Be prepared for some of the most breathtaking trails you’ve ever run (due to their beauty and elevation) while being pampered in some of the most luxurious four-star hotels of Sud-Tyrol. You’ll run the trails of the Pale Mountains, as the Dolomites are known, a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserved for its stunning natural beauty with an amazing group of women who, like you, run because of how it makes them feel.
There’s something about running the mountains that feeds the soul. Perhaps it’s the grandeur of soaring peaks or the vastness of the landscape that can shift your perspective about things that are happening in your life. In a place like the Dolomites, those seemingly big problems become minuscule when compared to these vertical limestone mountains.
Every run will be completely different as we explore different natural parks within the Alta Badia region of the Dolomites. At times, we’ll use gondolas to access the valley’s upper elevations in order to maximize our rewards (and views!) while running sections of the area’s most famous trails, the Alta Via 1 and 2.
Throughout this retreat, we'll explore how the mindfulness practice of setting intentions can help you stay motivated to train for the next race or pursue the next life goal. If you find yourself bumping up against a wall of fatigue or apathy when you think about doing more than you are already, then this retreat is your chance to realign with your values around goal-setting and the role running plays your pursuit for excellence in all areas of life. We’re not just talking about running goals here, but any area of your life that is important to you and in which you want to bring your best self and highest energy.
Your retreat leader will guide you though mental and physical practices on and off the trail that will help you reconnect with what matters most to you and reignite your energy so you come home inspired and ready to pursue your next big project. This is a challenging retreat best suited to those with some trail-running experience.
This Retreat is Level III
This retreat is suitable for you if:
- Given the physical requirements listed, this retreat is for experienced trail runners only.
- This retreat is suitable for you if you are comfortable with a combination of trail running and hiking six days in a row for around four to five hours each day. Each time we are out on the trail it is inclusive of hiking sections of trail and stops for water breaks, snack breaks and photo opportunities.
- You are comfortable trail running and hiking on trails with loose dirt, rocks and some muddy sections.
- You have experience running on mountain trails.
- You are comfortable trail running at high elevations. You can expect to reach elevations above 9,000 feet above sea level on this retreat.
- You are physically able to hike long uphills and steep downhills.
- You are comfortable on narrow trails that are high up and at times exposed.
- You are game for running in the rain! Don’t worry about what to wear; we provide you with a comprehensive packing list.
- You have, or are willing to acquire before the retreat, a pair of trail running shoes.
Note: The total run distance for this retreat will be between approximately 42 and 50 miles. Each day’s run in this itinerary is represented by the time spent on the trail rather than miles run because the mileage covered will depend largely on your run pace. Faster runners will cover more mileage than slower runners on some days. The precise route and trails run may change due to changes to trail closures, weather conditions, guide recommendations and other safety considerations.
About Running in the Italian Dolomites
The Dolomites, also known as the “Pale Mountains,”, are a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps covering an area that is shared by the provinces of Belluno, Bolzano, Trento, Udine, and Pordenone. The Dolomite region is characterized by jagged peaks and ridges with scenic valleys nestled in between. The Dolomites is comprised of several natural parks and protected areas that collectively became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009 to officially recognize it as “among one of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in the world.”
Our runs take place generally between 5,000 feet and 9,000 in elevation on well-established trails. All runners–not only those coming from sea level–find it necessary to adjust their running pace to account for the elevation. We have accounted for this slower pace in our allotted run times, giving you plenty of time to run and hike at the speed that suits you best.
July is the warmest month of the year here, with daytime temperatures usually between 50 and 70 degrees. However, since we’re in the mountains, weather can change rapidly, so we’ll want to have light rain jackets with us in case of some precipitation.
Mindful Running Clinics
Learn how to run more mindfully to become a better runner. This includes natural running form clinics during which you'll learn about the Power Posture: use proper alignment to make gravity do more of the work. This reduces the muscular force involved with running so it feels easier and less strenuous on muscles and joints.
