Bad Decisions = Good Stories

This past weekend, I had the honor of running on one of Nike's Hood to Coast relay teams (Thanks BJ & Erica).  With over 1,000, 12-person teams participating, the HTC is the largest running relay in the world, earning it the nickname "Mother of All Relays".  Its course travels 197 miles from Mt. Hood (a dormant volcano that tops out at 11,249 feet) to the Pacific Ocean.  Like the Boston Marathon, it is something I have always wanted to run. 
 
The relay is divided up into 36 different legs and each runner is required to run three legs.  To prevent bottlenecks (both of the runner and auto variety), HTC staggers team start times such that 15 teams start together every 15 minutes from 6am to 8pm.  It's not too long after the start that runners get strung out over the course.  I'm sure that by Midnight there are runners stretched out over 100+ miles of road.  That must be an awesome sight to see from above!
 
Our team started at 3pm and set a goal for ourselves to reach the finish line party at the beach 24 hours later.  I ran in position #2 which consisted of three legs nearly 6 miles in length.  The first leg was incredible not only because the adrenaline was flowing, but because I got to careen myself down the volcano past gorgeous scenery.  I should have realized that the "Caution, Steep Grade Next 6 Miles" sign was meant for me as well as cars since my quads were on fire by the time I reached the exchange zone.  I have never craved running uphill so much!  
  
The second leg was really tough for me.  My legs had completely stiffened-up from being squished in the backseat of the van and it was approaching Midnight.  My body really wanted to sleep, not run another 10k.  Plus, my "dinner" wasn't sitting too well.  It was really neat, though, to run in the dark of night and see an endless string of lights representing the runners in front of me. 
 
My last leg started at 7:45am.  I was mentally and physically exhausted - especially since a missed turn extended our 40 minute drive to the pit stop into a 2 hour and 40 minute drive.  With only 35 minutes of sleep (on a tarp in the middle of a field in the pouring rain) and a diet of not so nutritious food (Ho-Ho's, Swedish Fish and Teddy Grahams all of which tasted good at the time, but haunted me during the run), I felt like I was hitting a never-ending wall, especially as I climbed a mile-long hill.  Disregard what I said about craving an uphill earlier, all I wanted at this point was to stop moving. 
 
With three minutes and four seconds to spare, our team crossed the finish line together and headed for an ice bath in Pacific Ocean.  It was so wonderful to be done!  And despite the lack of sleep, pain and general miserableness of those 24 hours, I had a blast.  I realized too that the bad decisions I/we made along the way (not training enough, eating junk food, not paying attention to where we were going, sleeping in the rain, etc) led to the best stories and most laughable moments.  A good reminder to not take life so seriously sometimes! 

 

Be Fit!
Steph

Brooks Ravenna: Brooks has long been a power-player in the high stability market.  The Adrenaline, now in its ninth year, provides pronation control that is a step above moderate stability shoes like the Asics GT-2140 and Saucony ProGrid Guide, yet not as severe as a motion control shoe.  Beyond this, they've been the dominant force in the motion control market with the Addiction and Beast/Ariel.  Enter the Ravenna, a new shoe that should bring Brooks newfound success in moderate stability.

The shoe does nothing new, which may make you ask just what makes it so great.  What makes the Ravenna stand out is the way that, like a footwear chimera, it puts together the best features of a number of other styles and brands into one great package.  The fit is snug in the heel, while widening out slightly in the forefoot, similar to many Saucony styles.  The more upturned toe, found in many Pearl Izumi shoes as well as many lightweight trainers, helps propel you into your stride when picking up the pace while never being so extreme as to force your stride unnaturally.  The weight comes in just under that of many similar shoes, weighing in about the same as the lighter-than-average Mizuno Wave Inspire.

Brooks is no imitator, of course, and they draw on the best features of their existing shoes to round out the Ravenna's great features.  The Ravenna sports all the usual green features that Brooks is known for, like the biodegradable BioMogo midsole and 100% recycled laces.  The arch wrap is snug and supportive, while still being roomy enough to accommodate an after-market orthotic or insole.  While the Ravenna represents a far different shoe than Brooks' biggest hits in the past, it's quite the successful experiment.

 

Garmin 310:

They're here!  Garmin's rugged new Forerunner 310XT is the latest in GPS devices designed for runners and triathletes.  It combines the great features of the 405 (minus the touchy bezel) with a smaller face than the popular 305 model.  Plus, it has a few great enhancements like being waterproof to 50m so you can wear it in the pool or lake to time your swim.  This multi-sport device has up to 20 hours of battery life, tracks distance, pace and heart rate, and goes from wrist to bike (and vice versa) in seconds.  It even logs your transition times!  It is available with or without a heart rate monitor. 
 
Don't forget if you purchase your Garmin at Fleet Feet Sports, you receive a free one-on-one training session to learn how to use your device with our electronics guru as well as $30 gift certificate to use on a future purchase. 

   

We've got two great races in honor of two fellow runners.
 

 

 
Bob Veillette 5k Road Race & Walk:
Meet and run with legendary marathoner Bill Rodgers at the annual Bob Veillette 5k Road Race and 1 Mile Walk on Sunday, September 13.  The run/walk begins at 1:30pm at Library Park (corner of State and Grand) in Waterbury.  At 2:30pm, Bill will lead a Fun Run for kids 10 and under.  
 
