Vermont Sports Magazine, June 2017

WHAT'S UP IN WOODSTOCK | INFLAMMATION & ATHLETES | THE FITNESS GAME

VERMONT

SPORTS

New England’s Outdoor Magazine

Special Travel Issue

THE WORLD by BIKE CAMERON RUSSELL RIDES FROM PATAGONIA TO VERMONT CORINNE PREVOT MOUNTAIN BIKES NEPAL SUSAN LYNCH RACES ACROSS AMERICA

JUNE 2017

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JUNE 2017 | VTSPORTS.COM 3

THE START

THE OTHER BUCKET LIST

I

have two biking bucket lists going right now. The first is a list of the rides I

want to do in Vermont. I’m gradually checking off century rides: Kelly Brush Ride, Gran Fondo, Long Trail, and the Harpoon Point to Point are now on the “done” list—some multiple times.

New ones that I’m adding: The Moose, a gorgeous loop up through the Northeast Kingdom, the Prouty (around Hanover, N.H.), and the Vermont Challenge, which tours southern Vermont.

In terms of mountain biking, I’ve checked off NEMBAFest at the Kingdom Trails but will be adding VMBAFest (Vermont Mountain Biking Association) at Sugarbush’s Mount Ellen (I’m stoked for the new pop-up tiki bar at American Flatbread), and, if I get the courage, the new Vermont Bike & Brew downhill festival at Killington this month.

Then there’s the second bucket list of the big “I have a dream”-type of bike trips— the Alps, New Zealand, Cambodia…

These have always seemed like far away visions, the type of trip you talk about doing but don’t quite get to.

When I heard Corinne Prevot’s story about mountain biking in the Mustang region of Nepal, they seemed a bit more feasible. Suddenly, the fact that a Vermonter I know (albeit a pretty ripping Vermont ski racer) was doing this trip in the middle of nowhere made it seem like maybe I could muster the energy to go.

Then I talked to Cameron Russell, a friend who grew up in Addison County, about the bucket list he’s made a reality.

Right now, he's somewhere in South America, biking from Patagonia to Vermont.

The photos he and his two trip mates, Eli Bennett and Noah McCarter have been sharing on their blog, Mundo Pequeño, make me want to pack everything into a pannier and hop on a plane tomorrow.

Hearing their story—even with its brutally honest accounts of battling 60 m.p.h. headwinds in Tierra del Fuego, sleeping in abandoned huts in Chile, and gasping for oxygen on a hill climb to 15,000 feet in Bolivia—was like dangling a red flag in front of a bull. Russell even outlined the bike, the tires and every piece of gear I might need to do this.

Of course, there are always excuses.

There’s no time. I can’t leave work. I’m not in good enough shape. I’m too old.

Scratch that last excuse. The third story in our trip trilogy is that of Susan Lynch who, at age 58 is not only riding

across America, she’s racing it. The Race Across America is considered one of the toughest events in cycling. And Lynch, an ultra-athlete who now calls Dorset home, is hoping to do it in less than a week.

Now, the Race Across America is clearly not on my bucket list, but what Lynch, Prevot and Russell all have in common is that they are inspiring me to go ride.

So, whether it’s 100 miles around a corner of Vermont I haven’t seen or 1,000 miles across a country I’ve never been to, doesn’t matter. What does is that I start to think of my bike not just as a form of exercise but as a form of travel.

Traveling by bike is different from simply going for a ride. It means you stop looking at your speedomter and start looking at the landscape. It means that instead of drafting, you ride slowly enough to talk. Instead of measuring time, you measure distance.

The goal of traveling by bike should never be to see how quickly you can get from point A to point B. Instead, I like to think of it in terms of how many stops you can make along the way, how many people you can randomly meet, how many times you can get yourself lost.

Much as I love organized rides, it's perhaps the disorganized rides that I like best. It's the times I've picked a place out on a Gazeteer and only discovered 20 miles in that the road is no more than a logging path.

Or the times when a mountain bike ride has turned into a hike-a-bike session. Or rides when I get truly, hopelessly lost.

Those are the rides where I find myself.

—Lisa Lynn, Editor

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VERMONT

SPORTS

NEW ENGLAND’S OUTDOOR MAGAZINE ON THE COVER: Cameron Russell and Noah McCarter heading north in Patagonia Photo by Mundo Pequeño

PUBLISHER

Angelo Lynn | publisher@vtsports.com

EDITOR/CO-PUBLISHER

Lisa Lynn | editor@vtsports.com

STAFF WRITER

Emma Cotton | emma@vtsports.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Shawn Braley

MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. Nathan Endres, Dr. David Lisle, Dr. James Slauterbeck —University of Vermont Robert Larner College of Medicine; Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation

CONTRIBUTORS

Sarah Tuff Dunn, Brian Mohr, Phyl Newbeck

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Christy Lynn | (802) 388-4944 ads@vtsports.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, SALES

Kevin Boehmcke | (802) 388-4944 kevin@vtsports.com

Rolling on empty, Noah McCarter, Cameron Russell and Eli Bennett cross the Bolivian salt flats. For full, ahem, coverage of their story see "It's a Mundo Pequeño."

Photo by Mundo Pequeño

ADVERTISING SALES Greg Meulemans | (802) 366-0689 greg@vtsports.com Michael Giorgio | (802) 388-4944 michaelg@addisonindependent.com Dave Honeywell | (802) 583-4653 dave_golfhouse@madriver.com

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VERMONT SPORTS IS A PROUD MEMBER OF

5 the start

The Other Bucket List

6 great outdoors

Racing Across America

At 58, Susan Lynch is out to set a record.

13 great outdoors Find Your Zen

Take a ramble in our newest state park. Plus, trail grants.

18 weekend away

Woodstock's for Jocks

Covered bridge rides, rapids to run and trails to hike—it's time to explore Woodstock.

15 gear & beer

26

We test trail shoes, waterproof packs, sunglasses and beer!

Gavin Boyles is setting a fast pace up Camel's Hump .

The Rights of Spring

featured athlete The Pace Setter

20

26

Three buddies' epic ride from Patagonia back to Vermont.

Here's what the R.D. prescribes— and it tastes good.

feature It's a Mundo Pequeño

24

feature On the Cashmere Trail

Four women mountain bike the Himalaya in search of cashmere .

26

featured athlete The Fishing King

This chemistry professor broke

health Inflammation and Athletes

29

calendar

Race & Event Guide

34 cndgame

A Girl and Her Bike

She was set to ride her bike to school every day.

Then this happened.

the LCI Derby record, twice.

ADVERTISERS! The deadline for the July issue of Vermont Sports is June 15. Contact ads@vtsports.com today to reserve your space!

JUNE 2017 | VTSPORTS.COM 7

GREAT OUTDOORS

During the race across America, 58-year-old Susan Lynch will traverse 3,000 miles across 12 states, climbing more than 170,000 vertical feet.

8 VTSPORTS.COM | JUNE 2017

RACING ACROSS AMERICA DORSET’S SUSAN LYNCH IS NOT JUST RIDING ACROSS AMERICA, AT 58 SHE’S RACING ACROSS IT. BY PHYL NEWBECK | PHOTOS BY CALEB KENNA

O

n Saturday, June 17th, Susan Lynch of Dorset will head out on a bike ride with three other women.

But her ride will be a bit longer than most.

58-year-old Lynch will start her ride in Oceanside, California and travel through Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania before finishing in Annapolis, Maryland. And it’s not a ride, it’s a race. In fact, it's the race–across America.

Billed as “the world’s toughest bicycle race,” the Race Across America had a

modest start in 1982, with four cyclists heading from Santa Monica to New York City. As the race became more popular, the route was changed and a relay division was added, allowing teams of two, four or eight cyclists. Open to professionals and amateurs, riders travel over 3,000 miles with 170,000 feet in elevation gain.

Lynch is a starter for Team Brigham Health. The rest of her team includes Trish Karter (61), Margaret Thompson (63) and Neil Withington (66) as well as two alternate members (Anne Marie Miller and

Mary Hynes Johanson, both 62). The team’s age range is determined by the average of their ages, so they will be competing in the 60-69 division. Fewer than 20 percent of RAAM racers are female, and no women’s team in the 60+ age range has ever finished the race. Teams are given a maximum of nine days to finish, and the record for the fastest female team (ages 50-59) is 6 days, 11 hours and 34 minutes. The quartet is hoping to complete the course in seven days.

A professional spin instructor at the Manchester Gym and mother of three, Lynch

has won three national championships in cross-country mountain biking. She’s also proud of her 10th place finish among women in The Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race last year with a time of 9:09. This year, on Aug. 12, she is hoping to break the ninehour mark. In 2014, Lynch added cyclocross to her list of activities and finished second in the national championship in her age group. “I’m really bad over the barriers,” she said “so I don’t do as well when there is a lot of running, but when there is climbing, I have an advantage.”

JUNE 2017 | VTSPORTS.COM 9

This will be Lynch’s first big competition on a road bike. A runner who competed in triathlons and duathlons, she developed bone-on-bone arthritis at 42. That’s when she decided to try a mountain bike race.

She finished second in her first race, the Vermont 50, in 2002 and began to taper off her running.

She has finished the Vermont 50 fourteen times, twice repeating her feat as the second fastest woman. Although many RAAM participants use time trial bikes, Lynch purchased a Specialized Venge from Battenkill Bikes for the race and is bringing her cyclocross bike as a back-up.

Lynch credits Karter with pulling the team together. Each of the four teammates has different skill sets. Lynch and Karter are climbers, Thompson is an eight-time USA Cycling National Champion and Withington is a triathlete.

They’re riding to raise money for the Mary Horrigon Connors Center for Women’s Health & Gender Biology. Withington and Thompson are cancer survivors and Karter suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2010.

Four-person RAAM teams are divided into sub-teams of two racers who ride for ten to twelve hours, alternating every 20 to 30 minutes. The women of Brigham Health hope to maintain an average speed of 20 mph, but Lynch thinks 19 mph is a more realistic expectation. Each group of two has a follow vehicle and a transport vehicle

10 VTSPORTS.COM | JUNE 2017

Susan Lynch is a professional spin instructor, a mother of three, and a cross-country mountain biking national champion.

for the second rider. Two other vehicles are waiting at a hotel with the resting riders and other members of the 17-person support crew who prepare the meals, provide massages and maintain the bikes.

Because they are only on the bike for short periods of time, the cyclists travel light, eschewing food, water and tool kits.

During the breaks, the riders have snacks and water in the car, saving their main meals for the conclusion of their 10 to 12 hour days.

Lynch and her teammates live in four different northeastern states, so they have

mostly trained separately, but they have gotten together for some weekend rides and have been practicing their 20-minutes on, 20-minutes off routine.

Lynch expects that her team will do well for the first two days of the race, but is worried about the fatigue factor at the end.

“Accidents happen when you’re tired,” she said. While many racers dread the steep climbs in the Appalachian Mountains, Lynch is more concerned about the crosswinds they may encounter in Kansas. The 20- to 30-minute increments are discarded on downhills, but they are adhered to on

climbs with racers waiting with support people in a track start position as they get ready for their segments. “Those of us who are better at climbing may do longer stints,” Lynch said.

Lynch has been visiting her husband’s family in Dorset since they got married in 1987. In 2005, the couple built a house in town, and after gradually spending more and more of their summers in Vermont, they finally made the move from Massachusetts last spring.

In addition to cycling, Lynch takes ab classes, and does Pilates and Bikram yoga in the cooler months. She loves gardening, walking her dog, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. “I’ve always been fairly outdoorsy,” she said “and I’m fortunate to have mountain bike trails right out my back door.”

After RAAM, Lynch hopes to race again in Leadville in August and take part in the Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race. She broke her collarbone a few years ago and worries that she is aging out of mountain biking, as more fast women compete.

Recently she has done more gravel grinders, and two of her favorite races are the Vermont Overland and the Rasputitsa.

“I think the Race Across America is going to be an incredible experience,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to ride across the country. I was really looking for something new to do.”

