One foot in front of the other.
Jabra Sport Bluetooth Headphones
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Chrissie Wellington Taking 2012 Away from Ironman Racing
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Las Vegas, NV – January 9, 2012– Jabra, a world leader in creating hands-free communications solutions, announced today a partnership with five-time Ironman World Champion, Craig “Crowie” Alexander, the biggest name in the multi-sport competition world. Jabra has teamed up with the world champion triathlete for a two-year agreement to support and serve as spokesperson for the Company’s recently launched sports product line. Under the new partnership, Alexander will also serve as a consultant for future product development. Alexander will be on-hand at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with Jabra this week to discuss the new partnership and will be showcasing the new sports category in action at the Pepcom Digital Experience media event at the MGM Grand today, January 9th, from 7-11:00 PM PT.
“I am so happy to be teaming up with a company like Jabra that just gets it and creates awesome, durable products for athletes like myself,” says Alexander, reigning Ironman World Champion. “Between the countless hours of intense training getting ready for my next competition and the crazy travel schedule, Jabra’s products have really helped me stay connected with my friends and family and helped keep me motivated and entertained.”
Through the years, studies* have shown that training while simultaneously listening to music is highly motivating and can increase the degree of effort an individual puts forth. Although listening to music while exercising may not be a revolutionary concept, the Jabra sports category offers a unique set of products that combines durability with fantastic sound to ensure an easy and fun fitness session for athletes across varying levels.
Jabra’s sports category is led by the recently-launched Jabra SPORT, a tough wireless Bluetooth stereo headset that streams music and phone calls. The perfect device for delivering great music for training sessions, workouts, or any other recreation and outdoor activity, the Jabra SPORT features a category-first built-in FM radio, A2DP technology, and powerful bass to help energize workout performance. And with a wind-shielded microphone and US Military Standard Rain, Dust and Shock Resistant certification, exercisers don’t need to hold back during their workouts on account of their headphones. For exercisers who have become accustomed to working out with traditional corded headphones, the Jabra SPORT-Corded offers the same features as the Bluetooth version.
In addition to the new Jabra SPORT products, the Jabra portfolio includes the Jabra CLIPPER stereo headset which provides users with wireless stereo music and calls all with one cool little Bluetooth clip for simple wearing during workouts, and the Jabra ACTIVE which allows exercisers to listen to music and train hard without ever having to adjust their ear buds.
Whether running or biking, Alexander is a fierce competitor who faces varying degrees of athletic challenges that test his strength and stamina. Tough, strong and durable – like the Ironman – Jabra products are light, comfortable and have a secure fit to get you through any challenge, hassle-free. Crisp and clear sound will further ensure you stay focused and motivated until you cross the finish line.
The Jabra SPORT is currently available at Amazon.com, Sprint and T-Mobile. Other products included in Jabra’s sports category are all currently available at BuyJabra.com, Amazon.com and other leading retail outlets. For information on Jabra’s line of Bluetooth headsets and other hands-free devices, visit Jabra.com, like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Jabra.US or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jabra_us.
About Craig Alexander
Hot off his recent victory at the hardest one day endurance event in the world, the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Alexander has an impressive athletic resume that earns him consideration by many of being one of the greatest male triathletes of all time. Among his many accomplishments, he is the first triathlete to ever win the Ironman 70.3 and Ironman World Championship in the same year, and he is also the oldest male to ever win The Ironman Hawaii. Ironman legend and six-time World Champion Dave Scott proclaims him “the first true men’s champion the sport has seen in years.”
Research Study
British researchers asked survey participants to ride stationary bicycles while listening to music, when the music tempo was slowed, participants pedaling slowed as did their heart rate and distance pedaled. On the other hand, when the tempo increased ten percent, the participants covered more miles in the same period of time, their heart rates rose and they reported enjoying the same music 36 percent more. Researchers concluded that when listening to music, participants received a greater degree of effort and overall affect. Study conducted by the US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health, August 2010.
About Jabra
Jabra is the brand of GN Netcom, a subsidiary of GN Store Nord A/S (GN) – listed on NASDAQ OMX. Jabra employs approximately 850 people worldwide and in 2010 produced an annual revenue which amounted to DKK 1,973 million. Jabra is a world leader in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of a broad range of hands-free communications solutions. With a reputation for innovation, reliability, and ease of use that goes back more than two decades, Jabra’s consumer and business divisions produce corded and wireless headsets, plus mobile and in-office speakerphones that empower individuals and businesses through increased freedom of movement, comfort, and functionality.
For further information on the company, please visit www.jabra.com.
Picture Courtesy DC Rainmaker
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On my workout/ride home this evening I could see off in the distance a wicked storm brewing to the South of Boulder and heading North which just happened to be right in my line of travel. About 20 minutes into this ride, the wind started and it was swiftly followed by driving rain which brought along thunder and lightening. Good times.
The wind was coming in from my right at about 25 miles per hour and gusting well above that. the biggest problem with this is that my bike has an “aero” frame and as such has a fairly flat profile from the sides. This is great for going straight and fast, but not so great for cross winds that use it as a sail. Again, good times. Now, on top of that, the wind was pushing me on my right side and into the lane of traffic I was trying so desperately to avoid. This made for incredibly hard shifting and some very white-knuckled steering.
With the rain beating down, fighting the whipping wind and doing my best to avoid the cars that outweigh me by a couple thousand pounds, I was reminded of one of my favorite sayings that I seem to forget all too often. Pain is temporary. Even on our darkest days or hardest workouts; even when nothing is going right and the challenges of what we’re involved in at that moment seem to be literally kicking us in the gut, pain IS temporary. Sometimes it may seem interminable and we really can’t see the end of the storm, but it is there, lurking somewhere off in the distance.
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Win a portable solar panel from Brunton!
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Step 1: Click one of the buttons below to donate the amount for the raffle entry you want. It will take you to the donation site. You can enter more then once, just donate the base amount multiplied by the number of entries you want.
Step 2: Click one of the buttons below to send out the tweet for the item you want to be entered to win. It is VERY important that you tweet the proper item so I can see that you are entered in the right contest.
Step 3: I will close the raffles at the following times:
Polar RS300X #1 – 6/10/11 – 8 PM EST
Newton Running package, women’s – 6/10/11 – 11 PM EST
Polar RS300X #2 – 6/11/11 – 9 AM – EST
Brunton Restore – 6/11/11 – Noon EST
Newton Running package, men’s – 6/11/11 – 3 PM EST
Winners will be announced about 30 minutes after each raffle closes. You do not have to be online at the time to win. I will contact each winner on Twitter to let you know that you’ve won. Unfortunately, raffles are only open to those in the US and Canada.
