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4 febbraio 2024, domenica

Un po’ di cose che ho scritto

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Relentless pursuit

Olympic Trials

francesco.puppi

So how am I actually going to try and run sub 4 ho

So how am I actually going to try and run sub 4 hours at the Lavaredo 50k?

To run under 4 hours (5’04/km pace), I need to cut 2 minutes and 17 seconds from my 2023 finish time (4:02:16 for 47.3 km with +2480m), which averages out to less than 3 seconds per km. That might not sound like much, but ask any elite marathoner to shave off 3”/km from their marathon pace and they’ll tell you how significant that is. At this level, we’re chasing marginal gains and nothing comes easy.

The real question becomes: where on the course can I realistically go faster?
In 2023, I had one of the best downhill runs of my life, splitting 31:41 from Rifugio Croda da Lago to the finish line: that’s 8.97 km at 3’31/km pace. Very unlikely I can improve much there.
With Nadir, we ran Val Travenanzes pretty well, splitting 1:12:10 from the start to Col Gallina. There may be a little room to improve, but not much.
The section where I think I can really make a difference is between Col Gallina and Passo Giau. It’s a fairly hard and technical part of the course and in 2023 it took me around 48’: it’s where I lost the most time to Nadir; conditions didn’t help, it was rainy and slippery.

Overall, I’m not training to improve specifically in just one area (uphill, downhill, flat, technical..). I think we should train to become better overall athletes, which means to increase our capacity to handle the demands of a race as a whole.
Too often we try to break trail running performance down into isolated pieces: become a better climber, faster on flats, stronger on descents. But I think we should have a more holistic perspective, because
- that’s what the sport demands, we have to put all the pieces together on race day.
- when we train, we’re mainly working on our metabolic capacities, which are the primary limiters of endurance performance. And these capacities impact every part of the run: uphill, flat, downhill…

I have two more years under my belt now, and another layer of fitness, experience and perspective added to the athlete I was in 2023. I’m really not sure I can break 4h at Lavaredo, but it’s fun to put myself out there and take on this challenge.

@lavaredoultratrail

PROJECT SUB 4h In less than two weeks, I’ll be

PROJECT SUB 4h

In less than two weeks, I’ll be back on the start line of the Lavaredo 50K chasing a sub 4h finish.

In trail running, we’re not really used to putting time goals out there, because doing so inevitably exposes us to public judgment and potential failure. But I believe there’s value in saying it out loud. It means you’ve dared to imagine your best performance and you’re willing to stand by that vision, regardless of the outcome. Sure, it can be scary. Sure, trail conditions are unpredictable and times can vary greatly. But that’s not a good reason not to try.

In June 2023, I ran 4:02:16 on this course, breaking the previous record held by Zach Miller by 18 minutes. That race turned out to be an eye-opener for some, showing what a not-so-negligible part of the sport had already been doing for years: fast, competitive racing over shorter distances, with athletes coming from mountain running or circuits like the Golden Trail Series raising the bar sometimes much higher than what the average ultra running scene could offer. For a long time, the bias toward longer distances meant that those of us competing in shorter, faster races were mostly ignored or not taken as seriously, unless we crossed over into ultras and happened to perform well.

I felt like my win at the Lavaredo 50k Iegitimized my name to a large part of the Italian trail running community, who had, until then, mostly ignored or overlooked me, although my results were already - I’d say - pretty decent. Somehow, that win was a way to say out loud: “this is what we’re doing, this is the game we’re actually playing. And I’m by no means the best among these athletes”.

Two years later, the sport has grown and changed quite a lot. The level has risen, the spotlight is wider, and more people are starting to understand that speed and distance aren’t mutually exclusive. That arbitrary division between short and long races feels less relevant now. There’s more crossover between disciplines, more fluidity and at the end of the day, athletes are just out there running on trails, regardless of the format.

I’m looking forward to racing in Cortina and seeing you all out on the course!

Non è facile stilare una lista precisa dei criter

Non è facile stilare una lista precisa dei criteri con cui scelgo una scarpa - come ho cercato di spiegare, dipende da moltissimi fattori, razionali ed emotivi, che si mescolano tra loro - ma spero di avervi dato qualche insight di come funziona per me, e magari anche un’idea diversa su come approcciare questo aspetto dell’allenamento.