Focus on efficiency: Use natural running techniques to drastically improve efficiency. You'll practice changing stride length, cadence and tempo on various types of terrain. Then put the pieces together to achieve the ultimate trail running experience. Learn to cultivate the circumstances for flow to occur by being relaxed and mindful
Dedicated Retreat Leader
Our highly trained retreat leaders provide the space and support for you to have a potentially transformational experience. As experts in mindful leadership, she provides valuable guidance on how to be mindful on and off the trail. Here's more about what you can expect from your retreat leader:
- Leads the opening meeting on Day 1, explaining what you can expect, the general flow of each day, what's expected of you, how she'll support you and all the other logistics you need.
- Works with our local staff, such as guides and drivers, to keep things safe, on schedule and running smoothly
- Leads mindful running clinics that teach you how to run more efficiently and with more flow and ease
- Manages the pace of each run so that you never feel rushed or get left behind
- Helps you get to scheduled events like yoga class, spa appointment and dinner reservations on time
- Facilitates sharing circles, creating a safe space for the group to reflect and share openly
- Provides emotional support if ever you need it
About
Gallery
About The Host
The host specializes in trail running- and wellness-based travel experiences that support women’s overall health and well-being. Our programs feature mindful running techniques that help women run better while maximizing running’s stress-reducing effects on the body and mind. Set in some of the world’s most inspiring natural destinations known to runners, each itinerary is an immersion in nature and wellness experiences such as yoga, hot springs, or spa.
We include the specific elements you need to have a wonderful retreat and leave out anything that doesn’t support that mission.
Why Choose Us
We are about experiencing running as a means to cultivate mental and physical health and well-being. While our purpose is to provide transformational travel experiences for runners like you, our mission is to offer you the time and space to clear your mind and focus on breathing deeply, connect with nature, dial down stress, and release endorphins so that you can relish in the joy and inspiration running brings.
No one succeeds in isolation, which is why the empowering community and connections that women find through our retreats are such a gift. Time after time, we hear the most heartwarming stories of the friendships that were made on our retreats, and why so many women come back year after year (sometimes even multiple times a year!) to run with us in a new location and often with women they’d met before.
When you travel with us, you are choosing to:
🏃♀️ connect deeper with yourself because no matter how long you’ve been on this planet, there’s always more to discover about who you truly are. We offer things like travel journals for writing and sharing circles during the retreat that support your inner as well as outer journey.
🏃♀️ experiment with mindful running principles that make you a better, more playful runner because there’s nothing like taking yourself too seriously to stifle motivation. Our retreat leaders provide mindful running exercises and tips you can use on an off the trail to run and live more mindfully.
🏃♀️ be open to connecting with other like-minded women because meeting new people is less scary than you might think. You’ll meet women who value running as part of a health lifestyle as we all as a sport. It’s amazing how quickly retreat groups bond after the very first run together!
🏃♀️ receive support, even when you don’t necessarily think you need it, but are so grateful you did when you realize how great it feels. In addition to the company of our professional running guides and expert retreat leaders, we highly encourage peer support to give you what to need to feel comfortable in this group.
🏃♀️ experience the mental health benefits to running that having nothing to do with your last race result or next goal. Our retreat leaders help you replace expectations and performance pressure with intentions and a focus on simply having fun.
🏃♀️ be intentional with the words you choose to express yourself, promising to be authentic and forget about trying to be anything you’re not. Intentions are rooted in values, and there’s no better opportunity to reflect on your values than when you’re traveling.
🏃♀️ make peace with the runner you are today, knowing that you belong here because runners come in all shapes and sizes and that’s okay. Since this isn’t a training camp, we’re not focused on where the future, but rather, rooted in the present moment, since that’s where the magic happens.
🏃♀️ give up the need to control everything going on around you because that’s the only way to find peace, restore your energy and find true joy. Our expert travel planners have worked out the logistics, and our professional guides scouted the routes, which means you can relax and let go.
