Runners Sole

True victory

2010-08-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

The duration of an athletic contest is only a few minutes, while the training for it may take many weeks of arduous work and continuous exercise of self-effort. The real value of sport is not the actual game played in the limelight of applause but the hours of dogged determination and self-discipline carried out alone, imposed and supervised by an exacting conscience. The applause soon dies away, the prize is left behind, but the character you build up is yours forever.

Anonymous

Desire

2010-07-28T13:01:00.003-07:00

"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare"

SUMMER SWEAT!

2010-07-24T14:00:00.001-07:00

Summer Sweat!

Electrolytes come out of tubs, packages, and bottles in force, no longer are they only an edge reserved for long or hard runs.
Ironman logo-ed visors, runningcaps and trucker hats come out in force to protect our gray matter from the heat of the sun, while others' heads are naked, exposed to the sun, getting closer to blaech-blonde with every run.

The River's Trail. Moonscape. Kenna Cartwright. Peterson Creek.

All of these names inspire different emotions is each of us. Excitement, Anticipation. Dread. Memories of past runs, both achievements and failures.

Summer means you are no longer the only runner out at 5am in the morning, or at 9pm at night. There are others like you, and they are out in force. Babyjoggers, families, tennis shoes. All of these come with summer.

And after a long day awaits the reward for your efforts: be it your favorite chocolate bar, Blizzard, or Scoopz ice cream. Or maybe after a hot, sweaty run, it's cool of the river that awaits you.

One thing is for sure: summer is unlike any other season.

Enjoy it while you can, time is running out!

DP

BARE AS YOU DARE

2010-06-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

I just want to talk about a great event that is coming up on June 20th. There are two ladies from the Kamloops Ridge Runners that have signed up to walk 100km in Sept for the Kidney March. They each have to raise $2200.00 to participate in this walk. They walk 40km on one day then 40km the second day and 20km on the third day. They are having an 8km run on Sunday June 20th at nine am at Riverside Park. You can sign up that morning or come into the store and grab an entry form. There are awards for the top three finishers in the age categories and lots of draw prizes and of course great FOOD. There will also be a prize for the best (or least costume). Wayne will be there with the Runners' Sole tent and as always will donate draw prizes. If you're looking for something to do with the family on Father's Day come for a little run and then refreshments. If you have any questions give me a call at the store and I'll answer them for you. Until then happy training for a healthy life.

Kathy

Aquaman!

2010-05-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

So, as Kathy menitoned, Pam and Ross were up from Vancouver for the "Fit Party" at the pool. Wow. What an eye-opening experience. It was really awesome to be able to swim in the wetsuits we talk about and sell (I hadn't had a previous opportunity). It was great to pick Ross's brain about technical information like Yamamoto 39 vs 45 rubbers, the Nanoskin SCS coating, and all of the technology that goes into a wetsuit. The best part though, by far, was being able to get into the wetsuit, and get into the water and swim.

Let me tell you, the three things that stood out to me were:
the lack of sweating and overheating. I'm swimming HARD, in an indoor pool, in 5mm of neoprene, and I felt absolutely no problem with getting hot inside the suit or getting sweaty.

The second thing was the flexibility of thge suit (in this case, the AquaSphere Icon). I'm not a small dude by any means, and I fit into a small. Read that again. Six foot, 182 pounds, in a SMALL! No, this won't work for everyone my size, as I have a strong background in SCUBA and freediving where wetsuits are required, so I was able to put it on using some tricks I've learned over the years. It took a couple minutes to get in, but a couple minutes on the beach saves a couple minutes in the water. I took the suit through everything :flip turns, backstroke, freestyle, and even butterfly. I have large shoulders. I felt zero resistance from the suit. Awesome.

The thrid thing about the suit was the economy of each stroke. What I mean by this is that for each pull of the arms, I would go significantly further than if in no suit. I had to adapt my stroke for longer pulls and less frequency, but once I did that, man, was I able to fly through the water without any resistance.

If anyone gets the chance, rent a suit and bring it to the lake, the pool, whatever. It will blow your mind.
DP

Time Goes By

2010-05-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

Where have the last five months gone? Hard to believe June is just about upon us! I hope everyone is having a great spring and doing lots of running and biking. Maybe if the weather warms up you will be swimming in the lake. I'm finding it hard to get out there and bike as I had a bad crash last year and my heart just isn't into it yet this year. It seemed like everytime I turned around I was hearing that someone crashed, got hurt or got hit by a vehicle. I have been doing lots of swimming and walking and tonight at the pool we are having a Fit Party with Ross and Pam from Aqua Sphere. It will be fun trying on different wetsuits and swim accessories. I am looking forward to trying out some fins as quite a few people at the pool are wearing them.
Hope that everyone is well and training is going as you planned. Have a great summer.
Kathy

Simply Running

2010-05-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

"The equipment from my 23.8 mile run this morning. Nike+iPod thought it was 23.1, but the Forerunner is definitely more accurate. I remember when all I needed to run was shoes, socks, shorts & a t-shirt. And maybe a watch"
(props to flickr user "jakerome")

Where has the love of running gone? Is technology, looking in-style, and the "bling" factor motivating us out the door?

