Originally posted on Readbreathe.com by Laura Cussenbary

If you are in the market for a solid trail shoe that performs year-round, the new TrekSta’s are for you. The shoe was designed for multiple-season performance, and they hit the mark with this one. I had never heard of the brand before, but this is a name you will want to jot down.

I received the shoes last fall so I started testing on fall leaves and dry surfaces. The shoes breathe well, are lightweight and are comfortable (from the start).

Plus, all TrekSta’s are equipped with the Boa Lacing System, offering a secure fit as the shoe breaks in to your foot. If you are unfamiliar with Boa Lacing, step out from under the primitive rock you have been hiding under and embrace a gear technology that provides a good fit, an easy way to adjust your shoes (especially in gloves) and a simple way to step out of your sneaker when you walk in the door – snap and release…no more kicking/stepping on your heel to jump out of your shoes. This is the new black of footwear! And on icy trails, the side location of the lacing wheel allows for easy placement of Kahtoola micro spikes.
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Originally Posted on iRunFar.com

Scroll down after the jump to read Garett’s thoughts on the 2009 season. Happy New Year!

Trail Runners Talk About 2009!
The year is quickly coming to a close and we thought we’d take a look back. Originally, we intended to review the year iRunFar had, but decided to skip recounting iRunFar’s recent history or best posts on the year. Instead, we wanted to hear how your year went. What 2009 running moments are your proudest of? What in your running life you are most thankful for? These aren’t rhetorical questions, we really want to know! Leave a comment telling us your version of This Year in Running.

Of course, it wouldn’t be iRunFar if we didn’t give you some content along with our question. That’s why we reached out to some folks you likely know… and some you don’t to ask them the very same questions. Read on to hear what each was proudest of, most thankful for, or most appreciative of from his or her running life in 2009.

Hans-Dieter Weisshaar (100 mile marvel):
I most appreciated meeting again all the friends and being part of the wonderful 100 mile community. And I was most happy, relaxed, thankful about running with my truest friend Capulin; just a dog, a Mexican mixed breed. He was a friend with a big heart and an even bigger soul. Always forgiving. He died in a car accident after the Cascade Crest 100. We are going to dedicate a 100 mile run in his town – Guanjuato, Mexico – in mid-January. CAPULIN 100 – running the trails he so often shared with me.
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The Vasque Project presented by Boa takes no breaks! Races resume during the Grand Teton Series September 5 & 6. Check it all in Saturday during the 10K, 100 or 50 miler. If a shorter distance is in your future, the marathon will kick off followed by kids races Sunday morning. Click HERE for more information on race registration and distances.

Many ultramarathoners comment that if they wanted a sure thing, they’d run a road 10K. Many of them learn to appreciate the uncertainty that comes with tackling distances of 30, 50 or even 100 miles. Whether it’s Mother Nature, injury, or stomach problems, an entire day’s worth of challenges can present itself in such a long race. And, at the August 22 Leadville Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run, two Boa employees experienced all of the above.

The Leadville Trail 100 is widely held as one of the most difficult foot races in the world. The race takes place entirely above altitudes of 9,200 feet, in the Central Rockies of Colorado. It also crosses over two mountain passes twice each (the course is an out-and-back).

Still running strong, Jason Deugan arrives at the Mile 40 Twin Lakes Aid Station

Over the years, Leadville has consistently held the lowest finishing rate of any 100-mile runs. Roughly 44% of starters endure to cross the finish line under the 30-hour cut-off.

This year, Boa Inventory Coordinator Jason Deugan and Boa Marketing Manager Garett Graubins toed the starting line in downtown Leadville. With the blast of a shotgun (starter’s pistols are left for the Olympics), they bolted into the pre-dawn darkness with over 500 other wildly enthusiastic runners.

Graubins, who had completed three previous Leadville Trail 100s, had decided to push his pace as much as he comfortably could during the morning hours. And, by 12:45 in the afternoon, he hit the turnaround point more than 20 minutes ahead of his target pace, which would get him to the finish in under 20 hours.

