CROSSING THE FINISH: ATHLETE Director Dave's Blog

LOVEFILM

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:29:44 -0500

ATHLETE has just been added to LOVEFiLM, Europe's leading online DVD rental subscription service with one million members and operations in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Subscribers in the UK and Germany can now save ATHLETE to their rental lists and be notified when it becomes available on DVD.

Subscribers in Great Britain: click here to save ATHLETE to your rental list.

Subscribers in Germany: click here to save ATHLETE to your rental list.

To learn more about LOVEFiLM, check out this recent article in BusinessWeek. Special thanks to Alexa and the folks at LOVEFiLM for their support of ATHLETE.

DLM

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NYC HALF MARATHON

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:15:38 -0500

Photographed the NYC Half Marathon this morning. My second endurance event in three weeks. Really feels like 2007 all over again. What brought me out to my first NYC Half Marathon was elite runner Paula Radcliffe's last-minute entry into the race.

I've watched Radcliffe on TV many times before, but I've never seen her compete in person (she won three of the five marathons I completed in NYC and London). Boy is she fast. Here she is zipping through Times Square.

In fact, she was so fast, she beat the R train I took from Times Square to the finish at Battery Park in Lower Manhattan. I arrived about 10 minutes after Radcliffe won the race (she averaged 5:19 per mile today). Wow. That really puts her (and the other top finishers') incredible speed in perspective.

Congrats to everyone who crossed the finish today.

DLM

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JORDAN GATORADE

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:37:03 -0500

First it was the desk toy in June, now I've added Michael Jordan limited edition Gatorade to my growing MJ shrine at the office. My favorite sports drink featuring the greatest of all time (and one of my heroes). What could be better?

The collection features six bottles, which capture three different phases of his career ("Then", "Now" and "Forever"). It's being released before Jordan's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame next month.

DLM

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NAUTICA NYC TRIATHLON

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:49:12 -0500

It's been nearly two years since I last covered a full endurance race. One triathlon I've always wanted to experience behind the lense, was the Nautica New York City Triathlon. Afterall, it's in my backyard and it's NYC's other big endurance race. But I never had the chance to do so (I snapped a few photos of the run last year, but that doesn't really count; and was in upstate on the same day in 2007, filming twins Carrie and Kellie at Ironman Lake Placid). Until this year. The one difference with this race, is that I'd be photographing (not filming) the athletes. Here are some highlights from today...

My day started early, at 4:45 am. Hopped on a shuttle with athletes, which took us to the start.

This is a familiar scene for me. Spectators and triathletes before a swim start.

However, the start was different. Standing on a narrow dock, on the Hudson River, with several thousand triathletes -- of all ages and levels -- beginning the swim. What an experience.

The highlight for me was being able to witness ATHLETE Artie start his race.

Look how relaxed he is before the swim (probably because it's his third consecutive NYC Triathlon).

Other paratriathletes at the start.

Paratriathlete Sarah Reinertsen.

Artie, getting ready to swim in the Hudson River (still smiling).

Artie starts his race with his Achilles guide Mike right behind him.

In all of the marathons and triathlons I've covered, I have never seen the elite winners cross the finish (was naturally busy filming Jenny, Artie, Carrie and Kellie during those races). That was pretty neat to see for the first time today.

Australia's Greg Bennett talks about winning his fourth NYC title with Fox 5 News.

NYC's own Rebeccah Wassner wins the women's title.

With her twin sister, Laurel (on the left), who came in sixth. Both are featured in the current Nike/LIVESTRONG "It's About You" campaign (check out their inspiring film here).

A big thank you to Martta Kelly and John Korff. I had a blast.

DLM

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THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:05:19 -0500

Went to my first live soccer match Thursday night at Giants Stadium. It was David Beckham's first game in the US this year (returning to the Los Angeles Galaxy from AC Milan) against the New York Red Bulls.

Of the 23,000-plus in attendance, there was a decent turnout of Beckham/Galaxy fans.

Cool to see one of the greats playing in person.

Live soccer seems much faster-paced than it appears on television.

Overall, I had a good time. Seeing soccer in person gave me a better appreciation for "the beautiful game". Can't wait to catch the Red Bulls in their new soccer-specific stadium next year.

DLM

FOLLOW ATHLETE ON TWITTER: twitter.com/athletemovie

RETURN TO THE BIG EASY

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:07:37 -0500

Spent part of last week in New Orleans for work. It was my first time back since 2004, a year before Katrina hit. Here are some thoughts:

+ From what I could tell, the main sections of New Orleans (French Quarter, convention center, Canal Street, the Super Dome, etc.) have recovered nicely.

+ However, it does seem there are less people in the city now, compared to five years ago.

+ No matter where you go, you can't escape from New York (saw this on the wall of Mother's Restaurant, a 71-year-old New Orleans institution).

+ Where else could you get alligator jerkey, Tabasco potato chips, pork cracklin strips and 49er mardi gras beads?

+ Proof that social media is now mainstream.

+ My brand of coffee.

+ The Tabasco empire grows.

+ If you have to work in your hotel room, take-out jambalaya makes it more enjoyable.

+ Willie Mae's Scotch House has some pretty incredible fried chicken.

Willie Mae's was heavily damaged by Katrina. Watch this short film about its history and rebuilding process. It serves as a reminder of how far New Orleans, as a city, has come since August 29, 2005.

DLM

FOLLOW ATHLETE ON TWITTER: twitter.com/athletemovie

SONIC YOUTH

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 02:01:12 -0500

Went to my first Sonic Youth concert Friday night. Funny thing, is that I really didn't know who they were over a year ago ("Sonic Youth?! Is that a move from Street Fighter? Or are they a 90's Seattle grunge band?").