THIS GUY!
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As many of you know, this coming Friday (June 10) at 5 PM EST my marathon live show to raise money for Athletes for a Cure will start! I’ve worked with several brands to arrange for giveaways and raffle items for the show and without any further delay…here they are! (Rules and such to be posted tomorrow, June 7, so check back!)
SwimSpray – I’ll be giving away a boat load of this amazing new product! Invented by a swimmer who was tired of smelling like a pool, SwimSpray eliminates chlorine odor and irritation from hair and skin. Use with your own favorite shampoo, soap, or body wash. Simple. Effective. Natural.
Hydrapak Gelbot – The Gel-Bot delivers two performance essentials, fuel and hydration, in one easy to use sport bottle. This patent-pending design lets you fuel or hydrate with just one hand. Perfect for racing or total gel addicts. All the Gel-Bot components can be taken apart and easily cleaned.
SOLE Signature DK Response footbeds – The Sole Signature Series Dk Response is world-famous ultra runner Dean Karnazes’ signature edition footbed, with added features. Every SOLE Custom Footbed features their orthopedic base layer that molds to your unique foot without losing its supportive shape. SOLE Custom Footbeds are accepted by the American Podiatric Medical Association. Sole donates a portioon of every sale to Karno Kids whose mission is to support, encourage, and motivate youth to get outside and become physically active, and to restore and preserve the environment.
Ryders Eyewear Seeker Sunglasses – All Essential styles within the Adrenaline collection feature Duraflex frames with low-profile, high-strength pinned hinges and polycarbonate lenses. These lenses are shatterproof, optically-correct, scratch-resistant and provide 100% UV protection. All styles have high-performance features such as anti-slip, hydrophilic nose pads and/or temple tips that get more tacky as you sweat so your eyewear always stays in place.
Road ID eCard – It’s a gift card for whatever Road Id strikes your fancy! Need I say more?
Kate’s Real Food Bars – (2, 6-packs!) Kate’s Bars are real food snack bars, hand made in the shadow of the Tetons. Kate’s Bars are created for people who live, play or just want to be outdoors. The flavors and textures of Kate’s Bars are designed to reflect the natural surroundings they were inspired by.
Brunton Restore power storage and solar panel – The most efficient, integrated compact power pack available. Internal battery keeps extra energy at hand, and twin solar panels keep the battery at peak capacity in less time. Ideal for charging personal devices like iPods® and smart phones. Advanced polycrystaline solar technology gathers maximum energy per inch for maximum efficiency. Power storage capacity: 2,200 mAh Output: mini-USB
Primus EtaSolo Stove – Compact, lightweight and low fuel consumption. Eta Solo is based on the award winning Eta technology of our Primus burner and heat exchanger. Its high efficiency rate assures fast boiling times and lower fuel consumption. The Eta Solo is stable in windy conditions, lightweight, and extremely compact. Quick and easy to set up thanks to its robust quick-click locking mechanism.
Polar RS300X – (Raffling off TWO of these!) A smart, intuitive training computer for runners and cross-training athletes, the Polar RS300X wrist heart rate monitor helps you to train at the right intensity with personal training zones. It’s compatible with Polar’s S1 foot pod and G1 GPS sensor (both separately available), enabling you to combine heart rate with speed and distance and truly make sense of your training.
Newton Running Shoes and Gear – We’ll be raffling off TWO gift packages from the one and only Newton Running(one for the ladies, one for the men)! This will include one pair of Newton Running shoes of your choice, a copy of Newton co-founder Danny Abshire’s book (Natural Running: The Simple Path to Stronger, Healthier Running) and some other schwag!
Lake Success, N.Y. (June 1, 2011) – Polar (www.polarusa.com), the leader in heart rate monitoring and fitness assessment technologies, today introduced the RCX5. Building on decades of experience, and a heritage of precision excellence in product design and functionality, the RCX5 combines Polar heart rate tracking accuracy with a slew of new features. Ideal for multisport endurance athletes, the RCX5 can accommodate the needs of today’s triathletes who want the best in training intelligence and tracking capabilities. It will be immediately available in “smart black” and will also be sold in “striking red” later this year.
New accessories for the RCX5 include the G5 GPS sensor – an incredibly lightweight and compact sensor which measures speed/pace and distance and provides an online map view of training – as well as the new WearLink®+ Hybrid transmitter, which provides heart rate data even when underwater. Additionally, an enhanced s3+ stride sensor is compatible with the RCX5.
“Triathlons are one of the fastest-growing sport segments in the United States, and we understand better than anyone in the market that multisport athletes demand data, whether they are training for their first regional event or chasing a lifelong professional pursuit,” said Jeff Padovan, President, Polar USA. “The Polar brand has been an established name among elite athletes for more than 30 years, and we are proud of the loyalty and knowledge we’ve built within the ‘tri’ market specifically. The RCX5 is the realization of everything we’ve been hearing that ‘tri’ users require to get to that next level, packaged in a new, sleek design.”
Sport Profiles: Essential for multisport and triathletes, this feature enables users to quickly switch between sports during training. With just a few button presses, this feature quickly adjusts settings to the current sport. It automatically detects any sensors needed, so that no time or training data is lost between swims, rides or runs. Four sport profiles come pre-loaded into the RCX5, and more can be added based on the user’s preferences.
ZoneOptimizer: Knowing how hard to train can be a challenge and it depends on many factors, including physical and mental state, stress, sleep, and previous training. The brand new ZoneOptimizer feature eliminates guesswork by adjusting personal heart rate zones based on a user’s current physiological condition. It guides training at the right intensity, making every session more effective.
Race Pace: The perfect feature for regulating speed and race strategy, Race Pace allows users to
set a target time for a certain distance, and then displays the current pace/speed, as well as how far ahead or behind the user is from the target.
Training Load: This feature within polarpersonaltrainer.com displays a color-coded graph of a user’s cumulative training load, notifying a person when he or she has recovered enough for the next session, and accurately predicting training developments to prevent overtraining. This data also provides intelligence to modify training sessions as necessary.
polarpersonaltrainer.com: Several upgrades have been incorporated into the free online training journal to support the RCX5 users. Users can now create complete endurance training programs for running and cycling, including warm-up, work and cool-down sessions. The training programs can be easily synched to the RCX5 via the DataLink data transfer unit. After each session, it is easy to track progress online over time.
