Let us donate & recycle your old shoes to benefit Charities and People around the world

As many of you may know, for the past several years all 3 of our locations have been involved with several different charities that donate used running shoes and other supplies around the world.  Today we want to highlight several of those organizations.

One World Running

One World Running was started in the mid 80’s by local journalist Mike Sandrock and sends shipments of shoes, clothing and other supplies to African villages all over the continent.  If you have any old shoes lying around the house that you no longer need or use, please consider dropping them off at our stores to be donated.

Denver Rescue Mission

At our Littleton location what cannot be sent off to One World Running stays locally here in Colorado.   All your old shoes that you never use are donated to the Denver Rescue Mission to be given out to assist the needs of the homeless throughout the Denver Metro Area. 

Orphans of AIDS

The Orphans of AIDS Trust Foundation (OATF) provides for the care of children in South Africa orphaned by the death of their parents as a result of the AIDS tragedy.  Keep in mind approximately 8000 people a day die from AIDS, and no place has been hit harder than South Africa where 5,000,000 children and adults are living with this virus- almost 70% of the worlds AIDS cases.  

Every race organized by Boulder Running Company benefits this fantastic organization, including this Sunday’s Indian Summer Half at the Boulder Reservoir. 

EXPAND

The EXPAND program helps people with disabilities improve and gain new recreation and leisure skills that enhance their overall well being and quality of life.  This local program provides children and adults with disabilities to participate in things they would not ordinarily be able to do, such as the Bolder Boulder.  Each year for the race we outfit as many people as we can with shoes and apparal to complete the Bolder Boulder.  We also provide coaching to get them to the finish line, which has been a huge success.

West End 3K- July 23rd, 2009

This is a reminder to join Adidas and the Boulder Running Company for a
special West End 3K registration event on Tuesday, July 21st, 6-8pm.
Be one of the lucky first 50 who buy a pair of adidas running shoes and get a free race entry to the West End 3K. Also enjoy refreshments and special shopping discounts on adidas training and racing flats.

Find out more about the West End 3K by visiting www.boulderraces.com

New Spring Sandals from Tsonga Shoes

The best thing about Tsonga is the story behind the products.  Every single shoe is made from scratch by a local African women in a rural village in South Africa, from the cutting and treating of the leather (which is tanned by hand, meaning “green” methods are used, unlike traditional leather treating with chrome and other harsh metals) to the stitching of the upper to the sole is all done by hand by the craftswomen. 

Tsonga provides wages to these workers equal to double minimum wage, and provides housing & education opportunities for the community.  Tsonga is also currently constructing a school for this community, with a focus on basic household skills, adult education, literacy, and shoe manufacturing to further empower the community to be more self sustaining.  

Not only do these shoes look and feel great, the cause that Tsonga supports will make you feel good everytime you use them; as a large percentage of each shoe sold goes directly to this community.

Tsonga Aluki

Tsonga Bhambo

Tsonga Chaka

Tsonga Hesha

Nutrition for Endurance Athletes by Dr. Ralph Hall M.D.

Our newsletter featured another insightful guest article from our friend Dr. Ralph Hall.

SYNOPSIS: New guidelines for athletes on what to eat and when to eat it have just been published.

SOURCE:  The American Dietetic Assoc; The Dieticians of Canada; American College of Sports Medicine. Position Statement Nutrition and Athletic Performance. (Am Diet Assoc, 2009 Mar; 109(3): 509-27)
 
