A little Holiday Poem

This came to my in box from my friends at Fleet Feet Sports St. Louis

How the Grinch Got Fit

Every Who down in Whoville liked Running a lot...

But the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did NOT!

The Grinch hated Running! The whole Running season!

Would you like to know why? Well, I might know the reason.

it could be his head wasn't screwed on just right,

But it could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.

Yes, I think that the most likely reason of all

Is that his running shoes were two sizes too small.

Whatever the reason, his head or his shoes,

He stood there all brooding and hating the Whos,

Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown,

At the runners all running about in their town.

For he knew every Who down in Whoville below,

Was busy now, jogging around in the snow."

And they're running in comfort!" he snarled with a glare.

For the Whos shopped at FLEET FEET (and Fitlosophy's there).

Then he growled, with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming,"

I MUST find some way to stop Whoville from running!"

For tomorrow, he knew, all those ridiculous Whos

Would wake bright and early. They'd rush for their shoes!

And then! Oh, the fun! Oh, the fun!

Fun! Fun! Fun!

That's the one thing he hated! The FUN!

FUN! FUN! FUN!

Then the Whos, young and old, would go out for a run!

And they'd run! And they'd run! And they'd run!

RUN! RUN! RUN!

They would run down the road, they would run up the streets,

Which was something the Grinch couldn't stand in the least!

And THEN they'd do something he liked least of all!

Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small,

Would all run together and all have a ball!

And they'd jog and they'd laugh and then run some more!"

It must be," he thought, "because of that store."

And the more the Grinch thought of the Fitlosophy bit,

The more the Grinch thought, "I must stop that FIT!

For fifteen years I've put up with this now!

I must stop Whoville from Running! But HOW?

Then he got an idea! An awful idea!

THE GRINCH GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!

I know just what to do," the Grinch laughed as he grabbed

A white little label to use as a tag.

And he chuckled and clucked, "This will cause quite a stir!

I'll be Whoville's first phony Fitlosopher!

I'll provide the wrong fit! The Whos won't know

What caused the big blister on Whoville's big toe!

All I need is an S3..." The Grinch looked around,

But, since S3's were scarce, there were none to be found.

Did that stop the old Grinch? No! The Grinch simply said,

"If I can't find an S3, I'll make one instead!"

So he found an old calculator, some plastic and glue,

"It isn't quite right... but I suppose it'll do."

Then at night that old Grinch in disguise headed down

Toward the store while the Whos lay asnooze in their town.

The windows were dark, quiet snow filled the air,

When he came to the dear little store on the square.

He sneaked into the shop with a wink and a pinch,

For he was a sly one, that awful, sneaky Grinch.

He saw all the shoes on the wall in a row.

"These shoes," he grinned, "are the first things to go!"

And he mixed up the shoes-stability and style-

And then what he did, with a terrible smile,

Was fill all the FLEET FEET water bottles with rocks!

And replace the synthetic with all COTTON socks!

He created new flavors of Sport Beans and GU-

Like Monkey Brain Punch and Swamp Water Stew!

Then he snatched all the Garmins (and in this he found pleasure)

And replaced those devices with a simple tape measure!

He knocked down the books that were tidy and stacked

And took the reflective gear-and painted it black!

Then he viewed all the damage and cackled with glee,

"This will stop the Whos from running. I did it! ME!

PoohPooh to the Whos!" he was Grinchishly humming,

They're finding out now there will be no more Running!

They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do!

Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,

Then the Whos down in Whoville will all cry BooHoo!

That's a noise," grinned the Grinch, "That I simply MUST hear!"

So he paused. And the Grinch put his hand to his ear.

But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry!

It couldn't be so! But it WAS merry! VERY!

He stared down at Whoville! The Grinch popped his eyes!

Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise!

Every Fitlosopher was there, busily cleaning

And re-organizing the store-from the floor to the ceiling.

They were fitting for socks! They were fitting for shoes!

They were fitting for running! They were fitting the Whos!

The store was wide open! And the talk of the town

Was how even a Grinch couldn't keep FLEET FEET-ers down!

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,

Stood puzzling and puzzling, "How could it be so?"

And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

"Maybe FLEET FEET," he thought, "is more than a store.

Maybe FLEET FEET... perhaps... means a little bit more!"

And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say

That the Grinch's small shoes grew three sizes that day!

He went to be fitted-yes, the Grinch! Got fitted! It's true!

The Grinch went to FLEET FEET to find the right shoe!

He sat on the bench and had his feet evaluated.

Then he ran on the sidewalk... and over-pronated!

He was given a shoe with the proper stability and fit

(And it's a good thing, too, for he hurt quite a bit).

Yes, the Grinch overcame his chronic Grinch-itis

And even bought inserts for his plantar fasciitis.

And the minute the old Grinch's feet stopped their aching,

Every Who in Whoville's hand the Grinch started shaking.

"Who would have thought I'd be FIT?" he asked. "Who would have thought I'd have

fun?"

And then HE, HE HIMSELF! The Grinch went for a run!

All of us at FLEET FEET hope you

have a wonderful holiday season!

The new New Balance

When I first got started in this industry I use to joke when a customer came in saying they wore New Balance running shoes. They could never remember the number so I would ask the blue one or the grey one as those were the only options.

Well Newbie finally figured out how to do colors (sometimes) but they were still perceived to be "your fathers shoes" ie shoes for old guys with wide flat feet. That is about to change thanks to PL-1.

What the heck is PL-1 you ask? Well it is the new last from NB. The last of a shoe is the form that it is built around. New Balance has 26 different lasts to chose from but up until now the majority of their running shoes fit wide, with volume to spare and lots of time pretty sloppy in the arch and rear foot.

Now with the PL-1 last, runners have the option of a New Balance with a narrower forefoot without so much volume, a snugger heel and better fitting arch support. I personally have a PL-1 foot and love the fit of the new 769's and 1063's.

Will everyone be happy with this new fit, of course not. I'm sure some long time New Balance wearers will have to make some changes. That is not an issue as Newbie still has their SL-1 and SL-2 lasts in other models or a person may just have to switch up to a EE from a D width in the PL-1. Any FIT specialist would be able to help a person make the switch.

