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 July/August 2016
Issue 33
Table of The Larry Bird Edition

Performance
Contents Profiles Commentary

LVL Dossier 14
Deb Downs

Day in the Life 16

Jonathan Knight

Week in the Life 18

Katie DiCamillo

10 x 10 Feature 20
The Vigil Approach 10
David Wilson
by Nate Jenkins
Club Spotlight 24
Veggie Burgers 12
The Dashing Whippets
by Rob Bond

Departments
Running w/ Famous People 29
The Warmup 6 by Rich Stiller
Editor’s Note
Trail Runner’s Field Guide 30
Electronic Epistles 8 by Muddy
Letters
Racing Data
LVL Photograph 19
by Ben Kimball

LVL Music 25
3 Selections

LVL Cartoon 27
by Terry Wynne
Fiction
The Cooldown 35
The Legion Burn out, Burn in 33
by Anna Tomasulo

New feature: click the article title or VCM Heat Analysis 26 Product Placement 34
page # and be transported there by Timothy Paul Smith by Ray Charbonneau
directly.

Candle image courtesy of https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2639/3984413077_01abcda70a_z.jpg | Whippets team image courtesy of Tracksmith

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 Editor’s Letter

Am
issue 33
July/August 2016
I smart or a wimp? morrow morning
levelrenner.com
More often than not I’m  Hope
asking myself this ques-
The 3rd Morning Masthead of
tion and falling somewhere in between.
 Soreness doesn’t dissipate so you call Contributors
Most of us land there, especially when we
engage in the inevitable internal conflict: the doc
 Convince yourself you need to go for Writers
to run or not to run. It’s those damn inju-
a run in order to give your HCP the Ray Charbonneau
ries, aches, niggles, not-so-normal sore-
most accurate information possible Muddy
nesses—call them what you will—that put Ian Nurse
us on this precipice of angsty indecision.  Think about it all day
Dave Dunham
Once a newfound ache or pain reveals The 3rd Run Rich Stiller
itself, we just don’t know what to do. Of  Self-diagnose: it kinda feels better, it Nate Jenkins
course, most of us go for a run and cross kinda feels worse. Is the pain moving Paul Clerici
our fingers that a) the pain mitigates to Kristin Barry
up and down the leg?
nothingness, or b) it doesn’t get worse. Anna Tomasulo
Here’s what happens next: The 3rd Night Rob Bond
 Contemplate the diagnosis from the
Immediately After the Run Photographers/Artists
HCP; he was noncommittal about the
 Stretch, roll, ice, compress, ingest anti- future Scott Mason
inflammatory, repent Joe Navas
 Do everything he says and double it
for good measure Allison Lynch
Later That Night
 Ponder life without running Kevin Morris
 More injury prevention strategies
 Reorganize the training schedule to Krissy Kozlosky
(although it’s probably too late)
make up for yesterday’s lost workout George Ross
 Debate whether or not to do tomor- Joe Viger
row’s workout SNAPacidotic
And the beat goes on, sometimes for an-
 Formulate a Plan B other day or two, sometimes for another Ted Tyler
 Pray you wake up with no sign of dis- month or two. If you ever find yourself in Brian Harty
comfort this boat, I hope it’s only for a short while Terry Wynne
because they’re lots of things to look for- Ben Kimball
The Next Morning
 Trick yourself into thinking that walk- ward to this summer. The running scene in
these parts is Web Contributor
ing around the house is the same as Mike Giberti
going for a run chock full of
 Do some injury prevention—and now classic races,
including the
Web Producer
injury healing—activities EJN
 Research the potential injury because Level’s own on
ejn@levelrenner.com
you’re not officially injured yet July 17. We hope
you can make it.
Editor
The Next Run
If you are reduced to the couch at least Kevin Balance
 After spending the whole work day kevbalance@levelrenner.com
debating whether to workout or take you have that quadrennial event, this year
an off day, settle for something in in Rio, to watch. The events are often rivet-
between ing and the games are never without dra-
Level Renner is a free digital mag-
 Run 5 easy instead of 10 hard ma—let’s just hope it’s not related to dop-
azine and website. Interested par-
ing. It’s no fun watching the Olympics ties can subscribe directly on the
The Next Night waiting for the other shoe to drop. Level Renner homepage.
 Double-down on injury prevention/
healing techniques In the meantime, enjoy our current issue,
 Recall that Ian Nurse wrote this article which has everything you need to get you run on the ground
and read it several times over through the dog days of summer training. read the underground
 Promise to call your health care pro- Run. Read. Peace.
fessional if you don’t feel 100% to-

On the cover: Katie DiCamillo (see pg 18 for profile) at the Olympic Marathon Trials. Photo by Kevin Morris. Design by Thomas Bowater.

6
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 LVL Letters
Via our social media channels, we asked—when referencing an olde From Twitter...
school 200 mile summer running club—how many miles you
planned on running this summer. Below is a smattering of your Over 700 for me
responses. —@McKirdyTrained

From Facebook... Shooting for 25 mpw through Aug. Then, up to 35 mpw by end of
Sept. Training for my first half. #BayState
250 for June, 230 for July, 270-280 for August . —@Gigs1973
—Kevin St. Laurent

187 miles each month, but I believe that the UK to USA exchange
rate at the moment is 1 GB mile to 1.5 US mile so I might just make
the [200 Mile] club.
—Gary Gray McKendrick

Greenfield High School has a 200 mile club. We have a dozen boys The number “5” and image submitted via
and girls participating. This is our second year. It makes a huge Twitter by @BrDoyle3.
difference.
—Barry Auskern

A lot. I’m single.

—Jose Ortiz

1000.
—Laura Standley

Contributions may be edited for clarity and brevity.

84th Running of the Around Cape Ann 25K!

Monday, September 5th, 2016 at 8:00am
Starting Line: O'Maley Middle School, Gloucester
More Hill than Miles….16 hills…15.5 miles
Earn your bragging rights by completing one of the original “tough” races.
 Cash prizes  10 water stops  Shower facilities
 Team prizes  Finisher photos  Lockers
 Split times  Finisher medals  Post-race party

