Train Hard, Race Smart: My Boston Marathon 2016 Race Report

The Boston Marathon is more than a race. It is an event that combines the world’s most prestigious marathon that convenes such a strong running community. This was my third year running Boston and although each one was special this year was simply magnificent.

I decided to run Boston in November while knowing that I also planned to have a very busy ski racing season. So first, thanks to my wife and daughter for supporting both endeavors which certainly created a busy schedule. Due to my skiing, I was able to train four days a week with a few five days mixed in. I decided to run a long run every weekend day I wasn’t skiing so I ended up doing four or five 20+ miles run. For the first time ever I also did weekly track/speed and hill workouts. So I felt fit going into race day.

However, I pushed myself in my final long run during the Eastern States 20 miler (21 miles b/c we got a wee bit lost) which left me with a very sore left hamstring leading up to Boston. Thankfully, I stopped by Acumobility’s booth during the expo and the amazing Brad Cox and their mobility ball helped me pinpoint the knot and work it out a bit. I also had a minor earache and sore throat two days before the race but I knew I could push through those.

It was also a special experience because this was my first Boston running as a TopoAthletic Ambassador. To make it even sweeter my guide was fellow Ambassador Francis David, who lives in California. Topo was kind enough to document our partnership through these three short videos. Francis and I met on Saturday, did a short shakeout/guide training run, and we declared ourselves good to go.

This was also my third consecutive year running with Team With a Vision, which is my work’s marathon team. TWAV brings together a huge cadre of runners and plans out a full weekend of events. Getting to catch up to my running peers and their families as well as meet new athletes is such a joy.

I got on the TWAV shuttle bus at 6:00AM at Park Plaza and we arrived at the swanky offices (indoor plumbing, coffee, oatmeal and ton of food, TVs) of the Hopkinton Vision Center around 7:30AM. So we had some time to relax and prep for our 10:50AM start.

I set a goal to PR this year at Boston. I did the same last year and I tied my time of 3:50:18. I was determined to finish under 3:49:59. This goal became more of a reality when my friend Michele Liguori, who had a similar start time and same finish goal time, offered to run with me. Michele is one of the smartest runners I know so this was going to be a huge help. Michele mentioned as we were applying sunscreen just before we walked to the start line that she wanted to negative split (run a faster second half than the first) which is tough to do for Boston because of the Newton Hills. I wasn’t confident I could pull this off but more than willing to try.

Francis, Michele & Kyle at start line.

Francis, Michele and I made our way to the start and took off a few minutes before 11AM. I can become obsessed with my mile splits so the only two time goals were a 1:54 half and I wanted to complete 24 miles under 3:30 as to leave me some time to get through my Boston nemesis aka Mile 25. Michele reminded me to keep the pace at a steady 8:44.

The first few miles of Boston can be a nightmare due to the crowds but Francis did a great job keeping us on pace and not stressing me out by feeling like we needed to pass everyone. Around mile 2 we passed a very rowdy bar on the left and I let Francis know, who had never run Boston, that people are loud and wild most of the course.

We kept a steady pace and I felt my legs begin to waken up and stretch out a bit. I could feel my hamstring but nothing I could do about it then. 

We hovered right around our goal and hit the 10k mark at 54:35 for an 8:47 pace. I felt good about this.

Around mile 8 we hit downtown Framingham and we passed Francis’ family and the Topo Athletic crew. This was the perfect pick me up I needed heading into the stretch before the halfway mark.

Due to the warm temps I decided to hit every water stop and take a salt stick every hour. I knew that this would cost me a few seconds but it is always easier to make up a few seconds while staying hydrated. Francis did a wonderful job guiding me through the water stops making sure I got my water then taking care of himself.

A few times my Garmin had us running at an 8:20 pace and I was excited how strong my legs felt at this quicker pace. Around the 10-mile mark, somewhere in Natick, I was still feeling good and if not for Michele’s insistence on keeping a steady pace I would have likely pushed for lower mile splits. Still a lot of race to run and the sun was pretty strong.

Around mile 12 I started to hear a faint roar. With a smile I asked Francis what he thought that was. “A train?” Oh, just wait my friend. Soon enough we were at the Wellesley Scream Tunnel and taken over by raw emotions. The screaming, energy, and sense of history of this section is Boston at its best. It is also nice to know that we are almost at the halfway point.

We picked up the pace a bit and completed 13.1 miles in 1:54:26. Right where we wanted to be with a total pace of 8:43! Now we begin to count down.

