Kate McDermott

2015 REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon
Published: Sept. 13, 2015, 8:51 p.m.
  1. Overall Rating

    5/5 Stars

  2. Describe your race day.

    The bus driver who got us up to Guardsmans pass is a superhero, there were people running down the canyon with headlamps, the roads were narrow, it was 4:30am and she still had such a positive attitude! The emergency blanket and gloves in the drop bag were amazing while waiting! I will always remember running down wasatch blvd in the heat, everyone around me walking and chanting to myself to "just keep going, don't throw up." Finding out that I had qualified for Boston is one of the best things that has happened in my life in a long time. I picked up my results card and couldn't hold back crying tears of joy.

  3. Did you PR?

    I PR'ed and qualified for the Boston Marathon! I beat my previous record of 4hrs 0 min with a time of 3hrs 33 mins. My qualifying time for age and gender is 3hrs 35 mins.

  4. How would you describe the course?

    The energy you get from the breathtaking fall scenery is comparable to the energy the spectators give you in Boston. It's a great downhill marathon. However, the wasatch blvd stretch takes some "will power" after coming down out of the canyon.

  5. Tell us about your training.

    I didn't do as much downhill training as I had in previous downhill marathons and it prevented me from an overuse injury. I would advise others to do lots of eccentric muscle training. I swapped between 3 different (but similar) pairs of shoes, prevented injury as well. I recommend lighter shoes (for less weight to push uphill and lighter creates less downward momentum to fight) with appropriate stability for your foot and slightly more cushioning than you're used to.

  6. What advice would you give future runners?

    I live in cottonwood heights, so that was easy. Use the bathroom right before you start, the downhill will get your bladder going more than usual. The porcupine grill is an awesome place to eat. Don't drop your clothes too soon, the shade can make it go from cool to hot in the canyon. I bought a new pair of shoes identical to the ones I was training in and only ran a few miles in them prior to marathon day to save the cushioning for the downhill impact.

  7. What fun things did you do in the area before or after the race?

    I live in cottonwood heights. I just went home after the race and showered.

Comments

  1. No Comments Yet.

Leave a Comment