JUNE 2017 | VTSPORTS.COM 11

TOUGHS IT OUT WHILE TAKING IT IN. all out blaze 2

O U T- O F-T H E - B O X C O M F O R T F O R L I G H T H I K E S

NEWS BRIEFS

FIND YOUR ZEN

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A PEACEFUL PLACE TO RAMBLE, CHECK OUT THE NEWEST STATE PARK, THE TACONIC MOUNTAINS RAMBLE.

A

few miles east of Route 30 and down the road from the historic Hubbardton Battlefield lies one of Vermont’s newest state parks: Taconic Mountains Ramble. Drive down a dirt path and you’ll find the visitor’s center, which sits beside Mt. Zion on a hill overlooking the park’s Japanese gardens.

The land was unofficially open to the public for years, under the ownership of two-time Academy Award nominated documentary filmmaker Carson “Kit” Davidson and his late wife, Mickie, who wrote children’s books. At the age of 92, Davidson passed away last October, leaving the 420 acres to the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.

“Kit was a kind and grateful gentleman,” reads a note stuck to the visitor center’s bulletin board, “often sitting and looking out over the beautiful views you see today and proclaiming, ‘I am the luckiest man I know.’”

Along with the land, Davidson left a donation to Vermont Parks Forever, which will fund trail repairs, garden maintenance and the creation of a long-term management plan. But the park is already set up for visitors. During the 46 years the Davidsons owned the land, they sculpted it to fit the needs of hikers, Nordic skiers and anyone in need of a peaceful moment.

Note: This park is designated as “undeveloped.” There are no overnight stays, no smoking and no fires permitted. Though the park is open year-round, the Japanese Gardens are closed during mud season, and visitors are asked to park on Saint John Road and hike in.

Take a Waterfall or Wildflower Hike: The visitor’s center, which sits in the middle of a hilltop wildflower meadow, is your starting point. A path snakes through the open field, from which hikers can get 360-degree mountain views. The meadow is edged by woods crisscrossed by nine more trails, each with varying difficulty. Head to the Falls Trail, on the eastern side of the park,

TRAIL BUILDING GETS A BOOST

E

ach year, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation awards grants to trail projects across the state, announced in May, as part of the Recreational Trails Program.

This year, organizations received more than $540,000 for maintenance and construction of new trails and structures, and 14 trails are set to be upgraded.

Northern Forest Canoe Trail: Construction of a new portage and river access trail in Richford.

Westmore Trails Association: One mile of trail maintenance with extensive reconstruction on Bald Mtn. Trail and one mile of trail maintenance and drainage improvements on Haystack Mtn. Trails.

Catamount Trail Association: Creation of a five-mile cross-country ski

All out blaze 2 E XC LU S I VE LY AT MERRELL.COM AN D THES E PAR TI C I PATI N G R E TAI L E R S

The Japanese Gardens at Taconic Mountain Ramble opened Memorial Day. for waterfall views and a crossing at the top of the falls (waterproof boots recommended) with a cable to grasp as you cross. Head to the Cliff Trail on the park’s opposite side for more challenging terrain.

Find Your Zen in the Japanese Gardens: The gardens sit in a basin below the visitor’s center. Wander the rolling hills and find small statues, arched bridges and rock cairns, or find one of the Adirondack chairs and listen to the sound of a trickling fountain.

OLD SAYBROOK , CT NEW HAVEN, CT

Catch up on Local History: It’s a short walk to historic Hubbardton Battlefield, where the Green Mountain Boys helped slow the advance of the Redcoats in 1777. —Emma Cotton

connector trail to Camels Hump Challenge Trail in Huntington, with one new bridge.

Episcopal Diocese of Vermont: Restoration of Holy Trinity Trail around Eagle Bay with two new footbridges.

Town of Williston: Allen Brook Nature Trail expansion, including 0.55 miles of new trail & three new footbridges.

Town of Killington: 5.3 miles of new mountain bike trails in the Green Mountain National Forest.

Vermont River Conservancy: Construct one mile of the North Branch Cascades Trail along the North Branch of the Winooski River, adjacent to Rte. 12, in Worcester & Elmore, with a trailhead parking area.

Green Mountain Club: Butler Lodge historic renovations and puncheon replacement along the ridgetop of Mt. Mansfield at the Profanity Trail junction and at Eagle Pass.

Town of Chittenden: 0.5 miles of new trail construction; 0.6 miles of trail

improvements with an 80-foot universally accessible section near the pavillion, linking the downtown to the school.

Winooski Valley Park District: Phase I archeological aurvey work at planned trail construction sites within the Wolcott Family Natural Area.

Vermont Mountain Bike Association/ Mad River Riders: 1.4 miles of new mountain bike trails (Lookout Loop Trail) and .5 miles of trail improvements to the existing trail system at Blueberry Lake, in Warren.

VAST: Winter grooming of the statewide VAST trails system.

Town of Newport Center: New ATV / multiple-use trail, approximately 4,500 feet long in the town forest.

Skitchewaug Trail Riders in Springfield: New grooming equipment to maintain Skitchewaug’s trail system of snowmobile trails.

TRAILBLAZER U NCASVILLE, CT

BRAT TLEBORO, VT KEENE, NH HADLEY, MA

RAMSEY, NJ & SU CCASU NNA , NJ

WEEKEND AWAY

WOODSTOCK, FOR JOCKS JUNE’S A MONTH WHEN ATHLETES OUTNUMBER TOURISTS IN ONE OF VERMONT’S MOST SCENIC TOWNS. HERE’S WHY.

BY SARAH TUFF DUNN

The Covered Bridges Half Marathon runs through Pomfret, Woodstock and Quechee. Photo courtesy Covered Bridges Half Marathon.

W

oodstock is one of those Vermont towns that’s so cute, you suspect it was made for tourists. And it was–sort of. The town has been a vacation destination since the turn of the century. In 1934, Mary French, a granddaughter of Frederick Billings, and Laurance Rockefeller were married in theCongregational Church. Since then, the Rockefeller family has done much to preserve the old colonial buildings, bury power lines and set up the Marsh-Billings Farm and Museum, part of the Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Park.

Woodstock still attracts people from all over the world. They stay at the sprawling Woodstock Inn, window shop the flowerfilled streets or, in the winter, try skiing at Suicide Six. But there’s another side of Woodstock: the one that draws Vermonters and athletes from around New England.

As Dan Webb, who runs Gear Traders, a sports consignment shop, notes: “There are so many things here that most people don’t think about. The Ottaquechee River, for instance, has sweet Class II rapids up near Bridgewater and some Class III right in town. There’s hiking and fishing and mountain biking–the list goes on.”

In June, that list gets even longer.

On June 4, the Covered Bridges Half Marathon takes runners through the regions’ prettiest routes. Registration is known to sell out as soon as it opens on

14 VTSPORTS.COM | JUNE 2017

Located in the center of town, a chalk board lists everything from the temperature, to fun facts, to current happenings. Photo by Lisa Lynn the first Monday of December. But if you miss your chance, there are plenty of other excuses to visit.

Catch the Forest Exhibit at the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences (on display through September). Sign up for the Long Trail Century Ride out of nearby Bridgewater (June 24), brave the crowds at the Quechee Balloon Festival (June 16-18) or if you’re feeling strong, ride the Class IV backroads and trails on the Overland Grand Prix (Aug. 17), a grueling 49-mile timed gravel ride/race that has attracted

such cycling legends as Ned Overend.

Or, just spend a weekend here in June before the crowds descend. We’ve got your itinerary covered.

FRIDAY Your first stop is family-owned Woodstock Sports, where owner Peter Johnston and his mascot, a Viszla named Brody, will point you in the right direction for just about any activity under the Vermont sun, along with the gear to go with it. The bike shop features high end bike kits, Scott and Fuji bikes,

along with maps of some great road rides in the area, including a 22-miler that will take you through two covered bridges.

For dinner, head to the 100-seat Worthy Kitchen where, at an outdoor table, you might start with the Worthy poutine (loaded with duck fat gravy and smoked Plymouth cheddar) and move on to the Buttermilk fried chicken or the brisket melt. You can pair the comfort meal with one of 18 local beers and three wines on tap.

Bed down at the 506 On the River Inn, where you can re-energize with the bistro’s affogato, made with vanilla-bean ice cream, a shot of espresso and chocolate covered coffee beans, before hitting the indoor pool for a few late-night laps. Then it’s time to tuck into the softest of sheets at the 40-room property, which is stylishly decorated with finds from the owners’ travels around the world. A fitness room, game lounge, hot tub and sauna, plus a huge country breakfast are included in the stay.

SATURDAY Get up early for a 30-minute hike to the summit of Mount Tom, a 1,250-foot peak that offers wonderful views of surrounding Woodstock. For longer excursions, both the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail run through the area. For a hike on the AT, try the West Hartford Road to Cloudland Road section, which passes over Bunker Hill, where Revolutionary War veterans once

“

There are so many things to do here that most people don’t think about. The Ottaquechee River, for instance, has sweet Class II and III rapids. There’s hiking and fishing and mountain biking–the list goes on.

“

The Marsh-Billings Rockefeller National Park is a perfect spot for trail runs. Photo courtesy Jennifer Waite made a stand. There are many clearings with open views, hill top pastures and old cellar holes.

Back in town, stop by the Woodstock Farmer’s Market for coffee and scones before visiting Farmhouse Pottery for a look at how artisanal potters Zoe and James Zilian have crafted some of the most sought-after bowls, bakeware and pitchers in the state.

Some of the newest mountain biking trails around town are the fun, flowing singletrack around the Woodstock Aqueduct. For longer routes, head to the Killington Mountain Bike Park, where there are 27 miles of trails and lift-served riding.

By now, you’ve earned an 80-minute sports massage at the Woodstock Inn, where spa guests get to sip tea and munch on granola by the fire in the airy lounge before being led up to treatment rooms for a combination of massage and light stretching designed to improve blood flow.

For dinner, treat yourself (if you feel like splurging) to a 12-course dinner at the Lincoln Inn, voted one of the 10 best new restaurants in America for 2016 by Forbes Magazine. Owner Mara Mehlman came across the inn on a bike tour, fell in love with it and moved from England with her partner, top chef Jevgenija Saromova.

Or, on a warm spring or summer evening, nothing beats dining al fresco at Richardson’s Tavern at the Woodstock Inn. Menu items include stuffed oysters on the half shell, pancetta-crusted salmon and pear tart tatin with salted caramel sauce.

Make sure to carve out some time for a 12-course dinner at the Lincoln Inn, named one of the top new restaurants in America in 2016 by Forbes. Photo courtesy Lincoln Inn

The Quechee Balloon Festival entertains with live music, performing dogs and... balloons. Photo courtesy Woodstock Chamber of Commerce

SUNDAY Formed by glacial activity nearly 13,000 years ago, Quechee Gorge is the centerpiece of Quechee Gorge State Park. Several Route 4 viewing spots allow you to peer down to the Ottaquechee River that flows 165 feet below. The Quechee Balloon Festival, held here every June (and this year June 16-18), is a highlight. Follow

up explorations of Quechee Gorge with a refreshing swim in nearby 215-acre North Hartland Lake.

Don’t miss a stop at Simon Pearce, whose eponymous owner and operator is the Irish-American glassblower and potter. After browsing through the items on display, sit down for Sunday brunch at Simon Pearce’s Mill, overlooking the town’s covered bridge and the Ottaquechee River. Afterwards, work off the calories with a paddle on the river or a trail run at Billings Farm, an 1871 dairy farm that’s part of the national park.

Don’t leave town without stopping off at Gear Traders, located on the corner of Elm and Green in the same building where Wallace Bertram (nicknamed Bunny) discussed building the first rope tow in Vermont some 90 years ago. It’s a great place to drop off lightly-used gear or pick up a used kayak, bike carrying case or anything else you might need.

After, grab an early supper or a lunch of Cobb salads and devil-on-horseback Panini at Mon Vert Café.