We hit the long downhill stretch in Wellesley (maybe Newton Hills?) and the gradual decline can put a beating on your quads. We rode the “free speed” train while keeping things in check.

At about this point I realized that I missed two small, yet very important spots, with my body glide. C’mon really!!! I let Francis know to keep his eyes out for some Vaseline (a guide’s job is all encompassing!) and luckily we came upon a stash (thank you volunteers!). I reapplied around mile 15 and continued moving forward. This was my first my with a 9 minute pace (9:03) but considering the trade-off I’ll take it. Note that Gatorade stings WAY more than water when it splashes on those tiny sensitive spotsJ

The heat was starting to take a toll on me so I began dumping water on my Topo Athletic hat every chance I got. I still felt some spring in my step which was what I needed for the next stretch.

We began to climb over the 95 bridge which is the first of the four major Newton hills. Shortly thereafter, we turned onto Comm Ave. and were greeted by the throngs of supporters. I told Francis earlier that this is where the fun and magic happens so he was prepared. We began to climb and I felt OK. Francis and Michele kept repeating to stay focused, calm, level breathing. I dialed it in, leaned back on my glutes, and went for it. We were not fast but I was surprised by how many people we were passing. I was also concerned that I was exerting too much energy getting around people so at one point I asked Francis to stay put. Definitely a challenge trying to stay smart and not get overly anxious. I tried to peek at my pace but couldn’t see it. Probably a good thing.

We banged out the first couple of hills and I was confused if we had already done Heartbreak. If you have to ask then you haven’t done Heartbreak, yet. We rode the downhills waiting for Heartbreak.

We completed 30k (approx. 18.6 miles) in 2:43 for an 8:46 pace. So we slowed down a bit because of the first couple of hills but I was OK with that.

We climbed Heartbreak at the same steady pace. I thought about all of the painful hill repeats and numerous times I ran up and over Mission Hill, Summit Ave, and the Arboretum hills. This moment is what I suffered all those times for and I was tapping into this RIGHT NOW! When we crested I knew I was in good shape. I had to work but I felt decent and more importantly I knew I had some gas in the tank.

A small climb at Boston College and we were upon the big sweeping turn onto Chestnut Hill Reservoir and then over the train tracks onto Beacon. Francis was prepared for the simultaneous big turn, loud noise, and train tracks and his verbal cues were on point. Historically, I tend to get a little too excited at this point and run way too fast. So I told myself to pick the pace up a little bit but be smart. Michele reminded us that we still had some miles to cover.

I often feel like guiding this section along Beacon Street is tougher than the start; Beacon becomes pretty narrow, everyone is really tired, and you begin to come up on some walkers who are giving it their all to finish.

It was super loud and as we began to want to open up a bit we were often stuck behind a wall of runners. I could feel my anxiety and heart rate begin to rise.

With 5k to go Michele said we were at the 3:25 mark. I knew I was close to my goal but I was too tired to do runner's math. So my only option was to just go for it and run as fast as I could for the next 3.1 miles. My quads were shot, my hamstring had been barking and grabbing me for miles, but I just needed to grind it out and hang on for a little bit more. And not slow down.

It was loud and I yelled at Francis (in my outside/cranky voice) that he needed (yes, I was regrettably a bit demanding at this point) to keep me off of other runners because if I trip I’m going down. Thankfully, Francis handled this with absolute grace.

I told Francis to let’s go for it and we picked up the pace into the low 8s and high 7s. This only made the task of guiding even more difficult. Francis was finding some seams and spots for us to pass. But my legs were tired so shooting the small gaps became a lot more challenging. We cranked through Coolidge Corner and I knew at mile 24 we would see my family and the TWAV cheering section. We came upon the final water stop and I decided to run through it. If I couldn’t make it for two more miles without some water then lesson learned.

We stuck in the middle of Beacon and unfortunately couldn’t get over to give my wife and daughter (and Francis’ family-wife, daughter, sister & brother-in-law) a hug and hi-five. Almost at this point we passed the very loud and rambunctious TWAV crew on the left. Combined this was the motivation I needed to keep me going.

Mile 25 has taken me down psychologically the last two years so I was determined to keep focused. I was dreading the small yet sneaky hill over the Pike. We crushed that hill, continued to push, and all we had was the dip down then rise up under Mass Ave. At some point Francis said we had our goal time but I just kept pushing and gritting my teeth to hold on. I was leaving everything on the course.

