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“My husband and I bought our new running shoes at Track Shack and we received EXCELLENT service! We have NEVER had anyone fit us with a shoe the way we were fitted there! We will definitely return when we need our next pair!”
- Debbi, Track Shack customer
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“You are SUPER. I refer all my friends over here in Brevard to come to you for their running shoe fittings.”
– Heather, Track Shack customer
Betsy's Corner...............................
News, Updates and Tips from the Track Shack
Summer 2008 | Spring 2008 | Winter 2008 | Fall 2007
Spring 2007 | Winter 2006 | Fall 2006
Betsy's Corner is featured in the Track Shack Event Guide
Every Friday, for almost four years Lori and I solved the problems of the world. Isn’t that what running partners do? Back in 1990 Lori and I were both pregnant with our second children and often compared tummies, fifteen years later with an opportunity
to run together we compared our middle age spread. Before Lori, my friend and mentor Judy and I shared an hour on the roads for ten years of Thursdays. Carolyn and I were quite the site for a couple of years in the early 90’s pushing two kids each in our double baby joggers down 17-92. I have had another seven years of consistent early Tuesday mornings with Sandy and often share Wednesday’s with my high school friend and teammate Kathy. Natalie, my fellow Track Shack employee, and I are on the roads together now as well.
But I’m lucky to say that over the years my most consistent partner is still my husband Jon. He’s kind enough to slow down and run with me; some of our best conversations often take place on the roads.
Our Track Shack Foundation training programs offer many opportunities to meet your
new running partner. Our WRAP and 5 and Dime program have four, ten week sessions each year. Our MarathonFest and Galloway programs begin again in June for those of you wanting to cross the marathon off your bucket list. Last season over 700 did just that. Take a look at our incredible new website for details on all our programs.
Accountability and consistency, good for running and good for life. Central Florida has many folks like my mom, Jon’s mom and Pepper Davis who are still out there on the roads at 80 plus years! A new knee here and there…that’s consistency ladies! Pepper often tells us how her running career began as a child in her Keds. I think that our children’s technical running shoes we carry at Track Shack are probably a bit more comfy than those Keds were. We fit and sell a variety of children’s shoes now for those high and low arches as well. Just like the grown ups!
If you haven’t been by the store for awhile you are in for a treat. Easier parking for starters and the best selection of apparel ever! The colors are fun and vibrant. Ladies, new styles of bras by Moving Comfort. New sock brands, a great collection of running hats
and visors. All our hats are machine washable (thank goodness) lightweight and comfy, new styles of Tifosi sunglasses, some are polarized and fit great on your face or for holding your hair back. Well, 2009 is a year of new beginnings. Find yourself an accountable running or walking partner. Be consistent and you too can solve the world’s problems, right Lori?
See you on the roads…
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Am I a "wanna be" runner? I'm much slower than I used to be, I run five days a week, not seven, and I'm not into racing events. But I still like to compete against my watch, and I'm out there almost every morning. Recently, I even had to increase my favorite route of 20 years after wearing the Garmin GPS and realizing the course was shorter than I had thought. So no, I'm not a "wanna be". I am a runner. And so are you if you are putting one front in front of the other.
We are in for a very exciting summer of events, not the least of which is the 2008 Olympics! We are getting prepared at Track Shack, and just put in cable for the new TV so we won't miss watching our hometown hero, Jenny Barringer and now Groveland's Jeff Demps compete at the trials and hopefully in Bejing as well. Jon and I have had the opportunity to know and watch Jenny grow up and become an amazing young woman and an incredibly gifted athlete. Her dreams of a gold in the 3000 meter steeplechase are not far fetched at all. We'll continue sending all our positive thoughts and prayers to her this summer.
Maybe some of you are heading to the trials or Olympics yourselves as spectators for your summer vacation. Or you might head up to the mountains for some cooler runs. Our family already experienced a wonderful summer break in Oxford, England visiting our daughter Emma while she was finishing with her studies there. First stop for the Hughes' family was Sir Roger Bannister's track where he ran the first sub 4- minute mile! The track is a little more modern than when he ran, but it was still incredibly cool to be there. Naturally, we found opportunities to visit not one but three running stores in England. Are we running geeks or what? I think Emma was thankful she didn't have to join us for those trips. Jon and Chris even found an off road 10k event to run. They enjoyed it but discovered two things: one, everyone is fast in England and two, bring money to pay for your after race refreshments. We were amazed that the sun was up at 4 am and except for a couple of rainy days we had daylight until 9:00 pm. Our Marathonfest program folks would love the long days for the flexibility to run whenever – plus the temperature was great!
