Big Week

Well it turns out that this week is a big week for me as far as training goes. So far this week I have one XC ski in, two runs, and a trainer ride in my garage. For a guy who is a slacker and has a rep for liking his couch too much this week is going great. Now if I could only string a few of these weeks together I would seriously dominate the middle of the pack.
As far as the two runs are concerned they were both noon runs from the FZ. It was pretty cold but the surface was decent on both days this week. Today I cashed a geek check and had my friend and all around running fanatic, Jeff Browning put some sheet metal screws in my shoes for the run. And I have to say that the worked really well and weren't too annoying on the dry pavement (not that there was much of that). This is a pretty cheap option that is great if you have lots of shoes and can dedicate one to having screws all the time. If not I still recommend the Yak Trax or Get a Grips as you can take them off if only some of your run is on the slippery stuff.
Don't forget that the second installment of the Footzone Winter Race Series is this Sunday down at the Old Mill. The race is 8k and will likely be wintery as snow is in the forcast. Hope to see you there.

Peace out,
dave

Rollin' Eastside

Well the trails have been pretty crappy as of late. So since I had time to run somewhere out and about rather than from the casa I decided to check out the Horse Butte 10 miler course. I was expecting a muddy sloppy mess with some sections of ice and was just going to muddle through some lack luster footing and say I went for a run. What I found was some pretty damn nice surface to run on. As you can see by the picture the trail was dry and compact. The only drawback being the occasional pile of horse poo. I ran on the North side of the 10 mile loop during my out and back while being serenaded by the gun totn' side of America getting in some target practice. I'm sure the last mile or so of the loop is pretty icy due to the fact that there are still trees there but I would guess that most loop is in the same fine shape as the section I ran. So if you want to run out where you don't have to worry about each footfall and enjoy the splendor of nature, great vistas, rednecks shooting, and peoples illegally dumped furniture I would strongly recommend the Horse Butte 10 Miler course.

Peace out,
dave

TTFN

Well…I’d be a little embarrassed to blog a farewell until I was actually quite sure I wasn’t going to be popping my head into the shop for something or other. Many of you know I moved to Eugene a couple years ago when my husband went back to school. I’ve hung on as long as I could as a part-timer and long-distance employee. Suddenly, I'm saying goodbye.

In retail, there’s a saying: “grow or die.” Clearly that message applies to so much more than sales; we all make that choice every day of our lives. Working at FootZone and being a part of the wonderful community of Bend has truly been a greenhouse experience for me. I have begun to understand the amount of time it takes to develop a sense of community, and the great love with which that time is given. It’s hard not to sound really full of the Kool-aid, here, but for me, working at the shop has been one of the most genuine experiences of my life. It is as much a place where you can look people in the eye and share a laugh or a tear or a bit of news as it is a place to buy your running socks.

I feel really lucky to have been a part of your lives these past seven years. Thank you Teague, Laurie, Dave, Colleen, Chris, Jenny, Eric, Rob, & Kristen…thanks great customers and friends. You have made it a pleasure.

cheers!
ellen

Big January

It may be just the beginning of 2008 but it is already of to a big start as far as running in Central Oregon is concerned. This weekend was host to two running events and both were well attended despite cold temps, tough courses, and some wicked head winds.
On Saturday Colleen, Teague and I hauled our unmotivated butts out to the "Bad Ass" held east of town on the Smith Canyon loop. There were options varying in length which we all wisely did the shortest of. I said short but it was still 9 frikin' miles. It was called the Super Slacker 9 by the organizers but they are ultra runners which is an entirely different blog.
Also this weekend the Footzone organized the first chapter of the Winter Race Series (see picture). This was the 5k installment of which 46 people endured high winds, deep snow, and the ever exciting out and back course chosen buy yours truly. Michael Dennis rocked the men's field while the Footzone's own Kristen Riley crossed the line first for the ladies. For those who participated results will be up on the website just as soon as I can get them up.

Good to see everyone out this weekend running and having a good time.

Take care,
dave

holidays

Here we are at the end of the year and I'm still trying to get in the swing of this blogging thing. I went through this with flossing as well but finally made it part of the routine. The final straw for me there was one time when I hadn't flossed for a while and caught a whiff of what emerged from between my molars. I couldn't believe that smelled lived in my mouth and have been a pretty faithful flosser ever since. I'm not sure what the blogging equivalent is.

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. It is a busy time in retail but not quite what the media would have you believe. Strangely, our fate doesn't always follow suit with WalMart and Home Depot. We at the FootZone reveled in the good nature of many regulars and saw some of those faces that are home for a school break or back to visit family. It's always an odd time of year since we're selling a lot of things without having to fit the end user. It feels a little like cheating to us so we're happy to be back to selling running shoes to the people who will actually run in them. It's a great time of year to cross train, especially with the great nordic and gravity skiing right now. That said, there's a lot of fun running this week. Join CORK for the New Years Run tomorrow at Farewell Bend Park. The Bad Ass on Saturday and the first of the Winter Running Series on Sunday. Enjoy-teague

Winter is on

Well after a sputtering start it looks like winter has finally hit Central Oregon. The trails are a little snowy and the mountain is getting hammered. I did my first ski skate of the winter this past Sunday (Ouch). It was a touch soggy due to a warm front that moved in and poured rain on us for the hour I endured. But it was fun to hit something different and give the old body a rest from running or sitting on the couch. Both activities I frequently participate in. I even broke out the bike trainer to get some exercise while my son is napping. It is really not that bad of a workout and it is over quick, mostly due to my tremendous fitness level. What's fun is while riding the trainer I pretend that I am doing a race or group ride where people are actually slower than me, which never happens in real life. Winter is a great time to mix up the exercise a little and try new things. So try to get out and enjoy all of what living here has to offer this winter.

Peace out,
dave

December 8th and 9th

Here is a picture from this past Sundays CORK Hot Chocolate run. It is really cool that so many folks are coming out to run despite some chilly temps.

Also Happening this past weekend was the annual Jingle Bell run for Arthritis. It was kinda cold (low 20's) but that didn't stop folks from running. Some even shirtless and at least one bikini. Santa was also there with his faithful reindeer and elves.

Peace out,

dave