@hoka @hoka_eu thanks for the performance, the cushioning, the fun, the feeling like I can fly and the myriad of other sensations of when I run!

#runthedistance #anysurfaceavailable #trailrunning #trailshoes #runningshoes #whywerun #flyhumanfly

Run track @hoka @hoka_eu @enervitsport #runthed

Run track

@hoka @hoka_eu @enervitsport

#runthedistance #anysurfaceavailable #basetraining #whywerun #flyhumanfly

🎥 @riccardo_amadori

05/25 May, I will miss your tender green #may #ru

05/25 May, I will miss your tender green

#may #runthedistance #anysurfaceavailable #trailworks #trailrunning #anzaborrego #tendergreen

Cover photo @charlie_mccarthyyy

Things you don’t see on @strava: strides They d

Things you don’t see on @strava: strides

They don’t look particularly impressive (unless you start and stop your watch and record a 2’30” km made up by 10x100m, which I never do - who cares about stopping the watch or looking at the average pace on Strava!) but they’re another training mean with a very low cost to benefit ratio. Incredibly effective! And they feel sooo good 😍🏃🏽‍♂️

You could copy and paste here the caption of my latest post because what’s valid for drills is basically also valid for strides. I generally do two sessions per week, either after easy runs or after a warmup, before doing speedwork.

At the training camp with @hoka in Font-Romeu a couple of weeks ago, I had a bit of a calf issue that forced me to pause my usual training. I’m grateful to have the awareness and experience now to stop before a small niggle becomes a real injury. So after a short break (which wasn’t a break, because I trained my butt off on the bike), today was my first proper run without any pain and I think it’s mandatory to say, we’re so back!

Way less glamorous location than Mammoth this time, but the Via Varese is where each prep must go through and where we’ve learned to love the grind. Ring up @glo_87 and @ul_fabius for more info ✌🏾

#runthedistance #stridesforlife #strides #anysurfaceavailable #flyhumanfly #giroditalia #viavarese #runthebadlands #lovethegrind #runlikerita #ritaunchained #doyourstrides

Coaching and 🎥 @tito_tiberti

Things you don’t see on @strava Drills are an i

Things you don’t see on @strava

Drills are an important and maybe underrated part of my training for basically any type of race. They help improve running economy, ground contact time, strength, coordination... small things that add up and do make a difference for performance.

I’m not particularly good at them, but I try to stay consistent: one dedicated session a week, and a lighter set after a warm-up, before a flat workout.

Drills are easy, cheap, time efficient, kind of fun and effective, so the cost to benefit ratio is rather low, which is a principle that shouldn’t be underestimated when we think about training.

Yeah I forgot to say, they feel way harder but at the same time they’re way more glamorous when done on the Mammoth Lakes track ✌🏾

#trailrunning #runningdrills #trainingprocess #runthedistance #anysurfaceavailable #flyhumanfly #basetraining #madness #drilling

Videos: @kt_asmuth

It’s so fun to watch people racing… think I mi

It’s so fun to watch people racing… think I might sign up for a race someday!

Every weekend I get my weekly dose of inspiration from friends and their incredible performances and stories from around the world. Just wanted to say thank you!

Keep that fire alive and to everyone reading or watching… get out and move!

#racingislife #runthedistance #zegama #zegamaaizkorri #runthedistance #canyons100 #anysurfaceavailable #outsideisfree #zegamamadness #anysurfaceavailable #trailrunning #flyhumanfly

GOING FURTHER - The Canyons 100k The perfect race

GOING FURTHER - The Canyons 100k

The perfect race does not exist, but at Canyons, I experienced one of those rare moment when the best version of yourself meets everything you’re capable of.

This was my debut on the 100K distance.
What happened that day… was something special, primarily for myself.

I documented the full journey, from the altitude camp in Mammoth Lakes to the finish line in Auburn.

Link in bio to watch the full video on YouTube.
I hope it inspires you as much as it meant to me.

