Vermont Sports Magazine, May 2018

THE NEW SHOPS | CAN RESTRICTING CALORIES MAKE YOU FASTER? | YOGA FOR ATHLETES

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MAY 2018

30 YEARS of VCM & THE

VERMONT 100

VT'S FASTEST MARATHONER 4 STORIES

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BE YOU AGAIN. THE RIGHT SPORTS MEDICINE PHYSICIAN CAN HELP. Our physicians provide comprehensive sports medicine care, no matter how complex the injury. Patients receive a course of treatment that’s ideally suited for them, built around the most advanced options available—whether operative, non-operative or a combination of both. So, if you live in the Burlington area, make an appointment with The University of Vermont Health Network’s sports medicine specialists at The UVM Medical Center. To make an appointment, call (802) 448-5445.

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INSERTION DATE May 2017 throughOUTDOOR MAGAZINE NEW ENGLAND’S March/April 2018 PUB(S) Vermont Sports MagON THE COVER: BUILT AT 100% TRIM 10" x 12.75"

Runners cross the "Sound of Music" meadow at the 2017 Vermont 100.

Photo by Ben Kimball

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Early endurance races were for equestrians. Today, the Vermont 100 is the last 100-miler where both riders and runners compete on the same course.

Photo by Ben Kimball

5 The Start

13 Nutrition

22

A case for investing in recreation.

New studies explore the merits of a Calorie Restriction diet.

6 Great Outdoors

14

Thirty years later, the VT 100 is still one of the country's most epic ultra races.

Fly-fishing champ Ben Wilcox shares his secrets for success.

Four runners' inspiring stories earned them a place on Meb Keflezhigi's team at the Vermont City Marathon.

The Other Impact of Running.

May, Flies and Hungry Fish

10 Trail Tales

Weekend On Windmill Ridge

Stunning views, a cabin at the top and 25 miles of trails make this place worth a trip.

Hungry For The Win?

Feature

A Team Of Dreams

9

Feature

Teague O'Connor Runs Wild

This field naturalist, vegetarian, and barefoot ultra runner is setting world records.

Feature

The Ultra Pioneer

27 Gear

Season Switchers

The gear to get you through May's shoulder season.

28

Calendar

Race & Event Guide

34 Endgame

A Language My Body Understands

Sometimes, it takes years of practice to find your calling.

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MAY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 3

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THE START

THE OTHER IMPACT OF RUNNING

T

hirty years ago, Burlington's Vermont City Marathon kicked off with 525 marathoners and the Vermont 100 drew 145 ultra runners to the trails of West Windsor. This May 27, close to 8,000 people, will compete in VCM. In July, the Vermont 100 will max out at 350.

Both races have had a profound economic impact on their regions. As Guy Alderdice, an investment advisor, says in our story on page 22: “We moved our family to Brownsville because of the Vermont 100 and discovered a whole community of runners it’s spawned here.”

Can events like these bolster our economy? The economic impact of outdoor recreation has been a hot topic this spring.

Two years ago, Congressman Peter Welch helped create the Outdoor Recreation’s Economic Contributions (REC) Act (HR 4665), the first national attempt to quantify the economic benefits of outdoor recreation.

The first data, released this February, showed that Americans spend more on outdoor recreation ($887 billion) than they do on fuel and pharmaceuticals combined.

As an industry, outdoor recreation accounts for 2 percent of the GDP. On April 23, Rep. Welch was honored with the National Outdoor Leadership Award in front of close to 250 representatives of outdoor organizations from around the country at the National Outdoor Recreation Conference, held in Burlington.

The group saw presentations from Kingdom Trails, the Rochester Area Sports Trails Alliance, the Lamoille Valley and Missisquoi Valley Rail Trails as well as the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC). “It was a great chance to show off how much this tiny state has done with so few resources,” said Michael Snyder, Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation, who leads VOREC. Attending, too, were representatives from some of the eight other states that have designated offices of outdoor recreation or task forces devoted to it.

Six of them (Colorado, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington and Utah) are full offices with budgets and staff. Three (Maryland, Vermont and Wyoming) have task forces.

Utah’s office, created in 2013, was the first in the country. It has a budget of $5 million (sourced, in part, from the Transient Rooms Tax) and is staffed by four.

“We are already seeing a return on investment of as much as $6 to every $1 spent,” Utah program manager Tara McKee says. She talked about how grants, ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 (the max the

state offers) have helped build things such as a bouldering park in Moab. “Utah has dozens of dying mining towns like Moab,” McKee says. “Mountain biking and other outdoor sports are saving them.”

“Perhaps the key to success I’ve seen in the dozen or so efforts to create state offices of outdoor recreation is finding an adequate funding stream,” said Bob Ratcliffe, the National Park Service’s Division Chief of Conservation and Outdoor Recreation.

As Vermont’s legislative session comes to a close, Commissioner Snyder was hoping to squeeze $100,000 into the budget to go toward funding VOREC’s “Outdoor Recreation Friendly Town” pilot program.”

The grant program would help provide resources to designated rural towns to connect local communities and businesses with trails and other outdoor recreation resources and promote outdoor recreation.

The conference happened a week after the Outdoor Industry Association delivered to Washington, D.C., reports from all 435 congressional districts showing the economic impact of outdoor recreation. In Vermont, outdoor recreation accounts for 51,000 jobs (which means that one in every 12 Vermont resident’s job is connected to outdoor recreation) and for $5.5 billion in consumer spending.

“Without this kind of data, it’s hard to get governments to justify spending the money on trails,” said Ratcliffe.

As Vermont looks at how to attract more people and more businesses, wouldn’t investing in outdoor recreation make sense for both our personal and our economic health?

—Lisa Lynn, Editor

THE PATIO IS NOW OPEN! Meat here for a hooch, grub or swag!

Brewery opens every day at 11:30AM for LUNCH + SUPPER

MAY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 5

GREAT OUTDOORS

MAY, FLIES AND HUNGRY FISH IN MAY, BEN WILCOX LEAVES OFF SUGARING AND HEADS TO HIS FAVORITE TROUT STREAMS. HERE, HE SHARES (SOME OF) HIS SECRETS FOR SUCCESS.

BY LISA LYNN

Ben Wilcox, casting in his home waters. This spring, he placed third in the Northeast Regionals.

Photo by Brent Harrewyn

6 VTSPORTS.COM | MAY 2018

“M

ay is usually the best month to fly-fish in Vermont,” says Ben Wilcox. “And the later in May, the better the fishing. But there are so many bugs out and so many hatches, it may take a lot of fly-tying and guessing before you figure out what insects the trout are going after.”

For Wilcox, who has guided the likes of the president of Orvis, that means trying “pheasant-tailed flies, hares ear, prince nymphs, zug bugs, Hendrickson emergers, Frenchies, caddis larvae, pupa nymphs and stone flies.”

This year, with the cold temperatures and big snowpack, the fishing could be good well into June too, predicts Wilcox, who runs Maple Country Angler’s guide service out of Richmond. “I think after last year’s cold season where we never really got the super warm days, and with this cold spring, we’re going to have one of the best fly-fishing seasons in many years,” he says.

With the late snowpack, Wilcox advises to fish earlier in the day if it’s sunny. “If there’s any sun snowmelt up in the mountains can make downstream waters murky. Look for clear pools, and when the water approaches 50 or 60 degrees, the fishing is usually the best” he says.

He adds, “it’s good to have a nymph rod and a dry fly rod in May because the fish will be feeding at all levels.”

In late April, Wilcox and fellow guide Jesse Haller, two of Vermont’s top fly fishermen, headed to Pennsylvania to compete in the Team USA Northeast Regionals.

Last year was Wilcox’s first time at the event. Competing on his own without a team to support him against some of the top fly fishermen in the East, Wilcox pulled in 20 fish over the four sessions (fishermen switch locations to even out the chances) to finish 10th overall. He then went on to finish 34th in the Nationals.

This year, though, he had little time for practice. “It’s been so cold out that we’re still sugaring. I’ve barely fished at all. I think my arm might fall off from casting,” he jokes.

Still, he placed third catching 39 fish and earning him and Haller and their team, Stackmend, second place overall behind Team USA.. If he had one a final tie-breaker, Wilcox would

have won the overall title.

“Ben is good, really good,” says Haller, who works for Orvis and took 15th in the contest.

Wilcox grew up skiing and hiking the flanks of Mount Mansfield. His grandfather tapped 3,000 sugar maples using a team of horses to collect the buckets of sap and bring them to the sugarhouse, a mile into the woods. His father, on retirement, followed suit. Wilcox seemed destined to go into the business too. Instead, after getting his B.A. in Business Administration at the University of Maine, he went to work in sales for Pepsi. In Maine, Wilcox also became a Registered Maine Guide (Vermont doesn’t have a similar program).

“I soon realized the corporate world was not the lifestyle I wanted,” he says. “And I missed Vermont.”

After six years, he came back and went to work with his dad, tapping the 26,000 trees on their Underhill property.

“When I moved back, I was bummed to find the trout population had plummeted,” he recalls. But last season, something changed.

In April 2017, Wilcox headed out one day to fish a river that flows through his grandfather’s old farm, a minute from where he grew up.

“When I was a kid, this river had a well-deserved reputation for producing big wild browns," he wrote in his fishing report. "I recall so clearly standing on the bank with my dad and watching two huge brown trout holding under a log. I would fish the river frequently and always seemed to have good luck.

"I am unsure of what really happened, but in recent years, in the spring, before the river was stocked, my outings nearly always resulted in no fish. In fact, I don’t think I had caught a fish in the river for more than six years. After catching some wild fish in a small tributary last year, I decided I’d give it a try. When the wild brown took my fly, I was ecstatic. It was a great way to start my season.”

Living in Richmond, Wilcox likes to fish the Winooski where he goes for bass and trout in the summer and heads to some of the other rivers that spill into Lake Champlain for steelhead and landlocked Atlantic salmon in the fall. He chronicles

MAY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 7

the fishing conditions, the hatches, the flies he uses on his website—everything except the spots he heads to.

“Last year I saw more fly-fishermen on the river than I ever have and way more people in spots than I ever recall seeing. People are getting in on the sport, which is good, and more people are fly-fishing, which has less of an impact on the fish population, since so many practice catch-and-release” he says. However, it does mean that he works harder to find his spots. “I sometimes have to drive a little farther and hit some waters that get overlooked.

I don’t want to bring clients to fish next to other people. I don’t want to see other

5

people.” If he sees someone else fishing, Wilcox follows etiquette and moves on, and he expects others to do the same.

Last May, Wilcox found himself, along with guide Matt Stedina, guiding Bill McLaughlin, the president of Orvis.

“Yeah, that was a bit of pressure,” he says with a laugh. They were fishing the White River when Wilcox’s phone started buzzing. “I didn’t want to answer with clients around, so I waited until they were done,” he says. It turned out his wife had gone into labor one month early. He arrived at the hospital just 45 minutes before his second daughter was born.

That was the catch of the day.

GREAT GUIDES

Even if you are an experienced flyfisherman, booking a guide will teach you a few things, show you new places to fish and help you improve your technique. Costs range from about $200 per person to $400 per person for the first person (discounts are normal for two or more) depending on the length of the trip (half- or full-day) and whether it is walk and wade or involves a float trip involving a boat.

BOLTON DOME PROJECTED TO OPEN FALL 2018 In its largest project yet, The Climbing Resource Access Group of Vermont (CRAG-VT) has officially acquired Bolton Dome, a schist climbing area that features dozens of high-quality crack and sport climbs, including the region’s only 5.13 trad climb.

Bolton Dome was the area’s most popular cliff in the '70s and '80s, but, it was closed to climbing in 1990 due to private landowners’ concerns about public use of their property. “The climbing area’s closure in 1990 was a driving factor for the formation of CRAG-VT,” says Kris Fiore, CRAG-VT Board President. “Local climbers recognized the need to ensure climbing areas like this one were not lost to the community in the future.”

To save Bolton Dome, CRAG-VT purchased the entire 48-acre parcel with a $358,750 loan from the Access Fund, including a 3-bedroom home and 2-acre parcel that is currently on the market for $295,000. The area will remain closed while CRAG-VT formalizes access and finalizes insurance details this initial closure. CRAG-VT hopes to officially open the area in time for the peak season this fall.

BIKE SHARE COMES TO BURLINGTON On April 18, the Chittenden Area Transportation Management Association (CATMA) launched Burlington’s new Greenride Bikeshare program, the first public bikeshare program in Chittenden County. The first phase includes 80 seven-speed bikes and 25 electric-assist bikes available around Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski. When complete, the bikeshare system will feature 300 bikes at 45 stations in Chittenden County. Annual memberships cost $50 for one year of unlimited riding. Members can also pay a $15 monthly fee, or $2 for 30 minutes. catmavt.org.

Wilcox with the prize.

Photo by Brent Harrewyn

Catamount Fishing Adventures, Stowe: For 18 years, Willie Dietrich has been guiding fishing trips all over Northern Vermont. Dietrich is something of a legend and often booked, but he has brought in other guides who are equally adept (and entertaining.) catamountfishing.org Maple Country Anglers, Richmond: Ben Wilcox knows Lamoille and Chittenden county waters like the back of his hand and offers float trips down the Winooski. But he also is a Registered Maine Guide and guides extended trips there for salmon and other fish. maplecountryanglers.com Middlebury Mountaineer, Middlebury: Jesse Haller is no longer guiding here as actively as he used to (he started doing R&D work developing flies at Orvis), but you can occasionally book him or, more regularly, lead guide Dave Konopke or one of the area’s other top guides to fish the East Middlebury, Otter Creek or other rivers. middleburymountaineer.com Orvis, Manchester: If you want to fish the Battenkill or other classic waters in southern Vermont or New York with the company whose name is synonymous with fly-fishing, Orvis-certified Peter Basta and Ray Berumen are the guides for you. Both can be booked through Orvis, which also does fishing weekend packages at The Woodstock Inn in Woodstock or the Equinox Hotel in Manchester. orvis.com Vermont Trout Bum, Stockbridge: A licensed guide in New York, Matt Stedina often starts his season fishing for steelhead in the Adirondacks and then hosts float trips on rivers in central Vermont and some of the lakes in New Hampshire. He's an Orvis guide and four-time winner of Field & Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge. vttroutbum.com

8 VTSPORTS.COM | MAY 2018

NEWS BRIEFS

A NEW OUTDOORS CENTER FOR ASCUTNEY After several years of hard work, fundraising and planning, a new 3,000-square-foot Ascutney Outdoors Center will open at Mount Ascutney this summer, just in time to host the Vermont Mountain Bike Festival, July 27-29. The center will serve as a base for the mountain’s yearround, multi-use trails, which host mountain biking, hiking and skiing.