You earned it.

JUNE 2017 | VTSPORTS.COM 15

N E T H LIG UP

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June 24 25km/50km Trail Run

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Trapp Mountain Marathon October 14 13.1/26.2 Mile Trail Run

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Get back on track by hitting the trails.

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Welcome to Copley. don’t let chronic knee, hip, or shoulder pain keep you from hitting 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 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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GEAR & BEER

THE RIGHTS OF SPRING

SOME STAPLES WE NEED EVERY SPRING: SUNGLASSES, RUNNING SHOES AND A BACKPACK. BUT IF YOU WANT THE BEST TECHNOLOGY FOR EACH OF THESE, WE GOT YOU COVERED.

Zeal Optics Incline

Hoke One Challenger ATR 3

S

ummer is coming. The rivers are running, the trails are drying out and the race season is already in full swing. Here are our picks for the musthaves for this season.

THE ATV OF SHOES There’s been a long debate amongst runners as to what’s a better choice as an all-around shoe–a trail shoe (heavier, sometimes a compromise on fit) or a road shoe? Those who like to run on gravel roads or trails might lean toward a trail shoe. Ultra runner and mountaineer Susana Johnston, our cover story in the March/April issue, swears by her Hoka One’s as her all-around footwear in the mountains. With the new Hoka One Challenger ATR 3 ($130), we agree. It’s a super cushy ride (sort of like a fat bike), but it’s far lighter (9.5 oz for a men’s and 7.9 oz for a women’s size 8) than the usual trail beast and feels right at home on the bit of pavement we start out on. The fit is a little looser than some might like, but the 4 mm lugs grab on any surface. With the third iteration of the Challenger, the hope is that this one will address some early durability issues. We have yet to see any blow-outs and Susana Johnston, who hiked 3,181 miles this past year, would know. And no, she’s not sponsored by the brand.

THE AMPHIBIOUS BACKPACK If you have ever wished with all your might that your backpack was waterproof (that

DaKine Cyclone II Dry Pack

time you paddleboarded across the lake with your phone in a pack?) the DaKine Cyclone II Dry Pack ($130) is for you. Though we didn’t actually put a cell phone inside to test it, we did try dumping the pack overboard with a roll of toilet paper. It came out bone dry thanks to the roll-top dry bag seal and PU-coated, gasketed zipper closures. We really love that it's relatively light and the fabric, while heavy duty, doesn’t have the rubbery feel of a lot of waterproof bags. A genius feature is its two-way purge valve

that lets you blown it up to float (in case it does go overboard), or purge it for space saving. The 36-liter bag comes with a laptop sleeve, two exterior pockets and a nicely padded back panel and straps.

ECO-FRIENDLY EYEWEAR We look for sunglasses that are lightweight, bullet-proof and filter out the sun’s rays without making you feel like you just stepped into the dark. Oh yeah, and they need to look good, too. A lot of brands

FOAM BREWER’S RITES OF SPRING If you want a real reward for running and biking the Burlington bike path, head to Foam Brewers, across the street from Waterfront Park.

Settle in to the patio or the cool industrial/artsy indoor space, order a plate of charcuterie and take a long cool sip of the Rites of Spring. The slightly sour, citrus-y foeder beer was allowed to mature in a wooden vat and it’s a thirst-quencher—but at 6 percent abv, pace yourself.

Another lighter choice is the Avant Gardener, a 4.2 percent abv. The choices change with the whim of brewmaster/owner Todd Haire (who’s brewed at Magic Hat and Switchback) and many feature locally grown hops or other ingredients. You can bring your own growler to take home your favorites or wait in line for one of the coveted “black dot” bottle releases (follow Foam Brewing on Facebook to find out more).

But one thing doesn’t change: the consistent quality. Since opening in 2016, Foam Brewing has been named one of the 10 best new breweries in America by RateBeer.com, and its Saison do Foam made Men’s Journal’s list of 100 best beers in the world. Foambrewers.com

fit those bills. But what sets Zeal Optics Incline ($149) and Magnolia models apart is the product is about as eco-friendly as eyewear can get. Frames are made with biodegradable M49, a material made from cotton and wood fibers, with spring hinges.

The polarized ellume lenses are plant-based as well. The frames come in four colors and the lenses in three ellume models, designed for conditions ranging from low light to bright sun.

BREWS & PUBS

Find Foam Brewers in downtown Burlington on Lake Street.

Photo courtesy of Foam Brewers

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TO SEE JUST HOW SMALL THE WORLD REALLY IS, THREE BUDDIES SET OUT TO RIDE FROM PATAGONIA TO VERMONT. PHOTOS and BLOG BY CAMERON RUSSELL, ELI BENNETT and NOAH MCCARTER.

Setting out at dawn to beat the brutal winds that sweep Tierra del Fuego, the trio heads toward the Chilean border.

JUNE 2017 | VTSPORTS.COM 19

Nights were spent at campsites, wild camping or at hostels. On Feb. 11, Bennett leads the group across a bridge in El Chalten, Argentina heating to Lago del Desierto.

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ameron Russell doesn’t just go for a ride, he goes for epic bike rides. Last fall, while working as the Coordinated Program Director for the Democratic Party in Vermont, he made a point of riding from every major town in Vermont to Montpelier. A few years ago, he rode across America. Now he’s on a quest to ride from Patagonia, the southernmost tip of South America, to Vermont.

Russell, Eli Bennett and Noah McCarter (both former students of Russell’s from the Darrow School in Massachusetts) set out from Ushuaia, Argentina in January, plotting a course that would take them up the Chilean coast into the mountains, lagoons, and salt flats of Bolivia, past Lake Titicaca and then up the Peruvian coast.

“Noah’s got it in his head that he wants to surf Chicama, Peru, what’s billed as one of the longest waves in the world,” says Russell.

From there, they would head to Colombia. “There’s really no way to cross the Darién Gap to Panama,” Russell notes.

So, in Colombia, Bennett and McCarter plan hop a small chartered sailboat and do

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In the first three months of their journey, the three friends have traveled more than 3,000 miles from Ushuaia to Cusco, Peru, where they took a week's break. They will continue north to Columbia before sailing over to Panama for the second half of the trip: the ride through central America and Mexico and then back through the U.S. to Vermont.

a five-day passage to Panama. Russell, who planned a trip home then, will join them on the Caribbean coast of Panama and they’ll all continue north through Central America, Mexico and back through the southern U.S. All in all, the trio expect to make the trip in 10 months.

“This trip is something I had been thinking about for a while,” says Russell, who was home in Burlington for a week in May, leaving his bike in Cusco, Peru. “When I was riding across America, I was by myself and was really struck by how generous and friendly people were. I remember being at one diner in Wyoming and talking with a trucker who was a few tables over. When I went to pay my bill, he’d already picked up the tab. ‘You don’t have to do that,’ I said to him. ‘I know, I’m not doing it out of pity, I’m doing it out of admiration,” he said.

When you are on your bike, the world gets smaller, that’s what led to the idea of Mundo Pequeño.”

“Mundo pequeño,” Spanish for “small world,” is the name the trio gave to their expedition. They gave themselves a budget of $20 a day, packed their bikes

with camping gear and set out to see just how small the world really is. Russell, who has studied in Nicaragua, is fluent in Spanish. “All along the way, we wanted to interview people to find out what mundo pequeño meant to them.” Armed with a small Bluetooth keyboard, one cell phone between the three, and camera gear, they maintain a regular blog about the journey at mundopequeno.org.

The trip started at Tierra del Fuego national park. The blog entry reads: “On our second day in the park, we climbed Cerro Guanaco. A mountain in the middle of the park. From above tree line and standing on the jagged peak we could see an incredible 360 view of the edge of the world. We had reached the end of the road. The last road.

The part of the map that used to read “here there be dragons.” A place we had only dreamed of seeing, yet here we stood. A dream realized and manifested into cold hard stone under our feet and open clear sky above our heads. We climbed down the mountain feeling exalted and excited for the road ahead.

From there to the border of Chile, the

It's wheelie time for Bennett as he crosses the salt flats or salar in Bolivia.

THE MOUNTAINS AND SALT FLATS OF BOLIVIA

THE MOST GRUELING AND ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PORTIONS OF THE MUNDO PEQUEÑO JOURNEY HAS BEEN WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH THE HIGH MOUNTAINS AND SALT FLATS OF SOUTHWESTERN BOLIVIA. FROM THE BLOG:

A

s we prepared to leave San Pedro, Chile we all checked and rechecked our supplies. We each had ten days’ worth of food and two days of water. The crossing into Bolivia and the entrance to the lagoon route lay ahead and above us. We would then spend the next week crossing through the mountain passes before descending and getting to the next small town.

This route had been almost a mythical entity for us. We had heard again and again from cyclists heading south that the Lagoon Route was the hardest part of their trips. Some had said they pushed their bikes and couldn’t go more than a crawling pace. Others said that they had wept everyday. All three of us knew that this section would be a challenge, but none of us knew to what extent.

The largest challenge we knew to expect was the elevation. San Pedro de Atacama was at 8,000 feet and the highest point we would reach on the lagoon route would take us to 16,000 feet. The first 30 miles or so of our ride would take us on a non-stop climb to 15,000 feet and to the border crossing into Bolivia. We had to break the climb into three days of riding to limit how much altitude we would gain in a day, allowing our bodies to adjust safely.

After crossing the border, we would have a full week in the windswept and desolate landscape of snow-capped volcanic mountain passes and shallow mineral-rich lagoons. It was an empty land with little life and inhospitable climate— stark in its lonely beauty with dry dusty plains of volcanic destruction spreading bellow. We would find ourselves in a world that looked like it came out of a science fiction novel and we all felt like wandering visitors. Our winding roads would be dirt and the winds fierce. This would be a test of how strong we had become.

The first night in Bolivia was spent aside Laguna Blanca, before we’d continue on to Laguna Verde and to the thermal hot springs. After resting at the hot springs for a couple of days we continued over the highest point of the lagoon route at around 16,000 feet. The roads were worse than we’d seen yet, but we’d soon have a view of Laguna Colorada and a descent that led us to our next night’s sleep. Thankfully that would be indoors, as the temperatures often dipped to around 5 degrees Fahrenheit at night.

The next morning, we took our time riding the perimeter of Laguna Colorada, spending a little time with the pink flamingos that frequent the lake. We reached the park border that day, and asked for help from the staff of a mining company at the border. Again, kindness and generosity greeted us as we were met with a hot meal and beds to sleep in. The following several days took us to Uyuni, Bolivia.

After the beautiful, but grueling

lagoon route, we arrived in Uyuni tired and hungry for a meal other than bread, jam, and spaghetti. We quickly found a nice hostel (that served eggs for breakfast) and took a couple days to rest and prepare for the next leg of our journey across the Salar de Uyuni—the world’s largest salt flats.

We rode north out of Uyuni before heading west, directly across the salt flats towards Isla Incahuasi, an island in the middle of the Salar. The first day took us about 30 kilometers from the island, where we decided to camp and enjoy the desert sunset. We’d also noticed that there were ‘potholes’ in the salar—literally holes in the salt surface. In each of the ‘potholes’ we thought we saw water, but later learned that there was a liquid brine beneath the salar made up of a number of different minerals. In this brine exists 50 to 70 percent of the world’s lithium reserves.

The next day, we pedaled on towards Incahuasi, unfortunately into

a very strong headwind. After reaching the island, we enjoyed lunch inside before hitting the salar again—this time due north and with a slight side/tail wind. We also decided that this was our opportunity to try out bike sailing, yes bike sailing. We rigged up our tent ground cloths and set off, tacking north across the salar.

Though the salar was absolutely the experience of a lifetime, we all agreed that we were thankful to be back on a real (dirt) road and headed north towards La Paz the next morning.