What this does for New Balance is open up a huge part of the running community that just couldn't get a good fit in their old shoes. Back in June I had an SL-1 lasted 768 on my left foot and a PL-1 lasted 769 on my right foot and could not believe how much better the 769 fit my foot. As soon as my calf heals I'll be logging some miles in the production 769's. I haven't been able to actually train in a NB in a very long time.

So if you've avoided New Balance for many years 'cause they just didn't fit your foot, it might be time to give them another look. And they have some nice colors, not that navy or grey aren't nice colors.

Live FIT.

Play hard

That's Bart, our 2 year old Australian Shepard and he's tired. Let me explain why. (And yes we know he is incredibly cute but he is also crazy as can be.)

So we've been hit with the first good snow storm of the season over the last week. For some that means hiding inside and avoiding being out in the cold as much as possible. For us that means grabbing the snowshoes and heading for the powder.

On the 17th we hosted the first Fleet Feet Sports Snow Cheap Winter Trail Race. While we didn't have enough snow to use snowshoes we did get 120+ runners to come out and run the trails, on snow, in the dark. What made the night so special for us was that everyone just really appeared to be out having fun. Sure some raced hard but most just wanted to experience the joy of running something different. To hear adults just laughing as they ran was very special.

On the 19th we got hammered with snow, so what did we do? As soon as we closed up the shop we met a few friends for a night time snowshoe run/hike at the local park. 7 people, 3 dogs and tons of fresh powder, what could be better? Well the mexican food at Dorado post workout came close to being better.

On the 21st Ellen and I took Bart out to a park we've never been to (well I have but I grew up here so I think I've been to almost every park) Again it would be a headlamp hike as it was real dark out and the snow was real deep. We didn't go long but what a nice hike. No one else was out and we hiked along a pond and out onto a golf course where the powder was super deep, especially for Bart. He could just keep his chin above the snow in parts but man he loves the snow.

Finally on the 22nd we did hit a park that neither one of us has ever been to. It is a new one so it wasn't around when I was younger. It was after work so we grabbed the lamps, the dog and the snowshoes and headed out. We would only be out for 35 minutes or so but this was a great hike. Again we were all alone but the beauty of our surroundings was breathtaking. The trail was super narrow with deep powder all around. It was very dark back in the trees so all we had was the beam from our headlamps, very cool.

During this time of year when everyone is just way too busy I thought it was important that we just went out and played in the snow. I was never worried about getting in a "workout" or how tough it was, I just wanted to get outside in some fresh air and play in the snow with some friends, my wife and our dog. Don't get so caught up in your day that you forget to just have some fun.

I think we all need to be more like Bart. He is a working breed so he needs a job to do (his official title at the store is female customer aquisition specialist, aka chicks dig him) All he really wants to do is play (and eat) and when he gets to, he plays hard. When he is done playing he sleeps and then he starts all over again. Work, play, sleep, repeat. Makes sense to me.

Live FIT.

"Going to a Dark Place" (Le Templiers in France - October 2007

Below is an article I wrote last year after an epic adventure. The photo is from the start, that's all runners headlamps This event is amazing and I will end up going back some day. Enjoy

I may very well be the dumbest person you’ll get to meet. Why do I say that? Well Ellen and I just got back from France where I ran a 66 kilometer trail run with 11,000+ feet of climbing. Now ultras are not dumb but running one on no training certainly is. I think I have run 12 times this year due to work and too many injuries. But I said I was doing it so I had to toe the line. In my racing past I’ve had to go to what I call a dark place many times. It is that spot where you either quit or finish. It’s going to hurt and you’ll have to use your mind way more then anything else because your body will abandon you. On the plus side you do learn a lot in a dark place.

Here’s the story.

The first 35k running with Fleet Feet’s very own K-Robb and his wife wasn’t too bad. I thought to myself that since they had trained a ton maybe they did enough to cover my lack of training. I was wrong. I came into the aid station and met Ellen and the rest of our crew and said I’m done. I figured stop before I do too much damage. Then they tell me it is a 3 mile walk to the car, so I decide to run the 10k to the next aid station. This leg was 5k straight up and then 5k straight down. The 5k up is when things started to get dark, not outside but inside me. This didn’t feel good and my body did not wish to keep doing it. I would have to use my head to get me to the next aid station as I had just told my ride to leave. Well I made it to the top and the descent begins. I chose the mantra “Gravite et Gratus” Which apparently is made up French for Gravity is free ‘because that is all I was thinking. I hammered the downhill having a blast jumping over all sorts of stuff and flying by the poor saps that planned to run further then the next aid station. Not me I thought I’m done.

Well I get to the next station at 45k and pound some sweets and soup and of course more nectur of the gods, carbonated water with high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors, Coke. I hung out for a bit and then stupidly ask to see the map. I ask how bad does the next section look and it really didn’t appear that bad so I announce that I am dumber then they all thought and head out. Again tons of up hill and the legs immediately announce that they do not wish to go up hill any longer. Lots of bad thoughts are in my head now but I have no choice but to continue. You can’t just drop out in the middle of a leg as we were running in the middle of the Mountains with very few towns around. I get to the first ropes section and the field comes to a stop. There goes my free gravity. Once we finally get moving after the ropes I go back to hammering the down as I used my anger of the 30 minute delay as fuel.

So a mantra saved me once and now anger did. I doubt I’ll get lucky a third time.