Graubins arrives at the Mile 50 Turnaround, the dusty ghost town of Winfield. PHOTO COURTESY OF SANDRA HALVERSTADT PHOTOGRAPHY

“Even though I hit the turnaround pretty quick, I was running on eggshells,” he says. “It was hot – near-record heat, in fact. And the sun was blasting. I was going through water like nothing and my stomach couldn’t hold much beside energy gels, blocks, and the occasional banana.” Graubins turned around and began the long trip back to Leadville with his pacer, Rich Rodgers of Cultivator Design, one of Boa’s creative partners.

On the way back up 12,600-foot Hope Pass, Graubins bumped into Jason Deugan, who was also dealing with his share of troubles, but of a different variety. Knee pain. IT bands, to be more specific. “I assumed that while attempting my first 100 mile foot race I would be happy, tired, hungry, thirsty, wanting to quit, etc.,” he says. “But I never expected to have such severe knee pain that would eventually take me out of the race.”

Deugan hobbled down the Pass and dropped at the 50-mile turnaround. Just 36 hours later, he was already talking of redemption, however. The mountains will still be there.

Meanwhile, Graubins battled his touchy stomach and the heat. At Mile 60, he was still moving strong, despite the fact that he could not eat. “I knew I had to get some calories or I’d pay dearly for it later.” He picked up a fresh pacer who fed him Clif Blox every 10 minutes all the way to Mile 71, where he arrived still ahead of his sub-20-hour splits … but losing ground fast.

With his pacer providing some much-needed levity, Graubins covers the river plains outside the Mile 60 Aid Station. PHOTO COURTESY OF CLIFFORD PHOTOGRAPHY

As the sun sank in the Rocky Mountain sky, it became a race to beat both the approaching night and his quickly fading energy. After pushing the pace on a five-mile paved stretch, Graubins and his pacer arrived at Mile 76, the Leadville Fish Hatchery. Two pieces of watermelon and two cups of Sprite went down, and the duo continued moving forward.

The crux of the final quarter of the Leadville Trail 100 is Sugarloaf Pass. It consists of five false summits on its way to an altitude of 11,200 feet. Graubins’ pace slowed to a crawl here and his stomach turned to a churning bubble, ready to erupt at any time. “At that point, the finish line seemed impossibly far away,” he says. “More than once I wondered if my race was over … if I would end up walking back to the previous aid station rather than continuing upward and onward.”

As the sun sank behind the mountains to the west, Graubins reached the top of Sugarloaf Pass. From here, it was matter of shuffling the feet and trying to make good time on the downhill before switching on the headlamps. “Soon enough, the legs seemed to loosen up and I began to make pretty good time again.”

Graubins cross the finisher’s tape in 19:38. Good for 7th place. PHOTO COURTESY OF SANDRA HALVERSTADT PHOTOGRAPHY

At Mile 87, Mayqueen Campground, Graubins realized he had a chance to crack the 20-hour mark if he could make good time over the remaining sections of trail and road. “It took a long, hard push – especially to climb the last three miles into Leadville – but I had a good pacer and was able to hold my stomach together one last time.”

Finally, at 11:38 at night, Graubins’ feet hit the red carpet signifying the finish line of the Leadville Trail 100. A crowd of family and friends stood nearby and camera flashes lit up the finisher’s tape. “It was a blur – the last couple hundred feet – but in the same way that many of life’s most memorable moments are.” After a medal was placed around his neck, Graubins hunched over with his hands on his knees, exhausted and elated. His final time of 19:38:57 placed him seventh out of approximately 270 finishers.

For complete results, visit www.leadvilletrail100.com

GEAR NOTES: Both Deugan and Graubins wore Boa Lacing System prototypes throughout the Leadville Trail 100. A very special thanks goes to the Boa Technology Product Development Team, which worked with them throughout the spring and summer to find just the right configuration to complement the footwear that suited their gaits, footshapes, and race terrain. Deugan wore the Pearl Izumi Seek III. Graubins wore the Pearl Izumi Peak XC and later the New Balance 904 Road. Says Deugan: “My trail shoes with Boa were great. Once I got the fit at the start, I stopped only one time to adjust them: at mile 41 after a river crossing.”