We turned right onto Hereford and I took a peek at my Garmin-I could only see the first number which was a 6 so I knew my short little legs were turning over at a good clip. We took the left onto Boylston and Francis began to cheer me on and said for me to push it. I laughed out loud and said “dude, that’s all I got! J Francis slid us over to the right of Boylston and for the first time all race we had an unobstructed seam to the finish.

Crossing the finish line!!!

We crossed the finish line at 3:48:51-WE DID IT!!! I put my time and goals out there leading up to Monday and I made good on my promise to run my fastest (and smartest thanks to Francis and Michele) marathon. My three fastest miles all day were my last three in which I averaged approximately 35 seconds faster than my eventually finish pace. And I negative split the Boston Marathon by 1 second!!!

My legs were toast so it was only fitting that I had to lean on Francis as we made it through the (really long) chutes and collected our medals.

Francis more than earned his medal. Outside of a 16-mile practice run, this was Francis’ first time guiding in a race. He was so stoic, confident, reassuring when needed, smooth, and fun to run with. It was a blast seeing his confidence grow each mile we completed and how he not only share his sight as a guide but kept my confidence up the entire way. This was a team effort.

Also, thanks to all of my training guides who put me in the position fitness wise to accomplish my goals. Alina, Cory, and Michele-you all rock!

Congratulations to all my Topo Athletic and TWAV teammates who ran Boston and all of the guides who supported the 30+ runners who are Blind/Visually Impaired.

And another thanks to Jill and Lucy for always supporting my running (and ski racing)!

Gear: Topo Athletic Magnifly, Garmin Forerunner

Post-Race Beers: Notch Left of the Dial, Lost Nation Gose, and a few othersJ

Keep Running Happy & Strong.

Diana Golden Race & Boston Marathon Restaurant Raffle

This past Sunday was my first ski race of the season. It was a Diana golden race held at Gunstock Mountain in New Hampshire. Diana Golden is a race series specifically for adaptive skiers so there were skiers from Main Adaptive, New England Healing & Skiing Association (who I ski with), and Gunstock's Lakes Region Disabled Sports program. It was great to see the Maine Adaptive crew I met at Ski Spectacular in CO and in total there were about 25 racers with a range of abilities.

Gunstock was my first race ever last season and I crashed on my first run. The course is very narrow with fencing on both sides which left very little room for error on a few gates. Bob Golub, who is a fabulous NEHSA instructor/guide volunteered to be my race guide, and during course inspection we focused on the narrow turns and the finish. Thankfully, this year the timing system allowed for Bob to ski through the gate with me instead of turning off at the last minute.

My first run was clean with strong communication between Bob and I. I managed to stay within a gate of his turns with a strong finish. I felt like we could ski the top half a little faster on the 2nd run. Unfortunately, we didn't see our time at the bottom. I came out of the gate more agreesively on the 2nd run and immediately communicated to Bob, via our two-way headset, to speed it up. There is a small roll around gate 4 and I think I turned a little late on this gate. I scrubbed a little bit of speed before the the last three gates, which were in a straight line and somewhat flat. I knew I skied the top part faster but was concerned about how much time I lost mid-run.

My first run is listed at 38 seconds. Someone mentioned that there were some timing issues during my run (I was the first racer down)  so this seems to be inaccurate. My second time was 31.55. This is a full 10 seconds faster than last year's time so I am happy with the improvement. I also posted the second fastest adjusted time of all the racers. It is nice to see all of my training and gate practice starting to pay off. I am also confident that my time will improve the more Bob and I ski together. Fingers crossed we will ski together at an upcoming International Paralympic Committee race at Loon Mtn later this month.


Boston Marathon Raffle

It is time for another raffle to benefit the Massachusetts Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired and Team With a Vision. I'm going BIG with a package of wonderful restaurant gift certificates.

Row 34: $100. Just named a Beard Foundation finalist, which is the culinary equivalent of the Oscar's, as the best beer program in the country. Yes, the beer lineup is THAT good and the local oysters and seafood is not to be missed.

Parish Cafe II: $50 Wonderful, casual restaurant specializing in sandwiches made from local chefs. Lucy has been eating their mac n cheese almost monthly for 7+ years so they have some good non-sandwich options, too.

5 Horses Tavern (South End): $25 very tasty American/casual food with an excellent craft beer list. The bar and table seating offer a super cozy, n'hood atmosphere.

$15 contribution gets you one entry into the raffle and $50 gets your FOUR! You can contribute to my Team With a Vision page here. The drawing will be the week of March 14. Thanks for supporting MABVI!

Happy Running & Skiing!.

Win a pair of Topo Athletic shoes!