I arrive at the 55k aid station and have no choice but to go on. I’m only 11 k from the finish. I grab some quick sweets and coke and get moving. I felt really pretty good. The map didn’t look too severe and it started out on an easy trail with very little up. I’m finally running on something other then rocks and the trail is wide. Then it all goes to crap. Straight up and rocky with a ledge on one side. I’m done. I’m moving on fumes. The tank is empty. The good news is I must not have much more to go as I left the aid station 1.5 hours earlier. I’m pushing on my legs to make them go up hill just to try and get moving. I find a race official on the course and ask fini kilometer. His answer was 7. How did 4 k just take me 90 minutes? I go around the bend in the trail and sit down. My mind is fried. This may be the darkest moment in my racing career. If it took 90 minutes to go 4k and I have 7k to go I’ve got a real long ways to go. All I want to do is sit here and wait. Wait for what I don’t know, maybe I’ll feel better, maybe I’ll just sleep out here tonight, I don’t know but I did know that I didn’t want to keep going. I think that I used to be half way decent at this stuff and now I can’t move. I kick myself for not training, for putting fitness on the backburner for 3 years after 20+ years of it being my sole focus. I sit there sucking on what little water I have left watching others trudge by. They try to encourage me to come with them and finally I do but this is going to hurt. My body isn’t working and now my mind is smoked. All I can do is stare at the pair of calves in front of me and try to stick with them. We climb for what feels like an hour or more and finally hit the top, with 3.9 k to go. At least no more climbing. Just some flat and then a technical descent with ropes down to the finish. I’m still in a pain induced dark place but I’ll make it to the end. I finish with a “full Doyle salute” (it’s a FF Roc thing) get changed and head home.

So what did I learn in this dark place. One I gotta train for these things. Two your mind can get you out of a really tight spot if you just use it. Three and most important for me I learned I gotta train for these things. I used to train 20+ hours a week as a pro duathlete and I don’t like not being in shape. Being out of shape has made me a person that I didn’t use to be. Not only do I have 30 extra pounds but I am a different person. I get tired easy, I’m more tense, and my fuse is shorter. These are all bad things and I need to get back out on the roads and trails just enjoying being in shape so I can be the person I used to be. My family deserves that, my wife certainly does and so do my employee’s, teammates and customers.

So don’t be afraid to push yourself into a dark place by taking on a new challenge. Sign up for that triathlon, even though you can’t swim yet, or find an ultra to do, or heck, decide to walk an extra mile on your loop tonight. The challenge is individual to each of us and one is not tougher then another as it will be a big leap no matter what you choose to do or you current level of fitness. You might be surprised at what you find. At least learn from me and train for it though.

I’ll see you out there, it might be on the trails or the roads, on a bike or running, snowshoeing or just hiking with the dog, but you will see me out there.

Live FIT.

Crescent Moon Gold 12 Review

The snow is about to fly and the Snow Cheap Trail Series race # 1 is 24 hours away so it must be just about time for snowshoe season. Over the last 14 or so years I've owned and tested a few different brands of snowshoes for running. The Crescent Moon Gold 12 is the one we choose to carry for a few reasons.

The first reason is that I like the owner, Jake Thamm. He is real passionate about snowshoeing and getting outside to play.

I also like that Jake still makes all his snowshoes in the US. With many brands moving production overseas he has made the commitment to keep building in Colorado.

Crescent Moon has tried to be very Green for a very long time. Believe it or not that is not always the case with outdoor companies. To read about some of the things they do to be green check out http://www.crescentmoonsnowshoes.com/green.html

So I like the company, what about the product. The Gold 12's are great for running on packed to semi packed trails. Just what most snowshoe racing is made up of. Sure they can go in the deep stuff but at just 8" x 22" they are not designed to offer a ton of floatation.

What really sets the Gold 12's apart is the binding. The binding is what will hold the snowshoes onto your foot. I've had a bunch of different styles and nothing is as comfortable as the SPL binding found on the Gold 12's. The SPL binding is an anatomically shaped, molded polymer stirrup which is adjusted with interlocking straps laced through cam locking buckles which when pulled capture your entire foot in all directions.

What that means is they don't hurt your feet. They hold your foot very secure, and you can work them with gloves on. Those are all very good things.

What else works great on the Gold 12's. Well they weigh only 2.6 lbs, the binding fits most adult feet up to a size 14 and the 3 claw system provides traction underneath.

Over the years I've spent a bunch of time out on the trails in my Gold 12's and they have never let me down. My stride feels pretty natural, the narrow design helps me to not kick myself, and the light weight doesn't bog me down. Simply stated they rock. Oh yeah and if anything does go wrong Crescent Moon has a lifetime Guarantee on all their Gold Series Snowshoes.

Now get outside and play

Live FIT.

Let the snow fly

The Snow Cheap Winter Trail series starts in one week and we are still waiting for some real snow to fly. No worries as the races will be a blast with or without the white stuff.

Playing outside in the winter is one of my favorite things to do. Maybe it goes back to being a kid in Rochester. We never were lacking for snow in my youth. We would go sledding for hours, build forts, play some ice hockey. I even used to nordic ski to school in 6th grade. It really didn't matter as long as we were outside having fun. Heck even in college it became a tradition that with the first decent snow fall the team headed into Mt Hope Cemetary for an epic snowball/fartlek battle.

After college it was time to look for more fun ways to enjoy the winter. I was training a ton for duathlons and wanted something that would work the cycling legs as well as the lungs. I had read how Ray Browning, a stud pro triathlete and fellow Pearl Izumi sponsored athlete, would snowshoe in the Rockies. It must have been 1994 or so when I purchased my first pair of running snowshoes. I've been snowshoeing since.

I can't forget my first time trying to run in snowshoes. It was Thanksgiving and we had gotten dumped on with snow, a good foot or so. I won the Webster Turkey Trot in the am and after the race I headed into the park to snowshoe a little more. I think I made it about 200 yards before I was beant over trying to suck in air. I learned real quick that you have to go by effort, not your running pace. Man that was a painful leason to learn, but I was the only person I knew that ran in snowshoes so how was I supposed to know.

Now that I'm old and out of shape I like to use them differently. I don't try to go as hard or as far as I can. I don't use them to "workout" per say. I use them to enjoy the outdoors with some friends. I love getting a few friends together (and all our dogs) to head out and have some fun on the trails. We all have different abilities but that works out fine. The faster ones go ahead and charge up the hills. The slower ones always catch up as the speedsters are catching their breath or just messing around in the powder. We all have a blast and we do get in a great workout at the same time. Really, what is better then being outside, working out with friends?

If you've never ran in snowshoes before give it a try. You won't believe how much fun you can have with it.

In my next entry I will write about my favorite brand of snowshoes, Crescent Moon. That's Jake the owner of Crescent Moon with a fury friend in the photo above. He builds great environmentally conscious snowshoes right here in the USA.