The bottom floor of the center will serve as bike, ski and sports shop, operated by Paradise Sports of Windsor. Upstairs, there will be a large, open room with a small kitchen, restrooms, large windows with a view of the mountain and a deck for outdoor activities.

“It will serve as a gateway for all of Ascutney Outdoors’ activities,” says board member Glenn Seward. It will also serve as a gathering place for the community, hosting regular open mic nights, film series, naturalist talks, and a lodge where folks can relax after a ski, ride or hike. The space will be available to rent for gatherings like birthdays and reunions.

“We’re already getting inquiries about the availability of the space,” Seward says. “The future looks really promising for the use of the building.

We’re extremely excited.” —Emma Cotton

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BY BEN KIMBALL

Jen surveys the view from the top of Windmill Ridge and, below, runs the singletrack that leads to it. Photo by Ben Kimball

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STUNNING VIEWS, A CABIN AT THE TOP AND MORE THAN 25 MILES OF TRAILS MAKE THIS PARCEL OF PRESERVED LAND WORTH A TRIP FROM ANYWHERE IN VERMONT.

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bout two years ago, not long after my girlfriend Jen started working for the Vermont Land Trust, she texted me a photo of a sweetlooking section of trail along a forested ridgeline in Westminster, in the southern part of Vermont.

You could see the track winding gently up a slope beneath a peaceful green woodland. She said it was all really nice like that, and we agreed that we’d need to make a trail running trip there sometime.

On July 4th of 2017, we decided to try it out on a 10-mile trail run. After grabbing some sandwiches-to-go at the Putney Co-op, we navigated up the pretty back roads of Putney and Westminster to the base of a long northsouth mountain called Windmill Ridge.

We parked at the trailhead for the Holden Trail and got ourselves ready.

We acquired GPS signals, re-checked hydration packs, put on sunscreen, and determined that bug spray, thankfully and amazingly, seemed unnecessary.

With all systems go, we set out up the trail from the gate.

We got incredibly lucky with conditions: the temperatures were just right, puffy clouds drifted in the sky, and we only saw a few mosquitoes. Crowds were light too, especially considering it was a holiday. There was only one other car in the lot on when we arrived, and a handful of people were picnicking up on top of The Pinnacle; otherwise, the only other person we saw all day was a trail maintenance worker on the ridge just north of Holden Knob.

The initial ascent was fairly easy.

We ran along a wide path, and then along a recently relocated singletrack section that was clearly laid out by people who love trails as much as we do.

The winding path felt like it belonged there. Following the natural flow of the landscape, it dipped and climbed around a series of ledges and swales, but it always remained runnable. In just over a mile, we reached the Pinnacle Trail along the crest of the ridge.

Heading north from the trail junction, we jogged the mile or so up to the summit of The Pinnacle. Along the way the trail gently rose and fell, making for very pleasant running. It was about 80 degrees outside, but the humidity was low, and a light breeze kept us from overheating. At the top, there is a cabin (which you can reserve for overnights) with fantastic views.

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over 20 miles away. A few scattered clouds hung on the horizon and occasionally passed overhead. And it was blissfully bug-free for a warm July day.

From the Pinnacle, we continued running north for about 2.5 miles to the network of trails below Paul’s Ledges.

We managed to hit most of them, including the surprisingly challenging Hemlock Trail. Staying on the right path required a little bit of attention to the map, but fortunately we’re both map geeks and love the game of route-finding in new places, so we didn’t get lost.

8. Ed Dodd Trailhead, Westminster, Vt. - From the center of Putney village, follow Kimball Hill/Westminster Rd 1.75 mi and bear left onto Hickory Ridge Rd. In 0.5 mi, at the end of pavement, bear left onto Tavern Hill Rd. 0.15 mi later, after passing Black Locust Rd, bear right onto Brook Rd, and follow it to the end. Turn right onto Windmill Hill Rd and continue 0.8 mi. Turn left onto Holden Rd. Parking is available 0.15 mi up the road on the left. The Ed Dodd Trail begins on the right, and a kiosk is 0.25 mi up this trail.

9. Grassy Brook Trailhead, Brookline, Vt. - From Rte 30 north of Newfane village, at the sign for Brookline, follow Radway Hill Rd (which becomes Grassy Brook Rd at the West River bridge, soon turns left, eventually becomes unpaved, and becomes Brookline Rd at the Athens town line) 4.8 mi to a road sign for Windmill Hill Trail and turn right. Trailhead is a short way down this road on the left.

10. Putney Mountain Trailhead, Putney/Brookline, Vt. - From the center of Putney village, follow Kimball Hill/Westminster Rd 1.1 mi and turn left onto West Hill Rd. Follow West Hill Rd 2.35 mi and turn right onto Putney Mountain Rd. Follow this road 2.1 mi to the top of the mountain. Trailhead is on right.

- From Rte 30 north of Newfane village, at the sign for Brookline, follow Radway Hill Rd (which becomes Grassy Brook Rd at the West River bridge) 1.4 mi to a 'T' and turn right onto Putney Mountain Rd. Follow this road 2.3 mi to the top of the mountain.

Trailhead is on left. Note: no access from this direction in winter.

Ben and Jen started at the Holden Trail lot (7 on the map) and ran to Paul's Ledges and back.

The Pinnacle is the highest and most scenic peak (1,683 feet) in Westminster, Vermont. You can see clear to Hedgehog Gulf in Brookline and westward to Mount Snow and Stratton Mountain,

I had something else on my mind at that point—something important—and was secretly just looking for a setting other than the next bend in the trail. At last we climbed to the clearing at Paul’s Ledges, where we found ourselves alone on a ridge above the idyllic Vermont countryside on a gorgeous afternoon. I waited for a quiet moment, then turned to Jen and looked her directly in the eye and proposed to her on the spot.

She said yes.

After sharing a celebratory Snickers bar (hey, if it works at the time, go with what you’ve got), we headed back south

along the ridge with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Our feet felt light and airy, dancing over the occasional rocks and roots. This time, just before reaching the top of The Pinnacle, we turned left and headed down the Holden Trail.

It’s clearly one of the older (and more eroded) trails on the mountain, but parts of it are still really fun to run and we literally whooped and giggled the whole way down.

Overall, it was a great introduction to running the trails of the ridge, not to mention a memorable landmark in our relationship. We both felt invigorated after the rugged ten-mile trek, and we couldn’t wait to go back and link up with other parts of the interconnected network, including trails on Putney Mountain to the south and in the 207acre Athens Dome area to the north.

It’s definitely a first-rate destination for anyone looking to get out for an adventure in southeastern Vermont.

Ben Kimball is the author of Trail Running Western Massachusetts, available on Amazon.com

A WEEKEND ON WINDMILL RIDGE

F

or 25 years, Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association

BED DOWN

has been working with the Vermont Land Trust,

You can reserve the Pinnacle cabin, a simple, open log

other non-profits and local donors to conserve

cabin structure that was renovated in 2016 and opened

land in southern Vermont. With the inclusion of additions

last year by calling 802-463-9226. Reservations are

in the Bald Hill and Athens Dome area, there are now

mandatory (and $5 donation per person, suggested). For

1,938 acres set aside in Rockingham, Athens, Grafton,

cushier accommodations, check into one of the historic

Brookline, and Westminster. These publicly-accessible

buildings at the Grafton Inn, where rooms start at $149

lands include a 25-mile hiking trail system and wildlife

a night. The town of Grafton, preserved thanks to the

sanctuary, creating a route that allows hikers or runners

Windham Foundation, looks much like it did 100 years

to travel all the way from Grafton to Putney.

ago when the likes of Rudyard Kipling or Ralph Waldo

The organization has a terrific website with detailed

Emerson would sit in rockers on the Inn’s porch. In

maps and there are guided hikes and nature walks nearly

Putney, splurge for a room at classic B&B Hickory Ridge

every weekend. Consider supporting it.

House (rooms start at $185).

PLAN YOUR ROUTE

LOCAL FAVORITES

To get a preview of the area visit Windmill Hill

Grab a meal or a sandwich at the Putney Co-Op. Try

Pinnacle Association, windmillhillpinnacle.org, which has

Grafton Village Cheese’s aged cheddars or sip Saxton

excellent maps, detailed trail descriptions and distances.

River Distillery’s Sapling Maple Bourbon (both tasting

For more trails and new mountain biking trails and

rooms are in Brattleboro).

rentals, head to the Grafton Inn or check in at Putney’s famous West Hill Shop, an epicenter of cycling.

June 22-24, 2018 NEMBAfest, Powered by Pedro’s, is produced by the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) and the Kingdom Trails Association in collaboration with the Wildflower Inn and the Burke Chamber of Commerce. It’s a celebration of summer and ALL THINGS mountain biking!

A 3-day celebration of all things mountain biking Including group rides, camping, a huge vendor expo, bike demos, live music, food, beer, kids games and much more!

Visit nembafest.com for event details and registration Lyndonville, VT

Experience over 100 miles of unique trails and terrain that makes Kingdom Trails. Enjoy a fun-filled, family-friendly weekend of riding, camping, demo-ing the latest mountain bikes, checking out all the gadgets and gear, rockin’ to great music, and enjoying yummy local food & drink in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom!

MAY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 11

[ MANSFIELD

O R T H O PA E D I C S

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Don’t let injuries or chronic knee, hip, shoulder, or ankle pain keep you from getting back on the trails you love. The experts at Mansfield Orthopaedics can help with state-of-the-art treatments designed specifically for you.

Match that with the warm, personalized care Copley is known for.

Top medical care to help you get back to the activities you love.

Our physicians: Nicholas Antell, MD; Brian Aros, MD; Bryan Huber, MD; John Macy, MD; Joseph McLaughlin, MD; Bryan Monier, MD and Saul Trevino, MD.

To make an appointment with a Mansfield Orthopaedic Specialist at Copley Hospital, call 802.888.8405 ORTHOPEDICS | OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY | CARDIOLOGY EMERGENCY SERVICES | GENERAL SURGERY | ONCOLOGY UROLOGY | REHABILITATION SERVICES | DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING

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HUNGRY FOR THE WIN?

NUTRITION

SOME NEW STUDIES ARE TOUTING THE BENEFITS OF A CALORIE RESTRICTION (CR) DIET. CAN ATHLETES BENEFIT?

BY JAMIE SHEAHAN, M.S., R.D.

T

he need to shed a few pounds (or a few dozen for that matter) is hardly a foreign concept for many Americans. However, many individuals are looking for their diets to do more than just trim waistlines. They’re in the hunt for diets that guarantee longevity, reduce risk for disease and improve overall health and fitness. Subscribers to Calorie Restriction (CR) are no exception, and research suggests that this diet may deliver on some of those promises.

There are no established parameters for what constitutes a CR diet, researchers generally define it as cutting your calorie intake down to 25 to 50 percent of your body’s estimated needs. For example, an individual consuming a 2,000-calorie diet who wants to cut down by 30 percent would need to cutting calories down to about 1400 calories per day for an extended period of time.

Studies dating all the way back to the 1930’s have made a case for increased lifespan under a CR protocol, and ongoing studies on monkeys have thus far suggested decreased mortality rates. No long-term controlled studies have been conducted on humans (understandably, volunteers for such studies might be hard to come by), but population studies point toward a significant increase in health and longevity.

Personally, the very idea is enough to make my stomach growl. For many people, a few additional years may not be worth a lifetime of hunger pangs.

IS FASTING FAST? However, a study published in 2017 by the research team led by gerontologist Valter Longo at the University of Southern California (U.S.C.) suggests it is possible to gain anti-aging benefits without signing up for a lifetime of hunger.

Instead, a “fasting-mimicking diet,” practiced just five days a month for three months—and repeated at intervals as needed—is “safe, feasible and effective in reducing risk factors for aging and age-related diseases,” reported Richard Conniff in Scientific American last year.

Would it be worth it if CR could lead to not only a longer life, but improved

the theory that overly restricting calorie intake results in loss of muscle and therefore strength.

However, research indicates that the proportion of weight lost from muscle is higher in leaner subjects. Therefore, based on the potential loss of muscle, losing weight through CR would be most beneficial for athletes who are overweight or obese.

How much should athletes cut calories? There are pros and cons to a restrictive diet.

PROS AND CONS

athletic performance as well? Now you’re speaking my language. There are arguments for and against this for athletes.

For athletes, body composition means more than just looking good in a bathing suit or having lowered odds of chronic disease. Depending on the sport, it can be a determining factor in performance.

Triathletes and cyclists, for instance, shell out big bucks to shave a few pounds or even ounces off the weight of their bike. Ultimately, a bike can only be so light, which means it can be far less expensive and more effective to reduce our body weight instead of our gear.

For runners, weight is an even more critical factor. Carrying an extra 10 pounds of body equates to an increase of approximately 20 seconds per mile.

Those statistics don’t lie, which is why elite athletes carefully diet and exercise to achieve a “racing weight” that they feel will allow them to perform better at race time.

Look no further than Meb Keflezighi, widely known for winning the 2014 Boston Marathon and a contestant in this year’s Vermont City Marathon. Keflezighi himself has detailed the significant difference in his pre- and post-race weight, fluctuating from 121.6 pounds the day he won the Boston Marathon and was back up to 134 pounds just over one week later—normal weight for his 5 foot 5 inch frame.

This “racing weight” was achieved through restricted calorie intake

combined with a fine-tuned training regimen.

While this may have been a key to Meb’s success, it should be noted his racing weight was only sustained for a short period of time as he quickly returned to his normal eating habits and body weight.

HOW IT WORKS Without question, CR is an effective weight loss regimen. As athletes consume fewer calories, their bodies catabolize, or break down, tissue to make up for the energy deficit. In the initial hours of a fast, our body preferentially breaks down glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrates in our body. The amount of glycogen stored in our bodies is hardly enough to sustain us for much more than a few hours and thus our body turns to muscle and fat to supply needed energy.

The amount of fat versus muscle broken down has been the topic of numerous studies, yet no consensus has yet been reached as to whether weight lost from CR comes from fat or muscle.

This is, of course, a rather crucial distinction to make for athletes, because loss of muscle mass can not only hinder performance, but could increase injury risk.

