#SoCaltech: Andy Boyle

“One of the things I really like about running is being out in nature and leaving technology behind. I enjoy just hearing birds chirping and leaves rustling and my feet on the ground. I get asked a lot what I think about while I'm running for so long. It can range from absolutely nothing—just like zoning out, focusing on not tripping—to thinking about school or work or personal-life issues. I ran the 100K at the end of August, and that was mostly me just trying to make sure to stay on course and stay on top of eating and drinking while I was running for 10 and a half hours. That's a lot of time in your head. I also thought a lot about why I was doing it, which is to push myself and to challenge myself. Sometimes in academics and in work, it feels like there are external factors that limit you from doing as well as you might wish—like not getting funding for a project so you can’t do the research. One of the things I liked during this 100K was that, if I stopped or failed, it was just me giving up. And I liked that if the race didn't go as well as I wanted it to, that was all on me.” 

Andy Boyle is a Science Data Analyst with IPAC with the NASA Exoplanet Archive and organizes Wednesday morning trail runs with the Caltech Alpine Club. Boyle recently came in first place at the Kodiak 100K Ultra Marathon in Big Bear, California.

#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.