🏃♀️ trust us to take you on a journey that has the potential to be deeply transformational and profoundly meaningful in a way that is entirely unique to you. Our retreat leaders understand that getting vulnerable can be scary, so they’re prepared to hold the space you need to have your experience at your own pace.
🏃♀️ forget about comparing yourself to others, either in terms of pace, speed, accomplishments, age or any other way, and focus instead on what you share in common. This is what we mean by community; you don’t have to “qualify” to be here, you show that you belong here by simply being you.
. . . and so much more.
Itinerary
Day 1
DAY 1 | VENICE ARRIVALS AND RETREAT OPENING
Location : San Vigilio di Marebbe, South Tyrol, Italy
We ask that you book your flight to arrive before noon, otherwise arrive the day before. We will rendez-vous at the Venice Marco Polo Airport at 12:00 p.m., then meet our driver for the 4-hour drive to San Vigilio di Marebbe. Upon arrival, we will check into our rooms and have some time to freshen up before we convene for the Official Retreat Opening Meet and Greet followed by dinner.
Overnight in San Vigilio di Marebbe.
Run time: no run today
Day 2
DAY 2 | SAN VIGILIO FOREST RUN
After breakfast at the hotel, we will meet for our first group trail run on a mix of trail types around San Vigilio, from forested paths to rolling singletrack. We’ll have our first Natural Running Form Clinic that will cover key postural tips that you can practice throughout the week. We’ll finish back in the village in time for a casual pizza lunch and in the heart San Vigilio, followed by free time to enjoy the spa, following by our first Wellness Workshop before dinner at the hotel.
Overnight in San Vigilio di Marebbe.
Run time: 2 – 2.5 hours on rolling valley trails that avoid any major ascending or descending. The trail surface is mostly crushed gravel and worn dirt trails, at time rooty. No exposure to high terrain today.
Day 3
DAY 3 | SAN VIGILIO TO CORVARA (ALTA VIA 1)
Location : Corvara in Badia, South Tyrol, ItalyAfter breakfast at the hotel, we’ll check out of our rooms and set aside the luggage for transfer to our next hotel. At 9:30 a.m., we’ll take a 20-minute bus ride to Pederü, where we’ll have our first trail running technique clinic, then begin an adventurous point-to-point high alpine run along the Alta Via 1 trail through the Fanes Plateau. Most of our uphill gain is in the first 1.5 to 2 hours of today’s run, so we’ll hike sections of it until we reach the plateau’s gently rolling terrain. After descending a series of switchbacks, we’ll hop on the bus for a 35-minute ride to our hotel in Corvara. We’ll arrive at mid-afternoon, at which time you are free to explore the village before dinner. Overnight in Corvara.
Run time: 3 to 4 hours on mountain trails (i.e., sometimes rocky) with exposure to heights, long uphills and long downhills.
Day 4
DAY 4 | CORVARA TO PRALONGIA
Location : Berggasthof Pralongià, Corvara, South Tyrol, ItalyAfter breakfast at the hotel, we will meet for a workshop on mindful breathing and how it helps us lower stress and run more efficiently. After the workshop, we take the Col Alt Gondola up to the starting point for today’s point-to-point “recovery” run of around 2 to 3 hours (including breaks). Today’s run is at a lower elevation on relatively smooth footpaths, so we can gaze out at the mountains without having to watch the footing so closely. We’ll enjoy a rolling route that takes us to Utia Pralongia before the long descent to Corvara, finishing at our hotel. After lunch at a pizzaria in the village, enjoy some free time to explore the town or enjoy a spa treatment. We’ll reconvene for our second Wellness Workshop, followed by dinner. Overnight in Corvara.