Studies on obese subjects following a CR protocol have been promising.

Participants lost weight, yet were able to maintain their muscle mass. In one such study, subjects adhered to a diet requiring a 40 percent reduction in calorie intake combined with a high protein intake and regular strength training. These subjects were able to lose a statistically significant amount of weight while preserving lean muscle mass, thus calling into question

There are other potential downsides to CR that extend beyond muscle and fat.

Just look at a nutrition facts label—it's evident that food provides more than just calories. Adequate carbohydrates, dietary fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals are important for our overall health and performance.

While it is true that meeting the recommendations for these nutrients can be accomplished by eating a variety of nutrient-dense whole foods, the majority of us do not.

Fitting all your nutrients in within a normal calorie diet can be difficult and becomes a challenging and even sometimes impossible task on a CR diet. Studies have found that individuals adhering to a CR diet consumed less than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for numerous vitamins and minerals. Long-term, this could lead to deficiencies that could compromise health and performance.

In the end, even if there were no downsides to a CR diet, the chances that athletes will benefit are low for one main reason: hunger. Long-term adherence to CR is extremely low, because for most people, the discomfort of being hungry ultimately trumps any health or performance benefits. In fact, the majority of studies examining CR report high dropout rates among study subjects. It seems you can’t even pay people to voluntarily go hungry for the sake of science.

As the Director of Nutrition at The Edge in Burlington, Jamie Sheahan, M.S., R.D. works closely with athletes to develop customized fueling plans to optimize their health and performance. Sheahan is also an adjunct professor of sports nutrition at UVM. An avid runner, she has completed more than 20 marathons.

MAY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 13

THE TEAM of DREAMS IF YOU HAD TO PUT TOGETHER A MARATHON RELAY TEAM OF THE MOST INSPIRING RUNNERS YOU COULD, IT WOULD BE HARD TO BEAT THIS ONE.

"I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me where I want to go.”

—Dean Karnazes

M

eb Keflezhigi is hard to miss. At 43, he is lean and sinewy, a body sculpted by years of running. He is 5 feet, 5 inches. His marathon

race weight hovers around 121 pounds and he has never weighed more than 138.

Growing up in Eritrea, one of ten kids in his family, Keflezhigi didn’t see a car until he was 10 years old. His family fled the increasing violence in his country and emigrated to Italy and then San Diego. Life changed quickly in the U.S. In seventh grade, Meb ran a 5:10 mile.

His running career was starting.

Since then, Keflezhigi has gone on to win the silver in the Olympic marathon in 2004. He won the New York Marathon in 2009 and in 2014 he became the first American man to win the Boston Marathon, with a time of 2:08. This May, he’ll toe the line at the start of the Peoples United Bank Vermont City Marathon. He’ll run for the first relay leg, and maybe a little longer, but then he’ll stop, letting the rest of his team take it home, and

Meb Keflezhigi fled violence in Eritrea as a child and became a champion runner. His team for the Vermont City Marathon has equally inspiring stories.

wait at the finish line.

That relay team will be just as inspiring as he is.

To celebrate 30 years of the Vermont City Marathon,

“We wanted to put together a relay team made up

RunVermont and the Vermont Department of Tourism

of people who had inspiring stories,” says Jess Cover

invited Keflezhigi to Burlington for the event, not just to

of RunVermont. After putting out a call for essays,

run it but to inspire others.

RunVermont chose the following four runners to join

14 VTSPORTS.COM | MAY 2018

Keflezhigi in the race. Here are their stories:

BROOKE PIETRAFESA, 20, UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT Brooke Pietrafesa had no idea what was happening when a small crowd gathered around her at the University of

Vermont indoor track during practice this spring. As the TV cameras started to roll, the University of Vermont junior learned that she’d been selected as one of Meb’s team. It was a moment she’d been working for since a fateful accident near her home in Westchester, New York. Her story earned her a spot on the team.

I

t was a warm, sunny summer afternoon in late July when a single split second

changed my life. As I sat in the passenger seat of my grandmother’s tan Toyota Corolla in my cotton t-shirt and shorts, the hot afternoon sun streamed through the window. The windows were rolled down and a summer breeze blew through the car, whipping the long hair in my ponytail around. I wondered what we would be doing at cross country practice today as we drove to Crawford Park, near my home in Rye, N.Y., a route that was all too familiar.

As we crossed a heavily trafficked four-

Brooke Pietrafesa, a student at UVM, overcame a traumatic car accident to lead her team. Courtesy photo

way intersection, a bright flash of metallic silver paint caught my eye. Impact. My head driven into the dashboard. No airbag to catch me. My ears ringing. My head

could be my last. I was now able to push

throbbing. The world spinning around me.

myself farther than ever before. I no

Stumbling out of the totaled vehicle I

saw

bright

flashing

lights.

longer put limitations on myself. No goal

Sirens

was too ambitious for me. Never again did

screaming out, my world spinning sending

I make an excuse at practice. I gave my all,

me into a dizzying confusion. Men in

in every workout and run that. I harnessed

uniform strapped me to a stretcher and

that drive and determination that I used

hastened me to an ambulance. I saw

to recover from injuries and put that effort

familiar faces but couldn’t put names to

into training.

them. This intersection looked familiar,

Each day, month, and each year I

but I couldn’t remember where I was, or

improved exponentially. Never again did

who I was, for that matter. Loud doors

I have a bad training day. Any day that I

closed at my feet. Everything faded to

could get out and run was a good day. In

black. Through strobing moments of

fact, days that I ran were some of the best

consciousness all I could see were ceiling

days of my life.

tiles rushing by like trees whizzing past a

Fast forward to present: I am currently

car window.

Through I

could

my

just

half-conscious

barely

make

a student at the University of Vermont,

state,

out

and my passion for running is stronger

the

than ever. I was elected President of the

disheartening words the doctors spoke: Bleeding

brain.

physical activity for at least two months,

country race. My coach promised that if

UVM Running Club, which has been a

Concussion. Lacerated spleen.”

I was

depending on the healing process. I was

I could prove to him I could finish three

far more rewarding experience than I

hooked up to a respirator and fighting to

heartbroken. I had been training all

miles, he would register me for the race.

anticipated. My passion and love for the

stay alive. Catheters lined my arms. The

summer to run cross country, and now

Those first days back felt as if I was

sport has driven me to grow the club from

doctors were unsure that I would survive,

I could barely walk an eighth of a mile

starting from square one. My hamstrings

a few runners who met maybe once a week,

let alone be able to run again.

without needing a breather.

were on fire. On every hill that I pushed

to a group of 30 that practices four days a

Although I couldn’t run, that didn’t

myself to run up, I struggled through the

week.

the ICU became my new home for the next

mean that I couldn’t attend every practice,

pain of physical recovery just as I had

Every day I spread my message of

two weeks. Slowly, my memory came back,

cheer on my team, and learn as much as

fought through the searing pain of my

positivity to all of the runners in the

but the images of the accident haunted me,

I possibly could from my coach while

injuries that fateful day months ago.

club. I regularly encourage runners of all

replaying on an endless loop in my mind.

watching from the sideline. My coach

I was determined. I ran that last race

abilities to join our community, as I know

A fractured skull and fractured memories

recognized my drive and determination

of the season, averaging about 9 minutes

how hard it can be to start running after

became my reality in those waning

to learn and to be a part of the team and

per mile over the grassy cross-country

quite some time off. I emphasize to each

summer days leading up to my freshman

I was promoted to team manager that

course, finishing in 27 minutes 58 seconds.

and every one of them that hard work,

season. I stood on the sideline of every

I proved to myself that day that I wouldn’t

determination, and a passion for running

After those few weeks in the hospital,

race, meticulously timing my teammates

let any setback, no matter how large, stop

will undoubtedly help them improve. I

I was finally given the okay to be released.

and giving them words of encouragement.

me from achieving my dreams.

try to pass on the ideology that every run

On shaky legs, I was escorted out of the

Finally, after two months, I was given the

hospital by my parents, struggling and

okay to toe the starting line once again.

“Fractured

skull.

Unable to leave my bed or even sit up,

year of high school.

From that day forward, I never looked

should be cherished, and our club tries to

at running the same way again. I would no

facilitate an environment that supports

sucking wind as I tried to just make it

With only a little over two weeks until

longer take it for granted as I did in the

that. All of my hard work and dedication

down the stairs and to the car. I was told

the last dual meet of the season, I made it

days before the accident. I lived every day

to inspire and support my team has paid

that I would not be able to return to any

my goal to be able to finish a varsity cross

to the fullest and acted as if any second

off. I am proud to say that this was the

AUGUST MAY2017 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 15

first year ever that the UVM Running Club

The crowd support helped me get to that

women’s team qualified and successfully

finish line and I still can’t believe I actually

competed in the NIRCA Cross Country

did it—it is seriously one of the best

National Championships, held last fall in

feelings in the world. I remember thinking

East Lansing, Mich. Looking back, I have

to myself at mile 20, “Why am I doing

come a long way from that first high school

this?” because I felt like I couldn’t lift my

cross country race, and now proudly hold a

legs anymore, but I pushed through and

PR of 19:40 in the 5k.

finished the race. When I crossed the finish line, I felt so incredibly proud. I qualified

The split second that changed my life

for Boston, too.

is something that I wouldn’t trade for the world. The resulting hardship has shaped

The best thing about doing any race is

the person and runner that I am today. Still

the support I get from my fellow runners

to this day, I live every day like it is my last.

and that I can inspire them to do better.

Runners like Meb have been role models

I can’t even count the number of people

for me, showing what the human spirit can

who came past me and patted me on the

overcome. I hope to one day have the same

back during the Chicago marathon, saying

effect on people as Meb has had on me and

things like “You go girl,” “So inspiring” or

many other runners around the world.

“You are such a bad ass.”

JACKY HUNT-BROERSMA, 35, NORTH CAROLINA

Instagram account from people who didn’t

I also get a lot of feedback on my feel like running, but see my post, put their

Jacky Hunt-Broersma didn’t start running

running shoes on and go out for a run. I’ve

until she was 33. That was in 2016, and

had runners comment that they saw me at

after she had lost a leg. Her husband was

a local race when they were tired, but once

a runner and it was good way for the

they saw me, they realized that if someone

mother of a five-year-old and seven-year

can push through the race with one leg,

old to stay in shape and spend time with

then they don't have an excuse. That is why

him. But that wasn’t enough for this North

I continue running races. I also have my

Carolina woman. For Jacky, running

motto: “What is your excuse?” on the back

became a way to regain her life. Last

of a few of my running shirts.

year, she competed in her first marathon,

I’ve been asked a few times what it

Chicago, qualified for Boston and will race

feels like to be an amputee runner. Am I

Burlington on Meb’s team.

prone to more injuries? You can compare

I

it to wearing a really nice pair of cushioned lost my leg to cancer in 2001. Since

shoes that give you a really nice bounce.

then, I have worked hard to make sure

But you have to get used to it and it takes time to build up trust with the blade.

I could do everything the same way that I

I get injuries just like any other runner,

did before the amputation.

I wanted to stay “normal.” That is why

but often injuries will happen on my good

I started running in 2016. I also thought

side as my good leg takes more of the

it would be something nice to do with my

impact when I am running. I normally

husband who has been a runner for years.

wear a thigh compression on my leg to

The only problem was that I didn’t have a

protect my IT band. I also get issues with

prosthetic leg to run with and my walking

blisters on my stump which can seriously

leg was heavy and uncomfortable So, I started to search for a prosthetist

Jacky Hunt-Broersma likes running more with her prosthetic leg than she did without it. Courtesy photo

knock you for a few days, as you can’t put a Band-Aid on it and continue. Thank goodness that doesn’t happen often.

who could make me a running blade. A running blade is very expensive. I was lucky

training program and I started running

I always thought marathons were for the

The weather does crazy things to my

that my insurance was willing to cover part

10ks, but I never ran more than that.

really fast and good runners and people

stump. In hot weather my stump gets

of the cost, but I still had to contribute a

In December 2016 I ran my first half

who have been running for years, but when

swollen, so my leg doesn’t always fit well.

few thousand dollars to the leg, so I had to

marathon. I actually signed up to run the

an opportunity came up to run the Chicago

In cooler weather my stump shrinks so

be very sure that I wanted to run.

10k, but the day before the race I thought,

Marathon, I honestly thought, again, “Why

my leg can slide off. This has happened

It isn’t like throwing away a pair of

why not try the half marathon and see how

not? Let’s see what happens.”

before. I have learned to work around it. In

running shoes you don’t like. With a blade

my blade and body handle the distance? I

I obviously didn’t think clearly about

summer, I sleep with a compression sock

you invest a lot of money, so you can’t just

totally surprised myself. It’s amazing what

what it would be like to train during the

on my stump to keep it from swelling too

decide that you don't want to run anymore.

the body can achieve if you put your mind

summer months. Living in North Carolina,

much. In winter, I just go with the flow.

Luckily, from the first time I tried on my

to it. I finished that race in 2:06 and for

the summers are brutally hot and humid.

Sometimes I have to stop to pull my leg

blade and took a few runs, I fell in love with

someone who was running on a blade,

I started my training journey and to be

back up. At least I have never fallen flat on

running and I truly felt like I was flying.

my face.

had not trained for a half, and had never

honest, some runs were just awful, and I

I started with running short distances

run that distance before, I thought the

sometimes wondered why I was doing this.

People ask me if I need to buy both

and I had convinced myself I would only be

result was pretty good. I have now gone

I’ve never wanted anyone to feel sorry for

shoes. Unfortunately, I do. But I always ask

a short distance runner. I really liked the

on to run a sub 2-hour half, which I would

me, and that is why I work so hard.

the shop assistant if I can get half price. It

5k distance. I seemed to find this distance

never have dreamed a possibility. Oh,

Then I would get days when everything

is hilarious to see their expressions as they

easy and I even started winning races in

and ironically, I absolutely hated running

just came together, and my run felt amazing.

don’t know what to do. They don’t want

my age group. It was an amazing feeling to

when I had two legs.

I was on a runner's high for a few days after

to discriminate against an amputee, but

my first 20-mile run. Nothing beats that.

they have also never dealt with a question

compete with “normal” runners.

I added a bit more distance to my

16 VTSPORTS.COM | MAY 2018

I started to enjoy half marathons and I thought I would stick to this distance.

