We’re your Xterra Cxn!

Bend has been labeled “America’s Best Trail Running Town” by the editors of Outside Magazine and fondly referred to as home by defending Xterra Champion Max King, with only a month remaining until the September 18th race day it’s not too late to represent the home-grown talent and provide yet another reason why the Xterra National Trail Running Championships belong in Bend.

For as little as $35.00 you can toe the line with the elites in the national championship race. Cover the 21km course and climb a 1,000 feet against the best for your shot at a nice prize purse for the top 5 male and top 5 female finishers.

If you are not tempted to challenge the elites, bring your friends, co-workers, siblings and neighbors and battle for one of 15 age group Xterra national crowns. Titles are awarded to each 5 year age division from 9 and under to 80+. If a half marathon is not in your range of interest there is also 10k, 5k and kids sprint races offered. (All at discounted prices on the August 27th special sign-up day.)

If you are not familiar with the course drop in at 12:30 on September 17th and learn a few tricks at Xterra University. Get to know the course, aid station locations and learn about race day nutrition and hydration when you drop in to pick up your race packet.

If the scenic course and rock-bottom registration fee doesn't get you going maybe the 9:00 start time will do the trick. You don't even have to be up before sun-rise to compete.

- Marci K.

Look to your Insole for happy feet.

Runners know how important it is to keep your feet happy. There is nothing worse than a big, bad blister or an achy arch to slow your roll. As you run an 8 minute mile 350 strides a minute will assuredly remind you that those cotton socks are still bunched under your toes. Repeated foot fall after foot fall may cause you to seriously weigh the pros and cons of stopping mid-race to re-tie that lace that is lashing out. Minor mishaps are repeated 6,000 times during your average 5k fun run and to 90,000 times during a grueling 5 hour marathon.

The key to the happiness of your feet is a good relationship with their dear, close-friend; the shoe. Just like any good relationship your shoe should complement the natural strengths of your feet and compensate for their weaknesses. Now reach deep down into the heart of your shoes and you will find the insoles. Go ahead pull out the manufacturer’s flimsy plastic or rubber insole; find how highly pliable and foldable it is. Not too much in the way of shock absorption or stabilization… there is the potential for Nike, Brooks or Mizuno origami-swans under your feet.

Although some feet and shoes are happy and healthy in this minimalistic relationship, some relationships require a little additional guidance and this is where premium insoles come in. Specialists in biomechanics have created premium insoles to improve shock absorption fit, comfort and performance of existing shoes. They improve posture and balance which makes for a more efficient stride and reduces runner’s pains such as plantar fasciitis, bunions and heel spurs.

For as little as $40.00 and a few ounces you can enjoy all the added benefits of a substantial insert, and your feet can live happily ever with your existing shoes… but if you aren’t ready to commit to a more rigid and controlled fit just yet then join us September 2nd at 6:00 to take a pair of Superfeet insoles for a test run and see if their the right match for you… plus free snacks and a group run will keep your legs and belly happy too.

Check out these links for more information:
Superfeet Insoles Walking & Running Website
Montrail Insoles
Sole Custom Footbeds
Spenco PolySorb Insoles

- Marci K.

Barefoot with Benefits

As folks are coming in looking for minimalist footwear, I thought I would share one my favorite shoes in this class. This is the Inov-8 Talon 212. This is a great shoe for strengthening the foot, getting in some trail speedwork, and with its amazing lugs, is a great trail racing shoe at 7.4 oz.
There is literally no support in this shoe so you will need to rely on your own body mechanics to have an efficient gate. The Inov-8 philosophy is to look to the natural function of the foot for inspiration and guidance whenever they design footwear for the high performance athlete or the recreational runner.
Personally, I love to climb hills in these shoes as I feel like the flexible forefoot of the shoe allows my foot to really "bite" into the hill, get traction, and slingshot me forward.
As with any "barefoot" style shoes, you need to break your body in gently. At first, using these shoes only for shorter runs and races until your body adjusts to a relatively new style of running.
But, if you are interested into the barefoot running scene, I think this is great place to start.
Anyway, we have a good selection of "barefoot" styles in the shop now so come on by and check em' out.

