Merry Christmas from Fleet Feet Bend.

Happy Holidays from Fleet Feet Bend!

However you are spending your holidays we hope that the season finds you happy, healthy and surrounded by the good company of friends and family. All of us at the shop feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful family of fellow runners, customers, program participants and coaches at Fleet Feet Bend and we want to thank everyone that has shared their goals and lives with us.

A solid winter season is now well under way and the days are even starting to get longer again (thank goodness!). We have had a great time enjoying all the snow and chill with our snow shoe running shoes. We just had our very first snow shoe demo day last week and the crew had a great time giving the shoes a spin in the falling snow. It was a perfect day for it with flakes floating down and plenty of fresh powder. Checkout the ladies looking good and sporting the gear up at Wanoga.

Another exciting event recently presented by Fleet Feet Bend was the Hammer Nutrition Night. Reps from Hammer Nutrition provided some great information about fueling for training, racing and recovering. It was our pleasure to host our friends from Hammer Nutrition for the evening and enjoyed some new products and useful information. If you missed the event stop in the shop to talk to us about your fueling, recovery and nutrition needs. The guys at Hammer left a lot of good reading material about not only Hammer Nutrition products specifically but also about training and fueling for endurance sports in general.

Also, if you haven't checked out the newly introduced Deschutes Multisports Club yet this is another new and exciting way that Fleet Feet Bend has been expanding our family. We are inviting Multisport athletes of all kinds, levels, ages and abilities to meet new training partners, enjoy support from top coaches and resources, to access some great discounts and products, and to take advantage of a great opportunity to be a mentor and leader for other multisport athletes to promote multisports locally here in Bend.

We have so much to be thankful for looking back on this past year, great events, great friends and miles of beautiful trails with gorgeous panoramas, and we have so much to look forward to looking ahead to 2011, watching the Deschutes Multisports Club grow, running together and our staff doing our best to help with all your New Year Resolutions, your goals and dreams.

Have a wonderful end to your 2010 and best wishes for your 2011.

Thank again from all your friends at Fleet Feet Bend.

- The Fleet Feet Bend Staff -

Rod Bien, Scott Wolfe, Heather Hynes, Michelle White, Carolyn Courtwright, Marci Klimek & Chase Parnell

DMC Preview Review.

Despite the snow and the cold outside it is definitely an exciting time to be a multisport athlete in Bend.


A special thank you to everyone that came out last night to learn about and become part of the Deschutes Multisport Club. I am so excited about all of our new members and am really looking forward to DMC's very first official training session coming up quickly: A tri specific swim at Juniper Swim & Fitness with Coach Bob at 6:15 on Tuesday January 4th!

Some very exciting announcements from last night:

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This first training session on Jan 4th will initiate DMC's regular weekly trainings;

• Every Tuesday, 6:15: Swimming @ Juniper Swim & Fitness with Coach Bob.
• Every Wednesday, 6:00: Group Run @ Fleet Feet Bend.
• Every Thursday PM: Bike Training (Spin or Trainers, location TBA).
• Every Saturday AM: Group Run or Block Session, location TBA.

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Scheduled monthly speakers coming up for DMC members only;

• January, Coach Bob Bruce from Central Oregon Masters Aquatic presents Swimming as a Multisports Athletes.

Coach Bob is the head coach for COMA and a level 5 certified coach with 36-years of coaching experience novice, age-group, high school and masters levels. Bob is also earning his certification in Triathlon Specific Training and will be talking about swimming technique and training for multisport specific athletes.

• February, Cherie Touchette from Juniper Swim & Fitness presents an interactive lesson on core strength for endurance athletes.
• March, Nutritionist on effective fueling for Triathletes during competition and training.

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Although I am not personally a multisport athlete I can't wait to run and swim (and maybe bike if I can save up my pennies) and make new friends and training partners with all our members. I can't wait to build up a community of all ages and abilities that is supportive and positive and active.