BACKGROUND: It is the position of the above organizations that physical activity, athletic performance, and recovery from exercise are enhanced by optimal nutrition.  These organizations recommend appropriate selection of foods and fluids, timing of intake, and supplement choices for optimal health and exercise performance. This updated position paper couples a rigorous systematic, evidence-based analysis of nutrition and performance-specific literature with current scientific data related to energy needs, assessment of body composition, strategies for weight change, nutrient and fluid needs, special nutrient needs during training and competition, the use of supplements and ergogenic aids, nutrition for vegetarian athletes, and the roles and responsibilities of sports dieticians. Energy and macronutrient needs, especially carbohydrate and protein, must be met during times of high physical activity to maintain body weight, replenish glycogen stores and provide adequate protein to build and repair tissue. Fat intake should be sufficient to provide the essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins as well as contribute to energy and weight maintenance. Although exercise performance can be affected by body weight and composition, these physical measures should not be the criterion for sports performance and daily weigh-ins are discouraged. Adequate food and fluid should be consumed before, during, and after exercise to help maintain blood glucose concentration during exercise, maximize exercise performance, and improve recovery time. Athletes should be well hydrated before exercise and drink enough fluid during and after exercise to balance fluid losses. Sports beverages containing carbohydrates and electrolytes to help maintain blood glucose concentration, provide fuel for muscles, and decrease the risks of dehydration and hyponatremia. Vitamin and mineral supplements are not needed if adequate energy to maintain body weight is consumed from a variety of foods. However, athletes who restrict energy intake, use severe weight-loss practices eliminate one or more food groups from their diet, or consume unbalanced diets with low micronutrient density, may require supplements. Because regulations specific to nutritional Ergogenic aid are poorly enforced, they should be used with caution and only after careful product evaluation for safety, efficacy, potency and legality.
 
DR RALPH’S COMMENTS: In future issues I will discuss some of the specific recommendations in this position statement, such as protein requirements and timing of post exercise nutrients as there will still be some controversy regarding these issues.                 
 
***The American College of Sports Medicine meeting will be held the last week in May. More than 40 countries will be presenting new research in sports medicine, exercise physiology, nutrition and training methods.
 
Particularly interesting will be sessions on carbohydrate metabolism given by Louise Burke of the Australian Institute of Sports Medicine and a session on “The Science and Coaching of Distance Runners,” given by Jack Daniels, Jason Karp and Hal Goforth. 

 

 

Vitamin C for Endurance Athletes

Our newsletter this week featured a guest column from a friend of the store, Dr. Ralph Hall.  Dr Hall is a professor emeritus of medicine at the University of Missouri at Kansas City.  Additionally, he is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and American College of Sports Medicine.  He is the co founder of the Hospital Hill run in Kansas City and has run the Pikes Peak Ascent eleven times.

Updates in Health and Fitness
By Ralph R Hall M.D. FACSM

SYNOPSIS: Oral vitamin C prevents improvement in VO2 max and endurance capacity.

SOURCE: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Jan 2008.

BACKGROUND: Runners and bikers often take vitamin C supplements because intense running and biking can result in oxidative stress. Peroxidation is the result of increased free radicals and they are thought to lead to increases in heart disease, cancer and other degenerative diseases. Free radicals are molecules with an odd number of electrons. They are created by normal activity and because of their molecular structure are toxic. There is considerable debate regarding the beneficial health effects of the antioxidant activity of supplemental vitamin C.

STUDY DESIGN: The human study was double-blinded and randomized. Fourteen men (27-36 years old) were trained for 6 weeks. Five of the men were supplemented daily with an oral dose of 1 gram of vitamin C daily. Twenty-four rats were exercised under two different protocols for 3 and 6 weeks. Twelve of the rats were supplemented with a comparable dose of vitamin C calibrated for their body surface area.

RESULTS: The administration of vitamin C significantly (P=0.014) hampered endurance capacity. Vitamin C also prevented the exercise induced increases of markers of increased fitness such as cytochrome C (a marker of mitochondrial content) and of the body’s own powerful antioxidant enzymes superoxide desmutase and glutathione peroxidase.

Vitamin C levels were measured in all the human and animal experimental subjects to confirm that levels were consistent for both the supplemented and the unsupplemented subjects.

Training significantly increased the running time in the rats. However, this increase was prevented by vitamin C supplementation. The running time increased from a mean of 99 minutes to 284 minutes in the un-supplemented rats, but only from 101 to 128 minutes in the supplemented rats. The VO2 max increased more in the un-supplemented subjects. In the human subjects VO2 max was increased by 17% in the unsupplemented group and 4.7 % in the supplemented group. This was not statistically significant -perhaps because of the small number of subjects.

Editorial Comment: The unsupplemented subjects had significantly higher tissue levels of two of the body’s important antioxidants and statistically higher levels of markers for mitochondrial content. (Mitochondrial content is the amount of the energy producing machinery (mitochondria) in a cell.) The mitochondrial content is more closely related to endurance capacity than the maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 Max) and the anaerobic threshold.