Or is the love of pushing yourself, smelling the fresh air, exploring a new trail, and coming home with a sense of accomplishment getting you up in the morning.

Children run not for others sake, not for fame and glory, not for times, but for the pure joy of it, they run for themselves. They keep running until they are exhausted, and love every second.

Run like a child.

Competition

2010-05-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

"They don't give you gold medals for beating somebody.
They give you gold medals for beating everybody"
Michael Johnson

Waking up

2010-05-08T17:38:00.001-07:00

The world of running has come out of hibernation.

Many pro athletes have already accomplished or missed their season's main goals.
After many long winter months of training through snow, sleet, aches, and pains, they come out, guns blazing, hopes held high, hoping to hit their peak fitness on race day.

Twenty-six men and women have been crowned as World Champions in Doha, Qatar.
In two hours, five minutes, fifty-two seconds, the record of the world's most historic marathon, Boston, fell.
The Virgin London Marathon, singley the largest fundraising event in the world, has already success raised millions of dollars.

The rest of us are getting used to the sunshine creeping through our windows, motivating us to rise early in the morning and see what awaits us in the long hours of the new days. Temperatures rise, and with it, the motivation to pull out those dusty runners from the closet, or to put on your game-face yet again as you down a quick breakfast before the first run of the week.

While Elites have already had successes and failures on a grand scale of exposure and media flurry, the average Joe and Jane are just starting to think about the first fun runs, or even races of the year. We too, have expectations, maybe to run to the mailbox without losing breath, or maybe to finally convince your loved ones that running isn't for the masochistic or sleep-deprived.

The rest of the running world has awoken. What are you waiting for?

DP

Happy New Year

2010-01-05T10:36:00.001-08:00

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. May all your fitness goals be reached. I had a great holiday season and got lots of good workouts in. It was nice and quiet at the pool and I enjoyed walking in the snow. Now that we have some snow it's time to try out the new snowshoes finally! I'm going to join Wayne this Friday as he is putting on a Learn to Snowshoe clinic.
I did something totally out of my comfort zone and did the Polar Bear Swim on New Year's Day. I had a blast and enjoyed the whole experience. You can call me crazy or nuts however it was fun and I wasn't even cold. In the picture I am the one the furthest out in the river, thought I might as well go for a swim instead of just jumping in then getting out.
Hope to see everyone out running, walking or snowshoeing. Happy New Year to everyone.
Kathy

Christmas Party

2009-12-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

Well the big day is almost here. How is your shopping going? I am one of those people who have been done for awhile. Being done early has it's drawbacks as I always seem to find something else that I want to buy someone so I can go overboard in the gift department. It was a great weekend as we had our staff party. Thank you Wayne and Lindsay!! Fifeteen of us went to the Hoodoos. The meal was amazing. A good time was had by all.
I went to the pool to swim yesturday and it was absolutely dead. I haven't seen it that quiet since the new track and gym opened. The next couple of weeks will be quiet until the New Year and then everyone makes their resolutions and it will be busy again.
I hope everyone has a great holiday season. May you spend it with family and friends. I also hope that Santa spoils all of you.
Happy Holiday. Merry Christmas. Best wishes for a healthy, Happy New Year.

Kathy

Food Bank Run

2009-12-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to invite everyone out for the Food Bank Run tomorrow night here at the store. We will meet at 6:15pm and then head out. Wayne will have "Goodies" for us after. Remember to bring some items for the food bank.
It was sure nice walking last night in the falling snow instead of the falling temperatures. With the snow it now seems like Christmas. I hope everyone has their shopping list just about finished and that you are planning to spend the holidays with family and friends. Happy Holidays everyone.
Hope to see you tomorrow night.
Kathy

World Masters Run Group

2009-12-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

The run group is going well with more than 40 members attending regularly. Last week we had a prediction run, where before the run everyone estimated their 5k finish time. After the run, the winner, Doreen Johnson came in 9 sec off her predicted time. Mike Bruch was a close second with a prediction only 11 seconds off. Doreen was rewarded with a $100 gift certificate for Runners Sole. If you have any questions about our group or are interested in joining us, check out our Runners Sole website under "clinics".

Wayne

Vegas

2009-12-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

Shawn and I had a great time in Las Vegas.....1/2 Marathon was awesome. Must say I hated the smoke but running down the Vegas Strip was exciting. I highly reccommend this race, not to mention the shopping was grand. Now to get pumped up for World Masters 1/2 in March!
Cheers Monica

Santa Run

2009-12-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

What a great turn out yesturday for our Santa Run. We had 56 people come out for a run and then breakfast. The Coast Canadian Inn did a fantastic job. We had 22 items to raffle off to raise money for the Food Bank and we ended up with over $300.00 to donate to them. I want to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone that donated items (Wayne,Runner's Sole) and to my fellow members of the Ridge Runners. What a great crew we are. Each year everyone amazes me with their generousity. As for a workout I hit the pool this weekend as it was too cold to do any walking outside of any length. Hope everyone's training is going well. Have a great week.