Click Here for More Race Details Including Registration

Image in the public domain: https://openclipart.org/detail/24649/mailbox-3-icon 8
9
Lane 1: Performance
The Vigil Approach
by Nate Jenkins
Wh
en all is said and done, Joe Vigil may be known
as the finest coach in American history (sorry,
Alberto). His resume is long and varied but a few
highlights include amazing success at Adams State College, coach-
ing America’s greatest cross country runner, Pat Porter, and, of
course, coaching Deena Kastor to Olympic bronze, World XC gold,
and major marathon wins. To boil his program down to just the
space this article allows is a tad unfair as his program is one that
encompasses all aspects of an athlete’s lifestyle and preparation.
That said, the aspiring runner will still find the basics of his ap-
proach illuminating.
Vigil believes in training all the major systems of the body year
round but changing the focus and quantity on each system de-
pending on the point of the year and proximity to different racing
goals.1 He considers himself a speed focused coach and believes
the athlete should do something to touch on running fast every-
day.2 This might mean a workout or some drills or just a few
strides. One of Vigil’s core principles is that the runner needs to
train at fast speeds if he wants to race at fast speeds.
Vigil adjusts his training phases according to the racing seasons of
his athletes, but he believes in three general cycles: a recovery/
transition phase, a base training phase, and a competition phase.3
The recovery/transition cycle is exactly what one would expect. It
marks a period of easy, low stakes runs. This cycle occurs after the
competition phase and helps to, in time, transition the runner back
toward the base phase. This phase may last anywhere from a cou-
ple of weeks to a couple of months.
During the base phase, the runner doesn’t focus on any heavy an-
aerobic work but does touch upon all different paces. The empha-
sis is on aerobic development through various tempo runs, the
long run, and what Vigil calls fulcrum runs, mile or 1K repeats run
at a surprisingly relaxed pace.4
As the athlete moves closer to the competition phase the long run
volume is reduced, the long tempo efforts are dropped, the pace of
the fulcrum runs is increased, and shorter faster repetitions are
added.5 Later in the competition phase the long run is dropped
entirely, the volume of the fulcrum run is reduced, and they be-
come very fast and the shorter intervals become very hard and fast,
near maximum effort.6
Most of the sessions Vigil uses are pretty standard, 20-30 minute
tempo runs at 10K to half marathon pace, race paced and VO2max
paced intervals, and some free fartlek. There are, however, two ses-
sions that deserve more detail not only because they are corner-
stones of his program but also because they are less common.
1 4
Vigil J, Road to the Top, Albuquerque, NM: Creative Designs, 1995
2 5
Vigil, J., Ph.D. (n.d.). The Anatomy of a Medal. Retrieved June 05, 2016,
6
from http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_1/the-anatomy-of-a-
7
medal.shtml
3 8
Vigil J. Road to the Top, Albuquerque, NM: Creative Designs, 1995
FULCRUM RUNS
These repeats, usually 6 x 1 mile with 3 minutes recovery, are used
year round to develop the athlete muscularly and aerobically be-
fore becoming race specific in the last stretch of the training cycle.
In the early training phase the athlete runs the repeats at 84% of
his mile PR. The runner should be able to complete this workout
somewhat easily as the pace is not that taxing. For example, 84% of
a 5:00 mile PR translates to repeats at 5:53 pace. Fulcrums are ef-
fective because they allow for a good bit of volume at a quick pace.
Over the course of the year, increase the pace to as fast as 94% of
your mile best, 5:16 for the 5:00 athlete. However, once the runner
gets to 91% of PR pace (5:30 pace for the 5:00 PR), he should drop
the number of repeats from six to four. These runs are completed
every week for of the training year except in the recovery/transition
phase. 7
LONG TEMPOS
Vigil suggests a mix of what he calls stepping stone runs. One ex-
ample is a ten mile progression run starting at regular training pace
and working down to running near 5K pace at the end. A second
example is longer quick runs of 15-30K at a steady pace. The
steady runs for the undeveloped athlete are fairly slow, what Vigil
calls 70% effort, a 16:00 5K runner hits 7:21 mile pace. For the high
school athlete, this would be a long run (between 9-18 miles) at a
fairly manageable pace. Vigil suggests, however, that a highly de-
veloped (adult) athlete would complete the same 15-30K workout
but at 85% effort, or 6:03 pace for that same 16:00 5K. This is a very
fast effort. For the well trained athlete this is a great aerobic ses-
sion that will help him become his best. But this same effort for
the neophyte would be crushing if not impossible.8
Long efforts like this were a key to my personal development as a
runner and are pretty standard in the top programs around the
world but are very rare among American programs. They are just
one part of how Vigil distinguished himself. I stress them here be-
cause they are often overlooked.
Vigil’s book Road to the Top is a blueprint for the basics of what
nearly all world class athletes train like today. It is only subtly dif-
ferent from the training that many people do or aim for but those
differences are important. It is even more remarkable that his book
was written in the early 90’s, yet somehow not everyone has
jumped on board. If you were to buy one book to improve your
training, this should be it. Ω
Nate Jenkins is a 2:14:56 marathoner and middle school math teacher who
represented the USA at the 2009 IAAF World Track and Field champion-
ships and once survived an ice bath with Chris Solinsky and Matt
Tegenkamp. He also has a beautiful wife and an amazing dog.
Vigil J. Road to the Top, Albuquerque, NM: Creative Designs, 1995
Vigil J. Road to the Top, Albuquerque, NM: Creative Designs, 1995
Vigil J. Road to the Top, Albuquerque, NM: Creative Designs, 1995
Vigil J. Road to the Top, Albuquerque, NM: Creative Designs, 1995
Vigil J. Road to the Top, Albuquerque, NM: Creative Designs, 1995 10
 3rd Annual Gansett Half Marathon
Sunday, October 23, 11am

 Fast, flat, scenic course

 Group training runs available
 Race-day pacers
 Cash prizes for top M & F finishers
 Age-group awards
 Team competitions & awards
 Custom finishers’ medals
 Spectator-friendly finishing area
 Plentiful, free race-day parking

Visit our website: www.gansetthalfmarathon.com

Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/pages/gansett-half-marathon
Click here to register online

The 57th Annual

Yankee Homecoming 10 Miler & 5K

Newburyport High School
Newburyport, MA
August 2, 2016
6:00 5k | 6:10 10 Miler
www.yankeerace.com
11
Lane 2: Nutrition
Build a Better Veggie Burger
by Rob Bond
Su
mmer in the Northeast means beach weather, road
racing, and grilling with family and friends. Relaxing at
a barbeque can be a great way to spend an August
afternoon, but it can also lead to trouble if that Saturday cookout
comes before your Sunday race or long run. A face-full of ground
beef might not be what you need to perform at your peak the fol-
lowing morning. The problem is, then, how can one enjoy a barbe-
que without sacrificing the nutritious foods that power your run-
ning? I solve this problem by creating my own veggie burgers that
will fuel my runs and also satisfy non-runners.
Every homemade veggie burger needs a few things: 1) vegetable/
grain base for substance and nutrition, 2) a binding agent to keep
it together, 3) seasonings to add flavor. After doing some experi-
menting with ingredients, I have found a combination of roasted
veggies and Buckwheat groats provides an optimal mix of taste
and nutrition. A little hummus binds the ingredients together nicely
and nutritional yeast and Worcestershire sauce1 provides some nice 11. After all the ingredients are cooked, add the kale and roasted
savory flavors. Replacing the hummus with eggs also works well.
The key to getting the most out of this veggie burger is to give the
veggies a nice roasting beforehand. This softens them up for bet-
ter binding and brings out the best flavors. For even more flavor,
sauté some onions and kale; they’ll add another tasty element to
the finished product. You will have plenty of time to cook the buck-
wheat and sauté the kale while the veggies roast.
VEGGIES AND GRAINS
1 cup dry buckwheat groats
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 cups chopped carrots, about 5 carrots
2 cups beets, about 3 small beets
½ onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
OIL AND SEASONING
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp hummus
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper
OPTIONAL
½ onion
3 cups of chopped kale
1 tbsp olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Chop the sweet potato, carrots, beets, and ½ onion into 1 inch
cubes.
3. Mix the veggies in a bowl with 2 tbsp of olive oil and cover
with salt, pepper, and garlic.
4. Put the veggies on a baking sheet in the oven for 20 minutes.
5. While the veggies roast, prepare the buckwheat groats. Put the
buckwheat in with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
7. Flip the vegetables after 20 minutes and return to oven for 20
more.
8. If desired, heat the remaining tbsp of olive oil in a medium
sauce pan.
9. Add the remaining ½ onion and gently sauté for 5 minutes.
10. Add the kale and sauté for 5 minutes more, making sure the
leaves wilt and cook down.
veggies to the buckwheat pan and mash with a fork.
12. Add the nutritional yeast, hummus, Worcestershire sauce, and
a good crank of salt and pepper before forming into patties. I
am generally able to make 12 good sized patties with this reci-
pe.
13. Place the patties in the freezer for at least 1 hour to ensure
good adhesion while grilling.
With a little bit of prep work, you can arrive at your next barbeque
armed with a delicious main course that will fuel you for your next
big run. These patties hold up well on the grill but can be broiled
at home if you prefer to stay indoors. As an added bonus, the host
may thank you for bringing actual food instead of the thirteenth
bag of corn chips.
Eat well. Run well. Be well. Ω
Rob Bond runs for the Greater Boston Track Club and tinkers with
perfecting runner-friendly recipes in his lab, err kitchen.
1
Worcestershire sauce is typically not vegetarian, so remove or replace with
soy sauce if desired.
12
13
LVL Dossier: Deb Downs Legion Profiles
Name: Deb Downs
Age:40
Height & Weight: 5’3” & 120
Residence: Watertown, MA
Day Job: Healthcare Process Improvement
High School: Bedford, MA, ‘94
College: UMass Amherst, ‘98
Club: Somerville Road Runners
Average Miles per Week: 35
Notable PR’s:
Berlin Marathon 2014 3:10:11
Boston Marathon 2015 3:11:23
Favorites
Races: Boston Marathon, SRR Boo Run, Cambridge 5K series
(Yulefest, Craicfest, Freedom 5K, etc.)
Workouts: Tuesday night track with SRR
Places to Run: Belmont/Arlington Heights, Boston/Cambridge
long run (Charles River/North End/Charlestown), or anywhere
new

Running Shoe: Merrell Barefoot Access and NB Minimus

Workout Songs: The voices in my head
Book: Anatomy for Runners by Jay Dicharry
Hobbies: Camping, and I mean car camping. Nothing beats a
cold beer by a warm fire with good friends, half the con- Deb Downs at Franklin Park.
tents of my kitchen, and an air mattress. Photo by Anthony White.