#canyons100 #trailrunning #goingfurther #runthedistance #anysurfaceavailable #ultrarunning #goldenticket #flyhumanfly

Video: @thejuniperlab - editing @demiangoaway
Cover photo @banta.visuals

Currently in Font Romeu for a training camp with @

Currently in Font Romeu for a training camp with @hoka, soaking in the silence of the forests, the wind moving through the trees, the altitude, the light and the quiet focus that this place invites.

Also navigating a (hopefully) minor injury, a reminder to myself that the path to growth is rarely linear and demands presence, patience and constant adaptation.

Grateful to be here: for the chance to train in this environment, to share space with inspiring athletes and to keep learning, from the trail, from the body and from the moments of pause just as much as from the toughest efforts.

@hoka @hoka_eu

#fontromeu #trainingcamp #lareprise #pyrenees #runthedistance #whistledown #trailrunning #anysurfaceavailable #flyhumanfly #wewillbesoback

The good photos: @timnalet / @peigneeverticale

Race strategy was basically to run the first half

Race strategy was basically to run the first half at 50k race pace and then continue for another 50k 🤌🏾🤯

Run hard, do good 🤟🏾

#runthedistance #anysurfaceavailable #canyons #trailrunning #flyhumanfly #calstreet

Video: @runfreetrail

This moment. When @lord_balls - the race director

This moment.

When @lord_balls - the race director of @wser - asked me whether I wanted to accept the Golden Ticket for WS, right on the Canyons 100 finish line. Overwhelmed by pain, exhaustion and emotions.

It felt surprisingly uplifting to give away the Golden Ticket. To be in a position where I could pass along something so meaningful, and watch someone else light up with that opportunity, was a quiet joy I didn’t really expect, but won’t forget.

#runthedistance #runthecanyons #anysurfaceavailable #california2025 #flyhumanfly

Video: @thejuniperlab

We were meant to come this far, somehow #lifetime

We were meant to come this far, somehow

#lifetime #venicebeach #canyons100 #runthedistance #california2025 #anysurfaceavailable

All April long 04/25 #runthedistance #easternsie

All April long

04/25

#runthedistance #easternsierra #milesformiles #california2025 #trailrunning

Cover photo @banta.visuals

A Golden Ticket is an automatic entry to Western S

A Golden Ticket is an automatic entry to Western States 100 awarded to top finishers of a selection of six world class trail races, allowing them to bypass the lottery system.

With my win at the @canyonsenduranceruns I was asked by WS race director Craig Thornley right on the finish line whether I was going to accept the golden ticket or not. I answered that as much as I wanted to say yes, I felt that the right thing to do was to say no, and here are the reasons for it.

First is that I believe that a gradual approach to training and competing is what has allowed me to get me where I am and to be extremely consistent over the years. Recovering from a 100k and getting ready to run 100m in two months feels way too rushed for what I know I can handle. It’s not that I am not prepared to run a 100m, it’s just that I don’t think it’s the smartest move right now, and I have enough patience and maturity to wait for the right moment. I also think a more gradual approach could lead to better results in the future. I have proven multiple times that I am at the level that is required to earn a golden ticket to WS, so I can always get it whenever I feel ready and motivated to do so.

I believe that being truly professional and taking a mature, forward-thinking approach to training and racing means knowing how to set priorities, say no to certain opportunities, and make decisions grounded in clear values, not fleeting emotions or external pressure.
Right now, I don’t feel any pressure to run Western States, even if I know that this pressure exists. As much as I love WS (it’s definitely something I want to do in the future) and as exciting as this year’s competition looks with Kilian, Jim, Vincent, Hayden, and so many others, I want to stay true to my choices and season plans.

Lastly, my vision of the sport isn’t WS-centric. While WS is amazing, there are many other iconic, historic, well organized, and super competitive races, especially in Europe. Reducing the entire meaning of the sport and being a professional athlete to just WS feels way too limiting.

(Continues in comments)

Yesterday was so intense, and super hard. I exper

Yesterday was so intense, and super hard.

I experienced a new type of effort where pain is the main performance limiter, not fitness, in a way that was relatively new to me. After many km, the body breaks down not because you’re not able to sustain the required power output, but because it’s unable to tolerate more pain.

