Ladies we Love: Ultrarunner Rory Bosio
Earlier this month, ultrarunner Rory Bosio made history at The North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) when she not only won the women’s race but also broke into the men’s Top Ten—she is the first woman to do so in 11 editions of the race held in Chamonix, France. With a time of 22 hours, 37 minutes, and 26 seconds, the Lake Tahoe native took seventh place overall in the UTMB, an epic 168-kilometer circuit of Mont-Blanc that crosses 10 high-elevation mountain passes, gains an impressive accumulative 9,600 meters, and spans trails in France, Italy, and Switzerland. It is one of the most respected ultra trail courses in the world.
Here, we catch up with ultrarunner Rory Bosio to ask her 5 of our most burning questions about her race, her whole foods fueling regimen, and her go-to, post-race yoga poses.
WM: Congratulations on your amazing UTMB race. What was the most challenging part of the 106 miles for you?
Rory: Thank you. The last 50 km were especially difficult. The trail itself is challenging, lots of climbing and some technical sections. Plus, by that point we’d been running for 18 hours so my body was tired. I was nauseous on the climbs but I didn’t want to slow down too much because I just wanted to finish. It was a balancing act of getting to the edge of my personal limits without going over. I knew I could finish the race at that point, it was just a matter of dealing with the discomfort and moving forward.
WM: How did it feel to win this epic race—and place in the men’s Top Ten?
Rory: Obviously, everyone likes to win, and placing in the Top Ten was a very welcome surprise. It was exciting to see how stoked other women were for me, too. But, it meant more for me to have a race where things came together on multiple levels, from physical to mental. I really enjoyed being out on the trail and experiencing the entire event from the scenery to the celebratory atmosphere. It was also satisfying to complete the race because I was intimidated by the difficulty of the course and was unsure of what to expect.
WM: What’s your fueling and hydration strategy for racing?
Rory: For liquid I prefer water. Energy drinks tend to upset my stomach so I steer clear of them. I do drink coffee and coca cola at aid stations but not during training. For food I prefer whole foods to energy gels and blocks, especially for races longer than 8 hours. I like sweet potatoes, avocados, fruit, nuts, soup, bread. Towards the last half of a long race my body is usually sick of sweet things so I stick to the basics of potatoes and bread. For races less than 50 miles I can get by with less real food and more gels but for longer races I actually get hungry so I’m constantly shoving something into my mouth!
WM: What 4 pieces of running gear can’t you live without?
Rory: 1. TNF Eat My Dust Skirt: I live in this skirt. It’s the goldilocks of skirts, not too short, not too long, not too tight not too loose, fits just right. It never rides up and the boy shorts underneath don’t chaff. I’ve worn it for numerous ultra races and am always comfortable in it. Plus, it’s oh so fashionable.
2. TNF Better Than Naked Hat: I don’t want my face to look like a leather handbag when I’m older so sun protection is a must. This hat never gives me a headache, is super light, breathable and adjusts easily.
3. TNF Stow-N-Go Sportbra: I love multi-function pieces. Bra + storage = Genius! The front pocket is big enough for a few gels, bars, Chapstick, and other running paraphernalia.
4. Leukotape Sports Tape: This stuff is the duct tape of sports tape—very versatile and dependable. I use it to tape my heels to prevent blisters and it stays on like nobody’s business, even when my feet are sopping wet.
WM: What are your favorite post-race yoga stretches?
Rory: • Downward dog is a must for stretching out tight calves and elongating the spine after a hilly run
• Pigeon pose is great for opening up the hips, which get locked up tighter than Fort Knox after a long run. I have a DVD by Rodney Yee that has an entire hip-opening program. Ouch, it hurts but in a good way! Any progress I make seems to get obliterated the next time I run but at least I’m maintaining what little flexibility I do have.
• Pyramid pose stretches the hamstrings. I like the twisted version also because it unwinds my back.
Ultrarunner Rory Bosio running at night by headlamp at the UTMB 2013
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About Erinn Morgan
After a 10-year career as an award-winning New York City-based editor launching and redesigning urban, style-driven magazines, Erinn Morgan left her downtown Manhattan digs after September 11th, 2001, in search of a less encumbered, freelance lifestyle. A life-changing, two-year-long trek around the country in a motorhome eventually landed her in Durango, Colo., which she now calls home. Her writing has appeared in numerous— More about this author →
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