HARD TRAINING PAYS OFF: Meredith Edwards Wins 60K
By: Monica Purington
Dynafit athlete, Meredith Edwards has been training under Coach Jordan Smothermon, for the past 10 weeks in preparation for her ultrarunning season. This past weekend she won the Scout 60K (37.3 miles) in 6 hours, 58 minutes.
The Scout 60K takes place in the Bannock and Pocatello mountain ranges surrounding Pocatello, Idaho. It is a grueling 37.3 miles with 8,900 feet of vertical gain. In previous years the race has been completed as a 50K with a record time of 6 hours, 38 minutes. Meredith ran an additional 10K in just 20 minutes more than the previous record, an impressive feat.
“It was hot,” Meredith explains, “but I held my pace through the entire race.”
Meredith credited the style of speed work and long tempo training in her programming to her ability to sustain her pace the entirety of the race.
“I felt strong start-to-finish,” Meredith said, “In the past I have started to feel my legs breakdown, especially on the downhills but I felt strong the entire race.”
Meredith stayed fueled and strong by eating a gel every thirty minutes for the first two hours and then eating solid food every two hours after that. Every hour she would eat a salt stick to replenish and lots of water throughout the race.
She was also insistent that her “Peak-A-Week” training the four weeks prior to the race helped significantly in being able to sustain the elevation gain.
“I skied Buck the Wednesday before this race,” stated Meredith.
In the four weeks leading up to her race Meredith summited and skied The South Teton, The Grand Teton, The Middle Teton and Buck Mountain.
Meredith’s next race is the Speedgoat 50K on July 16th.