Home - Francesco Puppi

Un po’ di cose che ho scritto

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Relentless pursuit

Olympic Trials

World Mountain Running Championship – Patagonia

Don’t mind this

francesco.puppi

Haven’t started speedwork yet 😁 📍Eldoret,

Haven’t started speedwork yet 😁

📍Eldoret, Kenya 🤌🏾

Thanks for the ride @carminesalvia97 😍

#temporun #anysurfaceavailable #basetraining #strenghworkmakesthedreamwork #niketrail #venianoloop #fuelyourultra #goodforyou #teamrita #churchofthelongrun

📽️ 🏁 Renato Canova @glo_87

A few days ago I participated as a listener in a d

A few days ago I participated as a listener in a distance running training convention. At the end of the presentations by the different speakers, which were really interesting and of high quality, there was one about trail running, specifically how to “transition from the roads to the trails”.
One of the comments from the audience was that the PRs of the top trail runners in the 10k to the marathon can’t compare with the world’s best performances on the same distances. So the question became: is it because the level of the performances in trail running is not as deep as in, for example, road running? Does this mean that the sport is not developed as it could be?

It’s a debate that has been going on for a while, although not very often covered. Here are some thoughts I’ve had.
- the main variables which describe and predict performance in flat distance running (VO2max, RE, LT) are only partially relevant in trail running. While definitely important, there are several other variables and skills that are necessary to perform. So whether the world’s top trail runners can run 10k in 29 or 27 min is just a reasoning for the sake of it. I am not entirely sure whether running a sub 2:30 Sierre Zinal or a sub 20h UTMB can be compared to the quality of a sub 2h05 marathon or what, but is it really a worthwhile exercise?
- there’s definitely a minimum threshold to define excellence in trail running, too. I would argue that all the really good athletes can run a sub 30’ 10k with minimal preparation, just out of trail fitness.
- if we played the opposite game, does anyone really care about what Kiptum, Kipchoge or Assefa would run in a trail race? They’re such great athletes because they’re incredibly good at their event. But whether that translates into being really good trail runners is yet to be proved, and would also require limiting the competition field, being the definition of trail running so vast.
- are we really still at a point that we need to explain to people who are just focused on one segment of the sport (namely, the roads) what the others are doing and the value of it? Like, what’s the impression that we’re giving of our sport as a whole?

20% threshold, 90% heart #highsierra #publiclands

20% threshold, 90% heart

#highsierra #publiclands #california #whywerun #niketrail #runthedistance #sharethetrail

Cover photo @philippreiter007

Non voglio più tenermi tutto dentro. Sono sopraff

Non voglio più tenermi tutto dentro.
Sono sopraffatto dai pensieri, scosso dagli avvenimenti di questi giorni e dalle reazioni di alcune persone.

Mi sento coinvolto e messo in discussione, ed è assurdo che in quanto maschi non riusciamo ad assumerci le responsabilità di quanto sta succedendo, non solo in questa situazione.
E’ assurdo che la perdita del privilegio, il mettere in discussione lo status quo, il renderci più vulnerabili e il privarci dei presupposti del tutto sbagliati su cui si basa la nostra società patriarcale scalfisca il nostro orgoglio e susciti in noi le reazioni che vedo, leggo, percepisco in questi giorni.
Assurdo che come collettività non siamo più in grado di affrontare argomenti che sono alla base della nostra stessa esistenza in quanto forme di vita sociali. Non è questo il mondo che avrei voluto contribuire a costruire.

Sono stanco delle giustificazioni e - voglio scriverlo - mi vergogno di essere un maschio, mi vergogno del senso di estraneità rispetto a questo problema dimostrato da tanti di noi, espressione dell’ipocrisia della nostra società maschilista. È un privilegio e un peso che mi porto dentro, di cui anche io ho colpa, ed è una cosa che non voglio più sopportare.

La violenza si manifesta in diverse forme. Penso ai commenti sessisti ai quali non mi sono ribellato e che non avuto la forza di denunciare, verso cui non mi sono reso sufficientemente ostile o di cui sono stato complice con il mio silenzio. Il cameratismo maschile serve solo a risolvere la fragilità sulla quale abbiamo costruito il nostro ruolo di genere, che si manifesta attraverso la competizione, l’arroganza, l’azione violenta contro le diversità, l’affermazione di sé come modalità di relazione.
Alcuni processi sono talmente automatici che non ce ne rendiamo nemmeno conto. Alziamo la voce, imponiamo la nostra linea di pensiero, spieghiamo come si deve fare una cosa, pretendiamo di essere ascoltati. Il fatto di essere maschi ci ha aperto delle porte che spesso altrimenti avremmo trovato chiuse, senza che neanche ce ne accorgessimo. Chi pensa di non essere coinvolto da tutto questo, semplicemente, sta mentendo.