The call came in late Friday night from a good friend, “We’re backpacking from your house to Granite Creek Saturday through Sunday…29 miles…get ready.” How could I say no? With a few hours to prepare and less time to “PR” my wife into thinking I didn’t need to make the trip to Victor, Idaho for a family dinner Saturday night, I started packing.

Knowing this would be the perfect haul to test the Treksta Kobras and the Boa Lacing System while carrying a full load of gear, I was psyched. I put a few miles in the Kobras this winter on the trails in Jackson and they really stood out as a light hiker that could grip ice and snow covered surfaces better than any shoe I had tried in the past.

Treksta Kobras featuring the Boa Lacing System

Day 1, Saturday Noon O’clock
I’ve been up since 6 am waiting for the crew to show up at my house. Typical 6 hours late, so the summer heat is going to be a factor. By noon we finally get moving, leaving my house on Hall St. and start walking toward the Cache Creek trailhead about a mile away. Walking up the road I already notice one friend messing with his shoelaces, retying and tying, stopping and dropping things, typical shoelace problems. I quickly point out he needs the Boa Lacing System. Just one of the 100 times I point this out to him during the trip.

After a 6-mile hike up jeep track on Cache Creek we finally hit the Gros Ventre Wilderness Boundary and start the 8-mile accent up towards Turquoise Lake (9800 ft), the halfway point and camping spot for the night. Carrying at least a 90 lb pack (I volunteered to carry way too much gear), the Boa Lacing System in the Kobras held my feet tight and kept my heel locked down during a pretty intense series of uphill rocky switchbacks.

Finally making it to the top of the ridge we took a break to enjoy the scenery and to give our feet a few minutes of relief. To the amazement of everyone I popped the Boa reel up and exhaled a sigh of relief for a few secs and then gave it a quick twist to quickly tighten and started walking again. No, you can’t do this so easily in shoelaces! This drill quickly became the talk of the trek: How easily the Boa Lacing System could be adjusted on-the-fly to counter steep inclines and declines…. and occasional foot relief during beer, I mean snack breaks.

As the day wore on, the Kobras and Boa system performed perfectly, reacting to every obstacle or water crossing with ease. At the lake we set up camp and reminisced about the trail and the peaks we crossed. There were awesome skiing possibilities for next spring. Everyone but myself put on flip-flops. I actually kept the Kobras on but left the Boa Lacing System completely loose creating a slipper like effect for cruising around the lake while fishing.

Day 2, 8 am…A little blurry from camp cocktails the night before!
The last 13 miles of the trail through Granite Canyon can only be described with one word…downhill. A long, low angle trail consumed by horse sh*!T and rocks. Not what I expected or wanted. The Kobras and the Boa Lacing System performed as advertised: Secure Closure, Fast, Lightweight, On-the-Fly Capability, Micro-Adjustability and Glove-Like Fit.

With the experience of spending 24 hours and hiking a full load over 29 miles, the Boa Lacing System and Treksta Kobras performed way beyond my expectations. Without getting into to many details, let’s just say I was the only one not complaining about blisters and shoelaces…and how much I hated backpacking…the last 3 miles of the trip.

The Vasque Project Update: Come one…Come ALL! Don’t miss the Red Wing River City Rambler 1/2 Marathon, Saturday, August 1st in Maiden Rock, WI. Click HERE for Details.

Visit Vasque.com for upcoming Vasque Project races in your area.

