Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Type of Travel: An excellent outdoor adventure destination with easy access to hiking, cycling, swimming, and outdoor cultural activities for those looking for a break from gray skies and cold during winter months
Ages: All
The Phoenix area has been referred to as the Valley of the Sun and is home to hundreds of miles of hiking and cycling trails. The trails are rated “easy” to “hard” and offer options for all levels. For those who enjoy swimming, there are many outdoor pools and lakes in the area. The Phoenix area also has many organized events including hikes, walks, runs, duathlons, triathlons, and even mud runs. Monarch Fitness Coaching personal training clients Len and Cameria, along with Coach Heather, recently participated in the Lost Dutchman 8K Trail Run or Walk.
Preparing for Your Trip
Both Len, age group 70–74, and Cameria (Cam), age group 55–59, started personal training specifically for their trip to Phoenix sixteen weeks prior to the Lost Dutchman 8K Trail Run. Len and Cam knew they also wanted to hike, cycle, swim, and enjoy the Phoenix area.
The personal trainers and coaches at Monarch Fitness Coaching recommend starting preparation for a trip a minimum of 12–16 weeks prior to travel. Although beginning at any point will be beneficial, Len and Cam were within the recommended window. Both clients came in with a well-developed cardio base. Cam had a lot of experience hiking and trail running; Len’s trail running and hiking experience was limited.
Most Monarch Fitness Coaching personal training clients are provided with independent workouts for cardio and mobility in order to make walking and their sports of choice more enjoyable and less likely to cause injury. Many clients also participate in programming designed to improve their strength and stability.
Cameria’s Training Program
- Independent Training:
- Cardio: daily activity including walking two strong, rambunctious, Ridgeback dogs
- Cardio: three days a week of run-specific training that allowed Cameria to race The Lost Dutchman 8K Trail Run
- Cardio: three days a week of cycling which created a cardio endurance base that made hiking feel easy
- Strength training: 2–3 days a week of full-body strength training which created a foundation allowing Cameria to easily navigate inclines and declines
- Personal Training
- Cardio: hiking and running training during the trip focusing on enjoyment and injury prevention
- Flexibility: focused on improved recovery, strength, and control
Len’s Training Program
- Independent Training:
- Cardio: daily activity including walking Len’s dog, Russell
- Cardio: two or three days a week of run-specific training which allowed Len to race The Lost Dutchman 8K Trail Run
- Cardio: two days a week of swimming, which created a base that allowed Len to open-water swim
- Flexibility: daily exercises that kept all of Len’s joints moving well
- Personal Training
- Cardio and Strength: focusing on running and movements needed to stabilize when hiking and trail running
- Stability and Strength: focusing on foot, ankle, knee, and hip stability as well as the core strength needed to transition to walking and jogging on uneven surfaces. Additionally, this type of training allows Len to reduce his ground contact time and makes him run faster with less effort.
Heather’s Training Program
- Independent Training:
- Cardio: daily activity that created a walking foundation allowing for strenuous hikes of 6+ hours a day
- Cardio: two days a week swimming, which created a base for open-water swimming
- Flexibility: daily exercises which kept Coach Heather’s joints moving well
- Group Personal Training
- Stability and Strength: focusing on the foundations of movement including rocking, rolling, and crawling motions.
- Strength and Stability: focusing on base movements like squats, lunges, and pushups completed on objects like a Bosu or a GiBoard, which make balancing more challenging.
- Cardio and Strength—Circuit: focusing on movements that require hip engagement and create a strong foundation for hiking and running
- Flexibility: focusing on mobility training for ankles, knees, and hips, creating improved strength and control
Accommodations
When it comes to accommodations, stay near the place you want to hike. Len, Cam, and Heather were able to stay in Phoenix near Route 51 and the Phoenix Mountain Preserves. The group was able to easily move around the Phoenix area by getting on Route 51. They also enjoyed being able to walk out the door and be at the trailhead within ten minutes.
Activities
The Phoenix area offers easy access to some of Monarch Fitness Coaching’s favorite activities including hiking, cycling, swimming, running, and many outdoor cultural options.
Hiking
Monarch Fitness Coaching recommends using AllTrails to help you pick your hikes. You can select your activity, distance away, difficulty, length, and more. Len, Cam and Heather enjoyed several hikes in the Phoenix Mountain Preserves, but everyone’s favorite pre-race-day hike was Tom’s Thumb. The moderate hike has over 11,900 reviews and a rating of 4.8. There were no bad views. Next year, the group would like to hike Camelback, which is currently rated the number-one hike in the Phoenix area.
Cycling
AllTrails also offers excellent recommendations for mountain biking, and Strava is an excellent option for road rides, in addition to some mountain-biking options. The Phoenix Mountain Preserves, as well as Lost Dutchman and many other areas of Phoenix, offer a chance to enjoy cycling in the sunny weather. During the trip to Phoenix, Len decided to begin his cycling training for the 2024 season. He enjoys riding outside more than using the trainer. Len and Cam are planning on spending a week riding across Iowa this summer and participating in Ragbrai.
Swimming
Coach Heather enjoyed heading to the pool following a day out on the hiking trails. The Phoenix area has numerous outdoor pools and lakes that are easy to access and accommodating. On this particular training trip, Len was able to get some personal-training instruction which will improve his swim times and make swimming more enjoyable.
Lost Dutchman 8K Trail Run and Other Organized Events
The Lost Dutchman 8K Trail Run and Walk is a favorite of Monarch Fitness Coaching clients. Additionally, Lost Dutchman State Park has numerous organized events including bird watching, star gazing, dog walks, and even a mud run. Congratulations to Len who was the 2024 8K Trail Run 70–74-year-old champion! If you would like to sign up for next year’s race, Len has offered to host all Monarch Fitness Coaching clients who are trained and prepared for the event!
Cultural
The Valley of the Sun has many outdoor cultural options. Although Heather and Cam were not able to visit many of them, Len, who lived in Phoenix for a decade, and his wife, Suzanne, highly recommend the Desert Botanical Gardens, the Phoenix Zoo, the Japanese Friendship Garden, and the many museums.
Conclusion
Phoenix is a sunny destination that offers an escape during winter months and provides a plethora of outdoor options for all fitness levels. Monarch Fitness Coaching’s expert guidance and thorough preparation will help ensure a safe and fulfilling experience. And possibly even a 1st-place finish!