Now get outside and

Live FIT.

Why you should shop local

So I've been a long time believer in dealing with local business's. Obviously I am a local business so I have a horse in the race but my support of local companies goes way back. I have also been reading a bunch of articles on why others really need to start acting the same way.

A little background...

When I started YellowJacket Racing in 1998 it was about bringing better and more diverse events to our community. I made the decision that profits made off the events would go back into new events and to support the local running community. I was fairly young and most likely dumb but it was important to me to put the money back into our community.

Then in 2004 we opened Fleet Feet Sports and it has been part of our mission statement from day one to support our community. We pour more money, services, and effort into local running events then most could imagine. Sure it is good for business but more importantly it is good for our city. We would like to think that we are helping make Rochester a better place to live.

Now I'm not so dumb as to believe that everyone buys local. Internet shopping is bigger then ever and everyone is looking for a deal. I'll try to explain why that is not necessarily a good thing.

Every so often I'll have someone tell me that they can find such and such a product online for less. They'll ask if I will match the price. 10 out of 10 times I'll say no, not just because it would be a bad business move but also because it devalues what we do.

So why should people shop local. Easy, because then their money stays local. Here are just three reasons supporting my point of view.

1. When someone buys out of state online there is no sales tax being generated (at this time) That sales tax would have gone to pay for our schools, to upkeep our roads and to provide many social services. Lets be honest our state is going broke. If you are going to spend money wouldn't it make sense to have that sale also help support all the things that our taxes support. Trust me I am not a fan of how high our taxes are in NY (ask any business person how NY ranks in regards to business taxes) but I would rather my purchases support NY programs.
2. As I already pointed out we pour an incredible amount of time and money into local events. Without the growth of our business we would not have been able to do this. That would have meant no Dirt Cheap series, No Duathlons or a Tri at Hamlin Beach, no Spring Forward or Lake Effect. In 2009 we'll be producing nearly 30 local events for the community to come out and play in. The more fun you can have the better. We are able to keep adding more and better events because our business is growing. If everyone just looked for the best deal online that wouldn't happen.
3. All of our employees are local. We have 15 employees that live right here in Rochester. They all pay their taxes (at least they better) and they all spend their money right here in Rochester. They shop at Wegmans and the Public Market, they've bought houses in the city and the 'burbs, some go to local Colleges. the money that we are able to pay them goes right back into supporting the community we live in. Purchase from an online site and you are pumping money into that community, not the one you live in.

I could go and calculate how much money we pump back into the community but it would get crazy if I then trickled it down. Think about it, You come into the shop to get some shoes. Kim takes great care of you and then gets her paycheck on Friday. She then heads off to Wegmans to shop. The employee at Wegmans cashes Kim out. Wegmans then pays that employee, who then heads off to Jines on Park Ave for dinner. Peter at Jines has to have cooks and waiters to serve the meal. That waiter then gets paid and heads off to the Little to catch a movie. The little has to have someone to make the popcorn. I could keep going but I think you get the point. All those workers that got paid by each different company can thank you for buying your shoes locally.

Save a couple of bucks and make that purchase online and your purchase now goes to paying an employee in say California. They then shop at a store in Cali, and that tax goes to fund projects in Cali. None of your purchase goes towards helping the very city that you live in.

By making just a simple purchase local you are able to help support so many different local businesses. Local businesses that may appear "small" but when combined generate millions of dollars for our community.

Now you may say that you are only concerned with saving the few bucks. I can understand that as money doesn't grow on trees. My retort would be "and that is why our economy is where it is" Too many people only worried about themselves and not thinking about the bigger picture. We all have to think about what we can each do to help our community.

Maybe that $100 shoe can be found online for $85. At the same time maybe that extra $15 helps pay for that event that you did last month that was so much fun. Or maybe it went to an employee that is saving to buy a house right here in Rochester. Maybe it was used to host one of those fun free events that so many people like to attend.

My point is that if you spend your money locally it will stay local and that is very important for the health of our community. Just think about it the next time you need some gear.

I'll get off the soap box now.

Live FIT.

Battle of the base layers

It is that time of year where how you dress very much has an impact on how much you may enjoy your run. Underdress and you might freeze. Overdress and you'll be soaked.

One of the most important pieces to invest in is the base layer. This is the top that will go on first right against the skin (yes I know the ladies will have a bra on underneath). It can be no sleeve, short sleeve or long sleeve. It will work best if it fits a little snugger against the body. The job of the base layer is to move moisture off your body to the next layer so your temperature stays regulated. In simply terms you'll stay comfy.

I own and have used just about every possible option out there. Nike, Brooks, Asics, Pearl, Descente, UA, Falke, Craft and Helly Hansen. I'm sure there are plenty more in my closet but those pop into my head.

Out of all those there are two companies that I grab more often then any other. These are the only two companies I will wear while directing races in bad weather. While race directing I'll go from sweating like crazy to standing in one place. I need a great base layer to move the moisture off my body so I don't get cold.

So what are the two super base layers. Craft and Helly Hansen. Two old companies from very frigid parts of the world. These guys know how to stay warm when it gets cold. HH makes one of the coolest deep sea survival suits you'll ever see and Craft dominates in Nordic Skiing. Like i said they know staying warm in the cold.

We carry a few options from both companies but the staples are the Lifa Stripe Crew from Helly Hansen and the proZero Crew from Craft. Both fit snug and move moisture like crazy. The Craft has a longer fit to the torso so if you also bike or ski it is a great option as it won't come untucked.

At the recent Webster Turkey Trot all I wore was the Craft base layer, a 12 year old Pearl Izumi Windstopper fleece top and an Asics Storm Shelter Jacket. I could have done without the Asics as it never started to rain or snow. This is what I wore from 5:00 am until 2:00 pm. The temperature ranged from high 20's to high 30's. I was sweating a bunch while building the finish line and corral and was still comfortable while standing and cheering on the runners.

If you want to be comfortable during your winter runs check out these two great base layers. you won't be disappointed.

