This is a great little entry about something we all face when we get a bit older. - Tony

Somewhere behind the athlete you’ve become, the hours of practice, and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back…Play for her. ~ Mia Hamm

When I was a kid, I loved to run.  It was one of my favorite things, moving fast, giving it my all without thinking about anything but getting…there.  It didn’t matter if I made it there first (sometimes I did), where we ran (sometimes in circles), just the simple act of running, barely feeling my legs moving under me was exhilarating.  I ran everywhere.  Go get the mail? Run. Go get the milk from the fridge? Run.  Go to bed? Run.

I lost that somewhere between wanting to be a cool kid and trying to fit in. Fortunately, running came back to me as an adult, but not with the same reckless abandon I had when I was younger.  We all get more tense as we get older, and I often find that I hold myself back from letting it all go, worrying about pace, heart rate, injuries, what to cook for supper.  I think we would all be better off if we worried a little less and relaxed just a little more.

I have an 6 mile run planned for today, and I am going to run it like I did when I was 12.

Adam and Christy hosted an amazingly inspirational presentation last week, in our Branford store, that showcased some awesomely funny videos, mixed with great pics, and a point by point guide to their 50 state bike tour.

They raised $25,000 for charity, biked all 50 United States,  and documented their journey through Christy’s blog and Adam’s photography, as well as lived their dream adventure for most of 2011.

Check out Laura’s pre-interview and the pics from this special night below.

Laura did the introduction.

The Army is concerned that the look of Five Finger shoes does not go along with their “military image.” An issue that has stirred controversy among military commentators and barefoot-shoe fans.

An unclassified request to modify the “wear policy” for the Improved Physical Fitness Uniform says, “Effective immediately, only [minimalists] shoes that accommodate all five toes in one compartment are authorized for wear. Those shoes that feature five separate, individual compartments for the toes, detract for a professional military image and are prohibited for wear with the IPFU or when conducting physical training in military formation.”

But bare-foot running advocates and supporters disagree with the change of policy.

Justin Owings, author of the blog Birthday Shoes–dedicated to anything relating Vibram’s Five Fingers–wrote, citing the above abstract: “read the relevant part of the [document] and weep.” He posted a photo that suggests the military is, just as everyone else, noticing the benefits of these shoes and using them.

Here’s a U.S. Army soldier with the 10th Special Forces Group and his military working dog jump off the ramp of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment during water training over the Gulf of Mexico. Tech Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez/defense.gov 

Taken form Birthday Feet Blog

Justin says the guy’s wearing a pair of KSO’s. What do you think?

Photo taken from Birthday Feet blog

Thomas E. Rick, a former special military correspondent for the Washington Post, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and blogger for Foreign Policy Magazine wrote back in June, 2011 about his view on the policy.

“What particularly gets me is the line, ‘detract from a professional military image.’  I don’t understand how the image of someone that takes their running serious is detracting from a professional military image. Professionals sometimes wear items/clothing that may look ‘weird’ but serves a professional purpose. Anyway, I have had some Five Fingers for over a year, and I love them. They reduce shin splints, work your calves better, toughen your feet, and reduced my five mile run average by five minutes in three months, “Rick wrote.” “Is this a matter of national security? In isolation, probably not. But, I would say that an Army that is more concerned with looks versus results IS a matter a national security.”

A few months after the Army’s policy took place the NAVY specifically authorized the use of minimalists shoes, “current types such as the Vibram Five Fingers,” NAVY public documents state.

So why so much controversy? It seems that people either LOVE or HATE toe shoes. Why do you think that is? Are some brains just too used to the look of a traditional shoe? But, does it make sense?

I personally am on the looooove side. I am working on building up my collection 

How about you? What do you think of these funky shoes? Let us know

It’s the day after a weekend of BBQ-ing, patio relaxation, and margarita’s on the beach, so here’s how to keep it going… – Tony

6 am … Flag your emails
Because marking them for reading later is better then dealing with them now.