Hello all,
 
Well… I’m done.  Since my last post, I caught a ride out of Silverton back to the trail, hiked in about 12 miles before setting up camp in the most beautiful location of the whole trip, hiked approximately 32 miles the following day, then another 29 miles, and then that was it… I was in Durango.  The feeling of arriving in Durango felt just like that, very abrupt.  After heading back out on the trail I had a very good sense of savoring the last miles of the trail while at the same time being excited to reach the conclusion.  All in all, I ended up hiking approximately 535 miles over 25 days.  This includes stopping in town for replenishment five times and one zero-day (a day that you spend in town without hiking at all) in Salida to hang out with my brother.
 
Through some of the reading that I have done throughout my life, certain authors will write how important it is to commune with nature from time to time, and I always kind of ho-hummed this sentiment being an outdoorsy person.  I think that this trip allowed me to truly understand what they meant though.  A completely different, peaceful rhythm to life emerges whenever you immerse yourself in nature, become aware of all that is around you, and allow your actions to be dictated by these feelings.  This is in stark contrast to how most of us plan, control, and find value based on how many tasks we were able to accomplish or what we were able to cram into a particular day.  I am not saying that I am ready to abandon society and head out “Into The Wild,” but I do think that the perspective gained is invaluable.  Secondly, because of how busy most of our lives are with work, family, and even our own personal time, we do not spend very much time simply alone with our thoughts.  It is very interesting to see just what pops up when you take an extended period of time to do this.  I won’t elaborate much here, but I think that it is both difficult and enlightening.
 
I tend to fancy myself pretty knowledgeable when it comes to footwear (some would say a little too much), and I really can’t say enough about how well my shoes, the Vasque Breeze SL, and the Boa system performed on this hike.  I had no problems, whatsoever, with my feet during the entire duration of the hike.  This is incredible considering the type of terrain I was covering over a long period in a lightweight shoe.  Also, having the Boa system really was a dream.  The consistent fit coupled with the ease at which I could get in and out and adjust the fit were priceless.  In fact, as funny as it may sound, I have become slightly irritated having to tie my shoelaces since I have returned.  I can’t wait to be able to use the Boa system again on my next pair of shoes regardless of the activity.
 
Well that’s all folks!  I thank all of you who have followed my ramblings on this site, as well as all of you who have sent me emails along the way.  It has really meant a lot.
 
Eric

It feels like so long that I have added a post to this blog, but apparently it has only been ten days.  I am currently in a coffee shop in Silverton, CO.  I have done one brief resupply in Lake City since I last wrote, but I have not slept in a bed, showered, or washed my clothes since then.  Pretty sweet, huh!  I have, however, hiked approximately 200 miles, including a 30+ mile side trip in the Weminuche Wilderness that I added to enjoy the absolutely most beautiful and remote area of Colorado while simultaneously staying away from the July 4th chaos and people that were occupying Silverton this weekend.  I can’t say enough about how absolutely amazing my trip has been since I last wrote.  The trail has taken me through the most beautiful areas of remote wilderness. I have encountered some very interesting people and wildlife.  I have been awestruck at the scenery and nature in all its grandiosity.  Nature has an odd way of making you feel tiny and grandiose, proud and humbled, inspired and saddened all inside the exact same moment that I have never experienced before.
 
The best anecdotal story I can share occurred last Tuesday.  I had been hiking through the Chochetopa Hills for two days and decided to make a push to higher altitude and the La Garita Wilderness.  When I was getting close, I met a Continental Divide Trail thru-hiker named Wilderness Bob.  He told me of a side trail that would take me over San Luis Peak, the only 14er, in the nearby area.  I took this piece of information as a bit of serendipity, I was feeling great, and I decided to add it into the day’s itinerary.  When everything was said and done I had hiked up to 14,000 feet to see the most amazing sunset of my life and hiked down a sketchy scree field in the waning light of the day and found a campsite back below treeline.  I ended up hiking 32 miles that day.

