Gran Trail Valdigne - 87km with 17,000 feet of up/down and rain

Top 3 finishers - Flavio (2nd), Massimo (1st), Topher (3rd)

Wow! What can i say.....this was an epic adventure for sure. "Team Gaylord" had great success with Topher having a great race to finish 3rd in a very strong field of runners and Kim to finish 2nd only 10 minutes behind the 1st women. But most importantly no injuries - Kim has some sore muscles but will work thru it by recovering with pasta, fresh salads and vino.

Let me just list some stats of the run...they are impressive:

Length - 87km = 54mile

Up and down - 5,200 meters = 17,000 feet (a lot...just ask my quads how that felt)

Starters - 425

Finishers - 256 (only 20 women)

Time Limit to complete the race - 25 hours
Weather - rain, warm, cold, thunderstorms, ridge top winds, more rain
Trail conditions - steep, muddy, rocky, technical, wet, slippery
GU energy gel count - Topher ate 12 and I ate 11 (all chocolate...our favorite)

Blisters - 1 on my hand from gripping and pushing on my poles and 1 on my toe
Toe nails lost - only Kim's big toe

Atmosphere - Fantastic

Fun factor - High - We love the beauty of the mountains and the challenge of the trail.

It was the toughest trail race of this distance that we have ever done and most of the competitors would agree. Dura! Hard! That is what everyone was saying while shaking there head like they could not believe what we just completed.....then a smile. We are all crazy but love it!

Results

Men:
1) Tagliaferri Massimo (10.19.26)
2) Gadin Flavio (10.29.08)
3) Gaylord Topher (10.41.52)

Women:
1) Oliveri Virginia (13.11.08)
2) Gaylord Kim (13.20.28) (25th overall)
3) Balsamo Luisa (14.58.16)

What's next?

Well, Topher is back hard at work and I am getting us regrouped and organized at home after all of the travel. Then the end of July we do our annual 3 day training around the Mt Blanc trail to prepare for the UTMB race the end of August. It is always a fun 3 days out on the trail with friends.

Thanks again for all the support and notes from family and friends.

Enjoying the runners high while eating lots!

Kim and Topher

Kim takes 2nd!

Kim endured "the most brutal race of my life"......to finish 2nd place just a mere 10 minutes behind 1st place. She finished with tears in her eyes and a big smile. Some short term damage to assess: blisters to the feet and a big toe nail that will be coming off very soon, but no major issues, so "Team Gaylord" is happy!

Full race report to follow.

Thanks to all for your encouragement!

Topher & Kim

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Toph takes 3rd!

In one of the most epic trail races in the world (86km) 54miles, Toph endured brutal conditions including lightning, hail, thunder, hot sun, and the gnarliest trail conditions he could remember. The trail transformed from a technical combination of roots, dirt, rocks, to a river of mud, rocks, and slime. No injuries!

Kim is fighting hard to make it a "Team Gaylord" podium and is currently in 2nd place about 15 min off the lead. She should be finishing shortly. Yes, she is enduring all the exact same conditions! Right on Kimmy, go!

Topher

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Gran Trail Valdigne!

We are in Courmayeur, Italy with a neck stretching view of the south face
of Mt. Blanc. We will be running the Gran Trail Valdigne race today, a calf
and quad busting 86km (54mile) mountain race with over 16,000ft of uphill
and 16,000 ft of downhill.

We had a somewhat sleepless night of downpouring rain, lightning, and big
thunder. The trail is sure to pose some really gnarly challenges with tough
conditions today. First challenge is a 4600ft climb up out of Courmayeur, a
climb so steep, you are clawing your way to the top with all "fours"!

Keep tuned for updates!

Topher & Kim

Cortina at it's best!!

We are so fortunate to have the Dolomite's in our backyard. It is a great escape only 2 hours form our house in Montebelluna and it is so refreshing. The summers can be hot and humid by our house so to escape to the fresh mountain air is reviving.

The trails are great for running and hiking. We plan out really fun loops that pass by mountain huts that we can stop for a pasta or an apple strudle. It is so nice and all you need are a few euros in your pocket and not a big heavy pack. Love that!

The wild flowers are spectacular right now. As a tradition we always take some photos of the flowers. So i have attached a few for you to see.

Best from Cortina - the Queen of the Dolomites,

Kim

Topher Survives the Cro-Magnon and takes 6th overall!

Race & Monte Carlo Photos

An epic day of adventure for Kim and Topher as we traversed the Mercantour Mtns from North to South finishing on the beaches of Monte Carlo!

The day started out brutal, 3degrees (C) and 4 inches of fresh snow overnight lined all the course above 1800mtrs (about 20 miles worth of snow on the course).

Topher along with about 400 other runners took the start with one of the most competitive fields in the event's history. 100km of pure mountain joy/torture lay ahead. The race started at 6:30am and went straight up Limone ski area. Toph and the lead runners all took off running the switchbacks up the mountain (the official course). About half way up the first climb, it all broke loose and it was an chinese uphill (anything goes and everyone finding every possible short cut they can to get to the top first). In what is clearly a European norm, finding the shortest line between check points seems to be accepted, so Topher along with all the other runners started forging straight up and down the race course where they could. (We don't like this style, but if you don't adapt you end up running a longer race!).

Topher was running in the lead with Dawa Sherpa for the first 20km, when they entered a section of woods and another chinese downhill and poor trail markings found Topher totally lost and running in the wrong direction. He eventually popped out and found his way back onto the course having run an additional 2-3km. Very frustrating!

35km into the race found Toph make yet another wrong turn due to missing trail markings. He ended up running an additional 5km this time loosing another 20-25minutes. When he reconnected to the course, he was in 25-30th position. So he spent most of the day trying in Vain to bridge back to the leading pack.

The run was epic, running across mtns upto 2500mtrs (8000ft) snow covered and literally scrambling up and down the peaks and contouring the mtns on goat tracks. An extremely technical and tedious course. The highlight was a 7000ft descent off the peak into the 70km aid station. Toph's Quads and knees were ready for the uphill that followed.

Kim spent all day traversing the mtns in proud support finding Toph in the most remote sections of the course. She was "4-wheelin'" her way through mud bogs, snow fields, and dirt roads.

Toph clawed his way back throughout the day to finish 6th place in 10hrs 24min. Had he recovered that 30minutes he had getting lost he perhaps could have taken 2nd. A great day for all, super competition, a gnarly course, the nicest race director, Pietro who hosted us at the event, and a cool city to end in! Monte Carlo!

Best to all around the world. Thanks for following our adventures, we love sharing them with all of you. And thank you for your comments, emails, text messages of encouragement!

Kim & Topher

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The Cromagnon is ON!!!

The race will start with a few modifications along the way to deal with the snow at high elevations.
It should be quiet the challenge with the snow, mud and water for the runners. Not like it is easy with 18,000 feet of up and 21,000 feet of down. Yikes in 100km. Only the strong and brave will finish this race.

There are many good european runners starting. My pick to win is Marco Olmo. He has won here before and is strong- even at 60 years old! But Dawa Sherpa will not make it an easy win for him. Not sure who is in better form for the big mountains. We will see.

Topher for sure has the leg speed but we will see how he is on the big hills. The goal is a good solid run with no injuries and to enjoy a new place. It will be perfect training for the UTMB (mt blanc race) the end of august.

So follow here LIVE. The race starts at 6am Saturday in Italy then finishes on the beach in Monte Carlo. Ahhhhh!

Should be another fun adventure!

Go Topher!
Kim


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