TRAVEL

AZ outdoors bucket list: Rides, races in beautiful places

Bob Young
The Republic | azcentral.com
The scene at the 2009 Whiskey Row Marathon in Prescott.

Half the battle of living a healthy, active lifestyle is getting out the door and moving.

We don't need much of an excuse to skip a run or a bike ride. Maybe another "Pineapple Express" storm is on the way, or work has been especially demanding. One day off becomes two, then a week, and the next thing you know the running shoes are buried in the back of a closet and the bike has a couple of flat tires.

And the only spare is around our waist.

Targeting a race or challenge can be the answer, and that doesn't mean aiming for age-group awards or setting personal bests, although those goals motivate some weekend warriors.

Just having something circled on the calendar can be motivation enough. That's why so many of us have a bucket list.

In Arizona, we have the added benefit of some of the most beautiful destinations in the country, not to mention the luxury of great weather somewhere any time of year.

So, why not combine travel and activity bucket lists?

Haven't seen the beautiful red rocks of Sedona lately? The Sedona Marathon and Half Marathon is Jan. 31.

Want to escape the brutal Valley heat in the summer? Enter the nearly as brutal Extreme Terrain Mud Run in Flagstaff.

Are Native American culture and the splendor of the Hopi and Navajo lands passions? Experience the Louis Tewanima Footrace that honors the Hopi Olympic medalist with a 5K/10K race that winds along the trails near Second Mesa where he once ran.

I set out to compile a bucket list as diverse as the Arizona landscape, one challenge per month for 2015. It will take me around the state, from Yuma to the White Mountains, Bisbee to Flagstaff, and along two of the northernmost and southernmost segments of the Arizona Trail.

Along the way I'll will run, bike, climb stairs and clamber over obstacles coated in gooey mud.

How fun is that?

Fun, you know, is an important part of fitness. But it's not the only part.

Charles B. "Chuck" Corbin, professor emeritus in Arizona State University's school of Nutrition and Health Promotion, said satisfaction from conquering a challenge is a much greater motivator for a long-term lifestyle change.

"In competition, there's a winner and a loser," he said. "A challenge is a little different. Running a marathon is often an internal challenge. You ask, 'Can I do that?' For some, there is a sense of personal accomplishment. For others, there is just plain enjoyment; it's something they like to do. It might be relaxing or a catharsis."

The process can be as rewarding as the result.

"People who enjoy a healthy lifestyle are not always the most athletic," said Corbin, who has published more than 200 journal articles and written or co-written more than 90 books on health and fitness. "They're people who sincerely enjoy jogging or playing tennis. Often, they teach themselves something out of sheer persistence, and next thing you know, it becomes a lifetime pursuit."

My bucket list is designed to take me around the state, so I omitted popular events such as the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and 1/2 Marathon, Pat's Run and local Spartan Races and Warrior Dashes.

I also passed on the very elite events, such as the Zane Grey Highline Trail 50-mile Endurance Run, a rock-infested ultramarathon along the base of the Mogollon Rim. It is breathtaking in every sense. Most of us are not ready for that.

Not everything on my bucket list is an organized event. I've included a couple activities that just plain sound fun. Fat-tire mountain biking in the snow, anyone?

This is where I plan to play in 2015. Who's in?

Bob's Arizona bucket list

Explore Arizona reporter Bob Young will participate in these events. He'll report from the scene, tell you how you can take part or spectate, and share travel tips for each destination. We encourage you to join Bob in these activities, or just come out and say hi. You can follow his progress in the Travel & Explore section and at travel.azcentral.com. Or join him on Twitter @BobYoungTHI.

January

Sedona Half Marathon, Jan. 31: About the only thing more beautiful than red rocks are red rocks dusted in snow. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed, in mittens if necessary.

Details:www.sedonamarathon.com.

February

Snow biking at Flagstaff Nordic Center, Feb. 9: Fat-tire mountain bikes in snow are supposed to be a blast. There is no organized race, but the Nordic Center has about 25 miles of trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and now fat-tire biking. Gear and bike rentals are available. It's cold at nearly 9,000 feet. Cover those tender ornamentals!

