Team Pearl Izumi-Smith Summit

Over the weekend I enjoyed an awesome couple of days with the other members of Team Pearl Izumi-Smith. The team arrived in Lousville/Boulder, CO on Thursday afternoon just in time for dinner with a group of employees from the Pearl Izumi corporate headquarters. Bright and early Friday morning we headed out for an easy 50 min run (1,200ft. +) in the snow covered trails with a half dozen PI's best, followed by a photo shoot on the Mesa trail.

The majority of the day Friday was spent at the Pearl Izumi headquarters with a tour of the building and meetings/discussions with Mike Thompson (Footwear), Lynn Bush (Merchandising), Jason Fryda (Essentials), and others. I was quite impressed with the individuals at PI and the apparel and footwear they work hard to produce. Historically, they have been known as one of the worlds top manufactures of cycling/triathlon apparel. From what we saw over the weekend, Pearl Izumi is putting the same dedication and enthusiasm into trail running. The discussions that went on was the start of a rare relationship between a trail running ultramarathon team and its sponsor.

Prior to our departure on Saturday afternoon we gathered for a run up and around Flagstaff Mt. in Boulder taking us 1:11 with 1,800ft. of elevation gain. It was a good run though the snow with a bit of treacherous descending. It was great to meet the whole team and everyone at Pearl Izumi. I feel fortunate to be a part of such an exciting and progressive endeavor.