Be The Movement

THE EXTRA MILE

Issue #169

 

 December 16, 2014

Holiday Workout

Run Run Reindeer

The holiday rush is officially in full-swing. To get everything done, my workouts are usually the first to be sacrificed. I justify this because holiday preparation is like a core workout sprinkled with a dash of endurance training:

 

There are heavy packages to lift, hold and carry excessive distances since the only parking spots available are the ones � mile away. Sprints to run as you dart from store-to-store and up-and-down the aisles of the grocery store looking for obscure items like marshmallow fluff (fyi - it's next to the peanut butter). And who needs yoga class when decorating requires you to squat, stretch and balance on one leg? It's no wonder we're exhausted at the end of the day. 

 

And if you are like us and listen to holiday music all day at work, check out this clever workout created by a runner named Riley who posted it on her blog last year:

  • Turn on Christmas Music
  • Do 10 jumping jacks when you hear "Santa/Kris Kringle/St. Nick"
  • 10 push-ups when you hear "Reindeer"
  • 3 burpees when you hear "Christmas"
  • 10 crunches when you hear reference to cold weather or snow

But like training for a race, all that holiday sweat and preparation pays off as you celebrate a miracle, enjoy time with family and friends, make someone's day with the perfect gift, eat marvelous homemade goodies, go for an unrushed run (followed by an even more un-rushed steaming mug of hot chocolate or Bailey's spiked coffee with your running partner) and catch-up on a little sleep - preferably a nap in front of the fire.

 

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa or the end of another year, I wish you a joyous holiday that warms your heart and soles!

  

Live Fit,

Steph

Judd's Shoe Review - Adidas Glide Boost 7
Andrew Judd

Let's talk about Boost. More specifically the Adidas Supernova Glide 7 [Boost]. The Glide has always been the go-to shoe for neutral runners who want supreme cushion, a smooth fit and never ending bounce all in a light package. This year Adidas is changing things up...for women as they have re- engineered the women's Glide 7 to accommodate women's feet. 

 

 

Adidas Glide Boost 7 - Women I haven't experienced this myself, but I see hundreds of irritated, agitated feet every day. Most of them are on women because of the extravagantly uncomfortable footwear women wear daily which cause things like bunions, hammertoes, and neuromas. For all of the hotspots and problem areas of the feet, Adidas made the entire upper of the Supernova Glide 7 out of their TechFit material. That means the mesh has absolutely zero overlays, stitching, or any sort of plastic to restrict, or irritate feet.  It even reduces the weight of the shoe by a bit as well.

 

Adidas Glide Boost 7 - Men

On the men's side, there is a much more modest update consisting of replacing a few of the overlays with an engineered mesh for durability and a little more support. For both men and women, the mid and outsoles stayed the same which is great news because this combination has given the Glide have a fantastic reputation in the running world and Adidas wants to continue that momentum! 

Nancy's Holiday Gift Ideas
Nancy

It's crunch-time...the time when I do my best holiday shopping.  Here are some unique gift ideas for the runner who has just about everything!

 

Bottle Band Bottle Bands: Turn any water bottle into a handheld bottle!  These awesome Bottle Bands fit most bottles from a big ol' Nalgene to a 16oz disposable and have fun sayings to boot.  At $6 each, they make a great gift for your fitness friend...or ya know, just a gift to yourself! 

 

CEP Merino Sock

CEP Merino Compression Socks: Does your runner practically live in their compression socks?  If so, this is the perfect gift for them: CEP's famous compression sock in a soft, non-itchy Merino wool.  Not only will they keep their feet and legs a little warmer, but Merino reduces odor (i.e. you don't have to wash the sock after every wear so they'll last longer!), is antibacterial and provides amazing heat and moisture management. Be sure to scroll down to claim a coupon for 20% off CEP compression socks and sleeves - including new Merino! 

