The Runners of Rapa Nui / Men’s Running

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[:en]In the May issue of Men’s Running there’s a story of some of the planet’s remotest people.

Men's Running - The Runners of Rapa Nui -

 

…So remote in fact that for 500 years they thought they were the only people left on Earth.

Yet regardless of outside influence, the runners of Rapa Nui take their sport incredibly seriously. They compete in the traditional hami loincloth and in some events carry a 20kg load of bananas, as featured below in the Hanga Vare Vare relay race. Iconically, the finish line to this race was at the foot of one of the island’s distinctive moai statues – Ahu Riata.

The article and photos were written during a three week stay on the island during the Tapati festival: A cultural celebration of traditional sport, handicraft, dance, drama and music. Publications also at BBC Travel (slow to load) and Picture of The Day at The Guardian.

Rapa Nui oringial from Men's running trimmed

 [:es]In the current issue (May, 2016) of Men’s Running there’s a story about one of the world’s remotest people.

Runners of Rapa Nui singular with press

…So remote in fact that for 500 years they thought they were the only people left on Earth.

Yet regardless of outside influence, the runners of Rapa Nui take their sport incredibly seriously. They compete in the traditional hami loincloth and in some events carry a 20kg load of bananas, as featured below in the Hanga Vare Vare relay race. Iconically, the finish line to this race was at the foot of one of the island’s distinctive moai statues – Ahu Riata.

The article and photos were written during a three week stay on the island for the Tapati festival: A cultural celebration of traditional sport, handicraft, dance, drama and music. Publications also at BBC Travel (slow to load) and Picture of The Day at The Guardian.

Men's Running - The Runners of Rapa Nui -[:]

Fastest Known Time / Red Bull Adventure

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[:en]wp FKT Manchon

Red Bull were looking for an accessible introduction to the seemingly elite running discipline of Fastest Known Time.

Not everyone can be the fastest on big test pieces (see n° 6-7) – But all keen joggers have their favourite route they train on. Why not compete to be the fastest on your home turf?

This is where the article starts: Racing on the mean streets of London.

Check out this fresh take on Fastest Known Time HERE. Enjoy.[:]

The story behind the cover shot / Ultra magazine

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Front cover Ultra mag

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Larking around with issue 2 of Ultra on day 4 of our recce. Kindly supplied by Ultra ed. Andy Nuttall

When you get your copy of the superlative independent UK running magazine, Ultra (issue 4) – you’ll read how we fastpacked a four day recce of the circuit before attempting the run. Torres del Paine was named the 8th Wonder of The World in 2013 and we wanted to experience it in all its mystery and majesty before attempting to push rudely round in just one day.

On the second day of the fastpack, we reached the top of the John Gardner pass – the highest point of the trek that usually takes 8 days to complete. Here we had our first view down to Glacier Grey – a leviathan of ice that runs hundreds of miles, swallowing mountains in its path. The temperature hovered around zero, and for about the fifth time that day I asked James:

“Mate, whip off your trousers and we’ll get a shot in our running shorts!”

“You can F*** right off if you think I’m stripping off for you here…”

There would be no time on the run to stop here, and I certainly wouldn’t be carrying any decent camera gear during the attempt. It was now or never.

Just at that moment, a porter emerged on the pass. I set the camera to continuous shooting mode, wacked up the F-Stop to pull the glacier in and got the poor chap squatting at an angle where the composition was right. We dropped our heavy rucksacks, grabbed the vests we would use for the 1 day push and started jogging with that comically high knee style that can help imply movement in running shots. The porter clearly thought we were lunatics – but fired away.

So, no man leaning out of a helicopter in a harness – just a couple of guys trying to share the adventure they were about to set out on – round one of the most spectacular trails on Earth.

And when we really did begin, it was 2am Patagonia time. Out there, on those moonlit trails, there was an even more shocking surprise than that great glacier – It was waiting for us, silently in the dark….

Here’s where you can read more.matt full circle (1)

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Men’s Fitness magazine / Vertical Kilometre Feature

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[:en]Living in the Andes, it’s easy to forget that not everyone leaves their front door and starts running uphill.

Men's Fitness Dropped Caps text - Vertcial KMMen’s Fitness magazine UK got in contact because they wanted an inspiring introduction to the Vertical Kilometre race – the new standard in endurance sport, where the finish line is 1,000metres higher than the starting point. 

The article is an around the world odyssey of mountain running, with stops in the French Alps, Canada, Patagonia and the Scottish Highlands. I also get my proverbial handed to me along the way by septuagenarians and schoolchildren.

Photos were secured from perhaps the most incredible VK race in the World – The Ultra Trail Torres del Paine. Interviewees include World Champion Urban Zemmer, Nikki Kimball, Jeff Browning, Paul Navesey, Shane Ohly and World Sky Running Director Lauri Van Houten.

[:es]Living in the Andes, it’s easy to forget that not everyone leaves their front door and starts running uphill.