This week and next I'm raffling off a pair of Topo Athletic shoes (I'm a very proud Topo Athlete Ambassador) as part of my Boston Marathon fundraising. Although I am a qualified runner, I am honored to once again run with Team With a Vision and leverage my running to support the Massachusetts Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired.

For every $20 donation to my campaign, you will receive one entry into the raffle. A $50 donation yields you THREE entries and so on. I'll draw the raffle the week of February 22nd. 

Topo has a wide range of running (road & trail) as well as gym/cross-fit shoes for both men and women. Their shoes are lightweight, supportive, and come in a wide range of flashy and styling colors. Most of the shoes range in price from $100 to $130 so scoring a pair for a $20 donation is a sweet deal. And just last week they rolled out the Hydroventure, a water-proof shoe great for the trails and winter running!!! 

My current Topo collection: Fli-Lytes, Magnifly, & Runventure!

You can donate here and check out the Topo Athletic shoes here. Thanks for supporting me and the Massachusetts Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired. 

Boston bound, again

I have decided to run the Boston Marathon again as a preemptive strike to regretting not running it come marathon weekend. The Boston Marathon is one of the biggest weekends for (all) runners who are blind/visually impaired (B/VI) so it is a highlight of my running calendar. Well over 20 athletes who are B/VI run Boston and we have an entire weekend of fun and social events. 

Although I am a qualified runner, I have decided for the third straight year to run with Team With a Vision and raise money for my work, the Massachusetts Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired (MABVI). Check out my fundraising page for why I am running to support MABVI (hint: it is not because I work there). I am also thrilled to be sharing the Boston Marathon experience with my fellow Topo Athletic Ambassador Francis David. Francis has kindly volunteered to be me sighted guide for the entire Marathon!!! More on this soon.

I am fully aware that I have asked a lot of my friends and family over the past couple of years between marathon fundraising and asks to support my skiing adventure. So this year I have to make it interesting and therefore I am raffling of a number of prizes to those who contribute to my campaign.

The first item is a terrific hair cut and color donated by my fabulous sighted guide and talented stylist Cory Gardner and MOP Salon. If you donate this week and next you will be entered to win this prize valued at $165!!! Every $20 donation gets you one entry and $50 gets you three. You can donate here.

Check back every couple of weeks as I will raffle off a number of gifts (running shoes, beer, restaurant certs, etc). Not all gifts will be for just Boston folks! Thanks for your support and Happy Running. 

Race Camp & Sighted Guide Search

I would like to thank ALL of my friends and family for supporting my Ski Adventure over this past year. Whether you texted words of encouragement, inquired about my next steps, or generously donated to my fundraising campaign, your support means the world to me.

2015 will forever be remembered as the year I fell back in love with skiing. Last month, through the support of many, I was able to attend a national race camp as part of Ski Spectacular, which is a week-long conference/camp organized by Disabled Sports USA. It was held at Breckenridge Ski Resort so this was also my first time skiing in Colorado! I used most of my work time off to attend and Jill and Lucy were very supportive in his decision. After camp Jill and Lucy joined me at Vail for three days in which we skied with Foresight Ski Guides!

It was a race camp so the first two days were focused on Giant Slalom and the next two were all about Slalom. On the fifth day we raced.

Photo Credit: Reed Hoffmann courtesy Disabled Sports USA 

I was paired with three to four other skiers who are blind/visually impaired (and their guides) and we were very lucky to be matched with Coach Diane, who is very involved with the Maine Adaptive Program. Members of the U.S National Disabled Ski Team were also present providing valuable advice and support.

Diane led us through drills on regular trails, then took us through the intricacies of running gates. We did slip-slide drills, skiing around brushes (aka mini gates), learned a bunch of ways to better transfer our weight and get on our downhill ski more quickly and efficiently, and a whole host of other important race techniques.

Let me say this-ski racing, especially Slalom and Giant Slalom (GS), is no joke. It definitely is not as “easy” as the superstar skiers on TV make it look. There is so much technique involved, different types of Slalom gates (into, delay, hairpin, etc) and then you mix in the need for precise communication with your sighted guide. As many people say, ski racing for a skier who is B/VI is a team sport. I was very fortunate that my guide Ron is an excellent skier and communicator and also has some race experience.

Photo Credit: Reed Hoffmann Coutesy DUSA

I took it all in and tried to apply what I learned on the mountain to running gates. This continues to be a slow transition. But every day I ski I work on the drills and techniques I learned at camp so I can apply them come race day.

