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.