Compared to the races I’m used to, where you suffer very intensely for a relatively short period of time, here you suffer mildly, but for a very long time, until the suffering becomes almost unbearable.

It’s very interesting, and somewhat self harming. I am intrigued to further investigate into this type of effort, both physically and mentally. Obviously I’m just getting started, so the learning curve is steep.

Having no experience with the 100k distance was both an advantage and a disadvantage. The first because I had no idea how hard it would get (mentally, that’s a huge advantage, because the fear of pain prevents you from digging extremely deep), the second because obviously it would have allowed to play my cards a little bit better.

In the end, it turned out to be a very positive outcome. I also really enjoyed the experience, which was deeply introspective and at the same time it wouldn’t have been possible without the support system around me.

I gave away my golden ticket and I’m totally happy with my decision, as Canyons was the end goal of a process that I started a few months ago, that had to come full circle in the time it took me yesterday to run my first 100k

More on it soon 🙂 now too tired to formulate further thoughts

@canyonsenduranceruns 100k, 8:04:49, 1st place, CR

@hoka @enervitsport @utmbworldseries @wser 👋🏾

#runthedistance #canyonsendurancerun #auburnca #endure #anysurfaceavailable #runhard

Photo credits @sydneylewis.photo @tonywithasony @_joshuawstrong

Cento chilometri. Cento chilometri mi fanno un po

Cento chilometri.

Cento chilometri mi fanno un po’ paura. Perché sono tanti, e io mi sento piccolo, e abbastanza debole da esserne intimorito. Sono anche tenace da volerli affrontare fino in fondo, perché ho cercato di prepararmi al meglio delle mie possibilità. Nonostante questo, non riesco a non sentire il timore per quello che sto per fare, anche se l’ho fatto innumerevoli volte da quando ho iniziato a correre: attaccare un pettorale, mettermi dietro una linea di partenza.
Vorrei che il meglio delle mie possibilità coincidesse con il massimo che sono in grado di esprimere, anche se so che questo non è sempre possibile, perché ci sono cose che posso controllare e molte altre che no.
 La gara in sé la percepisco come un vuoto, una discontinuità di otto o nove ore che si aprirà nella mia vita, e che riempirò di tutto quello che quel tempo si porterà con sé. Ho paura della fatica estrema che arriverà dopo sei o sette ore, del dolore fisico, dei miei piedi che faranno malissimo, del fatto che so di essere capace di portare il mio corpo a livello estremi di sforzo fisico.

So che dovrei adottare un self talk positivo, che aiuterebbe la mia performance, ma più cerco di farlo, più i pensieri si affollano e affiorano le paure. Forse è il mio modo di affrontare tutto questo, e va bene così.
 E’ anche questa la banalità apparente dell’essere un atleta: avere l’obiettivo dichiarato di produrre la mia miglior performance, e allo stesso tempo convivere con tutte le fragilità che questo comporta.

Mi sento comunque fortunato. Perché ho imparato a convivere con tante delle mie paure e perché correre cento chilometri attraversando foreste e canyon resterà sempre un privilegio. Un modo per stare nel mondo che in termini pratici non serve quasi a niente, ma che può avere un valore nel cercare di farlo bene, nella condivisione, nel costruire qualcosa che resta.

Domani proverò a far coincidere il meglio delle mie possibilità con il massimo che sono in grado di esprimere.
Nonostante la paura, o forse proprio grazie ad essa.

@canyonsenduranceruns @hoka @hoka_eu @enervitsport

#canyons100 #runthedistance #anysurfaceavailable #auburnca #flyhumanfly

It hasn’t been perfect, it’s just been mine.

It hasn’t been perfect, it’s just been mine.

20 days in Mammoth Lakes, and only one left until I leave. 480km or 300 miles run. One complete rest day. Many hours in the gym. Some good workouts. Countless strides. A couple of unforgettable long runs.

With this altitude training block, my preparation for @canyonsenduranceruns is almost complete - it’s time to let the taper do its work now.
It hasn’t been perfect, it’s just been mine. It’s felt good, challenging and always so rewarding and humbling. I was lucky enough to share a great part of it with some amazing people. And I’m learning to be a little proud for what I did.