New RCX5 Compatible Accessories:
G5 GPS sensor: The extremely small G5 GPS sensor measures speed/pace and distance and allows users to see their route on the new map view at polarpersonaltrainer.com after a session. Incredibly light (34g) and worn with a soft, flexible armband, the G5 has an 18-hour battery life and can be recharged via micro USB.
s3+ stride sensor: The s3+ comes with a new, firm shoe attachment which guarantees more accurate speed/pace and distance measurement. This small and lightweight (23g) sensor is shock and water resistant, handling even the most demanding runs. By monitoring running cadence and average stride length, s3+ can help improve running technique. The RCX5 can also calculate your Running Index, which scores a run, based on speed and distance data from the GPS or stride sensor. While cycling, users can get speed, distance and cadence measured by adding Polar cycling sensors using W.I.N.D. technology.
WearLink®+ Hybrid transmitter: The RCX5 provides heart rate data even in water with a comfortable, fabric chest transmitter. It transfers data both in 5 kHz and 2.4 GHz.
Product Sets Available:
RCX5 Bike (MSRP $389.95):
RCX5 training computer
WearLink®+ Hybrid transmitter
CS speed sensor W.I.N.D.
DataLink data transfer unit
Getting Started Guide
RCX5 Run (MSRP $419.95):
RCX5 training computer
WearLink®+ Hybrid transmitter
s3+ stride sensor
DataLink data transfer unit
Getting Started Guide
RCX5 Multi (MSRP $469.95)
RCX5 training computer
WearLink®+ Hybrid transmitter
G5 GPS sensor
DataLink data transfer unit
Getting Started Guide
RCX5 Basic Set (MSRP $349.95) (Available July 2011):
RCX5 training computer
WearLink®+ Hybrid transmitter
DataLink data transfer unit
Getting Started Guide
The RCX5 is also compatible with the existing G3 GPS sensor W.I.N.D. and the s3 stride sensor W.I.N.D. All sensors will be available for purchase as separate accessories.
Back in the day (“the day” being the late 80′s to about 1995) I swam a lot. I was in the water about probably eight or nine workouts a week. With that much pool time, my teammates and I went through practice suits like crazy. Once a suit would tear or become see through, did we throw it away? Of course not! We just got another suit and put the old one over top of it for drag. Often, this resulted in a strange tapestry of four or five different suits, each managing to cover a very important bit of flesh. The unfortunate byproduct of this was that, in any particular workout one would take a look at the people in the pool and think we were a bunch of swimmers who had just been through some sort of odd battle with a swimsuit hungry enemy.
Fortunately, fabrics have been developed today that result in
much higher wear times for swimsuits. My suit of choice for the last year has been the Sonic Spliced square leg from Speedo. This suit is made of Speedo’s Endurance+ fabric and I wanted to see just how much endurance it had.
Endurance+ is a chlorine resistant fabric that is made to dry quickly while retaining its shape and elasticity. The fabric feels much more dense than the traditional swimsuit material. It’s weigh does not, however, contribute to any loss in freedom of movement. I have been swimming in the same suit for a year now and it doesn’t really show any signs of wear at all.
The suit itself is the first of the square leg variety that I’ve worn. In the past I have always been someone who wears either jammers (just above the knee length) of the stereotypical “speedo”. It does take a bit of getting used to but once you’re over the normal on the crotch, low on the leg feel it’s really very comfortable.
I’m not sure when I’ll need a new suit for everyday pool workouts but when I do this one will certainly be at the top of my list.
Click here to visit the Speedo USA website | Click here to buy on Amazon
Today is National Running Day (woohoo!) and to help you get in the mood to go outside and rock it, I thought I’d share this AMAZING video. Get ready to be inspired!
Alberto Contador gets one step closer to racing the Tour de France
Heat training by Torbjørn Sindballe
American Trail Running Association
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Last night my wife and I were watching the premier of the new season of So you think you can dance. Admittedly, my favorite part of watching any show like that (American Idol, America’s Got Talent, etc.) is getting to take advantage of the massive laugh factor that the preliminary auditions provide. However, in the seasons that I’ve watched the show, coupled with the fact that I am an artist myself, has given me a fairly decent eye to be able to recognize really amazing dancing.
One of the girls auditioning last night, whose name escapes me now, really struck me with the way she danced. Many of the stories that are highlighted on that show and others are stories of loss and hardship and much of the time the dancers featured in those stories, while often incredibly wonderful dancers, have quite an obvious sense of that loss and hardship in the way they dance. The girl I’m speaking of did not.
I can’t remember her story, except that she was on the show last year and just barely missed out on the top twenty dancers (either my memory is going or other things are getting pushed out by the words to nursery rhymes). The thing about her was that when she began to dance, she did so with absolute joy. Her face, her body, everything exuded pure, unadulterated joy and it was uplifting just to watch.
It then occurred to me to keep a closer eye on the dancers that were…well…less than spectacular. With the those that just seemed to be there to be silly, there were those who were bad dancers but still danced with joy. Of course, many of them were much harder to distinguish since emoting is one of the most difficult parts of any performance art form…trust me.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about forcing a smile and how it’s actually not going to get you in a better mood. But I don’t think that smiling and joy are entirely synonymous. I think that a smile can be entirely fake and joy can often be read in the most furrowed brow.
So I guess it comes down to this; when I go out for my long ride tomorrow and my long run on Sunday, the temperatures are supposed to be in the middle 80′s with super high humidity, but I’m going to ride and run with joy. My joy will be in the fact that I am physically able to run. It will be in the faces of my family. It will be that this coming Monday, while it does represent a long weekend for many, is to honor those that have fallen so that I am able to go out and run whenever and wherever I want to. So this weekend, and always, whether it’s smiling or frowning, run with joy.
Disposable timing chips are becoming more and more prevalent in races these days. They’re cheap and it doesn’t matter if you walk off with one. We’ve all seen people walking around with their disposable timing tags attached to their laces WELL after race day. So, how long is too long? How long does it take you to remove your timing tag?
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It appears as though spring, or at least the truly spring-y temperatures have abandoned us here in the Northeast. At the same time the humidity has been pumping and making for sweaty workouts and horrible hair days. This is a list of my top five ways to stay hydrated when the mercury begins to rise. This is by no means a complete list so I would love to hear what tricks and tips you have in the comments!
What do you do to stay cool during workouts when it’s hot outside? Leave your tips and tricks in the comments [CLICK HERE!]
