Category Archives: Trail Running
Trail Running Tour at DolomiteSport
The Pfunderer Hohenweg
A new post over at our DolomiteSport site with a photo gallery of a trail running tour we just returned from.
Also posted in Photography
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Instant Gratification
Timing is everything. Right? Right.
Last night we were out shooting trail running in the Dolomites with our friend Patrizia Taibon. Besides being a great friend, Patrizia has become a star model for us. Her modeling portfolio is beginning to look impressive with numerous magazine covers and ads featuring her. Being both shy and humble, when we show her something new that she is in, she typically replies with a polite smile, then an inquiry as to when we are going for a run, climb or anything else requiring endurance. She is busy, “let’s go!” – she is also a mom.
So, last night while out running, and shooting running, we received an email. Notice that we have the next (and our fifth) cover of the American Backpacker Magazine – featuring Patrizia. The layout pdf came along as well. So there we were, making photos in the Dolomites and looking at a photo of the Dolomites that we made last year for a major US magazine. Perfect timing. Patrizia was all thumbs up. Thanks Patrizia!
Patrizia trail running in the Italian Dolomites
More trail running photos from last night’s shoot are over at DolomiteSport
Also posted in Dolomites, DolomiteSport, Friends, Photo Business, Photography
Tagged Photography
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Resisting Temptation
The odds were against me from the moment I woke up. Rain, lots of rain.
Guilt began to set in around 11, then at noon, a break in the clouds almost put me over the edge. My lingering sore throat was a great excuse to say no. But anxiety was taking hold.
After lunch was a tough time, cruxy for sure. More guilt. Read a little, digest, then… maybe.
More rain. Then again clearing. Everywhere I turned, teasing, the bike on the balcony, the stack of shoes in the corner. No. Yes, maybe. NO!
In the end I lost, or wait, did I win? It all depends on how I look at it. I don’t find relaxing an easy thing to do at all, and least of all I don’t find it relaxing.
For the first time in 50 days, a rest day. Tomorrow… doubles!
Also posted in Random Thoughts
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Applied Infant Psychology for the Endurance Athlete
A few years back we found ourselves regular babysitters for a toddler, Sloan. Her parents would drop her off with us and then head out for some non-parenting time.
I vividly remember one night when they brought her over, plopped her down on our bed, and said we could just let her lay there and squirm. They explained that it was time for her to, “process the day”. As one of her parents is a psychologist I accepted this as fact, and somehow it stayed with me. Today, it all came back as I headed out for my late morning run.
My own head was filled with fragmented thoughts; an issue of a stolen photo, marketing ideas, managing 2 businesses with much to do, learning Italian, travel plans, etc… I think there was even a random AC/DC song as background noise. Internal chaos. As I entered the forest on singletrack, the external noise dropped away, it was just me, my foot steps and I. My only company was the occasional chirping of a bird. My head was turning everything over, 4 seconds on this before 2 seconds on that, and so on and so on. Then it struck me. Sloan, on our bed, processing her day.
While I was not horizontal surrounded in pillows, I was churning along with both my legs and arms just as she did. It is likely my face held a semi-blank stare at the trail ahead, just as she stared blankly at the Ikea light fixture on our ceiling. I realized that this time we give ourselves as athletes is critical for our development as adults, more so for our sanity in a busy society. Why should it be any different as adults? The individual endurance athlete who seeks solitude in their training is certainly also seeking the comfort that comes from being in their own peaceful world. Personally, I never return from my training in anything but a relaxed state of mind. I can leave agitated, but I always return centered.
Also posted in Humor, Personal Story, Random Thoughts
Tagged Endurance Sport, Mountain Sports, Trail Running
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Toph & Kim Gaylord: The Tour du Mont Blanc
Topher Gaylord on the Italian side of Mont Blanc
I have a rule. It is the “Yes” rule. If someone calls and asks me to go do a fun trip. The answer, within reason, must be, “Yes”.
So when Topher Gaylord called and asked if we wanted to run the Tour du Mont Blanc (100 miles and approximately 8500 meters of gain) my answer was, “No”. But after thinking about it some, we opted to obey the rule and decided on a sketchy, “Okay”.
This was 2004. We did not know Toph or his wife Kim. Now, years later, we look back having done the trip and we are friends with some really good memories of a perfect three day tour.