We are really trying to go green at Track Shack. Check out our new bike rack behind the store, and bring your own lock. Our staff is using bikes or walking between the store and event management building. I bike to work some days and find it is actually faster than driving. A lot of customers are saying ‘no' to bags, especially if all they have is a shoe box: plus we are recycling old race t-shirts by turning them into bags. The $1.00 we charge goes to the Track Shack Foundation.
If you have run any events this year you'll notice they are bigger and better than ever. It is time to sign up to be a Grand Prix Fanatic: this allows you to sign up for all the Track Shack Grand Prix events in advance. Check our website for details. If you own your own ChampionChip, you can be a SuperFan Fanatic. We still have a special price for those 17 and under and 65 plus; the registration process is different, however.
We were so encouraged with the IOA Corporate Run/Walk this year. Over 10,000 of you participated! How great to think that we might have introduced you to a lifetime of fitness and fun. Our training programs through the Track Shack Foundation start again in August. Marathon training is underway but our original 5 and Dime and our WRAP (beginning walking/running) is gearing up to begin just in time for the Grand Prix season on August 5th. Now is a great time to prepare for that. Bring in your current shoes so we can take a peak at how you are wearing them, but be prepared to try some new styles. The shoe market just continues to expand and produce more comfy shoes than ever. But you are an individual and we'll fit you as such. There is so much to consider when shopping for shoes; your goals, your experience on the roads, past injuries.
Let us keep you healthy and staying fit. Try one of our GPS watches, Polar speed/distance heart rate monitors or even the NIKE +, so it won't take you 20 years to figure out how far your favorite run is (I wasn't off by that much). We also have some fun Merrill shoes and great after-sport shoes by Rider. You'll see Rider at our July 4th event, but we suggest a closed toe shoe for fireworks. Hey, are you remembering to wash your moisture wicking running clothes in cold water with NO fabric softener and No scented detergent?
The Celebration of Running 5k kicks off Track Shack's anniversary each August. This year marks our 31st year of business and more than ever we desire to continue bringing Central Florida the best products and customer service both at Track Shack and our events. We welcome a familiar face to our Track Shack team. Stop by to say hi to Brian Jaeger, who is well known as a stand out runner at WPHS, an all-American at Auburn and who competed in two Olympic Trials.
Okay its time, off for my run. I am a runner, you know.
See you on the roads,
Betsy
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If 2007 was our year of celebrations, then 2008 will be our year of changes—seamless changes that will benefit the Central Florida running and walking community! Jon, our staff, and I are so excited with our renovations and extra space at Track Shack. Stop by soon for your new shoes to help with your New Year’s resolution, your race packet, and information for your next big event or one of our many training programs. If you haven’t been by recently you are in for a nice surprise. We look forward to seeing you and showing off the store.
Changes can be seen on our shoe wall as well. Brooks’ new Glycerin and the exciting brand new Infiniti, Asics’ new Landreth and the 3000, New Balance’s update with the 768 and Saucony’s Triumph! Look for a whole new line of Mizuno shoes as well. When our favorite shoe gets an update it makes us all nervous, but so far the spring line has brought all favorable responses. The best part of trying out your new spring training shoe is all the space you’ll now have at our shoe wall. And of course our amazing staff, five of whom placed in their age groups at the Season’s 52 5k! Wow, a fast and knowledgeable staff. Way to go! Okay ladies, the store’s the limit…we have so much to chose from. Saucony apparel has arrived, Race Ready has some fun prints, and capri’s are the way to go on those chilly mornings. Let Sarah, Robyn, Donna, Heather, Bethany, or myself help you find the best fitting bra.
And don’t forget to check out the new skirts—brown is in! On a more serious note: in early 2007 I was interviewed by a local TV station concerning the then recent attacks on women while running. Since then I have discovered that I personally know at least four women who have been chased and attacked. Thankfully, they weren’t violated, but the effects obviously still linger. I can’t even imagine what they have gone through. This is your reminder, a heartfelt reminder, to all my customers and friends to run/walk “smart.” Be wise when choosing to exercise with a headset and listen with just one ear, be aware of your surroundings, run in the daylight and please try to find a running partner. You know, it is usually in November we start saying and thinking, “wow, there is so much to be thankful for…” Well, this year we are starting now! I am thankful that running is still a part of my life after 34 years! Injuries come and go (hopefully) and sometimes the pace slows down but running has been a positive influence in my life.