The Chicago Marathon was amazing.

like that before. I have a lot of brand new

left shoes in my cupboard so if anyone is looking for size 9.5 left shoes, please

30 YEARS OF BURLINGTON MARATHONS

contact me!

O

Rukiya, originally from Somalia, started as a RunVermont MiniMiler two years ago.

VCM will be Curtis' first race since he was hit by a car while cycling. Courtesy photo

landing on the roadside. The left side of my

12-week training, program participants

skull was fractured, my left hand broken,

practice as an entire team twice a week

and left knee badly bruised; my new tri-

where they are guided by volunteer

bike was totaled. I awoke from a coma ten

coaches and local partners. By partnering

days later and began the process of healing

with local organizations such as the Boys

and recovering from the fractures and a

& Girls Club, King Street Youth Center,

traumatic brain injury. Due to injuries to

YMCA and the Sara Holbrook Center

my brain, it was unknown as to what level

RunVermont has been able to provide

of recovery I would reach. A lot of people

opportunities for youth who might not

prayed for me in the months that followed.

know where they fit or realize what their

My church, family, friends, medical and

capabilities are.

rehab teams supported me throughout.

submitted by elite runner Aliza LaPierre,

When I awoke from the coma ten days later, I was not able speak, eat, drink, walk

MAXWELL CURTIS, 26, MILTON, VT.

or make sense of what had happened to me. Eventually, with help from the PTs, I

Rukiya's entry was

who works with the Junior Milers.

R

ukiya, from the King Street Center, started as a RunVermont Mini Miler

Even before he started training for

learned to stand, eat, walk and talk again. I

two years ago. Now in 6th grade, she has

triathlons, running was a big part of

was released in September to continue my

transitioned into the Junior Miler program.

Maxwell Curtis’s life. Growing up in

healing at home as an out-patient.

Rukiya’s family is originally from

Milton, he was state champ his senior

In October, I started running up

Somalia and spent many years in a refugee

year of high school—with a PR of 1:59 in

and down the driveway at my house. By

camp in Kenya. The family has faced many

the 800 meter. In college at Paul Smith’s

December I was able to drive again. Now,

obstacles in their search for a better life.

he started getting into half marathons and

my buddy Brent and I meet regularly to run

The United States has provided safety

loved them, earning a half PR of 1:15:32.

and train together, and I am back to work

and hope for the family, but challenges

And in 2016, he ran his first marathon

and physically healthy. I will be ready to

are still a part of reality. Being Muslim

at Quebec City, with a time of 2:48:56,

race in May!

means Rukiya has to play sports, including

Boston

The speed and level of my recovery

running, covered. When hearing about

Marathon. Then came triathlons and the

has greatly surpassed what my doctors

Meb Keflezighi, Rukiya felt like she could

bike accident. Curtis, a Vermont-certified

had expected. I still have some short-

relate to his story and now sees him as an

arborist, explains:

term memory loss but have gained a new

inspiration as a runner and as a person.

which

L

qualified

him

for

the

appreciation for my health and great

Having the chance for Rukiya to

ast July, I had planned to volunteer at

empathy for those who struggle with theirs.

run as a part of Meb’s team is one that is

the Ironman in Lake Placid, N.Y., in

The Vermont City Relay will be my first

invaluable. Joining Meb on a 5-person

part, so that I could be eligible to compete in the Ironman competition this summer.

competitive race since the accident.

People’s

United

Bank

Vermont

City

Marathon team represents everything

A few days before the trip, I was training

RUKIYA, 11, BURLINGTON

for my fourth triathlon when I was struck

For over 14 years, the RunVermont Junior

her the chance to toe the line with one of

by a car while on my tri-bike. I do not

Milers program has been helping youth

the greatest runners our country has ever

recall the accident but was told the driver

ages 11-18 train to participate in the

seen without race, nationality, ethnicity,

had just answered a call on his cell phone

relay portion of the People’s United Bank

religion or economics forming a barrier.

when he drove into me. I flew 20 feet before

Vermont City Marathon & Relay. Over the

good about the sport of running and gives

n May 28, 1989 volunteers lined the streets of Burlington to shepherd a few hundred runners through a 26.2-mile course. It was, at the time, one of the first marathons to incorporate relay teams. The race had 525 marathoners register and 125 relay teams. The winning times back then: Joe Kreutz ran a 2:29:11 and Lea Sikora, a 2:48:22.

Flash forward 30 years. The race is now professionally run and sponsored

by People’s United Bank and others.

It draws close to 8,000 runners and often sells out. There are relay teams ranging from 2 to 5 and runners face all conditions. In 1992, it snowed and sleeted as temperatures dropped from 80 degrees on Saturday to 30 degrees on Sunday. In 2016, record heat and steady temperatures in the 80s forced the organizers to cancel the event midrace for the first time.

Today, VCM is a sanctioned USATF race and has attracted runners from around the country. Here’s a look at some of the records:

VERMONT RECORD HOLDERS Women: Kasie Enman, 2012, 2:43:13 Men: Justin Fyffe, 2010, 2:22:16

COURSE RECORD HOLDERS Male Marathon Course Record: 2:17:03 by Michael Kobotov (2001) Female Marathon Course Record: 2:35:02 by Heidi Westerling (2009) Male Masters Course Record: 2:21:32 by Brad Hawthorne (1997) Female Masters Course Record: 2:47:28 by Carol Virga (1992) Wheelchair Pushrim Male Division Course Record: 1:50:29 by Thomas Foran (1993) Handcycle Male Course Record: 1:26:33 by Jeremy Shortsleeve (2016) Wheelchair Pushrim Female Division Course Record: 3:27:43 by Harrilyn Beehner (1996) Handcycle Female Course Record: 1:42:11 by Alicia Dunn (2013)

MAY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 17

REGISTER ONLINE TODAY www.thepointtopoint.org

RIDE

OR

RUN

TO HELP FIGHT HUNGER

Register today for the Point to Point, powered by VSECU, an iconic event created in 2002 to raise funds and awareness for the Vermont Foodbank’s mission to end the growing problem of hunger in Vermont.

The Point to Point includes 100-, 50-, and 25-mile road ride distances, 20- and 10-mile trail ride distances and, NEW this year, a half-marathon trail run. Attendees, volunteers, and participants are welcome to join the P2P Festival, which includes food trucks, live music, a Family Fun Zone, and plenty of Harpoon Beer!

August 11, 2018, Mount Ascutney in Brownsville, Vermont Register by June 12 for early bird pricing. www.thepointtopoint.org

TEAGE O'CONNOR

RUNS WILD THIS FIELD NATURALIST’S BIGGEST ONGOING EXPERIMENT MAY BE SEEING JUST HOW FAR AND FAST HE CAN RUN—OFTEN BAREFOOT.

BY LISA LYNN

O'Connor on his way to winning the 100-mile Desert Solstice last December where he beat some of the country's top distance runners, barefoot.

Photo by Howie Stern

MAY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 19

H

ere are few things you should know about Teage O’Connor: He is a vegetarian, but he has eaten a mink. He’s carved wooden spoons from more than 60 different species of trees. He was cast as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son in “Kindergarten Cop.” He played a yeti in a film that debuted at Cannes. In 2017, he broke the record for running 100 kilometers barefoot. He was the fastest Vermonter in the 2017 Vermont City Marathon.

And he’s running it again this May. With 10 weeks left before this year’s Vermont City Marathon, O’Connor pads around the house in Burlington he shares with his wife, Sophia Kruszewski, a policy specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), his dog Boots and young son Cedar.

O’Connor is 5 feet 10, with a slender build and a race weight that hovers around 140 pounds. With light brown hair, a scruff of a beard and an innocently handsome face, he looks more 24 than 34. It’s March and there is still snow on the ground. His feet are bare. I glance down at them, expecting callouses and bunions.

“After last fall I haven’t been running barefoot that much,” he says, lifting his feet up for a better look. They are long and bony, but other than a layer of floor grime, show few signs of wear and tear.

On August 13, 2017 around 5:00 a.m., O’Connor took off on the University of Vermont track determined to break the time record for running 100 kilometers barefoot.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the record — 8 hours, 42 minutes and 11 seconds — was set by Peter Wayne Botha in Auckland, New Zealand in 2015.

O’Connor had two other goals for that day: one was to raise money for Crow’s Path, his nonprofit focused on outdoor education; and the other, to break his personal goal of running the 62 miles in under 7 hours.

Part of his training had been to run the Mt. Mansfield Double Up two weeks earlier, a rugged, 11-mile trail race around Mt. Mansfield with 5, 500 vertical feet and some near vertical climbing. Wearing Topo running shoes (he's a Topo brand ambassador, and also sponsored by Honey Stinger), he won it handily, setting a course record of 2 hours and 12 minutes.

This would be O’Connor’s third run of 100 kilometers or longer. The first was a run he set out to do on his own while he was living in Chicago. Without using a map or having much of a fueling plan, he ran 70 miles from Chicago to Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The second was in 2008 at the Santa Barbara Tough Enough, a 65-mile run along the ridge of the Sierra that started as a relay race in 1986.

O’Connor, then 24, ran it solo. It was hot. He didn’t have a headlamp. He had no support team. He got lost and he bonked.

But when he talks about the race and how brutal it was, he hesitates to mention this: He still won and his time of 9:23:19 stands as a course record.

20 VTSPORTS.COM | MAY 2018

Ever the field naturalist, O'Connor named his son Cedar after his favorite tree.

BARE AMBITIONS The morning of the 100K record attempt, O’Connor started out at a fast pace on the UVM track, a 6:25-minute mile, according to his detailed race report. At mile 8, Wandu Summu, a 15-year-old Burlington High School runner jumped in and tried to bring the pace down. They averaged a 6:38 pace for 11 miles.

Photo courtesy Teage O'Connor

“I really had no idea what to expect from my body when I made my plan. Whether my limit was a 6:30 or 7:30 pace was a total unknown, something only experience could determine. I’ve run ultras before, but always tend to go out fast and then bonk pretty hard,” he wrote.

O’Connor stopped twice to use the bathroom in the first two hours, and then

ran straight, walking only occasionally.

“It was really hard to fight off my brain, which wanted to focus on how much it hurt and how easy it would be to stop,” he wrote.

Friends ran alongside to keep him motivated. Brian Pilcher, a masters national champion, jumped in and ran for a while and Salomon ultra-runner Kasie Enman, who holds the Vermont City Marathon record for a Vermont woman, came out too.

At one point, more than 60 people showed up to cheer for him.

On the last lap, O’Connor was determined to break a 6-minute mile. He ran a 5:52 and finished just shy of his overall goal, coming in at 7 hours, 13 minutes, 25 seconds, shattering the world record by more than an hour.

Four months later, O’Connor ran the Desert Solstice in Phoenix, a 100-mile and/or 24-hour track race limited to 30 participants, representing some of the top distance runners in the country. O’Connor won that in 14:22:43—probably a world record, though no one has kept track of this.

“He was running against some of the best 24-hour racers in the country,” his coach Sam Davis says. “He probably could have continued, and he was winning— barefoot!” However, O’Connor developed a crack in his foot and stopped after 15 hours.

“When Teage runs barefoot, it’s not to be pretentious or show off. He’s remarkably humble, he just does it because it feels good to him,” says Davis, who has known O’Connor for more than 10 years and worked with him for the last three. “What he can do barefoot is unique. There are lots of people who want to run barefoot, but he’s one of the few who can do it. As a teacher and a naturalist, he observes nature in ways we don’t see. Being in touch with his body the way he is, running barefoot for him makes sense.”

O'Connor finished third at 2017 Vermont City Marathon.

When I ask, “Why no shoes?” O’Connor shrugs. “One of the things I’ve enjoyed in running is challenging assumptions. One is that you can’t be vegan and be fast.”

O’Connor has been primarily vegan for many years, though he now eats eggs and dairy. “Ethically, I’ve wanted to not eat meat, or to only eat meat that I have hunted.”

The other assumption: “That you have to wear shoes.”

Barefoot running was not a conscious decision, he says—he's been running without shoes since 2006. After he started at University of Vermont’s field naturalist master’s program in 2008, he spent more time running on the indoor track barefoot.

Gradually, he ran farther and ran outside, even in winter. His personal bests for the 5-mile, 5K and 10K are all barefoot.

“Running barefoot has helped me improve my body mechanics,” he says, “but I don't do it all the time. Your feet and body need to adapt to it.”

Another thing that has helped O’Connor is studying the gait of coyotes. “Dogs are pets. They know where their next meal is coming from and run mainly to play. If you watch them run, they sort of lumber all over the place. But watch a coyote, an animal that hunts for a living and has to be efficient; you’ll see how they put one paw in front of the other and how efficient their stride is.”

A naturalist, O’Connor has spent time not only watching coyotes and other animals, but trying to put himself in their shoes, so to speak. “I wanted to re-wild myself,” he says. “For a while, I was sleeping outside in my backyard in the winter.”

Ever the collector and log keeper, he set out on a mission to eat 100 different species, much of it road kill. “I ate voles, mice and road kill.” The strangest thing he ate was a bobcat (it was roadkill).

The most disgusting? A mink. “I’d made a big vat of coconut curry that I thought would hide the flavor, but when I put the meat in —it’s really oily—the whole thing tasted like skunk.”

Just inside his front door stands a rack with beautiful little wooden spoons he’s carved from various trees. His collection now includes more than 80 species.

When he is not teaching naturalist courses at Community College of Vermont (CCV), O’Connor runs his nonprofit, Crow’s Path, which has as its mission to “promote, foster, create and support direct, handson opportunities for people of all ages to reconnect to the natural world.”

Since founding it in 2009, O’Connor has taught kids winter survival courses and ,for a while last year (2017), hosted monthly walks for adults in his “ID Club,” helping people to find and identify anything from wildflowers to fossils.

His personal blog, phyllotaxy.com, covers everything from glaciers in Vermont and wildlife tracking to running. It’s here that he keeps his personal running blog and race reports.

O'Connor ran 3,000 miles in 2017, nearly 1,000 of those barefoot. It was a crack in his right foot (above) that caused him to pull up after 15 hours in the Desert Solstice race. Photo courtesy O'Connor.

RUNNING WILD O'Connor grew up in Alaska surrounded by animals. His dad was a veterinarian and a competitive cyclist and his mom, an aspiring screen writer. “Even in kindergarten, I was running two or three miles a day,” he remembers. When O’Connor was 8, his dad died of cancer and he and his sister Meryl and their mother, Nina, moved to Thousand Oaks, Calif., outside of Los Angeles, so his mother could pursue screenwriting.