Running Intangibles
Training Philosophy: Enjoy the journey. Let it be fun. Let it be challenging. Keep an open
mind for growth. There’s always a way to improve and to get a little more out of the next
race. There are plenty of PR’s left on the table. You just have to do what it takes to get
them.
Prerace Ritual: Have a homemade energy bar and a glass of water. For marathons, add a pb
sandwich and banana. Foam roll if possible. Apply SRR tattoos.
Career Lights
Highlight: Running Boston 2015 in a trash bag. It’s the best piece of gear available on
the market for those conditions. Cost: $.05. It kept me warm and dry in 45° wind/rain con-
ditions. Ventilation was totally configurable. I also put Vaseline on my quads to keep
them warm and loose. I never felt so good turning onto the hills and the wall never reared
its ugly head. The cold was preserving. I ran a 3.5 minute negative split to make it my
Boston PR. More importantly, despite the horrendous weather, dozens of Somerville Road
Runners were at the 30K mark cheering and supporting chilled runners from all over the
world. They rule.
Lowlight: I had to drop out of the Yulefest 5K last December due to patellar tendinitis.
Being restricted to the arc trainer for 2 months was a prison sentence, but I learned so
much in the recovery process about what I need to do to stay healthy and improve. I am
grateful for that. And luckily, the Yulefest folks delivered an epic post-party.
Goals
Short term: I’d like to break 3:00 in the marathon.
Long term: Finish the Boston Marathon every year until I realize (or someone tells me)
it’s time to hang up my shoes.
Proudest Moment: Picking up my bib for the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in 2013. My
boyfriend, Steve, a relatively new runner, had secretly trained for the half. I had no
idea he was sneaking out for long runs while I was out on mine. After picking up my bib he

14
LVL Dossier: Deb Downs Legion Profiles
said, “Now I have to pick up mine.” What??? I was almost in tears. So cool. He ran a great
race and I was so proud of him.
Best Distance Runner of All Time: All of the pioneering women who paved the way for the
rest of us, and to those who have shown what’s possible given the opportunity. I can’t im-
agine not being able to participate. Thank you Bobbi, Katherine, Joan, Kara, Shalane, De-
si, and countless others who continue to make us proud.
Local Running Role Model: There are so many inspiring people at all levels. If I have to
pick one, I’m going with Nichole Bukowski from SRR. She’s always looking for ways to im-
prove and never says “never.” She’s passionate about every aspect of fitness and well-
being, and shares that with others through her teaching, personal training, and contribu-
tions to the SRR community. Last year I ran my track workouts with her, and now I find my-
self on a mission to catch her. I appreciate her advice and inspiration. She’s extremely
talented and strikes a great balance between running, work, and socializing.
Oddest Thing That’s Ever Happened to You on a Run: A guinea pig crossed my path on a resi-
dential street in Belmont. His cadence was great and he seemed to be enjoying his new
found freedom.
Advice for The Legion: Keep learning. We can evolve as runners at any age. Incorporate
strength and mobility work to stay healthy. (I recently purchased, and highly recommend,
the Trigger Point Quadballer. It’s the ultimate in “foam” rolling torture.)
If you have not yet run a negative split in a marathon, create a plan to do so. To be in
control and feeling good during the last 10k is an awesome experience. And it will help
your total time! Ω

Acushnet Road Race

Labor Day, Sept 5, 2016

4.1 mile run - 10:00
3.2 mile walk - 9:30
Ford Middle School Overall Prizes Entry Fees
708 Middle Rd Team Prizes Online: $18
Acushnet, MA Division Prizes Mail-in: $20
(508) 998-2408 Raffle Race day: $25
www.jbrace.com
Contact Race Director John Braun, info@jbrace.com, for more info

15
Day in the Life: Jonathan Knight Legion Profiles
First Person
Jonathan Knight
My love affair with running is best referred to as our love affair,
as it’s something my wife Debbie and I have shared since sign-
ing up on a whim for our first 5K back in April 2003. After quit-
ting smoking two years earlier, we went on a health kick that
included lots of hiking, long walks, and finally “jogging.” As we
toed the line for the first time that rainy April morning, we had
no way of anticipating how running would come to reshape our
lives. We huffed and puffed our way to 35 minute finishing
times, and the hook was set.

Fourteen years later, running has become a lifestyle and a happy

place of sharing in our marriage. We have run an average of 25-
30 road races per year since 2003, including the Seacoast Series
(4 times), the NER Pub Series (4 times), and the Hockomock
Swamp Rat GPS (twice). In the process, we have visited many
spots in New England that have become beloved destinations.
You could say that as we have loved running it has loved us
back. As we both approach our 60th birthdays we are in excellent
health. Neither of us takes any sort of prescription medication (I
have an inhaler for asthma), and the only pills we pop are sup-
plements.

We’ve never been elite level runners, but we enjoy the lifestyle,
staying fit, and the wonderful people we’ve met in the running
community. As of last year, I have taken over duties as race di-
rector for a small 5K in Stafford Springs, CT presented by the
Stafford Rotary Club. It honors the memory of Bruce Beaupre, a
cross country standout on the Stafford High School state cham-
pionship teams of 1976 and 1979. The proceeds go towards
Jonathan and Debbie Knight at the John and Jessie Kelley Road Race.
scholarships for graduating seniors.
Photo courtesy of the Knight family.
—Jonathan Knight

Weekday in the Life Weekend in the Life

0400 - Wakeup 0700 - Wakeup

0415 - Make coffee/prepare lunch 0715 - Make coffee
0500 - dishes/chores 0730 - Read paper/coffee
0530 - Training run 3-5 miles (Tues/Thurs) or weight training 0800 - Long training run (6-9 miles)
(MWF) 1000 - Protein shake/supplements
0630 - Protein shake/supplements 1015 - Shower/dress
0645 - Shower/dress 1100 - Errands/chores
0815 - Arrive at work 1400 - Salad with chopped chicken, vinaigrette, fresh brewed ice
1030 - Cottage cheese/grapes tea (with splenda), supplements
1400 - Turkey breast sandwich on whole wheat, apple, water, 1430 - Errands/chores
supplements 1700 - Downtime with wife (tv, music, conversation) adult bev-
1830 - Rigatoni, homemade meatless marinara sauce, turkey erage
meatballs, 6 oz. red wine 1830 - Prepare dinner
1900 - Downtime (tv, board game, conversation) 1900 - Black bean burgers, whole wheat bulkie, 4 oz. low fat
2100 - Supplements/bedtime Cape Cod chips, deli pickle
1930 - Fun time with wife (tv movie, visit pub, live music)
2200 - Supplements/bedtime
Note: On weekends that we have a road race, the
travel and race time substitute for errands and chores. A typical road race represents a total activity time of 4 hours.

16
 Physiotivity
Keeping you physically active
and pain free

Address/Contact
Tom Church, Licensed Message Therapist
T: (781)775-4606
tom_church@mac.com
581 Boylston Street, Suite 807
Boston, MA 02199
For more information:
www.physiotivity.com/

17
Week in the Life: Katie DiCamillo Legion Profiles
Katie DiCamillo

Ka
tie DiCamillo caught the running bug from her older
brother Matt and her dad when she was about ten years
old. That bug, however, lay dormant until she was a fresh-
man in high school. Slowly, throughout high school, the bug spread
and by the time she reached Providence College it had become a full-
fledged infestation. At PC, Ray Treacy coached her and has been her
coach ever since (DiCamillo graduated in ’09 with a psychology de-
gree). Treacy and DiCamillo have been a winning tandem for eleven
years now.

In 2010, however, DiCamillo was on the cusp on hanging up her spikes,

but joining club new balance Boston (now called Battle Road Track
Club) changed everything for her. “They were able to provide the sup-
port that I needed to get to the next level of competition,” she says.
Her next level turned out to be the Olympic trials. In 2012, she ran
32:31 for the 10K to qualify. Shortly after that experience, DiCamillo
turned to the roads and longer races. She debuted in the queen’s dis-
tance at the Philadelphia Marathon and ran a 2:38 for the last podium
spot. In 2013, she ran the NYC Marathon placing 15th overall and sec-
ond American. Of her NYC experience she recalls, “This was one of the
most exciting races of my career. Tons of camera crews along the way,
people lined up along the course, never a quiet moment. Since I grew
up in New York, a lot of my friends and family were able to meet me
along the course and cheer as well!”