I am so excited that more and more folks like you are experiencing this as well. Many of you know that in the early 90’s Track Shack introduced the Galloway Marathon training program to Orlando.
Our first session had maybe 11 of us. Our 2007 session, led by our fearless leader, Susan Paul, had more than 600 participants! Jon and I want to publicly congratulate each of you for a job well done and to encourage you to stick with your running/walking program for the rest
of your life. This session included new moms qualifying for Boston and several folks going through cancer treatments. One of them is Donna Nelson who works part time at the store and whose strength and courage has brought our staff closer than ever before. You are and will
continue to be in our hearts and prayers Donna. High school track season is right around the corner. State meet is once again at Winter Park come May. Have a great spring, enjoy your cooler runs and walks and we look forward to seeing you soon, both
at Track Shack and on the roads!
See you on the roads,
Betsy
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Sometimes, technology makes my head spin. Sitting in church, November 4, as Gary Oakley was running the ING New York City Marathon, we were receiving emails and phone calls updating us on his status. It took Gary 11 hours to complete NY, but because of technology we felt like we were right there with him. Gary has become our local inspiration at Track Shack and we always look forward to his smile. It’s all good, Gary!
People who know me well know my technology world is still in its infancy. So it has been exciting planning Jon’s 50th birthday through the world of “ hidden emails.” Do you know what a wireless bridge does? Me either, but that is how our Track Shack and EMMI staff will stay in touch as we expand and grow in the next couple months. We are finally moving our hard working event folks into an office and warehouse together. This means bigger and better things are coming soon to Track Shack. Look for some awesome changes and growth at Central Florida’s Running and Walking Headquarters!
Great as technology is, it doesn’t exercise for you, but sure can make exercise more fun! We have some wonderful products to enhance your run, including the Nike Plus, the Garmin GPS watch, and Polar Heart Monitors. The Nike Plus no longer needs a Nike shoe to be used; we have a Velcro shoe pocket for the Plus that just fits through your shoe laces. Don’t forget our knotty shoe laces that always stayed tied for your stocking stuffers! We also carry the easy-to-use Timex pedometer for our customers keeping track as they walk. And, thanks to research and development from various shoe companies, we have amazing shoe technology that offers superior cushioning and support systems. Stop by and check out Saucony’s Paramount, the Asics Kinsei and New Balance 1223. These shoes are at the forefront of shoe technology. Let Track Shack’s highly trained, knowledgeable and experienced employees at one of the nation’s top 50 running specialty stores : ) help find the right shoe for you.
Before technology, there was just plain old running. That’s what we did in the 70’s running cross country, and that is exactly what still takes place in 2007! Jon and I have spent every weekend this fall watching, cheering, and sometimes working cross country meets all over Central Florida. Believe me, this is the true grass roots of the sport we all love…Imagine 200 kids on a starting line, preparing to run 3.1 miles on a grass course. That is the plain and simple essence of our sport. One of the biggest thrills Jon and I have each week is watching our son Chris race his heart out at these meets. Things haven’t really changed at all these last 30 years, and the goals are certainly the same; run fast and finish strong! A sincere thank you to all of our Central Florida cross country coaches. You are creating a future of runners for a lifetime.
The end of cross country means the beginning of the holiday season. Thanksgiving reminds us of all there is to be thankful for: our family, our friends, and our health and happiness. We’ll be celebrating some special birthdays this holiday season; our daughter Emma will be 21 and Jon has the big 50! We’re looking forward to some time spent with family during December, but first we’ll be counting down the 12 days of Christmas! Check our list and check it twice on the back page of this event guide! Don’t be naughty and do be nice, stop by Track Shack for some great advice.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and your family.
See you on the roads,
Betsy
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Fall 2007
It must be marathon and race season again since I seem to be constantly chatting about stretching! It is time for calves and arches to unite! Ready, set, Stretch… With a few simple and not too time consuming calf stretches, you’ll start running and walking more naturally. Imagine toeing off as you stride out on the roads. You’ll start setting new personal records daily. My newest lower leg and arch stretch combo is called “the dog walk”; the dog does her business and I stretch on the curb. Perfect way for us both to start our day. Anderson’s Book on Stretching may not include “the dog walk” but it is a great resource you’ll find at Track Shack.