In second grade, O’Connor ran a 6:45 mile and began competing. “I fell in love with running. I loved being on the track and tallying the laps and how quantifiable running was. I’m such a collector,” he says with a wry smile. “I’d save every single ribbon from every race I entered.” In college, some friends jokingly gave him an award for being “Least Improved Since Second Grade.”

As his mother began to make her way in Hollywood, she signed Teage and his sister with an agent. He appeared in several commercials, and then was cast as one of the kids in "Kindergarten Cop.” Teage was so good he was bumped up to a new role as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son, a segment that was later cut. His other roles have been in his sister Meryl’s films, one of which, “The Ballad of Finn and Yeti,” was chosen from more than 1,500 short films to debut at Cannes in 2012. O’Connor, not surprisingly, played a yeti. “I’m a terrible actor,” he says, “But I’m good at dressing up and playing a wild thing.”

After going to University of Chicago, where he was an All-American in steeplechase, O’Connor began teaching at a school in the Bronx, N.Y. There, one day he picked up a book in the library, Winter World, by the award-winning writer, naturalist and professor emeritus at

University of Vermont, Bernd Heinrich. “I read his work and decided, ‘I want to study this person, I want to think like he thinks.’”

He wrote to Heinrich, who had moved from Vermont to Maine. “To my surprise, he wrote a long letter back and encouraged me to apply to the University of Vermont field naturalist program, where he was still a visiting professor.” O’Connor had already applied. “That sealed it for me.”

O’Connor also signed up for Heinrich’s winter naturalist program and spent a January living with him far off the grid in the Maine woods. The two became friends.

Heinrich is the author of the book Why We Run, which looks at what animals can teach us about running. Heinrich has held the record for 100K, 100-mile and 24-hour running races. His 100K record still stands.

“A few years ago, we went for a run near Bernd’s old home in Hinesburg,” O’Connor recalls. “Bernd was 68 at the time, and we’d run for a while and then he’d pause to point out a bird’s nest. I kept worrying the pace was too fast, but he kept picking it up, and by the end of 20 miles we were still at a 7-minute mile pace.”

Like Heinrich, O’Connor has married his naturalist eye for observing and documenting behavior with his training as a runner. “Every single training cycle is an experiment. I think of it as a longitudinal study of human capacity,” he says and he meticulously logs his runs. Whereas he used to run just based on instinct and did his first 70-mile run without food or even a watch or a map, he is now far more careful about his training and preparation.

“My first marathon, the Chicago Marathon in 2009, was one of the greatest races I’ve ever run. I was at 1:10:30 at the half and running with the lead pack. But I had no gels, I didn’t really know about

fueling, and I bonked.” Still, he finished his first 26.2-miler in 2:23:26, just a minute and 26 seconds shy of automatically qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Trials.

On moving to Vermont, O’Connor began using a coach—first Jess Cover of RunVermont and now Sam Davis—and he has his eye set now on making the 2020 Olympic Trials, a tougher proposition since marathon qualifying times must be below either 2:19 for a marathon or 1:04 for a half. In April 2017, O’Connor raced in the U.S. Half Marathon Championships and finished 21st, with a time of 1:08:54. He’ll race the Half Marathon Championships again in Pittsburgh on May 6.

"What really sets Teage apart is that he is fast at pretty much every distance, and that's hard at his level to do," says Davis. In 2016, O'Connor ran a 5k in 14:51 and a 10 mile in 53:04, both barefoot.

Now, O’Connor is switching back and forth between wearing shoes and running without them. His main goal is to make the Olympic trials, and that’s what Davis has been coaching toward.

“We did some testing and Teage’s VO2max is 64.7. While VO2max is a predictor of performance, it is not the predictor. Factors like running economy come into play. That said, for someone of Teage’s age, a VO2max greater than 59 would be considered Olympic caliber.”

“It’s been great to have a coach,” O’Connor says. “It takes so much mental energy to train and it can be so hard to get motivated to go for a 12-mile run in the winter when the weather is bad. There’s a saying that running is 90 percent physical and 10 percent mental. Well, racing is just the reverse, and having a coach has helped.”

MARATHON GOALS In the weeks leading up to last year’s Vermont City Marathon, O’Connor just wasn’t feeling it. He was tired from the Half Marathon Nationals, which he’d run in April, and wasn’t sure if he was even going to race in Burlington. “My hip was hurting and I just felt terrible.”

He’d been doing 12 days of carb depletion, a routine that has worked for him in the past by reducing glycogen stores and then adding them back in for super saturation. But in the weeks leading up to the race he felt like his body was just breaking down.

“When I was going all negative Sam was just positive. He reminded me why I loved running and why I was good at it.”

O’Connor started the Vermont City Marathon staying out of the lead pack and running a 5:50 for the first five miles. “I didn’t feel so good at first, but then it got better,” he remembers. He picked the pace up to 5:35. By the last few miles, he was near the lead and finished in 2:24, third overall and the top Vermonter.

“This year,” he says, with quiet confidence, “I think I can do better.”

MAY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 21

With only 2 of the 100 miles paved, the Vermont 100 traverses some of the most gorgeous trails in central Vermont. Here, runners rejoice on the section nicknamed "The Sound of Music."

THE ULTRA PIONEER IT MAY HAVE SEEMED CRAZY AT THE TIME, BUT 30 YEARS LATER THE VERMONT 100 HAS BECOME ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S MOST LEGENDARY AND ENDURING ULTRA RACES.

BY LISA LYNN | PHOTOS BY BEN KIMBALL

22 VTSPORTS.COM | MAY 2018

I

t is 4:30 a.m. and somewhere in the woods in central Vermont nearly 350 people are running in the dark. The route, barely marked, weaves in and out of dirt roads and then hits a trail. At Mile 7 the first hill rises, a climb up Dunsmore. At Mile 11, there is another. Then comes the classic covered bridge, Taftsville, at Mile 15.4.

At this point, runners are still smiling and the horses are fresh. Everyone is in a good mood as the rising July sun starts to warm the dirt and clouds nestle in the valleys between the green rolling hills. It’s only six more miles to Pretty House, and if you can make it there by 10:30, you’ve made it to the first cut-off and the first fifth of the race. Only 79 more miles to go.

The Vermont 100 is not your average ultra race. There is no map available ahead of time as much of the route crosses private land that’s only open during the event. The shamrockshaped loop of a course consists of 8 miles of rolling dirt roads, 30 miles of horse trails, 2 miles of pavement and 17,000 feet of total ascent.

To even compete, participants have to complete at least 8 hours of service, volunteering at a trail event or doing trail maintenance. The race is capped at 350 and to qualify, you have to have completed a 50-miler in under 12 hours.

You agree to medical checks at aid stations and can be pulled from the race if you don’t pass. The time limit for runners finishing the 100-miler is 30 hours, and for riders, 24 hours.

Other than these strict rules, this ultra is about as fun as it gets. Aid stations take on personalities of their own, such as At Margaritaville, hosted by Vermont’s Frozen Fins, a loose society of Parrot Heads grills up “cheeseburgers in paradise,” blares Jimmy Buffet songs and serve margaritas (primarily consumed by volunteers and the equestrians.)

The Breakfast Club dishes out pancakes and bacon. The Spirit of 76 (at Mile 76) is all about red, white and blue patriotism.

The Vermont 100 is also one of the oldest ultra marathons in the U.S. and one of five that comprise the Grand Slam of Ultra Running.

Oh yes, and there are horses: this is the only known, ongoing ultra race in America where runners and horseback riders still compete on the same course.

But perhaps the most unusual thing about the Vermont 100 is its founder.

FROM 0 TO 100 “My first running race ever was a 100-miler,” Laura Farrell says with a laugh, “and I had to work pretty hard to persuade the race organizers to let me in.” An accomplished

MAY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 23

equestrian who had been riding since she was six, Farrell had raced the Old Dominion 100, an endurance ride in West Virginia in 1980.

At the time, the race was both a running and riding event. “I thought it would be fun to run it as well,” Farrell said. “I had no running credentials. You are supposed to qualify by running another race, but I persuaded the race organizers to agree that if I could run 50 miles on my own, they’d let me enter the Old Dominion 100.”

Two years later, in 1982, she did. She not only won the Old Dominion 100 but became the first woman to have competed in the 100 as a both a rider and a runner.

“I think because I was so in tune to understanding my horse’s body, I listened to my own. I thought about hydration and eating and resting,” Farrell recalls. “It was so much fun," she says with gusto.

The word “fun,” is a staple in Laura Farrell’s vocabulary and her approach to life. At 66, with a bob of blond hair, piercing blue eyes and a compact, athletic build, she looks as if her battery level never drops below full. “When Laura wants to do something, you can be pretty much sure it’s going to happen,” says her husband Jim, a ski coach at Mount Mansfield Academy.

The two met at Ascutney where Laura had been teaching skiing and was trying to put in wheel-chair accessible ramps. Jim was in construction and helped out. He’d grown up in Windsor on a farm, went to University of Vermont where he ski raced and became a baseball star (he’s in the UVM Hall of Fame). The ramp was part of Laura’s mission to make skiing accessible to everyone.

“I had started teaching skiing to a family whose middle daughter had Down syndrome,” she recalls. “I was determined to teach her to enjoy skiing just as much as the rest of the family and she actually became quite good.”

That was, Laura says, the turning point in her life. “That was the ‘aha moment’ that made me launch Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports.” Today, it’s one of the leading organizations in New England in getting people of all abilities involved in sports that range from skiing to sailing.

Farrell had competed in the 100-mile endurance ride that had been held in Woodstock, Vt. in the 1970s and early 1980s but had faded away. In 1988, Woodstock’s Steve Rojek (one of the top competitors on the international equestrian endurance circuit) and his wife Dinah revived it and a year later, asked Farrell if she would help organize a running race alongside.

Farrell saw it as potential fundraiser for her fledgling non-profit, Vermont Adaptive, and agreed. That year the race drew 114 participants and had 36 aid stations.

Later, the Vermont 100 added a 100-kilometer option, and then in 1993, Farrell went on to start a separate race, the Vermont 50 run and mountain bike race.

24 VTSPORTS.COM | MAY 2018

Like most of the first ultra races in the U.S., the Vermont 100 began as an equestrian endurance event.

It's the last to welcome both horses and runners.

“One of the things Laura is great about is building something up and then handing it off successfully so she can go on to do

Founder Laura Farrell and her son Brad racing the Vermont 50, which she also started.

THE PROVING GROUND The Vermont 100 became an instant alternate to Old Dominion as one of the qualifying events for the Grand Slam of Ultra Running, which also includes the Leadville (Colo.) 100, the Wasatch (Utah) 100 and Western States (Calif.) 100. Only one Vermonter, Bob Ayers, Jr., of Colchester, has officially completed the Grand Slam ( in 2013, at the age of 53).

For many others in Vermont’s elite running world, the Vermont 100 became a rite of passage on its own. Montpelier lawyer, triathlete and ultra runner Dot Helling became the first Vermont woman to win the race in 1997, finishing in 19 hours, 33 minutes. “I was thrilled at age 47 to have dueled it out with 30-year old Ellen McCurtin, a member of our National 100K Team,” she wrote after the event.

After winning, Helling threw out a

Photo: Laura Farrell

challenge: she’d pay the entry fee for any Vermonter who won overall or won the men’s division. In 2004, Northeast Kingdom runner Susana Johnston won the women’s division in 17:40 and finished eighth overall. It wasn’t until 2013 that Helling had to pay out. At age 51, Charlotte runner Jack Pilla beat two 28-year-olds to win the race in 16:36:21, becoming (according to Ultra Running) the oldest winner of a major 100mile run ever. At the time, Pilla’s finish was among the top 10 fastest times recorded for a major 100-miler.

Then, in 2014, Brian Rusiecki of South Deerfield, Mass., shattered the record, finishing in 14:47:35. “Brian had come within a minute of breaking the record two years earlier and was determined to do so,” says his wife Amy, also an ultra-runner who has raced six times, and finished second, once, and third three times among women.

something else,” says Amy, who now is race director. Farrell first handed the race over to local Vermont Adaptive supporter Jim Hutchinson. When he died suddenly after the 2008 race, his daughter Julia took over and then in 2015 Amy Rusiecki stepped up to run the event.

“It wasn’t so much that I wanted to be a race director, but I wanted the Vermont 100 to stay the same and keep its homey flavor,” said Rusiecki. She had competed at Western States 100, an event she describes as “big and super competitive” and watched the Leadville 100 get bought by a corporation.

“What’s different about the Vermont 100 is it is just fun,” she says. “People camp out at Silver Farm the night before and we do a big barbecue there after the race,” she says.

Rusiecki also recruited running clubs from around New England to volunteer to run aid stations and as they did, each upped the ante on food and decorations.

After running with a friend whose vision is impaired, Rusiecki also started the first division for athletes with disabilities.

“We had people with disabilities run before – including Amy Palmiero-Winters (who holds the world record for a marathon for a female, below-the-knee amputee) and another guy who had to run on crutches,” she recalls.

“But we wanted to make it easy for others to race and lay out provisions for any special needs they might have. After all, this is all to benefit Vermont Adaptive.” In 2017, The Vermont 100 was the first ultra race to do so. Now, Rusiecki says, others are starting to follow suit.

One of the highlights of the race is picking up your pacer at one of the aid stations.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE If you ask Laura Farrell about the history of the race, she barely mentions who raced or won. Instead, she talks about a local farmer, Bill Stillson, whom she cajoled into setting up a truck on his farm with some water bottles as an “aid station,” early in the race’s history. “He set up a lawn chair and had no idea what to do when runners showed up and began lying down in the truck and flopping in front of him,” she recalls. But Stillson was hooked. His daughter still volunteers and the farm is still the sight of “Bill’s” aid station.

Farrell talks about the competition between aid stations to be the most “fun.” And she explains what the race has meant to the community and to people such as Krista and Guy Alderdice, who first came to Brownsville for the race and then moved there.

“In 2001, Guy and I were living in Jericho and drove down so I could ride in the Vermont 100,” Krista Alderdice says.

“Those early years were amazing: the race started at Steve Rojek’s farm. There was a

“I was at the start thinking 'I don't belong here,' I'm just a blue-collar runner.” grand piano in the field playing the theme from "Chariots of Fire" at the start and fireworks at 4:00 am as the runners went off.” After that, the couple—and Krista’s mother, Melody Blittersdorf—started coming every year. Both Krista and Melody compete in riding events at a high level and were among 23 foreigners invited to Dubai to race the HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup, Krista on the Sheikh’s own horse.