If you are as anxious to get involved and started as I am please drop in the shop to talk with Michelle, Scott or myself about what you are looking for in your training and how we can help you to achieve a new personal record, meet new training partners, find resources, be a mentor and a become part of a great multisport community. For the most up-to-date info visit DMC on facebook.

Also, if you or your business would like to get involved with the Deschutes Multisports Club as a sponsor please contact Club President Michelle White at michelle@descutesmultisport.com.

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Next Deschutes Multisports Club Preview Night:

Monday January 10th, 6:00pm

@ Fleet Feet Bend

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Links For Multisport Athletes To Learn More Now:

Deschutes Multisports Club Homepage

DMC Membership Application (PDF)

DMC Membership Waiver (PDF)

Juniper Swim & Fitness Center Homepage

Central Oregon Masters Swimming Homepage

USA Triathlon Homepage

The offseason

Yep, its that time of year. The egg nog and wine is flowing and you have decided that "snowboarding" can easily replace the "long run" of each week. The weather is cold and wet and admittedly, it can get a bit harder to get out and hit your workouts each week. But, I would encourage you "seasonal" runners out there not to just put your running shoes on the shelf for the winter but instead, to try some new things, change your running up, and make sure that you are not discouraged with your running as the days get longer and the temperatures warm up. I thought I would discuss what I do during the winter and see if any of it appeals to you.

1. Don't think of it as the "dreadmill". Okay, I know, the treadmill stinks. But, instead of thinking about it as something you dread, look at it as a tool to improve your summer running. I can't stand doing standard "easy runs" on the treadmill but I do find I can pass the time fairly quickly if I am challenging myself on the treadmill. I like to do my "tempo" runs on there as I know the ole' rat wheel will keep my pace accountable. I do a ton of different workouts on it depending on how I feel. But, in general, I like to do about a 10 minute warm-up, 20-30 minutes at my 5K pace, and then a cool down. Its a great, hard workout that will make your easy runs seem nice n' slow.

2. Are you "Born to Run"? We get so many folks who are interested in barefoot running or running in shoes with minimal support. This is a great time of year to dabble in it. You want to take it very easy and just start with runs of 10-15 minutes at the most. This is a fun tool (as long as you don't overdo it) that will help you with your form once spring sets in. We have every degree of minimal shoes available at the shop from barefoot styles to light stability and we can help you choose the right shoe to help you comfortably explore strengthening your foot and improving your form.

3. Invest in the right clothing. Running in cotton or non-technical apparel sucks in the summertime but it is downright dangerous in the winter time. Its not a huge investment to get a pair of tights with a fleece lining or a jacket that will shield you from the outside elements and keep your dry and warm. This can make a huge difference as the weather won't seem like nearly as big an obstacle and you'll have to come up with a better excuse not to get out there.

4. Cross train. I run about 50% less in winter than summer. However, since my workload is lower, I try to improve my overall fitness. I try and do core training 2-3 times per week, I lift weights 3 times per week, and I do yoga 1X per week. (though some that have seen me do yoga would argue that I'm not really doing yoga due to my horrendous flexibility). This keeps things fresh for me and allows me to be "hungry" for bigger mileage once the trails start to thaw out. I'm also looking forward to trying a bit of swimming this winter to try something new.

5. Don't be scared of the dark. Headlamps are so light and bright these days that heading out before the sun has come up or just after it has gone down really isn't too bad. It kind of feels like a little adventure and you'll be surprised how great you feel once you get back.

However, my big advice is, keep the wheels greased. If you give up running all winter, you are much more likely to get injured or become grumpy with yourself once you have "committed" to running again. You don't have to run the same amount in the winter as you do in the summer but you want to maintain a good base fitness that you can then build upon once the spring arrives. Find out what motivates you? Snowshoe running? Cross training? A winter race? Getting a new running outfit? Whatever it takes, keep up your running and just try and find some new angles that will keep you motivated and will improve your running going into the new year. That's my two cents...

Rod B.