7 am …. Start a major bike repair project.
That headset isn’t going to repack itself.

8 am …. Walk your dog off-leash down by the river.
She’s had a long weekend, too. And she never runs away, except during morning walks off-leash down by the river.

9 am … Drop your car off to get that brake work done, finally.
It seemed like a really smart idea at the time to book an appointment for first thing after a long weekend, didn’t it.

10:30 am … Make coffee
Clearly, you’re not agitated enough.

11:00 am … Call your mother and wish her a belated birthday.
She misses you.

11:15 am … Get back on your routine
Hit your Google Reader program, hard. Make sure you missed nothing at all over the long weekend.

11:30 am …. Work in a lunchtime trail run
Routine is everything. And without exercise, it’s going to be tough to focus on the day ahead.

12:30 pm…. Eat lunch at your desk.
And catch up on the Women’s World Cup standings. Productivity is everything.

1 pm … Prioritiize your flagged emails
Efficiency is everything.

1:30 pm … Staff meeting
If there’s not a business version of “schadenfrude,” there should be.

2:30 pm … Clean your desktop
A clean worskpace fuels productivity.

3 pm …. Make coffee
A little afternoon pick me-up? Don’t mind if I do!

3:15 pm … Schedule a haircut appointment for pre-Outdoor Retailer
10 days prior to the show is ideal, allowing for natural grow in.

3:30 pm … Take a break
A rested mind is a productive mind.

4 pm … Call your father
He misses you.

4:30 pm … Social media research
Being fluent in Facebook is important to your clients.

5:30 pm … Prioritize the next day’s task list
You are a machine!

Source: Wicked Outdoorsy

Seven years ago, Florida resident Hitesh Mehta embarked on a journey that took him through 46 countries in six continents.

The purpose of his trek? To find the world’s greatest ecolodges–places where tourism and sustainablility combine to create one-of-a-kind, environmentally friendly vacations. The result? Authentic Ecolodges, a beautiful coffee-table book replete with photos of far-away bungalows sure to inspire your next vacation. The book comes out today.

Here, Mehta shares his top ten ecolodges in their respective categories:

1. Sustainable Building Materials: Crosswaters Ecolodge (pictured above)
Location: Nankunshan Reserve, Guangdong, China
Date Completed: 2007
Built on fundamental feng shui principles and featuring bamboo, Crosswaters is the first master-planned ecolodge in China.

2.Creative Design: Chumbe Island Ecolodge

Location: Chumbe Island, Tanzania
Date Completed: 1998
Chumbe Island has one of the world’s most diverse reefs. The Architectural team has created the ultimate eco-architecture guest villa.

3.Community Owned and Operated: Il Ngwesi Lodge

Location: Laikipia, Kenya
Date Completed: 1996
Owned by the Il Ngwesi community, the Lodge is the world’s  first community owned and operated ecolodge. It provides jobs to the locals and helps them become financially self-sufficient.

4. Holistic Wellness Programs: Ranweli Holiday Village

Location: Waikkal, Sri Lanka
Date Remodeled: 1996
Bordered by a sandy beach on one side and mangroves on the other, the Holiday Village was once a traditional hotel built in 1975. Ayurvedic doctors advise guests on the most holistic mind-body-soul treatments.

5.Indigenous Construction Techniques: Adrère Amellal
Location: Siwa Oasis, Egypt
Date Completed: 2000
Located near the Libyan border, Amellal seems to emerge from the sand itself. Traditional ‘kershef’ rock-salt construction techniques were used extensively to create this unique desert architecture.

6. Biodiversity Conservation: Campi ya Kanzi

Location: Chyulu Hills, Kenya
Date Completed: 1998
Located on the Kuku Group Ranch, Campi ya Kanzi is owned by 6,000 Maasai members of the ranch. The ecolodge helps protect lions and elephant migratory routes.

