Tag Archives: Trail Running
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.
Posted in Humor, Personal Story, Random Thoughts, Trail Running
Also tagged Endurance Sport, Mountain Sports
2 Comments
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.
Posted in Dolomites, DolomiteSport, Trail Running
Also tagged Alta Via One, Dolomites
Leave a comment
Trail Runner Cover
Trail Runner Magazine’s March/April Issue will have a PatitucciPhoto front cover.
The image was made while we were in Durango, Colorado last summer. The runner is the Ironman Athlete Randy Stueve whom we had the pleasure of working with while we were in the area. This is PatitucciPhoto’s 9th cover for Trail Runner.
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…
Live Blog while running the Alta Via 1
Thanks to the iphone, this is our first on location Blog entry.
Together with Andreas Irsara, I am running a section of the Dolimite’s most famous trail in preparation for guiding a running tour next summer.
Andreas is a guide and owner of our partner site, www.holimites.com, and will be offering a 6 day running tour through the Dolomites in 2009. I will be guiding the trip along with Andreas.
Today is perfect, all sun, fall colors and shorts – not the usual mid October weather. The strangest thing is that just last weekend people were skiing in the Dolomites. And now, summer temperatures.
Together with Andreas Irsara, I am running a section of the Dolimite’s most famous trail in preparation for guiding a running tour next summer.
Andreas is a guide and owner of our partner site, www.holimites.com, and will be offering a 6 day running tour through the Dolomites in 2009. I will be guiding the trip along with Andreas.
Today is perfect, all sun, fall colors and shorts – not the usual mid October weather. The strangest thing is that just last weekend people were skiing in the Dolomites. And now, summer temperatures.
More info will be on both of our websites soon.
— Post From My iPhone
TRAIL Magazine profiles DolomiteSport and Dan & Janine Patitucci
This one is for all of our many German language friends. English speakers can look at the photos, much like I did.
TRAIL Magazine in Germany, the new, and oh so well done trail running magazine just released their latest issue. Inside, Dan & Janine are profiled along with DolomiteSport’s first media exposure.
Hier ist der Link fuer das Magazin mit dem Profil von Dan und Janine
Posted in Clips, DolomiteSport, Photo Business, Photography, Trail Running
Also tagged Photography
Leave a comment
Connect with us
