Well, you put in the miles...

Now its showtime! Sunday morning thousands of Clevelanders and otherwise will tow the line of the Cleveland Marathon! We at Fleet Feet just want to say good luck, have fun and run happy!

Over the past several months, through the cold, the wind and snow you all have been getting in the miles, putting in the time and gutting out the training to get yourselves ready for Sunday. Whether you pounded the treadmill for miles in the gym or trudged through the winter yuck, you have earned your place at the start line and we are proud! You should be too!

Anything can happen on the 26.2 mile trek but just know that whatever happens you will give it your best and you deserve to enjoy the day! But don't be afraid to give it a little push at the end and dig deep to gut it out. Don't be afraid to pull out the stops and run through the pain in the late miles! Marathons are supposed to hurt, that's what makes the finish so awesome!

So enjoy your run, enjoy your pain and enjoy the glory! We will see you at the finish line! Cheers!

Your Friends at Fleet Feet!

PS - Don't forget the Body Glide!

Ray Zahab from Running the Sahara to Speak at FF Event

10 Miler Job Well Done

I want to give a quick job well done to everyone who participated in and helped put on the Hermes / Fleet Feet 10 Miler and 5k. It was the first bigger race of the season and it was a ton of fun for us to get out there and support everyone. I am not sure we could have dreamed for a better day weather-wise. Thanks to Hermes for another solid new race venue, it seems everyone was stoked about Edgewater Park! One more quick job well done is definitely in order to the Winking Lizard, they certainly pulled out the stops with their post race egg souffle, not something they whip up all the time, but lets face it have you ever put something in your mouth from the Lizard that you didnt like?! So thanks to John and the guys at the Lizard for that delicious treat!

Here is a shot taken by all around Multisport guru and the unofficial Ohio Triathlon King Mickey Rzymek: Checkout NorthCoast Multisport and the Greater Cleveland Triathlon

Myself and first place overall winner for the 10 miler, David Mooney.
He came in at a staggering 55:01! Bravo! Rockin the Lunaracers we sold him just a few days ago!

Making it Easy on ya! The Big Squeeze!

As a runner or triathlete you are flooded with information about new products that claim to help you be run faster, recover quicker, gain more endurance and even give you extra energy! Now, without down playing the roll of technology and great product design we sometimes feel that these claims are a bit lofty. Sure, there are some products out there that really do help, however it's not often something comes along that truly lives up to its marketing managers word.

So we feel one of our jobs and obligations to you (our customers and friends) as a run specialty shop is to trudge through the masses of claims and products, fend of the marketing jargon and hoards of B.S. to come up with the products that truly can make a difference in your athletics. So when something comes around that really peaks our interest we like to tell you about it.

Lately it has been all out the big squeeze! By that we mean compression! Whether your a triathlete, runner, active traveler or trying just trying to improve blood flow (reduce visible veins) or aid recovery, we think all the hype about compression lately actually has a leg to stand on...well some of it!

The skinny:
Medical grade compression is nothing new. Just ask your local medical supply rep! What is new is medical grade compressions entrance into the endurance athletes world. The way it was designed to improve blood flow to the heart for medical patients is now being realized as a total benefit to athletes seeking improved recovery and reduction in swelling and muscle vibration and warmth. The down side is that compression products have almost as many advantages as there are brands making (and claiming) the stuff. That is where we come in to find the best.

What did we come up with? Well after searching through about six companies and over twenty different products we narrowed it down to one extra squeezable product that we feel comes out ahead in value, effectiveness, durability and medical research that actually makes sense to our friends in the medical world. Oh, as a side note they all failed the "looks awesome" qualification because nothing that fits this tight will make even the studliest athlete appear studly! However it is quickly becoming a more accepted look among the spandex/lycra clad athletes that we all know and love! Back on track, the product we love:

Zoot ULTRA Compression Socks. And here is why...

1. They are simple yet very effective
2. There is substantial research by the medical company that makes them for Zoot that shows they actually work.
3. They are not $100 plus like some other compression products out there. (namley other Zoot Compression products)
4. They have a precise but not complicated fit
5. You can swim in them bc of the high poly propelene content
6. they are white without crazy logo application and can we worn under causual pants to reduce swelling and not make you look like a goof.
7. they hold up in the wash...believe me some don't!
8. they come in a really cool resuable storage tin.