Rod B.

Winter Warrior!!

Well, our second year of Winter Warrior has come and gone. Basically, this has been our way to put a bit of a competitive spin (in a very, very informal way) into getting your workouts in. We have 2 yoga classes per week (Wednesday and Sunday nights), 1 strength training class (Monday nights), and one group run (Wednesday nights). Every workout you come to, you obtain points and these points get you some free stuff. It starts with $5.00 gift certificates, moves to our "Winter Warrior" shirt, and the TRUE winter Warrior gets a pair of shoes from Brooks!

Well, a few days before the program began, Lenora James came in and said she was going to win the contest. She claimed that she would come to every single workout. And, by gosh, she did. She did it her own way. On her quest to lose weight, she would usually head out before the rest of us left for our run and by the end of the program, she was usually out the longest (you better not have been at a coffee shop, Lenora!!! :)

And, although, she had aches and pains from her new athletic lifestyle, she would do what she could in all of the classes and what she couldn't do, she observed, and would put to use later!

The best news was when she told me last week that she had lost 25 pounds! Holy Moly! She is now able to fit into jackets and clothing that she hasn't been able to get into for years. Very cool.

Coming in 2nd place, was our store mascot, Laura Kantor. As always, her "can do" attitude and her accomplishments are the stuff books are written about and she inspires me daily with her work ethic and her "trueness" (is that a word, Laura??) to herself and her goals. Laura recently ran a tough and muddy 50K. This coming from a woman who has lost over 125 pounds in the last few years. Such an inspiration.

So, cheers to all of you who came down, got the workouts in and kept us company during the quieter months of winter running!

We're all excited that spring is creeping in and the hibernating runners have been wiping their eyes and emerging in the shop again. We're happy to see you.

So, congrats to Lenora and all the Winter Warriors who were able to keep the flame burning brightly this winter.

Prineville Superbowl Run!!

I had seen the race registration form for the Prineville Superbowl Run at Fleet Feet for the last few years. I was semi-tempted to run it before but the idea of a very, very low key road race on Superbowl Sunday never got the juices flowing quite enough to make the drive out to P-Ville. But, when I woke up on Superbowl Sunday, I knew I wanted to get a long run in and the weather was grey and spitting out some rain. As I sipped through my second cup of coffee and thought, "why not?" So, I put on my shorts, stuffed a few GU's in my pockets and made my way to Norm's Extreme Fitness Gym in Prineville. They were offering a 5, 10, and 20 mile race. While it was very low key, there were more people than I expected to see.
After a little milling around, they shuttled all the participants up to Prineville Dam, where the race was going to weave its way in and out of the Canyon rising out of the Crooked River. All of a sudden, on the drive out, I realized that it was going to be an unbelievably beautiful run. I was all of a sudden very excited as I had zero expectations of the run other than getting in some miles at a quicker pace than I normally would push myself on. Once at the top, we all exited and it was pretty apparent to me that I was most likely going to be running by myself. Barely anyone chose to do the 20 mile run which was fine by me as I just wanted a good training run.
In short, this is an awesome run. Probably one of the prettier road runs I have ever done. You are right next to the Crooked River for about 13 miles, passing camp grounds, fly fishermen, and seeing some great wildlife. There was really no traffic and they had water available every 2.5 miles. They were all unmanned aid stations for the first 10 miles which was fine as I would just pour myself a quick cup of water and hit the road again.
My goal was just to run 6:30 pace and push but not kill myself with the pace as I had a good amount of miles on my legs already for the week. I felt pretty good the entire run and only the last 4 or 5 miles are a bit more boring as they are just along flat farm roads. But, if you are looking for something fun to do on Superbowl Sunday, this definitely exceeded my expectations. Beautiful, rolling course with some flats, downhills, and some good uphills to keep you honest. Upon finishing in 2:07, I had a nice bit bowl of chili and chips. Then, it was time to come home and watch the Superbowl. I want to thank Norm for putting on this fun run. I'll be back to do this one again!