I stumbled upon their music while researching for that Liz Claiborne film I was working on at the time. I was watching a Marc Jacobs fashion show that featured the band playing live.

Since then, I've been a fan of their unique sound. And yes, they are great live. Played to a jam-packed house at the United Palace Theater (including two encores, which I don't see very often).

DLM

FOLLOW ATHLETE ON TWITTER: twitter.com/athletemovie

THE HIGH LINE

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:21:04 -0500

Visited the new High Line park in the Meatpacking District today. Before it became a public park, the High Line was a 1930's elevated rail line, once used by freight trains to haul meat and dairy.

Believe it or not, there was a 10-minute wait to get into the park ("wait, is this the line for the new iPhone?"). But, with work by architects Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro and financial support by the likes of fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg, the park is definitely worth visiting.

DLM

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DESK TOY: AIR JORDAN

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 02:23:27 -0500

Name: Michael Jordan Pro Shots (1988 Slam Dunk Champion)
Designer / Manufacturer: Upper Deck
Origin: Made in China
Acquired From: Toys "R" Us - Times Square, NYC
Fun Factor: Low
Comments: It's been about 11 months since my last desk toy post. And yes, this one is another collectible figure of one my sports heroes, His Airness. Fun fact: figure was sculpted by Gentle Giant Studios, a special effects company that has worked on films ranging from "Fight Club" to "Benjamin Button" (and they produce collectible toys).

DLM

FOLLOW ATHLETE ON TWITTER: twitter.com/athletemovie

FLIXSTER

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:50:58 -0500

ATHLETE is now on Flixster, a leading social movie site. If you're a Flixster user, visit the ATHLETE page and click "Want to See It" and recommend ATHLETE to your friends.

Not a Flixster user? You can join Flixster here or download the Flixster app for the iPhone and the following social networking sites (and RSS reader):

+Facebook
+MySpace
+Bebo
+Orkut
+iGoogle

Thank you Kristina and the staff at Flixster.

DLM

JOIN THE ATHLETE MAILING LIST Get updates on future screenings and DVD release info. Join today!

GUILLERMO DEL TORO

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 01:37:22 -0500

Last night, I was listening to director Guillermo Del Toro speak at a Barnes & Noble in the city (he was in town to promote his new book, "The Strain"). Someone asked him to compare his writing process for a book versus a film. In his response, Del Toro described how he spent three months writing and re-writing the first 10 pages of the script for Pan's Labrynth (one of my all-time favorite films). It was nice to hear that someone of his caliber also has to struggle and work hard at making his ideas come to life. Inspiring.

DLM

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WE ARE ALL MADE OF STARS

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 23:29:13 -0500

Last week, I had the chance to attend Moby's listening event for his new album "Wait for Me" (which drops on June 30).

The event was held at Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History. What a unique experience. It was a real feast for the eyes and ears.

Thanks to Mute Records and Moby.

DLM

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MY LONDON MARATHON STORY

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 04:17:24 -0500

Four years ago this month, I was among 35,000 runners pounding the pavement in one of the world's great races, the London Marathon. It was my third marathon and I was determined to redeem myself after a disappointing run in NYC six months before (I finished in 5 hours and 32 minutes after walking most of the second half due to severe calf cramps).

As anyone who's ever prepared for a major endurance race knows, you do everything you can to ensure a successful race day. For me, that meant arriving in London a week early, staying off my feet and hydrating. I even avoided eating out for fear of getting food poisoning. Breakfast, lunch and dinner came pre-packaged from Marks and Spencer (a UK department store/super market). I ate a lot of sandwiches in my hotel room that week.

But despite all my efforts to ensure a successful race, I made one major mistake four months before that nearly cost me a finish. During the race at mile six, I took a bottle of Lucozade Sport drink (their version of Gatorade) and downed most of it. By mile 12, my stomach was churning like a Maytag washing machine. The Lucozade was not sitting well. But I refused to stop to use a portolet. I was determined to finish with a faster time. At mile 18, my hands and feet became numb and I was seeing stars. Still refused to stop. The next eight miles, I walked, ran and hobbled in absolute misery. I eventually crossed the finish in 4 hours and 50 minutes. Better than NYC. And not bad given the extreme circumstances (the result was encouraging enough to get me to run Chicago six months later and finish with a 4:19).

The moral of the story? If you do a marathon overseas, find out what kind of sports drink they'll be serving on race day. If it's a foreign brand, do everything in your ability to get a hold of it and most importantly, train with it months before the race (so your body can get accustomed to it). In preparing for London, I wanted to train with Lucozade (which is not sold in the US), but the idea of ordering a four-month supply from the UK seemed like a real pain. Well, we know how that ended up.

To be fair, there's obviously nothing wrong with Lucozade as a product. I just broke one of the most important rules in marathon running -- never, ever try anything for the first time on race day. It's hard enough to conquer 26.2 miles. The last thing you need is add to the suffering.

DLM

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ARMSTRONG X FAIREY TIME LAPSE

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:33:49 -0500

Neat video on the making of artist Shepard Fairey's Lance Armstrong mural from last month's "Stages" art event. Captured by MacDonald Media, an ad agency specializing in large-scale outdoor media placements.

DLM

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KARA GOUCHER

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:27:46 -0500

Photo: Flickr user ruhua

Quite a finish to Monday's Boston Marathon. Here are two interesting articles on Kara Goucher worth checking out:

CNBC's Darren Rovell (who has a great sports business blog) writes about Nike's elite running program, the Oregon Project, and how it was instrumental in helping Goucher finish third in just her first two marathons (an incredible feat).

In the Boston Herald, Goucher discusses how a "tactical mistake" at mile 20 cost her the race.

DLM

JOIN THE ATHLETE MAILING LIST Get updates on future screenings and DVD release info. Join today!