So, come check them out, we really think they are pretty cool and are one product out there that lives up to its claim and is worth your cash. For more indepth information on Zoot compresion socks check out this link to their white papers from their reaearch.

Zoot Research

Cheers and sunshine!

Lilac and Oaks

We got some new Oakley shades in today...pretty awesome styles. Some sport but also some real cool casual lifestyle ones for men and women.

Hey ladies...you know that awesome sock you got from us with the pink or blue stripe. Remember? The one fits better than all of your others and looks real cute. We always have it in white and black and with the pink and blue...but now, for a limited time. Lilac! As in purple. As in real real cool...come check them out because I am sure they will not last long!

Rare Footwear Bliss

We see a lot of shoes around here and we think they are all pretty cool. Each of them having something a little unique or special about them. Sometimes the color, or the new technology, and always a little bit of hype. Regardless, running shoes are what we do, they are what we know and we love them...all of them.

But every once and a while something comes down the pipeline from some company that really ruffles our feathers. Something with a little extra spark that catches our eyes and makes us say. WHOA! The guys around here dream for days like that. When it happens some of us will immediately grab our size, throw on some running shorts, hit the door and get a quick few minutes in just to experience the unspeakable lust that the specific shoe has to offer, even just for a moment. Once back to the store their faces and postures are ones of euphoria. Orgasmic. Disbelief. Some shoes, but not many, do this to us. They make us feel funny inside. A good funny. A fast, sort of wild, i can't believe my feet feel this way, funny. It the unspoken reason why many of us work here. For that razor thin possibility, that odd chance that one day, one shoe from one brand will change what we know as running forever. The next few days are filled with restless chatter and playful boasting about what each of think we can pull off in that particular shoe; the PR's we can hit and the new mile splits that we swear are attainable now because of the beautiful new dogs that have been placed at our feet.

Well my friends I tell you this for one reason. As the warm breeze blows our direction this Spring and more and more shoes begin to kick the pavement, a clear victor has risen. A shoe has come to us like a budding April flower to stake its place in the world as one to make the running shoe geeks foam at the mouth with adrenaline spiked drool. They will have glorious nightmares before religious morning runs that only a shoe of this rare caliber can evoke. For them, for us, this shoe has changed the game. And we are all drunk with excitement to have it for you...and ourselves.

The Nike Lunaracer. Racing Flat.

Fast. Lite. Revolutionary. Holy.

Not much more to say about it than that.

Just come in, try one on and experience the love.

Cheers.

Shameless Promoting!!!

I am not going to sugar coat this one for all you straight-shooting athletes out there…being injured SUCKS. There is nothing fun about putting in exuberant amounts of time and effort, training your heart out, to wake up one morning with a hint of something not right. You head out for your run and that confirms it, that something not right, is downright wrong. I hope there is someone out there who can’t relate to what I am saying because that means you have been blessed with an injury free running past which is almost as great an accomplishment as the insane miles we put in every week.

Whether you are a hundred-mile per week guy hammering the pavement every day or if you are new to the sport and just can’t seem to work the kinks out, learning how to prevent over-use-injuries as well as knowing how to assess and treat them are all fundamental basics of being a runner, at least if you want to stay a runner!
Since we know how defeating these injuries can be, we are calling in the experts to educate you on how to get rid of them if you got ‘em or how to stay on the straight and narrow of not getting ‘em!

Dr. Nilesh Shah from Summa Health and Wellness Institute will be here discussing common over-use injuries in runners and how to prevent them. His colleague, Terri Angelo, ATC, will also be here to inform us about Graston Technique. Graston Technique is a simple technology that is improving injury treatment and rehabilitation.

We hope you can come to the store to check out what these folks have to say!

Wednesday, February 25th @ 7pm.

Don’t forget…Fashion Event at Fleet Feet Sports in Northfield. It is going to be H-O-T!! You can come to watch the many models or you could even just come for some good company! But if you really want to capitalize on this event, come for the fashion forward styles and colors that we will have in the store on this night ONLY! We want your feedback so we know we are always buying the BEST clothes for our customers. If you want to guarantee yourself a seat (and a FREE goodie bag!) RSVP today!

Thursday, February 26th @ 7pm