Staying on top of nutrition during an endurance event is a pretty tricky thing to do. Much of the time we’re called upon to figure out clever ways to carry any number of powders and other odd substances to refill our water bottles. GU Brew is one of those powders and the people at GU Energy Labs decided to do something about it.
Earlier this year I gave you a first glimpse at the new GU Brew electrolyte tablets. These small discs are the latest in GU’s effort to make energy easier for athletes to get to. Each tablet is meant to replenish the electrolytes flushed out of the body thus making it able to actually retain the water we keep throwing down our throats.
The GU Brew tablets are so convenient, period. Having them in the back of my cycling jersey or in a pack on a long ride or hike makes it so easy to drop one in a bottle and not worry about messing with baggies of powder and such.
I am a big fan of a tiny (seriously, very tiny) bit of fizz in drinks during activity. For me it helps to wake up my taste buds and makes a drink that much more refreshing. The lemon-lime flavor that I’ve been using is gentle enough to not run my stomach when I’ve been out for a long time. On top of that, the slight amount of sweetening which comes from stevia, is very gentle and didn’t give me any syrupy aftertaste.
Basically, having these tablets on me means I have about 8 hours of nutrition in something smaller than my cell phone. GU recognizes the fact that water alone can’t get the job of hydration done and in many cases, water can be the energy. These tablets really do a great job of giving you a balanced source of electrolytes (sodium and potassium) to allow your muscles to absorb the water you need.
I highly recommend checking the GU Brew tablets out in any of their flavors; orange, lemon lime and peach tea.
Click here to visit the GU Energy Labs website | Click here to buy on Amazon
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(Scotts Valley, CA) Giro, the cycling world’s design leader since 1985, has announced the launch of the all-new Selector helmet. Combining a built-in eye shield with a self-adjusting fit system and an adjustable lower tail section that optimizes the helmet to match the rider’s back, the Selector is a revolution in the aero helmet category. It’s also the most aerodynamically efficient helmet available based on Giro’s extensive test data, one that gives measurable real-world performance gains.
“The Selector is the only aero helmet available to consumers that benefits from more than 25 years of experience in designing aerodynamic helmets,” said Giro Senior Brand Manager Eric Richter. “It represents hundreds of hours in the wind tunnel, countless hours spent creating and evaluating models and prototypes, and real-world feedback from top professionals including…TBD. That all comes together to create the ultimate weapon when every split-second counts.”
With the challenge of optimizing helmets to match the body shapes and positions of so many elite
riders, including Lance Armstrong who requires a very specific helmet design to minimize drag, Giro engineers sought to create a helmet that could be customized to fit a wide range of riders and course conditions, without compromising performance. This line of thinking led to the Selector, a helmet that addresses the market with a customizable approach to performance, rather than the traditional “one solution for all” approach.
Giro engineers utilized their unparalleled testing resources to create the sleekest front profile possible. The built-in eye shield’s vents allow cool air into deep channels inside the helmet’s liner to help disperse heat, before sending it out exhaust vents to the rear. And it is at the rear of the helmet where the revolution truly begins. An uninterrupted transition from helmet crown to the rider’s back is one of the biggest factors in aerodynamic efficiency and the Selector is the first helmet to allow tuning of that transition. For the first time, riders can choose between a shorter, 10mm tail section for those with a relatively flat –backed position, or a 45mm tall section for those with a more compact or hunched position. Further optimizing aerodynamics, the Selector utilizes Giro’s new Roc Loc® TT system that self-adjusts, which eliminates the need for access to the system and allows the helmet to be closed at the rear.
The Selector was developed with the same core team of designers and engineers that have collectively helped Giro-sponsored riders to win countless major titles in the last decade, plus 9 of the last 11 Tours de France (confirm). This year, it will be the helmet of choice for riders from Radio Shack, Garmin-Cervelo, Rabobank and Trek-Livestrong U-23.
FACTS ABOUT GIRO’S NEW SELECTOR HELMET
When Christopher McDougall’s book, Born to Run, was released in May of 2009, many would say that it was one of the biggest catalysts in getting an increasing amount of runners back to the basics of running. Along the way the shoe industry at large has taken notice of the minimalist running movement and has really stepped up to the plate (for better or for worse) in offering runners who want “less is more” to be the predominant impetuous for their running.
Probably the most important character in McDougall’s book is the reclusive Tarahumara tribe in Mexico’s Copper Canyon’s. This tribe of indigenous people just happen to be quite a group of ultrarunners and while going on their long runs their shoe of choice is what amounts to a huarache sandal made from a bit of leather and the tread of an old tire. This sandal is very minimalist and includes the most important feature of being a “zero drop” shoe which means there is no difference in height from the heel to the metatarsals. Embracing the spirit of the Tarahumara, GoLite has gone a step further and has built an entire shoe based around their chosen footwear and built the Tara Lite.
Part of GoLite’s BareTech series, the Tara Lite is (perhaps ironically) full of features that aim to make it a front runner in the hybrid world of a shoe with minimal features that provides the protection of a tradition trail running shoe. From the ground up, the rubber on the sole of the Tara Lite is made from their Grip Stick Rubber (GSR) and is formed with their Sticky Gecko sole which puts more than 300 small lugs of different sizes. These lugs are meant to add maximum surface area to the sole for added traction on any surface. The next layer up is a thin layer of soft EVA foam (I’m not entirely sure of the exact durometer of the differing EVA’s on this shoe, but I will update if I manage to find out) which is to add further adaptability and cushioning. Moving up to the third layer from the ground there is a thin layer of harder EVA foam put in place to add further stability and protection to the foot of the runner.
The upper of the Tara Lite is made of a fabric of stretchy-ish “second skin” with the rubber sole of the shoe coming about a third of the way up the back side of
the heel of the shoe as well as over the majority of the toe cap for added protection. The retention system is made up of two hook-and-loop straps, one around the ankle of the shoe and one across the top. The top retention strap is part of a switchback that attaches to an internal thong that mimics the thong on a Tarahumara huarache. The toe box of the Tara Lite is ample and allows the toes to splay naturally as though barefoot.
To be clear, GoLite does not consider the Tara Lite to be a minimalist shoe by traditional minimal standards. First, the weight, which comes in at 11 ounces does fall well outside the lines of “light”. Also, with a midfoot height of 24mm, the Tara Lite does not seek to be a “barefoot shoe” in the vein of Vibram FiveFingers and the like, but rather to offer the wearer a “natural ride with full protection”.
