Bob Boeder
Melia: You have kind of been around the ultra community a long time done: Western States, Hardrock, Wastch, and Kendall Mountain Run a bunch
Bob: This will be my 15th Kendall Mountain Run.
M: Wow, that’s an awesome number.
B: I’m really looking forward to it.
M: What keeps you coming back?
B: Well I live here, it’s my neighborhood race. But it’s also a reason to get fit, to get in shape every summer. If I don’t have target race to train for, I’m like anyone else, I tend to get a little lazy. I probably don’t do as much uphill training as I should.
M: Do you train on Kendall (Mountain) or do you prefer to kind of go on the other mountains in the area?
B: Yeah, I just go up and down Kendall maybe a month before the race. All the up to the top two or three times. And then all the way up to Titusville which is the last “T” junction several times. That just gets my head into going up the road thing.
M: You probably know the road better than anyone else at that point .
B: I know where the hard places are.
M: Do you have a favorite part of the course?
B: I probably have a least favorite part, we could talk about that, which is the scramble to the top. It’s about 200 yards but it’s a real heart thumper. I live here so I’m acclimated to the altitude but when I go up this it’s not vertical, but it’s close to vertical. My heart is just pounding out of my chest. I’m okay going up the steep sections of the road going up there but when I get to the top it’s a challenge.
The good thing is that I am one of the last people in the race. So I don’t have anyone fighting me on the way up.
M: No one is kicking rocks down at you?
B: Yeah, yeah, yeah…I like the views up there. I like it when we come up to the Kendall Mountain basin. And there are usually lots of wild flowers up there; it’s really pretty. And, um, I use to like the downhill because I could run really well down. As I have aged my stride length has become shorter, so I can’t run down the hill as fast as I use to. It’s always more fun going downhill than uphill.
M: I would agree with you on that one. Do you have any advice for anyone that has maybe never run the race?
B: Well, get out here early. Get out here early and get acclimated. But, um, I don’t know. Just put your head down, your ass out and just do the climb. Swing your arms, do the climb and just kind of zone out. Don’t think, wow this is hard. Don’t think, how far to the top. Just concentrate on doing the best you can, as well as you can and as hard as you can. And you will be rewarded for your effort.
M: Awesome, are those your inner thoughts as you are going up the hill? Or do you have other motivation?
B: I’m always in the moment. I’m always thinking just about my effort. And how I can do this as well as I can. And come out of it as happy and as healthy as I went into it.
M: So you live in Silverton, do you have a favorite place to eat out, somewhere you would recommend for someone visiting?
B: It’s hard for people to come to my favorite restaurant because my favorite place to eat is at home. My wife is from Thailand and she is a really good cook. I really love spicy Thai food.
M: That sounds delicious.
B: If you are really hungry come and knock on the door and maybe we will let you in. Usually she makes too much food for me, so there are always leftovers.
M: Did you have anything else you wanted to share?
B: Silverton winter and summer is just a great place to live and to visit. There is just a tremendous amount of things to do here recreationally. Especially in the winter I think it is prettier in the winter than the summer. And you can go backcountry skiing, you can snowshoe, cross-country skiing, you can snowmobile if you want. It’s just one of the last best places on Earth.
M: Best kept secret.
B: Well it is kind of a secret, yeah. A lot of people don’t want to drive highway 550 coming up here. And it doesn’t have an airport or a golf course or a major ski area. It has a couple of small ski areas and of course there is Purgatory Ski area just a half hour drive south of here. So there is great skiing in the winter. Plenty of snow so come on up.
M: It’s a great way to stay fit skiing in the winter and they you are in shape for the summer.
B: Yeah, I do snowshoeing up in the Molas Lake area. Its about 11,000 feet and higher. Yeah, so come up here in the winter and I will take you snowshoeing and have some fun.
M: And then eat some Thai food after.
B: Yeah, I can’t think of a better…
M: Sounds like a perfect day.
B: Yes.
M: Thank you. I look forward to cheering you on as you finish your 15th Kendall.
B: Well, thank you Melia I need all the help I can get.