The next few days took us back towards the main north/south route in Bolivia through rolling plains. Along the way, we’d stop in small working-class towns and bunked up in rustic alojamientos (or boarding houses) and bought food from local markets. Though we were and continue to be thankful for our travels, it was during these few days before arriving to La Paz that we found ourselves missing the comforts of home... a working shower, potable water, and family.

McCarter looks out at Lake Titicaca, which stretches across the Bolivia/Peru border.

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The four-room cabin where Butch Cassidy holed up still stands on the banks of the Rio Blanco near Cholila, just east of the Andes in the Argentine province of Chubut. riders battled headwinds that blew 60 miles an hour. “We were riding at the same speed as walking our bikes, the wind was so strong,” Russell says. “We soon figured out that if we got a really early morning start, it would be better.” A trucker, familiar with the plight of cyclists, picked them up at one point. “Faced with not having enough food and water, we obliged and accepted a ride in the semi trailer for about 30 km. We also realized at this point that we’d need to make decisions to hitchhike here and there if we wanted to stay on track,” says Russell, adding that strangers have usually been very generous with short rides when needed.

At night, they would stay in hostels, a gaucho’s bunk room, or wild camp by the road. Their route took them by ferry to Punta Arenas, Chile before crossing back over the border to Argentina and then back to Chile.

In Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park, part of a larger ice field system which is the world’s third largest reserve of fresh water, they walked close enough to the glacier, Perito Moreno, to watch large pieces

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of ice fall a few hundred feet into the water below. “It took time to grasp the actual size of the glacier. It wasn’t until we saw a piece of ice the size of a small house free-fall for a Russell, McCarter and Bennett take a break by a lake in the Parque Nacional Los Alerces.

Photo by Peter Kinsley

few seconds and crash into the water, that we realized the scale,” says Russell.

The three took time to raft the Futaleufu River in Chile and visit the cabin where

Butch Cassidy holed up in Argentina’s Lake District. In Lanco, Chile they stopped at an inn only to find it was out of their price range. “After being given permission to set up tents in the yard of the hotel for a reduced rate, the grandson of the innkeeper came to find us,” says Russell. “The innkeeper had decided to invite us to stay inside at a quarter of the price. When we asked her about why she had been so generous, she replied that she thought we would do the same and that she was always happy to help young people follow their dreams.”

“It’s that type of openness and hospitality that we’ve been met with most of the way,” says Russell. “We shared meals with gauchos and fellow travelers, took rides with truckers, twice, and pleaded with ferry captains to take our bikes. Nearly everywhere, we have been greeted with kindness.”

When you are on your bike, it is indeed a small world.

You can follow Mundo Pequeno at the blog mundopequeno.com and an excerpt from their blog follows. ----0----------

PACKING FOR BIKE PACKING TWO CONTINENTS

H

ow do you pack to bike across two continents? The answer: lightly. “We realized early on we had brought way too many things and shipped a lot of gear home,” says Russell. Still, they needed clothes to survive the wind and the cold as some nights temperatures dropped as low 5 degrees, Fahrenheit. Each rider brought a single-person tent, sleeping bag and camp stove and they shared pots and pans.

Since they were planning to blog along the way, cameras, a folding Bluetooth keyboard and Google Pixel phone were part of Russell’s equipment and McCarter carried a GoPro camera as well. Russell used a Plug III Supernova/Cinq charging system that uses the power generated by a dynamo on the front wheel hub to create a slow trickle charge. A wire leads up through the fork and tube to the headset where a USB charger is tucked below the handlebar stem cap.

Russell’s bike, the Thorn Nomad, was custom built for him and included what Russell calls a “lifesaver,” a Rohloff internally-geared 14-speed rear hub that only needed an oil change every 5,000 miles. “I had no problems with my hub at all whereas the two others had a number of breakdowns,” Russell says.

Russell’s packing list includes:

THE BIKE Bike: Thorn Nomad. A British custom touring bike with what Russell calls “amazing customer support and guidance.”

Front Paniers: Ortlieb Front Roller City Plus A dry bad style front panier.

Rear Paniers: Carradice Super C - Cotton Duck Paniers - waterproof and big!

Handlebar Bag: Ortlieb Classic 6M waterproof handlebar bag (used for camera.)

Tires: Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 26”x2.0”—the best rural/dirt road long distance touring tire, easily good for 10,000 kilometers.

Grips: Ergon GP5-L, contoured ergo grips.

Rear hub: Rohloff internally geared 14-speed hub.

Front hub: Son 28, standard for generator/dyno hubs.

Charging system: Supernova ThePlug III dynamo USB chargers.

Rims: Andra 30 carbide coated rear rim to keep braking surface from wearing down.

Saddle: Brooks B17 classic leather touring saddle, it forms to your butt over time!

CAMPING GEAR Tent: MSR Hubba, a very light one-person stand-alone tent (does not need to be staked and in the salt flights, it was impossible to drive stakes into the ground.)

Sleeping pad: Thermarest NeoAir Xlite, extremely light, packable, but full size and comfy.

Sleeping bag: REI Sub Kilo (20-degree down bag). Both Eli and Noah have Mountain Hardware Phantom Spark bags, around a 30-degree extremely lightweight down bag.

Stove: MSR Dragonfly and Whisperlite international (we each have a stove). All stoves can burn white gas, kerosene, auto gasoline, and diesel. We have used regular unleaded gasoline the whole trip.

Knife: Morakniv Companion heavy duty knife—a great affordable fixed-blade knife with sheath.

Water Storage: MSR Dromedary six-liter

reinforced nylon water bag that can store from freezing to boiling water safely

ELECTRONICS Folding Bluetooth Keyboard: EC Technology folding keyboard is essential for blogging with just a phone.

Headlamp: Black Diamond Revolt, a rechargeable headlamp that also takes regular AAA batteries.

Bike Lights: Cateye 100 front light and Cygolite rear light (both are USB rechargeable).

CLOTHING Socks: Darn Tough (a sponsor) Sunglasses: Julbo (a sponsor) Shirts: Icebreaker merino t-shirts; Patagonia long-sleeve buttondown sun shirt Shoes and helmet: Giro Shorts: Kavu Big Eddy swim shorts, which doubled as over shorts for riding; Specialized spandex shorts with chamois (two pairs).

This campsite in Bolivia on the "lagoon route" was as good a test as any for the gear. At night, temperatures dropped well below freezing. Photo courtesy Mundo Pequeño

JUNE 2017 | VTSPORTS.COM 23

FOUR WOMEN EXPLORE NEPAL, ON MOUNTAIN BIKES, IN PURSUIT OF GOATS.

Prevot and Bruntz push across the Kali Gandaki. The Mustang Region was once part of Tibet and prayer flags are part of the landscape.

Photo courtesy Corinne Prevot

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JUNE 2017 | VTSPORTS.COM 25

The Lubra Pass trail, left, was a wildly fast and windy single-track descent, most commonly used by herders to reach the next valley. These loose switchbacks were built for foot traffic, but can be thoroughly enjoyed on two wheels. In the village of Muktinath buildings have ancient stone foundations and intricate windows. The women stayed at tea houses in the villages they rode through. Photo courtesy Katy Kirkpatrick

I

t was at the highest point of elevation, the moment the mountain bikers ran into the yak herder, that Corinne Prevot remembers best. “We had climbed for several days and finally reached this saddle,” says the 26-year-old apparel designer from Burlington. “We were looking down on the village where we had stayed the past few nights and you could see the river we were headed to unfolding down the valley.”

The river, the Kali Gandaki, flows into what some consider the deepest gorge in the world. Flowing from its source near the Tibetan border, the river carves the earth between two of the tallest mountains in the world, passing 18,278 feet below the snowcapped peak of Annapurna. The gorge has been a trade route between India and Tibet for hundreds of years.

That day this past March, Prevot and three friends were on a trade route of their own, in search of the Chyangra goats, the source of prized cashmere.

Prevot started Skida, a hat and scarf company, in 2008 when she was a ski racer at Burke Mountain Academy, stitching hats for her Nordic team and then for friends. As a student at Middlebury College, she grew the business, using stretchy fabrics and bright colors and patterns. In 2011, she did a study abroad program in Nepal and became fascinated with cashmere.

“It’s an amazing natural fiber, and one of the warmest,” she says. It’s also the mainstay of a farming and weaving industry in Nepal. After graduating from Middlebury in 2013, Prevot was drawn back to Nepal.

She returned to the cashmere factory she had seen the year before and in 2014 launched her first cashmere line, produced in Kathmandu.

This trip was, partially, business—a fiber-to-farm quest to see how her products are sourced. “I’d seen the factories but I wanted to meet the people who herd the goats up in the mountains,” says Prevot. She and Julia Van Raalte, a former ski racer who had been living in Kathmandu, scouted the

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route last fall. This past March, Prevot, Van Raalte and fellow Burke Mountain Academy grad—Katy Kirkpatrick, from Shelburne and Middlebury grad Lani Bruntz—met up in Kathmandu.

After riding in the valley to acclimatize, they took multiple flights and a day-long bus ride to reach the Mustang Region, home of the Himalaya’s prized Chyangra mountain goats and the start of their bike trek.

“There’s a growing mountain bike culture in this area,” says Prevot, who worked with guides she knew to map out

a route. “Over six days, we’d ascend about 5,000 feet and descend 10,000 feet covering over 60 miles. The first two days would be a gravel Jeep road with a few single-track cut-offs,” Kirkpatrick wrote on a blog that appeared on kitsbow.com. “Nothing earthshattering in terms of trail conditions, but to be out in a landscape resembling the moon felt so far away from familiarity and made each pedal stroke feel exhilarating.

Villages were strung along the route and at night the women would stay at tea houses.

“Our hosts often served the traditional

Chyangra goats, prized for the soft cashmere undercoat that grows on their bellies, graze in the Himalaya highlands. Photo courtesy Katy Kirkpatrick

Nepali dish, dal bhat—steamed rice with a lentil soup,” says Prevot. The hostels were simple, and some had hot water. But they were shelters and at night the temperatures would plummet to the 30s and 40s before the intense sun would warm the altitudethin air back to 60 degrees.

Both Prevot and Van Raalte knew enough Nepali to converse with their hosts and their porter, Suresh. They had met him on a ride they did last fall, and he had agreed to carry their packs between villages

by Jeep. “People were excited to see four

som

MOUNTAIN BIKING ~ MUSTANG, NEPAL

bike

bus

plane

MOUNTAIN BIKING ~ MUSTANG, NEPAL

bike

bus

plane

muktinath jomsom

eni pokhara

muktinath

beni pokhara

kathmandu

kathmandu

The bike portion of the 60-mile trip took the women climbing from Jomsom to Kagbeni and then downhill to Beni. Photo courtesy Corinne Prevot women on mountain bikes but they kept telling us, ‘No no, 30 miles is too far, you can’t ride that in a day,’” says Prevot with a laugh. All four of the women are ex ski racers—Prevot and Bruntz, Nordic racers, and Kirkpatrick and Van Raalte, alpine.

“It was really fun to ride with these strong women,” says Prevot.

After assembling their bikes at the tiny Jomsom airport, the four climbed from 9,000 feet to 12,500 feet before dropping into the main descent, a winding singletrack used by herders. “Our mission was to ride

up to Kagbeni on trails. Goats are kept in the villages at night and then graze up in the mountains during the day. In one village, we found two different herds—some were used for meat, some were sold for sacrificial festivals,” Prevot says.

The goats provide meat, milk and cashmere. “Cashmere is from the protected under fiber, and the farmers harvest it simply by brushing the goats’ underbelly.

This means it’s a sustainable, low-impact fiber and they can use the goats in multiple ways,” she says.

Former ski racers, Van Raalte, Bruntz, Kirkpatrick and Prevot had no trouble climbing.

Photo courtesy Katy Kirkpatrick

Cashmere was once one of Nepal’s main exports but now India and China mass produce it, which allows the goat herders to trade north but makes it harder for the Nepali manufacturers to compete.