Since I had been eyeing pictures of the Tara Lite for a while before I got my hands on a pair I was not shocked by what I saw when they arrived. However, this is not your traditional shoe in look or feel. Since I’ve never been one to shy away from less than subtly designed shoes, the burnt orange color was quite appealing.
The first thing I noticed upon putting on the Tara Lite was the very secure feeling fit that the thong post offered. To be honest, I was intrigued as to what the thong post would feel like at all and it turns out that it’s not a whole lot different than wearing my favorite pair of flip flops. The upper of the shoe is very roomy almost to the point of feeling big. Fortunately the retention system offers plenty of adjustability that should leave more than enough room for almost any foot. The thong post, which runs through a smal hole in the upper, sits comfortably between your toes and can be moved as close to the wedding of the toes as needed by adjusting the ankle retention strap.
The footbed of the Tara Lite itself offers a bit of customization in that it has a removable portion that runs from just behind the metatarsals forward. For me, the best option was not to change to configuration of the footbed but rather, to remove it altogether. You see, without the footbed in there is already a bit of arch contour to the insole of the shoe. With the footbed in place, no matter the configuration, the arch is far too much for me and adds unwanted and unneeded pressure to the underside of my arch. This seems ironic since the barefoot, and even the huaraches of the Tarahumara lack any arch support at all instead allowing the foot to use its own musculature and connective tissues. Once removed, my foot was much more comfortable and I felt right at home.
The Tara Lite does require socks with, at the very least, an articulated big toe. Fortunately, GoLite included a pair of Tabi socks that offered just that. I also happen to be the proud owner of some Injinji socks which meant that I could wear the shoes for more than one day without having to wash my socks each night.
As a trail running shoe the Tara Lite performed very well and felt very secure on my foot on most terrains. As a road running shoe, while it does work, it’s not
Tara Lite's thong tha thong thong thong
something that I would opt for something else. The reason behind this is because the midfoot flexibility of the shoe is pretty much nil. I would love to see this changed to allow for a more versatile shoe that could be worn on and off road easily.
The stability and traction of this shoe are pretty phenomenal. The Sticky Gecko sole really lives up to its billing and went above and beyond on rocky and uneven surfaces. These were especially fun on some extended rock hopping adventures I threw at them. In terms of being able to really “feel” the ground though, they were a bit lacking. yes, feeling the general contours of the running surface was completely fine, but the finer things tended to go a bit unnoticed. This is thanks largely to the layers of EVA in the sole and the cushioning they provide. This is likely not a deal breaker for most people and it isn’t for me either, I just refer a little bit more ground feedback.
The Tara Lite is a great shoe in GoLite’s move toward offering more options to “natural” runners. The women’s version of the Tara Lite will be out this July and is sure to have some advancements over this first draft. That said, I will certainly be wearing these on some of my favorite trails now that more friendly running weather is here. If you’re looking to get into more natural running and into a shoe that lets your foot act as it should, this is a great way to get out and running.
[box type="info"]Click here to visit the GoLite Footwear website | Click here to buy on Amazon[/box]
[author] [author_image timthumb='on']http://gearist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/ibmonogram.png[/author_image] [author_info]Review by IronBrandon[/author_info] [/author]
Close up Lucky wearing the Teva shoe. Photo credit Sheri Horiszny.
05.17.2011– (Goleta, Calif.) –Adventure-footwear company Teva® (a division of Deckers Outdoor Corporation, NASDAQGS: DECK) has come to the rescue of a young Humboldt penguin with an impaired foot at the Santa Barbara Zoo. By wearing a shoe custom made by Teva, the young penguin, named Lucky, is now able to walk, hop and swim like any other penguin.
“Teva is an expert at creating shoes for use in, on and around the water, which is just what our little penguin needed,” said Zoo CEO Rich Block. “The penguin isn’t the only one who is lucky–the Zoo is lucky to have such terrific community partners.”
Teva president Pete Worley adds, “For over 25 years Teva has provided traction, protection, stability and comfort for water adventures and we’re honored to be part of this story. Our product team is experienced at collaborating with athletes, and while Lucky’s challenge was certainly unique to us, his needs were not dissimilar to those of any world-class kayaker or trail runner. We went through a bit more trial and error due to the language barrier, but Lucky knew what he was looking for in performance footwear, and he let us know when we had it right. In Lucky, we found a new friend and the perfect Teva athlete.”
The Zoo’s flock of Humboldt penguins currently numbers 18, including Lucky, who hatched on exhibit in a nesting box (or burrow) on April 15, 2010. The young chick was examined by the Zoo’s veterinarian and appeared normal and healthy at that time. But as he grew and began to walk, Lucky exhibited a shuffling gait. Lucky was examined and x-rayed. No bones were broken, but the young chick’s leg was not developing normally. Treatments, including splints, were tried, but nothing corrected his leg.
The idea for the shoe came when, at the age of two months, Lucky developed sores from putting pressure on the wrong parts of his foot while he hopped. Zoo veterinarians and keepers treated the sores and began wrapping the penguin’s foot and padding the heel.
“We remembered that years ago, Teva had fashioned a special shoe for an elephant with foot issues in San Antonio,” said Block. “Teva’s headquarters is
located just a few miles from our zoo and we thought, if they can make a big elephant boot, they may be able to make a little penguin one.”
Teva’s design team responded immediately. Lucky’s leg and foot were measured and casts were made. But a penguin has several particular needs. Not only did the shoe have to cushion Lucky’s foot, it had to be lightweight, provide traction and easily shed water. Above all, it had to be comfortable.
There were several versions of the shoe, each one improving on the previous version with different materials, waterproof fabrics and designs. The Teva team even worked with their suppliers on Lucky’s shoe, which features technologies used in Teva’s footwear collection. Ion-mask™ helps Lucky’s foot stay dry, as it makes the shoe completely hydrophobic, and Spider Rubber + JStep ensures that he won’t lose his footing as he’s going in and out of the water. Teva has committed to providing shoes for Lucky for his entire lifespan. The shoes are changed daily so they can be washed.
In honor of Lucky’s story, children’s book author and illustrator Sarah Aspinall of the U.K. is writing a book about the penguin, due to be published this fall. Proceeds of the book sale will be used to support Lucky.
Humboldt penguins are threatened in their native habitat along the Pacific Coast of South America from Peru to Chile, where their populations are in serious decline. The Zoo opened the Crawford Family Penguin House in June 2006. Humboldt penguins are considered “vulnerable” – one step away from “endangered.”