This past February, DiCamillo competed in the Olympic Marathon Tri-

als, but it wasn’t her first race in LA. Back in 2015, she ran a PR 2:37 for
sixth overall at the Los Angeles Marathon. This February she returned
to the west coast and placed 22nd at the trials on a tough day (heat).
DiCamillo at the Falmouth Road Race. Photo by Kevin Morris. Even having run a few races in extreme
conditions, she was not immune to the
Monday am 6 mile tempo @ 5:40 pace, 3 mile warm up and 3 mile cool down
scorching LA sun. She suffered leg
pm 4 miles cramps at the halfway mark, but didn’t
drop out (like so many others). The
Tuesday am 10 miles
support of her family kept her going
pm 4 miles and in hindsight she reflects on the
Wednesday am 12 miles race as a great experience.

pm Massage Outside of running, DiCamillo owns her

Thursday am 8 miles with strides and drills after. Dropped kids off at day care at 8 am, own cooking business, which she con-
then drove to the bike path to get in a run before work siders a perfect pairing with her sport
pm 5 miles on the treadmill of choice. “I think running and cooking
go well together,” she says. “You need
Friday am 5 by 5 minutes. It was a hot day (almost 80°), I couldn't get my run in till to eat right to get the most out of
the afternoon due to work conflict, so I decided to slightly modify the yourself. You need proper nutrition to
workout and run for minute efforts instead, still got in a great workout (I fuel your runs and races—that’s where I
had mile repeats on the schedule). 3 mile warm up and 3 mile cool come in! I have met some amazing
down people along the way, both in the run-
pm 4 miles on the treadmill ning community and with cooking.”
Saturday 5 miles easy; worked all day
If you would like to get in touch with
Sunday 8 miles with strides and drills; worked all day Katie regarding her culinary skills,
please contact her at ktdicamil-
Monday 16 mile long run
lo@gmail.com. Ω
8 day week 93 miles

18
 LVL Photograph

Check out this terrain: Racers descend the open talus of Bare Mountain near the end of the 2016 Seven Sisters Trail Race in western
MA. The course is a tough twelve miles. Josh Hummel (1:56:02) and Kelsey Allen (2:12:45) were the winners. Photo by Ben Kimball.

19
10 x10
Meet David Wilson, a member of Crow Ath-
letics, who resides in Brookline, MA.
1. What was your introduction to run-
ning? How did you become a runner?
I took up running, grudgingly, in 7th grade
when my parents wanted me to do another
sport at school. I thought I might as well do
cross-country, as soccer didn’t seem very
appealing; my dad had also just taken up
marathoning, so that may have influenced
my decision. I didn’t like it at all my first
year, but I did cross-country again in 8th
grade and (with a little more training under
my belt) started to win races and enjoy run-
ning for its own sake. My excellent coach at
Park School, Steve Savage, deserves most
of the credit for keeping me from quitting
straight away.
2. At races you’ve been seen wearing the
Crow Athletics team singlet. How does a
guy from Brookline, MA become affiliat-
ed with a team from Maine?
My family has a place on Cranberry Island in
Maine, where I’ve spent summers my whole
life. We are just down the road from Gary
Allen who began Crow Athletics. So I would
often go for summer training runs with him
and a few other Crows, wear the singlet for
off-season road races, etc. We are a funny
sort of club, very loosely organized yet with
a fantastic esprit de corps. We do some seri-
ous races and numerous crazy events: the
th
4 of July tradition is an all-day relay around daily basis? Do you do any particularly
Acadia National Park with Barbie dolls as
batons. Another great one is a mile race in
the Cranberry Island mud flats at low tide.
I’d thought about getting in with one of the week looked like this:
bigger Boston-area clubs after college, but I
like this more casual ethos.
3. Just this past April you won the
Doyle’s 5 Miler—but it wasn’t easy. You
barely held off Bronson Venable for the
win. Was that the narrowest victory
you’ve ever had? What goes through
your mind in those last few steps?
Doyle’s was a great race. I was very pleased
with the time, given that I’d missed most of
2015 with injury and spent the winter and
spring getting slowly back into training, but The days when I do get on the track, I’ve
I hadn’t expected to have such a fight of it. been known to invent my workout as I am
Legion Profiles
David Wilson
a crow in the city
I’m fairly sure that warming up—or even while in the middle of
it was the closest it. Various combinations of 400s, 800s, and
race I’ve ever had. miles are the most common.
I have never been
known for my finishing kick, to say the least, 6. What do you think is the hardest thing
about the sport of running?
but it was pretty impressive how much
The hardest thing about the sport of run-
ground Venable made up on me in the last
ning is stopping while ahead: taking a day’s
quarter mile. I didn’t realize how close it was
rest before something starts to hurt, instead
until after we finished. I suppose I was think-
of a week or a month off later.
ing what I usually do in a close race: what a
waste it would be to give in and finish sec-
7. Mental toughness is such an important
ond after all that hard running. Of course, I
aspect of this sport. What do you do to
look forward to racing him again. keep the pace honest or on some days
4. Describe your training philosophy and just get out the door when your body is
how it has evolved over the years. telling you otherwise? Or better yet, stay
My training over the years has tended more in the race when your body wants to tap
out?
to quantity than to quality. I began to run
Getting out the door in the morning is just a
relatively high mileage in the latter part of
matter of habit, and it’s rare that I take a day
high school and tried to do so in college
completely off; but I make it a principle nev-
although I was injured a lot. My general
er to keep the pace ‘honest’ when my body
philosophy now is to run twice a day most
is complaining. I find it’s much better to jog
days, usually at a pretty easy pace, with very
along at 8-minute miles when tired than to
moderate workouts, and frequent races for
push the pace stubbornly. As for races, I find
my hard efforts. I am more injury-prone
it most effective to think mid-race of the
than most runners, and find I need to do
sensation of finishing: how satisfying it is to
strides and form drills often, or else I get
finish well, and how disappointing it is to
tight and out-of-balance. At the moment I
cross the line knowing that I might have
am trying to keep healthy whilst slowly add-
gone ten seconds and a couple of places
ing in more track work and bringing my
better.
mileage back up towards 100 per week or
so. 8. Do you run doubles?
Yes. Recent weeks have mostly had 10-12
5. What does your training look like on a
runs, and this usually increases to 13-14
notable workouts? runs per week if my mileage goes higher.
I don’t do any really grand workouts, partly I’m fairly certain that I wouldn’t be able to
because I am often training alone. The past tolerate 15-mile single runs every day, and
double runs are much easier to fit around
conventional working hours. They also make
M - AM: 9mi easy / PM: 5mi easy commuting far less painful if one is lucky
T - AM: 9mi easy / PM: 4mi easy enough to have an office with a shower.
W - 4mi warmup, 1mi steady(5:45),8x400m Most, though not all, of the top runners
in 79s down to 70s, 1mi hard (4:52), 3mi train twice a day: there are always excep-
cooldown tions for whom singles (or even triples!) may
T - AM: 9mi easy / PM: 5mi easy be more effective.
F - 10mi with 10x~100m strides
9. Describe your best performance and
S - 9mi easy
th proudest accomplishment.
S - AM: 4mi warmup, 5mi race (25:22, 4
Objectively speaking, my best track perfor-
place), 2mi cooldown / PM: 5mi easy
mance is an 8:28 3000m at a BU mini-meet
last year, although I usually think of myself
as a longer-distance runner. I suspect that
20
10x10: David Wilson Legion Profiles
some of my cross-country races have been When I have a cold I reduce my training a and nearly lost my mind, and consider cross
better efforts, but it’s always very subjective little and try to sleep more. When some- -training to be its own special circle of hell. I
trying to compare cross-country times. My thing aches I massage it and cut back train- try to get in a few minutes of core strength
Franklin Park bests are 24:56 (8K) and 31:05 ing as necessary. A genuine pain will usually exercises a day, besides some stretching
(“10K” course). I think I after runs, rolling-out
am proudest of the of any particularly
high-school race, my tight muscles, etc.
junior year, when our
Describe your diet.
Brookline team beat
At the age of twelve
Danbury to win the
or so I decided that
Northeastern regional
I’d become a vegetar-
meet and go to Nike
ian, although I had no
Team Nationals.
very good reason or
10. What’s next? philosophical justifi-
In the short term, cation for it. Certainly
whatever summer I don’t object to eat-
road races I can find ing animals on princi-
time for, and perhaps ple. Recently I have
a 5000m or something changed my ways and
on the track. I go off re-discovered the joys
to Cambridge later of fish and chips.
this year for business After a morning run
school, so I plan to there is nothing bet-
run for the team while ter than oatmeal,
there. I’ll have to do a eggs, and toast. Tea
marathon pretty soon, throughout the day is
perhaps in the fall of essential; I will only
next year. drink coffee when
lacking sleep, jet-
OFF-ROAD
lagged, or sometimes
QUESTIONS
before a race.
If you weren’t a run-
What are some
ner, what would you
things you do out-
do with all of your
side of running?
free time?
I read as much as I
I might try to pick up
can, although rarely
one of the languages
venturing into any-
that I keep saying I’d
thing written post-
like to learn some day.
1900, and tend to
Latin is first on the list,
have three or four
followed by Greek and
books going at all
Old English; but possi-
times. In the last year
bly this will take more
or so I’ve taken up
time than just what I
playing the lute, in
currently spend on
very amateurish fash-
running. Were I to
ion, hoping eventually
take up another sport David Wilson at the 2014 LVL10K. Photo by Scott Mason.
to learn some of the
it might be rock
great English reper-
climbing, which I did
force me to concede that I should take a toire of the late 16th and early 17th century. I
quite a lot of when I was younger; or per-
day or two’s rest, although sometimes I am do also have a day job with an energy-
haps riding, which is delightful but requires
a fool and try to keep training through it. efficiency finance company. Clean energy
far more time and money than running, plus
technology seems to me to be one of the
open space and a horse. What type of ancillary activities do you
most promising and necessary businesses
do to support your running?
What do you do when you have a cold, today, and I’ll likely keep on working in this
I can’t recall when I last lifted a weight. I
ache, or pain? area. Ω
once did two hours on an elliptical machine