7. Culinary Experiences: Lapa Rios Ecolodge

Location: Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
Date Completed: 1993
Serving mainly local foods, the Brisa Azul restaurant overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Dine on coconut curry or fresh heart of palm salad. Buy the restaurant’s cookbook to take the recipes home with you.

8. Innovative Technology: Guludo Beach Lodge

Location: Quirimbas National Park, Mozambique
Date Completed: 2005
With shower fittings made of bamboo and a dry composting toilet system, this Lodge is truly innovative. Relax while taking in views of the Indian Ocean.

9. Art as Architecture: Las Torres EcoCamp

Location: Patagonia, Chile
Date Completed: 2000
Each dome-shaped cabin resembles the traditional hut of native Patagonian tribe, the Kawesquar.A local artist painted murals depicting local culture and nature on each canvas-walled tent

10. Interpretation Programs: Basecamp Maasai Mara

Location: Koyiaki Group Ranch, Kenya
Date Completed: 1998
Guided tours of  traditional Maasai medicine plants, Maasai villages and wildlife safaris by local Maasai are part of the fun at Basecamp Maasai Mara.

Source: The Outside Blog

Lost Lake is a large, brackish pond in Guilford, CT, which years ago was cut off from Great Harbor just to the south by railroad and highway bankings.

Since then it cannot lay claim to being a part of Long Island Sound, or to being a freshwater lake.  It is something unique, and its special nature is a boon to those who visit it.

From the trails that creep along the shore, hikers can routinely view a number of water and wading birds, including great blue herons and egrets. In addition to the wealth of bird life, there are mysterious carvings in the bedrock and lovely walks through thickets of mountain laurel. The walk to Lost Lake is part of the large, 1,000-acre reserve called West Woods.

Nearby City: Guilford

Total Length: 1.5 miles

Trail Type: Loop

Skill Level: Easy

Other: Great for Kids & Snowshoeing

Look Forward To: Lost Lake; water and wading birds; rock carvings. This walk includes these trails: White Trail, Orange Crossover Trail, Orange Trail.

Trail Stats, Reviews, & Other Related Info from Trails.com

AMC's Best Day Hikes in Connecticut Guide Book by Rene Laubach 7 Charles W. G. Smith (Appalachian Mountain Club Books)

© Copyright AMC's Best Day Hikes in Connecticut
Published by  Appalachian Mountain Club Books. All Rights Reserved.

We are huge fans of Jimmy Chin. That goes without saying… Wait, I just said it.  Anyway, when we were given the opportunity to interview him we jumped on it. Huge thanks to Jimmy for being awesome enough to take the time and to The North Face for helping us reach him. - Tony

Check out our interview below:

How long have you been climbing for?  Over 20 years.

Which came first, photography or climbing?  The climbing!

Do you think climbing would be as satisfying to you without photography?  Climbing certainly satisfies a lot of my physical and mental drive to push myself in the mountains. Photography satisfies my thirst for creativity. I love both pursuits on their own, but it’s fun to combine them.

Climbing requires a lot of gear, how do you manage to also carry camera gear? Do you take much of it on your expeditions? Or do you just bring your Canon?  I throw the camera gear on top of the climbing gear. I need both to do what I do. I bring a stack of camera gear on expeditions. Most of the camera gear lives in basecamp and I pare down as I move further and further up the mountain.

What camera do you usually shoot with?  I shoot with both Nikon and Canon cameras. I like the Nikon D700 and the Canon 5D.

How do you stay fit between expeditions?  I like training in the mountains the best, but I am often on the road and have to hit the gym, go running or just do core workout etc in my hotel room.

Climbing is as much a mental exercise as it is physical. What do you do to train your mind?  There’s nothing like climbing to train your mind for climbing.

Do you follow a strict diet?  If so, can you elaborate? Yes, I follow a very strict diet….as in,  I eat everything, including a lot of chips and ice cream.