Leaving Kagbeni, the women continued on the climb towards the pass. “It was at that high point when we met the yak herder and I think he was as surprised as we were,” Prevot remembers. “We had incredible views all around of snowcapped mountains

and a long, winding descent below. That’s the moment that sticks in my mind.”

After exchanging a few words with the herder, the four had a screaming descent down toward the river and back down a dusty road to the end of the route, Beni, at 3,000 feet. They then hopped a bus to Pokhara.

“You go through so many different eco systems. It’s really dry and arid alpine, then you come to treeline and pine forests and then it switches to a subtropical climate,” Prevot says. “This was my fourth trip and it’s exciting to see Nepal start to become more accessible for mountain biking. My goal is to keep going back.”

Skida's cashmere line bears hangtags that read "Designed in Vermont, produced in Nepal." To see the line, visit skida.com.

HOW TO BIKE THE HIMALAYA A growng number of outfitters are offering trips in the Mustang region.

Here are a few: Burlington’s Above the Clouds was founded in 1982 by American Steve Conlon and his Nepali wife, Muna.

Now, their daughter Lisa (who has lived in both Nepal and the U.S.) is running the business and can put together custom biking, hiking or heli-hiking trips through the region. abovetheclouds.com Everest Mountain Bike is run by a group of professional Nepali mountain bikers and has a variety of trips in the Annapurna and Kathmandu region. bikeadventurenepal.

Scotland's H+I, specializes in mountain bike tours and offers a 12-day tour of the Kali Gandaki valley for $3,375 per person. mountainbikeadventures.com JUNE 2017 | VTSPORTS.COM 27

FEATURED ATHLETE of the sort. We aren’t really big on that, but we always had it in our heads, what kinds of situations we were presented with, what we did on those days, what was successful and what wasn’t. So then, on days that present themselves decades later, we ask ourselves: have we seen this kind of situation before?

What kind of fishing days have we had under those conditions, and what should we try today? I like to go out under any challenging circumstance and try to find fish. For example, I was going to go fishing in Winter Storm Stella, and I was thinking: what can I learn about fish behavior in the middle of an approaching Nor’easter that’s going to dump two feet of snow, and what kind of patterns would develop under those conditions? Now that’s not a pattern that’s likely to show itself again. It turns out I couldn’t go fishing because my kids’ school got cancelled. But that’s something that interests me, and it doesn’t interest everybody.

VS: What do you like to fish for?

Shane Lamos with his record-setting sheepshead.

Photo courtesy S. Lamos

THE DERBY KING Name: Shane Lamos Age: 39 Lives in: St. Albans Occupation: Chemistry Professor at St. Michael’s College Sports: Fishing

I

n the 2014 Lake Champlain International Father’s Day Fishing Derby, Shane Lamos reeled in a 20.12-pound sheepshead, setting the record for the event’s warmwater division. In 2016, he caught a 21.67-pound sheepshead, breaking his own record. Success in the Derby is not new for Lamos or his LCI team, the Poachers. Together, they have won the warm-water T.E.A.M. division five different times, have placed 14 different fish in the individual species categories top 10, and have had numerous other top team finishes. Having grown up on Champlain, the lifelong angler and Derby participant knows fish–where to find them, how to catch them, and how to learn from every experience on the water.

VS: How do you prepare for this year’s LCI Derby on June 17?

SL: We look at a lot of variables, including anything that impacts fish behavior: barometric pressure, lake level, lake temperature, wind direction, seasonal patterns, storm fronts coming in, storm fronts moving out. It gives us clues about the kind of behaviors we can expect from

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SL: I like to catch new fish so I end up targeting things like logperch. Who goes out and tries to catch a logperch? It’s a giant minnow species that’s actually catchable on hook and line. But I just like the idea: where do logperch reside? Can I find a school of logperch? What would they bite on? Where would they be today?

the fish. If there’s one secret to the process that people can learn from, it’s that the environment is always changing. The lake is dynamic. People who are successful — just like people who are successful in life— are people who learn to be nimble, and to change as the different parameters change.

That’s really our secret.

One thing that’s really a testament to the people who built the LCI Derby, was that they include so many different types of fish.

So sometimes in these derbies, it’s just bass, or it’s just salmon—the fish that people think are sexy. But the LCI Derby has carp, it has catfish, it has sheepshead. Who wants to catch those? I do.

VS: You’ve set some records. What techniques have brought you and your team success?

The Derby gives you an option: it says “Here are 13 or 14 fish — pick whichever one you want to catch, and we’ll create a point system that makes it equitable to compete against each other.” What a brilliant design that is.

It’s the only derby I do.

SL: What I would say is that we fish deliberately. I think this is true with anyone who fishes, or the professional fisherman you watch on TV, or fisherman who put in a lot of time–they just pay attention to the trends they observe. Fish are part of an ecosystem, and within that ecosystem, there are patterns of behavior you can key in on. Everybody fishes with some level of analysis of the environment, so they’re paying attention to the wind and the weather patterns that are developing. I think we probably just do more of it than you’d expect.

VS: As a scientist, do you keep a journal of where you fish and notes on what works?

SL: I’ve never really recorded everything, although I know people keep fishing journals

VS: How long have you participating in the derby?

been

SL: I probably started fishing in the mid’90s and I’ve been fishing with the same group of guys now for 18 years. As a group, we’ve had some success as individuals and as teammates. And quite honestly, until a couple of years ago, I had never gotten a fish in the derby that had actually got into the top ten. I hadn’t gotten lucky until 2014, when I finally caught the record-setting 20.12-pound sheepshead. I was pretty excited. And then in 2016 I beat that with a 21.7-pounder. It felt pretty good to beat my own record. — Emma Cotton

Kingdom Demo Day. Come just for the day for only $15 and check out the expo and demo bikes.

WEEKEND COSTS

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!

FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, JUNE JUNE JUNE 16 16 16 ExpoExpo Hours: ExpoHours: Hours: NoonNoon to Noon 4pm toto4pm 4pm – NEK–All NEK – NEK Stars AllAll Stars atStars 5pm at at 5pm 5pm – Hot–Flannel, Hot – Hot Flannel, Flannel, 6 to 86pm to 6 to 8 pm 8 pm – Tigerman – Tigerman – Tigerman Whoa,Whoa, 8Whoa, to 10 8 to 8pm to 1010 pmpm

SATURDAY, SATURDAY, SATURDAY, JUNE JUNE JUNE 17 17 17 ExpoExpo Hours: ExpoHours: Hours: 9am 9am to9am 4pm toto4pm 4pm – NEK–All NEK – NEK Stars AllAll Stars atStars 5pm at at 5pm 5pm – Big –Bang Big – Big Bang Bhangra Bang Bhangra Bhangra Band,Band, Band, 6 to 86pm to 6 to 8 pm 8 pm – Kat –Wright Kat – Kat Wright and Wright the and and Indomitable thethe Indomitable Indomitable Soul Band, Soul Soul Band, 8Band, to 10 8 to 8pm to 1010 pmpm

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY, JUNE JUNE JUNE 21 21 21 ExpoExpo Hours: ExpoHours: Hours: 9am 9am to9am 3pm toto3pm 3pm Kingdom Kingdom Kingdom DemoDemo Day. Demo Come Day. Day. Come just Come for just just forfor the day thethe for day only day forfor $15 only only and $15 $15 check and and check out check outout the expo thethe and expo expo demo and and demo bikes. demo bikes. bikes.

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A 3AAday 33day day A 3-day celebration celebration celebration celebration of of all of all all things things things mountain mountain mountain of all things biking biking biking mountain biking including including including group group group rides, rides, rides, camping, camping, camping, a huge a ahuge huge including group rides, vendor vendor vendor expo, expo, expo, bikebike bike camping, a huge vendor demos, demos, demos, livelive music, livemusic, music, expo, bike demos, food, food, food, beer, beer, beer, kids kids games kids games gameslive music, food, beer, kids andand much andmuch much more! more! more!

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Full weekend Full Full weekend weekend if purchased if if purchased purchased beforebefore June before 11 June June is 11 $130.

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OnsiteOnsite registration Onsite registration registration is $140. is is $140. $140.

MusicMusic shows Music shows are shows included areare included included with with with weekend weekend weekend eventevent registration. event registration. registration.

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The general The The general general publicpublic welcome public welcome welcome to come toto come after come after 5pm after @ 5pm 5pm $10 @@ per $10 $10 per per person person person to check toto check out check the out out expo the the expo expo and music and and music show! music show! show!

Visit nembafest.com for event details and registration.

Full weekend if purchased before June 11 is $130.

FRIDAY, JUNE 16

Onsite registration is $140.

Music are included Exposhows Hours: Noon with to 4pm weekend event registration.

– NEK Allpublic Starswelcome at 5pm The general to come Flannel, after 5pm @ $108per – Hot 6 to pm person to check out the expo – Tigerman Whoa, 8 to 10 and music show!

SATURDAY, JUNE 17 Expo Hours: 9am to 4pm

– NEK All Stars at 5pm – Big Bang Bhangra Band, 6 to 8 pm – Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band, 8 to 10 pm

SUNDAY, JUNE 18

Expo Hours: 9am to 3pm Kingdom Demo Day. Come just for the day for only $15 and check out the expo and demo bikes.

WEEKEND COSTS Full weekend if purchased before June 11 is $130.

Onsite registration is $140.

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The general public welcome to come after 5pm @ $10 per person to check out the expo and music show!

e d V i e R r r m u on o Y t o

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To get connected with other riders and the best trails, go to:

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pm

FEATURED ATHLETE

THE MOUNTAIN RUNNER Name: Gavin Boyles Age: 41 Lives in: Montpelier Family: Wife, Aubrey; two kids, Liam, 12 and Thea, 8 Occupation: Attorney, State of Vermont Sports: Running and rock climbing

T

here are two places you might have run into Gavin Boyles this spring. If you were in Burlington on Memorial Day weekend, he led a pace group at the Vermont City Marathon. The other place (once the trails are dry) is Camel’s Hump.

Hikers heading up Camel’s Hump on weekends are sometimes surprised when they find trail runners already heading down. Boyles is one of those runners. One of his favorite trails is a loop going over Camel’s Hump where he likes to try to beat his fastest time.

VS: Tell us about Camel’s Hump.

GB: That’s one of my favorites. I park on the River Road in Duxbury and run along the road to the Long Trail parking lot and then up to the summit, down the Duxbury side on the Monroe Trail and then Camel’s Hump Road to the river. It’s almost fifteen miles and I try to beat my time. My best is 2:50:01.

It’s a fun little way to get a hard effort in without driving to a race or spending money.

VS: How did you get into trail running?

GB: In 2013, I started running at lunch in Montpelier with Liz Gleason, an ultra runner from Waterbury. She told me about these epic things she did on weekends or early mornings, like running up Camel’s Hump twice or Mt. Mansfield. One morning Liz and I ran up the Toll Road on Mansfield. When I got to the top I could see the cloud layer below and I wondered why I wasn’t trying to do things like that more often. I started focusing on running as many trails as I could.

VS: Do you do any trail racing?

GB: Last year I did a new race called the Mt. Mansfield Double Up, which is 11 miles with 5,500 feet of climbing. It was really incredible. It starts at Stowe and goes up the Hazelton Trail, almost to the top of the Toll Road to the Forehead, and then down via Maple Ridge and the CCC Trail, and then

30 VTSPORTS.COM | JUNE 2017

Boyles charges up the mountainside at the Gaspé Peninsula Race in Quebec where he encountered a caribou on the course. up Laura Cowles and back down on Canyon Bypass. It’s gorgeous but there are some really technical, rocky sections and it was a week after I had done the 100 on 100 [the 100-miler on Route 100]. I didn’t put in a real race effort but it was a very cool event.

VS: What are the coolest places you have run?

Last year we did a family vacation on the Gaspé Peninsula and there was a trail marathon going on. It was late June and there was still snow on the course, but it was 85 degrees. Most of it was above the tree line so I bonked pretty badly and it took me just under six hours to finish. It was this incredible, strange mix of running across a snowfield with the sun beating down. In the middle of the race we saw a caribou. I had an amazing, totally novel experience doing that, although I was pretty lame in the competitive aspect.

