Marie Carter

2015 REVEL Big Cottonwood Half Marathon
Published: Sept. 16, 2015, 12:09 p.m.
  1. Overall Rating

    5/5 Stars

  2. Describe your race day.

    I wish someone had warned me via the web site/registration that running downhill would cause severe blisters. I had to run 11 miles with blood soaked shoes and socks. It was excruciating the last 3 miles. I run 10 miles a day, up and down hills in Oregon, and NEVER experienced this before. Other than that, the volunteers were AMAZING, the runners and crowds were so uplifting and supportive, and it was an easy, cool, beautiful run (except for the foot pain). The last 3 miles I utterly despised. It felt like hitting a heat wall when I left the canyon.

  3. Did you PR?

    The blisters cost me 1.5 hours off my usual time. Massively disappointed. I'll try again next year to kill my time.

  4. How would you describe the course?

    Gorgeous Gorgeous Gorgeous, except for the part in the city. I wish we could start the Half higher in the Canyon and spend less time running in the city. Loved passing a tiny waterfall, a pretty stream, and oh, those mountains were just Beautiful.

  5. Tell us about your training.

    I trained for a year, running up and down hills in Oregon and learning to power walk a mile in 15 minutes. I injured my back 15 weeks before the race, and missed 12 weeks of training. Making up 12 weeks in 3 was done by intervals with a personal trainer, running twice a day, lots of weight lifting, and completely changing my diet.

  6. What advice would you give future runners?

    The shoes and socks make all the difference. Research is so important, and never take the advise of non-runners in sports stores, when you buy socks and shoes. If I had known I needed larger shoes and different socks for running downhill, I never would have had to run 11 miles in bleeding blisters. I have socks made to cool your feet. I should have worn thicker ones. Hotter feet over blisters, oh yeah, I would have gladly made that trade!

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

    Visited family, lost a lot of sleep, met new runners. I came from North Carolina, to Portland, to Salt Lake City, where I was born and raised.

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