, the lyrics were wrong like “I wish that I knew now what I knew then.  When I was older.”  Sometimes I would let it go, other times I would have to sing it again in my head until I got it right.  It was torturous.  That is the third recurring theme of the race.

1. “Ed Shelton – I recognize that name” 
2. Mandalorian voice: “This is the way.”
3. “I wish that I knew what I know …”

It was another hot day completely exposed to the sun and I was feeling it.  I made sure to drink, but not too much.  After a long stretch of flat running, I came into the Iron King aid station.  I was planning to go through the station, but I realized that I needed to focus on my hydration.  I stopped, ate a couple of salted watermelon slices, filled up my water, and made a Tailwind drink.  

The next section was short (5.3 mi) and went by pretty quickly.  As I approached the Satisfy Fain Ranch aid station station, I couldn’t tell what was going on.  It looked kind of like a finish line, with a corral, lined with flags, people handing things out, a covered area, and trailers.  I was so confused, do I run between the flags or around them?

I decided to run between the flags where two people were handing out cans of a drink.  I politely declined the drink and went into the aid station.  There was so much going on that I was having a real hard time processing it all.  There were couches, potted plants, a coffee table, lamps, fancy spread of food, a chalkboard menu, cans of a special endurance drink everywhere, and runners getting massages.  I went to the food area and asked what vegan options they had.  I was overwhelmed with the options.  “From here to here, everything is vegan,” the volunteer said as he motioned over about two-thirds of the table.  He then started to name and describe everything.  In my state, I could only comprehend every other word.  What I understood was there was a  “hummus, …, maple syrup, …, with sourdough cracker,” …, “natural energy …”, …, “chia pudding,” .. and other things.  He then started to go over the menu.  Everything on the table looked amazing.  I was frozen trying to figure out what to get.  I took the easy way out and just asked for avocado on a tortilla and the hummus cup. I went over and sat down on one of the couches.  

I ate the hummus with a sourdough cracker while waiting for my avocado taco.  It was ridiculously good.  I never had maple sweetened hummus before.  Then they brought the taco over.  It was on a homemade tortilla, with a lot of avocado, and a sprinkling of kosher salt.  That was when I realized, this was the real deal.  The people behind the food are actual chefs.  I looked them up after the race; they are “Canyons and Chefs.”  It was the best meal I ever had at an aid station.  After I ate, I cleaned up, took out my contacts, got my headlamp ready because the sun was setting soon and I was back on my way.  As I left, I thought, “If I come back to Cocodona 250, I need to plan on taking a longer break and eat at the Satisfy aid station.”

The next section started with crossing various fields.  I would spot the flag marker, head towards it while trying to find the next one, and repeat.  This was working pretty well.  There were other runners behind me, but none in front.  As the sun went down, I was having a harder time finding the flags until I could not find the next one.  I checked the GPS and realized that I missed it and backtracked.  There were 2 people not too far behind me so I thought it would be best to join them.  The three of us together would be better at finding and following the flags than just me. 

It was Jason Baum, a racer, and his pacer, Erin.  Jason and I were clearly sleep deprived and having some trouble finding the flags.  Thankfully, Erin was on top of it and navigated our path the rest of the way through the fields.  We had a chance to chat.  Jason and Erin are from Arizona.  They were super familiar with the trails coming up and they lovingly called Cocodona 250 “a tour of some of the best parts of Arizona.”  Erin shared that the climb up Mingus is comprised of 7 switchbacks.

Once we hit the single track, I pulled ahead and was on my own again.  The temperatures were dropping as I climbed.  While it was a long climb, it went by quickly and soon enough I was at the Mingus Mountain Camp aid station.  The next sleep station was about 25 miles away, so I decided to sleep here.  They had a system for the beds: a whiteboard where you could see which beds were open and claim your bed.  I picked one and went over to the cabin to sleep.  The cabin was warm with a full bathroom, couches, and several rooms of beds.  I went to my room and climbed into an empty bottom bunk to sleep.  One of the other runners had ocean/whale music playing which I was fine with.

Part 3: Making Real Progress

I slept for about 90 minutes, waking up right before my alarm.  I went back to the aid station to get some food and take care of my feet.  I ate some potato soup and vegan pancakes.  I asked the Medic to help with my feet.  