So what is next? My absolute Number 1 priority remains finding a guide to train and race with. I am determined to attend two International Paralympic Committee Alpine Series (IPCAS) races this winter. One is in February at White Face Mountain in NY and the second one is in March at Loon Mountain in NH (midweek). I continue to network and reach out to some of the folks I met at Ski Spec and through my skiing at Mount Sunapee and the New England Healing Sports Association (NEHSA) adapted race program. I am prepared to pay for transportation, lodging, meals, and the needed licenses. I need someone with Slalom and GS race and ideally guiding experience. But right now I’ll take a racer who is a quick learner.

Please share this post with anyone who you may make an ideal guide or may know someone who would. In the meantime, I will continue networking and improving my ski race technique.

Your continued support is greatly appreciated. See you on the slopes!!!

 

Photo Credit: Reed Hoffmann courtesy Disabled Sports USA

Tackling the TARC 100

Let me put this right out there-training for a 100K trail race was the most difficult mental and physical thing I’ve done. From my very first training run, I struggled running in the woods. My legs and calves ached and my already weak ankles were toast from frequently rolling them. I also put up two DNFs in my first two trail races/trg runs, a 12K in the Blue Hills and 50K in Medfield, MA, both Trail Animal Running Club (TARC) races.

My confidence was shattered and for the first time ever I was questioning if I was able to accomplish a goal because of my low-vision. Running trails is so different than running on the street. Due to my narrow field (I have a 3-5% field in both eyes) and inability to see contrast (i.e. rocks and roots on the trail) I was tripping and falling everywhere and forced to walk through technical sections-even with outstanding guides calling out every root, rock, step down/up, and turn.

I had already put it out there that I was aiming for a 100K in October but at the time of the 2^nd DNF I hadn’t signed up. I finally decided to reach out to Adrian Broca, Jason Romero, and Richard Hunter, peers who are excellent runners, have completed ultra trail runs, and also have low-vision (two of them have the same eye disease as I do). Talking to them and getting tremendous feedback about trail running (Jason even recorded a video about poles, lights, etc!) reaffirmed my commitment to making this work and gave me the confidence to push forward.

Fast-forward to the end of my training and welcomed taper time. I spent my taper weeks running on pavement and doing ankle strengthening exercises multiple times a day, including while waiting for the MBTA bus. I felt confident going into the race and felt like I had a shot at the 18 hour cutoff.

Taper time is often spent mentally preparing for a race as much as it is resting your body. I felt mentally strong and confident. However, I started to have a lot of feelings around my role as a runner who is also blind/visually impaired (B/VI). Like all athletes with disabilities, I often just want to be a “runner,” or “skier” with not the added B/VI qualifier. Part of this is driven by the fact that I was embarking on something so few runners attempt. So why not call me a runner, or ultrarunner, and leave it at that?! This is also why I advocate so often for person-first language. I also know that I, and many of my peers are often in a position to raise awareness about being active regardless of your vision and breaking down barriers at every opportunity. I’ve somewhat made peace with this and accept my awareness raising role, but be warned it still kicks up some feelings for me.

Race morning was here and my guide Michelle and I pulled into the Hale Reservation parking lot right at 5:30AM. When we got to the Start/Finish line the Race Director introduced himself by saying “Hey Kyle, its Josh Katzman” and I replied “Hey, how did you know it was me (I had my white cane out)?” Josh quickly replied that he recognized my foot fallJ Josh and the entire TARC crew have been SO supportive of me and my desires to run TARC races. Without blinking an eye, they said yes to my guides, made it possible for me to switch out guides at different spots, and continually asked what else they could do to help. True class acts all around.

After a quick trip to the woods (one of the top reasons why I love trail running), the group of about 20 100kers were off just a few minutes past 6:00AM, roughly one hour after the 100 milers. Due to the unpredictability of being able to run different parts of the course, it was tough putting together a race strategy with firm paces. However, I thought I could finish the first 12-mile loop in about three hours.

With our headlamps, reflective gear, and Black Diamond Trekking Poles, Michelle and I jogged down the beach and headed into the woods. We were able to run this section at a somewhat comfortable pace so I constantly reminded myself to breathe and take it slow. Michelle is an incredible guide so I was very comfortable running two steps behind her, with her calling out the footing and when we were turning. The first 12-mile loop was mainly on the larger 25-mile loop but there were a few sections not on the official course.  

After an hour or so I felt pretty good and settled into a decent groove as the sun began to rise. It is really cool being in the woods and getting to experience daybreak. A few times Michelle called out “smooth sailing, lazy feet” which is my favorite cue. I can totally relax, both mentally and physically, and simply enjoy running. It was so quiet in the woods-all we could hear was nature-birds chirping, small animals scurrying about, and small twigs breaking beneath our feet. Simply beautiful!