Now that most of us have left the super cold winter in the dust, we have all this wonderful daylight to work with! However, along with all this sun will eventually come the scorching summer heat and humidity. To avoid this, if you’re like me, many workouts are shifted to predawn hours to avoid the heat of the day. As always, with any activity when it’s dark outside comes an added necessity of caution.
At its core, the Vis 360 from the folks at Light & Motion is a commuter light, and it has all the accouterments to prove it, but it also functions wonderfully for training rides when the sun sits below the horizon. Coming in at a very light 130 grams, the Vis 360 packs a big light punch in a small package. The front light boasts a 110 lumen white light with powerful amber side lights (hence the 360 part of the name!). The rear light carries four flashing, red taillights. Battery life on the light is dependent upon the setting; high – 2.5 hours, low – 5 hours, flashing 20+ hours. Charging the light is as simple as plugging in your cell phone since the Vis 360 uses a micro-usb plug and can be charged from many cell phone chargers or from any usb device (computer) using the included cable.
Mounting the Vis 360 takes all of 5 minutes, if that. On the front, wearers use the rubber/plastic mounting plat that can be swapped out for a wider disc for split venting on the front of some helmets. On the rear, a velcro mounting plate can be attached either horizontally or vertically depending on the helmet setup. Once the mounting brackets are in place, attaching the lights is as simple as snapping them into place.
I was truly surprised at the weight of the Vis 360. At 130 grams, Light & Motion claims that, “it is
32% lighter than the best selling bar lights on the market”. I haven’t tried every bar light on the market, but this claim sure seems as though it is dead on. However, even with that small amount of weight on your head, you can usually tell that something is up there and it may feel off. I found this not to be the case at all with this lamp. The balance between the front light and the rear light is so well designed that there is effectively no noticeable difference in the balance of the helmet.
Visibility with the light is excellent, though it does take a few times of reaching up to adjust the direction to get it dialed in for your specific preferences. I wore this on both a road bike and a triathlon bike and when in aero position on the tri bike it took a bit of moving of the front mounting plate to get the light right, but that is thanks to the much lower body position while riding. Charging is a breeze and was, for me, as simple as using my phone charger. Big kudos to L&M for really thinking outside the box and going for super easy convenience on that one.
This light is awesome, plain and simple. The visibility it gives you and the visibility it gives you to others is invaluable, especially in more heavily trafficked areas. This is a well thought out light, with excellent run time relative to it’s battery weight. Were it up to me, every athlete whose butt ever hops on a bike saddle should have one.
Click to visit the Light & Motion website | Click to buy on Amazon
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When I first began running in earnest I wore what I had to wear. This included cotton t-shirts (shudder) and shorts made from that basketball short material. Almost always the shorts came to at least the top of my knee and weighed a ton. It took me a while, but I finally came around to actually wanting to show off my über-pale thighs in some shorter running shorts and realizing the freedom of movement that they allow.
The Infinity running short from Pearl Izumi gives it’s wearer the minimal design and light weight but is well thought out and chock full of goodies for runners. The 4 inch inseam, ELITE Transfer Fabric is super light and flows easily with the runner. Underneath lies one of the more important features, the liner. Made from PI’s Minerale fabric, this liner dries 50% faster than other performance polyester liners. This is thanks to the larger surface area of the fabric (on the microscopic level) being able to spread moisture out more and thus, allow it to evaporate more quickly.
The Infinity short also features a zippered back pocket with plenty of room for a phone or mp3 player. The backside of the short features plenty of reflective elements for safety. Rounding out the short is a smooth front waistband for added comfort as well as a stretch drawstring.
For me, it tends to be the small things that stand out. Yes, the Infinity short is a really great run
short. It offers ample movement with the side cutaways and its roomy pocket holds things still instead of bouncing off my butt for an entire run. the thing that most stood out to me in the inside of the waistband. That’s right. Generally, the waistbands of running shorts have that “crinkled” thing going on. This often becomes uncomfortable and can feel insecure after a while. The waistband in the Infinity is smooth. It’s a soft fabric with a completely smooth front side and is incredibly comfortable. I also noticed that the fabric of the waistband picked up the sweat that was pouring down my stomach and back and, rather than transferring it to the body of the short, it moved it to the outside of the waistband where it evaporated.
These are a great offering from a brand that has a reputation for thinking ahead of the game and trying to address the needs of athletes before the athletes even know it.
Click here to visit the Pearl Izumi website | Click here to buy on Amazon
When I injured my achilles this winter on some ice, I thought I had just pulled my calf and went about stretching and rolling and the like to “work it out”. That was a mistake and I paid the price for it dearly.
Now I am finally beginning to get some speed back in my legs. Even my speed runs of late have felt very laborious and not in the fun, I’m pushing myself, way. I’ve been feeling sluggish and just unable to feel like I was really throwing down any speed (**important note** As always, speed for me is slow for many others and is a gut wrenching sprint for still others. Take what I say about speed as being about MY speed, not anyone else’s).
My run yesterday followed a brick the previous day which involved a 2.5 hour (hilly) ride followed by an hour and fifteen minute run at half marathon pace. My quads, feeling trashed from my ride, didn’t really feel like letting me go at my half-mary pace (normally about 7-7:15/mile) and kept me very humble at around 7:45-8:00 a mile. At the end of the day I made sure to do a bunch of stretching and some likely horribly incorrect yoga poses to get my legs loosened up.
My assigned run for yesterday was for 1:45:00 at my planned Ironman race pace, which I’m honestly still trying to figure out. The day was comfortably warm-ish at around 69F with a ridiculous amount of humidity and rain showers off and on. I started out and took the first ten minutes easy as told. Once my warm up was over I began to pick up the pace. I found myself at about 7:40 a mile and sitting comfortably in mid-zone 3, feeling good and cruising along.
As I ran, the weather seemed to be picking up and the rain started to come on a bit more consistently. At about the 47 minute mark the downpour began and I saw a MASSIVE bolt of lightening less than a half mile away from me. This was my cue to start hauling ass and to get home.
Feeling kind of exhilarated by the weather, I noticed my pace creeping down a bit. At this point I was right around 7:15 per mile. By the time I was 2.5 miles out from home I decided to kick it up several notches and run the last 2.5 miles in upper zone 3, low zone 4. This put me right about 6:30 a mile and it felt truly great!