 

Transform Glove Adaptive Run Gloves: Uniquely versatile and oh so functional!  Carrie loves these new gloves from Amphipod because they allow her to expose her hands as they heat-up mid run and ultimately, convert the glove into a wristband - while Steph loves them because they have a special pocket for a heat pack so her hands stay extra toasty all run long.  Plus, the gloves provide optimal access to touch screens, shoelaces, and keys, all while keeping your hands protected and warm. 

 

The North Face Buff

Chute/Cover It: The perfect "base layer" for your neck! Its value lies in its versatility.  Lightweight and made from moisture-wicking and heat insulating fabrics, these chutes can be worn whether you're running, skiing, shoveling or shopping!  Wear it as an infinity scarf, gaiter, hat, balaclava or any combination in between. Available in a variety of colors from Craft or The North Face. 

 

Ornaments Ornaments: These hand-sculpted ornaments are beautifully detailed and hand painted. They make a great gift for the runner or triathlete in your life! You can even personalize it with a permanent fine tip marker to add that special touch. Ready to hang with ribbon tie!

 

Greeting Cards

Greeting Cards: Whether you need a card for the holidays, birthday, pre-race psyche-up or a post-race congrats, we've got you covered.  Spice it up with a gift card and really make their day!

 

Undies

High Tech Undies: Ever wonder what you should wear under your running tights/pants?  The answer is high-tech underwear made from moisture-wicking materials because the drier you are, the warmer you stay. For the ladies, we offer Moving Comfort's line of seamless hipkinis and thongs, while men can choose between Craft, Icebreaker and Brooks in brief and boxer styles (some styles have strategically placed wind panels). 

 

Spenco Slipper Spenco Supreme Slippers (Men & Women): How about luxurious shearling slippers for unmatched support and comfor thanks to the Spenco footbed?

Perfect for sufferers of plantar fasciitis or those who want a house shoe with cozy warmth and a technically-inspired footbed. The slip-on style and non-slip outsole make it great for fetching the newspaper too!

Now Available: Garmin VivoSmart
VivoSmart

This is cool.  The new vivosmart activity tracker from Garmin not only records your fitness activities, but it also lets you monitor calls, texts and emails with vibration alerts and a swipe of the touchscreen.

 

Like its little sister, vivofit, the vivosmart lets you view your steps, a countdown to your daily step goal, calories, distance and time of day. Wear it to bed and track your sleep.  Wirelessly sync your vivosmart to Garmin Connect to see all of your stats and take part in the online community where you can join fitness challenges and save, plan and share your progress.

 

Vivosmart can be paired with a heart rate monitor, is water-resistant so you can wear it swimming or in the shower and has up to 7 days of battery life before it needs to be charged.  Price is $170 and the band comes in various colors.

 

Don't need something quite as fancy?  Get the vivofit for $100.  It has all of the fitness tracking data you want, but doesn't provide access to your smart notifications. 

Holiday Half Marathon of Savings
Now thru December 24
Mile 6 - Save on Mid-Layers

It's tradition at Fleet Feet Sports Hartford to host a holiday half marathon in the 13 days leading up to Christmas.  Instead of miles, our half marathon is made up of 13 days of special deals.  Each morning, we post the deal on both our home page and Facebook page, as well as have signs throughout the store.

 

We're nearing the halfway point as this Wednesday is Mile 6 which offers 20% off mid-layers (this includes fuzzy half-zips and hoodies) to keep the runner in your life (and you!) warm all winter long!

 

More great deals will be revealed each day through December 24.  Can't make it into the store, our elves are great at helping you shop over the phone.  We'll even provide free gift-wrapping and shipping for everything except tubs of nutrition and foam rollers.

Winter Training Programs (5k-26.2):
Fleet Feet Sports Training Logo

Turn up the heat and start 2015 FIT with our winter training programs! We've got a great line-up of programs for all different distances and abilities and an amazing coaching team to keep you motivated through the winter miles!