Just wanted to add that luckily the swimming pool

Just wanted to add that luckily the swimming pool is closed during weekends 🙏🏾

Have a great weekend y’all!

#swimming #madness #crosstraining #injury #thatsfinetrackclub #laps #runthedistance #montblanc #uphillathlete

Photos: @the.adventure.bakery x @goldentrailseries

I don’t do this everyday 🤯 #basetraining #al

I don’t do this everyday 🤯

#basetraining #alpinerunning #runthedistance #niketrail #cadence #runsteepgethigh #downhill #madness #fuelyourultra #mileage #strengthtraining

🎥 @roberto_delorenzi during an early October run

Off season/Rita appreciation post So she can put

Off season/Rita appreciation post

So she can put up with me for another year 🙏🏾🥰😁

#offseason #itsover #rita #madness #2023 #outsideisfree #paincave #foliage #everybodyrun #sharethetrail

It’s been a ride 🥰 06.01 – @campacciocross

It’s been a ride 🥰

06.01 – @campacciocross (San Giorgio su Legnano, ITA) – 14° 30:13

15.01 – @cinquemulini.official (San Vittore Olona, ITA) – 17° 31:37

14.05 – @zegamaaizkorri (Zegama, SPA) – 22° 4:07:07

10.06 – World Trail Running Championships @wmtrc2023_innsbruckstubai (Innsbruck Stubai, AUT) – 6° 4:28:16

23.06 – @lavaredoultratrail 50k (Cortina, ITA) – 1st and CR 4:02:16

12.08 – @sierrezinal_officiel (Sierre, SUI) – 99° 3:07:20

31.08 – @utmbmontblanc OCC (Chamonix, FRA) – 2° 4:44:58

16.09 – @runpikespeak ascent (Manitou Springs, CO) – 22° 2:24:34

22.09 - @mammothtrailfest (Mammoth Lakes, CA) - DNS

22.10 – @festival_des_templiers (Millau, FRA) – 2° 6:49:08

@nikerunning @naakbars @corosglobal @corositalia @atletica_valle_brembana

#thatsawrap #season2023 #runthedistance #niketrail #outside #whywerun #trailrunning #anysurfaceavailable #trailaddicted #sharethetrail

Photos:
@lapeppina
@margauxlemap
@the.adventure.bakery
@philippreiter007
@jsaragossa
@romainbourven
@reddgoat
@ryanthrower
@guitch___

Yesterday I was able to piece together what I’ve

Yesterday I was able to piece together what I’ve been working for since the beginning of this season.

From running long to running hard, from fast to technical trails, steep climbs and slippery descents, it all came together at the right time. @festival_des_templiers presented a lot of challenges and uncertainties on paper, but I walked away feeling like I was able to offer my best to this race.

I started without knowing whether I would be able to finish, went for 27km into the unknown, I ran through the dark and in some parts I wasn’t able to see anything, I ate the most calories I’ve ever eaten during a physical effort, I managed pain, discomfort and my mental energies during those 6h49 for 80km and +3500m.

I also experienced one of the most beautiful dawns of my entire life, running on the edge of a canyon above a sea of clouds.

I finished second because @jonalbon was simply better and stronger than me yesterday. What a privilege to offer to each other the best we are currently capable of!

@festival_des_templiers is an amazing event which has contributed to writing the history of our sport for almost 30 years. Something like 11.000 people gather in Millau, in the South of France, to run one of the various distances of this festival, which is one of the few big ones outside of the main commercial circuits. The community and inclusivity aspect along with the importance and respect given to the elite athletes truly make it special.

With this, I’m closing my competitive season for 2023. Gonna soak up all the emotions and let the thoughts sink in for a while now.

Thanks everyone for your support and following along, it means a lot 🥰

All the love!

@nikerunning @naakbars @corosglobal @corositalia @vert.run

#festivaldestempliers #niketrail #runthedistance #fuelyourultra #dayslikethese #trailaddicted #sharethetrail

Photos: @davidgonthier @guitch___ and @glo_87

Thank you #festivaldestempliers #season2023 #whyw

Thank you

#festivaldestempliers #season2023 #whywerun #runthedistance #niketrail #madness #rita

📸 @tito_tiberti

Running is tastier when you eat @naakbars waffles

Running is tastier when you eat @naakbars waffles 😁

I’m running for (hopefully) around 7h on Sunday. Nutrition will start playing a bigger factor in my race management and that’s one challenge I’m excited about.
Keeping my energy levels and carbs intake high will be key.

