Fleet Feet Albany May 2008 Newsletter
Arlene and I are happy to forward you the May 2008 edition of your Fleet Feet Sports Club newsletter. For those new club members who are reading this for the first time, WELCOME!
April seemed to fly by, as has the first part of May. There are some highlights I would like to mention. First, our sincere thanks to George P. Kansas for his presentation on April 23rd. GPK is very inspirational and provides us all an opportunity to look at ourselves and really think hard about what is possible; thank you again George. Second, my personal thanks to coach Tom Howley and the Bethlehem Track and Field Program for the opportunity to be involved with the second annual Fleet Feet Sports Bethlehem Lady Eagles Invitational. It is such a treat to watch our area student/athletes compete at such a high level. With seventeen schools and 300+ athletes it was quite a day! Finally, my thanks to our friends from New Balance for sponsoring our New Balance brunch on April 27th. Those who attended were treated to lots of things we should not eat, but taste really good.
May brings another busy month - Corporate Challenge, continuation of our No Boundaries program, culminating in The Freihofer’s Run for Women on May 31st. There is always a race to run or a walk to walk, so take advantage of the camaraderie these events foster. In fact think about this, we have 34 persons participating in our initial No Boundaries program, many of them training to run or walk their very first 5K. Many of these folks have been thinking about this for a long time and made the commitment. Seven weeks later they have met new people and accomplished things that were once a dream. I invite myself and all of you to pick one thing you have been putting off and go do it! Set the time aside, go through the excitement of planning, and go do your “it.”
Enjoy the taste and smell of May everybody. Come run with us on our Thursday night fun runs, join our new Sportwalkers Club, make time for fun!
We appreciate your support of our store; we will never take it for granted. Stop in when you are nearby, if only to say hi!
Best Regards,
Charles and Arlene Woodruff
Proudly owning
Fleet Feet Sports
Albany
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May Events/ Calendar
68th Annual William F. Eddy Jr. Track & Field Meet
Sponsored by the Schenectady Police Benevolent Association
Our region boasts some of the finest high school track & field athletes in the nation. Come out to support their efforts and catch some spectacular performances at “The Eddy Meet,” the oldest and finest interscholastic track & field meet of its kind in New York State.
May 26 - Closed to commemorate Memorial Day
May 31 @ Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY
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30th Annual Freihofer’s Run for Women Join thousands of women of all ages and abilities by participating in one of the nation’s premier running events. Run the world record 5km course, participate in the new 10km race walk or the 20th Community Walk, and get the kids to lace up their running shoes for the 21st Kids’ Run. For more information, go to www.freihofersrun.com. |
Stop by the Fleet Feet Albany tent at the 2-day CapitalCare Health & Fitness Expo. The expo begins at noon on Friday, May 30 and continues through Saturday’s events.
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It's Not Easy Being Green - click below to play |
April seemed to blow right by us. Following news coverage of the Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials, the 112th running of the Boston Marathon, not to mention the Democratic Presidential Primary in Pennsylvania, we nearly forgot to mention Earth Day on April 22! Following is an update on how the running community is working to become more environmentally responsible.
Just figuring out what running or walking shoe to buy can be a workout for many of us. For the environmentally conscious consumer, that decision is getting easier. Running shoe companies are initiating major efforts to “go green,” moving toward manufacturing and design processes that reduce waste and toxic materials, while also promoting the use of eco-friendly materials.“While it would be wonderful if every company was completely green,” states ultra-marathon champ Scott Jurek, who worked with Brooks to develop the Cascadia trail shoe, “we have to start small.” Small steps, however, can have a big, positive impact. Shoe manufacturers have eliminated glues containing VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from their products, and replaced PVC (polyvinyl chloride) with less toxic EVA foam (ethylene vinl acetate) or TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane).
With the average runner going through 3-4 pairs of shoes each year, eliminating waste is a high priority for all of us. Current running shoe midsoles (the white section of your shoe, between the mesh upper and rubber outsole) can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in a landfill! Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program accepts any brand of athletic shoes, grinds them up, and uses that material to build tracks, basketball and tennis courts. Nike also recycles much of the scrap material left over from its footwear manufacturing plants, grinds it up to become a material called Nike Grind, which is then used in several products.
Many recycling and donations programs will accept the old shoes cluttering up your basement. In our own community, Fleet Feet Albany will take any gently used running shoes and donate them to local charitable organizations.