 I was running with my Nathan pack filled with Tailwind and pockets stuffed with bars, gel caps, and salt tabs. We cruised through one of the smaller aid stations and shortly the trail opened up into Powisett Farm. This spot was a highlight of my day partly because we were running on grassy farmland, the scenery was beautiful, and the Farm aid station was less than two miles away. When we left the farm I asked Michelle our pace and it was just over 16 min/mile. This took me down a notch or two. I thought we were running more than walking and would be closer to the 15 min goal. After the farm we popped back into the woods and were greeted by some rolling single-track and a few small hills, but nothing too major. After another couple of miles we dropped our average pace to 15:30 which picked me up.

Somewhere in this section I tripped and went down knee first. I actually executed a nice roll and almost stood right back up but my left knee took the brunt of the fall and had a nice gash on it. Thankfully, I had some Advil on me so I immediately downed two and kept going. We were able to run a little bit more so I excitedly asked Michelle our pace. Turns out she lost her phone somewhere behind us, and my Garmin was off, so we didn’t know our pace or mileage. Oh well, keep running we said.

Now the fun begins. We soon came upon Mark’s Knob which is a gravely hill, roughly at 30% grade, but short. We power walked the hill and were soon engulfed in some gnarly single track that was strewn with small jagged rocks, roots, and numerous boulders to climb over. I was not expecting this and it rocked me (pun intended) mentally. Our pace became laborious seeing that we were constantly stepping up onto and off of rocks. I spent the next mile or so stewing on why I was doing this-it was no fun constantly tripping and regularly falling. I was done and already crafting my drop out excuses to my wife and guides.

We finally cleared this section and had about .7 miles of easy terrain back to the Start/Finish. About a ¼ mile from the S/F Jill greeted us and I could tell she was “curious” on what took us so long from the last aid station. That last section dragged us down and we were well over my goal pace and even behind the cutoff time pace. We finished the 12 mile loop in 3:43, almost 45 minutes past my goal time.

Michelle & I finishing the first 12 miles. 

I downed half of a breakfast burrito (should have held the spicy salsa), a bar, some delicious noodle soup from the aid station heroes, and stuffed a salted baked potato in my bag while Jill refilled my Tailwind. My new guide Steve lost his phone right before we arrived so we were once again without pace or mileage. Maybe in a road race this would have been a big deal but in all honesty this didn’t stress me out too much. Our plan anyway was to run the runnable terrain at a comfortable pace and walk the other sections as quickly as possible.  

Steve and I headed out on the first of two 25-mile loops shortly after 10:00AM and there was a mix of runnable single track and “rock gardens” as Steve likes to call them which we had to walk. We ran past a number of gorgeous ponds and even crossed a narrow dam like structure in which there were about 40 students/tourists cheering us on (what exactly were they doing out there?).

Steve is an experienced trail runner and was very good at simply saying “let’s run and make up some time” and off we went. We passed through Grossman’s aid station and again was greeted by Jill. I downed a few pieces of watermelon (my new favorite trail item), refilled my pack and continued plugging along. I was pleasantly surprised that my stomach was feeling great. Although not low on energy, I was constantly getting hungry a mile or so before each aid station which was fine by me.

Shortly after leaving Grossman’s we entered the Noanet Woodlands section which is a combination of very runnable trails along with the tallest peak. Steve pushed the pace when we could and I felt really good. The climb up Noanet is about a 5 minute, calf/quad burner. We climbed this a ton during our training runs, including a few repeats, but I swear it got a little higher come race day. The top afforded a nice view of Boston and there were a few hikers up top to say hello to.

We picked our way down and were able to run a bit. At one point, Steve saw a runner in front of us stretching his legs on a horse jump (some serious horse dung on the trail!) and I was THRILLED that I may actually pass someone. Steve called out “let’s run” which I think got the other runner moving. I had him in my sights for a few minutes then lost him when we came onto a technical section. Oh well.

Steve guiding me through one of the many "rock gardens" w/ "basketball" size rocks.

We arrived at the Noanet aid station feeling good and once again Jill greeted us (see a pattern here-she rode her bike to every spot!!!). The two TARC volunteers were incredibly helpful in setting us up with food and refilling my pack. VIP treatment all around. Jill said there was another 100k runner about 30-45 minutes ahead of us so she told Steve and me to get going.