21
10x10: David Wilson
Simple math tells us 10 x 10 = 100. Thus, we have 100 short answer questions that should allow us to get to see the many
sides of David Wilson. As you will see, his olde school flair makes him the perfect profile subject for our magazine.
True or False
I’ve run in a foreign country. True
I’ve been flirted with post race. False
I subscribe to Level Renner. True
I do barefoot strides in the summer. True
I pray before a race. False
I’ve left work early to go running. True
Beer is an acceptable post race replenish-
ment. True
Burgers are better than burritos. False
I’ve Googled myself. True
A dog has jumped on me during a run.
True
Yes or No
I’ve run 100 miles in a week. Yes
I log my miles with pen and paper. Yes
I drink coffee prerace. Yes
I ice my legs postrace. No
I own a treadmill. No
I have taken a selfie. No
I look up race results of my rivals. Yes
I have run through injury. Yes
I have gone skinny dipping. Yes
I read a book to fall asleep at night. Yes
Favorites
Ice cream. Vanilla
Athlete. Steve Jones
Running shoe. Saucony Kinvara
Seinfeld character. Never watched it
Band. Do composers count? If so, G. F.
Handel
Board/card game. Scrabble
Color. Blue
Season. Autumn
President. Thomas Jefferson
Book. The Diary of Samuel Pepys
1 word
Twitter handle? None
College? UVA
Car model? Vespa
Nickname? Dave
Carn-, herb-, or omnivore? Ex-herbivore
Legion Profiles
Fill-in the Blank
I’d rather be reading.
Never having learned a classical language is my biggest regret.
History is my inspiration because most great things have already been said or done.
Stretching is probably a placebo.
More essays will impr ove The LVL.
Early music doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
If I could only listen to one song while running, it would be nothing at all.
I sleep with pillows.
22 is the most miles I’ve ever run in a day.
1 - 10
1 is the least/worst. 10 is the most/best.
Numbers Desire to run in all 50 states. 3
Height & Weight. 5’10” & 145ish Priority I place running in my life. 8
My fear of injury. 9
Miles before retiring a running shoe. 400
Most laps ever on a track. 40 Pearl Jam. 1
5K PR. 14:59 My ability to get out of my comfort zone
8K XC PR. 24:33 while racing. 6
Shoe size. 11 Beer Miles. 2
Preferred racing distance. 5 miles Banksy. 4
MPW. 70-110 Shakespeare. 10
Minutes per day online. 120 Importance I place on my eating habits. 7
Texts sent per day. 5 Runner’s World. 3
Word Association
$50 5K. Outrageous
Obama. Decent
USATF. Cabal
Either Or Minimalism. Fad
Fuel Belt. Jogger
Front runner or late surger? Front runner Bill Belichick. Football
Trail runner or road burner? Trail runner LVL. Renner
Fenway or Gillette? Fenway Going Green. Good
Tea or coffee? Tea Color runs. Ludicrous
GPS junkie or run on feel? Run on feel Jack Daniels. VDOT
Track or treadmill? Track
Facebook or Twitter? Newspaper Hodge Podge
Downton Abbey or Big Bang Theory? Not
a TV watcher Zodiac sign. Scorpio
Wine or beer? Wine at dinner; beer after a Favorite #hashtag. #Luddite
run Hours of sleep per night. 7.5
Percent of day spent thinking about run-
ning. 25%
Paper, Plastic, or Canvas. Canvas
Refrigerator essential. Eggs
Best article in the history of this mag. Anna
Occupation? Energy analysist Tomasulo’s on Sisyphus and treadmill
Hardest race course? Larz Anderson Park Rather step in gum or dog poop. Gum
Easiest race course? Track # of bumper stickers on my car. No car
Underground Legend? Gary Allen # of minutes spent answering these ques-
Training philosophy? Doubles, race often tions. 45
22
 The LEVEL RENNER 10K
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1st & 3rd Wed of every month: 9 PM ET. Version 4.0
July 17 @ 9:00am
Hosted by @RunnersResolve &
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Come join The Legion for cash prizes, age
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Carson Place at Boston Teacher’s Union
 Proceeds to local charities  Huge post-race party
 USATF certified  Free parking & bag check
 Fast, flat course  Raffle prizes
 Awards across 19 divisions  Complimentary food court

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23

The Dashing Whippets
As
any fan of the breed knows,
whippets are an energetic
bunch. Agile and athletic,
sleek and statuesque, they are also sociable,
pack dogs at heart. And of course, whip-
pets are extremely fast. One needn’t won-
der why the Dashing Whippets Running
Team chose this enviable hound as their
namesake.
The Dashing Whippets are newcomers to
Boston, but not competitive running.
Founded by graduates of Brown University
and Trinity College in 2009, the Whippets
have emerged as an increasingly dominant
presence on the New York City running sce-
ne. They are frequently spotted zipping
around the five boroughs in blue and gold
singlets, DWRT on the back, and that damn
speedy looking dog on the front.
Defying confinement, the Dashing Whippets
launched a Boston chapter in the fall of
2015, led by captains David Parkinson,
Adam Forkner, Laura Huselton, and James
Kraemer. Incorporated as a separate 501(c)
(3) with its own USATF and RRCA affiliations,
the Boston team is nevertheless closely
aligned with the NYC Whippets in coaching,
training philosophy, comradeship, and
ethos.
The Boston chapter welcomes runners of all
backgrounds and abilities, united by a com-
mitment to excelling, and helping others
excel, to our fullest potential as athletes.
With diverse running goals, we thrive off a
vibrant team atmosphere and embrace a
culture of encouragement and camaraderie
that is driven by dedication, self-sacrifice,
and teamwork. It is in this spirit that the
Dashing Whippets proudly identify as a run-
Club Spotlight
by Adam Forkner
Dashing Whippets Running Team, Boston
Founded: 2015
Membership: 100
Homebase: Boston (and NYC)
Motto: “Drop the Hammer!”
Websites: www.boston.dashingwhippets.org
www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets-boston/
ning team rather than a running club. the Boston Marathon, various fall mara-
thons, the BAA Distance Medley races, and
The Dashing Whippets have enthusiastically several other races of various distances
embraced Boston, drawing inspiration from throughout the year. An RRCA-certified
the area’s vibrant running culture and sto- coach, Parkinson helps customize plans and
ried running history. We start and finish our workouts to accommodate each Whippet’s
Saturday long runs a few strides from the training and racing objectives. The NYC
Boston Marathon finish line, an inspiring team’s coaching staff is also available to the
reminder of the tradition associated with Boston Whippets as an additional resource.
that legendary stretch of Boylston Street.
Tracing these historic steps is oft a source of Whippets are social animals, and our mutual
encouragement, whether we’re prodding enthusiasm in competitive running provides
each other out the door on a frigid morning ample opportunities for festive team get-
in February or grinding out the final stretch- togethers and post-workout gatherings. A
es of a rain-soaked 20 miler. world class runner’s town, Boston plays host
to many of the nation’s premier running
True to the curious, adventurous nature of competitions—cross country, indoor track,
our canine namesake, we frequently stray and on the roads—and we’re looking for-
from the Charles River and other well- ward to planning team events to celebrate
trodden paths of the city. David Parkinson our sport at its most competitive and excit-
is probably among a select handful of run- ing levels.
ners to have logged a 20-mile run entirely
within the confines of proper Boston, a feat The Dashing Whippets are also committed
that requires some clever and unorthodox to supporting local organizations that com-
route planning. David is also our official plement our mission. We certainly use our
team navigator and city historian, and en- share of Boston’s public spaces and recrea-
joys plotting runs to unfamiliar sites and tional areas, and we are especially support-
tucked away neighborhoods you won’t al- ive of organizations that enhance the expe-
ways find featured in a Fodor’s travel guide. rience for runners in the city. With that in
Other runs may lead us to Chestnut Hill, mind, the Whippets joined forces with The
Fresh Pond, Castle Island, Jamaica Pond, Esplanade Association in June as sponsors
Franklin Park, the Arnold Arboretum, or vari- of the Esplanade Sunset 5K, benefiting the
ous segments of the Charles River or Emer- Association’s efforts to preserve one of our
ald Necklace. Later this summer we may favorite local running spots, the Charles
seek out greener and shadier pastures with River Esplanade.
an excursion or two to the Blue Hills Reser-
vation or the Middlesex Fells. We’re always looking for new Whippets. If
you’re interested in joining us, please check
Tuesday evenings are Whippet workout out our website or our Meetup page. Ω
nights, often held at one of the Cambridge
tracks or along various stretches of the
Charles. Our training plans are tailored for
24
 LVL Music
Renner Music
by @kevbalance

This issue’s music segment focuses on theme songs from television shows...