Which has been the most demanding climb or expedition of your life? Climbing Meru, skiing Everest, and making an unsupported trek across the Chang Tang Plateau in Tibet rank as some of the most demanding trips of my life….but also the most rewarding.

What motivates you? I love the mountains and I love being able to interact with the different landscapes on our planet. I am always motivated to try new things or refine my skills, whether that is shooting, skiing, climbing or surfing.

Do you have a favorite place in the world?  My home outside Jackson Wyoming.

What are you looking forward to most this year?  To more adventures both physically and creatively.

What North Face piece of gear is always with you?  On expedition to the moutains, it would be the Prism Optimus. For skiing, it would be the Enzo Jacket. I always have a Basecamp Duffel stuffed with gear and/or clothes with me when I am traveling.

Jimmy is the first in our monthly The North Face Athlete interview series here at Trailblazer. Be sure to stay tuned for Conrad Anker, Alex Honnold, and Kaitlyn Farrington.

Over training syndrome is common in nearly every sport and fitness activity. Overtraining happens when an athlete performs more training than his or her body can recover from, to the point where performance declines.

Many highly motivated runners, including recreational runners, are obsessed with training and afraid to rest. They believe that the harder they train, the faster they’ll run, despite evidence to the contrary. Thus, many runners attempt to do more work than they can physically tolerate and their bodies can’t fully recover from the standard two to three days of rest. Many runners don’t even know they’re overtrained until they reach the chronic phase when they grind to a halt and need several weeks of rest to recover.

Causes of Overtraining

The most common causes of overtraining are quick increases in frequency, intensity, or duration of training sessions, or a combination without the necessary recovery. Runners who increase the frequency of their interval training sessions, runners who are simply running too many races, and runners who suddenly increased mileage too quickly are at risk for experiencing signs and symptoms of overtraining.

How to Identify and Diagnose Overtraining

It is difficult to identify and diagnose overtraining because many runners consider excessive ongoing fatigue to be a normal part of training. There is also no simple test such as a blood test or clinical diagnosis to identify overtraining. And it is very individualized, so one runner might exhibit different symptoms than another runner. The best we can do is recognize the general symptoms earlier, then rest and recover.

Symptoms of Overtraining

Overtraining is not simply a physical phenomenon; it also has mental effects on the runner as well. Systems affected by overtraining include the musculoskeletal, immune, endocrine, cardiovascular, nervous, and hormonal systems.

Physiological symptoms of overtraining include:

• Muscle/joint tenderness
• Tiredness
• Tightness
• Decreased performance
• Increased rate of overuse injuries
• Insomnia/disturbed sleep patterns
• Body weight loss
• Nausea
• Decreased appetite
• Allergic reactions
• Elevated heart rate and blood pressure
• Head colds/persistent upper respiratory tract infections
• Training fatigue/lethargy
• Changes in menstrual patterns
• Decreased coordination
• Decreased heart rate at a given level of running intensity (by about five beats/minute)
• Decreased strength
• Decreased maximal heart rate

Source: Active.com

Three  guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, two cameras and almost a terabyte of footage… all to turn three ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food.

I came across this new program that helps you make an easy and awesome slide show. It can be any type, but I thought it’d be a a cool way to use some travel photos I haven’t even looked at in a while. Now I have a little  compilation of some of the places I’ve been to.

It was A LOT of fun going through my pictures and re-living these moments. There’s no better feeling than the one I get when I am traveling the world. The featured song, “The world at large” by Modest Mouse makes me want to close my eyes in a warm summer day and day-dream about going away, seeing the world, living the moments. For me, watching this little video feels like a slow breath of fresh air…it makes me reminisce and dream of the future at the same time. I hope you like it, but it’s my first one so I admit there’s room for improvement.

If you end up making your own, share it with us! Post it on our Facebook Page. 

You can download, embed or share the video. It is easy and fun. The 30-second videos are free (plenty of time) or you can pay $5 for a month’s subscription (not sure about that one yet)

Check it out~