VS: How did you start running?

GB: My sister and I both started running track in high school. I got onto the team because all my best friends were runners.

I ran track and I loved cross-country.

Even though it was New Jersey, we were surrounded by great little patches of woods and river trails. I went to Haverford College which is a Division III school with a great running program. Anyone can join the team and we had a wide range of abilities from a guy who ran a sub-four-mile and went to the Olympic trials down to me, who had a little bit of talent and worked hard , down to the guys who were there for fun.

VS: When did you start running marathons?

GB: I graduated in 1998 and spent the better part of two years travelling out West, rock

climbing and camping and living in my car. I didn’t run a step until 2002 or 2003 when I moved back east and started law school and met my wife. Running is easier to fit in into my schedule than climbing.

My first marathon was the Green Mountain Marathon in South Hero in 2007. There were about 200 people, and I really had no idea what I was doing. I was relatively young and optimistic and went out way too hard and was tied for the lead at mile 20 and then bonked. I may even have cried a little. It was really humbling. I managed to qualify for Boston and then started training in earnest the following winter and that really caused me to turn the corner.

VS: Do you train with anyone?

GB: I hooked up with a group of really incredible folks like ultra runner Kasie Enman, Jack Pilla and Norm Larson and we’d meet for runs in Huntington and Richmond. They all were training hard and having fun. It was a great confluence of people coming together and running through the winter in tough conditions over hills. We went to Boston in 2008, and the Women’s Olympic trials were the day before, so we watched Kasie run an incredible race.

We were fired up so a lot of us did really well.

VS: You were a pace group leader for the Vermont City Marathon this year.

What made you decide to do that?

GB: I have always loved running but I haven’t always loved racing as much. I haven’t always enjoyed putting a ton of pressure on myself, but I love the training and the running community and this seems like a great way to give back to a sport that has been really central to my life since I was 14. I was a pace leader last year for the 3:15 group which corresponds to a 7:28 mile. Because of the hot weather on race day I didn’t finish, but

Photo courtesy of Gavin Boyles

it was still a great experience and I enjoyed corresponding with the group beforehand and training with them. It was a wonderful pop-up community that formed around the event.

VS: Do you still rock climb?

GB: I only go about five times a year. My passion for climbing was really rekindled when the new gym, MetroRock, opened in Essex a couple of years ago. It’s an inspiring place and full of inspiring people.

VS: Tell us about the bouldering wall you built.

GB: My family moved into a new house with a two-story garage, and the upper story has sloping walls. A friend and I started building the wall last summer and, in our enthusiasm, totally failed to insulate it first.

We finished in November and climbed as much as we could into the winter, but it was basically an uninsulated garage so we were up there with parkas that we’d throw on in between climbs, and we used a space heater.

I’ve always loved climbing. People have their own challenging experiences and encourage each other.

VS: What do you love most about the community of athletes here?

GB: Most of my best friends are from my college team and every year, several of us get together to run the 100 on 100 relay race. That’s one of the highlights of my year, mostly for the social aspect. One of the best things about my day is that I can get out and run a bit at lunch and there’s a whole rotating crew of different intersecting groups. For me it humanizes the day.

–Phyl Newbeck

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WEEKEND AWAY 14TH ANNUAL

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18-mile & 6-mile timed runs, 2-mile family fun run/walk. All courses are loops on pristine trails through woods, farmland, meadow and river valleys, circumnavigating the town. (18-mile run capped at 100 runners).

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HEALTH

FOOD FIGHTERS INFLAMMATION IS SOMETHING EVERY ATHLETE FACES. NEW STUDIES ARE SHOWING THAT THE RIGHT DIET CAN HELP FIGHT IT.

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

“N

o pain, no gain,” is a mantra adopted by many competitive athletes. We often get a sick sense of satisfaction from aching muscles the day after a long training run or strength session. A sore body is a badge of honor, signifying that we pushed it to the max.

What most people don’t know, however, is that the satisfaction we might get from these aches and pains is a result of inflammation that can interfere with our next workout or even sideline us completely.

Fortunately, just as foods can fuel our bodies, they can also work to reduce or prevent inflammation and get us our “gains” without all of the pain.

Unlike many fad diets out there, an antiinflammatory diet has real science and research to back it up. Recent research has focused on how the types of fats in our diet influence inflammation in the body.

Prostaglandins, lipids that act like hormones in the body, surround the site of an injury (for example, the small tears created in muscle fibers during a workout).

The composition of these prostaglandins is determined by the types of fat we consume in our diet.

GOOD FATS, BAD FATS Prostaglandins that are rich in omega-6 fatty acids act as pro-inflammatories, while those rich in omega-3 fatty acids combat inflammation.

Unfortunately, because of the ever-present omega-6 fat sources in our diet (such as soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil and other commonly used vegetable oils), the typical American diet has a ratio of about 15:1 omega-6 to omega-3 fats. Unlike the aforementioned vegetable oils, olive oil stands out as a staple of an anti-inflammatory diet. Rich in monounsaturated fats, olive oil is relatively low in omega-6 fats and provides additional benefits in the form of polyphenols.

Although the ideal ratio of these fats in our diet is yet to be determined, Artemis Simopoulos, president and founder of the nonprofit Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health in Washington D.C., found in a study that a ratio closer to 6:1 is optimal for health.

If you are wondering how your ratio stacks up, some labs now offer a fatty acid profile that can be run to determine the level of omega-3 and omega-6 fats in your blood.

Foods that are high in omega-3 fats include fatty fish like tuna, salmon and lake trout as well as vegetarian sources like flaxseed and dark, leafy vegetables, like spinach and kale.

To decrease inflammation, work on reducing your intake of vegetable oils while increasing foods with omega-3’s.

EAT THE RAINBOW Another major player in the fight against inflammation is antioxidants, which help neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are atoms, or groups of atoms, that have an uneven number of electrons. In an effort to stabilize themselves, free radicals will bond rapidly, often creating chain reactions inside cells. When they come in contact with cellular components like DNA, entire cells become damaged, contributing to muscle damage and inflammation.

Free radicals usually form in the presence of oxygen, which is plentiful in the body during exercise. They also form when the body undergoes oxidation, a process that helps us break down toxins.

But antioxidants (anti-meaning against, oxi- referring to oxygen) can neutralize free radicals, easing inflammation. This is why you may hear of athletes “megadosing” with supplements like vitamin C and E, as these vitamins serve as some of our most potent antioxidants. However, after reviewing almost 200 sources for a study in Sports Medicine, Katie Slattery, on the Faculty of Health at the University of Technology in Sydney, concluded that these pills could be ineffective, and may even be detrimental to performance.

The good news? We can get more than enough antioxidants by selecting the right foods. An ORAC score (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), used by the USDA, measures antioxidant capacities in various foods. Produce, herbs and spices have high ORAC scores, along with fresh fruits and vegetables that provide a variety of colors. (In this case, “eat the rainbow” isn’t referring to Skittles consumption.)

A diet rich in high-ORAC foods will certainly go a long way to ease inflammation, as will other foods that have been studied specifically for their role in doing the same thing. Tart cherry juice has become increasingly popular among athletes due

Salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which combat inflammation. to a high concentration of anthocyanin, a compound that works similarly in the body to ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs work to block the production of those prostaglandins, which surround the area with damaged tissue.

After feeding a group of semi-pro English soccer players 30 milliliters of Montmorency tart cherry concentrate per day, Phillip G. Bell, on the faculty of health and life sciences at Northumbria University in the UK, found that the players recovered faster and had less muscle soreness than those in a control group.

SPICE IT UP Another food that has recently garnered attention for its anti-inflammatory properties is turmeric, a spice commonly used in Indian cuisine. Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin, which inhibits enzymes in the body that promote inflammation.

Sounds like a no-lose situation right?

Unfortunately, reaping the benefits of turmeric isn’t as simple as eating Indian food for every meal. Curcumin has low bioavailability, so even when you consume copious amounts, very little is actually absorbed in the body. But before you relegate that turmeric to the back of your spice rack, know that simply pairing it with black pepper can make it a major player in your arsenal of anti-inflammatory

superfoods. A compound in black pepper known as piperine can actually increase the bioavailability of curcumin by about 2,000 percent.6 Now that’s a power combination!

It is important to know that combating inflammation means not only including foods that are beneficial, but also limiting those that do harm. Sugar and refined grains wreak havoc on our blood sugar, which increases levels of pro-inflammatory messengers known as cytokines.

Beware of added sugars and don’t be fooled by “natural” sugars like honey, maple syrup and cane sugar. Metabolically, our body doesn’t know the difference, and excess sugar of any kind will increase levels of inflammation. Fried foods and saturated fats are other culprits that could be slowing your recovery time, so limit these as much as possible as well.

Whether you’re an elite athlete or a weekend warrior, pushing yourself to the max is inevitably going to cause some postworkout aches. However, with smart dietary choices that work to reduce inflammation, that pain doesn’t have to hold you back.

Jamie Sheahan holds a Master of Science in Dietetics from UVM, and she currently works as the Director of Nutrition at The Edge in Burlington.

JUNE 2017 | VTSPORTS.COM 33

Kingdom Swim

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NEKOWSKA 2017 SWIMS July 1 - Son of a Swim July 15 - Georgeville or Bist July 29 - 9th Annual Kingdom Swim August 12 - Crystal Lake August 13 - Island Pond August 14 - Echo Lake August 15 - Lake Seymour August 16 - Massawippi August 20 - Caspian Lake Sept. 11 - In Search of Memphre VII Oct. 28 - Vampire Swim, Newport

Thank you to the Sponsors and Partners of Kingdom Games: Eastside Restaurant, Kingdom Brewing, Brault's Slaughterhouse, Couture's B&B and Sugar Shop, Community National Bank, Burke Mountain, Jay Peak, Eden Ice Cider, Caledonia Spirits, Derby Village Store, Kinney Drugs, Newport City Inn & Suites, Vermont Sports Magazine, Passumpsic Savings Bank, Lakeview Aviation, Parker Pie, NEK Tasting Center, Newport Natural Café, Ciderhouse Bar & Grill, Mike's Tiki Bar, White Caps Campground

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VERMONT

SPORTS

RACE & EVENT GUIDE

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.

