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The Runaround: Experiences from the Big Cottonwood Marathon

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Doug Schunk

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Back in May I was chosen once again by Hyland’s to be part of another one of their running teams. This time they chose me to be the captain for their team of six to run the Revel Big Cottonwood Marathon near Salt Lake City, Utah. 

I was excited for the opportunity but I felt like a bit of a hypocrite. Revel is a company that puts on numerous marathons in the western United States. They design race courses for the sole purpose of trying to get runners a time they need in order to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Since giving runners scooters is frowned upon, they have instead created races with severe elevation drops.

For example, at Big Cottonwood, I started at 9,600 feet and ended at 4,400 feet of elevation. For many people, myself included, running downhill is a lot easier than running on flat or uphill. I’m able to use 6-foot-3 to my advantage and open up my stride more than I normally would. Many runners blame Revel for the reason why the Boston Marathon qualifying standard has dropped.

However, after running a Revel race, I can say that 26.2 miles is still incredibly hard regardless of the course. 

Flying to Utah

I got to University Park Airport at 5 p.m. for a 5:45 p.m. flight to Chicago. Those of you who fly out of State College might be shocked by this, but the flight to Chicago was delayed — first until 6:15 p.m., then to 7:45 p.m. After getting through TSA (which included a nice pat-down search) I got comfortable in a chair while watching most of the passengers freak out about missing connection flights and call to reschedule meetings. All of the sudden, at 6:10 p.m., a bunch of the airport workers started running around and they announce we are leaving…now! We go from being delayed until 7:45 p.m. to loading up, taxiing, and taking off by 6:25 p.m.

The flight from Chicago to Salt Lake was of course delayed which got me to Salt Lake City at 1 a.m. which was I-don’t-want-to-think-about-what-time-it-was o’clock State College time. 

Dale, one of my friends from the Boston Hyland’s Teacher Team, came out to run the race and we shared a hotel room. We woke up Friday morning and did a short shake out run. Our hotel was near where mile 19 was on the course so we ran that section. Although I heard bad reports about this part of the course, on Friday morning it didn’t seem that bad. More on this later.

We went to the expo and met up with Gerard, one of the six runners chosen to be part of the team for this race. The three of us then drove the course to get an idea of what we were getting into. The views were spectacular! I found out that taking pictures of mountains out west is a waste of time because you don’t get the real deal of how big they are.

We learned one thing during the preview: there would be a lot of downhill running on Saturday morning. After some spaghetti for dinner, it was an early bedtime for the very dark o’clock wake up call.

Race Day

The alarm went off at 3:47 a.m. (if you haven’t read my other columns, I pick weird times for my alarm) and I started the slow process of getting ready. I also questioned my sanity in paying to wake up super early to go put my body through 3+ hours of running. Regardless, after some oatmeal and granola, it was off to the school buses to take the shuttle to the start.

Up, up, and up some more we went as we got to the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was chilly at the start, which was a welcome change from the sauna we had this summer in State College. After a warm up mile and a final porta-potty stop, it was go time.

The first mile featured 400+ feet of elevation drop, which is pretty severe. I felt like I was putting on my brakes for most of that first mile. Yet, somehow I ran a 6:31 mile?! Even with the first few fast miles, I was hanging with the 3:05 pacer. At one point I asked him why he was banking so much time. He said it was to bank time for the 5 mile out and back section. More on that soon.

During the first half of the race I was feeling good. I was talking to other runners to pass the time. I mentioned I was from State College. Another runner raised his arm to show off his ‘Hail to Pitt’ bracelet. I offered my condolences.

I was running a pace I would run for a 10km race but, running downhill, it felt incredibly easy. I had so much time banked by the 18-mile mark that I thought for sure I’d get a time I needed to qualify for the Boston Marathon, or at the very least, run a personal best time. But then the out and back section happened.

From looking at the map it looked like Revel had the idea to start the marathon at the top of the mountain and finish it in the town of Cottonwood Heights. The problem is that it is only 21 miles, about five miles short of a marathon. So they added this out and back section which is slightly hilly in the wrong direction. Like I said, on Friday as part of the shake out run this area felt easy.

On race day after 18 miles of running down hill, any slight uphill felt like running up a mountain. Mile 19 was hard. Mile 20 was even harder. Then at mile 21, something weird started to happen. I kept running toward the left slide of the road. I couldn’t figure out why that was happening. I stopped at a water station to regroup and fill my bottle up but I only made it another half mile until I had to start walking at mile 22. I don’t know if it was a lack of calories, hydration, heat, or elevation that caused this but it certainly bummed me out. The last four miles I walked/ran in order to finish with a 3:11:46 – a good time for many, but not good enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon or even set a new personal best.

After spending some time in the medical tent for some fluids, I went back to the finish line to cheer on my Hyland’s teammates’ finishes, many of them getting a time they needed to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Seeing the elation and joy on their faces as they crossed the finish line left me excited for them and I can’t wait to track them in April.

As for me, it’s not like the Boston Marathon is going away anytime soon. Even after marathon No. 11, I still learned a few things I can improve on next time. And that’s the thing about marathons – whether you’ve run one or a hundred, you are always learning what to do and, more importantly, what not to do. There is always a next time. 

One of my biggest regrets came after the race on the ride to the airport. Dale and I were looking for a post-race meal. We turned off the highway and found a Five Guys. While Five Guys is always a good choice after a marathon, the disappointment came when we got back on the highway and saw the next exit had a place I’ve never had the pleasure to enjoy, In and Out. Ugh, until next time…

Upcoming Races: 

Saturdays beginning at 8 a.m. – Tussey Mountainback Discovery Series

For runners interested in training for the Tussey Mountainback, or really any runner who wants to get a few miles in on a Saturday morning in Rothrock State Forest, these runs are for you. Over the course of the next 8 Saturdays, group runs will be taking place at various areas of the Tussey Mountainback course. All runs begin at 8 a.m. and are free.

10/5 – 9.0 miles beginning at Whipple Dam State Park

10/12 – 7.8 miles beginning at Whipple Dam State Park

10/19 – 6.4 miles beginning at Tussey Mountain Ski Lodge

 

10/12 – 8:30 AM – Nittany Valley Running Club Youth Cross-Country Meets – Oak Hall Regional Park on Linden Hall Road.  

This is for any and all kids 14 years and younger. The races are of various lengths depending on the age of the child. Ribbons will be given to all participants.


10/26 – 7:00 AM – Tussey Mountainback 50 Mile Relay and Ultramarathon

Whether you choose to do what I did last year and run all 50 miles of it or you make the smart decision and run it with a group of friends, this race is one of the finest in the Centre Region. The course is beautiful as you get to run on mostly gravel roads around and through Rothrock State Forest. The whole event is one of the most well-organized races I have run. The 11 aid stations are well stocked with some of the nicest volunteers, hydration, and food for the ultra runners.

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