Live FIT

Waterproof follow up

Ok - So a week or so ago I wrote about my issue with a pair of shoes that a rep had told me would be waterproof. Here's a follow up to that.

1. To be fair the company never promoted the shoes to be waterproof but to be water resistant. My issue was that the rep for the company had assured me that these would be waterproof, they just couldn't say they were as they hadn't applied for outside testing. That rep has left the company so in the future I'll know I'm getting the correct facts.

2. The National Sales Manager and I went back and forth for a few days about doing some further testing. I did a few different tests on my pair and reported back the findings. They then took pairs out of their stock to do testing on as they didn't like what they heard. He admitted that they were not as close to waterproof as they thought they should be. Still very water resistant but not water proof.

3. They sent me a new pair just to be sure my pair wasn't from a funky batch but after their testing we are pretty sure we know what the issue is.

4. K-Robb here at the shop has the same style and also did some testing for me with the same results.

The issue comes down to a bonding versus water resistance. Parts of the upper are bonded to other parts, that is they are glued not stiched. To do this the company had to reduce the amount of spray on water repelancy they used on those parts so the glue would stick. By doing this they made it possible for water to sneak in.

Bummer that they are not water proof but they are very water resistant and very comfy. 2 out of 3 aint bad. We make sure we are very clear with our customers that there is a difference between water proof and water resistant so they don't feel like I did when my feet got wet.

Now I had started off pretty pissed with this company (for a few different issues) but in the end I am really impressed with the amount of time they took to go over my concerns. They pulled product from their selves to do follow up testing. They had their product guys go back over it and figure out where the issues were. They did all this just because I wasn't pleased with my personal pair. That is a company that cares about their customers and their product. Not many of those left these days.

Live FIT.

1 tough week

I get asked a lot if we ever sleep due to the crazy amount of events we work with. Well last week was one of the toughest of the year. Check this out.

Sunday 11/23. 7:00 am Hook trailer up to the Tundra to head over to Syracuse to time the Jingle Bell 5k/10k. The race would be interesting as they had two races starting 15 minutes apart, 1000 runners and snow on the ground. We built the finish line and corral, got the pa system up running and got all the timing done. Overall things went smooth from our end of things. The race itself had a few issues but they'll fix that for next year.

Ellen, Greg and I got back to the shop at 4:00 pm, unloaded some gear from the trailer, accounted for all the timing chips and got started on Trot stuff as packet pick up will begin at 10 am on Monday. We finally left the store at 7:00 pm after a long 12 hour day.

Mon 11/24. 10:00 am. Store opens and packet pick up begins. Not a bad day in the shop and 442 people came in to either register or pick up their packets. Greg spent a chunk of the day getting all the gear ready for the Trot as well as for the two races our crews would be timing. Head out to dinner after closing up at 7:00. Put in about a 9 hour day

Tues 11/25. 10:00 am. Same as yesterday. Another decent day and 402 people come in to register or pick up packets. Greg and a crew spend the entire day in the basement prepping all the timing chips for the 3 races. Barb spent a lot of timing trying to get things ready for Fridays big sale. Head out to dinner after closing up at 7:00. Another 9+ hour day

Wed 11/26 10:00 am. Same as yesterday. Another decent day and 571 people come in to register or pick up packets. Greg and a crew spend the day in the basement prepping all the timing chips for the 3 races. They also load up the FJ for the Watertown race and Greg heads out to Greece for packet pick at 4:00. Barb gets everything done and ready for Friday. Ellen spent time at Wegmans getting all the food for Friday. After closing up at 7:00 we finish loading up the truck and head out to dinner. About a 10+ hour day

Thurs 11/27
3:45 am. Paul and Doug head off to Watertown in the FJ
4:45 am. Greg loads chips into the trailer and heads off to Race with Grace
4:45 am. Ellen and I load chips into Fitlosophy 1 (the big truck) and head out to Webster.

Paul and Doug get to time a race in 18 inches of fresh new snow. 500 register but only 300+ finish as many stay home due to the snow. P&D do a great job in only their second solo effort.

RwG sets a day of race entry record with over 260 people waiting until Thursday to register. Over 800 finish. Greg does a great job taking care of everything

Trot becomes the third largest race in Rochester with over 1800 registered. We get over 270 on the day of the race and over 1600 finish. A little crazy but overall the race went smooth.

Load everything back into the truck and get back to the shop at 2:00. Greg is just finishing up at the shop and he heads off to Ohio for the Holiday. He's worked hard all week and gets to spend a few days with the parents.

I unload all the temperature sensitive stuff, Ellen works on results a little bit and we head to Starbucks at 2:30. Home right after to get results up online for RwG and to continue cleaning up Trot results.

At 3:00 Doug calls to let me know they are on 490 so we head back to the shop to help them unload and Ellen needs to resend the RwG results from there anyhow. Unload fast and get home at 3:30, shower, get RwG results up online along with the Watertown results and head over to Barbs for the family dinner.

Enjoy a little time with the family and Ellen work on results during dessert. Of course I have to answer a few emails from people asking when results will be up. I guess the note on the front page of the website saying we would be having a family dinner wasn't good enough. We get to spend very little time with our family these days due to the amount of work we take on. We feel guilty not having results up yet but at the same time we feel bad working during our family get together. Oh well no way to win this one, at least our family understands

Home by 9:00 and results go right up online.

Fri 11/28
5:30 alarm goes off as we have to get to the store. Doors open at 7:00 am and the crowds are pretty big. People are shopping, others are getting ready for the fun run at 8:00 and some are waiting for Mark and John to fire up the waffle iron. The staff does a great job taking care of everyone all day. We go through 3 boxes of waffle mix, tons of hot chocolate and lots of breakfast sausage.

Great day at the store, we set an all time sales record and everyone really appeared to have fun. At about 6:30 Ellen and I head home. I'm sure we bought dinner someplace but I don't remember

We get to ease back on the weekend, though we do stop by and spend some time at the store. We have errands to run and have to have some of the staff work on some post race stuff like checking all the timing chips back in.

Monday is spent working on the bulk of the chips, Greg will spend the rest of the week getting things back into order, and we'll get ready for packet pick up on Friday for Saturday's Jingle Bell here in Rochester. The race should have 700 plus and we provide a lot of services for it so we'll be busy. Time to get right back into it.