Programs all begin in early January.  Click the links below to learn more...and sign-up today!


No Boundaries 5k (beginner & advanced options)


Spring Marathon (including Boston VIP Experience)

Winter Training

 

Questions?  Need help discovering the right program for you?  Email Caitlin at [email protected].

Ton of Fun Challenge - Is Back!

Once again, we are challenging Hartford to lose a ton of weight.  Literally. 

 

Over the summer our Ton of Fun team lost over 900 pounds with our top "losers" shedding 40+ pounds each!  Even cooler was that 75% of participants lost 5% of their body weight and earned their money back.  Many would say that they had a "ton of fun" along the way!   

 

The Ton of Fun Challenge is a community program designed to support people in living healthier, more active lives. The program does this by educating participants about all of the many facets that go into living a healthy lifestyle and encouraging healthy habits.  This is neither a diet nor a workout plan, it is a broad-spectrum program that is meant to teach healthy behaviors, and turn healthy behaviors into healthy habits, and healthy habits into a healthy lifestyle.

 

Once again, we have an all-star cast on board to provide valuable resources for you with exercise classes, nutrition insight, massage and relaxation seminars, grocery store tours, cooking demonstrations, weekly walks, and MORE!

 

The Challenge will kick-off on January 5th at Fleet Feet Sports.  Click here to learn more and here to register.

 

Got questions?  Ask Alli - [email protected] or 860-233-8077.

Hot Cocco Mix

By Aubrey Schulz 

Get Out N' Play Logo

Stuck deciding on a gift for your favorite running buddy? Fleet Feet certainly has a plethora of choices and great gift ideas for your friend. However if you are looking for something homemade and want to use your DIY skills, may I suggest making a jar of homemade hot chocolate. After a chilly winter run, a mug of hot cocoa is a warming, welcome treat. Plus studies have shown that chocolate milk is an ideal recovery food. So get out your food processor and your mason jars to make this tasty hot cocoa.

 

Prepare the mixture, add it to an airtight container, and write the directions on a gift tag (1 cup milk + 3 Tbsp hot cocoa mix = a pot of hot cocoa). Marshmallows optional! This is also a wonderful recipe to have on hand for the next snowstorm or snow day.

 

Hot Cocoa Mix

 

Ingredients:

  • � cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 oz semi or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • � cup cocoa powder
  • � tsp vanilla extract
  • ⅛ tsp sea salt

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until powdery. Mixture keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 months.

 

To use: Heat 1 cup of milk (any type you like) in a saucepan over medium heat until steamy. Add 3 Tbsp hot cocoa mix. Whisk over heat for another minute or two, until it begins to simmer and is completely dissolved.

 

Yield: Just under 1 � cup mix, enough for 9 cups, packs up well in a 2 cup jar.

 

Source: www.smittenkitchen.com

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aubrey Schulz is a certified nutrition and triathlon coach with Get Out N PlayShe works with clients to help them reach their nutritional and athletic goals, in the kitchen, out on the road and in the water!  Check out her training program for the Shamrock Marathon.  You can reach her at [email protected]

STORE HOURS:

 

Mon-Wed & Fri: 10-7

Thurs: 10-8pm

Sat: 10-5:30

Sun: 12-5

 

Dec 24: 10-3

Dec 25: CLOSED

 

Dec 31: 10-3

Jan 1: CLOSED

 

Phone: 860-233-8077

www.fleetfeethartford.com

 

EVENT CALENDAR

 

All events are at Fleet Feet Sports unless otherwise noted.

Wed, Dec 17 @ 6:30pm

Ugly Sweater Fun Run

w/Newton Running

Wear your ugliest sweater

Demo a pair of Newton shoes & get a pair of ugly sweater socks!