Run time: 2 to 3 hours (including breaks) on wide dirt paths and some steep, rooty singletrack trails
Day 5
DAY 5 | CORVARA TO VAL GARDENA
Location : Val Gardena, Santa Cristina Gherdëina, South Tyrol, ItalyAfter breakfast, pack your luggage and set it aside for transfer to Selva. Then we’ll either take the bus (or gondola) up to Passo Gardena, where we’ll begin today’s premier trail run and hike along an out-and-back section of the Alta Via 2 trail. This high-alpine singletrack trail takes us through a barren rocky landscape surrounded by limestone peaks. From the run's end, we take the gondola down to Selva, and then walk or jog to our hotel. After checking into our rooms, enjoy some free time to explore the village, enjoy the spa and relax before dinner. Overnight in Selva.
Run time : 3 -3.5 hours on a mix of dirt and gravel trails, at time on very steep, exposed alpine terrain. You must be comfortable in this environment to complete this run.
Alternate run: Take the gondola down to Selva and do an easier out-and-back run along the flat, gravel path trails of the Vallunga Langetal with relatively little elevation change.
Day 6
DAY 6 | PARCO NATURAL PUEZ-ODLE
Location : Puez-Geisler Nature Park, South Tyrol, Italy
After breakfast, we’ll board the bus and have a 10-minute bus ride to St. Christina where we take the gondola to Col Raiser. Here we enjoy a beautiful loop through the beautiful green pastures of Parco Nautral Puez Odle. At the 5-mile point, you can choose to take the gondola back down and hop on the bus to the hotel, or run down the mountain for 3 miles (this is a lot of downhill and only recommended if you feel good and have no knee pain), finishing at our hotel. We’ll enjoy a pizza lunch followed by some free time to relax, enjoy the spa or shop before dinner. Overnight in Selva.
Run time: 2 – 3.5 hours (including breaks) on well-worn dirt paths, at times rocky, but always rolling uphill/downhill.
Day 7
DAY 7 | RETREAT CLOSING AND TRANSFER TO VENICE
Location : Selva di Val Gardena, South Tyrol, ItalyThis morning we have an optional recovery run of about 3 or 4 miles along the valley floor (no big climbs today!), followed by breakfast from 8 to 9 a.m.. After breakfast, we’ll have our official Retreat Closing Meeting. After checking out of your hotel room and loading your luggage into the van, at 11 a.m. we board the van for our private transfer to the airport, arriving at the Venice Marco Polo Airport around 4:00 p.m. (this arrival time is not guaranteed and is dependent on traffic volumes. Please plan your travel accordingly). From the airport, check in for your flight departure, or if you booked additional hotel nights in Venice, take a shuttle, bus or taxi to your hotel.
Optional Run time: 30 minutes out-and-back on mellow dirt trails and village roads
Location
Things to keep in mind
Why we created a technology policy for our running and wellness retreats
A runner at the Iceland Trail Running + Wellness Retreat pauses mid-run to savor the view of one of the country’s largest active volcano glaciers.
The sound of running shoes crunching the soft pine needles lining the loamy trail lulls the runners into a relaxed rhythm. A forest thick with conifer tress hugs the trail, so all they can see is the well-worn trail ahead. There’s no sound of cars or traffic of any kind. Their inhalation and exhalation breath cycles fall into a similar rhythm. They’re not all running at the same pace, yet somehow are in a shared state of flow.
That is, until, a digital female voice says “workout paused.” “Workout resumed” the voice followed up.
“Ping” goes another watch from the back of the pack. “Beep, beep beep!” goes another device, its exact location indeterminate.
The group slows to a fast hike as the trail’s pitch kicks up a few notches. “Workout paused,” a sharp digital female voice declares.
The group stops at point where the trees open to reveal a view of the valley below. Runners pull out their phones to take photos of a waterfall, while many also press the “pause” button on their GPS watches. A few reply to text messages flooding in thanks to the 4G connection randomly available on the (what had seemed like a remote) mountain trail.