So that is what race week can be like. It can be easy for us to put in over 40 hours in three days and upwards of 100 for a week. We spend a lot of time out on the road and working in the elements. We wouldn't be able to pull it off without a great staff that understands sometimes it gets crazy and sometimes the crazy just starts to feel normal.

Overall a successful week. We worked on 4 races in 5 days with over 3600 finishers. I like to think we helped a lot of people enjoy the Holiday, either by participating in a a race or by coming into the store. We were able to FIT a lot of runners with some great footwear and apparel and fed a bunch of them some really nice waffles.

Hope your week was as much fun as ours, but not as exhausting.

Live FIT

Toughest sock in town

The Darn Tough Merino wool socks just may be the toughest socks on the market. We've been carrying these for over a year now and my original test socks are still looking new (well maybe a little dirty). That means they have survived a year of trail runs, a ton of races where I worked or was the director (much tougher then actually running) and one trail ultra in France. I also wear them casually at the store. You can't wear these things out, and if you do they'll replace them.

Darn Tough Vermont is a cool little company. Based in Vermont they design and actually knit all the socks in their own mill, right here in the USA. They've been making socks for over 30 years so they know what they are doing. They share our belief that a big part of doing business is supporting the community that you are in. I dig that about them.

So what makes these socks so great. It might be the mix of Merino Wool, Nylon and Spandex. It could also be the high density cushioning on the foot bottom. Maybe it is the invisible seam at the toe. It could be the fact that even when wet Merino wool feels nice. All of these things add up to one great feeling sock.

When we were thinking about carrying wool socks last year we tested a few different brands. I had already tested one major brand and the socks just always wore out. It was either a hole at the toe or at the Achilles, either way for 15+ bucks a sock should last. I even spoke with a rep from that company and he said yeh they wear out kinda fast. Right there I knew they weren't for us. If you work for the company and don't even believe in the product why should I carry it. Good thing we found Darn Tough.

So if you wear socks out fast or just want a great sock, especially for the winter give Darn Tough Vermont a try. They're cushioned, wear like iron, and for the weather we are about to get they will keep your toes feeling nice and warm. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Live FIT.

Salomon SpeedCross 2 review

Is this the ultimate trail shoe for winter use? Maybe not the ultimate winter shoe due to a lack of water proofness but it sure is the best light weight go fast grip like crazy shoe out there.

Originally Salomon made this shoe as a winter shoe due to the tread they chose for it. Myself and thousands of others found that it works great as a race day shoe for tough trail races. At just 10.2 ounces for a mens size 9 and a low to the ground midsole and snug fit this shoe begs to go fast. It is kinda like my Aussie, Bart, It wants to run fast.

Here are some of the details

• Like I said light. 10.2 ounces (mens 9)
• Mens sizing only (sorry ladies) but the good news it comes in sizes 5 - 14 (thats wmns 6.5 - 15.5)
• Fits snug and narrow but normal in length
• This is due to the upper being double lasted. Trust me it is worth it if your foot fits in it
• Very nice toe cap to protect the toes from roots, stones and other trail crap
• Salomons lace pocket on the tongue and their great Quicklace kevlar laces
• Funky upper material that kinda repels dirt and crap and is very slightly H2O resistant
• SensiFit upper wraps the foot for a secure and precise fit
• Dual density midsole for slight pronation control.
• I find this very good for most people off road as the soft surface causes the foot to roll past neutral and to splay laterally to try and gain traction and power. Having the second density post will help the foot stay in a better position
• Very nice Ortholite insole
• Possibly the best part, the outsole
• They call it Winter Contragrip. I call it sweet. Think mountain bike tires circa 1992. Big tread, lots of space between treads and very soft rubber. This leads to mud just flying off and not mucking up your traction. It will grip just about anything due to the use of soft rubber.
• And it is all black which women have gone crazy over since we started carrying them last spring and men, well we don't really care.

Of course there must be some negatives.

• Like I already said mens only sizing. They were ready to do a womens for 2009 but dropped it.
• Fits very narrow so it won't work for a lot of people
• That super grippy outsole won't last on the road, but that isn't what it was built for.

Overall: You may have guessed that I like this shoe. You may be able to guess that I have a narrow foot so it fits me well. If you are looking for a great trail shoe that will do double duty as a winter shoe with tons of traction give this one a try.

Live FIT.

When a company cares

So I went for a run the other morning and decided to test a pair of water resistant trail shoes since the grass was wet. The test didn't go well at all. My feet were soaked very quickly.

Now this wasn't a prototype so I shot a semi pissed/sarcastic email off to our sales rep (we get along great so I can be brutally honest with him). He sent the note to an inside sales rep.

I just got off the phone with the National Sales Manager (he called me). I've got a new pair on the way as the testing I am about to do on my original pair just might destroy them. The NSM swears that they had done a ton of testing and that he personally wears them and his feet stay dry. Maybe our wet here in Rochester is wetter then his wet out in the Rockies. Either way I plan to do a 6 hour dunk test with my current pair to see if it is the material that is failing or the bonding. After that I'll do more torture tests on the poor things. I'll figure out if the shoe is everything it should be.

I'll report back on how it goes. The real success of this tale is that in this case a company wants to make sure their product is everything they say it is. That is a good thing.

Live FIT.

A New Adventure begins

I'm starting a new little human experiment, called FF Lab Rats (disclaimer no real rats are even used for this) I use to coach a few select runners one on one. Since opening the store I just haven't had the time or the energy. Well I decided it was time to jump back into it and I offered a few slots.

The amazing thing is that I had a bunch of people want in and they had no idea what it is I planned to do with them. All I said is that I would challenge them to run and train harder then they ever had using some crazy ideas that I will make up as I go. Yup they still wanted in. Some know me and some of the things I've done, others I think just wanted a challenge. I guess crazy attracts crazy.

I've got 7 signed up and a few more on the fence. I had to turn a few away. It will be a very diverse group. I made it very clear that talent is not what I was looking for, a willingness to suffer was required. I've got both men and women. Some have run some pretty quick times, some hope to in the future. Some are already in great shape, some (like me) need to get in shape.

