St. George Marathon Race Recap
A lot of the course is downhill which was good for me because I am usually a good downhill runner. I ran the Revel Mt. Charleston race several years ago and had one of my best races and qualified for Boston. My finishing time there was 3hrs 39 min. I wanted to run some long downhills training for this race but I didn't have the opportunity to do that more than once when I ran 16 miles down from Red Rock (mostly downhill). My second to last long week of training went great and I felt good. I knew I wouldn't be fast but felt confident I'd be able to finish. After my big week my hip started hurting pretty bad after a 6 mile run. It kept me up that night and I could hardly walk the next day. It was very sudden and had me very worried about even making it to the starting line. Monday I went to see Mike Russell at Elevation Physical Therapy and he did some dry needling which seemed to help. He did it again the week of the race on Monday. I was hopeful but still not sure if I was going to do the full because they did have a half marathon I could drop down to. As the week went on I felt good and decided to give the full marathon a try. 
The weather was expected to be perfect, maybe even a little warm for some people but I love warmer races. The race started at 5,000 feet elevation so it was a bit chilly at the start but it warmed up quick. The challenging part of this race was the few long uphills you had to run after running downhill for a while. After the uphills the race finishes mostly downhill. This is quite challenging for the legs and the hill at mile 8 was very long and steep. I opted to walk the hill because I wasn't much slower power walking versus running up the hill. My quads really felt this at the halfway point and when we started the downhill again. My time through the half was 2:15 but I knew I was slowing down. My goal was under 5 hours so I knew I was on target for that. I tried running to each aid station and walking through the aid stations. They had icy hot and volunteers were rubbing it on peoples legs. This felt amazing on my quads so I took advantage of this. They did this when I ran Comrades and it really helped me get to the finish before the cutoff. My pace slowed quite a bit after the 15 mile marker and I was averaging a 12:30-13 minute mile pace but I was still running with a little walking added in. I was drinking water and gatorade at the aid stations and using Cliff Blocks for some additional fuel. I was alternating between taking the blocks with extra sodium and the ones with some added caffeine. When I use Cliff Blocks I usually take one or two at a time. I finished slightly under my expected time of 5 hours. My official finishing time was 4:47 and I was happy with that time. I knew my quads were gonna be sore for the next few days from all the downhill running. After doing a big event such as a Marathon or Ironman I think its important to get a massage as soon after the race as you can. I had one scheduled the next day and I was so thankful I had the forethought to make the appointment because my body needed it. 
I had her use my Orthosport Massage Oil from Young Living during my massage. This oil feels amazing on sore muscles. I use this oil in my practice on my clients for an upgraded price. You can purchase it on Amazon or through a Young Living distributor.
It's now Wednesday and I think I am fully recovered from the race. If you are thinking about a marathon to run then I would highly recommend the St. George Marathon. It is a great race and racing in St. George is beautiful and they always have lots of people cheering and plenty of volunteers helping out.
Here is a link to my IG account
Instagram Reel St. George
Instagram Reel St. George
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