All Abilities Welcome

 

Sat, Dec 20 @ 9:30-11am

FREE Injury Assessments

w/Select Physical Therapy

No Appt. Necessary

 

Wed, Dec 31 @ 2pm

"Start at the Finish" New Year's Eve Fun Run & Fitnatic

Pledge Celebration

3-4 Casual Miles

All abilities welcome

(see details below)

 

Sun, DJan 4 @ 5;30pm

Yoga for Runners

(YES, it's back!)

FREE Injury Assessments

Saturday, Dec 20

9:30-11am

Select PT Hotline

Injured?  Don't know whether you can run/play sports or if you should really see a doctor?  Come to our FREE Injury Assessment Clinic staffed by certified Athletic Trainers & Physical Therapists from Select Physical Therapy.

 

The last free clinic of the year is THIS Saturday (December 20) from 9:30-11am.  No RSVP necessary.

 

Can't make the clinic or need an assessment sooner?  Email or call the Select PT FREE Injury Hotline:

 

1-877-MOBL-MED

(1-877-662-5633)

  
Start at the Finish
NYE Fun Run
Wed, Dec 31 @ 2pm
NYE Run

Congratulations to all of you FITnatics who have been diligently logging your daily exercise on Facebook! From running, walking, and biking to skiing, hiking, and putting up the Christmas Tree - you are fitting in your 30 minutes wherever and whenever you can! The leaders are racing neck-and-neck to get in the most posts by December 31st. Who will edge out the competition in the next 15 days? Only time will tell! 

 

To rack up even more points in the 11th hour, we are inviting all of you (even those who didn't take the Pledge) to our "Start at the Finish" New Year's Eve Fun Run! Kick start your NYE festivities by meeting us at the store at 2:00pm for a 3-4 mile fun run followed by yummy (healthy) treats and a champagne toast! 


 

The FITnatic Pledge contest may be ending but the start of a whole new you in the new year is just beginning! Start your healthy 2015 at the Finish of 2014!

 

You will receive 5 points for attending the Start at the Finish Run. All points will be tallied and the winners will be announced on Facebook on January 3rd at 8:00am! Good luck!

Manchester Road Race Posters
On Sale at Fleet Feet
MRR Posters

 Own a piece of Manchester Road Race history!

 

The Manchester Road Race Committee is offering a "Finish Line Series" of limited edition posters that capture some of the great moments in the event's history. The two inaugural posters in the collection depict nine-time champion Amby Burfoot winning the 1971 Manchester Road Race, and Julia Chase-Brand's history-making run in 1961, when she became the first female to complete the road race course.  The posters were designed by Manchester resident Harrison "Whitey" Jenkins.

 

The Manchester Road Race Committee has commissioned the production of 250 posters of each athlete.  Burfoot and Chase-Brand have both autographed fifty copies of their posters. Proceeds from the sale of the posters will be donated to the Manchester Historical Society, which maintains a collection of Manchester Road Race artifacts. 

 

Unsigned posters are available for $10, and the limited-edition autographed copies cost $25 (both are available at Fleet Feet Sports).  Each poster is 18 X 24 inches and is suitable for framing.

Donate Your Old Shoes
at Fleet Feet Sports
Ghana Village

Ever wonder what happens to the old shoes you dropped off at the store?  We are currently working with two organizations, Dunk Your Kicks and MORE Foundation Group, who turn those shoes into hope, smiles and opportunity.  Both organizations sell the shoes for up to $1.00/pair (depending on the quality of the shoe) to vendors of affordable clothing who then resell the shoes to people in developing nations.  

 

Dunk Your Kicks donates the money raised to support low-income families, including several in the Hartford-area, who have a child with cancer. 

 

The MORE Foundation Group uses the proceeds to provide training and tools to poor, rural farmers in Africa.  In fact, the MORE group has established a special "Fleet Feet Sports Village" in Ghana in recognition of all the funds raised by shoe donations from Fleet Feet Sports stores nationwide.  

 

Soles helping souls!!

