MFR 115: Big Cottonwood Marathon Race Weekend
The Revel Big Cottonwood race weekend was an adventure I won’t soon forget. Well, who am I kidding, I’ll never forget it. Every destination race is unique, and this one, especially so, because it was mostly downhill and because it was the most beautiful race course I’ve had the good fortune to run, postcard scenes around every bend in the road.
About twenty of our Run Tampa members made the trip, with some running the full but most running the half marathon. In this episode, I describe the race, itself, from the website to the course, the weather, and the perks. Then, I move on to my race performance as I pursued a Boston qualifying time, and then the club’s traditional post race celebration culminating in the PR cape ceremony.
If you listened to the last podcast, #114 about destination races, I hope if that didn’t convince you to do a destination race, this episode will. Don’t put it off. Don’t say, “Well, when I’m older I’ll do it.” That’s a bad idea. Start making these memories, now. You won’t regret it. If you don’t have a club to travel with, then you’ve got two choices: You can start your own club, or sign up for one of my Tampa Running Retreats.
I know to ‘start a club’ seems like an unlikely option, but you CAN do it. It’s a lot easier than you think. You absolutely don’t have to be an expert or fast runner. Start a club by planning a weeky run with one or two more people and grow it. Give your group a name and start using social media to find other people in your area who want the same kind of running group experience that you want. Pretty soon a couple of runners becomes a handful and soon, that handful becomes a dozen, and you’re off.
If you can’t find a club and starting one doesn’t interest you, then please consider my retreats. Tampa Running Retreats is my company, completely separate from the Run Tampa Club, by the way.