Other groups to check out include:
www.runtheplanet.com
www.recycledrunner.com
www.soles4souls.org
Asics has instituted the EcoPet program, to collect and recycle synthetic school PE uniforms in 500 schools nationwide. Look for more companies to offer recycled materials in their athletic apparel. Synthetic materials from New Balance, Champion, and more are now being blended with bamboo and coconut fibers, to offer more sustainable fabrics that provide superior moisture management and anti-microbial properties.
Brooks is taking the green movement in footwear a stepfarther with the introduction of a new material called BioMoGo. Set to launch in the Trance 8 this summer, BioMoGo is the first biodegradable running shoe midsole. Brooks has added a non-toxic, natural additive to the MoGo midsole compound that encourages anaerobic microbes to eat away once it hits the landfill. BioMoGo degrades 50 times faster than traditional materials, resulting in reusable byproducts in 20-22 years, not to mention saving a staggering 29.9 million pounds of landfill waste!
The major footwear manufacturers now offer packaging - shoeboxes, stuffing, tissue paper, tags - made from recycled materials. Brooks has even switched to a non-toxic, soy-based ink.
This much energy being devoted by the large companies to become more environmentally friendly must be matched by local efforts. Fleet Feet Albany began our green initiative by providing reusable tote bags to all our Personal Rewards recipients. Shopping with your Fleet Feet bag helps lessen the accumulation of plastic bags in our landfills. We are continuing these efforts with a store-wide recycling program. It may take a little more time and energy for all, but we plan to separate and recycle all paper, plastic, and glass products used in our store. We’ve made a promise to help you achieve your running and fitness goals by providing superior products and service. Now we’re committing to making socially responsible decisions so future generations can enjoy our Earth for the long run.
Athletes’ Kitchen
Runners, it seems, take great pains to choose foods and time their meals to maximize performance. Food allergies and sensitivities to certain additives and ingredients always seem to pop up in conversation, as special dietary needs can pose problems for athletes wishing to consume sufficient nutrients. Unable to scarf down the bread and bagels most runners don’t even think about, a few of our customers with celiac disease (gluten intolerance) have expressed their frustration with trying to eat enough carbohydrates to fuel their running.
The following recipe comes from Whole Foods Market, but our local supermarkets are now carrying more and more gluten-free products.
A cornmeal cake makes a delightful gluten-free dessert. Ricotta cheese and almonds add richness, and orange juice and zest add bright citrus flavors. Serve with a simple topping of seasonal fruit and crème fraiche lightly sweetened with brown sugar.
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup full fat ricotta cheese, preferably hand-dipped
- 1 cup ground almonds or almond meal/flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- Zest of 1 organic orange
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil or butter a 9-inch spring-form baking pan. In a large bowl, beat butter until light and creamy. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in ricotta, almonds, vanilla, orange juice and zest. Mix cornmeal with baking powder and salt, and fold into batter.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until set and firm. Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool. Cut into wedges and serve.
Nutrition Info
Assume recipe provides 8 servings: Per serving (1/8 cake/105g-wt.): 350 calories (190 from fat), 21g total fat, 9g saturated fat, 7g protein, 34g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 20g sugar), 90mg cholesterol, 230mg sodium
If you have a favorite recipe geared toward those with food sensitivities (e.g., gluten-free, lactose-free, etc.), please share them with us. Drop us a line or e-mail
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Fleet Feet SportWalkers Making Strides
Albany has a new USATF Walking Club based out of Fleet Feet Sports. The SportWalkers walk for health, fitness, or competition using Olympic race walking technique. The group is coached by Don Lawrence, who joined the Fleet Feet staff in May 2007.
The SportWalkers meet at the store Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. Don begins each meeting with an instructional clinic, followed by a workout. The emphasis is on technique, rather than speed, in an effort to encourage everyone to participate regardless of age or ability level. In the few months since its inception, membership has grown to include walkers aged 11 to 77!
Join America’s Olympic Race Walk hopefuls on May 31, as the SportWalkers host the USA 10km Race Walk Championships, held in conjunction with the 30th Freihofer’s Run for Women. There will be a sport walking clinic and a “Try It” 2km walk open to anyone wishing to heel & toe the Empire State Plaza starting line.
If you need additional information or would like to plan a corporate/school on-site sport walk clinic, e-mail Don Lawrence