Select Physical Therapy's
CARE Program
Injured Runner

 Select Physical Therapy has developed a special program for athletes (including runners!) called CARE: Customized, Assessment, Restoration and Enhancement. The CARE program offers a customized approach to evaluating and correcting the body's movement to get you not just back in the game - but performing at the competitive level you want.

 

The CARE Program can benefit anyone who is active regardless of age or ability. It specializes in safe return to athletic activities for those individuals who have completed physical therapy, took time off to rest or experience chronic aches and pains due to their athletic endeavors. They will help bridge the gap between rehabilitation and reality to ensure a safe return to activities with skilled attention to movement efficiency.

 

CARE can also help highlight and correct the causes of chronic overuse conditions even if they have not yet led to medical care. If you are wondering about the quality of your exercise routine, if it is being done correctly or if there are holes in your program, CARE can help.

 

The program is managed by Mike DiStefano, an athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach. In addition to his work at Select Physical Therapy, Mike is an adjunct faculty member at UConn's Department of Kinesiology.  

 

Contact Mike at 717-920-6955 or

[email protected].

Wed Night Fun Runs
6:30pm (at the store) 
Fun Run Crowd

Join Duncan & a great group of Fleet Feet Friends for a casual fun run each Wednesday night at 6:30pm.  We go between 3-5 miles (a route for all abilities).  All paces, including walkers, are welcome to join us. 

It's a great way to meet new friends and running partners.  

 

Meet at the store.  Runners are required to wear reflective gear and bring lights (headlamp, flashlight, etc) when it's dark so everyone is seen and safe!  We have a limited amount of gear available to borrow on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Note: Fun Runs are canceled during snow and thunder storms and when roads/sidewalks are too icy and dangerous.  Check our Facebook page on Wednesday's for status of run.

There will be NO Wednesday evening fun runs on December 24 or December 31 (though, there will be a free fun run on December 31 at 2pm - see details above).
Thurs Night
Track Workout
(On Hiatus Until March) 
Track Workout
Track workouts will be on hiatus over the winter and will return again in March.

Social Media Fun

Social Media

Join us on your favorite social media platform. Learn the latest running news, get motivated, smile and have the chance to win fun prizes by following us on Facebook (FleetFeetWestHartford), Instagram (#ffhartford) and Twitter (@fleetfeetwh). 

 

Thanks for following!

  Corporate Lunch & Learns

Schedule Yours Today

(Free!)

Lunch & Learn

Did you know that the experts at Fleet Feet Sports offer free presentations and workshops that are perfect for corporate wellness Lunch-and-Learn series?

 

Choose from a variety of topics including Injuries & Proper Footwear Selection, Core Health, Minimal Running, Intro to Triathlons and an on-site Fit Clinic. We can also assist with starting a Running and/or Walking Program to help you and your co-workers live fit!

 

For more information and to schedule a lecture, check out the Community Section of our web site or email Michelle.

Be Safe, Carry ID
on Your Run or Ride
Click the logo to customize and order your own Road ID.  It's a great gift for the runner or cyclist in your life!
New Shoes - Delivered (FREE) to Your Door!
Send Me Shoes
Join Our Mailing List 
 
20% OFF
CEP Compression
Socks & Sleeves

Stuff their stockings with compression this holiday!  Use this coupon to save 20% off CEP-brand compression socks and sleeves - including the new Merino Wool sock.  

 

Coupon is NOT valid on previous purchases or special orders, nor may it be combined with other discounts or coupons, except for your $15 Rewards Certificates. 


 

Go green and show us this coupon on your phone!

Offer Expires: Wednesday, December 24, 2014
 
FREE Insulated Water Bottle

Purchase a gift card of $125 or greater and receive a free insulated water bottle (value $15).  

Drop the gift card in the bottle and voila! Your holiday shopping and wrapping are complete!

 

Go green - show us this coupon on your phone!

Offer Expires: Wednesday, December 24, 2014