I know I wasn’t exactly following Jeff’s workout assignment but I was really feeling good and it felt great to let my legs respond as they wanted/need to (FINALLY!). I really hope this is the beginning of getting my speed back and being able to really hammer again.
Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru has passed away. All our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. The world has lost an amazing athlete and true champion.
If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don’t spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it.
~Priscilla Welch
I think I’ve floated the possibility of this event several times since I got involved in triathlon and it looks like the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) has been on the same wavelength as well. Bloomberg news is reporting that the WTC is in talks with Korff Enterprises, the company that operates the Nautica NYC Triathlon, to bring the 140.6 mile event to New York City.
While the event has been (and continues to be) in the negotiation stage for the better part of seven years, John Korff insists that it’s still a ways off.
The catch to an event of this magnitude being in NYC is, as the article linked below points out, the time factor. Ironman events give competitors 17 hours to complete an event, which would mean a huge amount of the city being blocked off and/or shut down for a big chunk of time. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the 17 hours mark is not a lump amount of time that racers have to complete the course. Races, which typically start at 7 AM, give competitors 2 hours and 20 minutes to complete the 2.4 mile swim portion, until 5:30 PM to complete the 112 mile bike portion and until midnight to complete the marathon portion.
The logistics of a race like this would be a nightmare but if it could be pulled off it is certain to be an epic, marquis event for Ironman.
[Bloomberg.com - Ironman Targets Wall Street Endurance Athletes With NYC Event]
Wouter Weylandt dies in the Giro d’Italia
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There will be days you don’t think you can run a marathon. There will be a lifetime of knowing you have.
~Unknown
The Geeks! AKA the Geeks in Running Shoes. We are a couple of beginning runners that put on a podcast. We do a lot of interviews including Anton Krupicka, Scott Jurek, Dr. Leslie Lam, and Iron Brandon Wood himself. You can find us on iTunes, Ustream (where we broadcast live most Sunday nights at 8PM CST), our website, and Twitter (Jason and Ray).
An on-location live show. As in a table with us broadcasting with guests. Who will we be talking to? Well, we’ll have a college assistant track coach, the owners of the running store talking about gait analysis, a representative of YurBuds (the earbuds that WON’T fall out), and a rep from Nike to talk about their new watch. Going to be a great time, and we’ll have some giveaways as well!!!
St. Louis, Missouri. Specifically, the University City location of the Missouri Running Company! You’ve heard Brandon talk about them in recent episodes, now come see what they have to offer. Gait analysis, Newtons, gear? Oh yeah, they got it. So come check them out or check them out online at MoRunCo.com.
The live show will be on Sunday, May 15th from noon to 1pm. Like I said, we’ll have some giveaways, be talking to some knowledgeable people, and having some fun. If you can’t make it there in person, check in with us online at the same time (12-1pm CST) on our Ustream feed. Hope to see you there!
Jason the Geek
Anyone can run 20 miles. It’s the next six that count.
~Barry Magee
A new study in the Academy of Management Journal shows that people who force themselves to smile at work actually wind up putting themselves in a bad mood which can, in turn, cut productivity. According to lead researcher Brent Scott, assistant professor of management at Michigan State University, “Smiling for the sake of smiling can lead to emotional exhaustion and withdrawal and that’s bad for the organization.” The flip side to this idea is that people who are truly happy and smile as a result of some happy memory or other event have an improved mood that actually makes them more efficient.
Why is this important to athletes? Many of you may remember seeing Chrissie Wellington in her first race in Kona. At the time she was a no name athlete who, from the looks of it, was having a blast on her way to her first (of three) Ironman World Championships. In fact, in all of Chrissie’s races since her smile is one constant thing, aside from blazingly fast speed, that is her calling card.
After watching that race and others with Chrissie, I decided that I would make myself smile during races and training. The thinking was that I would do all this smiling on the run since it wasn’t very practical while swimming and I seem to have some oddly contorted version of a smile while on my bike anyway.
Almost immediately I found that forcing myself to smile was harder than any run I was doing. I’m one of those people who version of getting “into the zone” often involves becoming very introspective, which tends to spill over into my facial expressions. I have become better about this and have learned to become more aware of the world around me and to get out of my own head a bit. In fact, on a ride last night I found myself thinking about kosher energy gels. I don’t know why, I’m not Jewish, but my friend Ari keeps kosher and since we’ve spoken a bit about it before my mind just wandered there.
In the 2009 New York City Triathlon I decided to put the smile thing to the test in a race setting.
Somehow, it just never clicked. In the picture at the right it’s quite clear that while my mouth may be smiling, the rest of me is not. According to this study I was actually in the process of putting myself in a worse place and was killing my productivity.
So, where does Chrissie get it? As the study says, those that are truly happy about something, whether it’s a fond memory or looking forward to something, are going to actually smile and be naturally happier. I was helping someone in a running form clinic recently. She was very much in her own head and had a constant downcast look of pain and laboring on her face while she was running. Aside form the fact that this was destroying her form since it caused her to be hunched at the shoulders and collapse her torso, it also gave her a sense of being defeated by something that SHOULD be fun.
I stopped her and we began to find a place in time where she enjoyed running. I asked her if she remembered being a small child and running barefoot in the summer. When she was a kid, she wasn’t running to fit into some clothes or for any kind of health concern, she was running because it was fun. She was running because at our core we all love that sound of wind whipping by our ears and the breeze on our cheeks. I then had her keep that memory in her mind and pick a point on the horizon which, since were right beside the beach, was easy to do. I ran ahead to let her get into that place for a minute and then she ran. It was beautiful. Smiling from ear to ear and with gorgeous form, it was not hard at all to see the child running because it is fun.
So, how do we get to that place where we aren’t forcing it but we’re truly having fun and enjoying what we’re doing? It is my opinion that we don’t necessarily need to find a specific memory or a mental escape, we just need to find a way to not be so concerned about our activity. Now, if you can do that and smile, great. If not and you find yourself with a perpetual scowl while training or racing, that’s fine too. As cheesy as it sounds, it’s what’s inside (your mind) that counts.
So, go run (or ride or swim or walk or whatever) and take a break from the arduous tendencies we all posses. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, every day we wake up and can call ourselves athletes is a good day.
The race does not always go to the swift, but to the ones who keep running.
~Anon.
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up.
It knows that it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or a gazelle
when the sun comes up you’d better be running.
~Anon.
Legally Blind woman wins the Flying Pig Marathon!
Triathlete stops, mid-race, to save a life.
Man REALLY gets “natural” and tries to run a marathon…NAKED!
