Jay Lemos: Running The Broken Arrow Skyrace in Squaw

What happens when you win the Salomon New York Trail Run Series? You get a ticket to Squaw and an opportunity to compete in the famed Broken Arrow Skyrace. Jay Lemos was the male winner in 2018, meaning that this summer, he went to the Skyrace alongside Kehr Davis. We spoke to Jay to find out how it went:

OF: What were your expectations going in?

JL: I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I hadn’t really read up on the course or anything the way I should have. It seemed comparable to Breakneck, one of the ones in the Salomon Series so I was like, “okay it shouldn’t be too terrible.”

There was the whole altitude thing and running in snow though…

OF: How did the race go?

JL: It went really well. When I first got there, I went for a shake out run. We ran from the Salomon house to where the race was taking place. I was fine while it was flat but as soon as we started climbing, I was huffing and puffing. Oh man! I had only been at altitude once before in Colorado and it was a hike. This was actual running and I felt it. 

My little bit of expectations went down the tube. I just thought “okay this is going to be a sufferfest. I don’t know whats going to happen but it’s going to be epic.”

“I just thought “okay this is going to be a sufferfest. I don’t know whats going to happen but it’s going to be epic.””

Afterwards, I stretched a little bit  and drank some beers that night . I figured that since the race is probably going to be terrible anyway, might as well have fun.

On Saturday, we warmed up a little at the resort. The race went off and I was jogging the first climb with everyone else. It went really well, I wasn’t breathing heavily the way I was the day before. The adrenaline helped all that. 

The climbing was a little rough, I was starting a little burnt out from a really busy spring. I went a little nuts this spring and was racing everything under the sun. By the time Broken Arrow came around, my legs were a little too seasoned for that early on in the summer. It made climbing a little difficult, but the flats and descents went great. Downhill is my specialty, especially in the snow. Some people were being really cautious in the snow. I just went faster. 

OF: Did you fall? 

JL: I wouldn’t say I fell; I was glissading. That ice burns so I tried to stay upright as much as possible. It was like skiing without skis.

OF: What was the course like?

JL: It’s a two-loop course. After huffing and puffing a few days prior the race, I went into it thinking I would finish in 7 - 7. 5 hours. I finished the first loop in around 2:45 which I thought was way too fast and probably ruined the second loop. I guessed 3:45 for the second loop. I did the second loop in 3:11, which wasn’t far off. 

I never look at my watch when I’m in a race. When I’m in it, I know I’m doing what I can. I feel like looking at my watch is like poison, you just stress out and lose focus on running. I finally looked at my watch at the last aid station and saw that I had 24 minutes to break 6 hours and I thought: let’s see what happens. I managed to sneak in at 5:56.

OF: What was the non running part of the experience like?

JL: It was just a cool running festival with vendors and music. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky so it was also really hot.

OF: Did you stay out in the area beyond the race

JL: On Sunday,  I ended up working the really high up aid station with Salomon. We were up there giving out water. We hiked up in winter clothing because that’s what everyone said to do because the day before it was cold. But it was actually really hot, we were all just cooking.

OF: Would you go back to this race?

JL: I definitely want to go back to it sometime and do all three distances. I think I’d just have fun with it and not focus on time goals.

OF: What’s your favorite piece of ultra running gear?

JL: I don’t like to run with much stuff. I like to go light. If I wear a belt, it’s usually the Salomon Mod belt, which just fits a couple of amino acid pills in the front and a soft flask in the back. That’s my favorite thing to run with because you don’t feel it,. During a 100 or a really long run at home if I wont be near water for a long period of time, I’ll wear a pack. My go-to is usually the Adv Skin 5 Set.


OF: What’s your favorite place to run locally?

JL: I love Beacon Mountain and Hudson Highlands. You get so much vert in a little distance.

Talking trail with Amanda Stecco

Trying to keep up with Amanda Stecco tends to require copious amounts of coffee.

The spirited 25 year old from Baltimore spends her working hours coordinating social for media giant HBO and all other hours adventuring out in the wild, from Breakneck Ridge to the hallowed trails of Yosemite. She recently ran her first ultramarathon in Wisconsin. We caught up with her about trail running, learning in the backcountry and what she wishes everyone knew about getting outside to play.

How did you get into trail racing?

My first trail experience was at the marathon relay at the North Face Endurance Challenge DC, in 2015. I remember passing back and forth with my friends who were doing the 50k and thinking: whoa, these girls are so badass. The course was really tough. It had rained for days leading up to the race and, at the finish, all muddy and gross, I realized, hey, this is pretty cool! Not long after, my friend Casey told me she signed up for a 50k in Wisconsin and she sent me the link. I went to to a panel discussion on ultrarunning with some local experts and Salomon. I talked all about gear and hydration with them and started to think, I can do this- I signed up that night.

Tell us about race day in Wisconsin.

We drove out to Wisconsin and camped together as a big group; we had good mix of people who were new and experienced runners. Everyone was really chill, which helped calm my nerves. Whitney led a pre-race meditation that was very helpful and I went into the event feeling comfortable. It was warm and the course didn’t have much shade, so I focused on drinking early and often to stay on top of my fluids. To this day, that’s the best running advice I have ever received. The course had so many open fields: every time I got to one, it felt like deja vu; weren’t we just here?  At mile 23 I called my friend Liysa who was out on a long run of her own and she was perfect: she asked me all the right questions, like was I still sweating, was I cold, was I eating? When I answered yes to all of them, she said “well then, you’re fine. Go get that finish” and that was the motivation I needed to get it done.

If you could take anyone out on a trail run, who would you pick?

That’s no contest! I would go with my man Barry O: President Obama. He has been such an inspiration to me and I would love to get him talking; just open up. Trail running is the best way to get to know someone; you are out in nature and conversation just flows.
 

What advice do you have for new trail runners?

Ask all the questions! I learned so much by just reaching out and asking friends what their experiences were like. I’d tell them to think hard about their nutrition and recovery too- that’s a very important aspect of racing that I feel like I am still working on dialing in.