Our first big event of the season, Track Shack’s Celebration of Running 3.0 was a huge success. This amazing running community helped the Track Shack Foundation raise $25,000.00 for the Orlando Science Center. It was a busy and fun week at Track Shack and we hope you enjoyed all the extra goodies in your race bag. Jon and I enjoyed many high 5’s and kudos and we want to recognize our hard working and passionate staff for all they did and are doing to continue Keeping Central Florida Fit! It was especially inspiring for Jon and I to watch our kids, Emma and Chris in action as they joined us working all week.
We’ve been talking a lot lately about the running days of the 70’s. We call them 30’s stories now that we’re celebrating the store’s 30th. A fun 30’s story is about choices. In 1975 Jon, working at the Fashion Square Athletic Attic, sold me my first pair of running shoes. My dad about choked on the $29.99 price tag. In 1975, I had just one shoe to choose from. I probably thought at the time they were actually comfortable too. Talk about choices today! We have more styles of shoes to choose from than ice cream flavors at Baskin Robbins. We have different energy gels, blocks and drinks to choose from; socks, with or without toes. Do you need a watch or a heart rate monitor? What length should your shorts be? Or do you want to try a skort, ladies? As we ease into this 30th year of keeping Central Florida fit, let us and our staff, Anthony, Jonjon, Sarah, Nate and Bruce, help you make your choices.
Since we are all in the midst of another fall training season, let’s not forget good nutrition. We are excited to announce the mid September arrival of Track Shack’s Culinary Delights cookbook! Stay tuned and be the first one in your training group to own one.
See you on the roads,
Betsy
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“the weather is here, I wish you were beautiful…” You almost got it right Jimmy Buffet; the weather is beautiful here right now as we cruise into springtime. Now is certainly the time to enjoy our early morning and evening runs. So skip the treadmill today and enjoy exercising outside in our Central Florida weather.
I am very fortunate to see the sunrise most mornings over Lake Sue while running by, sometimes the otters play hide and seek, and the herons and wood storks, often surprised when I run by, lift off over the canal. I can hear the Winter Park train whistles, smell the Krispy Kremes and watch Mrs. and Mr. Cardinal flirt a bit. I laugh as the woodpecker attempts to drill into the metal light poles. I don’t enjoy the traffic or the noise and exhaust from the cars, but all in all for living in the city, we have some beautiful places to run. So enjoy what is all around. If you do choose to listen to your I-pod, MP-3 player or even books on tape, just remember to keep one ear open for safety.
Congratulations to all of you who have completed your first half or full marathon these past two months. It has been so rewarding to Jon and me to see so many of you at the finish lines of the OUC Half Marathon and the Disney events. It is exciting and gives us goose bumps when we walk our friends and family through the finish area as they receive their medals! We are super proud of our daughter Emma and our niece Megan who completed their first half marathon at Disney. It might be time again for me to consider setting a running goal. Hmmm… And Jon too is thinking of a down and dirty goal - doing the Muddy Buddy event at Disney's Wide World of Sports on May 12. Muddy Buddy is a challenging, team adventure race done with a partner.You can be sure there will be more on that in the next issue!
Hundreds of you have set goals this year to start a walking or beginning running program. It is amazing and inspiring to see the numbers grow! We had more than 3300 runners at Seasons 52 Park Avenue 5k. Were you one of the lucky 52’s? Our W.R.A.P. (Walk, Run Accomplishment Program) lead by Boston Bob is continuing to grow as well, it is practically bursting at the seams. We look forward to helping all of you complete your goals this year! Many graduates of this program have moved on to marathon training and some have even begun coaching other beginners! Our Track Shack Foundation Program director, Susan Paul, is now assisting Runner’s World magazine as she expertly answers the many questions from new runners. What an incredible honor! Congrats Susan!
We recently hosted an evening for 200 women at our first ever Track Shack Ladies Night! How great to spend an evening with women whose goals and desires to be fit are all similar! The Thirtieth Annual Lady Track Shack 5k was a blast! We braved the wet morning and cheered for the 1800 ladies while enjoying a special run just for women. There were beautiful roses for all cancer survivor finishers that morning and plants to all participants.
Now’s the time to stop by the store to see some exciting new apparel and a great selection of sports bras; best of all employees to help fit you properly. We have several styles of running skirts and a great selection of triathlon clothing including Zoot and Sugio. Don’t worry guys, we have several new Nike short styles for men and great moisture wicking tops at reasonable prices too. We have, we think, the best and most educated and experienced staff of any running/walking specialty store, anywhere; and Jon and I thank them for their service and dedication. Come by and let them know what your goals are while they help keep you and Central Florida fit!