It is going to be interesting. I don't follow any common training plans. I use heart rate as a guide and like to challenge my team to push beyond the point of discomfort. You know that point where it hurts so much that you just have to slow down? How do you know that the pain doesn't go away if you try to run even harder? You don't know so you might as well try it. Everyone that joined up will learn to push to that point. They will get in better physical shape but even more importantly they will build their minds to be stronger.

Over the next 12 or so weeks I'll write about some of the workouts that the crew is doing. It might be hill repeats at midnight or one of my favs that I call 10-2-10. That's a nasty one but it makes you strong.

Be sure to check back and next srping when a friend beats you easily at a 5k and you ask them how they did it. If the answer is "I'm a lab rat" you'll know what they mean.

Live FIT.

Racing Flats

Ok - So I've had a request to write about who should and shouldn't wear racing flats. I'll keep this to road flats and not talk about track or XC spikes.

I love racing flats. My very first pair of Nike American Eagle flats are on display in our store. I got these is about 8th grade. One of the greatest racing shoes of all time. You can see a whole history of my racing shoes in our store but man I love those Am Eagles, red white and blue pimped out with red laces. Still sweet to this day.

Down to business.
First off what is a road flat? Racing flats are designed to be light weight, low to the ground and flexible. All things that might make you run faster. They can be as light as sub 4 ounces, trust me that's crazy light

The less weight you need to carry the better. There is a reason elite runners are tiny people. Bill Bowerman believed in reducing shoes down to the bare minimum. For elite athletes I agree, but how many of us fall into that category? He also custom made each pair for his runners, so each guy got what they needed.

Lower to the ground is more responsive and gives a better feel for the road. That's a good thing for going fast.

Flexible also good so your foot can transition from heel/midfoot to forefoot as quickly as possible.

So you ask why shouldn't everyone wear a flat during races? Many reasons.

First one is that low weight factor I mentioned. Yup it is great to not have to carry the extra weight of the shoes but the reason they don't weigh much is because they don't have much protection. Road Flats have very little cushioning, and a good one will have firm cushioning, not squishy like so many people like to feel. Firmer will be more responsive hence faster. At the same time they will absorb less shock, meaning that the body has to take that abuse.

A second reason to not wear flats is your biomechanics. If you are one of the gifted few with great foot biomechanics go ahead and get some flats. For the other 90+ percent let's think about it. Let's say you are an extreme over pronator (that is your foot rolls way past neutral towards the inside) A racing flat will do nothing to help control that. When your foot is out of alignment it is very inefficient (one of the reasons it is hard to run on sand). This will lead to a loss of power. Loss of power equals running slower

So lets say you are 10 seconds a mile faster because of the weight savings but 20 seconds per mile slower due to being inefficient, overall you are now slower. Money well spent there don't you think.

There is also that low to the ground factor. Most regular training shoes are built with a 21- 25 mm heel height and a 12mm drop to the front of the foot. Road flats might be as low as 9 mm in the heel. with as little as a 4 mm drop. This difference increases the strain on the lower leg by a huge amount. So if you have calf or Achilles issues use extreme caution. If you have no issues break racers in slowly or your lower legs will be killing you.

So who should wear flats in road races. Overall anyone can, I mean who am I to stop you. I've only been racing for 29 years, studying footwear for about 26 years and have fit numerous runners that have made it to the Olympic Trials. If you want them go for it, they feel great and I sell shoes. Remember I said I love these things. Of course I don't really ever wear them anymore and those that I do are really more like light trainers not true racers. I'm old, running slow, bad calves and Achilles and bio mechanically crap these days so I stay away but there are still people behind me at races wearing flats.

If you are efficient and want to go faster give them a try.

If you are not efficient you could get away with them the shorter the event, maybe up to 10k. Over that switch to a light weight trainer. If you are a tri geek remember that you are already fatigued at the start of the run so your biomechanics will already suck, use caution.

You can also do what we have done for a few fairly elite guys. Go with the flats but them trick them out with some SuperFeet Premium Inserts. The inserts will help with the efficiency (more then you can imagine) and they don't add much weight. So you can get that low to the ground benefit, the lighter weight and not lose too much in biomechanics. Wouldn't it be cool if you could cover the same distance while taking less strides just because we increased the efficiency of your footstrike, guess what we can.

So in review. Everyone can wear flats, most people I see using them shouldn't be though. For the weekend warrior out trying to have fun it might lead to a PR or it might lead to an injury. The best thing to do is to stop into the shop and discuss goals and let us look at your feet. Let us work with you to determine if road flats will help. We want everyone to be out on the roads enjoying running, we don't want runners to be injured.

I hope that somehow helps and isn't too confusing. If anyone has follow up questions shoot me an email

Live FIT.

Boots

Fun for Winter

Fleet Feet Sports Snow Cheap Winter Trail Series presented by the City of Rochester (FFSSCWTSpbtCoR)

Everything you loved about the Dirt Cheap Series now for the winter. Low price, crazy fun, great vibe, tons of value. You have the choice to use snowshoes or no snowshoes but either way you'll be on snow, mother nature permiting of course.

We've partnered with the City to bring all our summer fun to the winter. We'll have the beautiful and warm Riley Lodge for pre and post race and the great trails of Washington Grove to play in. Plenty of parking on either side of the lodge. Start and finish will be right across the street from the lodge.

Here's the deal.
6 races of varying distances. Each race will last from 30 - 60 minutes give or take. You will never know what we'll throw at you until you get there.

$10.00 per race or $45.00 for all six
The dates are all on Wednesday nights
Dec 17th
Jan 7th
Jan 21st
Feb 4th
Feb 18th
Mar 4th
All races to be held at Cobb's Hill Park, Riley Lodge
Start time will be 6:15 at night. That means headlamps required. No headlamp, no race for you.

Choose your category, snowshoe or no snowshoe. Once you sign up for the series and declare a category that is the category you'll be in for the entire series.We run with or without snow. If by chance there is a state of emergency due to a storm we'll take that night off.