Details:www.flagstaffnordiccenter.com.

March

Mining Country Challenge, March 14: A 96-mile bike tour organized by the Phoenix Metro Bicycle Club, this ride begins and ends in Superior. The ride passes by the Ray Mine, through Kearny, Winkelman-Hayden and Globe-Miami. It goes over "Top of the World" and past "End of the World" and El Capitan. It's a chore, but a ride steeped in Arizona history.

Details:www.pmbcaz.org.

April

Foray at the Fort, April 11: A Mountain Bike Association of Arizona race, this event offers races that range from a couple of laps around a short course for newbies up to a 3.5-hour marathon ride on a 5-mile loop for serious dirt busters. It all takes place within the confines of Fort Huachuca, the U.S. Army installation near Sierra Vista.

Details:mbaa.net/racing/3-sierra-vista-foray-at-the-fort.

May

Whiskey Row Marathon, May 2: A challenging but beautiful out-and-back course. The start/finish is near the Palace Saloon and Restaurant, and the course turns from asphalt to dirt road as runners go over 7,000 feet twice in the Prescott National Forest. There also is a half marathon. I want the whole enchilada. And perhaps a beer.

Details:www.whiskeyrowmarathon.com.

June

White Mountain Tour, June 27-28: This two-day bike ride starts and finishes at Hon-Dah Resort and Casino near Pinetop and includes a night in Springerville. On Day One, riders choose between a 100-mile "century" ride and a 100-kilometer (62 miles) "metric century." Day Two options include a 40-miler and a 60-miler. The rides aren't timed. What's the hurry when one can escape to the White Mountains in late June?

Details:www.pmbcaz.org.

July

Flagstaff Extreme Terrain Mud Run, July 25: Hey, I'll do anything to get out of the Valley heat, even if it means conquering 20 obstacles such as flaming logs, cargo nets and barbed wire, all in the mud during the monsoon.

Details:terrainracing.com/events/flagstaff.

August

Arizona Trail North Rim Half Marathon, Aug. 30: A lung-burning 13.1 miles through aspen stands at 9,000 feet. Runners make a counterclockwise loop over single-track trails and forest roads with a stretch along the East Rim that offers views of Marble Canyon and the Vermillion Cliffs. Best of all, proceeds benefit maintenance of the Arizona Trail.

Details:www.aztrail.org/halfmarathon_northrim.

September

Louis Tewanima Footrace, Sept. 6: Beginning and ending in the Hopi traditional village of Shungopavi, this 10K race honors Arizona's first Olympic medalist. Tewanima was a two-time Olympian who won silver at 10,000 meters in 1912. Immortalized in Edward Abbey's "Footrace in the Desert," this event takes runners on some of the same trails Tewanima ran upon near his birthplace in Second Mesa.

Details:www.tewanimafootrace.org.

October

Bisbee 1000: The Great Stair Climb, Oct. 17: Thousands will take part in the 25th anniversary of this 5K race that ascends nine sets of stairs in a figure-eight course. The stairs were built by the Works Project Administration during the Depression, following old mule paths that wound through Bisbee in its copper-mining heyday. A craft-beer festival awaits finishers. Thank goodness for that.

Details:www.bisbee1000.org.

November

Telegraph Pass, Yuma: Like the snow-biking ride, this is not an organized event. This steep, challenging trail is popular among local hikers, runners and mountain bikers. The top offers sweeping views and a guest book to sign. Locals keep track of the best times for bragging rights. But has anyone signed for a climb on bike and by foot, back to back, on the same day? Hmmm.

Details:virgil.azwestern.edu/~gjm/YumaTrails/YumaTrails.pdf.

December

Arizona Trail Vail Half Marathon, Dec. 5: The August half marathon covered one of the northernmost segments of the Arizona Trail. This one will take me through Passage 7, mostly descending into the valley between the Santa Rita and Rincon mountain ranges. Like the North Rim race, proceeds benefit maintenance of the Arizona Trail.

Details:www.aztrail.org/halfmarathon_vail.