"Nevermind"
by Leonard Cohen
from “True Detective,” Season 2
Lots of readers will see “Nevermind” and automatically go to Nirvana. That makes sense, but this song isn’t Send your Renner
from Kurt and the boys. It came much later, 2014, and can be found on Cohen’s album “Popular Problems.” Music nominations to
kevbal-
The song works well when accompanied by the show’s opening credits. I hope it works well for you when ance@levelrenner.co
running. m. Put Level Music in
the subject line. Pick
"The Americans" your three best songs
and write two sentenc-
by Nathan Barr
es explaining why you
from “The Americans” picked each one. It’s
Composer Nate Barr, created this instrumental score for the main titles of FX’s popular 1980’s spy drama. a good way to get
The arrangement sounds distinctly Russian and will grab your attention right away. The louder you play it the your name in this rag.
Consider it a publish-
better it gets. Only 25 seconds in length, this one is great for a few hard strides. ing credit.
"Olympic Fanfare and Theme"
by John Williams
from The Olympic Games
If this issue’s music section is about theme songs, how could I overlook the Olympic one? Imprinted in my memory is this score fol-
lowed by Bob Costas introducing the television audience to the next dramatic event. Debuting back in 1984, this instrumental is way
more than just bumper music. At slightly over 4 minutes long, it will get you through some longer intervals and make you feel like an
Olympian, to boot!

John & Jessie Kelley

11.6 Mile Road Race
Ocean Beach Park
New London, CT
Saturday, August 6
9:00 am
A Free Race for one and all—
that’s right: No Entry Fee!
www.kelleyroadrace.com
A race dedicated to promoting, developing
and rewarding competitive road racing
among the best distance runners.

25
 LVL Data
By the Numbers: The Vermont City Marathon
weather and racing

by Timothy Paul Smith

Ha
Figure 1: 20 years of VCM histograms. X axis measures time. Y axis measures temperature.

ve you ever finished a race
and thought to yourself,
“Wow. Was that a really hard
course? Or was it the day? Or was it just
me?” The easiest thing to do is after the
race is kick the question around with your
running buddies. You might decide that it
really was hot, or cold, or muggy, or that
some fiend had designed the course such
that it was entirely uphill. But sometimes,
instead, we can turn to statistics.
I have always suspected that performance is every five minute interval. But even these
affected by temperature and humidity, and
that miserable race I had last summer wasn’t
entirely my fault—if only I could find some
data to support this...So I looked for a race are not just simple peaks; there are abrupt
that would yield good statistics, one with
lots of runners, a long history, and a wide
range of weather conditions.
The Vermont City Marathon has its last
twenty years of data readily available, which My first thought was that there was a spike
allows for a sample size of over 42,000 fin- for men and one for women. So I separated
the women’s and men’s results and then
ishers. That fits my first two criteria for good
data. Seeing that VCM is run in the late added all twenty years together for more
spring (anything from snow to a heat wave statistics. I was at first stunned by the result,
is possible in Vermont) allows for weather but upon second thought, not surprised.
variance as well. People like to beat their goal times! The
major spikes are just before 4 hours and
My first task was to create histograms of the 4:30 (see figure 2). In fact there are smaller
finishing times for all the races (figure 1). spikes at almost every half hour interval
This is a plot of the number of finishers in throughout the race. This is true for both
men and women. But it appears to be ob-
simple graphs are an enigma. sessively true for men who want to break
that four hour barrier.
The histograms are full of peaks. And they
Now, back to the weather...
spikes! Even more mysterious, whereas the
average finishing time for the whole field I am going to ignore 2001 and 2016 tempo-
would shift year to year, the spikes stayed at rarily because those races were abridged.
exactly the same time...but why? 1996 and 1998 are substantially faster than

26
 LVL Data

See sidebar on next page for specific

2016 VCM analysis.

Figure 2: Finishers per

minute at various time
intervals.

all other years, so I wondered about the course. I plotted temperature vs. finishing time and found a correlation, but nothing too exciting.
The average times correlated better than the winning times, which isn’t much of a surprise. You can imagine some years a battle out
front and other years not. The winning times varied by only five minutes, whereas the average finishing time (at about half the speed)
varied by nearly 20 minutes.

In figure 3 (next page), I have plotted the mean finishing time vs. the
WGBT temperature (see sidebar for full WGBT explanation). The correla-
tion is pretty good, with a 0.66 correlation coefficient. I am also im-
pressed by the field because I have been told that races have slowed
down over the past decade as more and more people run them. But I
don’t see that trend here, old and new races are evenly distributed above
and below the trend line.

In the end the thing you want to know is that the red line means the av-
erage runner can expect the weather to add a minute to
your performance for every degree the temperature goes up. So the av-
erage runner would have finished this marathon 18 minutes slower than
in 2015. My friend Dan asked if this trend was even stronger for master
runners. That is the subject of another analysis. Ω

For further analysis, check out Smith’s website, www.trailnotes.org/

Running.

Tim Smith is a physics professor at Dartmouth College and the president

of the Upper Valley Running Club. “Most physicists think of heat as the
increased random motion of molecules. But as a runner I understand it as
the migration of training times into the early morning or late evenings.”
Contact Tim at timothy.p.smith@dartmouth.edu.
"Enough with you and the carbs, Walter!"
by Terry Wynne
27
Jason Ayr LegionLVL Data
Profiles
Figure 3

VCM 2016
SIDEBAR

For the sake of curiosity, let’s look at the

anomaly that was the 2016 race. “Oh, that
was an awful race,” Dan Shea, a friend of
mine who ran it told me. Turns out he
wasn’t exaggerating. The race was dis-
continued at the 4:30 mark due to ex-
treme heat as measured by WGBT.

“Wet Bulb Globe Temperature. I’ve had

to say that a lot of times in the last two
weeks,” Jess Cover, the marathon’s race
director told me. A WBGT is a weighted
average reading from three types of ther-
mometers: 1) a “dry bulb” which is a nor-
mal thermometer, 2) a “wet bulb” which
is sensitive to humidity, 3) a “globe bulb”
which is covered with black and sensitive
to the intensity of the sunshine.

Most New Englanders understand “Wind

Chill Factor.” If the wind chill is -10° F,
but the temperature is really +5° F, that
means the wind is drawing heat from the
body as if -10° F, but with no wind.
WGBT, and other heat indices try to do
the same thing. When you are running,
your body is trying to get rid of excess
heat. The hotter the air is, the harder to
release body heat. But also the more hu-
mid it is, or the less breeze, or the more
intense the sun, the harder to dump that
heat.

“I think it has become more prevalent

since 2007, the year that Chicago was
very hot, super super hot,” Cover ex-
plained. “That is when we instituted this
as a standard for us.” A runner died due
to heat in The Chicago Marathon that
year.

Towards noon the temperature (dry bulb)

was about 90° F, but the humidity was on
the rise and when the WGBT index hit 82°
F, officials started shutting down the race.
Under those conditions a runner’s body
cannot get rid of enough excess heat.
Those conditions are akin to running in
100% humidity at 82° F. Ω

