And Now A Word About (one of) Our Sponsor(s)-Fleet Feet Huntsville

This post will be hard for me to write.  I want to be objective, however, I'm fairly certain I will start to gush profusely as I talk about my love for my favorite local running store-Fleet Feet Sports Huntsville.  I'll do my best to contain it, but I'm not making any promises.

When I started running, just a little over a year ago, I was determined not to get sucked in to the running hype.  I had purchased a pair of shoes from a big-box sports store based on the recommendation from a weight-lifting friend of my husband's.  He told me the kind of shoes he ran in and said he loved them, so I figured they would work for me, too.  I threw on my cotton shirt, sweat pants, cotton socks, and my new kicks and hit the road for a 30 minute walk/run.  I was following a Hal Higdon plan I found on-line.  It was basically a couch to 5K kind of plan wherein I would walk/run for 30 minutes every other day for 60 days with the intention of working up to a solid 30 minute run by the end of that time.

It was January and it was FREEZING outside.  After a little bit of research on Google I decided I needed some running tights under my sweatpants because the long johns just weren't working for me.  Now, even though I had bought my shoes from a big-box store, I have somewhat of an aversion to chain stores of any kind (except gas stations...but that's almost unavoidable).  I would rather eat at a mom-and-pop restaurant, buy my produce from a farmer's market, and do all my shopping from locally owned and operated non-chain/franchise stores.  So, I found a little shop that sold running tights and prepared to fall in love with my LRS (local running store).

When I went in and asked for tights, I was sold tights.  You might think that was a successful venture.  However, the reason I love "mom-and-pop" shops so much is the personal attention one usually gets from such places.  As I attempted to engage the three different store workers in conversation about my new found love of running, none of them seemed interested.  I'm sure if I had asked them to point me to the fuel belts they would have obliged, but there was not an apparent desire to assist.  I left feeling incredibly let down...certainly not "in love with my LRS" as I had hoped.

As my running time increased, I began to experience pain in my calves.  Someone pointed me in the direction of Fleet Feet, although I can't remember who it was for the life of me or I would go hug his/her neck!!  I remember this person telling me about how they would put me on a treadmill and watch me run in order to determine the kind of running shoe that best suited me.  Now, let me tell you, this was news!!  I knew there were different styles of shoes, but I just thought it was about comfort and fashion.  I knew Fleet Feet was a chain store, but I was ready to try anything in the hopes of being able to run pain free.  I have to admit, I didn't have very high hopes when I went in.

Boy was I shocked.

As soon as I walked in, I was greeted warmly and was asked, "What can we do for you today?"  I told the man I needed to get a new pair of shoes.  After he asked me a few questions he found out very quickly I knew nothing about what kind of shoe I needed and he proceeded to "fit" me for my first pair of proper running shoes.  He was a wellspring of information, most of which I'll confess I didn't fully buy into (such as the cotton socks I had been wearing weren't going to cut it for long).  He not only went the extra mile, he ran the full gamut and introduced me to the idea of a training group called NOBO (No Boundaries).

As much as I didn't want to love this CHAIN STORE, I was smitten.  The thing is, it doesn't feel like a chain store.  If I'm being very honest...it feels like going to my sickeningly rich sister's house to re-appropriate things from her closet (all except the fact I have to pay for the items I want to keep!).

...Listen, I warned you I was going to gush...but I promise I'm holding back as best I can.

I know a large part of why I personally feel the way I do is the attitude I have when I go to the store, and the fact I have developed relationships with many (if not most) of the people who work there.  I have not only been a participant in a training group (Next Steps), and will take on that role again this summer with Tri 201, but I have also coached NOBO, NOBO2 and Next Steps.  I've also participated in many of the fun runs the store regularly puts on, and  have volunteered to work many of the races sponsored by the store.  However, I've seen too many people come in and receive the same treatment I have to believe their hospitality has anything to do with me.

The owners, Dink and Suzanne Taylor, work tirelessly to promote health and fitness in our area.  They genuinely care about the people they serve as opposed to caring about the dollar they might make.  They have been pouring into our community ever since they opened the store several years ago.  Not only have they sponsored our team with a generous monetary donation to American Cancer Society, they also provided our team shirts at cost and will provide the shoes we'll all race in when we finally make it to Hood to Coast 2012.  Additionally, they allowed us to lead a "FunD Run" before the showing of My Run the movie and invited us to be a part of their annual Diva Night (held last week) where we were able to raise about $2,500 in donations.

On behalf of the entire team, I want to express my gratitude to Fleet Feet Sports in Huntsville.  It's so much more than a running store.

(We're missing two team members...Heather and Shari.)

Hey...I warned you I would gush.



 
((For the record, I do not work for Fleet Feet; aside from the donations to American Cancer Society and the sponsorships mentioned above, I, nor anyone on the team, has received any compensation from Fleet Feet or their affiliates.))