There are lots of 30th anniversaries this year in the running community. I’m sure you've heard about Track Shack’s and the Winter Park Road Race. Jon and I are finding all sorts of old awards around our house, I even found an award I won from the very first Winter Park Road Race. Check your garage or closet for those old race t-shirts or trophies, we’d love to display your keepsakes from the Winter Park Road Race at this years race. We hope to see you March 24th on Park Avenue running or walking the 10k or 2 Mile, there really is no more beautiful place to enjoy the outdoors while keeping your fitness goals.
See you on the roads,
Betsy
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I cannot leave a shopping cart in the parking lot area. Not even on the grass. Not even when the kids were little. And I always pick up after our dog, Brooke. You know… Talk about guilt…New Year’s is around the corner. We should all make a commitment to keep our Central Florida community a runner’s paradise. Be a responsible neighbor; grab a bag and collect some trash on one of your morning runs. And smile, that’ll make them wonder. I love being a mom. Dinnertime can be a challenge with hungry teenagers and I just discovered a great before dinner snack. Baked sweet potatoes slices sprinkled with a little garlic. I barely had time to place them on a plate before they were devoured. Our family holiday gatherings are typically balanced around an event. Thanksgiving for sure. Even our birthdays usually coincide with an annual race. Where did this year go?
Christmas will be here before we know it. Of course that makes me think of the RDV Sportsplex Reindeer Run in Maitland on December 9. I so hope Ann and Sarah don’t make us wear the antlers again this year. We are so prepared this year at Track Shack with some awesome stocking stuffers! Naturally we have socks galore, super book ideas and new car seat covers! It fits any car, truck or SUV seat and it's water resistant which is perfect after a summer training run. We also have training logs (I recently found mine from 1978!), ornaments, yummy Clif Bars with flavors like Spiced Pumpkin, and even safety lights. And don't forget the gift certificate idea. For the tech geeks, we also have the NIKE + iPod Sensor and tons of heart rate monitors. Our staff can help customers navigate through the new technology. Fill your stockings early and enjoy your holiday with less stress this year.
Don’t forget your exercise routine, even if you do less than the norm, enjoy and know it’s the best gift you can give yourself. Our ASICS®/Track Shack Running Calendar is enclosed to remind you to Be There! Pull it out and be inspired by the beauty of this community and all the great running this area affords.
See you on the roads, with my garbage bag of course. Happy NewYear!
Betsy
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Do you ever sit around reminiscing and find yourself saying the old cliché “I remember when…”? It’s hard not to when thinking of next year, Track Shack’s 30th anniversary! So here it goes. I remember when… I went to Glenridge Junior High School and there was no air conditioning! We lived on the Naval Training Center, now home to Baldwin Park, close enough to bike to school. We still wore dresses or skirts back then so it was always necessary to wear shorts underneath. I probably helped start the now current trend of skorts! Have you tried them? Great for running, going to the gym and still looking good for a trip to Publix! See them at Track Shack now.
I remember when… I argued against creating a website for Track Shack. Jon won that battle because he realized the role the internet would play in the future both for product information and for our race promotions; and thank goodness. Now you can click even on my head to read Betsy’s Corner on our 84 page website! I remember when… my dad said no way could a “running only” store be successful.…Good thing I applied for that job in the fall of ‘78. I remember hanging up dozens of Adidas warm-up suits and actually reading the tags without glasses. Thankfully, Timex, Nike and Polar have designed watches and monitors with numbers I can still read. I even remember when… most of our staff wasn’t even 40 something. Look for our “age diverse” Team Track Shack at the races. We chose 10 local runners to represent the store this racing season. Tough choices! I wanted everyone based on what they wrote as criteria for representing us. Thanks to all who applied. I can hardly remember…when I didn’t wear custom Orthotics. Constant pain or injury may mean an evaluation is necessary. Whether you are a new athlete or veteran marathoner take the opportunity to meet with a Florida Hospital Physical Therapist for an in-store evaluation. Laura Podschun will be at Track Shack September 16, October 28 and December 16 from 11 am – 1 pm. I remember when... I ran for Winter Park High with my friend Kathy in the late ‘70’s. Now, today, when I watch our son run for Edgewater I visit with Kathy (who just moved back to the area) as she encourages her daughter Abby, who runs for Timber Creek. The camaraderie of these athletes and coaches from all our local schools leaves one in awe. Try to catch a local cross-country meet (see FLRunners.com) and see a positive vision for the future of running.
See you on the roads,
Betsy