Kim & Toph Gaylord with Janine Patitucci
Janine and I arrived to Switzerland for our usual multi-month summer shoot schedule. Within hours of getting in, Toph was on the phone. At that time, he was the President of The North Face International and we had a photo shoot scheduled later that summer in Italy where he and Kim lived. Toph thought we would all come to know one another by doing this run. He had heard we were fit and boldly decided to take the chance of spending a few days running with strangers. Now that I look back on this decision, it really was a brave thing to do as we could have been punters extraordinaire.
Toph is, quite possibly, the most psyched and motivated human on the planet. A top ultra runner, Toph has actually placed second in the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc, the race on the same course we would run. To say Toph travels a lot is an understatement, airport staff know him. To stay fit he has been known to actually run in airports, putting on his running clothes, and actually lapping the airport, inside and out. He is one of those people the rest of us stare at.
He has two mottoes, “Charge”, and “Get after it”. This sums up Toph. Simple as the saying are, when put to practice they are life changing in a wonderful kind of way. Kim is the same. When Toph charges, she charges alongside.
Toph in full "Charge" mode at the start of the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc. Note Italian on cellphone
The two of them recently moved back to the US and we can no longer play together in the Dolomites. But the other day as I was skinning up a peak at night and doing live Twitter feeds, I get a message from Kim, “Make some turns for us”. A huge smile came across my face, not just because someone was actually following the feed, but because I knew that the two of them had done identical things as I was doing and they understand exactly how fun it is.
Toph and Kim’s Blog can be found at : http://www.tophergaylord.blogspot.com
Enjoying the lack of border control, the Italian-French "rock line"
Toph explaining the "Charge" concept to locals
DolomiteSport and Holimites Trail Running Tour Dates
Our Dolomite Trail Running Tours now have scheduled dates.
DolomiteSport, together with Holimites, will be guiding several trail running tours along the Dolomite’s most famous trail, the Alta Via 1.
Holimites has all the information for dates, rates, and booking. Or click here to go directly to the itinerary PDF.
For information about the trail, along with photos, please visit DolomiteSport’s Alta Via 1 page. This is your chance to experience the Dolomites with people that are knowledgeable and passionate about the region. Come and see what all this talk is of why the Dolomites are so great.
Please pass along this information to anyone who may be interested.
Also posted in Dolomites, DolomiteSport
Tagged Alta Via One, Dolomites, Trail Running
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Backpacker Magazine: The Dolomite’s Alta Via One
We were ecstatic when America’s Backpacker Magazine contacted us a few months back looking for photos and information about the Dolomite’s Alta Via One trail.
This, after Trail Runner Magazine featured an article written and photographed by PatitucciPhoto on running the Alta Via One in 2007.
Now, in just the last couple of years, two of the US’s major outdoor sport
magazines have featured the region. Worthy praise for the trail and mountains we figure are as good as it gets. And these are just from our contributions, in the current issue of Rock & Ice Magazine, they feature the Dolomites as a destination for climbing.
Now, in just the last couple of years, two of the US’s major outdoor sport
magazines have featured the region. Worthy praise for the trail and mountains we figure are as good as it gets. And these are just from our contributions, in the current issue of Rock & Ice Magazine, they feature the Dolomites as a destination for climbing.
The Alta Via One is the premier trail of the Dolomites, it has been profiled as such by Trail Runner and Backpacker Magazine, feeling curious as to why?
For the summer of 2009, along with Holimites, we are offering a trail running tour of the Alta Via One. For complete information, including links, hut information and an itinerary for the trail, visit our DolomiteSport site.
To get information about pricing, dates, and to sign up for the running tour, please visit our partners at Holimites.
The March 2009 issue of Backpacker includes a cover photo by PatitucciPhoto as well as interior photos of both the Alta Via One and Sardinia’s Selvaggio Blu tour we hiked and photographed in the summer of 2008.
Trail Runner November 2007, cover photo and feature article on running the Alta Via One
Also posted in Clips, DolomiteSport, Photo Business, Photography
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Run the Alta Via 1 with the Patitucci's
Announcing a guided running tour of the Dolomite’s most famous trail, the Alta Via 1. July 2009. Dates to be finalized soon.
After running the trail ourselves, writing and photographing a feature of it for Trail Runner Magazine and teaming up with Holimites – we have decided to help guide the Alta Via 1 in 2009. For all of our regular reader’s – this is an opportunity to come and see for yourselves what all this fuss is that we make about the Dolomites.
Why the move to Italy? Why the Dolomites? Why did you make DolomiteSport.com? …well, come and see why.
But read about it here, first. For more information, and dates once finalized, please email: info@holimites.com
See you in July…
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