August 31, 2007

  Bob on Runners in the Raw
    By Bob Francis, Owner
    soundRUNNER




Runners in the Raw, a calendar for 2008, showcases the creative talents of Cathi Bosco, a fine artist with studios in Madison. Julie and I first met Cathi when she began running with us at the store, like so many of the runners featured in the calendar. As the license holder for the image of Yale’s bulldog, Cathi helped us develop a technical shirt featuring the Bulldog. Cathi has gone on to develop fine likenesses of many college mascots in addition to her budding work as a photographer: you can see her photography featured on the cover of this month’s Elan Magazine.

Runners in the Raw was conceived as a going away present for Frank Giglio, a well-known natural foods chef from Guilford. Frank recently decamped to Arizona for further training in the preparation of raw vegetarian cuisine: hence the title of the calendar. Each month’s photograph is accompanied by one of Frank’s recipes. All proceeds from sales of the calendar benefit the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (www.ftpf.org). Runners in the Raw tastefully features local men who have a little less on than their standard running clothes. In my mind, the subjects are presented in a manner comparable to the Cambridge Women’s Project, which features men in various stages of performing household chores and acts of kindness. Cathi’s photographs present forty- and fifty-somethings against backdrops of beautiful natural settings along the shoreline, often juxtaposed against clever visual devices counter to the sense of the background, whether the bathtub in the middle of Westwoods or the fowl in flight at waist height opposite the runner’s direction of travel. There is a whimsical tromp l’oil quality in the photographs suggesting software may play some role in the final image.

The runners featured in the calendar are accomplished athletes. Almost all are marathoners. Half have run ultras, two regularly competing in 100-mile races. Two number among the select group having run every New Haven 20K Road Race since its inception thirty years ago. All can be found on the roads and trails around Branford. The calendar is offered for purchase at R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, next to soundRUNNER Madison, and at Breakwater Books in Guilford. Julie purchased twenty-five copies for herself, and has placed them for resale in soundRUNNER Branford. I urge you to pick up copies for yourselves and as gifts for friends, supporting a fine artist, a worthy cause, and a terrific sport.

Archive of Bob’s Lane

Issue 1: May 1, 2007: Bob on the Bash
Issue 2: May 10, 2007: Bob on Dave Parcells
Issue 3: May 24, 2007: Bob on the Branford Road Race
Issue 4: June 1, 2007: Bob on Being Green
Issue 5: June 15, 2007: Bob from the Left Coast
Issue 6: June 23, 2007: When Pain is Leisure
Issue 7: July 6, 2007: At Seventeen
Issue 8: July 13, 2007: Bob on Cities
Issue 9: July 30, 2007: Bob on Mike
Issue 10: August 8, 2007: Bob on Nature: Nature on Endurance Running
Issue 11: August 17, 2007: Bob on What I Like
Issue 12: August 24, 2007: Bob on Running Older