My feet were in good shape and my toe tape was holding up incredibly well.  In the last section, the arch on my right foot was acting up.  I asked her if KT Tape would help.  She said it would, so I pulled out 2 strips from my drop bag.  She taped my arches and added leuko-tape to some new hot spots.  She also cleaned up the cut on my forehead from when I ran into a tree branch.  

My plan was to leave by 2:30am and I was out on time.  The next section went down Mingus.  It was a single track with some snow covered parts.  I was taking it pretty quickly until I took a tumble.  I landed on the exact same spot it hit and scrapped earlier in the race.

The course opened into wide dirt, rocky roads before going through Jerome, “a historic mining town, now an artist’s enclave and tourist stop.”  It was cool to see the town.  Of course, one of the art studios had a cat in the window.  I almost stopped and took a picture.   After what felt like forever, I entered the Jerome aid station. 

It was pretty clear that this station saw a lot of activity not too long before I arrived.  I was offered chicken nuggets when I entered.  After saying I was vegan, they offered spring rolls, potato soup or to make me something.  I was not too hungry, so I had a small cup of potato soup.  I put in my contacts, added some sunscreen to my cheeks, nose, and ears which were definitely sunburnt.  Before I left, a crew member there saw my bib and said she recognized my name.  

I was halfway to the finish.  I could finally use the second side of my aid station cheat sheet.  This felt like a real accomplishment.  

The next section went through the town of Cottonwood.  Some of the locals called out words of encouragement.  The race continued to grow on me.  It was so cool that I was getting to see all these towns along the way.  The mix of towns, dirt roads, and single track was special.

It was getting hot again.  After a couple of GPS checks and telling myself, “This is the way.” I arrived at Dead Horse Ranch aid station.  I had some salted watermelon, an avocado, lettuce, & salsa taco, and my first small amount of caffeine.  I did not take much fuel from my drop bag, except Tailwind and Maple Syrup shots, since everything was so warm from being in the sun.  I was having a hard time eating any fuel that was warm.

The next section went by pretty quickly.  It was very hot and sun exposed, but I kept moving.  I saw a couple of coyotes sleeping in the shade under a tree.  When I made it to the Deer Pass aid station, I was feeling the heat again.  I refilled my water, had some salted watermelon, and another avocado on a tortilla.  I must have brushed up against a cactus somewhere along the way because I had cactus needles in my finger.  I did not have any tweezers and neither did the aid station.  Luckily, I know a couple of different ways to remove cactus needles.  The aid station had duct tape, so I used the duct tape to remove the needles successfully.  Then I was back on my way.  

This section had some amazing views that I was able to enjoy as the sun was setting.  Before long, I was entering the town of Sedona.  I caught up to another runner, whose name I unfortunately have forgotten.  We ran together through the town and into the aid station.  It was about 10pm.

I ran into Dave at the aid station.  I had not seen him since the climb on the first day when he blew right by me.  We chatted briefly.  He was doing well and was heading out soon.  

My plan was to sleep, fix up my feet, and eat.  The sleep cots were set up in one big room.  I found an empty cot and a blanket.  Since it was still pretty early and someone was snoring extremely loudly, I did not sleep much.  (The snoring was so loud, the medics were actually debating whether they should do something about it.)

After a short nap, I had some vegan pancakes with salted cocoa maple syrup, changed all my batteries, switched out my GPS watch to a simple watch, fixed my feet, and I was on my way around 1am.  I was struggling to keep a good pace on this section.  I was tired.  

I made it to Oak Creek, the big water crossing, in the middle of the night.  They had a guide rope set up.  Since my feet were in good shape, the crossing was not too bad for me.  In fact, the cold water felt great on my sore leg muscles.  The deepest part only came up to the bottom of my shorts, which meant I was able to keep my shorts dry.

Eventually, I made it to the Schnebly Hill aid station.  It was a chilly morning, so I asked for some oatmeal.  The volunteer asked me if I wanted any water added to it because he said, “It is dry.”  I said no, which I regretted once he handed me the oatmeal.  Dry was an understatement; it looked more like oat nuggets than oatmeal.  I had some hot water added to it, plus salt and maple syrup.  

There was a couple, Kara and Brian, running the race together.  I started chatting with them, when Kara saw my bib and said, “Ed Shelton .. I recognized that name.”  I told her that I have heard that a couple of times during the race.   We shared stories of other races, including my pole story from Moab 240.  The short version of the story: Someone took my poles at an aid station, so I had to take the ones he left.  Many, many miles later, I found him at another aid station and we switched our poles back.  His name was Jared.