The technology seems radically out of place in this serene natural environment. More than half their time standing at the lookout is spent looking at glowing screens. Not only are these runners seeing and experiencing less than they would without their devices, they are checking their time, mileage and pace-per-mile, even though, it could be argued, such metrics detract from their actual experience.
A More Mindful Way to Run
Runners who chose to run without their devices reported feeling “liberated” and more relaxed throughout the retreat.
A running and wellness retreat is not only a journey to a beautiful new destination, one that offers scenery and cultural experiences you can savor and enjoy. It also offers space to be more mindful and present, if you make space for it. And our devices (watches, GPS, phones) don’t help that process in this setting.
So how does this enhance running as a mindful experience?
1. When you don’t know your pace per mile, you are better at noticing the body’s natural feedback system to gauge your effort level. Feeling tired, you slow down. Feeling charged up, you speed up.
2. When you no longer hear a “ping” for each mile completed, you are better able to focus on the process of running rather than the progress from start to finish. Knowing that your running guide is keeping you on track, you are more open to taking in your surroundings, your fellow runners and notice how your body is feeling.
3. Replacing digital cues and alarms with the sounds of nature and your own body’s movement is a powerful experience. When you pay attention, you can hear your breath (is it soft and even, or shallow and ragged?) and the sound of your feet on the ground (are they pounding or tapping lightly?). These sounds are key indicators to the quality of your running form. And you can only improve your form if you develop a high level of body awareness.
4. Metrics have nothing to do with the quality of the running experience. On retreat, we encourage another type of success measurement: your degree of joy. And joy has everything to do with how running makes you feel, and nothing to do with how far or fast you ran.
Science Supports that Ditching Devices Can Help you Run Better
Fitness writer and author of the book, Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success, Brad Stulberg, who experimented with gadget-less training, reported that he had some performance breakthroughs when he ran by feel (slowing when he felt tired, and speeding up when he felt strong) rather than by pace-per mile.
But more important, in my opinion, was what Noel Brick, a sports psychologist at Ulster University in Northern Ireland, told Stulberg in an interview: “Relying on a watch excessively can promote unhelpful thoughts and emotions, such as anxiety.” This anxiety can even occur on a subconscious level, fueling negative self-talk or judgement without you even realizing it’s happening.”
Another side effect of metrics-driven anxiety is physical tension. “In a recent study, Brick and his colleagues found that runners were a whopping 10 percent faster when they were focused on relaxing or the act of running itself versus external metrics like pace,” reports Stulberg.
Even though running faster isn’t a focus of the retreats, running more relaxed is in essence a mindful running practice that lowers stress as well as increases performance. This is why posture is the focus of the first mindful running clinic our retreat leaders offer at the start of each retreat. Practice the postural cues she offers and you may notice more flow and ease throughout each run.
Enter: the Presence Policy
With that in mind, we introduced a Presence Policy for all its retreats that is designed to enhance runners’ personal experience, on and off the trails. We share this policy with all of our retreat participants prior to the retreat, and review as a group at the opening meeting.
This policy states:
• When on the trails, keep your phone in Airplane Mode. This way, you can use as much as you like to take photos (which we strongly encourage!), but aren’t distracted by incoming messages or phone calls.
• Turn off all audible sounds from your watch or GPS devices. If you have an electronic device that is making sounds, your retreat leader will ask you turn it off.
• Don’t use your device to listen to music or podcasts during retreat runs.
• Even better: leave your watch behind! There’s no need to log, map, measure or time your runs while on the retreat. You will have a richer retreat experience if you forego all forms of measurement and focus on the purpose of each day’s run: to practice mindful presence.
• Turn off your phone (or leave it in your hotel room) during Wellness Workshops, retreat meetings and during group meals. There is plenty of time in the day, while traveling from place to place or free time, during which you can catch up with friends and family, post photos to social media, etc. We simply ask that you don’t do this during group time.