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Recycling shoes gives kids running start

Kaelin Kirchner offered her old Sketchers for the cause, while Owen Seger donated his Air Raiders and Philip Ouellette his Rocket Dogs.

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Wyoming Valley Montessori School students in Kara Taylor’s first- through third-grade classes are collecting old athletic shoes so they can be recycled into a various products. Standing behind the drop-off bins, from left, are Taylor, Philip Byriel, Emma Janosczyk, Philip Ouellette, Kaelin Kirchner, Owen Seger and Josh DiPippa.

Beyond bottles and cans, the students at the Wyoming Valley Montessori School are recycling the shoes off their feet, and they’re hoping others will clean out their shoe closets to help clean up the world.

Kara Taylor and the 32 first- through third-graders she teaches are collecting old athletic shoes to recycle into a variety of products, including athletic surfaces and even new shoes. Sponsored by Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program, the students are collecting worn-out shoes that will eventually find their way to the company’s processing plant in Wilsonville, Ore., where they’ll be chopped into materials the company calls Nike Grind.

The plant separates the shoes into three pieces. The rubber soles are ground up for track, playground and gym-flooring materials, along with new shoe soles, buttons and zipper pulls. The foam midsoles become cushion for outdoor basketball and tennis courts, while the fabric uppers are used for indoor basketball and volleyball courts and equestrian surfacing products.

Taylor came upon the idea around Christmas after reading about a similar project in Philadelphia. “Immediately, I thought, ‘Wow, this is what we’re all about,’” she said. “This is exactly what we do every day.

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Foam rollers - a runner's friend

Found this article and thought you guys might like to read it.

When I was training for the Vermont City marathon in 2004 I developed this nagging anterior knee pain. At that point I was finishing graduate school and starting to work as a personal trainer in Albuquerque for Wellbridge. I turned to an experienced trainer in the knee injury department. He proceeded to show me how to foam roll my IT bands. I couldn’t believe how excruciatingly painful this was. Since I was determined to still run this marathon I continued to use the foam roller on my IT bands, quads, calves and hamstrings. What is so magical about my beloved foam roller might you ask?
 

Runners who put in a lot of mileage often develop knots in their IT bands, quadriceps and hamstrings. Regular stretching is good for healthy muscles, but it doesn’t attack those nasty knots. If you’ve ever had a really good massage therapist you know that the direct pressure releases these knots. You can use a foam roller to apply this direct pressure using your own body weight. 

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Treadmill Running Tip: Focus on Your Hamstrings

This article is from FitSugar.com

The cold, wet, snowy Winter months can definitely make running on a treadmill much more appealing than the great outdoors. There are advantages to both running locations, but one disadvantage of using a treadmill is the belt. The backward motion of the belt assists you by pulling your feet back underneath your body, which means you are exerting less energy to move your feet and legs than when running outdoors on a surface that doesn't provide any momentum. However, you can work your legs more by imagining that you are pulling the belt back with your hamstrings. This idea helps me feel like I am digging in my foot and accessing the power of my hamstrings, which really work to push the body forward when running. The treadmill can get pretty boring, but with this little trick, you have something else to focus on besides watching the clock, and you're building hamstring strength. I call that a win-win situation.

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Video: What to Eat After Your Run

New Balance Launches Total Fit Global Brand Campaign

Campaign Showcases Brand's Commitment to Delivering the Perfect Fit --As Promise to Increase the Love of Running

Global athletic leader New Balance debuts a brand campaign this month that reinforces the brand's heritage in performance running and introduces its Total Fit(TM) philosophy, the complete dedication to achieving the perfect fit. The Total Fit(TM) campaign continues to highlight the struggles of the athlete's relationship with running that is fundamental to the brand's LOVE/hate this is the new balance brand platform.

"The New Balance Total Fit(TM) campaign captures our unique understanding of running and showcases that fit is who we are and what we do," says Joe Preston, EVP at New Balance. "We are proud of our place as the industry leader in fit. We were the first brand to offer running shoes in widths, and that extreme dedication to fit and providing purposeful innovation in all of our footwear and apparel continues today."

The multi-media campaign utilizes television, print, and online advertising to reach performance and fitness runners/athletes with a primary media target of 25-34 year olds. The brand will also make an increased investment around the campaign's launch at the store level with distinctive point-of-purchase displays, "Total Fit(TM) specialist" appearances, and a "Find Your Total Fit(TM)" instant win sweepstakes.

For more about the Total Fit campaign, click here

Marathon mindset: a checklist for rookie racers

Thirty years ago marathon racing was mostly reserved for elite runners and fitness fanatics. But as the 26.2-mile event now enjoys mass appeal (some events drawing more than 10,000 entries) never before seen in its history, more and more "marathon virgins" are taking on the challenge. The marathon monster, however, is not to be confronted with nonchalance--it is a formidable undertaking that obviously requires training and also a realistic game plan.

Here's a checklist for rookies that will hopefully help you hit the high notes--as opposed to the infamous "Wall"--in your race.....

Click here to view the checklist