With @naakbars I can be sure I’m having a great Sunday brunch even when running at 4’ pace!

#fuelyourultra #naak #trailrunning #niketrail #festivaldestempliers #merenda #brunch #waffle #sportsnutrition #runthedistance #sharethetrail

🎥 @roberto_delorenzi

Good luck to all the athletes running the @goldent

Good luck to all the athletes running the @goldentrailseries finals starting tomorrow in Noli-Spotorno, Italy! Can’t wait to follow the action and cheer you all!!

This year I wasn’t good enough to qualify for the final (partly for good reasons) 🤯🤯 so I’m going to miss you a lot!

Some of my best memories in the sport are from the 2020 finals in the Azores (7th) and the 2021 final in El Hierro (1st), both crazy races and experiences, most importantly for the people I met and with whom I was lucky to share the my time with.

Have fun, race hard, enjoy my country and don’t forget to eat plenty of focaccia trofie al pesto and pansotti after the races 🍝🤌🏾😜🤯😍

For everyone: follow the live on @eurosport and @goldentrailseries YouTube channel!

Program:

Thursday 19th October – 4:30 pm: Women’s time trial
Friday 20th October – 4:30 pm: Men’s time trial
Saturday 21st October – 10:00 am: Women’s race (26km and 1,430m V+)
Sunday 22nd October – 10:15 am: Men’s race (26km and 1,430m V+)

#goldentrailseries #finals #noli #madness #azores #liguria #outsideisfree #elhierro #trailrunning #racing #ilgolfodellisola #runforfocaccia

Pictures: @the.adventure.bakery when @the.adventure.bakery wasn’t a thing yet! @philippreiter007 @jsaragossa
+ @martiskka and @una_grana

Final workout before the party 🎉 @festival_des_

Final workout before the party 🎉
@festival_des_templiers and my soooo looking forward off-season 🌳

#churchofthelongrun #mileage #niketrail #runthedistance #strava #venianoloop #temponext #temporun #trailrunning #anysurfaceavailable #freeshipping

📸 🚴 and support @glo_87 🥰

I don’t think that running long - running ultras

I don’t think that running long - running ultras - should necessarily be the goal in trail running. The goal as athletes should be trying to be the best that we can in whatever we enjoy doing, with passion, intention and with the right preparation, regardless of the distance.

There is a lot of value in running fast and expressing excellence in a short race, just as a long one. I’ve always followed the sport at 360° and got inspiration from the many athletes who, in different circumstances, have proven to be able to do something really well. My approach has always been driven by the challenge of the competition - racing where the competitive level was the highest - and a spirit of curiosity to try new things, experiment, understand and learn.

It’s with mindset that I decided to sign up to @festival_des_templiers Grand Trail des Templiers on October 22nd. It’ll be the longest distance I’ve ever run (80km +3500m) and a pretty new experience from what I’m used to. This presents a whole new set of challenges, from race management, to the night start, to the nutrition problem, which I’m very excited about.

Racing long distances is not my goal, my goal is to feel like I’ve been able to offer a given race the best version of who I am. Hopefully I’ll be able to bring some of that to Millau. And whatever the outcome, it’ll be enough 🙂

@nikerunning @naakbars @corosglobal @corositalia

#templiers #runthedistance #niketrail #highmileage #beginagain #trailrunning #anysurfaceavailable #trailaddicted #sharethetrail

Front photo @stephan_wieser

We do all this to rekindle the enthusiasm of somet

We do all this to rekindle the enthusiasm of something primordial, which is born deep inside of us.

It might take a whole year of training until I start to feel good when I’m running. But when training clicks, when running feels like the thing you were born for, you make sense of all the miles, the countless hours in the gym, on the bike, of the rehab and the time spent recovering, of the mornings when you wake up and all you want to do is turn to the other side and go back to sleep.

Running is a gift: we don’t have to run, we get to run. Good days and bad days, day in and day out.

Yesterday was a beautiful 40km long run through the high alpine terrain. A celebration of our Indian Summer

#whywerun #niketrail #runthedistance #indiansummer #alpine #churchofthelongrun #fuelyourultra #sharethetrail

Not done yet The season is almost over, but there

Not done yet

The season is almost over, but there’s one more thing I would like to try this year.

Not entirely sure I have the right energy or I’m ready enough, but it’s precisely this type of feeling that makes the challenge more interesting.

Looking forward to being a beginner again, putting myself in a complex situation and learning something new.

