I am an 18 year-old college freshman living in Laramie, Wyoming. REVEL Rockies was my first half marathon experience. Earlier this summer I decided that I wanted to train for a marathon in the fall to try and qualify for Boston. I wanted to put a half into my training schedule and REVEL Rockies was absolutely perfect. I ran a great first half marathon placing 14th overall and first in my age group! I met my goal and ran 1:26:57. After running cross-country and track in high school I knew I needed to keep running. I just wanted to keep going, and see what the running world was like. Not many college running scholarship offers came my way, but I knew that I needed to be running. I need to be using the talents the God has given me. REVEL Rockies was such a wonderful experience for me. The volunteers, the course, and my fellow runners made it so worthwhile. Anyone who is thinking about training for a marathon, DO IT! It has been one of the best decisions that I have ever made. It has made me a stronger and more dedicated person. It really will change your life. I'm excited and nervous for what my future in running might be, but I know one thing for sure; running will stick with me wherever I go.

Congratulations Revel Big Cottonwood participants! Up next is REVEL Canyon City on November 15. We will see you in LA.

REVEL Big Cottonwood is this weekend! Are you running or know someone that is running?

The Half Marathon is sold out and only a few spots remain in the Full Marathon

In the winter of 2012, I was training for the Steamboat half marathon and it was going so well. I was setting PRs during workouts and enjoying my long runs. But on February 22nd, 2012 that all changed. I was headed to Runner's Roost Louisville to pick up some gels for my long run that weekend. As I headed West through the green light, a driver coming from the South had fallen asleep, ran the red light and plowed into the driver's side of my car. Luckily, I walked away with what I thought was some "minor" lower back pain, some sore muscles, and a mangled up car. But....I walked away, which I was so grateful for and know that the situation could have been so much worse.

The following days and weeks my running began to fall apart. I was having horrible hip and lower back pain and was struggling to complete even just a few miles of my runs. I finally decided to go see an orthopedic to see if maybe I hadn't walked away from the car accident as well as I had originally thought. Long story short, I ended up tearing the labrum in both of my hips and needed reconstructive surgery on each. The good news was that we caught it early before it got much worse but the bad news, all the activities I loved doing especially running, were put on hold indefinitely (6 months per surgery). Running again was probable but not guaranteed (and long distance running came with a BIG question mark).

So here we are, 3 MRIs, 3 hip surgeries, countless hours of rehab (and still going). 2.5 years later I will be finishing what I started in 2012. Revel Rockies Half Marathon was my first race since the accident! Running is a gift and I appreciate each day that I get to do what I love.

A huge round-of-applause for our awesome volunteers race weekend! Thank you to DriveSmart for providing over half of our volunteers and to everyone who made this a successful and safe event for runners and spectators!

Everybody has a story, share yours with us! Let us know what you accomplished and experienced on 8/17.

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