RUNNING MAY 27 | Infinitus, Goshen The Endurance Society hosts a series of cross-country races with 8K, 88K, 888K marathon, 48-hour, and 72-hour distances and times. endurancesociety.org 28 | Vermont City Marathon, Burlington RunVermont hosts its annual marathon through downtown Burlington, finishing in Waterfront Park. vermontcitymarathon.org

JUNE 2 | 21st Annual Kids’ Track Meet, Montpelier Fun events like the mile run, 100-meter dash, long jump and softball throw are open to all kids. cvrunners.org

3 | 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 and back. colchestervt.gov

24 | 16th Annual Basin Harbor Club 5K A free fun run for children will be followed by this 5K run/ walk. All proceeds go to Lacey’s Fund, an organization that benefits retired police dogs. Leashed dogs are welcome. racevermont.com

4 | 26th Covered Bridges Half Marathon, Pomfret Though it’s sold out for this year, come watch one of the state’s most popular races: a beautiful point-to-point course around Woodstock. cbhalfmarathon.blogspot.com

25 | 43rd Paul Mailman 10-Miler, 5K, Montpelier Part of the Central Vermont Runners and Onion River Sports Race Series, this rolling out-and-back course is 27 percent paved and USATF certified. cvrunners.org

10 | 40th Capital City Stampede 10K, Montpelier A at and fast out-and-back course on half-paved, half dirt roads. Course is USATF-certified. Top three winners receive gift certi cates. cvrunners.org

27 | Walk, Wag and Run Join this dog-friendly cross-country running or walking event, with 5K or 2.5K options. The $5 entrance fee is covered by SE Smith if you bring a dog. rutlandrec.com

17 | NH–VT Covered Bridge Half Marathon A mostly at loop that starts and nishes 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 New Hampshire. colebrook-kiwanis.org

JULY

18 | Skip Matthews Memorial Run, Lebanon, NH This race’s four miles feature a loop that begins at Colburn Park and follows the Northern Rail Trail. skipsrun.org

4 | Harry Corrow Freedom Run, Newport Kingdom Games hosts a 10-mile, 10K, 5K and 1-mile run on the Newport-Derby bike path and the Memphremagog Ski Touring Foundation Trails. dandelionrun.org

18 | 7th Equinox Trail Race 5K & 10K, Charlotte Green Mountain Athletic Association hosts trail runs on singletrack and old sugar roads. gmaa.net

3 | Girls on the Run, Essex Junction This non-competitive 5K follows the Girls on the Run/ Heart & Sole empowerment program. gotrvt.org

23 | Sine Nomine The Endurance Society hosts a secretive endurance race of unspecified length in rural Vermont at a location disclosed only to the entrants. endurancesociety.org

3 | West River Trail Run, Londonderry This 11-mile run on dirt roads benefits The Collaborative’s healthy educational programs for youth in Southern Vermont. thecollaborative.us/westrivertrailrun

24 | Catamount Ultra 25/50k Trail Race, Stowe The 25K or 50K course circumnavigates the Trapp Family Lodge on wide, hard-packed dirt trails through highland pastures and forests. catamountultra.com

4 | Clarence DeMar 5K, South Hero Run this at out (south) and back (north) 5K on South Street, with a free 1 ⁄4-mile race for kids. gmaa.net

9 | 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 9 | Mad Marathon, Mad Half and Relays, Waitsfield A weekend of races on dirt roads with tough climbs, and views of the Green Mountains. madmarathon.com 15 | 39th Annual Bear Swamp Run, Middlesex This loop course climbs 450 feet before gradually descending to the finish. cvrunners.org

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JUNE 2017 | VTSPORTS.COM 35

Saturday, July 22, 2017 25th Anniversary Riley Rink at Hunter Park Manchester, VT 5K Run/Walk and 10K Run

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15 | 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

17 | Berlin Pond 5-Miler, Berlin This certified 5-mile loop course runs counter-clockwise around Berlin Pond on dirt roads with one water stop. cvrunners.org

15-16 |Vermont 100 Endurance Race, West Windsor This 100-mile ultra-marathon starts at Silver Hill Meadow and is one of four 100-milers in the Grand Slam of ultrarunning. vermont100endurancerun.blogspot.com

18 | Under Armour Mountain Marathon, Killington Run between Killington’s and Pico’s peaks. The race, which is the second in a three-part running series, features a marathon, half marathon and relay, as well as shorter distances. killington.com

25 | Walk, Wag and Run Join this dog-friendly cross-country running or walking event, with 5K or 2.5K options. The $5 entry fee is covered

by SE Smith for those who bring a dog. rutlandrec.com 29 | Round Church Women’s Run, Richmond Head to Richmond for a 5K and 10K, both out and back on Cochran Road, starting and finishing across from the historic Round Church. The courses are paved with a few rolling hills. gmaa.net 30 | 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 30 | Barre Heritage Festival 5K, Websterville This scenic trail 5K takes you through the historic granite capital of the world. The trail explores the Barre Town Forest granite quarries, mostly single track trails. cvrunners.org

AUGUST 5 | Moosalamoo Ultra, Goshen Head to the Moosalamoo Ultra for 14- and 36-mile trail races, which run primarily through the Green Mountain National Forest. This race is dog-friendly. moosalamooultra.com 12 | Kingdom Run, Irasburg This run, which offers half marathon, 10K and 5K options, is a competitive out and back race on scenic dirt roads in the Northeast Kingdom. Walkers are welcome. Blueberry sundaes served after the race. kingdomrun.org

25 | Best Dam Run & Walk In Vermont, Whitingham This fast out-and-back half-marathon starts out at the Harriman Dam and follows the west side of Harriman Reservoir. Catch amazing views from the 215-foot-high, 1250-foot-long dam. bestdamwalk.com 27 | Scholarship 5K Trail Race, South Burlington This 5K runs on dirt trails through the wooded Red Rocks Park. The GMAA scholarship fund is awarded to 2 graduating high school runners. gmaa.net 27 | Zoe’s Race, Burlington HowardCenter’s “Zoe’s Race” is a 5K through Oakledge Park race raising funds for Vermont families who need accessible homes for their children. runvermont.org

SEPTEMBER

15 | Shoefly Trail Running Festival, East Burke This weekend-long festival of trail running and off-trail fun welcomes runners and walkers of all ages. Ultra options include: 50k, 12-hour, 24-hour solo/team relay, 25k, 10k, 5k and 1-mile. shoeflytrailrun.org 16 | Common to Common 30K, Essex Junction This certified 30K (18.64 miles) goes through the scenic farm country between the historic Essex Center and Westford Common. gmaa.net 20 | Sodom Pond 4-Miler, Adamant This rolling 4-mile dirt road course loops counterclockwise around Adamant’s Sodom Pond. Awards will be given to top male and female finishes in each age group. runvermont.org 23–24 | Adirondack Marathon/Distance Festival This two-day event includes both half marathon and marathon races, a 5K and 10K, a children’s fun run, dinners and award ceremonies. adirondackmarathon.org 24 | Vermont Sun Half Marathon, Lake Dunmore This event includes a 5K, 10K and half marathon, and takes runners along the edge of Lake Dunmore. vermontsuntrithlonseries.com

OCTOBER

3 | Archie Post 5-Miler, Burlington This certified point-to-point course follows the South Burlington Bike Path with sweeping views of the Green Mountains, finishing at Gutterson Field House. gmaa.net 9 | Endurance Society’s Sky Run, Waitsfield This uphill race features a series of climbs that lead to the summit of the mountain. Pick from two options: The Sky Run, with 5 km in distance, and just over 2,000 feet of vertical climbing, and the long version: 10 kilometers with about 3,700 feet of vertical. endurancesociety.org

15 | 47th Annual Green Mountain Marathon and Half Marathon, South Hero This certified marathon and half-marathon take you out and back on the west shore of South Hero and Grand Isle, with flat to rolling terrain that passes farms, apple orchards and summer cottages. The time cut off for the half marathon is four hours. gmaa.net

BIKING MAY

9 | Charlotte Covered Bridge Half Marathon The race begins and ends at Shelburne Beach on Lake 27-29 | Killington Stage Race, Killington Champlain. Along the course, you will pass orchards and Road cyclists tackle 11-, 110-, 128-, 146-, 160- and 200-mile run along a scenic dirt/gravel road. racevermont.com races in a USA Cycling-certified event. bikereg.com WestHill_VSTmay2017_ WestHill_VSTaug 5/24/17 6:46 AM Page 1

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JUNE 4 | 7th Annual Tour De Heifer, Brattleboro This challenging dirt road event features 30- and 60-mile routes and a 15-mile country ride. strollingoftheheifers.com 4 | 16th Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race This race includes 11 miles of uphill pedaling to the finish The course climbs 3,500 feet up the scenic Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway, New York’s 5th highest peak. bikereg.com 7-11 | Tour De Kingdom: The June Tour, Newport Five days of long-distance road rides through the NEK and northern New Hampshire, totaling 440 miles and 25,000 feet of climbing. tourdekingdom.com 9 | Vermont Bike & Brew, Killington Ride the state's first critical mass downhill or just join in the weekend-long party. Open to all levels. killington.com 10 | The Moose, East Burke Ride or race 107 miles of wide open, newly paved road in the NEK for the chance to win Burke Mountain passes, beef jerky, maple syrup and more. kingdomgames.co 10 | The Vermont Epic, Ludlow, Vt & Bedford, Mass.

The 73-mile Vermont Monster is a gravel grinder with 9,000 feet of climbing. The Battlefield to Vermont ride is 134.3 miles long, with 8,101 feet of climbing as it travels from Bedford, Mass. to Okemo. Recreational rides are also available with a 40-mile distances. vtepic.com 16-18 | NEMBAFest at Kingdom Trails, East Burke East Burke hosts the annual festival celebrating New England mountain biking. Weekend includes demos, live music, competitions and exhibitions. nembafest.com 17 | Switchback Bike for the Lake, North Hero Cyclists ride loops of 100, 80, 60 and 30 miles on the shores of Lake Champlain to support the Friends of Northern Lake Champlain. northernlakechamplain.org 18 | The Ranger, Tunbridge This gravel adventure ride is designed to immerse participants in Vermont culture, and includes a postcelebration of local craft beer, wholesome local food, and live music. bikereg.com 20 | Tour of the Battenkill, Greenwich, NY Join more than 3,000 riders in the largest pro-am race and tour around the Battenkill Valley, with vendors, food and drink. tourofthebattenkill.com

Ethan Allen Biathlon Club 2017 Summer Race Series

DATES July 6, 13, 20, August 3,10, 17 TIMES 5:00 pm - Registration 5:30 to 6:00 pm - Zeroing 6:15 pm - Race Start WHERE Ethan Allen Biathlon Club Ethan Allen Rd., Jericho, VT

NEW: See our website for NEW mandatory

Safety Clinic information Info: www.eabiathlon.org

38 VTSPORTS.COM | JUNE 2017

23-25 | Bikes, Bevs and Beats Festival, Stowe The Stowe Mountain Bike Club hosts a weekend-long bike festival with group rides, clinics, live music and beer. stowemountainbike.com 24 | Route 100 – 200 Miles, One Day, Derby The 100/200 is a one-day road ride that stretches from the Canadian border to Massachusetts. The 200-mile ride is routed to minimize automobile tra c. 100-200.org 24 | Okemo Bike Climb, Ludlow See how fast you can ride the 5.8 miles from Jackson Gore Lodge to the summit of Okemo Mountain. A barbeque will directly follow the ride. okemo.com

21–23 | Vermont Mountain Bike Fest, Warren The Vermont Mountain Bike Association hosts its annual festival at Sugarbush’s Mount Ellen area. vmba.org 27-30 | Beast of the East Pro GRT, Killington Top mountain bikers from around the world duke it out on Killington's new Goat Skull Trail in USA Cycling's Pro Gravity Downhill. killington.com 29 | Millstone 8-Hour MTB Relay, Websterville Individuals and teams of two and three compete for the most laps in eight hours. millstonetrails.com

AUGUST

24 | RAS Ride & Trail Run, Peru Come support RASopathies research. Both the ride and the run cover 10K of Class IV dirt roads. Post-ride party at the JJ Hapgood General Store. support4shane.com

5 | Bike MS: Green Mountain Getaway, Burlington Starting at the University of Vermont, this event includes 30-, 60- and 100-mile rides around the Champlain Valley. main. nationalmssociety.org

24 | 7th Annual Long Trail Century Ride, Bridgewater Corners This ride bene ts Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports with 100, 60, 40, or 20 mile and Adaptive 5K routes. There's also a festival with BBQ, live music, kids activities and more.