I left the aid station in good time and was shuffling on my way.  Another runner caught up to me and we started chatting.  I quickly realized that it was Jared, the guy I just told the story about who had accidentally taken my poles at Moab.  He laughed and held up his poles, “I put tape on them now.”

I laughed and replied, “Me too,” as I showed him my poles.  We ran together for a little while before Jared picked up his pace and was off.

I made it into Munds aid station with a plan to make it a quick stop, but I was pretty hungry at this point.  The aid station said they had vegan spring rolls and could cook some tofu for me.  I opted for a taco with avocado and tofu.  I was super grateful when I saw that they fried 3 large slices of tofu to put on the taco.  It was very good.

I had about 60 miles left.  On shorter races, I would normally push through to the end.  I learned the hard way, that if I am going over 200 miles, I need to rest otherwise I will lose my vision.  The plan was to make it to Fort Tuthill, the next sleep station, take a quick nap and then finish the race.  Along the way, I caught up to Jared again.  His goal was to finish in under 100 hours.  I was looking at the time and it seemed very doable.  My goal was to finish in under 96 hours, but I needed to finish before the shuttle back to the start left on Friday at 12pm, 103 hours.  If I missed Friday’s shuttle, I would have to wait until Saturday 12pm to catch the next one.  I needed to pick up my pace a little.  

Jared was going at a faster pace and pulled ahead.  I was struggling to keep a shuffle going.  I decided to switch between walking and a quicker shuffle.  I would pick an object ahead of me and shuffle to that point, then pick another object and walk to that point, then repeat.  It was working pretty well for me except that the sleep deprivation was beginning to seep into my mind.  The best way I can describe what was happening to me is:  When I would reach the object I picked to switch my pace, the world would shake and I transition into the other dimension, either to the walk or the shuffle dimension.  For the most part, it did not negatively impact me, except sometimes it did feel like I was standing still waiting to jump dimensions.

Despite the constant switching between dimensions on this section, I made good time.  I caught up to Jared at the Kelly Canyon aid station.  I did sit down when I got there, but kept the stop pretty short.  Over the next section, I would see Jared a couple of times.  As we got close to Fort Tuthill, the film crew that was documenting his race met up with him and ran with him to the aid station.

The sun was going down when I arrived at Fort Tuthill.  My plan was simple: take out my contacts, sleep for about an hour, eat some food, and get back on the trail as quickly as I could.  I ran into Dave again at the station.  He was doing well.  He was happy to see me because he thought I said I was dropping at Sedona.  He was getting ready to leave, so I wished him luck and hoped to see him at the finish line.

Since it was pretty early, the sleep area was pretty empty.  I grabbed a blanket and found an empty cot.  I set my alarm, covered my head with the blanket, and fell asleep pretty quickly.  When my alarm went off, I was surprised.  It was the first time during the race where I did not wake up before my alarm.  I was more tired than I realized.

I got up and went to get some food.  I opted for plain pasta, which the volunteer told me was pretty dry.  After a bite, I agreed with the volunteer and asked for some of the vegan meat sauce.  Note for future races, if a volunteer says the food is dry, listen to them.  It is not a mistake I will make a third time.

Before leaving Fort Tuthill, every racer had to check-in with the medics.  I was told that they would ask me a couple of questions, like what day it was, to make sure I was doing okay.  I was a little nervous because I honestly did not know what day it was.  I knew I slept 4 times, so was I entering day 4.  When it was my turn, the medic asked me a couple of questions:

• What’s my name? – Ed Shelton
  • She said she recognized my name.
• Have I slept during the race? – Yep, in fact, I just had a nap.
• What day is it?  – I know I will be starting day 4 soon, but I am not sure exactly what day it is.
• What aid station is this?  – I don’t know.  I know it is Fort “something”.  I forgot the actual name.  “It is Fort Tuthill,” she said.
• Any physical issues? – Nope, I am doing well.

“Okay, you are good to go.  Good luck.” she said and sent me on my way.

I hit the trail about 8:15pm.  I had about 8 hours and 45 minutes to complete 39 miles in order to hit my goal of 96 hours.  I was closer to my goal than I thought I would be after day 1, but I knew it would be really difficult to hit it.  I was still going to try, but I did adjust my expectations to aim for under 100 hours and remind myself that I need to finish by 12pm to catch the shuttle back to the start.