Entry fees for the run and walk are $20 for adults and $10 for kids under 12 on the day of the race ($25 race day) and includes a t-shirt and goody bag.  You can register online at www.Bob5K.com. 
 
All funds raised by this event go toward defraying ongoing medical expenses for Naugatuck resident Bob Veillette, 64, a former runner, journalist and jazz pianist who suffered a massive stroke in 2006 that left him paralyzed from the nose down. Like Rodgers, Veillette loved to run the Litchfield Hills Road Race and did so annually before his stroke. Veillette even met Rodgers at the LHRR in the 1980's. 
 
"I was very moved by Bob's story, that a fellow runner's life was changed so much by a twist of fate," Rodgers said. "I've always felt road races bring people together in a powerful way. They're a place where religion, race, politics and income mean nothing, but where goodwill is king. To me, that's what Bob's race is all about."
 
To learn more about Bob Veillette, visit his web site at www.BobVeillette.com. 

Fleet Feet Sports will again be sponsoring a water stop at the Winding Trails Women's Triathlon on Sunday, September 13.  If you are not racing, please consider joining us for this fun event.  Last year it poured, but we had a great time refueling the athletes with water, energy gel and cheers.

 

For your help, you will receive a Fleet Feet tech tee, the official race tee and refreshments including homemade peach pie from Glastonbury orchards, organic fresh fruit, all natural salads, Dunkin Donuts bagels, muffins and coffee...and ice cold Sam Adams beer (breakfast of champions!). 

 

Email me if you can help.  We'll meet ~7:30am and should be done by 11am.

Ladies, you are invited to a special Girls Night Out "Cuperware" party on Friday, September 11 from 6-8pm.  Join the women of Fleet Feet, Moving Comfort and Nike for a fun evening of wine, chocolate, bras, live music, discounts and sweet raffle prizes donated by local shops in West Hartford Center.
 
Bra fit experts will be on-hand to help you find the perfect sports bra - plus each bra purchase will reward you with a goody bag, massage (thanks to Julie and Beryl at Market Square Wellness), raffle ticket and a $5 gift certificate good on any other purchase that evening (e.g. buy three bras and get 3 raffle tickets and a $15 gift certificate towards a new pair of sneakers or that cute top you've been eyeing).   
 
Bring a friend (or three) and make a fun evening out of it.  The event is limited to the first 50 women (sorry guys) who RSVP by emailing me or calling the store at 860-233-8077.   

For more events at the store and around CT, visit our online Calendar.  For details on any event, call the store at 860-233-8077.
  

 

Wed: Sept. 2; 6:00-7:00pm: Injury Assessments by Select Physical Therapy: 

Injured?  Don't know whether you can run or should really see a doctor? Come to our free injury assessment clinic.  No appointment is necessary.  

 

These free clinics will be offered every other Wednesday through the year (next clinic will be Wed, Sept. 2 at 6pm).

 

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Sat: Sept. 12; 1-4pm Meet Bill Rodgers!: "Boston Billy", the running legend, Hartford native and Newington HS graduate, is coming to Fleet Feet Sports to promote his book "The Complete Idiots Guide to Running", sign autographs and share stories about his epic adventures.  This is one store event you won't want to miss! 
 
No RSVP are necessary, but please email me. if you would like to pre-order Bill's book ($20), running log ($10) or "Relentless" poster featuring his 1979 Boston Marathon victory ($20). 

 

If you can't make it to the store on September 12, we will have your items autographed for you and you can pick them up at a later date.  Get your holiday shopping done early this year!

 

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Sat: Oct 3: 9am-2pm; FREE Gait & Injury Clinic.  Experience a high-tech gait analysis as Select Physical Therapy demos their new Dartfish video motion analysis system. 

 

If you've watched a sporting event on TV lately, you've probably seen this technology which allows you to track the motion of balls and athletes in sports such as baseball, football, skiing and figure skating.  In fact, over 60% of the medalists in the 2006 Olympics used this software to help improve their training and perfect their biomechanics. 

 

An analysis of my running stride with this software showed a leg-length discrepancy that was leading to inefficiencies in my stride and lower back pain that was easily resolved by adding a little wedge to the shoe on my shorter leg. 
 
In addition, Select PT's Mobile Sports Medicine Center will be parked in front of the store for free injury assessments, as well as lower extremity strength and balance screenings (if you haven't done this yet, it's really informative - and painless!).  It's all free and no RSVP's are needed (first-come, first-served).    

 

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 This is a great clinic to fine-tune your form for the Hartford Marathon!  Click here to register online (scroll down about half the page to find the West Hartford workshop).  Cost is $125.  Fitness professionals will receive 5 CEC's for their participation.  Joel is also friends with the owners of Bridgewater Chocolates and promises to bring some sweet treats to help fuel your body!
 
For more information about this workshop, contact Joel at 917-860-1450 or email him. 

 

 

Nuun

is now the official sponsor of our Thursday Night Track Workout!  While the track workouts will remain as fun and challenging as ever, they will be made more refreshing with Nuun - a sugar-free electrolyte drink that will keep you hydrated as you run your laps around the track. 

 

In addition to a selection of tasty Nuun at all the workouts, all runners attending five or more will receive a free Nuun water bottle!