In 2004, Krista was three months

pregnant with her second son when she entered the Vermont 100 on her Morgan horse, Song, and won. “That was the best year,” says Guy. Two years later, the couple made the decision to move to Brownsville.

“The community here is amazing and the per capita number of endurance athletes that live here (probably because of this race), is incredible,” says Guy. “I was the person who used to laugh at runners, but after so many years as a support crew and saying ‘yeah, one day I’ll run this,’ I finally did. “When we moved here, we found it wasn’t unusual to get a babysitter, so we could both join in a 60-mile night run to a Dunkin Donuts in Lebanon and back with a bunch of buddies.”

Guy remembers when he finally decided to run. “I was at the starting line thinking, ‘I don’t belong here – I’m just a blue-collar runner.’ I think I was wearing Walmart socks and had no idea what I was doing.”

Still, he remembers the feeling of coming into the Ten Bear aid station at Mile 70 to pick up his pacer. “It’s pitch dark and then

you see all these sparkly lights and hear your name being called out. It was amazing” For Krista, the most memorable part of the course is coming into Bill’s aid station, located at a farm set in a field. “It’s classic Vermont with a barn and a view of Mount Ascutney right in front of you.”

In 2015, a kick from a horse shattered Krista’s elbow. “It definitely changed my mojo about riding,” she remembers. Instead, she started to run more and in 2017 ran the Vermont 100. “I finished an hour before the cut-off,” she says with mock pride.

This year, both Krista and Guy Alderdice will run – Krista’s tenth event (8 are on horseback) and Guy’s sixth.

“One of the things we’ve also both loved is that this event raises fund for Vermont Adaptive,” Krista says. “I’ve seen a woman running with a blade and I think to myself my injury could have been so much worse.

The thing the Vermont 100 teaches you is the same message that Vermont Adaptive shares: Anybody can do anything they want to. It’s pretty incredible to watch.”

MAY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 25

GRAND

RE-OPENING

May 5th 2018

Richmond, VT

One day only special pricing on ultra light boats starting at 12lbs!

RENTALS

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26 VTSPORTS.COM | MAY 2018

TOURS

SEASON SWITCHERS

MAY CAN BRING SNOW SHOWERS OR 70-DEGREE DAYS. HERE’S THE GEAR WE’RE LOVING NOW TO GET US THROUGH THE SHOULDER SEASON.

GEAR

Flylow’s Rainbreaker

Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Escape

Tecnica Forge

GCI Master Cook Station

A REVOLUTIONARY HIKING BOOT Finally, a ski-boot manufacturer is using the same custom-moldable fitting technology for hiking boots. This winter, Tecnica introduced its game-changing Forge GTX ($270) boot, and we were treated to a custom fit. Here’s how it works: Fit technicians (available at Outdoor Gear Exchange in Burlington and Pinnacle, in Stowe) heat up the insoles in a small oven to 180 degrees.

As those start to cool, the technician will strap them to your feet to shape the insoles. Then, you place your feet and boots into what feels like giant inflatable socks. When the socks are inflated, the pressure molds the boot so that it hugs the arches and eases at the pressure points such as ankle bones.

The process seems complicated and expensive, but as anyone who has ever endured blisters knows, the slightest bit of extra space in a hiking boot is not your friend. And boots that are

too tight are just plain painful. After about 20 hikes around town, on snowy and muddy trails, the boots seemed Goldilocks-perfect—not too big, not too small and easily the snuggest fit I’ve had in 20 years of hiking.

Other features I love: the overlap collar replaces a tongue, which keeps it from bunching up and keeps debris clear of your ankle. The laces are selflocking, and the Vibram sole is also neither too stiff nor too flexy. And the boot comes in leather or synthetic ($20 more). tecnicausa.com

BIBS YOU CAN ESCAPE FROM? Women, listen up: Pearl Izumi has been trying to find the bib short for any woman who has ever had to answer nature’s call in the woods. The Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Escape Bib Short ($170) has all the greatest features of the brand: super soft, stretchy Lycra, almost invisible seams, leg grips that won’t ride

up and a chamois that is cushier and as comfortable as a Barcalounger. The straps are the same soft, stretch fabric, so they don’t cut into you, and they feature a nice bra-like clasp in front so they don’t slide. Undo that, crouch down and the shoulder straps stretch enough to allow you to drop trou, a better solution than the earlier versions which had a back clasp that would challenge Harry Houdini. pearlizumi.com

THE TAILGATE GOURMET If you’ve ever tailgated or car camped and discovered you had more cookware and food than you had space for, the GCI Master Cook Station ($130) will have you drooling. It unfolds into three sections with no fewer than 7 shelf surfaces and has a soft-shell sink with a drain that collapses when the unit is folded up. Sidetable features include: beverage holders, stem glass holders and hooks that can be used as a garbage

bag, towel holder, or to hang cooking utensils. At 22.7 pounds, it is not light, so you probably don’t want to walk too far with it, but it does include a carry handle, and it folds into a 21.7 x 5.9 x 34.8 inch rectangle, which stores neatly into a car. gcioutdoor.coms

A COMPACT RAINBREAKER If Vermont has a rainy season, we’re in it. Having a super lightweight and rainproof shell is a must if you’re headed out for a hike. Flylow’s Rainbreaker ($140) has taped seams that keep out all but a drenching rain, a hood that feels like a nice cozy tent for your head, and at 6.2 ounces is light enough and compact enough to stuff in an outside pocket of your pack. The fit is a bit baggy so you can pull it on over a mid-weight layer. The only downside, it only comes in men’s sizes. flylowgear.com —L.L.

MAY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 27

RACE & EVENT GUIDE

VERMONT

SPORTS

LISTING YOUR EVENT IN THIS CALENDAR IS FREE AND EASY. VISIT VTSPORTS.COM/ SUBMIT-AN-EVENT OR E-MAIL EDITOR@ VTSPORTS.COM. ALL AREA CODES ARE 802.

ALL LOCATIONS ARE IN VERMONT, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. FEATURED EVENTS, IN YELLOW, PAY A NOMINAL FEE.

6 | The Sweetest Half, Middlebury Middlebury hosts its signature springtime half marathon, starting and finishing at Porter Medical Center. Run as a two-person relay or try the new 3-mile fun. middleburymaplerun.com

6 | Steve Zemianek Bennington Road Race A long-standing tradition in southern Vermont, the “ZemBenn” starts with a half-mile fun run for kids, followed by 3.8-mile and 10-mile races. runreg.com

ALPINE SKIING/RIDING MAY

6 | Run/Walk for Jim 5K, St. Albans This 5K race is run on a mostly flat, paved course. Apple pies go to top finishers. active.com

1 | May Day Slalom, Killington Killington hosts a final springtime slalom race on the Superstar trail. killington.com

12 | Lake Champlain Half Marathon, Vergennes Limited to only 200 runners, this new race is relatively flat, with the exception of a few gentle rolling hills. The race will benefit the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. racevermont.com

26 | Peace Pipe Rail Jam, West Dover Mount Snow’s Carinthia area hosts a free end-of-season rail jam complete with music and complimentary weenies on the deck. mountsnow.com

12 | Spring Into Health 5K, Townshend Run or walk in this 5K fundraiser for Grace Cottage Hospital, starting and ending at the Townshend Common. gracecottage.org

RUNNING/HIKING MAY

4-5 | Peak Bloodroot Ultra, Pittsfield Recreational to elite-level runners will have the choice of running 10-, 30-, 50-, 100- or 500-mile distances on crosscountry trails. peak.com

12 | The Road to the Pogue, Woodstock The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park hosts a 6.1-mile run on carriage trails to the 14-acre pond known as “The Pogue” and back. roadtothepogue.com

4 | End-To-Enders Panel, Warren Want to hike the entire Long Trail? The Green Mountain Club hosts this Q&A, show-and-tell panel to provide information to aspiring end-to-enders with answers about food, equipment and planning. greenmountainclub.org

12 | Girls on the Run 5K—Southern VT, Brattleboro Brattleboro High School hosts this non-competitive 5K to celebrate girl power. gotrvt.org 13 | Persist 5K, Burlington Born from the energy of the Women’s Marches, the Persist 5K Run/Walk benefits the Vermont Women’s Fund. Pink hats encouraged. persist5k.com

5 | Green Street School Tulip Trot, Brattleboro The Green Street School hosts its annual 5K run on trails and roads around Brattleboro. tuliptrot5k.com

Cannondale Gravel Bike Demo n

17 | Equinox Trail Race, Charlotte Run this 5K and 10K course through singletrack, fields and old sugarbush roads. gmaa.net 18 | 100 on 100 Relay, Stowe Teams of runners complete a 100-mile relay on Vermont Route 100 from the Trapp Family Lodge to Okemo Resort.

100on100.org 19 | Girls on the Run 5K—Central VT, Castleton Celebrate girl power with this 5K run at Castleton University. gotrvt.org 19 | Barre Town Spring Run 5K, Barre This is Central Vermont Runners’ event to benefit the Barre Town Recreation Department. cvrunners.org 19 | Dandelion Run, Derby Kingdom Games hosts its annual half marathon and 10K on dirt roads through the dandelion fields of Morgan, Holland and Derby. Fiddlers play live bluegrass and folk music along the run. dandelionrun.org 20 | Adamant 20 Miler, Calais Head out on this scenic out-and-back course through Calais and Woodbury. Run 20 miles, or share the run with a partner in the 13-mile/7-mile two-person relay. cvrunners.org 24 | Infinitus Rugged Trail Races, Goshen The Endurance Society hosts a series of races with distances including 8k, marathon, 88K, 100-mile, 250mile, deca-marathon (ten marathons in ten days) and the 888K Infinitus all starting from the Blueberry Hill Inn and Ski Center. endurancesociety.org

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24-Aug. 16 | ShoeFly Trail Running Series, East Burke Get in a cycle with these bi-weekly trail runs, which include one-mile, 5K and 10K distances. Runs take place on Kingdom Trails and Littleton, NH's Parker Mountain and Regional Trails. shoeflytrailrun.org 27 | Vermont City Marathon, Burlington The 30th anniversary of this marathon goes through downtown Burlington and finishes in Waterfront Park. This year, legend Meb Keflezighi, a past winner of the New York and Boston Marathons, will be running a relay with four others. vermontcitymarathon.org

JUNE 1 | Kids’ Track Meet, Montpelier Fun events like the mile run, half mile run, quarter mile run, 100-meter dash, long jump and softball throw are open to all kids from pre-school through 6th grade. Free admission. cvrunners.org 2 | XTrail, Sutton, Quebec Runners will have to negotiate roots, rocks, mud, streams on marked hiking trails of Mont Sutton. Choices of mountain circuits are to be determined. montsutton.com 2 | West River Trail Run, Londonderry An 11-mile run on dirt roads from Londonderry Depot to Jamaica State Park to benefit The Collaborative’s mission to provide fun healthy educational programs for youth in Southern Vermont. thecollaborative.us/westrivertrailrun 2 | Girls On The Run 5K—Northern VT, Essex Junction Head to the Champlain Valley Expo to celebrate girl power with this 5K. gotrvt.org 2 | Colchester Causeway 5K/15K, Colchester Choose either a 5K or 15K and enjoy the scenic Colchester Causeway. The race will begin at Airport Park and follow a gravel trail out onto the historic Causeway where runners will make their way to designated turn-around points before returning to the finish. colchestervt.gov

3 | Covered Bridges Half Marathon, Pomfret Though it’s sold out for this year, come watch one of the state’s most popular races as it covers a beautiful point-to-point course through the Woodstock region. cbhalfmarathon.blogspot.com 10 | Capital City Stampede 10K, Montpelier Runners race a flat and fast out-and-back course on halfpaved, half dirt roads. Course is USATF-certified. Top three winners receive gift certificates. cvrunners.org 16 | NH–VT Covered Bridge Half Marathon and Relay, Colebrook, NH The race route features a mostly flat, loop route that starts and finishes in Colebrook, NH. Runners enter Vermont for 6.3 miles, then cross back on the historic Columbia Covered Bridge to cover the last 6.8 mi in NH. colebrookkiwanis.org 17 | Skip Matthews Memorial Run, Lebanon, NH This race’s four miles feature a loop that begins at Colburn Park (the Lebanon town green) and follows the Northern Rail Trail. skipsrun.org 17 | 8th Equinox Trail Race 5K & 10K, Charlotte The Green Mountain Athletic Association hosts runs on trails through fields, singletrack and old sugar roads. gmaa.net

4 | Harry Corrow Freedom Run, Newport Kingdom Games hosts this 10-mile classic on the NewportDerby Bike Path and Memphremagog Ski Touring Foundation Trails, with 10K, 5K, and 1-mile options.

Celebrate freedom from British Tyranny, freedom from asphalt, and freedom to choose your distance, even mid-run. Bed races, music, and fireworks to follow. kingdomgames.co 8 | Stowe 8-Miler/5K, Stowe Stowe hosts the classic 8-mile run along with a 5K on local roads. Race starts at the Recreation Field and finishes at the Golden Eagle Resort. cvrunners.org 8 | Mad Marathon, Mad Half and Relays, Waitsfield The Mad River Valley is the site of a weekend of races on dirt roads with tough climbs, accompanied by views of the Green Mountains. madmarathon.com 14 | Bear Swamp Run, Middlesex This loop course, running over mostly dirt roads, climbs 450 feet before gradually descending to the finish. Part of the CVR/ORS Race Series. cvrunners.org

40th ANNUAL

22 | Sine Nomine The Endurance Society hosts a secretive endurance race of unspecified length. The race will be held in rural Vermont at a location disclosed only to the entrants. endurancesociety.org 23 | Catamount Ultra 25K/50K Trail Race, Stowe This race features 25K and 50K courses that circumnavigate the Trapp Family Lodge trail system on wide, hard-packed dirt trails. The course rolls through highland pastures and hardwood forest complete with maple sugar tap lines in place. catamountultra.com

JULY 4 | Clarence DeMar 5K, South Hero Run this flat out (south) and back (north) 5K on South Street, with a free ¼ mile race for kids. gmaa.net

July 21, 2018 Blueberry Hill Inn Goshen, VT A breathtaking 10K or 5K adventure run through Mooselamoo. Proceeds benefit bridge and trail preservation. Enjoy music, awesome food & drinks at the after party!

www.goshengallop.com

6th Annual

Colchester Causeway 5K / 10K / 15K Race

Saturday, June 2, 2018 Airport Park, Colchester, VT

34th Annual

Colchester Triathlon

Choose to run a 5K, 10K or 15K on the scenic, historic Causeway! $30 / racer Register on Active.com!