Endurance athletes have higher levels of the very protective antioxidant, superoxide desmutase, than sedentary people. It is there to protect against free radicals and inflammation around the clock. It not only protects against the free radicals produced by exercise but also those produced by other factors such as improper diet, environmental toxins, etc.

It seems likely that vitamin E will have the same adverse effects as vitamin C, since both prevent free radical formation. The consensus of those working in this research area is that a few free radicals are beneficial and lead to the body generating its own protective antioxidants.

The reasoning behind taking antioxidants is they act as scavengers for superoxides or free radicals generated by foods, exercise and environmental toxins which lead to inflammation, atherosclerosis and cancer. To date the studies in which these supplements have been given are still controversial.

The amount of vitamin C we get from diet is obviously healthy and necessary, but taking excess vitamin C is not justified by current evidence.

This was a carefully done study, however, since this is the first report to note these adverse effects of vitamin C it will need to be verified by additional studies.

Until further studies are done the best advice to runners and bikers is to get your vitamin C from fruits and vegetables. As always, they are the best supplements.

Spring 2009 Ugg Australia Footwear

We just received in some great new Spring 09 wedges, sandals, and flip flops from Ugg Australia.  Ugg primarily known for its Fall and Winter Classic Tall boots has come out with some fantastic new stuff for Spring, and the response has been great!

Ugg Hazel

Ugg Violet

Ugg Brook

New Sanita Clogs & Taos Footwear Added

I hope everyones been enjoying the unseasonable record warm temperatures we’ve been enjoying in Boulder.  With spring comes new styles to wear in the sun, this time from Sanita clogs and Taos Footwear.

Sanita just released a version of the Professional Clog known as the Zagora Print.  The Zagora features the same great support and comfort features you’ve come to know and love, but has a fun pastel print for the upper:

Sanita Zagora

Taos Footwear from New Mexico

Taos is a fairly new brand to the BRC.  Taos takes inspiration for its footwear from the distinct countryside of Taos, New Mexico.  Try them out, they’ve got some great stylish, comfortable sandals for summer.

Taos Footwear

Running in Freezing Cold Weather

Sub-freezing temperatures, wind, ice and blowing snow; none of these common winter occurences conjure up a spirit of excitement, much less the urge to head out the door for your daily run.

The wintry conditions often trick us into thinking we can only slog out easy base mileage. While running easy isn’t a bad thing, adding in some workouts or changing up the pace every few days can give you something else to focus on other than the elements. Local tracks are often covered with snow, while hills can be snowy or ice covered. So taking to the streets or paths can be a great alternative to your normal workout venues.

Here are some easy workout options that can add variety to your winter running.

Tempo Runs – This is as easy as it sounds. Basically the premise here is to run a bit faster than normal. Not at race pace or effort, simply up tempo from your typical easy training pace. If a daily route takes 30 minutes, try finishing it in 28.

Fartlek Runs – The word Fartlek means “speed play.” These workouts are simply pace changing workouts. You can be as creative as you like on these. One example might be: 7 minutes of easy running to warm up. Then repeat 2 minutes faster followed by 2 minutes slower 4 times (16 minutes of running). Then end the run with another 7 minutes of easy running, for a grand total of 30 minutes.

Strides – Strides can be done in the middle or at the end of any run. Basically a strides is a 20-30 second running acceleration followed by 30 seconds to 1 minute of standing rest. These are great because it is always fun to feel fast. Additionally, strides allow for a slightly different running form for a brief period of time. This can be helpful in prevention of overuse injuries.

So this winter, don’t let the weather dictate all your training. Instead change it up, it might be welcome relief to the same old routine!

New Arrival for the Holidays- Ugg Australia Boots

Greetings all! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

For those of you that dont know it, we carry Ugg Australia shoes & boots. We’ve actually carried them since 2005.

Ugg Australia was founded in the 70’s when an aspiring professional surfer needed something to keep his feet warm in between waves. At that time he discovered the natural warmth & comfort of sheepskin, and Ugg has grown into the worlds largest buyer of sheepskin & wool in the world.

The boots that really got things going for Ugg were the Classic Tall & Classic Short. A simple, classic look that has proven year in, year out to be unbelievably popular in both the fashion world and for women seeking an ultra comfortable, chic, warm boot for the winter.