To the shoes…it happens to the best of ‘em … I broke a shoelace yesterday, awww.  I guess broken shoelaces are extremely common among thru-hikers. I know a gentleman who went through three sets of shoelaces for one pair of shoes! I noticed the polyurethane cover come unsheated sometime last week, and could’ve swapped them out at that point, but I was curious to see how long it would last.  The fix was very quick and easy (<15 minutes), and did not put a damper into my day, whatsoever.  I got to thinking that the shoes I have been wearing had been dead well before the lace broke. If I wasn't on a thru-hike, I would be buying a new pair of shoes.  All told, 380 miles for a 12.6 ounce shoe and 450 miles for the shoelaces over the most rugged terrain, while wearing a pack. Those are pretty phenomenal results in one humble person's opinion.
 
That's it for now.  I should be in Durango by Thursday if everything goes as planned, and then… that's it!  I can't believe it's almost over, but know that I will be savoring every mile over these next few days.

When two continental plates collide, one rises to the top, soaring to great heights (case in point: the Himalayas or, in this case, the Rocky Mountains). The other plate dives down into the depths of the Earth’s crust, seemingly in shame. So it stands to reason that when Boa’s trail runners and mountain bikers met for the first-ever Smackdown, head-to-head race, somebody would go home the winner.

The event took place on the unforgiving, technical trails of Mount Falcon, 10 miles west of Boa Headquarters in downtown Denver. The format was straight-forward: runners and bikers would start together at the bottom and, after ¼ mile of rolling trail in and out a few washes, the climb would begin. In all, the course would cover 2.5 miles and climb a total of almost 2,000 vertical feet.

In the weeks leading up to the event, there was no shortage of good-natured smacktalk around the Boa offices, as each side set its lineup. In the end, Boa President and Cat 1 rider Mark Soderberg, Lab Technician and prolific endurance fiend Adam Auell, and Product Development Manager Mark Kerns would make up one side. Inventory Coordinator Jason Deugan and Marketing Manager Garett Graubins – both trail ultrarunners – would make up the other. The race would crown one overall winner and the fastest combined time would go home with bragging rights as well (two trail runners versus the top two mountain bike times)

On the higher slopes of the mountain – about ¼ miles from the finish — Sales Manager Ilya Minkin waited patiently, trying to catch a glimpse of the first competitor.

At the start, the mountain bikers bolted to a large lead as Deugan and Graubins couldn’t match their pace on the flatter sections leading to the beginning of the first climb. By the time the trail turned uphill, the lead mountain biker (Soderberg) enjoyed a 1/8 mile lead on Graubins, while Deugan concentrated his efforts on catching Auell.

As all athletes quickly went anaerobic, Graubins caught up to Soderberg on a steep, rocky section near the end of the first pitch, 1.2 miles into the race. The two exchanged encouraging words before Graubins passed at the halfway point and shifted his focus to the second pitch of the run, a mile-long south-facing section which would decide the race. Soderberg, a seasoned competitor known to come on strong late, would no doubt be pushing the pace.

Not far back, Deugan also caught Auell near the top of the first pitch. As Deugan passed him, he recalls hearing some clunking …

Auell’s race had taken a sudden turn for the worse. As he shifted gears, his chain split. He would need to wait for another day. Afterward, everybody would joke that Deugan quite literally “broke” Auell.

Now on the higher reaches of the course, Graubins focused on running the trail ten feet at a time. “I didn’t want to look back,” he says. “I knew Soderberg would be right there.” The temperature – recorded at 90 degrees in Denver – was relentless and seemed to slow everybody’s pace.

Graubins was the first to pass Minkin and click off the final uphill to cross the finish line first, with a time of 27:16. Soderberg put on a push and charged to a finishing time of 28:46. As the two of them high-fived and fought to catch their breath, they waited to see who would come into view next. If it was Deugan, the runners would claim the day. Auell or Kerns would need to beat Deugan by at least 1:30 to get their team the win.

“THERE HE IS!” shouted Graubins and Deugan’s white-and-green jersey emerged from the forest. “GO JASON!” Deugan had run steadily on the race’s second pitch and managed to hold off Mark Kerns. The trail runners had taken the day.

