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Running with Rhyno: Catching up with Kari Elliott

RDC running coach ran a 2:52 personal best marathon in Kelowna
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You can push harder. You got it. Find that next gear.

Usually it is running coach Kari Elliott who is shouting the encouraging words to her RDC cross-country running squad in a race.

And when the 36-year-old marathoner hit the 35K wall in the recent Okanagan marathon in Kelowna, she had to smile.

“They inspire me all the time,” said Elliott. “It occurred to me, if they can push harder for that last kilometre and keep going past that wall than I can too.”

Boy did she ever take that to heart.

Elliott easily won the women’s race in 2:52, shaving five minutes off her personal best time. The second place women ran a 3:01 and the third place finisher ran a 3:09 marathon. Elliott placed second overall after the men’s winner who ran a 2:39 marathon.

“It was one of those magical days when everything comes together,” said Elliott. “As you know, it doesn’t always happen. When it does, you celebrate and go, “Yes!”

A win in Kelowna wasn’t her goal but it sure was icing on the cake, said Elliott. It was more important for her to have a personal best time.

She had some competition from an Edmonton marathoner who was also chasing a sub-2:55.

“When I was chatting with her at the start line, I was well aware that I would have to run my best race … to win,” said Elliott.

“If we could work together and that produced a personal best and I was second, I would totally be pleased. As it turned out, she actually had a bad race for her, which was disappointing. Super disappointing, I hate when that happens.”

Elliott was actually on pace to run a 2:48 marathon, something that both scares and her excites her.

“The guy I was running with was like ‘you are on pace for 2:48,’ ” she said. “I went, ‘oh yeah I know, but I feel OK. We’ll just go for it.’ ”

It didn’t happen in October but Elliott may have a good chance of breaking a 2:56-course record in Greenville for the Mississippi River Marathon in February. She hasn’t committed yet, but Elliott said it may be a “fun goal.”

Meanwhile Elliott is back coaching her impressive RDC cross-country running squad, which she says makes her a better runner. The women’s team is currently ranked second in the Canadian Collegiate Athletics Conference.

“It takes the focus off myself, which is great. I think about them and their performance and what their goals are. It is good timing. I can sideline myself right now.”

The timing couldn’t be better as the men’s and women’s teams are both getting in those last tough workouts to prep for the provincials on Oct. 29, and the nationals in November. Elliott said this is her peak coaching time with her athletes. The next two to three weeks are important as the teams get ready to compete with the best in the province and in Canada, said Elliott.

Find Running with Rhyno on Facebook and @CrystalRhyno on Twitter. Send your column ideas, photos and stories to crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com.