#TayteonTrails: 10 Things I Like to Do When I’m Not Trail Running

#TayteOnTrails is written by our new Project Associate and NIKE TRAIL RUNNING pro Tayte Pollman.  This new series of articles follows Tayte around the globe as he trains, races and learns about the places he visits.  Tayte is a recent graduate of the University of Portland,  bronze medalist from the 2017 World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships and is currently training & traveling in Europe. 

Tayte’s olive oil collection.

Ten Things I Like to Do When I’m Not Trail Running – written by Tayte Pollmann

  1. Drink Olive Oil – How did I celebrate my 21st birthday this year? I had an olive oil party of course! I received gifts from my friends of 21 bottles of olive oil. A small bottle of high quality extra-virgin olive oil remains in my backpack wherever I go. This golden elixir belongs on everything from ice cream to salads.
  2. Stay Strong with Goat’s Milk – My love for goat’s milk started after I crossed the finish line of my first-ever SpeedGoat 50K in 2015. I remember giving the race director, Karl Meltzer, a big smile for the 5-plus hour, 11,000-plus feet of vertical, mad scramble he put us through. Next, I remember downing a quarter gallon of goat’s milk, which was provided nicely by my parents who know goat’s milk = mountain goat’s fuel. Now I’m hooked on the goaty goodness.
  3. Make Jam – This past year, my girlfriend and I were on a mission to save as many fruits from being wasted as possible. We biked around the Portland neighborhoods to collect the freshly fallen figs and past-their-prime pears nobody was harvesting and we turned them into jam. I like the feeling of turning neglected fruit into a delicious spread I can use every morning.
  4. Live in a Galaxy Far, Far Away – Yep, I admit I’m drawn to the force. I recognize May the 4th as one of the most important days of the year. This year I lived in the “Star Wars House,” as my teammates at the University of Portland called it, which includes a Darth Vader toaster, Death Star waffle maker, itty bitties of Luke and the gang, R2 lunch box and my Star Wars bed-covers. I live and sleep in a galaxy far, far away.
  5. Cheer for Roger Federer – I’ve always been a big tennis fan and I’m especially a fan of Federer. I look up to him as a humble champion who does what he loves. Federer has a 20-year long pro career and he is still at the top of his game. But, most importantly he is still loving his sport. My lesson from Federer is that 20 years from now, I hope to be loving my sport. I hope to be in the mountains and still moving fast towards the peaks.
  6. Listen to Elton John – I hope you don’t mind. I hope you don’t mind. That I put down in words…how awesome Elton John is! I have a wide range of music that I like, but I always prefer to listen to a musician, such as Elton, who knows how to put on a performance. Elton can hit any note with his vocals, rock the piano and he always has the best shades!
  7. Take Ice Baths in Mountain Streams – Spring and summer are great times when mountain streams are chilled by the melting snow. I put my legs in the icy water. I love to do this right after my runs and it always gives me a nice crisp wakeup afterwards.
  8. Play Guitar – Guitar is a way for me to relax and to take my mind off of stresses like schoolwork. I can lose my worries in a song similar to how I lose my worries in the mountains. I like to play finger style picking techniques and blues rock scales the best.
  9. Do the Warrior 3 Pose – I enjoy practicing yoga and I especially enjoy learning the balance poses, such as Warrior 3. I’m not very good at the balance poses but I enjoy working on them until I learn not to fall over! My mom is also a yoga teacher, so I do have an amazing opportunity to learn any pose I want to. Yoga is a great complimentary practice to my running in the way it helps me be more flexible, balanced and hopefully a little more Zen.
  10. Practice French – One may suddenly find a French partner in life, and thus have a need to speak better French. One might find the odds of living in the Pyrenees Mountains in the South of France steadily increasing. Life is unexpected. C’est la vie.

Tayte with his girlfriend and fellow runner Mathilde Sagnes.

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