Day 4: I Wanna Climb the Mountain! Why Are They Keeping me from the Mountain?

I started out feeling good and going at a faster pace.  I was ready to finish the race.  This section was 17.2 miles long.  As I was running it, it felt like I was caught in a loop, running the same section over and over again.  I imagined that there was a fancy dinner party looking down at me from their balcony commenting to each other in a rather snooty voice, “This crazy fool keeps running the same section over and over again.  Should we tell him or keep watching?”

I knew my mind was playing tricks on me, so I just kept pushing forward.  While everything seemed like it looked the same, I did feel some temperature changes so I figured I was going forward.  When the trail changed, I pulled out the GPS to check my location and direction.  “This is the way,” I said pointing forward.

When I arrived at Walnut Canyon aid station, it was cold.  One racer was wrapped in a blanket by the fire.  The volunteers were huddled around a heater in the aid station.  This stop was going to be quick.  I had some warm vegan broth, packed my last RedBull in my vest, put on my cold weather gear including my warm hat, and I was on my way. 

I knew the next section had the Mount Elden climb, but I did not know where in the section it was.   For some reason, I thought it was about two-thirds of the way there.  (It is actually at the very end of the section.)  I could see the silhouette of the mountains in the distance, but I had no idea if those were the ones I was going to climb or not.  They seemed too far away.

As I was running, the mountains were getting closer and the sun was starting to rise.  I began to realize that I was probably going to climb the tallest mountain I could see.  Every time I thought I was getting closer and making progress, the trail seemed to turn away from the mountain.  “I just wanna climb the mountain!  Why won’t they let me climb the mountain?” a whiny voice would repeat in my head.  While I hate whiny voices, it was a nice break from the correct and incorrect chorus of Rod Steward’s “Ooh La La” playing in my head.

Eventually, I seemed to be on the trail taking me up the mountain.  I check the GPS navigation – “This is the way”

To give some perspective, the climb up Mt. Elden is an elevation gain of 2,000’ in 2 miles with 40 switchbacks that tops out at 9,000’.   I had my poles ready and the climb started.  I was expecting it to be steep and kept getting off the trail.  I would check the GPS and realize it.  I was expecting the trail to be more difficult so I kept following what looked like a trail, versus the most obvious trail. .  

At one point, I was tired and trying to figure out where to go, when a young guy wearing AirForce 1s with a drink in his hand was easily climbing up the mountain and passed me.  I had the realization that I just need to follow the obvious trail and I don’t need my poles for balance and traction.  I just started climbing.

There were many false summits for someone that is unfamiliar with the mountain.  I could see the radio towers at the top and knew that is where I was going.  As I approached the summit, the temperatures were dropping.  There was more snow on the trail and my fingers and hands were getting numb from the cold.  I had refused to put on my warm gloves, convinced that I was near the top.  Once I reached the summit, I could not see an aid station.  The wind was really whipping around.  While I was warm and a little sweaty under my jacket, my face and hands were numb from the cold.  Since I had no idea how much further the aid station was and I was tired of sipping on water, I cracked open my last Red Bull and downed it quickly while shivering in the cold and wind.  I started to run down the mountain.  There were huge snow banks on the sides.  The wind was blowing up the dirt and it was so strong it was pushing me to the side.  

I saw one of the photographers and was hoping her photos would capture my struggle against the wind.  She definitely captured that I was not thrilled with the current situation.

When I arrived at the aid station, the volunteers were full of energy and super happy to see a runner.  I wasn’t hungry, just cold.  I topped off my water, had a cup of coffee, and sent AJ a text letting her know I was at the last station in case she wanted to watch the live stream of my finish.  I knew the next section would be fast and get a lot warmer.  I removed my cold weather layers, but I was still wet with sweat.  I used the heater to dry off.  My body started to steam as the sweat was evaporating off of my body.  The volunteers used my phone to take a picture.

After drying out a little, I told them I was planning to run the rest of the way.  What I actually said was, “After a Red Bull and coffee, I am surprised I am not there already.”

Once I had everything secured on my vest, I was ready to go and ran out of the aid station.  I continued running the whole way down the mountain, passing other racers, and getting cheers for a small group of runners running up the mountain.  

Towards the bottom of the mountain, the course branched off to a single track.  I slowed down as I had to pay more attention to the course markers and I was starting to feel a little fatigued again.  I was determined to keep a good pace.  The course turned onto roads and pavement and I knew the end was near.

