Rapha

More than any other brand I have come across, Rapha exemplifies marketing in the experience economy. They understand that the story telling process can be the best way to engage consumers. The production level of their videos is incredible - allowing emotion and experiences to be felt by the viewer, whether its the utter desperation of a long climb or the horrifying thrill of a canyon descent.

Cent Cols Challenge 2012 from RAPHA on Vimeo.


"Rapha creates the finest cycling clothing and accessories in the world. Designed without compromise for the most discerning rider, Rapha products blend style with optimum performance. A passion for road racing means Rapha is more than just a product company. It is an online emporium of performance roadwear, accessories, publications and events, all celebrating the glory and suffering of road riding." - www.rapha.cc

Halcyon

A few weeks ago Ellie Goulding released her second full-length album, Halcyon. It is one of the best complete albums I have heard in a long time, with a good range of emotions, melodies, and beats.

If you are unfamiliar with Ellie Goulding, she is a 25 year-old singer/song-writer from Herefordshire, England. Neil McCormack from The Daily Telegraph brilliantly describes her voice: "Her tremulous vibrato and slightly hoarse timbre have the feel of something primal and folky, her birdlike high notes conveying a childlike wonder while darker tones imply ancient depths of sorrow. She sings like she is strung out on the melody, warbling from a place of desperate emotion. It really is that rarest and perhaps most accidental of gifts: an original voice."

 Here is a little sample of what he is talking about:


These are some of my favorites from the album:

Vestskoven Kobenhavn

There are a many benefits to living in a city. Entertainment. Interesting people. Diversity. Tasty food. Proximity to school. Museums. I have enjoyed all these things and more while living in Kobenhavn. I have come to love the city, with its many bike paths, tree-lined parks, canals, and lakes. It truly is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. But still. Its a city. What I love most about Salt Lake City is that you don't have to travel more than fifteen minutes to get out of the city. That's why I was so excited when I stumbled upon Vestskoven Kobenhavn, a nature preserve of sorts, a mere 3 miles away from my apartment. The preserve feels like a piece of the Danish countryside wedged into suburban Fredriksberg, a true escape for a trail runner like me. What more, I found a soccer field on the edge of the preserve, surrounded entirely by the woods. When you are standing on the pitch, it is easy to imagine you are dozens of miles away from civilization - what an awesome venue! Today I took my iPhone and snapped a few pictures, hoping to capture at least a little bit of the magic.

Denmark

Hej!

About a week ago I woke up and looked out the window. There weren't any mountains, not even any grass. Instead, the scene I had been accustomed to seeing for the past twenty-one years had been replaced by brick apartment buildings, street lamps suspended by wires, and dozens of blonde heads wobbling on bicycles as they passed below. Even though I had been looking out that same window for nearly a month, it finally hit me - I am living in Denmark! 

With just over 5.5 million people, Denmark is roughly the size of Virgina. Despite its small stature, it is has one of the strongest economies in the world, not to mention a wonderfully unique language and culture. I find myself fitting right in with the Danes and their active lifestyle, obsession with pastries, and cooperative mindset.

I will in Denmark until December 22, excluding a few trips around Europe. I hope to recount some of my travels soon - either on this blog or a new one - but with a track record like mine, there are no guarantees. For now, you can see pictures at Hygge USA.

Farvel!

XTERRA Trail Race

Back in September I ran at the XTERRA Trail Running National Championships in Snowbasin, UT. The title is a little misleading; I ran the 10k that was a precursor to the half-marathon national championships. It was my first trail race, and 10k for that matter. Running on a trail in the mountains is a beautiful and unique experience; it adds a sense of adventure and exploration to an otherwise painful sport! I had a lot of fun, and ended up placing third overall. So, my dad and I decided we were going to go to Southern California in October and race another XTERRA race. We did just that, and had an amazing trip visiting my grandparents. I won the 12k, and my dad finished just a few spots behind. I think it is safe to say that I will be doing a lot more trail running next summer! Get into it!

michigan (11)

As all photographers know, taking an absurd amount pictures tends yield better results. Maybe that is just something I tell myself to justify taking my camera everywhere. While vacationing in MI this year, I took hundreds of photos in attempts to capture Northern Michigan's beauty so that I could share it with all of you. When I got home, I faced the daunting task of narrowing down these photos to a manageably sized photo album. I put some of my favorites on Facebook... click here to check it out!

Note: You must be a friend of mine on Facebook to see the album. If you are not, send me a request. If you are not on Facebook, tough luck.

summer

I have been neglecting the blog quite a bit this summer. I am not surprised, nor apologetic. You see, if the blog is being neglected, it usual means I have been too busy doing other, more worthwhile things! That being said, I would like to post a little more regularly.

I am in Michigan! I will give you a brief rundown on what's been going on since the last post. I have been working five days a week for the Alta Visitor's Bureau to help them get their new site up and running. You can check it out here. I have also been working for the Associated Students of the University of Utah as a Marketing Associate Director. We have been getting posters, social networking, videos, and other marketing stuff ready for the coming school year. Hopefully I will be able to post some of my projects up here shortly because some of them are pretty neat! In between work I have been golfing quite a bit. If you have never been before, do it! That pretty much wraps up the month of July!

Last Thursday my family flew to Detroit, and we drove to my aunt's farm, just outside of Lansing. I love coming out to the countryside and being a little bit isolated for a few days. It feels great to be surrounded by nothing more than trees, grass, and... corn. On Saturday we loaded up the rental minivan and drove up to our cottage on Long Lake, near the Grand Traverse Bay. Since then we have been sailing, boating, swimming, biking, running, and of course, eating. My aunts are superb cooks, and beyond that we tend to eat out a lot up here. I have been working out daily to try to keep off the pounds! Needless to say, life is good. This is the perfect way to spend summer; I look forward to it every year.

Here are a few random shots from the past week. Check out my facebook for a more complete album soon...