—Tim Smith

28
 Lane 3: Commentary

Running with Famous People

by Rich Stiller

I
started running in 1968. For four 4:18 miler who occasionally bonked on too when I crossed the line.
years I ran alone. much speedwork. He recreated himself as a
4:22 miler on easy running and races. There Later on during a cooldown Higdon jogged
I began to run with others in late was something about Joe’s philosophy that by, extended his hand out and said, “Nice
1972, the cusp of the running boom. Frank resonated with me. A few years later I ran race.” Then I really felt stupid and small. I
Shorter had just won marathon gold in Mu- 4:31 on nothing but weekly races and slow guess that’s what happens in the world of
nich. Suddenly, I encountered runners like easy runs. famous runners.
me who were training for the marathon.
The nice thing about Joe’s group was that To this day I’m a fan.
One day while training at my old high well-known runners often joined us on Sat-
school, I literally ran into one of my former Over the years I got the chance to run with
urdays. Some of them were writers just like other well-known competitors, but the one
classmates. He had just come back from Viet Joe.
Nam. We were both running the old cross- I’ll remember the most: Bob Anderson, the
country course. Not that we ever ran in high Hal Higdon, who often wrote for RW founder of Runner’s World. Unfortunately,
school. I was a sprinter and he wasn’t even showed up one day in 1976. I loved his writ- my racing career did not parallel Bob’s. He
that. We immediately agreed to train to- ing, so Joe recommended that I introduce was busy building a magazine while I dedi-
gether whenever possible. myself. Higdon was up ahead of the pack, cated myself to chasing PR’s. And when he
but I gradually increased my pace until I finally had the time to focus on running (he
He introduced me to a college classmate of came up on his shoulder. Just like that I was was an elite level 50+ master), I was winding
his, a guy named Pete. He was a runner too. running alongside one of the best masters down my racing days.
Then, we were three. runners in the country. Eventually, though, we did get together for
Pete recommended that we do some long “Hey, I’m Rich,” I said. “I read your stuff all a training run in late 2011. Anderson trains
runs around the Stanford University campus. the time.” as hard as he races. We ran six miles up in
Pete seemed to know everyone. One Satur- the hills near where he lived. Fortunately,
day we were mid-run and we spotted a He didn’t even look at me. In a I can’t be Bob is not a great uphill runner so I was able
small pack of runners coming toward us. bothered tone, he told me that he wasn’t to keep up. If the course had been flat, he
competing this year and was taking time off would have been g-o-n-e. The end of the
Of course, I didn’t know any of them. Of from talking about running. run was a quarter mile straightaway. It’s the
course, Pete knew the leader, an unassum- only part of the course that’s truly flat. I
ing guy named Joe Henderson who just so Good ol’ Hal. hung on for dear life and we finished shoul-
happened to be an editor at Runner’s der to shoulder. For him it was same old,
World. He had also written a booklet enti- I dropped back and told Henderson. He
shrugged. “Too bad,” he apologized. “He’s a same old. For me it was a time trial.
tled Long Slow Distance. Joe was the first
famous runner with whom I ran. good guy.” Now once a month Bob and I go to lunch.

Everyone in the running community knew I secretly seethed. However when I read his We walk a mile and half to a local restaurant
Joe. next article I thought to myself, what a great and the same distance back. It works better
piece of work. Okay, I thought to myself, for the both of us. I have no problem stay-
The three of us agreed to join Joe’s Saturday let’s separate the man from his writing. He ing up. It’s a good middle ground because
morning long run group. Fifteen miles in didn’t know me from Adam anyway. the truth is that I’m finished running with
two hours. Sometimes faster. Over the next famous people. Ω
three to four years I was pretty religious The next time I saw Higdon was December
about taking part in these training jaunts. I’d 31, 1977, over a year since “the snubbing.” Editor’s Note: Right at press time I received
only beg off if I had a race the next day, We were both at a 5 mile midnight run in the very shocking and sad news of Rich
otherwise I was there. Los Altos, CA. From the moment I spotted Stiller’s passing. He was 71 years old and
him, I said, “I gotta get him.” In Higdon’s resided in Cupertino, CA. He died in a car
Runners came and defense, he had no idea that I was gunning crash. Rich was a prolific runner and writer.
went, but the core for him. He probably didn’t even know he In his prime, the 1970s, he was a regional
was consistent had snubbed me. elite athlete in Northern California. He
and usually that showed his love for olde school running in
meant Joe. I didn’t pass him until two miles, but I ran
my heart out and beat him by about twenty the pages of this magazine, Masters Track,
Over time I had a chance to talk to him and Double Running. He will be missed.
about his training experiences. He was a seconds. I ran a big PR and almost puked

29
 Lane 4: Muddy’s Miles
Running Wild
a runner’s field guide to nature in the summer
text by Muddy
illustrations by Erin Sullivan

He
re we are in the dog days of summer. In place of the usual reminders of heat and its toll on pacing and race performanc-
es, I’ve decided to fill this space with a primer on many of the other important variables that might play a role as we roll
through this our hottest, sweatiest, and buggiest time of the year.

Although you may not encounter or have to deal with everyone of these flora and fauna during your summer runs, knowing about them
is half the battle.

Mosquito Deer Fly Dogs

(Aedes sp. and Anopheles sp.)
These small insects are familiar to all of
us. Luckily, as runners, they won’t affect
our training as even the slowest of us
can outrun them and their itch-inducing
proboscis. Bug spray may help here.
However, unless we stop to stretch,
drink, or fill-in-the-blank, we should be
fine if we just keep moving. They are a
metaphor for running in general, no?
(Chrysops sp.)
These members of the fly family can do
just that—fly! Unfortunately, we cannot
escape them as they are on roads and
trails in the Northeast from late June into
early August. They hover around us,
continually biting our heads, necks, and
shoulders. The epitome of relentless,
these insects cannot be out run. We can
only hope to keep them at bay with
clothing and quick legs. Some creative
renners even go so far as to wear shirts
on their heads that drape down over
their necks, a makeshift keffiyeh of sorts,
or don hats covered with strips of duct
tape, sticky side out. The only way to
“win” with these flies is to get faster, for
they are the ultimate training partners
who will hang with you, no matter the
world-record pace you’re throwing
down. Don’t swallow them either as it is
less than enjoyable.
(Canis lupis familiaris)
Good ol’ “man’s best friend,” with its
sharp teeth and elongated claws.
They’re everywhere, as are their human
counterparts. The spectrum of personal-
ities spans a range equal to the diversity
of the number of different breeds we are
likely to encounter. As runners, we know
they are likely to be confronted in two
broad forms—leashed and unleashed.
We may choose to stop and pet them or
we can be forced to halt when they ag-
gressively block our way. Sometimes, it
is appropriate to simply keep running
and not acknowledge the beasts or their
owners at all. Focusing on your watch
and pace is an excuse for avoidance.
Beware that engaging the human end of
the duo can be just as unsettling. Pre-
pare for lengthy diatribes about the fea-
tured canine and how it “never does
this.” Funny how we runners have only
ever been bitten by “nice” dogs.

30
 Lane 4: Muddy’s Miles

Snakes Ticks Spiders

(Suborder Serpentes)
Although these legless reptiles can be
the most frightening, many of them are
actually the most harmless of the fauna
listed here. Found everywhere in New
England, the six to seven species of ser-
pents we are likely to run across (or over)
are almost guaranteed to slither away
into the underbrush. With that being
said, there are two poisonous species in
New England: the Copperhead and the
Timber Rattlesnake. No worries though,
they’re extremely rare and hate asphalt
and track surfaces.
(Ixodes scapularis & Dermacentor varia-
bilis)
The all-too-familiar other species of
Arachnids: deer ticks and dog/wood
ticks. It is often falsely believed by run-
ners that ticks are not a problem because
we “run too fast.” However, if you are
hiding in the woods from summer heat,
these eight-legged disease vectors can
and will find us and latch on. This is es-
pecially true if we run adjacent to tall
grasses or are stumbling through leaf-
littered trails. Varying in size, depending
upon their life cycle stage, they desire to
crawl into our warm crevices, pierce our
flesh, and suck our blood. A full body
search after a run is the only way to
combat them and the bacterial or viral
diseases which they transmit.
(Class Arachnida)
As with the flying pests, these number in
the thousands of species and aren’t even
insects (in their own Class). The im-
portant distinctions lie not with the dif-
ferent number of body segments (two vs.
three in insects) or the number of legs
(eight vs. six in insects). The real focus is
the “business ends” of the creeper—their
fangs on the anterior side. That’s right,
fangs! Usually we never notice them
until the painful stinging sensation ar-
rives and the inevitable swelling and itch-
ing that follow over the next several
days. If we’re lucky, they are not overly
poisonous—Brown Recluse and Black
Widow excluded. In fact, most of us will
never know we’ve encountered one as its
visit may feel like a random bee sting
with all the same symptoms. Most likely,
the more common indication is the body
slathering of silken webs that we run
through on narrow single track. Some-
times, if we are really lucky we even get a
face mask or mouthful. Silk is protein-
based so maybe it helps us in some way?

Bees, Hornets, Wasps, etc.

(Order Hymenopetera)
There are too many of these winged adversaries to list individually here (notice the wings
and six legs theme). As with deer flies, good luck out running them. Fortunately, they are
usually too busy going about their daily business to bother runners—unless, of course,
we step on a nest or mistakenly brush against and swat them. Unfortunately, these rear-
end impalers like to graciously remind us that they (honey bees aside), in fact, do not die
after stinging. They are able to repeatedly jab your epidermis with their stingers. Equally
likely to be encountered on streets as well as wooded trails, it’s best to give them a wide
berth, even if they temporarily ramp up your easy day to a tempo paced effort.

