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Tim Cottrell

@thestickfigurerunner

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26.2 X 24- PR - 2:53:33 (2025), 2:49:34 downhill
13.1- PR - 1:20:11 (2026)
10K - PR - 37:14 (2026)
5K - PR - 18:30 (2025)
1 Mile - PR - 5:34 (2025)

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Running week in review: 42 miles 🏃‍♂️

I returned to running this week after taking a full week off following the Revel Big Cottonwood Marathon. Honestly, the break was really good for me, both physically and mentally. After training hard for so long, it was nice to completely step away for a few days and let everything reset.

The first few runs back were pretty rough, as expected, but by Thursday my legs started to come alive. By Saturday, they were feeling really good, and I had one of my best runs in quite a while.

And just like that, it's race week again.

Going into Big Cottonwood, I was sick the weekend before race day and had also missed my final speed workout. I'm really grateful to be healthy this weekend, and unless something unexpected happens, I'll get that last speed session in this week.

I honestly don't know what Saturday is going to bring, but that's part of the fun. One more marathon, one more chance to see what these legs have left. I just know I'll give it everything I've got. It's my last race of the year, I have nothing to lose. I'm so excited!
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#RunningWeekInReview
#MarathonTraining
#MarathonRunner
#RoadToStGeorge
#RunYourRace by @thestickfigurerunner

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13

3 days ago

I took the entire week off from running after my marathon last week, and honestly, it has been really good for me, both physically and mentally.

My body feels good, my legs are ready to run again, and I'm actually excited to get back to the grind. Although, there won't be a whole lot of grinding between now and the St. George Marathon on October 3rd.

I'm really curious to see how St. George goes. The course is much better suited to the way I've trained compared to the Revel Big Cottonwood Marathon, so I'm excited to see what I can do.

Going into Big Cottonwood, I was convinced I was ready to run a 2:45 marathon. I still would absolutely love to run that fast, but after Big Cottonwood, I'm definitely questioning my ability just a little bit.

But am I going to try? Absolutely! I have nothing to lose. Never know until you try!

I'm going to toe the line, have fun, give it a shot, and see what happens.
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#StGeorgeMarathon
#MarathonTraining
#MarathonRunner
#UtahRunning
#RunningCommunity by @thestickfigurerunner

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28

10 days ago

Revel Big Cottonwood Marathon race recap -

Yesterday was an interesting day for me. I've never felt so ready to go have a big day and run a huge new PR in a downhill marathon.

The race didn't go how I had hoped or thought it would. I knew a sub-2:45 marathon was going to be tough and require almost perfect execution.

As we started our descent down the canyon, I tried to take advantage of the terrain without pushing too hard and blowing up my legs. My hope was to get out of the canyon having made the most of the downhill, but still have enough left to hold on for the last 7 or 8 miles.

Unfortunately, my legs took more of a beating than I expected. By mile 22, I began to unravel.

I tried to run by effort and not look at my watch, knowing it would probably discourage me. I just tried to be a steady Eddy. I knew the sub-2:45 goal was probably not in the cards, and eventually, even the PR slipped away, finishing in 2:50:50.

Don't take this as me being sad or mad. I'm so grateful my body allows me to do this and I still had an amazing time! There will eventually be a time when I won't be able to anymore. You never know when it's your last time standing at a start line or crossing a finish line. I just thought my day was going to be a little different than it was.

It was still my second-fastest marathon ever, just a minute slower than last year at Big Cottonwood. Not every race is going to be a PR!

I'm still convinced I'm more fit now than I ever have been, and luckily, I get one more opportunity to use this fitness before the fall marathon season is over.
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#RevelBigCottonwood
#MarathonTraining
#MarathonRunner
#KeepRunning
#RoadToRecovery by @thestickfigurerunner

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17 days ago

Running week in review - 60 miles

The first week of tapering is complete, and I feel pretty good about how it went. My speed work all went according to plan, and I felt really good during my "long run" on Saturday!

Now it's race week!!! I have one more speed workout tomorrow before we do all easy runs the rest of the way. Tomorrow is also my last double-run day before race day.

I can't believe it's race week!! I'll try to be as lazy as possible this week and see how much food I can eat. 🤣

Unfortunately, I don't feel great today! It feels like I have a fever, and I just feel blah. Hopefully, by tomorrow, it's mostly gone and won't affect me on race day. 🤞🏻
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#MarathonTraining
#MarathonTaper
#RaceWeek
#RevelBigCottonwood
#MarathonRunner by @thestickfigurerunner

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15

24 days ago

Running week in review - 84 miles

And just like that, this training block is complete!

What an awesome final week of training. All of my speed work went really well, and I topped it off with what might have been the best run of my life.

I purposely cut my mileage back just a touch this week, hoping I could show up to my long run feeling a little more fresh. I think it worked.