New for 2017, mountain bikers ride the trails at Killington. longtrailcenturyride.com

12 | Harpoon Point-To-Point, Windsor Choose to tackle 100, 50 or 25 miles on the road or the 20mile mountain bike ride at Ascutney. Head to the Harpoon Brewery for BBQ, live music and fresh beer after the race. harpoonpointtopoint.com

25 | Dirty Road-A-Coaster Challenge, Brownsville Expert and amateur cyclists ride the gravel roads of central Vermont on a 45-mile course with a new starting point at Ascutney Mountain Resort. bikereg.com 25 | 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 for Cross Vermont Trail. crossvermont.org

JULY 1 | Vermont Gran Fondo, Middlebury Starting at Woodchuck Cider, the Vermont Gran Fondo is a non-competitive ride with challenging climbs across Appalachian Gap, Moretown Mountain, Roxbury Gap and Lincoln Gap. Distances include the Gran Fondo: 108 miles, 10,000+ feet of climbing (all four gaps); Medio Di cile Fondo: 68 miles, 7,100 feet of climbing (Lincoln & App gaps); Medio Facile Fondo: 78 miles, 6,300 feet of climbing (Middlebury & App gaps) and Piccolo Fondo: 39 miles, 2,900 feet of climbing. vermontgranfondo.com 7-8 | Prouty Ultimate, Hanover, N.H. 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 quintessential Vermont. Saturday can ride the Prouty Century, or the new option: a 64-mile, metric century hybrid gravel route. theprouty.org 8 | Raid Lamoille, Stowe Cyclists ride approximately 100K (60+ miles) on mostly gravel roads through stunning countryside. A 50K option will also be available. raidlamoille.com

12 | 9th Annual Bike N’ Brew Festival, East Burke Burke Mountain welcomes anyone who loves bikes and craft brews to an event with tastings, lift rides, mountain biking and awards for the best beer. skiburke.com 15 | Addison County Bike Club Women’s Clinic, Middlebury Learn the basics of mountain biking: climbing, ascending and maneuvering. The second installment on 8/22 moves women to the trails. addisoncountybikeclub.org 17-20 | The Vermont Challenge, Manchester Manchester and Stratton Resort serve as home base for four days of long-distance rides between 26.5 and 105 miles. The Challenge also includes a gran fondo option for Saturday. vtchallenge.com 27 | Vermont Overland Gran Prix, Pomfret A 51-mile dirt road bicycle race featuring 5,400 feet of climbing, seven sections of unmaintained ancient public roads, a village downtown start/finish and a street party afterwards. vermontoverland.com

SEPTEMBER 9 | 12th Annual Kelly Brush Ride, Middlebury The ride through the Champlain Valley draws over 700 cyclists. Choose between 20-, 50-, 65-, 85- or 100-mile distances. kellybrushfoundation.org 30 | Hungry Lion Bike Tour, Whitingham These 35-, 55- and 75-mile road bike rides are fully supported with rest stops, sag wagon, BBQ, music and beer. hungrylionbiketour.com

WATERSPORTS & MULTISPORT

15-16 | Farm To Fork Fondo, Pittsfield Cyclists pick one of four fondo rides with stops at local farms. Pick between a 93-mile gran fondo, a 50-mile medio fondo, a 36-mile piccolo fondo and a 12-mile ramble ride. farmforkfondo.com

JUNE

23 | Glacier Grinder, Killington This 40-mile ride features 4,500 feet of elevation gain on scenic gravel roads and unmaintained town roads, with four climbs. endurancesociety.org

10-11 | Vermont Paddlers Club Novice Whitewater Clinic, Waterbury A two-day clinic covers the basics of boat handling, river reading and techniques. northernforestcanoetrail.org

4 | Onion River Race & Ramble, Bolton Paddle ten miles down the Winooski River in Vermont’s largest river race. winooskiriver.org

17 | LCI Father’s Day Fishing Derby, Colchester Fish Lake Champlain from boat or shore for a chance at seven major prize categories that put 11 species into play. mychamplain.net 23-25 | Deerfield River Festival, Deerfield, Mass.

American Whitewater and Zoar Outdoor join forces with a full weekend of outdoor activities showcasing whitewater paddlesports. americanwhitewater.org 24 | Lake Dunmore Triathlon, Salisbury Part of Vermont Sun’s annual triathlon series, this triathlon starts at Branbury State Park and includes a .9-mile swim, a 28-mile bike ride and a 6.2-mile run. Event repeats August 13. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com 24 | Vermont Sun Triathlon, Salisbury Part of Vermont Sun’s annual triathlon series, this triathlon includes a 600-yard swim, a 14-mile bike ride and a 3.1mile run on the shores of Lake Dunmore. Event repeats on July 16 and August 13. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com 24-25| Tough Mudder, Mount Snow, Dover More than 8,000 test themselves on a 10- to 12-mile course with 20 or more obstacles. toughmudder.com

JULY 8 | Dirty Girl Mud Run, Killington Run, walk, climb and crawl through 11 obstacles with names like H2OMG ad PMS (Pretty Muddy Stuff) on a course designed by an ex-Army ranger. killington.com 8 | Basin Harbor Sprint Triathlon, Vergennes The Basin Harbor Resort and Boat Club offers a fast and fun sprint triathlon on a flat course. basinharbor.com

15 | Georgeville or Bust, Newport Swim the 15 miles to cross the border from Newport, Vt. to Georgeville, Quebec. kingdomgames.co 28-29 | Kids Adventure Games, Stowe Teams of kids, age 6-14, conquer a 3-mile course on bikes, by foot or on water. kidsadventuregames.com 29 | Ninth Kingdom Swim, Newport Head to the Canadian Border for 25-, 10-, 6.2-, 3.1-, 1mile swims at the sanctioned World 10 Mile Open Water Championship. kingdomgames.co 30 | 33rd 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. colchestertri.com

AUGUST 5 | Basin Harbor Aqua Race & Duathlon, Vergennes Race across Lake Champlain. Swimmers take a boat to the New York side and swim a mile back to Basin Harbor.

Paddlers race across and back. basinharbor.com 10-13 | Shale "Hell" Endurance Festival, Benson The Shale Hill Obstacle Course hosts a festival with 72-, 48-, 24- and 8-hour races for a chance to qualify for the OCR World Championships. shalehilladventure.com

12 | NEKOWSA Swim Week, Newport Swim 8 lakes over 9 days in the NEK and the Eastern Townships of Quebec: Caspian, Island Pond, Echo, Seymour, Massawippi, Memphremagog, Willoughby, Caspian. Swim one. Swim them all. Short options on each day. kingdomswim.org

SEPTEMBER 17 | 41st Annual Josh Billings Runaground Triathlon, Great Barrington, Ma. Run, bike and canoe/SUP/kayak through five towns in the Berkshires to the finish line at the Tanglewood Music Festival, where thousands of supporters cheer on the finishers. joshbillings.com

ONGOING Ethan Allen Summer Race Series, Jericho EABC holds a 6-race summer (running) biathlon race series on Thursday nights July 6, 13 and 20, and Aug. 3, 10 and 17, open to beginners and experienced biathletes. Categories include sprint, pursuit, individual and sometimes relay format for distances of 5 to 10 kilometers. eabiathlon.org Kingdom Games' NEKOWSA, Northeast Kingdom These well-supported swims begin in July and run through October. They range from 2-mile swims to 25 miles, and are often accompanied by after-parties or pajama pre-parties and dinners the night before the race. kingdomgames.co

11 | Bad Dream, Tinmouth Can you make your way back to the waking life before it’s too late? Bad Dream: A nonstop, multi-day, physical and psychological adventure. endurancesociety.org

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BATTENKILL BICYCLES

99 Bonet St. Manchester, VT 802-362-2734 www.battenkillbicycles.com Hours: 9:30am–5:30pm 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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24 Bridge St, Richmond VT 802-434-4876 www.belgencycles.com Hours: Mon.–Sat. 10:30am–6:30pm Closed Sundays Belgen Cycles offers custom and stock bicycles supported by 39 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. Full service maintenance and repair as well as fitting solutions. In business as Village Bicycle in Richmond for 19 years.

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439 Route 114 East Burke VT 802-626-3215 www.eastburkesports.com Hours: 9am-6pm 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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74 Main Street Middlebury VT 802-388-6666 www.froghollowbikes.com Hours: Fri. 9:30am–6:30pm, Sun. 11am–4pm 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.

GEAR UP & Call Christy to get your

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11 ONION RIVER SPORTS 14 SKIRACK

105 N. Main St. Rochester, VT 800-767-7882 www.greenmountainbikes.com Hours: 7 days a week 10am–6pm 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!

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www.skirack.com Hours: Mon.–Sat. 10am–7pm, Sun. 11am–5pm

EXCHANGE

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

37 Church St. Burlington, VT 802-860-0190

www.waterburysportsvt.com Hours: 7 days a week Mon.–Thurs. 10am–6pm, Fri.–Sat. 9am–7pm Sun. 10am–4pm

www.gearx.com Hours: Mon.–Thurs. 10am–8pm Fri.–Sat. 10am–9pm, Sun. 10am–6pm

Lake Placid’s source for bicycling and outdoor gear since 1983! Sales, Service, Rentals and Tours. Bikes

by 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.

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!

13 POWER PLAY SPORTS

www.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’ tradein, trade-up program.

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. Road and mountain bike rentals at rentals. www.skirack.com.

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www.highpeakscyclery.com Hours: Mon.–Fri. 9am–6pm, Sun. 9am–5pm

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The friendly, expert staff at Onion River Sports will help you find the perfect bike for every adventure, whether it’s a mountain, gravel, hybrid, road, kids, or fat bike — plus cycling accessories, apparel, car racks, and more outdoor gear. We also offer professional, comprehensive bike services, rentals, and bike shipping.

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20 Langdon St. Montpelier, VT 802-229-9409

35 Portland St. Morrisville, VT 802-888-6557 www.powerplaysports.com Hours: Mon.–Fri. 9am–6pm, Sat. 8:30am–5pm Sun. 10am–4pm 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!

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.

16 WEST HILL BIKE SHOP 49 Brickyard Ln. Putney, VT 802-387-5718 www.westhillshop.com Hours: Mon.–Sat. 10am–6pm 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 Sept. 24. It’s truly a rural adventure with loops on scenic gravel roads or wily trails.

JOIN THE PACK! ADVERTISE HERE. bike shop listed in this directory.

802-388-4944 • ads@vtsports.com JUNE 2017 | VTSPORTS.COM 41

I

have a short story about a girl and her bike. The girl is my daughter. I am an accounting professor, which means I am much better with numbers than words. So, let me start with some figures.

After all, “numbers tell a story,” or that is what I tell my students year after year. is her age.

3 is the grade in which she started riding to school on her own.

2 is the distance to school in kilometers.

5 is the number of days per week she rides her bike to school.

3 is the number of bikes in the garage that are hers.

4 is the lowest temperature she has ridden to school in.

Independent. Steady. Strong.

Those are words that come to mind when I think of my daughter. In fact, this was going to be the year where she challenged herself to ride a bike to school every single day, just because she wanted to say she did Next up, some darker figures…

12

42 VTSPORTS.COM | JUNE 2017

A GIRL AND HER BIKE

SHE WAS DETERMINED TO RIDE HER BIKE TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY. THEN THIS HAPPENED. BY LESLIE ROBINSON

25 is the day in November of 2016 that we took her to the hospital.

745 was her blood sugar level when we arrived.

3 is the number of days they kept her overnight.

3 is the number of nights her father and I did not sleep at all.

28 is the day in November she came home as a diabetic.

1 is the number of relatives she has lost to diabetes.

0 is what any of us really knew or understood about managing it.

6 is the number of times she pricks her finger to check her blood sugar each day.

4 is the number of times each day she injects her own insulin.

Again: Independent. Steady. Strong.

She ran through the spectrum of emotions at the start. It began as fear. Then pity. Then acceptance. And finally hope. The most difficult challenge for her at the start was that having diabetes added at least an

“

What strikes me as interesting about this journey is how closely connected her return to the daily bike ride was to the return of her confidence, hope and

“

ENDGAME

acceptance.

hour to the daily schedule she kept. The first thing to go was riding her bike to school.

Too much going on around mealtimes

and too much stuff to pack and think about in the morning. It was faster for us to drop her off. About two months went by and I said to her “Are you going to start riding your bike to school again?” She said “I miss it so much. Yes.” And so it began. The road to figuring out how to live as a diabetic, and the road to not thinking much at all about it. What strikes me as interesting about this journey for her is how closely connected her return to the daily bike ride to school was to the return of her confidence, hope and acceptance.

Something in that bike ride for her makes her feel inherently normal, free, and orderly. With a little insulin, and a lot of bikes, I think she is going to be just fine.

Better than fine.

Leslie Robinson teaches financial accounting in the MBA and Business Bridge programs at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. She’s an avid cyclist.

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