Kathy

This Week

2009-12-04T10:50:00.000-08:00

. Over the past weekend we had inventory. It went very well and now we are gearing up for the Christmas shopping season. As for activity I have started doing Aqua Running again at TCC. I first started Aqua Running with Wayne back in 2003. I took his course for three years. He had so much energy that the class was a lot of fun and I met a lot of very nice ladies who I still keep in contact with. I stopped Aqua Running and took up running and biking. Since I have been working my way back since my surgeries I have gone back to Aqua Running. I forgot how easy it is on the body and joints but what a great work out. If you don't think it's a great work out you should try a class. Wear a heart rate monitor and see how hard you do work. If you are battling any injuries and are suppose to not run give Aqua Running a try. This weekend is the Ridge Runners Santa Run. We meet for a run or walk then have breakfast. We do a raffle and all money raised goes to the Food Bank. All the items for the raffle are donated. The Ridge Runners is a fun, social group. Have a great week everyone. Chat soon.

Kathy

Fitness?

2009-11-26T14:25:00.003-08:00

What defines fitness? and Who is fit? Ask several different people and you will certainly get several different answers. Everyone has their own "fitness ideal" A person or perhaps an accomplishment that embodies for them the prime model of fitness. What is it for you?
I have a pretty specific definition of fitness that I adhere to.

We have 10 basic physical skills:

Cardivascular Endurance
Strength
Stamina
Power
Speed
Flexibility
Accuracy
Balance
Agility
Coordination

I feel that if you are lacking in any one of these areas, then you cannot call yourself truly "FIT". Just being advanced in one area does not necessarily grant you access to other domains. There are plenty of examples of "specialists", who train for their specific goals, a certain sport let's say, to the exclusion of all else. They may excel then, at that particular event, but in my opinion they are not "FIT". To be fit means to be able to handle many challenges of various modality. Why? Beacuse that's the way life happens. You don't get to follow a program for what happens next. Who do I want around if I'm unconscious and the house is on fire? An olympic distance athlete...(ie: Simon)

...or someone a little more well rounded like Olympic wrestling legend Alexander Karelin.

Who would you choose? Both olympic champions. However, one in a sport dominated by the need for cardiovascular endurance, along with some stamina certainly, perhaps speed. But I'd have to hear arguments for much else. Wrestling on the other hand requires cardiovascular endurance, great amounts of strength and stamina, enormous power, agility, coordination, balance, speed, flexiblity, etc...

Get the idea?

You may be swayed by the activities you only like to do, but be assured, Karelin would fare pretty decently in a triathlon. Not that he would win, but he could compete and beat A LOT of dedicated triathletes. But I hate to imagine what would happen if Simon stepped into the ring.

So my question is this. Are you "FIT" ? Why wouldn't you want to get better at everything?

Sean White

Awards Banquet

2009-11-23T09:23:00.001-08:00

What a great weekend! My wrap up for the cycling group was Friday night. There was 36 of us for supper and awards. I got an award for Most Improved Rider. The award was unexpected but I worked hard this year. I usually started first for the time trials and came in last! Next year I want to come second to last. Should be a goal I can obtain. The award itself was nice, it was a bike with a rider standing in front with one arm in the air. I got the opportunity to work in the store Saturday on the floor with customers. It was a change that I enjoyed from working in the back. I didn't realize how much I miss helping customers and talking to people about what their are doing for the winter and their goals. What a nice day Sunday for a walk with the Ridge Runners. There won't be too many more days like that one to enjoy outside. The Ridge Runners are having a Santa Run and breakfast in a couple of weeks. We usually have a raffle for some great prizes and raise money for the food bank. Last year we raised $200.00.
Have a great week everyone. Chat soon.
Kathy

My first Blog!!

2009-11-19T13:46:00.001-08:00

I have never written on a blog before. I think this could be interesting. I am on the road back from two major surgeries on my knees so I am starting all over again with my fitness level. I am getting back into swimming, cycling and walking.. I joined a cycling group this past summer and had a blast. We met on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings. We did time trials on Thursday nights and long group rides on Sundays. I learned a lot joining this group and can't wait until next year to start riding again. This Friday night is our awards and banquets. There are roughly forty of us getting together for this evening. I'll let you know how the evening went! I walk with the Ridge Runners on Tues, Thurs and Sunday mornings. I know the best part of the walking is going for coffee after.
Hope everyone is enjoying the great weather and is getting in some last runs or rides on the dry roads and trails. See you around town or at the coffee shop.

Kathy

Upcoming Blog

2009-11-18T11:45:00.001-08:00

Runners Sole

Upcoming blog - info and opinion on a variety of topics, written by the Runners Sole employees!