My long run went absolutely perfect. The weather was unbeatable, my fueling seems to be on point, and I finally got to break out my Saucony Endorphin Elite 3s. I'll do a full post on them another day, but I can already confidently say they are my favorite shoes I've ever run in. So comfortable and ridiculously responsive!

Everything just came together yesterday. I ended up setting PRs at several distances. Granted, this is an extremely downhill route, so I'm not going to pretend these times are completely apples to apples, but I'm still really freaking happy with them.

10K - 37:16 (6:00/mile)

10 miler - 1:01:04 (6:06/mile)

Half marathon - 1:20:14 (6:07/mile)

The crazy part? I just felt unstoppable. I really wasn't pushing super hard either. My body felt great, the pace felt comfortable, and everything just clicked.

I've spent the last several months putting in the miles, doing the workouts, having the good days, grinding through the hard days, and hoping all of it would eventually come together.

Yesterday, it did.

Those are the days you train for. The days where you finish a run and realize just how far you've come. The days that make all those early mornings, tired legs, long runs, and tough workouts worth it.

Now the focus shifts to three things: sleep, eat, and get hydrated.

I've put in so much work during this training block. Now it's time to trust it.

The work is done. The hay is in the barn. Now let's see what happens on race day.
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#MarathonTraining
#MarathonRunner
#RoadToTheMarathon
#RevelBigCottonwood
#RunUtah by @thestickfigurerunner

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17

a month ago

Running Week in Review - 96 Miles

What a freaking week! 96 miles in the books, and honestly, I'm incredibly grateful that my body has allowed me to train the way I've wanted to throughout this training block.

You never really know if you're going to make it through a marathon training block healthy. There are so many things you can't control, so I've tried my best to control the things I can and give myself the best chance possible to stay healthy.

One of my biggest priorities this training block has been making sure my easy runs stay truly easy. It isn't always easy to slow down when you know you have miles to run, but I believe it's been a huge part of why I've been able to handle this much training. It gives my body a chance to recover and helps me show up to my next workout as rested as possible.

Are my legs still fatigued? For sure. 😂 And honestly, I don't think that's a bad thing. Cumulative fatigue is supposed to be part of marathon training. The key is learning how to manage it without letting it turn into something more.

I'm going to back off the mileage just a little this week, and I'm hoping that a few less miles will leave my legs feeling a little fresher heading into Saturday.

Because Saturday is the BIG one.

This is my last big week of training before I start my taper, and Saturday's long run is essentially my dress rehearsal for race day. I'll finally get to put my new race-day shoes to the test, practice my fueling, settle into my marathon pace, and see how everything feels when the legs are already carrying a lot of fatigue.

It's crazy to think how close race day is getting. This training block has been a long one, and now I'm finally getting to the point where all those miles are starting to turn into one day.

96 miles down.

One big week to go.

Then it's time to taper.

I'm so freaking excited.
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#MarathonTraining
#MarathonRunner
#RunningCommunity
#RevelBigCottonwood
#RoadToMarathon by @thestickfigurerunner

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8

a month ago

Running Week in Review - 92 Freaking Miles

What a week!! 92 freaking miles, and somehow, I’m coming out of it feeling really good about where I am.

The running went really well and pretty much how I had hoped, despite pushing my mileage over 90 for the week. Both of my speed workouts went really well, and I’m sure that recovery week I had the week before played a big part in that. I’ve also been making a real effort to keep my easy runs as easy as possible. Right now, staying healthy and absorbing the training is just as important as the hard work itself.

Yesterday’s long run was one of the toughest workouts of my entire training block. 22 miles barreling down Big Cottonwood Canyon, putting my legs through the kind of fatigue I know I’ll have to be ready for on race day. It hurt, but that’s exactly why I’m doing it. I want to show up on race day knowing I did everything I could to prepare.

I also made one pretty drastic change to my normal routine. I cut my gym schedule from five days a week down to just two. That was a tough decision because I love the gym, but at this point in the training cycle, recovery has to be the priority. There will be plenty of time to get back in the gym five days a week after marathon season is over.

For now, my goal is simple: keep showing up, keep putting in the work, stay healthy, and keep pushing toward race day.
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#MarathonTraining
#MarathonRunner
#RunningMotivation
#RevelBigCottonwood
#RunnersOfInstagram by @thestickfigurerunner

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10

a month ago

Welcome to Reimagine Running—the podcast about why we run.

I’m excited to change things up (again) on this episode and bring back Tim Cottrell to the podcast and talk training!!! We had a lot of success with the episode talking about ultra training that we thought, hey, let’s talk about road racing and how to train and be ready for our races this Fall. We discuss lots of topics, from sleep, recovery, speed work and more. You will love it!

As the episode progresses, Tim and Ryan dive deep into the world of marathon training, cumulative fatigue, and finding balance with it all. With the fall racing season approaching, we share valuable insights on how to prepare effectively for your road races. Whether you’re eyeing a marathon or a half-marathon, you will not want to miss this episode.