Trail Conditions

Hey Folks,
funky weather lately so I thought I would post the trail report for this week. Hope you can find some dry ones to run on!
Weather forecast is showing improvement over the next few days with temperatures at least dropping and remaining below the freezing mark for mid to upper elevations. Snow is also in the forecast for most elevations; though not of any great amounts for the next couple of days, it is way better than the rain and coastal like fog of recent weeks.

Present trail conditions for higher elevations above 6,000' are good to improving with new snow. This mostly includes the Dutchman Flat area and above, but trails just below that area down to 5,600' are also in mostly good condition. Snowmobile trail grooming in the Wanoga to Moon Mt. and on to Three Creek Lake area is on a limited schedule, with lower elevation grooming (and trails around Kwohl Butte area) on hold until adequate snow depths build back up. Trail 5 south of Elk Lk and Trail 2 snow conditions have been described as "skinny", with a few bare spots. Likely much of this is due to the recent logging activity/with plowing of those snowmobile trails, which has finished for the season. Trail 5 into Elk Lake from the north has adequate snow but grooming was limited due to mild temps and recent rain. With present colder temps and incoming new snow, grooming/trail conditions to Elk Lk. from the north should improve.

Meissner area ski trails continue be saved by grooming efforts of Tumalo Langlauf Ski Club. Lee and Loyd have been doing a great job considering the meager snow depths in the area.

Swampy Ski/snowshoe trails have improved greatly with a few inches of new snow over the past few days.

Edison area trails have been very snow challenged for the past week, but again, improvement should be on the way with lowering snowlevels and increasing snow.

Newberry Crater trail conditions have been reported as somewhat hard and "snow challenged" we might say. Conditions should improve as the weekend approaches. Grooming was placed on hold due to lack of adequate snow on many of the trails, but will resume with additional snow. Ski trail conditions were reported as hard and icy over the weekend.

Three Creek Sno-Park snow conditions have been very snow challenged with mostly hard to icy and thin (2-4" with bare spots). Trail conditions improve greatly about 3 miles up the trail from the sno-park. And again, improvement is on the horizon with colder temps and incoming snow.

Snowmobile and ski trails in the Santiam Pass Area are likely in challenging conditions as well, but hoping for improved conditions by the weekend with new snow.

Crescent/Odell Lake area snowmobile trails are reported as poor and even hazardous in some cases. The trail between Junction and Crescent Sno-Parks has become a water/slush hazard and not at all recommended until it refreezes and next snow covers the hazards. Ben the local grooming chair says it will take the colder temps and 1-2 feet of new snow before the groomer can work the trail back into good condition.

Wanoga Snow Play Hill conditions, like the winter trails, have been a mixed bag with mostly fair at best. Expect hard and bumpy slope conditions until new snow builds up the base again.

Low elevation summer trails (Deschutes River and Phils Trailhead areas) will hopefully be transitioning from soft and muddy into firmer conditions with the colder temperatures. Even a chance of snow in the forecast for these trails in the coming days.

Peterson Ridge Bike and Horse Trails, south of Sisters, have likely been fair to good lately but will likely improve with colder temperatures and firmer trail tread.

For most trails a caution goes out for the possibility of recent trees across trails. Last week most of the Deschutes received strong winds that brought down new trees. Some of these trees have been cleared from a few winter trails, but expect to find trees on others.

End of report.

Have a safe and fun week!

ooooh la la

Ah, one of my favorite times of the year. While it may not be spring to all of you, it is spring in the shoe world. What does that mean? Well, we are getting new, sexy, fast, stable, and neutral shoes in every day. We tend to get most of our training shoes in now and our racing shoes will be arriving in Februray. Tons of new colors, styles, and lots of fun stuff for you runners and walkers. Come on in and give them a test drive.

Oh, but what about our poor old shoes that still need a home? Just ask, and we'll give you 15% off any style that has just been updated. So, crazy popular shoes like the 2140, Adrenaline, and Cascadia can be yours for 15% off. Come get them before they are gone!

Lastly, you can now check out our $50.00 shoe section. These are styles that we are not going to continue but that you can get for a great value.

So, whether you are looking for the latest and greatest or an inexpensive pair of new kicks, we'll point you in the right direction. And, Happy New Year!!