31

Poison Ivy
(Toxicodendron radicans)
Time to move from fauna to flora. We’ve
all heard the adage: “Leaves of three, let
it be.” ‘Tis true advice for sure. The shiny,
glossy arrangement of three leaflets can
be found almost everywhere. This plant
shouldn’t be a problem for runners. Yet
as easy as it is to outrun, it is just as easy
to run through. We usually don’t notice
until it is too late. Although allergic re-
actions vary from runner to runner, we all
would do best to avoid it. Don’t touch it.
Don’t go near it. Don’t use it as emer-
gency toilet paper!
Lane 4: Muddy’s Miles
Briar/Brier
(Genus: Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax)
With so many spellings and Genera,
these can be whatever they wish, wher-
ever they wish. The number of species is
overwhelming yet they all have one ma-
jor unifying theme: they scratch, rip, tear,
and hurt. More likely on trails, they serve
as frequent reminders to runners: 1) to
stay on trail/don’t blaze, and 2) don’t get
lost. As with most grizzled trail goats,
cuts and blood are a badge of honor.
Nothing says awesome like ripped
thighs, calves and ankles (There is even a
Facebook page called Trail Carnage!). Yet
beware, they’ll also tear open those $75
running shorts you just bought. These
annoying thicket-bound plants are best
avoided at all costs, no matter your
speed.
“P” Monster
(classification: UNKNOWN)
Although nobody has ever seen this
shadowy, mysterious beast, every single
one of us has had near run-ins or battled
it directly. This monster is always there,
lurking behind us on every run. Some-
times it doesn’t bother us. At other
times it explodes out of nowhere and
attacks. Running in fear is a must here as
the potential for an encounter is always
present. Symptoms include intestinal
cramping, sweats, scrunched face, and an
overwhelming sense of urgency and im-
pending doom. The only true way to
fight off the beast and survive is to run
prepared with necessary paper supplies
or to run continual loops in close prox-
imity to a sanitary comfort station, either
public or private. If you’re new to run-
ning, be ready, for the P.M. is waiting for
you...and it loves all forms of running in
any location. Ω
Muddy is the resident naturalist for LVL
Legion.
32
 Lane 4: Fiction
Burn out, Burn in
by Anna Tomasulo

Sh
e doesn’t know what woke her, powering the sadness that the absence not throbbing. Meanwhile, everyone else
but she cursed whatever or caused. had already committed to course work. They
whoever it was. It was too soon. were locked away in their rooms or in one of
The turn of her head toward the clock When she was studying abroad, she told the libraries. Their minds were quietly in
brought on pain—simultaneously dull, people she was a runner, even though she tune with their books and their essays. She
heavy, piercing, and sharp. The pain was hadn’t been on a run for months. She knew was just getting out the door. The desire for
followed by a wave of nausea. And a sec- she was lying, but they didn’t. They weren’t pain, for punishment, for work, made her
ond. And a third. It was stupid, to drink so runners. She let her then-boyfriend (short- pick the longer route. The route with the
much last night. Fun, yes. But not worth the term boyfriend, please. She was abroad, and hills. The route they had all dreaded in cross
feeling she was lost in today. he was exciting and terrible, all at once.) call -country. Something made her feel daring,
her fat. She knew she could out-run him if defiant. Five minutes in and no nausea. She
After a few seconds of deep breaths, she she had to, given the number of cigarettes wasn’t going to dread the route today. She
opened her eyes again and focused on the he sucked through each night. But she never was going to attack it.
clock. She had slept
through breakfast. It was The road became more
10:47 am. The thought of narrow and winding. Rows
pounding the pavement of trees and long drive-
with the sun beating ways separated her from
down on her brought the sometimes garish and
back the nausea. Despite sometimes stately houses
her sorry state, she of Philadelphia’s Main
knew—instinctively—that Line. The trees were full
what she needed was a with late spring leaves. The
run. But she couldn’t think about it now. It needed to prove it. So, she did nothing. She leaves were a vibrant green that stood out
was too early. Too soon. The hangover was just knew she could, if it came down to it. in contrast with the wet tree bark, dark from
just sinking its claws into her wasted body the previous night’s rain. She started push-
and she knew it would be a few hours be- Back at school, she saw former teammates ing the short inclines. She leaned into the
fore she could gain enough control and gather at the gym or walk to the dining halls turns. Her body sunk into a rhythm and
stability to muster even the shortest and looking worn out but high. Famished but pace that felt right, effortless. At the inter-
slowest of runs. energized—the result of a hard effort. Her section right before the route’s most nota-
body was now soft. Lazy. Untested. Out of ble hills, she was free from oncoming traffic
Seventeen minutes had gone by and all she boredom, she half-heartedly jogged once or and she stopped holding back. Cresting the
had managed was shifting her gaze from twice a week but was bogged down by the hill, she felt a surge of pleasure. A certainty
the ceiling to the clock, to the ceiling, and reasons she gave for stopping in the first that no matter what the ailment was—
back to the clock again. place. There’s no time. It hurts my body. physical or emotional—running could cure
What’s the point? it.
She had quit—nay, “opted against returning
to”—the cross-country team after one sea- She knew today “the point” would be pun- She completed the run, arriving on campus
son. During that first season, something ishment. Or redemption. Or both? Today, drained yet exhilarated. She wasn’t ready to
disintegrated. The need and the drive disap- running would be a counter to or conse- go inside. She sat outside the dorm, her
peared—there was no urgency for faster quence of the previous night’s activities. A mind quiet, and her body still pulsating from
times. She let people out kick her. Plus, she way to expel toxins and feelings of sloth. Or the effort and the endorphins. This time, she
felt the camaraderie was lacking. She a way to trick herself into believing she was knew it would stick. She wouldn’t lose run-
thought maybe it was just the longer dis- actually taking care of her body. Or a way to ning again . Ω
tances. Maybe long distance wasn’t for her, cause a pain so real that the discomfort of a
but surely being back on the track would hangover becomes secondary. She hadn’t
Anna Tomasulo runs and writes in Provi-
reignite whatever had cooled. It didn’t. Her quite decided what attitude to take.
dence, RI.
final two track seasons were a lie—an at-
tempt to convince others that she was mak- After two bowls of cereal and too many epi-
ing an effort even though she had long sodes of a show she had already seen, it was
since given up. She felt the absence of run- time. She could move without the risk of
ning, but whatever force was making it so vomiting, her mouth no longer felt like it
hard and so unappealing to her was over- was full of cotton balls, and her head was

Photo attribution: Sam Mugraby, Photos8.com, via Wikimedia Commons [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)] 33

Product Placement
by Ray Charbonneau
The hunt for the right running shoe
Is bound to make you come unglued.
Searching for just the perfect sole
Can cost a lot, and takes a toll.
So many brands. What should you do
To find the shoe that’s right for you?
Run on the roads in Air from Nike.
Or Zoom in flats and in shoes spiky.
Though if you want to run like Meb
Buy Skechers ‘cause he’s their celeb.
Are FreshFoam soles made by New Balance
The ones you need to hone your talents?
A cushy pad of ASICS Gel
Can make it so your feet don’t swell.
The Brooks’ midsoles use DNA.
Mold to your stride, or so they say.
Rather run in La Sportiva
With LaSpEVA? I believe ya.
POWERGRID no longer fun?
Saucony switched to Everrun.
If loose shoes leave you in the dumps
Try Reeboks with their built-in pumps.
Some Puma runners ask "Why knot?"
And twist the Disc to keep shoes taut.
If those are on the narrow side,
The Topos run a little wide.
Trail runners? Accelerate
In Meta-Shanks from INOV-8.
Submissions Considered
If you have great ideas for
 Articles
 Data Analysis
 Athlete Profiles
 Artwork
 Or anything else #onthelevel
Send them to kevbalance@levelrenner.com and
he will give your idea a good, long look.
LVL Poetry
Never trip and fall on your face
With Salomons and their Speedlace.
North Face, Merrill, or Montrail?
Maybe one of those will not fail.
Minimalism’s appeal lingers?
Vibram still sells their Five Fingers.
Like some padding with zero drop?
Make a trip to the Altra shop.
If I say ‘cushion’, you say ‘more’,
Then head down to the HOKA store.
Too much foam makes you a slug?
Try Newton’s bouncy forefoot lugs.
Mizounos let me ride the waves.
On’s Cloudsurfers are not my faves.
Hell, if you want to run on springs
Enko and Spira have those things.
Do you prefer Pearl Izumi?
Haven’t tried ‘em, please don’t sue me.
Any shoes, even adidas
Can help avoid the dreaded big ass.
But hopefully this little guide
Was able to help you decide.
And if the perfect shoe you find
Buy lots, before they’re redesigned.
Ray Charbonneau is currently running in
Hoka Claytons and writing at y42k.com. One
of those may have changed by the time you
read this.
background image by Ray Charbonneau
34
 The Cooldown
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35
36