Sunday, July 29, 2018 Bayside Park, Colchester, VT

500 meter Swim OR 1.5 mile Kayak 12 mile Bike | 3 mile Run @ColchesterRec

Register online with:

www.colchestertri.com MAY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 29

21 | Goshen Gallop, Goshen The Blueberry Hill Inn hosts a 5K and 10.2K trail race in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, billed as the “toughest 10K in the East.” blueberryhillinn.com 21-22 | Vermont 100 Endurance Race, West Windsor This 100-mile ultra-marathon held at Silver Hill Meadow in West Windsor, is one of four 100-mile races that comprise the Grand Slam of ultra-running. vermont100endurancerun. blogspot.com 28 | Round Church Women’s Run, Richmond Runners head to Richmond for a 5K and 10K, both out and back on Cochran Road, The roads are all paved with a few rolling hills. cvrunners.org 29 | Mansfield Double-Up, Stowe This 11-mile endurance race climbs 5,500 feet and might have you encountering ladders, no-fall traverses and alpine tundra. nativeendurance.com

AUGUST 24-25 | Under Armor Mountain Marathon, Killington Run between Killington’s and Pico’s peaks.

The second in a 3-part running series, features a marathon, half marathon and relay, and shorter distances. killington.com 26 | Race To The Top Of Vermont, Stowe The Catamount Trail Association challenges runners and mountain bikers to a race up Stowe’s Toll Road, gaining 2,564 vertical feet over 4.3 miles. catamounttrail.org 26 | Howard Center’s Zoe’s Race, Burlington This 1K fun run and 5K walk/run, supports making homes accessible. zoesrun.org

BIKING MAY 5-6 | Earl’s Bike Swap, South Burlington Hundreds of quality used road, mountain, hybrid and kids bikes will be available at Earl’s Cyclery and Fitness. earlsbikes.com 6 | Waterbury Gravel Grinder, Waterbury There are two options this year: The Traditional Grinder, 25 miles with lots of climbing, or the Big Grind, 40 miles with even more climbing. waterburytrails.com 16 | The Ride of Silence, Burlington A free ride that asks cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph, wear helmets, follow the rules of the road and remain silent in memory of the hundreds of cyclists killed in 2018. Lights are recommended. richardtomfoundation.com 19 | Richard’s Ride, Richmond Ride options include a 4.4 mile children’s ride (easy road or mountain bike routes), challenging mountain bike trail rides, a 17mile road ride for families, a 30-mile road loop, and a challenging 70-mile road loop.

All rides will be staged from Cochran’s Ski Area. richardtomfoundation.com 26-28 | Killington Stage Race, Killington Cyclists tackle courses 11-, 110-, 128-, 146and 160-miles long through the hills and roads around central Vermont in this USA Cycling-certified event. bikereg.com

JUNE 1 | Whiteface Uphill Bike Race This race includes 11 miles of uphill pedaling as the course climbs 3,500 feet up the scenic

CATAMOUNT ULTRA 25 & 50k T r a i l r a c e

June 23, 2018

www.catamountultra.com 30 VTSPORTS.COM | MAY 2018

Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway, to New York’s fifth highest peak. bikereg.com 3 | Tour De Heifer, Brattleboro This ride features 15-, 30- and 60-mile routes, all with minimal pavement and significant elevation. bikereg.com/ tourdeheifer 4 | Women’s Bike Night, Burlington Find new places to ride, meet people to ride with and learn about bike safety and equipment at SkiRack. Riders of all ages and levels are welcome. vmba.org 8-10 | Tour De Kingdom: The June Tour, Newport Five days of long-distance road rides through Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom and northern New Hampshire, totaling 440 miles and 25,000 feet of climbing. tourdekingdom.com 9 | The Moose, East Burke Ride 103 miles in this “timed event” through the heart of moose country and along the Connecticut River. Start and finish with your hands on the bar—Mike’s Tiki Bar— with 30 beers on tap. kingdomgames.co 9 | The Vermont Epic, Ludlow A series of three events. The 73-mile Vermont Monster is a gravel grinder with 9,000 feet of climbing. The Battlefield to Vermont ride is 134.3 miles and has 8,101 feet of climbing as it travels from Bedford, Mass. to Okemo Mountain. Or do a 40-mile distances. vtepic.com 15 | Champ's Challenge, Vergennes Hosted by the Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes, Champ's Challenge offers a 40mile ride, an 8-mile course, or a 5k walk/ run, all as a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis research. champschallenge.org 15-17 | Vermont Bike & Brew, Killington Mountain Resort Bike & Brew celebrates its second year as one of the largest downhill-oriented bike festivals in the east, with night ride, and a critical mass ride that starts from the K-1 Gondola. killington.com 16 | Switchback Bike for the Lake, North Hero Cyclists ride loops of 100, 80, 60 and 30 miles on the shores of Lake Champlain, raising funds to support the work of Friends of Northern Lake Champlain. northernlakechamplain.org 22-24 | NEMBAFest at Kingdom Trails, East Burke East Burke and Kingdom Trails host the annual festival celebrating New England mountain biking. Weekend includes demos, live music, competitions and exhibitions. nembafest.com

23 | Long Trail Century Ride to Benefit Vermont Adaptive, Bridgewater Corners 100, 60, 40, or 20 mile and 5K routes in the morning and a festival and party in the afternoon with BBQ, live music, vendors, kids activities and more. Mountain bikers will be welcome. longtrailcenturyride.com 23 | Route 100/ 200 Miles, North Troy The 100/200 is a one-day road ride that stretches from the Canadian border to the Massachusetts state line. 100-200.org 24 | Central Vermont Cycling Tour, Montpelier The Cross Vermont Trail Association hosts its annual 15-, 30-, or 60-mile rides on scenic country roads to raise funds. crossvermont.org 30 | RAS Ride & Trail Run, Peru Gather in support of RASopathies research.

Both the ride and the run will cover 10K of dirt roads. Post-ride party at the JJ Hapgood General Store. support4shane.com 30 | Vermont Gran Fondo, Middlebury Starting and finishing at Middlebury’s Woodchuck Cider, the Vermont Gran Fondo is a non-competitive ride that will test your fitness with its challenging climbs across Appalachian Gap, Lincoln Gap and Middlebury Gap and Brandon Gap. vermontgranfondo.com

JULY 7 | Tour De Grace, Stratton Stratton Resort serves as the starting point for a scenic, 17.5-mile ride to benefit Grace Cottage Hospital. stratton.com 13-14 | Prouty Ultimate, Hanover, N.H. The Prouty Ultimate is two days of 100-mile “century” road bike rides supporting patient services and cancer research at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center. Friday’s ride starts in Hanover and goes through Vermont.

Saturday, you can ride the Prouty Century, or try the new 64-mile, metric century hybrid gravel route. theprouty.org 21 | Raid Lamoille, Stowe Ride approximately 100K (60+ miles) on mostly gravel roads through the stunning countryside. The route will include nearly 6,000 feet of climbing. A 50K option will also be available. raidlamoille.com 22 | Glacier Grinder, Killington The Endurance Society hosts a 40-mile ride with up to 4,500 feet elevation gain that follows scenic gravel and unmaintained town roads. Four climbs include Bridgewater Hill, Chateauguay, Smith Hill, and Gilke Road. endurancesociety.org

27-29 | Vermont Mountain Bike Fest, West Windsor The Vermont Mountain Bike Association hosts its annual festival at Ascutney Basin, with daylong epic rides, camping and pump track sessions for the kiddies. vmba.org

AUGUST 1-5 | Fox US Open, Killington For the first time, the Fox US Open comes to Vermont with a pro/am style format and some of the most competitive racing in the nation, a proving ground for up-andcoming and elite racers alike with Downhill, Enduro, Best Whip, US Kids Open, a vendor village and more. killington.com 11 | Point to Point, Brownsville This multifaceted races allows you to mountain bike, road bike or run on the trails of Mount Ascutney. Road bike distances include 100, 50 and 25 miles, mountain bike distances include 20 and 10 miles, and the run is a half marathon. thepointtopoint.org 16-19 | The Vermont Challenge, Manchester Embark on four days of riding through Manchester and South Londonderry. New 56-mile route on Sunday that finishes atop Mount Equinox. Each day has three riding distances, ranging from 20 miles to 70 miles. vtchallenge.com 26 | The Vermont Overland, Reading The Overland is a 45-mile dirt road bicycle race with 6,000 feet of climbing, eight sections of unmaintained ancient public roads, two sag stops, a scenic route and a party afterwards. vermontoverland.com

WATERSPORT & MULTISPORT MAY 12 | Consignment Sale and Swap, Brattleboro The Brattleboro Outing Club hosts a gear swap for paddle boats and equipment.

Drop off canoes, kayaks, rowing shells, rowboats, SUPs and small sailboats on Friday and Saturday morning, then shop for your newest boat on Saturday. brattleborooutingclub.com 13 | Fiddlehead Slalom, Montpelier Paddlers race a slalom course in canoes on Class II rapids in the Winooski River.

Practice runs on Saturday, with finals on Sunday. nessrace.com/fiddlehead-slalom/ 18-20 | Adirondack Paddlefest, Old Forge, NY Test the newest canoes, kayaks and standup paddleboards at the country’s largest onwater sale. Attend clinics, demos, lectures and classes, and enjoy food and fun for the whole family. mountainmanoutdoors.com

20 | Stowe Triathlon, Stowe Athletes compete in a 500-meter pool swim, 14-mile bike ride and a 5K run through the Stowe area. theswimmingholestowe.com 23 | Missisquoi Paddle & Pedal Race, Richford This race combines 6.5 miles of flatwater paddling along the Missisquoi River and 4.5 miles of cycling back on an adjacent rail trail. Kayak and canoe racers are welcome. northernforestcanoetrail.org

JUNE 3 | Friends of the Winooski Onion River Race and Ramble, Winooski Vermont’s largest river race will have you canoeing or kayaking through the Green Mountains, starting at Bolton and heading down the Winooski River. winooskiriver.org 9-10 | Vermont Paddlers Club Novice Whitewater Clinic, Waterbury This two-day clinic introduces beginners to the basics of boat handling, river reading and techniques for driving a boat through moving water. northernforestcanoetrail.org 12 | Lake Dunmore Triathlon, Salisbury The longest of Vermont Sun’s annual threepart triathlon series starts at Branbury State Park and includes a .9-mile swim, a 28-mile bike ride and a 6.2-mile run. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com 23 | Vermont Sun Triathlon, Salisbury Part of Vermont Sun’s annual triathlon series, this includes a 600-yard swim, a 14-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run on the shores of Lake Dunmore. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com

AUGUST

race starts in Newport, Vermont and ends in Georgeville, Quebec. kingdomgames.co

5 | Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival, Burlington Join 1,600 Vermonters in community teams racing 41-foot long dragon boats on Lake Champlain to raise money for cancer research. No experience necessary. ridethedrgaon.org

14 | Vermont’s Toughest Triathlon, Burke Mountain Resort A challenging grassroots race with over 13,000 feet of elevation gain between the bike and run. skiburke.com 15 | Vermont Sun Triathlon & Branbury Classic, Salisbury Part of Vermont Sun’s annual triathlon series, two triathlons start at Branbury State Park. The first includes a 600-yard swim, a 14-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run on the shores of Lake Dunmore. Or, enter the Branbury Classic for a 1.5-mile paddle in a kayak, canoe or SUP, followed by a 14-mile bike and 3.1 mile run. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com

12 | Lake Dunmore Triathlon, Salisbury The longest of Vermont Sun’s annual 3-part triathlon series starts at Branbury State Park and includes a .9-mile swim, a 28-mile bike ride and a 6.2-mile run. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com 12 | Vermont Sun Triathlon, Salisbury Part of Vermont Sun’s annual triathlon series, this triathlon starts at Branbury State Park and includes a 600-yard swim, a 14-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run on the shores of Lake Dunmore. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com

28 | 10th Annual Kingdom Swim, Newport Head to the Canadian Border for 25-, 10-, 6.2-, 3.1-, 1- mile swims. The event also hosts the World 10 Mile Open Water Championship sanctioned by the World Open Water Swimming Association. kingdomgames.co

18 | Basin Harbor Sprint Triathlon II, Vergennes The first of two sprint triathlons is a 500 yard swim, 12.2 mile bike and 5K run in and around the relatively flat Basin Harbor Resort. Limited to 150 racers. Teams of 2 or 3 welcome. Event repeats August 18. racevermont.com

29 | 33rd Annual Colchester Triathlon, Colchester The Colchester Parks and Rec Department hosts a 500-meter swim (or a 1.5-mile kayak), 12-mile bike ride and 3-mile run, starting and finishing at Bayside Park in Colchester. colchestertri.com

Dandelion Run May 19, 2018

13.1, 6.2, 4, 2, and 1 Mile Run or Walk

24 | BrattlePaddle Canoe & Kayak Races, Brattleboro Race 9 miles on the West and Connecticut Rivers or take a 3.5 leisurely paddle on a canoe, kayak or SUP. neckra.org 30-July 1 | Deerfield River Festival, Deerfield, Mass.

American Whitewater and Zoar Outdoor join forces with a full weekend showcasing whitewater paddle sports. The event will raise funds for American Whitewater. americanwhitewater.org

JULY 7 | Basin Harbor Sprint Triathlon I, Vergennes The first of two sprint triathlons is a 500 yard swim, 12.2 mile bike and 5K run in and around the relatively flat Basin Harbor Resort. Limited to 150 racers. Teams of 2 or 3 welcome. Event repeats August 18. racevermont.com 14 | Georgeville or Bust, Newport Swim the 15 miles to cross the border. This

In Memory and in Honor of Terri Weed

Saturday, May 19, 2018

supporting

9:00 am

Derby Beach House 220 4 H Road, Derby, VT

www.kingdomgames.co VERMONT

SPORTS MAY 2018 | VTSPORTS.COM 31

IKE SHOPS

AROUND VERMONT

91

89 7

2

100

15 12 11 16 14 19 6 Burlington 2 7

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ALPINE BIKE WORKS

2326 US Route 4 Killington VT 802-773-0000 alpinebikeworks.com Hours: Tues - Sat 10 - 5 We offer bicycles from Giant, Liv, Ibis and Yeti for road, gravel, mountain and gravity, plus accessories and apparel from Giro, Troy Lee, Race Face, Alpinestars and others. We stock an extensive inventory of service parts from Shimano, Sram, Fox, KS, and many others. Custom fitting with the Right Ride fit system. Our expert technicians offering everything from tune-ups to in-house suspension service. Mountain and DH rentals.