Can you guess what’s next for me? 🤫😉🤯😁

#notdoneyet #altitude #traversing #trailrunning #niketrail #fuelyourultra #unbounded #madness #runthedistance #mileage #trailaddicted #sharethetrail

Photos @denis_piccolo x @thepilloutdoor - July 2023, Col Basset

All that glitters is gold @nikerunning @corosglob

All that glitters is gold

@nikerunning @corosglobal @naakbars @mammothtrailfest @goldentrailseries

#unbounded #california #mammothlakes #highsierra #holafebbre #runthedistance #sharethetrail

🎥 @the.adventure.bakery @timotejv

As the lights wind down on this US adventure, I fi

As the lights wind down on this US adventure, I find myself thinking about my experience and the cascade of impressions that I’m taking home.

It’s not been easy at times: from an athletic perspective the races surely didn’t go the way I trained for and that I was hoping for; I got sick and felt quite terrible; I made the difficult decision to skip Mammoth trail fest; my backpack, documents, credit card and clothes got stolen in San Francisco so I had to manage a quite stressful situation..

But I also felt the same call as last year when I came to the West. I got to meet some incredible people and I’ve felt humbled by their help and humanity. I ran through some of the most amazing landscapes I could only imagine, filled my senses with new lights, smells, textures and sounds, felt my breath, my silence and my soul. And all this will remain within myself as I come home and move on to the next chapter.

@abby.k.hall told me to “write the story I would want to read”. I’m not sure I’m doing it, but I think it’s an interesting perspective to look at our lives.

Thanks @goldentrailseries and everyone I met along the journey

Grateful, one more time. Feeling human, always

#openspaces #publicland #us #goldentrailseries #california #whywerun #niketrail #highsierra #sunsetlight #sharethetrail

Photos @philippreiter007

Hey, hi, hello. Just a quick update: I’ve been a

Hey, hi, hello. Just a quick update: I’ve been a bit sick since last week.

My HRV has dropped dramatically, HR was very high in the morning and since today I’ve had a temperature. My energy levels have been really low and I have felt pretty tired and fatigued, especially during any physical effort.
I did 3 covid tests over the last 3 days and they were all negative.

It’s not an ideal situation to be in, but I’ll see what I can do tomorrow morning. I don’t want to put my health in jeopardy or take a month to recover from a stupid sickness just because I’m stubborn and I want to race. With total respect to the race, the other athletes and the organizers, I’m sure they will understand regardless of my decision.

Not sure why I’m really writing this, since it may not be all that interesting for you. But just in case you don’t see me on the live or in the rankings..

I think I have a partial answer for my underperformance at Pikes Peak, so at least this situation has allowed me to connect some dots. I’m not a machine and as I’ve already said, I think I’ve underestimated my recovery needs after OCC. Sometimes it strikes me how we understand so little about our bodies, probably even less at these elevations; currently sitting at 2401m.

This pretty much means that I’ll have to put aside any hope of racing at the Golden Trail Series Final, since I won’t have enough points to qualify. It’s silly how my overall season has been kind of decent, so far, and that all my bad races have been in the @goldentrailseries, but it is what it is. I’m not going to blame myself or beat myself up too much for it. There are many other reasons to be content for.

Still feeling incredibly grateful to be here and in a pretty good mental state. Beyond my physical issues, it just means that I’ll have to come back to give these races what they deserve from my side 😊

Racing or not, see you tomorrow!

#trailworks #runthedistance #mammothlakes #mammothtrailfest #runsteepgethigh #california #highsierra #trailrunning #fuelyourultra #publiclands

Photos: @lise_neukomm and @the.adventure.bakery 🍩🙏🏾

I’ve come to realize how the stories that we hea

I’ve come to realize how the stories that we hear and tell ourselves about the places and territories are primary elements in shaping the way we see ourselves and our place in the world.

I’ve always been driven to look to the landscape for guidance and inspiration - it’s where I can truly connect with my inner self.

It’s hard to put into words what places like Mammoth Lakes and Flagstaff, Whitmore Track or Lake Mary Road have represented for my imagination and the way I approach distance running. And getting to experience those places, breathing their thin, crisp air, feeling the sunlight and watching the shadows as they stretch with the sunset in an endless nuance of colors, gives me an incredible sense of gratitude.

I still don’t completely understand what it is, whether the vastness of the horizons or the inclination of the sunrays, or the numb feeling that nothing really matters except living the moment.

But I’m here, I’m breathing, feeling and living.

Perhaps I’m a little closer to grasp this concept. I had to get here, somehow

#openspaces #freetobe #publiclands #altitude #runthedistance #niketrail #mammothlakes #fromitstruemeaning

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