Sign up for the series ($45.00) by Jan 7th and here is what you'll get.
6 crazy races that will be a ton of fun
Chip timing for all races by YellowJacket Racing
Plenty of post race food (it's a Fleet Feet event you know there will be food)
Door prizes at each race from our series sponsors.
Overall and age group awards given out for series scoring after the last race.
A limited edition Snow Cheap shirt to go with that sweet Dirt Cheap shirt
$25.00 off a pair of Crescent Moon Snowshoes at Fleet Feet Sports
$5.00 off a Black Diamond Gizmo headlamp at Fleet Feet Sports
$5.00 off Darn Tough socks when you buy two pairs at Fleet Feet Sports
$20.00 off any instock pair of trail shoes at Fleet Feet Sports
$10.00 off a single piece of winter apparel (priced over $50.00) at Fleet Feet Sports
$5.00 off two boxes of GU or PowerGel energy gel at Fleet Feet Sports
$5.00 off a single canister of PowerBar Endurance drink mix
(That's $75.00 in product discounts alone)

Not bad huh. There will also be an incentive price for residents of the City of Rochester. That info will be out shortly but if you live in the city be ready for it. Mayor Duffy and the City Parks and Rec Department want to get city residents outside having fun. We are glad we can work with them to make that happen.

Registration forms and online entry will open on Monday November 17th.

So there you go. Set the Tivo to record your favorite Wednesday night shows 'cause you're gonna be outside having fun this winter.

If you have any questions drop me a line boots@fleetfeetrochester.com.

Live FIT.
Boots

Asics GT 2140

So you love Asics, and really love the GT 2000 series but man they change it often. Every 12 months to be accurate. The official launch date is in January but Asics Gold Accounts (that would be us) get them in November. While my wish would be for it to remain unchanged for 18 - 24 months that isn't going to happen. Luckily the changes are never drastic. Here is some info that Asics supplied along with a few comments from me in red.

GT-2140™ $100 (yup the price went up $5.00)
While the series has certainly evolved technically, each update has remained true to the original concept, and the shoe continues to satisfy millions of loyal runners.

What’s New?
Fans of the series will be pleased to learn that the GT-2140™ will employ just a few small tweaks from the previous version. The midsole tooling is new but employs the same stable base specs as the GT-2130™, while improved Solyte® material will provide better ‘bounce back’. To enhance midfoot support, the Space Trusstic System® has been lengthened slightly on the medial side, offering a bit more rigidity and helping to prevent excessive collapse at mid-stance.
What all that means is they needed to make the Solyte material feel a little nicer (ie softer) and they made the shoe a little more stable for those over pronators.

While the upper features an all-new design, the geometry and pattern of the upper will remain relatively unchanged. The shortened collar length employed by the GT-2130™ will return, along with a slightly longer vamp area for a comfortable forefoot fit. For plush platform comfort, a 5.5mm Comfordry™ sockliner will replace the EVA sockliner used on previous models. Made by Ortholite, the one-density memory foam material provides a cushy platform feel and reforms itself after every run. This helps to maintain a fresh-out-of-the-box feel long after a standard EVA sockliner tends to ‘bottom out’.
Upper will fit the same and the sockliner will make it feel softer underfoot. Those are good things.

Road Test
The GT-2140™ will have a noticeably softer platform feel than the GT-2130™, due primarily to the memory foam sockliner. Stability won’t be compromised however. In fact, with its enhanced midfoot stability, the shoe will be a product solution for a broader gait range than before; even reaching a portion of runners deemed to be slightly more severe over-pronators. This was substantiated by lab tests on the GT-2140™ that showed improvements to both stability and cushioning compared to the prior model.
Like I already said, it will fit the same, feel a little softer underfoot and be a little more stable. Remember softer does not equal shock absorption so if you need big cushion take a look at the Kayano.

Overall Asics did exactly what they needed to do. Barely changed the shoe. The GT series is like bread and butter, not fancy but you gottta have it, that is why it sells so well. If they had made major changes they would have risked losing a ton of customers. I'm glad they didn't mess with it.

If you absolutely loved the Gt 2130 or like to save money stop into Fleet Feet Sports Rochester and pick up a pair of GT 2130 for $70 or two pairs for $120.00. they are going fast.

Live FIT.

Boots

Intro

So here is post number 1 of Bootsblogs. I'm Boots to everyone but my mother, 3 out of 4 sisters and my brother. What you will find here in the future will be product reviews and editorials related to my two companies, Fleet Feet Sports Rochester and YellowJacket Racing. There will be updates on what is happening in the Rochester, NY running and triathlon communities as well as within our store. You just might even find some blog only specials on footwear and apparel. My goal is to keep it positive and informative all while having some fun.


With product reviews I will try and cover new releases in the running and triathlon industry. Myself and my staff spend hundreds of hours out on the roads and trails evaluating what products to carry. It helps that a bunch of us all have the same size foot. I'm real lucky that I get to test out product that isn't on the market yet and really beat the crap out of it. I give companies honest feedback and only bring in the gear that I believe in. You'll get a sneak peak at product that we just might carry in the future as well as stuff that we do already carry.


I'm sure I'll end up writing a bunch about races as we'll produce or work on over 80 events this year. We work on a crazy assortment of races. We've timed running races from 1 mile to 100k including road, trail and cross country, bike races in the disciplines of road, mountain bike and cyclocross. We've timed stair climbs, inline skate, nordic ski and snowshoe races. We work on triathlons and duathlons as well. It is a crazy job but at least we get to be outdoors.


You'll get to see inside this crazy life that my wife, Ellen and I live. We may work a ton but we get to spread a lifstyle that we very much believe in. We love being outside, running, biking, snowshoeing, etc. We get to do this with a great group of employees, friends and customers. There is nothing we enjoy more then taking a person that just barely works out and turn them into a person that loves to explore their limits if fitness. We don't care how fast someone can run or bike, just that they get out and run and bike, or snowshoe, or walk, or hike or swim. We want to spread our Fitlosophy.



Our motto is Live FIT. You'll learn a lot of things here to help you do just that. I hope you'll visit often and enjoy.

Boots