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ALPINE SHOP

1184 Williston Rd. So. Burlington, VT 802-862-2714

AlpineShopVT.com Hours: Mon – Sat 10 – 6; Sun 10 – 5 (Hours change seasonally)

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Specializing in mountain, hybrid and commuter bikes from Norco, Felt, Devine and Rossignol, Alpine Shop is a full service Bike Shop located off Exit 14E with ample parking & riding space. Rental and demo bikes available. 15,000 square feet of stylish clothing for men and women with a full inventory of gear, shoes and apparel for tennis.

Vermont’s favorite outdoor gear and apparel store since 1963.

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BATTENKILL BICYCLES

99 Bonnet St. Manchester, VT 802-362-2734

battenkillbicycles.com Hours: 9:30 – 5:30 every day Full selection of men and women’s clothing.

Rentals available. Great back roads. Road rides Thursdays at 6 pm, Beginner Rides Fridays at 6 pm.

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BELGEN CYCLES

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Belgen Cycles offers custom and stock bicycles supported by 40 years of hands on experience. Focused on the right bike for you covering the spectrum from road to ‘cross and mountain to fat with selections from Salsa, Xprezo, Moots, Parlee, Litespeed, Lynskey and Soma.

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belgencycles. com Hours: Mon – Sat 10:30 – 6:30 Closed Sundays

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CHUCK’S BIKES

chucksbikes802.com Hours: Mon – Fri 9 – 5:30, Sat 9 – 3, closed Sundays Putting smiles on people’s faces for 35ish years.

Bikes by Transition, Norco, KHS, Surly, Raleigh, Marin and Diamondback.

CLAREMONT CYCLE

12 Plains Rd. Claremont, NH 603.542.BIKE (2453) ClaremontCycle.com

We are always evolving to stay current with the trends to meet our customers needs. With certain change, we always stay true to who and what we are: a true bike shop where customer satisfaction is top priority and staff is enthusiastic, knowledgeable and friendly.

Everyone who walks through our door is welcomed into our diverse bike community. We bring people from all walk of life and ages that share the same love and passion of cycling

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COWBELL MOBILE BIKE SHOP

25-mile radius around Burlington, VT 802-373-3411

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45 Bridge St. Morrisville, VT 802-888-7642

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24 Bridge St, Richmond VT 802-4344876

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cowbellbike.com

Cowbell mobile bike shop is Vermont’s first full service bike shop in a van.

No more waiting around for weeks to get your bike tuned up. Just book an appointment and Cowbell shows up and you ride the same day. Todd the owner / operator has 23 yeas of experience and arrives with van full of parts and accessories. More then just a rolling bike shop...Cowbell also offers Corporate Visits, Ride Support and Bike Maintenance Classes

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EAST BURKE SPORTS

439 Route 114 East Burke VT 802-626-3215 eastburkesports. com Hours: 9 - 6 every day We are the original home to Kingdom Trails. Located in the heart of town, we pride ourselves in expert knowledge while providing friendly customer service. A full service shop awaits you and your repair needs. We have 100 rental bikes with an enormous selection of clothing, parts, and accessories.

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FROG HOLLOW BIKES

74 Main Street Middlebury VT 802-388-6666 froghollowbikes.com Hours: Mon - Sat 9:305:30, Sun. 11–4 Take advantage of the most advanced and courteous service in our region, including a quick turn-around in our service shop downstairs. Upstairs in the sales room, we offer the best in new and used road, mountain, lifestyle, and children’s bikes and new gear. We carry brands that offer superior products that balance innovation and performance with reliability and value.

MOUNTAIN 10 GREEN BIKES 105 N. Main St. Rochester, VT 800-767-7882 greenmountainbikes.com Hours: 7 days a week, 10 – 6

Located in the center of Vermont, the heart of the Green Mountains, we are surrounded by terrain that calls to mountain and road bikers alike.

Whether you ride twisting trails or back to back gaps, we service, sell, and rent all styles of bicycles, featuring Kona, Jamis, Juliana, Raleigh, Santa Cruz, Transition, and Hinderyckx bikes - hand crafted by our own Rochester boy Zak Hinderyckx. So STOP READING and RIDE YOUR BIKE!

11 HIGH PEAKS CYCLERY

2733 Main St. Lake Placid, NY 518-523-3764

highpeakscyclery.com Hours: Mon – Fri 9 – 6, Sun 9 – 5 Lake Placid’s source for bicycling and outdoor gear since 1983! Sales, Service, Rentals and Tours. Bikes

by Intense, BMC, Salsa, Surly, Giant and Scott. Your information headquarters for Lake Placid and the Adirondacks for gravel road, mountain biking and road riding adventures. Free maps. ADK80 and Ironman race info and course conditions. New! Basecamp Lodges

12 OLD SPOKES HOME

322 N Winooski Ave Burlington, VT 802-863-4475 oldspokeshome.com Hours: Mon - Sat 10 - 6, Sun 12 - 6

13 OMER & BOB’S 20 Hanover St. Lebanon, NH 603-448-3522 omerandbobs.com Hours: Mon.–Fri. 9am–6pm, Sat. 9am–5pm Closed Sundays The Upper Valley’s bike shop since 1964. We carry road bikes, mountain bikes and kids bikes from specialty brands including Trek, Specialized and Colnago. Featuring a full service department offering bike fitting, bike rentals and a kids’ trade-in, trade-up program.

GEAR 14 OUTDOOR EXCHANGE 37 Church St. Burlington, VT 802-860-0190

gearx.com Hours: Mon – Thurs 10 – 8, Fri – Sat 10 – 9, Sun 10 – 6 OGE offers Burlington riders a premier bike shop with a knowledgeable, friendly, and honest staff. We have commuters and gravel grinders from Marin and KHS, mountain bikes from Pivot, Transition, Rocky Mountain, and Yeti, and a wide consignment selection as well as demo fleet so you can try it before you buy it. Our service department is capable of everything from tuning your vintage road bike to servicing your new mountain bike and offers full Fox shock service. Come on down and see us on Church St!

15 POWER PLAY SPORTS 35 Portland St. Morrisville, VT 802-888-6557

powerplaysports.com Hours: Mon – Fri 9 – 6, Sat 8:30 – 5, Sun 10 – 4 North Central Vermont’s Trek and Giant Dealer. With over 200 new and used bikes PPS has a bike for everyone. Service and rentals too!

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SKIRACK

85 Main St. Burlington, VT 802-658-3313 skirack.com Hours: Mon.–Sat. 10am–7pm, Sun. 11am–5pm Locally owned since 1969, Skirack provides gear, clothing, expert fitting and accessories for all cyclists, with full service tuning and repairs...plus complete bike suspension service on most forks and rear shocks. Designated one of America’s Best Bike Shops, Skirack is blocks from Lake Champlain. Open 8am Mon-Sat for bike service, car racks and rentals.

17 STARK MOUNTAIN BIKE WORKS

9 RTE 17 Waitsfield VT 05673 802-496-4800 Find us on Facebook Hours: Tues - Fri 9 - 6 * Close at 5 on Thursdays for Shop ride.

Sat 9 - 4, Sun 9 - 1, closed on Mon. Located at the lowest spot in the Mad River Valley so you can coast in when you break your bike on a ride! 20 years of advise, directions and fixing anything that pedals. You know you want a Yeti. Come try one of ours!

18 WATERBURY SPORTS

46 South Main St. Waterbury, VT 802-882-8595

waterburysportsvt.com Hours: Mon – Thurs 10 – 6, Fri - Sat 9 – 7, Sun 10 – 4 WBS sells Trek and Giant bikes of every flavor from high end mountain bikes to kids, hybrids and cross bikes. Our service techs are among the best in northern VT. We also rent and Demo from our downtown location right near the Perry Hill Trails.

19 WEST HILL BIKE SHOP

49 Brickyard Ln. Putney, VT 802-387-5718 westhillshop.com Hours: Mon – Sat 10 – 6

Old Spokes Home offers Vermont’s best selection of professionally refurbished used bikes and new bikes for touring, bike packing, commuting, fat biking, and simply getting around town. Named one of the country’s best bike shops by Outside Online for it’s “plain-talk advice and no-nonsense service.” A non-profit as of January 2015, Old Spokes Home uses 100% of its revenue to run programs creating access to bikes in the community. And don’t miss their famous antique bicycle museum!

Since 1971, the West Hill Shop has been a low-key, friendly source for bikes ‘n gear, service and rare wisdoms. We are known regionally as the go-to place for problem-solving technicians. Our bike fitters specialize in comfort without sacrificing efficiency.

Recently, we’ve focused on stocking gravel road bikes, with awesome dirt road riding right out our door. Join us for our Annual West Hill Grinder September 23rd. It’s truly a rural adventure with loops on scenic gravel roads or wily trails.

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ENDGAME

A LANGUAGE MY BODY UNDERSTANDS SOME ATHLETES FALL NATURALLY INTO A SPORT. FOR THE AUTHOR, IT TOOK YEARS OF A DIFFERENT KIND OF PRACTICE TO FIND HER CALLING. BY JILL HINDLE KIEDAISCH

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s a kid, I didn’t have good “muscle memory.” I was told that muscle memory would help me swing the bat so it connected with the ball in a gratifying crack. It would land my hands on the balance beam, my feet on the bar, and keep my head in position while launching into back handsprings. Muscle memory would ensure that the laces of my cleats connected with the soccer ball so that it soared just past the tips of the goal keeper’s fingers every time.

I longed for that sort of grace, the athletic ease that has more to do with how your body naturally hangs together and moves through space than something learned. For some kids, dribbling a basketball looked as easy as walking. For others, lacrosse or hockey sticks became extensions of their arms. For me, the only thing my body realized it might have been meant to do was run.

Speed was my ticket to team sports, and my work ethic kept me on those teams.

Games terrified me because I was smaller than the other girls, a high-school newbie to the sports I chose, and my brain scrambled under pressure. I wasn’t a natural to say the least, but I worked my tail off, muscle memory be damned.

After soccer, lacrosse, and rowing in high school, I found archery, tai chi, and weight lifting in college. But running was still the thing for me. When I ran, I could strip everything down to the essentials: a pair of shoes, my legs, my lungs, a landscape to travel across. This, I thought, would be my life sport—the one that could bring me back into my body should I get lost.

I was wrong. Joint injuries made sure of that. So I started biking when the roads were right, I skied when it snowed, and ran (off pavement, and not as far) the rest of the time. That worked well for a while.

Then, one day I walked into a yoga studio and everything changed. I didn’t know it at the time. It would take eight years to realize that that practice in that room had become a central part of my identity.

It saw me through major life changes and emotional trauma and would ultimately serve as my guide through a debilitating hereditary disease.

Today, 16 years later, yoga keeps me resilient, balanced, agile, awake. It has become a critical part of my healing. It’s also a part of my aging, which feels strange to say because of the negative connotations.

Other words come to mind: longevity, extension, fullness. I’m stronger now than I was two decades ago, and more confident, too. That’s a funny thing about the practice: You lose your way in time. Try to guess a yogi’s age and you’ll probably be wrong.

There is no ultimate form or truth of

34 VTSPORTS.COM | MAY 2018

Try to guess a yogi's age and you will probably be wrong.

yoga. It’s called “practice” for a reason.

You don’t win or lose at it. There is no endgame. Yoga is a path with setbacks and breakthroughs, discoveries and losses.

Every single time I get on the mat, I find new openings, feel closures that were once open.

There’s a push and a pull to it, an interplay between your physical and emotional consciousness. It’s like a language you speak with your body.

If you do it every day over a long period of time, you become more fluent in the language and get better at listening to what it’s trying to tell you. Yesterday, it told me I needed more sleep. Today, it revealed hidden energy stores.

For someone once very committed to tracking speed and logging miles, this is a completely new way to be active. It’s so strangely forgiving. It can be so joyful.

It can be incredibly difficult, too, but not difficult in the same way hill sprints are difficult. The difficulty is spiritual. It involves accepting limits and knowing that tomorrow, those limits might be gone, you breezing right through them, only to encounter more daunting ones.

There was a time when Supta Kurmasana (tortoise) was a happy place for

me. Now, due to a progressive kidney and liver disease, that posture represents panic and pain. I’ve had to learn to relax within the discomfort. Other postures that I couldn’t have dreamed of at 25 feel like a song at 42.

The journey is unexpected, multifaceted, and completely ageless. Youth doesn’t equal proficiency in yoga. Experience does. And what experience so often shows you is how very hard it is to be still.

Every yogi I know has stories of suffering and elation. They go together, hand in hand, and, all told, become the story of a person’s practice, which is also the story of their body that a good teacher will learn to translate by watching and asking questions, listening and adjusting. I’ve broken down crying at the hands of my teacher because of the sheer clarity with which she was able to help me see myself in a moment, how I got to that moment, why it took me so long, that it’s okay that it took me so long. It was as though my life had become a huge connectthe-dots drawing, and she’d handed me a crayon.

In my late 20s and early 30s, I was what you might call an adrenaline yogini. I thrived on the challenge and the sweat, the impossible contortions. I muscled my way

through everything. About five years into a regular practice, my teacher quietly said to me, “Now, do it with yoga.” Hadn’t I been?

Hadn’t I been coming to the studio and doing the same series over and over again?

Then I knew what she meant. I had been making the shapes of the postures with my physical body—in Sanskrit, my annamaya kosha—while ignoring my pranamaya kosha (energy sheath), my manomaya kosha (mind sheath), and my vijnanamaya kosha (wisdom sheath).

As soon as I began practicing “with yoga,” the experience changed completely.

I found my breath. I found my bandhas. I understood the difference between forcing something and simply arriving there. I allowed myself to be vulnerable and open and soft, which takes a lot of practice in a world that so often inspires resistance.

It reminds me of something my gymnastics coach told me as a young girl: “You’ll get hurt much worse if you stiffen when you fall.” There’s some muscle memory for you.

Hinesburg author Jill Hindle Kiedaisch's last Endgame essay was "My Turn."

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