This episode will be available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

@ry_head @thestickfigurerunner @fleetfeetutah by @thestickfigurerunner

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5

2 months ago

Running week in review - 43 miles

Recovery week is officially in the books. My legs feel much better than they did this time last week, which is a pretty good sign that I probably needed the break more than I thought.

Now it's time to put the hammer down for the next three weeks and get as ready as I possibly can for my race in a little over a month. Hopefully, this week gave my body enough of a reset to carry me through these next three weeks and into the taper.

My brains and body were both pretty happy not to have to push so hard this week. Sometimes I think the mental break is just as valuable, if not more valuable, than the physical break that comes with a recovery week. There's something refreshing about knowing you don't have to constantly grind for a few days.

But the easy part is over. This week I'll creep back up toward 90 miles, and I know the next few weeks are going to come with some seriously tired legs. The key will be keeping my easy runs actually easy and reminding myself that feeling fatigued right now doesn't mean something is wrong. It's part of the process.

I know I can do it. I just need to take care of myself, stay patient, and keep putting one foot in front of the other until it's time to hit the taper. Then we'll see what all this work has bought me.
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#MarathonTraining
#MarathonRunner
#RunningCommunity
#RunTraining
#RoadToTheMarathon by @thestickfigurerunner

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8

2 months ago

Running week in review: 86 miles.

This may have been one of the most difficult weeks of training I've had in a really long time! I had a couple of factors contributing to such a tough week. First, my legs were absolutely trashed from running down Big Cottonwood Canyon last Saturday. Second, I had already run 160 miles over the previous two weeks. That brought my total to 246 miles over the last three weeks, which is probably the biggest three week mileage block I've ever put together.
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Every run was tough. I tried as hard as I could to keep my easy runs easy, but my legs were fatigued the entire week.
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This week will be a recovery week. My body will be very grateful for the chance to recover before one last push toward race day. I'm happy I'm healthy, though.
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Hopefully all this hard work pays off! I don't think I've ever put in the work that I have during this training block. I can't wait to see how it all plays out.
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#MarathonBuild
#TrustTheProcess
#MileageMatters
#EnduranceTraining
#RunTheMiles by @thestickfigurerunner

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8

2 months ago

Running week in review: 83 miles

What a crazy, but great, week of training! I spent the majority of the week in a new place (for me): Nashville, Tennessee. It was an awesome experience running there despite the humidity. I got to see lots of new places and had a great time exploring.

Friday, it was back to the grind at home. I ran twice, totaling about 15 miles. On Saturday, I made my way to Big Cottonwood Canyon to do a training run and get my legs ready for my downhill marathons later this year.

My goal was to run 9 easy miles, followed by 10 miles at marathon pace, with my last mile as a cool down. This run went really well, and there were only a few times when I felt like I really had to work to maintain my goal pace. I'm happy with how the run went, although a few toes paid the price. 🤣

With that being said, I know I still have a lot of work to do to reach the fitness level I want by race day. My plan is to do one more big mileage week, then take a recovery week before one last push to get ready for race day.

I'm excited about how this marathon training block has gone so far, and I'm super motivated to make the most of these final few weeks of training to see just how fit I can get before race day.
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#MarathonTraining
#RunHappy
#BigCottonwoodCanyon
#RoadToRaceDay
#RunYourJourney by @thestickfigurerunner

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6

2 months ago

Running week in review - 27 miles

Well, this last week was definitely an interesting week of running. It didn't go anywhere close to how I had planned, but luckily, I think things turned out okay.

I woke up Sunday with a sore right hip. This isn't super uncommon for me after a hard long run, and usually it improves throughout the day. This time, though, it didn't seem to improve as the day went on.

Monday morning, the pain was still there. Reluctantly, I made the decision every runner hates making: I didn't run. Tuesday, the pain was still hanging around, so I gave it another day. As frustrating as it was to sit out, by Tuesday afternoon, my hip finally started making some pretty drastic improvements.

Wednesday morning, it felt good enough to test with a short run. Nothing crazy, just a few easy miles to see how it would respond. It gave me absolutely no issues.

From there, I slowly added mileage each day and paid attention to how my hip responded. No rushing and no trying to make up missed miles.

By Saturday, I decided it was time for a real test: 12 miles with my friends at a decent pace (8:08 pace). Not only did my hip handle it, but it ended up being by far my best run of the week.

This week, it's mostly back to the grind. I'll be a little conservative with my speed work, but other than that, I'm planning to return to normal training.

This week was a good reminder that sometimes the smartest thing you can do as a runner is not run. Missing a couple of days was frustrating, but I'd much rather lose two days than two months because I was too stubborn to listen to my body.

27 miles wasn't the week I had planned, but I'm glad I listened to my body and didn't try to push through this little hip issue. Hopefully it's a non issue moving forward.
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#MarathonTraining
#RunSmart
#RunnerLife
#TrustTheProcess
#ChasingPRs by @thestickfigurerunner

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4

3 months ago