I came here largely inspired by the mountains and open spaces of the Eastern Sierra, its colors, its endless horizons, its sunsets and dawns. In the footsteps of the athletes who came through here before me, the strides of Ryan Hall, the stories of Deena Kastor.

I found tough conditions at times, the kind that force you to adapt and grow,. I found a really great community, and just the right mix of silence, solitude and connections. In retrospect, it feels like the place where this preparation was meant to be.

It’s been such a gift, something special that’s hard to put into words. A privilege maybe, that I’m deeply aware of. I feel incredibly grateful for this experience and to the people who’ve supported me and made it possible. You know.

Time to go down to sea level for a few days and hug the bestie who’s joining me soon @glo_87 ☺️

Thank you Mammoth! Until next time…

@mammothmountain @visitmammoth @mammothtrailfest 👋🏾
@hoka @enervitsport

#mammothlakes #runthedistance #easternsierra #anysurfaceavailable #california2025 #flyhumanfly

19 days until @canyonsenduranceruns 100k, we are i

19 days until @canyonsenduranceruns 100k, we are in the swing of things! I guess this means one of my biggest weeks of training ever, and also a very successful first week of altitude training camp here in Mammoth Lakes.
Some highlights include:

- almost 25h of total training volume
- 198km of running only
- two great 3h long runs, one averaging 146bpm (zone 1-2) and a better one averaging 152bpm including 4x10’ tempo (zone 3-4)
- a couple of short interval sessions (12x200m in 32”, 12x300m in 51”) with plenty of recovery
- a little stimulus every day. Whether that’s strength, hills, strides or spending hours on the phone with Rita 🤌🏾, we never really “just ran”
- getting to run in some incredible places everyday, sharing runs with friends, meeting new people and feeling super grateful for this opportunity

The body seems to adapt in a positive way and not just merely tolerating the training. Nonetheless, some days I’m so, so tired and wonder how in the world I can run (fast) for 100km in less than three weeks. But we trust the process, try to be smart and will let the taper do the magic 💫

Now off to another run 👋🏾

@mammothmountain @visitmammoth @mammothtc @strava @hoka @enervitsport

#training #altitudetraining #runthedistance #easternsierra #mammothlakes #whywerun #workworkwork

*no Rita was tormented in the making of this post

“Ma quindi preferisci gli Stati Uniti all’Ital

“Ma quindi preferisci gli Stati Uniti all’Italia? Perché non ti trasferisci lì?”

Non è così semplice. La risposta è ben più complessa di quanto possa sembrare da qualche storia su Instagram.
Sono molto legato agli Stati Uniti. È un legame profondo, che risale al 2009, quando vissi per un anno nel Midwest da studente. Da allora ci sono tornato tante volte, ho viaggiato da est a ovest, vissuto esperienze che hanno plasmato la mia cultura e il mio modo di pensare.
Gli Stati Uniti sono un paese di contraddizioni enormi e inafferrabili. Un posto in cui ho trovato senso di comunità, apertura e voglia di condividere spesso maggiori rispetto a quelli in cui sono cresciuto, ma anche capitalismo, individualismo estremo e una solitudine che è forse l’unica cosa che tiene davvero unito il paese.

Oggi non sento quasi più l’ingenuo entusiasmo di chi viaggia negli Stati Uniti per la prima volta: forse capire davvero qualcosa dell’America significa iniziare a smettere di amarla, o meglio, guardarla per quello che è, con uno sguardo più lucido e disilluso.

E’ una fatica enorme riuscire a far coesistere nel mio sistema di valori le luci e le ombre di questo paese, la bellezza struggente di molti dei luoghi in cui sono stato, gli spazi infiniti e la natura selvaggia, con l’attuale situazione politica, le disuguaglianze sociali, la disperazione di chi è povero e dimenticato, la gentrificazione, il complottismo, la deriva antiscientifica, lo spreco come stile di vita.

Eppure, qualcosa continua a riportarmi qui, qualcosa sento che mi rimane ancora da cercare, sugli altopiani sperduti del Colorado, sulle montagne della California, nei canyon selvaggi dello Utah e dell’Arizona, luoghi in cui i nostalgici come me provano a rifugiarsi, convinti che siano più accoglienti della società di cui sono figli.

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