Around the 18 mile mark of the loop (hey, I was already 30 miles into the race!) Steve handed over the guiding reins to Samantha. Like Steve, I met Samantha through the TARC Facebook community (you all rock!) and we did a number of training runs at Hale, including a 5:00AM run in the dark. Samantha is a strong and resilient runner who also keeps me moving forward.

Samantha & I cruising in Powisett Farm. 

I was still smiling and looking forward to sharing the Powisett Farm section with Samantha. At the farm, about one mile from the aid station, the 100k leader cruised passed me. Yup, I had been officially lapped. We ran strong into the aid station which I found out later from Jill created some confusion because folks thought I was in 2^nd place. Nope, but still moving forward.

We left the farm and headed toward the Mark’s Knob section. See above for all the fun had in this section. 

It was close to 6:30PM and dark when we arrived at the Start/Finish. That lap took 9 hours and I had been running for 12:36:13, a new personal record for time on my feet! It was clear that I was not going to make the 18 hour cutoff but there was no doubt I was going to keep going. I may have even joked with Josh that I may have a third lap in me. My feet were starting to get sore with a few hot spots on top of my toes so Jill kindly helped me change my socks and apply a fresh coat of Vaseline (don’t knock it until you try it) on my feet, change my shirt, grabbed more potatoes and a half of rice/bean burrito, and Samantha and I took off.

Heading out for the second lap! 

About a mile in Samantha saw some sort of small four-legged animal but she didn’t know what is was. Maybe the Yeti? Times like this I am thankful I cannot see a thing in the dark! My left knee was throbbing by now and the multiple Ibuprofen wasn’t having an impact. It hurt to bend my knee and killed going downhill so I knew this was going to be a slow lap. My main focus was relentless forward progress and to finish regardless of the time.

A mile or so before Grossman’s we ran past a wedding reception in the middle of the woods. That “whip/nae nae” song played. My 8yo daughter loves this song so I may or may not have busted out a small “stanky leg” in her honor.

I was pleasantly greeted at Grossman’s aid station by my friends Michael and Chris and Michael’s son. Jill mentioned earlier that they were coming out and this helped to keep my spirits high. I downed what may have been the greatest grilled cheese ever, stuffed two more halves in my pocket (dirt was the least of my problems at this point), and said goodbye to everyone around 10:30PM.

Michael, Chris and Harry (nice photobomb!) out cheering us on! Thanks, fellas. 

I think Michelle hopped on the trail with us after Grossman, hiked up Noanet Peak with us, and took over at Noanet aid station. I was getting pretty tired so very thankful for Samantha’s guiding expertise getting me up and down safely.  I had calculated previously that Noanet to the finish was 10.91 miles so I was excited when one of the volunteers said she ran it this morning at it was 10 miles. I had already gained .91 miles! I downed two cups of hot coffee and set out (slowly) to tackle miles 52-62. We left Noanet at about 1:00AM Sunday!

About ½ mile from Noanet I started to shiver. I had a long-sleeve on and gloves but couldn’t get warm. Michelle kindly gave me her sweatshirt, which went to about my bellybutton, but fashion would have to take a back seat to comfort.

My knee was done with the whole running thing so I was power-walking the runnable sections. At some point a runner came flying up behind us and when we pulled over to let them pass it was Steve out to join us for the final stretch! These guides are rockstars, right?

A runner had returned Michelle’s phone and Steve found his so we had mileage info (I could care less about pace).

We came upon our old friend Mark’s Knob and slowly climbed up it. My legs actually had some life in them but my overall body was fading quickly. At some point I figured out I had passed the 55 mile mark which was a new personal high. At this point I was taking anything I could to pick me up.

I don’t know how to describe this section other than pure physical and mental suffering. My eyes were closing mid-step and I couldn’t stop yawning. My quads had some energy in them but both knees were shot so it was a challenge to simply sit down to slide down some of the boulders. At one point my pole got stuck in a mess of underbrush and when I pulled it out I swung my pole in a fit of fury (aka mini-tantrum). Thankfully, I didn’t hit Michelle or Steve. On a couple of occasions I stepped onto a boulder only to rock backwards. I’m pretty sure Steve held me up once or twice.