Meanwhile – while Auell coasted back down the mountain without a bike chain – Kerns huffed past Minkin – and shared with him his true feelings about the difficulty of the climb. (Parental Advisory Recommended)

At the top, the competitors shared their play-by-play accounts of the climb, parched but happy to be finished. Minkin soon appeared, surprising the group with some liquid refreshment, as the recaps continued.

The next Smackdown will take place in October, at the venue of the mountain biker’s choosing. The action will no doubt be fast and furious again, as the victors will claim boasting rights throughout the winter. Stay tuned …

Graubins wins Bighorn 50. Deugan battles the San Juans

When trail runners – or any outdoor athletes, for that matter – wonder how durable the Boa Lacing System is, they need look no farther than last weekend’s ultramarathon results …. And the Boa employees who put Boa to the test.

BIG WIN IN THE BIGHORNS
Garett Graubins, Marketing Manager, took his Boa-powered kicks to Wyoming’s rugged and remote Bighorn Mountains for the Bighorn Wild & Scenic Trail Runs. The 50-mile, point-point course is noted for its rocky terrain, technical footing, shoe-sucking mud, scenic vistas, and ornery wildlife (one runner at this year’s race was chased by a moose: www.karlmeltzer.com for details). In all, over 110 runners took on this year’s Bighorn 50.

Graubins displays his winner’s trophy — a rock — at the post-race pancake breakfast and awards ceremony

Graubins ran in the front pack (in ultrarunning, “pack” is a loosely used term used to describe any grouping of runners within 10 minutes of one another) for most of the day. While he was in third place at the Cow Camp Aid Station (Mile 28), he pulled into second in the rolling six-mile stretch to Dry Fork Aid Station.

“A good friend mentioned that I was about six minutes behind the leader at that point,” says Graubins. “And I couldn’t see him on any of the long straight-aways, so I figured he was long gone.”

On the seven-mile final descent down the rattlesnake-popular Tongue River Canyon, Graubins bumped into ultrarunner Diane Van Deren, who was clicking off the final miles of the concurrent 100-mile run, which began the day before. “Diane told me I was only three minutes behind the leader at that point, so I felt a little glimmer of hope at that point.”

The wild and scenic Bighorn Mountain challenge all comers with rugged terrain, but reward them with stunning sights

One mile later, Graubins glimpsed the frontrunner and soon passed him. Even so, he still had over five miles of dirt road before the finish at Scott Park in the town of Dayton. “I wouldn’t let myself look back at him, because I figured he would be right on my tail and I just wanted to run my own pace at that point,” he says.

Graubins managed to pull away from his pursuer, registering a winning time of 8 hours and 42 minutes. “I was honestly surprised to get the win,” he said. “It’s an amazing feeling, because this is a tough race and I’ve been coming up here for years, so it holds special meaning.

And how did his Boa Lacing System endure the punishment? “Great,” he said. “The shoes’ uppers are caked in mud and absolutely shredded, but the Lacing System shows zero signs of fatigue or abrasion.”

SAN JUAN WHITEOUT
While Graubins ran in the Bighorns, Boa Inventory Coordinator Jason Deugan was in a fight for survival in Colorado’s forbidding San Juan wilderness. Deugan started his day running up a chilly canyon outside of Lake City – his first steps in the San Juan Summer Solstice 50, an annual meeting of hard-willed mountain runners that climbs a total of over 13,000 vertical feet and includes over 20 miles higher than 11,000 feet above sea level.

“The San Juan Solstice 50m trail run is absolutely, hands down, the most beautiful trail run in the state of Colorado,” said Deugan. “Once you reach the Continental Divide and eventually Coney Peak (13,300ft), you are blessed with unobstructed views of the San Juan mountains, including at least four 14ers (mountains over 14,000 feet).”

Sure, the views are great … when Mother Nature cooperates. Deugan interjects, “This was not the case this past weekend. By the time I summited Coney Peak, there was an inch of snow on the ground and I couldn’t feel my fingers.” When Deugan stopped, even for a second to catch his breath and settle his heartrate, he fell into uncontrollable shivering fits.

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