I saw a cameraman.  He was live streaming.  He gave me an idea of how much further to the finish and what the rest of the course was like.  I was feeling really good and jogging.  I was excited and ready for the finish.  

There were a lot of intersections where we had to stop and wait for the lights.  The cameraman was super helpful, he would tell me which lights I had to wait for and which ones I could just run through.  I got a couple of high fives along the way which was pretty awesome.

I did not know at the time that Kevin Goldberg was one of the commentators on my final stretch.  Kevin and I ran the last third (or more) of Bigfoot 200 together years earlier and really got to know each other.  Since then, I had seen him at every 200 I have run.  It was super awesome to have him provide commentary during my finish.  

Watch the Recorded Live Stream of my finish.

As I approached the final turn, I saw someone pointing down the alley to turn.  I turned down the alley, saw the finish line, and increased my pace.  It was awesome to cross the finish to runners and crews cheering me on.  After receiving a bunch of high fives and fist bumps, I was escorted over to the side where folks helped me take off my vest, remove the SPOT tracker, hand me my buckle, and take my after race photo.

I felt so awesome with my finish.  I checked the time.  It took me about 101.5 hours and I made it in time to take the shuttle.  It was longer than I wanted, but I really did not care.  

I put on my sandals, wrapped myself in my blanket since I kept getting cold, and ordered a tofu scramble and avocado taco from the aid station.  It was so good, I had another.  After a short delay, we were on the shuttle back to the start.  I wrapped myself up in my blanket and slept the whole way.

Final Thoughts

On the Cocodona 250 Race

A couple of times during the race, folks would ask me what I thought about Cocodona 250 and/or how it compared to the other 200+ mile races I have done.  I would say that the first 50k destroyed me, but it may be my favorite 200+ mile race.  After a couple of days of reflection, I can confidently say it is my favorite one for all the reasons I mentioned at the top of this report:

• The challenge: This race is not easy.  The first 50k wrecked me.
• The variety: From running in the desert to climbing Mt. Elden, which is a little over 9,000’ above Flagstaff
• The towns: The course goes into 8 different towns along the way.
• The livestream: Aravaipa live streams during the entire race, allowing friends and family to see what is currently happening.
• The aid stations: As a plant-based runner, every aid station had multiple real food vegan options for me.  This is a huge benefit for me since I usually run without a crew.  Knowing I could get real food at just about every aid station removed a layer of stress for me.
• The climate: We experienced temperatures over 95 and below freezing with wind chill.  It turns out that I really like running in dry, hot weather.  Although next time, I need a hat and better sunscreen for my nose and cheeks.

I am registered to run it again next year.  I think it will be an even better experience now that I know what I wish I knew when I was younger (before I ran the race).

On the Cocodona Experience

Cocodona 250 was my sixth 200+ mile race.  I feel lucky that I am able to run these races.  Lucky that I have the physical ability to complete the race, that I have the support of my family to leave for a week to go on a run, and that I can disconnect from the world for multiple days.  

I have a single, difficult task: make it from point A to point B, 250 miles away, as fast as I can on my two feet.  I get help along the way from the aid stations, volunteers, and medics, but it is still a goal that it is up to me to complete, to keep going when it gets difficult or doesn’t go according to my plan.  

Challenges like this help me to continue to grow, to stay positive when times are tough, and to know that whatever life or work throws at me, I can and will find a way through.  

Stay positive and keep moving forward, “This is the way.” [in the Mandalorian’s voice]

Thank Yous & Shout Outs

• All the runners I met and ran with along the way.  This is an amazing and supportive community.  It is always a pleasure to run with all of you.
• Aravaipa Running for putting on such a great race, for planning a route that took us through amazing parts of Arizona and let us see and experience the towns along the way, and for live streaming the race so friends and family could get to see what was going on.
• The aid station volunteers and medics who were always willing and eager to help us in any way they could.  They made running without a crew a lot easier. 
• The Vegan Food – It was amazing!
• The photographers (Scott Rokis, Howie Stern, Anastasia Wilde) for capturing all those awesome moments.
• AJ, my wife, for being my control center:  Helping with organization, logistics, booking hotels/flights, and taking care of the kids, animals, etc. at home while I was running.  
• Kevin Goldberg – Providing personal commentary on my finish.