I was totally honed in on the mileage and I just wanted this to be over-or to be able to take a nap on a rock.  I was minutes away from full on tantrum mode. I convinced myself that Steve and Michelle, also known as the two sighted people in our group, had gotten us lost. I was so pissed I had to count back from 10 multiple times to keep from yelling at them. At one point I asked Steve to run ahead to see how much farther to the top of Mark’s Knob. He (correctly) said no as to help light up the trail. It took us another 30 plus minutes, and yet another sunrise (not as memorable as the first), to circle back to the top of Mark’s Knob. Michelle and Steve did an amazing job tuning me out and focusing on moving forward. We are almost there…

Samantha was waiting for us which afforded me the opportunity to run the final mile or so with all three of my sighted guides. We quickly stopped at the Road Crossing aid station so I could take off the sweatshirt (had to look good for the finish!).

Adios, small sweatshirt! Photo Credit: Dave Metsky

After a brief section around the water we met Jill and were shuffling on the beach heading to the finish. I could hear people cheering and cowbells ringing with 200 feet to go. Michelle was guiding me and we took a right up the rock stairs, onto the paved path, and across the timing mat with Jill, Samantha, and Steve right behind me. 100 kilometers in the books at a time of 25:22:18. The second lap took me approximately 13 hours.

L to R: Jill, Steve, Kyle, Samantha, Michelle aka the best crew & sighted guides ever!

I am disappointed in missing the cutoff but this doesn’t take away from the fact that I ran 62 miles in on very technical terrain. I trained for this opportunity and I achieved it, regardless of my vision or lack thereof. I will officially finish an ultra trail run but for now I am going to enjoy this one.

Quick Hits

·         I didn’t pass one single runner but more importantly every runner who passed me was so supportive and friendly.

·         Enough can’t be said about my three guides and Jill for crewing the entire race. You all have my complete TRUST (even walking over that narrow dam) and RESPECT.

·         TARC volunteers are the unsung heroes of this event.

·         I only rolled my ankle 3-4 times so the last minute, two weeks of PT and strengthening exercises paid off.

·         Carrying trekking poles for 62 miles was tough but it made all the difference. Props to Mike Wardian for being the first one to recommend them to me.

·         At one point I counted how many times Samantha called out “roots” and it was well over 200.

·         I’m always looking for trail sighted guides so holler if you want to run with me (kylerobidoux atyahoo dotcom).

·         If not in Boston but interested in being a sighted guide, check out www.unitedinstride.com

·         Congratulations to everyone who started both the 100k and 100 milers and to all of the finishers.

·         I will expect watermelon at every trail race!

Skiing the Running Trails

I’m new to running trails and so far I love being in the woods and outside of the urban running environment. However, the actual running and racing has been a struggle. As someone who is legally blind, I am having a tough time running confidently on the classic New England style trails that are filled with roots, rocks, and the occasional fallen tree. I find myself walking more than I thought I would/should and my overall pace is slower than even the normal road>trail drop-off. 

By far, trail running is my most challenging athletic endeavor since my sight has decreased.  Additionally, running with a sighted guide on the trails compared to the road/sidewalks is completely different because of the single-track.

I realize that there is something else holding me back. It is a combination of fear of falling and injuring myself (very much looking forward to the upcoming ski race season) as well as failing on my next big trail race. Both are renting space in my head but I am determined to make this happen.

Trail running with Jill at Hale Reservation.

It dawned on me this past weekend while running trails with my wife (thanks for being my sighted guide) that there are so many similarities to trail running and alpine skiing. I remember the first time I skied in the trees at Sunday River off White Cap Mtn and Spruce Peak (these were off-trail stashes of steeps & pow pre-glade era). I was trying to keep up with my then roommate Josh Tostado (now one of the top U.S. endurance mountain bike athletes around) and I continually found myself in the backseat, holding back, nervous about cranking out turns in very tight trees. Similar to skiing the bumps, the more I leaned back the safer I felt but in reality the less control I had. I finally decided to attack the steeps and began to carve out some nice turns in between the trees and loved every minute of it (I still couldn’t keep up with Josh though!). Skiing also taught me, and I’m learning more about it as I get into ski racing and running gates, to keep my head up and always think two to three turns ahead.

My trail running to date has been very similar to that first ski run or the feeling I had when I began skiing bumps and I stared down a mogul-filled trail. Whenever I get nervous running trails, I tend to lean back and not stay over my feet which throws off my balance. Then my confidence drops. Although I can no longer see everything on the trail (I also recognize that these hazards are issues for all runners), I can work with my guides more strategically to ensure that I am planning for two to three steps ahead and not what is immediately in front of me. One ski turn/step at a time.

So regardless of the challenge, here is to plunging forward, attacking whatever is in front of us, and confidently kicking some ass. See you in the woods.

P.S. Thanks to all my running peers who have imparted invaluable trail running and guiding wisdom. YOU ROCK!!!