Ugg has also branched out, creating boots such as the Caroline & Sandra- leather, high heeled & wedge boots respectably for those seeking an ultra hip, warm boot for a night out on the town.

My personal favorite are Ugg Slippers- nothing like slipping into a soft, leather slipper after a workout.  They have several this season for women- the Dakota , the Cozy, and its most popular slipper, the Coquette.

The one thing to keep in mind is that most Ugg styles will run large, especially the Classic series.  We highly recommend buying a size down from your normal shoe size.  They are offered in whole sizes only, so if you typically wear a 9, buy a size 8.  For half sizes, buy the next size down.

Check it out here:
View All Ugg Australia Footwear

Running in Cold Weather- Do’s & Dont’s

Today we’d like to offer up some advice on cold weather running. This morning the Denver-Boulder Metro area had freezing drizzle and ice in some areas, with an average temperature of 25-29 degrees (according to 9news.com). Since we’ve enjoyed such great 70 plus degree weather for the past few weeks now, its a bit of a shock to the system to have such a temperature swing.

Its really important to dress properly for the conditions you are running in. A common mistake is to overdress by overlayering, which leads to your body overheating and a generally unpleasant running experience. Layering is the key to success.

Keep in mind that everyone is different. Some runners are colder than others, and prefer to have an extra layer on, and others overheat more quickly and tend to wear less clothing. Both of these situations are OK, just go with what you are comfortable with.

1st Layer:
-Wear a hat or beanie that wicks moisture away if its raining or snowing.
-Gloves- You have a couple to choose from, some are really thin, and others are waterproof and very warm, so choose according to the temperature. These also need to breathe and wick moisture away.
-Undergarments that wick and are warm. This is EXTREMELY important for men!
-Warm, non-cotton socks.
-Thin, loose long or short sleeved shirt, made from wicking fibers. If its really cold, you may consider wearing a thicker, skin tight (think Nike PRO) shirt.
-Pants. You can choose from either lightweight, thin (tight or loose) tights, or heavier (tight or loose) fitting tights. Typically these are tapered at the leg with a zipper with a couple pockets on the side.
-Shoes. This one’s a no brainer
-ID. This is the most important one of all. You just never know.

The first layer above can be safely worn by itself in 32-40 degree plus weather. You can swap out the pants for some shorts comfortably, as well as the hat and gloves as your body will warm up quickly.

2nd Layer:
-Warm Pants. Need to be made from either a CoolMax type of Fiber, or any other material that is breathable and wicks away moisture. Wear these over your undergarments or if its really chilly, you can wear a thin pair of tight fitting tights underneath these, but even on a cold day 2 layers of pants may be too much.
-Lightweight, long sleeved shirt. Wear this on top of your first layer. Again, we cannot stress enough wearing clothing made from wicking fibers! If you are wearing 2 shirts, consider making the 1st layer short sleeved if its warmer than 32 degrees. If its subzero, you’d be better off with 2 long sleeve shirts.

3rd Layer:
-Lightweight, waterproof (if raining or snowing) jacket.
-Mittens to be worn over a thin pair of gloves.

The 3rd layer is required when running in temperatures between 0 and 25 degrees Fahrenheit. We dont recommend running outside if its 0 degrees.

Other things to think about:
-Suncreen, even on a cold day. The sun is surprisingly powerful even when its cold outside, so you want exposed skin to be properly protected if you plan on running further than 20 minutes.
-Be extremely careful when running outside on snow & ice. Its really easy to slip and fall, so wear YakTrax or something similar. YakTrax are rubber and metal crampons that slip over the bottom of your running shoes to give you more grip on slipper surfaces. Very similar to snow tires for cars.
-If your running early in the morning or after work and the sun has gone down, make sure you are wearing some reflective gear. Do NOT expect cars, cyclists, and pedestrians to see you! Consider buying a reflective vest that has a blinking red light to go with it for maximum visibility.

Again, this is a general guide for cold weather clothing when running outside. After you’ve run outside a few times, you will quickly learn what works best for your body. Some of you will need more clothes, and others will need less. The important thing is stay as warm and as dry as possible going into the winter season.