Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim: Quarantine Ultra Run
Film Session(s)
Venue(s)
1 minutes, USA, 2020
If you haven't heard of Rim to Rim to Rim (R2R2R), google it and have your mind blown. It's an insane run in the Grand Canyon that I had trained to do on April 13, 2020. But hey, sometimes plans go awry. Instead, I made this short video in my hot garage with my very pregnant wife, which was harder and more satisfying than the run would have been. In a normal year, 6 million people visit the Grand Canyon. But only 1% venture below the rim, and a tiny fraction of them attempt the R2R2R run. That's probably because of the distance, about 50 miles, the elevation gain/loss, about 22,000 feet, the heat, and the altitude. Over some fried chicken and beer, my friend Kyle and I hatched our plan. Together, we trained for this foolish endeavor for 8+ months. I effectively ran the distance from Boston to Atlanta, climbed more than than elevation of Mt. Everest, endured more blisters and soreness than I care to remember, suffered chaffing everywhere imaginable (you know where it is when it burns in the shower), and consumed countless energy bars, gels, and powders. Although my ultra run wasn't meant to be, an ultra stop-motion video dream could still come to fruition. Kyle intelligently wanted nothing to do with the production of this project, so I employed the only labor I could during a stay-at-home-pandemic, my wife. Without her, I wouldn't have been able to make this film. All we had was each other, a garage, and the stuff in our house. Did I mention that she hates running? But she loves that I am passionate about it. She comes to my races, has breakfast ready for me when I come back from an early morning jog, and she knows that my mental and emotional health are vastly improved after I run in the mountains. It's also important to note that after this experiment, I can confirm that she won't be making a stop-motion videos in a very hot garage while 7 months pregnant ever again. In the end, life doesn't follow my plans or your plans. Things happen. Tragedy strikes, spontaneity is channeled, and joy can land in your lap. I didn't need a medal, a trophy, or even the experience of running the Grand Canyon. I had hundreds of hours in nature while training and shared a lot of it with a good friend. For that, I am grateful. I wanted to find catharsis through creativity during this surreal time - to do something, even if it is just a silly little video. I hope you enjoy it, that it might brighten your day, if only a tiny bit.
Director(s): Kip Pastor, Samantha Pastor
Producer(s):