Men's Fitness Dropped Caps text - Vertcial KMMen’s Fitness magazine UK got in contact because they wanted an inspiring introduction to the Vertical Kilometre race – the new standard in endurance sport, where the finish line is 1,000metres higher than the starting point. 

The article is an around the world odyssey of mountain running, with stops in the French Alps, Canada, Patagonia and the Scottish Highlands. I also get my proverbial handed to me along the way by septuagenarians and schoolchildren.

Photos were secured from perhaps the most incredible VK race in the World – The Ultra Trail Torres del Paine. Interviewees include World Champion Urban Zemmer, Nikki Kimball, Jeff Browning, Paul Navesey, Shane Ohly and World Sky Running Director Lauri Van Houten.) 

You can read the unabridged article here online.

[:]

Review del Altra Lone Peak 2.5 (español)

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Presentando ALTRA LONE PEAK 2.5

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¿Para qué tipo de entrenamientos / trotes sirven?

Este es un zapato de trail running. Está diseñado para entrenamientos y carreras de largas distancias, pero es suficientemente liviano también para carreras más cortas e intensas.

Tiene dos elementos interesantes – Zero Drop y la puntera ancha – discutidos abajo. Probé esta zapatilla durante el transcurso de dos meses en desafíos y terrenos bien variados. Las fotos abajo muestran el desgaste después de 300km corridos.

¿Qué es “Zero Drop?”watermark 2

Cuando pisamos sin zapato, pisamos con cada zancada en la manera que evolucionamos. Desde hace muchos años marcas de zapatillas han construido zapatos con amortiguación que eleva el talón a un ángulo más elevado comparado con la planta del pie. El “drop” entonces es el nombre gringo para la inclinación del talón, y es medido en mms.

Una zapatilla normal tiene más de 10mm de drop. Algunas marcas como Inov-8 de Inglaterra han estado haciendo zapatos de un rango de 4-8mm por mucho tiempo – porque quieran dar al trail runner una experiencia de correr con una zancada más natural. El libro “Born to Run” propuso la idea de correr de manera minimalista. Propuso asimismo que la amortiguación y drop excesivo pueden ser la causa de varias lesiones.

Hoy en día todas las zapatillas Altra son de zero drop. La sensación es rara si estás acostumbrado a un zapatilla más tradicional y recomiendo que mezcles por algunos meses el uso de Altra con tu otra zapatilla hasta que tu pies estén acostumbrados.

 ¿Qué tal la amortiguación? 

Clean shot

Mientras me acostumbraba al zero drop, sentía que a la zapatilla le “faltaba” amortiguación en mi talón. Sin embargo, eso pasó rápido y lo bueno fue que me focalizó en correr de manera más neutral. Es decir, en cada zancada mi peso aterrizó plano – en vez de en mi talón, lo que puede provocar lesiones.

En el rango de Altra, la Lone Peak es un punto intermedio en términos de la amortiguación que tiene. Justo ahora (después de 300km corridos) siento que la amortiguación se está aplastando y que ofrece menos apoyo.

¿Qué tal las calugas?

DSC00799A1553_Steel_btn1_xlHay varios tipos distintos de calugas en la suela de la Lone Peak. Están orientadas en distintas direcciones para ayudar al grip en diferentes desniveles y superficies. Funcionan bien en las montañas que se encuentran alrededor de Santiago. Para las condiciones de Patagonia me gustaría tener calugas un poco más grandes. En esta foto se ven con 300km de desgaste.

¿Por qué la puntera es tan ancha?

Esta no es una zapatilla sexy – es un zapatilla construida para ser super funcional. Por esta razón la parte de adelante es bien ancha, y a primera vista, media rara. Altra construyó su zapatilla así para que el corredor de largas distancias tenga espacio para cuando el pie se hincha. Esta es una zapatilla para la gente que sabe lo que necesita.

mens-altra-lone-peak-2-5-steel-442887_366_hlEl “Gaiter Trap”

Hay una parte de velcro en el talón del zapato para unir un gaiter (polaina). No he probado si funciona bien, pero me gusta este toque.  Lo hubiera encontrado muy útil si hubiera tenido polainas para la carrera  Vulcano Ultra Trail donde encontré mucha ceniza!

Resumen

Este es un zapato bastante cómodo que te va servir para carreras y entrenamientos largos y cortos de trail. Usar este zapato es un paso en dirección al minimalismo. La parte amplia para tus dedos permite la misma estabilidad de una zancada descalzada. Además el zero drop simula como si su pie pisara el suelo sin zapatos. El material es durable, y el “upper” con 300km corridos todavía no tiene ningún hoyo – que es poco común en mi experiencia. Además el material es suave y se seca rápidamente.

Tengo ganas de seguir probando los distintos modelos que Altra hace y espero lanzar un nuevo review de sus productos pronto!

Picture of the Day / the Guardian

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I snapped this shot on the third day of the Tapati festival on Easter Island. It was published in The Guardian online earlier this month. Click to see more at The Guardian

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