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I haven’t tried these shoes from Puma but I’m a sucker for a funny commercial!
In an epic show of badassery, Teresa McCoy, 37, of Tampa stopped during the bike leg of the well know St. Anthony’s Triathlon to save a life.
McCoy, who is a nurse by profession noticed a fellow racer being looked at by police officers. She decided that she would pull off the course to see if she could help. The officers, who believed the man to be having a seizure had apparently not taken his pulse. Upon checking, McCoy didn’t feel any signs of life. She immediately began CPR while calling for a defibrillator, which one of the officers had in his truck. Immediately after shocking him, her fellow athlete came to. Having answered the call of duty, McCoy got back on her bike and finished the race!
Teresa McCoy, we salute you!
[St. Petersburg Times - Tampa woman saves man's life, then finishes triathlon]
After kicking Haile Gebrselassie’s (and the current standing) marathon world record squarely in the ass, Geoffrey Mutai as well as the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) were lobbying hard for a new marathon world record. Alas, the B.A.A. has decided to let it go.
The Boston Marathon is not eligible for a world record according to the I.A.A.F because it is a point-to-point course and because of the amount of net elevation loss, regardless of its storied difficulty. For now though, Mutai’s time of 2:03:02 will still allow him to keep the $50,000.00 bonus for the best time of the year (but the year isn’t over?).
I wear Swedish goggles when I swim and I have been for the past twenty years (kind of partial to Malmsten). They’re light, cheap and have a great field of vision. Unfortunately they almost always come with a cheap, rubber strap that breaks after about 3 months of use. My solution? The Speedo Universal Oggle replacement strap.
The Oggle is a silicone tube strap that fits my particular brand of goggles perfectly. There is an adjustable spring barrel that makes adjusting them a very quick and easy process. Having taken a look around the interwebs I’ve seen several people saying that the tube shape of the strap doesn’t fit their particular goggle retention setup. To address this, Speedo also makes the Universal Oggle 2.0, but we have yet to try it out.
There’s really not much one can say for a goggle strap review except that it works. I have just managed to snap my first Oggle and that was at the end of 3+ years of faithful service. The silicone is soft enough to be easily worn, yet offers plenty of strength. I have since bought another and I’m looking forward to buying yet another in 3 or so years.
Click here to visit the Speedo website | Click here to buy on Amazon
There is a time when we find ourselves outdoors and in need of something a bit cooler or a bit warmer or maybe something that can keep our skin protected long after sunscreen has abandoned our pasty hides. Pearl Izumi has come at all of those scenarios head on with this very versatile top.
The Infinity In-R-Cool long sleeve top brings comfort and fit right to the forefront when it’s put on. ELITE transfer fabric combined with In-R-Cool allows the top to act as a second skin. As we know, our body cools itself by evaporating sweat from our skin thus cooling us down. Likewise, the fabric technology in this top allows for the sweat generated to evaporate keeping the body cool, even in a long sleeve top.
For additional cooling the top also includes a Direct-Vent mesh panels running from the base of the neck, down the back and to the bottom of the shirt. An eight inch zipper with an ergonomic pull allows for further, adjustable venting on the chest. The semi form fit makes for a top that moves with the athlete and become hardly noticeable.
Pear Izumi cycling has a series of ads comparing wearing their gear to being naked (see picture at
right). Putting on this top is kind of like that. The fabric is extremely light weight and supple and it really did disappear to my touch shortly after putting it on.
What interested me the most about this top was seeing how it would hold up in warmer weather. One of its biggest selling points is that it offers full UV protection, but along with that comes a price in many tops. The warmest day I’ve been able to run in with the Infinity top was about 73 degrees. Normally in that temperature I am in shorts and a sleeveless top but I wanted to see what the In-R-Cool fabric could do.
The cooling effects of the fabric and design did their jobs very well, keeping me sweaty but comfortable (which I would have been anyway). After opening the zipper to further cool myself, there was a bit of flopping of the collar. I tried to remedy this by tucking the collar under but since the fabric is so supple and silky it wouldn’t stay.
The cooling effects on my arms, which were the most obvious place to pay attention, was significant. The wicking action of the fabric did a great job dissipating heat. The thing I missed most was the air on my skin. I know this sounds like it may be turning into some weir prosaic novel but it’s true. While I fully admit that it is a point of preference, I am one who prefers to be free of sleeves of any kind in warmer weather (PI does make an Infinity In-R-Cool singlet that looks flippin’ awesome).
This top delivers and would be amazing for those with super sensitive skin that needs constant and consistent sun protection. This is a versatile piece that is perfect for transitional seasons and is a welcome addition to my running wardrobe.
Click here to visit the Pearl Izum website | Click here to buy on Amazon
Leave a comment on this episode (142) and be entered to win a FREE pair of Stuffitts!!
Geoffrey Mutai wants his world record
Haile Gebrselassie weighs in on the marathon world record (sort of)
2011 Boston Marathon is not Kara Goucher’s day
Ironman Louisville gets five more years
2011 Ironman World Championship Lottery Results
A closer look at “balance” bracelets, necklaces and the like
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Kim Smith, native New Zealander who calls Providenc Rhode Island, ran an amazing race for the first 17 miles or so of the 2011 Boston Marathon this past Monday. Then tragedy struck. The video below is an interview with her soon after having to pull out of the race, unable to run.
@RunProvidence tweeted this on her behalf:
From Kim Smith “Since everyone has sent so many nice messages I thought I would update. Had an MRI and I tore my Soleus muscle.”
Thanks so much for visiting my site! My name is Brandon Wood and I am the social media manager and a customer service rep for Newton Running. This site and podcast follow my adventures on the way to competing in and training for all kinds of endurance events, especially triathlon and running. Click the "About Me" tab for more info!
Who: This contest is open to anyone and everyone in the U.S. and Canada (also APO)! Tell your friends!
What: Stuffitts! I have spoken about these simple yet awesome shoe savers in the past. Click here to read more about them. I cannot say enough how great they are!
When: Starting NOW! This is an ongoing contest that will be every month, or until every person on the planet has nice, fresh smelling shoes!
Why: Because Stuffitts are awesome! The folks at Stuffitts are being SUPER generous and I also want to give you guys something that I think is a great addition to any athletes arsenal!
How: On the last podcast episode post of each month (example: Episode 99 on June 28 HERE) entrants should leave a comment (however long you'd like). On the following week's show (the first show of each month) I will draw, by random number generator, one winner! That's it!
Good luck!
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