My Running Shoe Life

I’ve worked in the running shoe industry most of my adult life. I was once introduced the the entire running team at Reebok (about 25 people) this way “This guy for a number of years did everything you do by himself. He’s the only person in running who has worked every single job there is in running shoes”. I’m going to write often about that on Instagram. You can find me @superdavejewell. 

My current work in running shoes has been placed on hold by COVID-19. So far this year I made it to the London Big Half, a half marathon in London, England and to the LA Marathon. I missed out because of postponement or cancellation on NB National Indoors, Boston Marathon, the upcoming dates for the London Marathon, Brooklyn Half Marathon, Half Marathon of Gothenburg, London 10K, Westminster Mile and a few more events in June. 

I’m sure everyone is in the same boat. Last night we ordered dinner and had a picnic 6 feet away from friends. When I picked up the food I dropped a $10 tip into the jar. The girl behind the counter almost cried. I think in these times even though we are hurting it’s important to remember there are people hurting worse.

July 2019

It’s been almost a year since I last posted on this blog. Time does fly. A few stats before I dig into the topic. I must report that Niki is doing great. I know a number of people reading this also follow me on Instagram and know our dog Nike had a big scare with rat poison. We almost lost her. Lucky for us she’s made a full recovery.

1. 130,000 - That’s the number of miles I’ve flown since the last time I posted. 
2. 10 - That’s the number of pounds I added since the last time I posted and more importantly the pounds I’ve struggled to lose. 
3. 37 - According to Strava that’s the number of activities so far this month. Those activities include running, cycling and yoga. 

130,000 miles - It’s the work that I do. When I worked at Road Runner Sports I was the source of information for the brands. I would spend a great deal of time being prepared for every meeting I had with them. I wanted to be really knowledgeable about who what buying what and why. It turns out they wanted that kind of information too. When I left RRS and started working for the brands I still wanted that information but it was hard to come by. Nobody around the world could provide us that information. Yes, there were sell through reports from retailers but that was not the real picture. Just because a shoe is selling doesn’t mean the true end user, the runner, was buying. One year about 9 years ago I was heading to Kona for the Ironman World Championships. A friend of mine, John Duke asked me to help Newton with their shoe count at the race. I enjoyed that day and through the years have simply taken over the entire process. About 5 years ago New Balance contacted me and wanted to know if I could take my process and apply it to the NYC Marathon. That’s 2400 athletes in Kona spread out to 50,000 athletes in NYC condensed. I figured it out presented my ideas and they hired me to do 7 events the next year. The process today is not even close to that first year. The data is deep and rich. In the last year I’ve been to the following events, 5h Ave Mile, Bronx 10 Mile, Reebok Women’s 10K, Ironman, Kona Beijing Marathon, New York City Marathon, Shanghai Marathon, New Balance Indoor Nationals, London Big Half, New York City Half, LA Marathon, Boston Marathon, London Marathon, Brooklyn Half Marathon, Westminster Mile, London 10K and the New Balance Outdoor Nationals. The database is not in the millions of runners and the clients are the whose who of running shoe brands.

10 - At the end of last year I stepped on the scale which I rarely do. It said 160lbs. That kind of scared me. When I did my first Ironman which happened to be in Kona I weighed 129lbs. When I had my best string of years between 35 and 40 I weighed 145lbs. I was comfortable at 150lbs. I was not comfortable at 160. Over the last 6 months I’ve done a great deal of “training” and feel myself getting faster but I hadn’t lost a single pound. 3 weeks ago I made a big change in my daily diet. Low Carb/High Fat. For that three weeks I probably went too low on the Carbs. I could feel in in my workouts. My weight however reacted. I dropped 7lbs. It’s a work in progress but I’m quite happy with where I am today. I have a plan, my wife is bought in and I feel better today than 2 months ago.

37 - My fitness is a funny thing. When you get to a really high level of fitness it’s very difficult to feel fit. I like to feel fit. When I’m traveling around the world I do my best to keep that feeling. I save most of my running for the road, ride indoors during the week to save time and swim when I can which is usually twice a week. I maintain my 15 minutes of yoga ever day. Now that I have more time I’m able to up the workload which brings me to 37. My week right now looks like this, 3 runs with one on the track, one long on the trails and one off the bike. The bike is the big time consumer so I’m choosing frequency over single ride distance. This past week I did two rides of 2:15 or so and 3 rides of one hour. Swimming is where I feel my fitness good or bad. When I’m swimming well it feels really good and I feel quite fit. Right now I manage 3 swims. All three are master’s workouts between 3,000 and 4,000 years. One is done at the local 50 meter pool which I love. I’ve been in the 1:35 per hundred lane and it’s beginning to feel too easy. I’ll move to the 1:30 lane for one or two workouts next week to see how fit I’m becoming. When I’m really really swimming fit I can comfortably swim in the 1:25 lane.

That’s it after a year. I’ll try to stay a bit more current.

It’s a good life........

The 18 Month Test

Over the years I've found that it takes 18 months to build something. You can't change a body in a short time and most coaches will tell you it takes 18 months. Most start ups will tell you the first 18 months are the most critical. 18 months ago I took on two separate tasks. One personal and one professional.

The personal one has been a great success. I feel better today than ever before. I have a great deal many people to thank. My wife for kicking me in the ass to figure it out, my friend Tawnee from Endurance Planet for connecting me to Nourish Balance Thrive and of course the folks at NBT for sorting out my issues. As long as I stay on top of it I should continue to feel great for years to come.

The professional part of my life was not a success but I've learned so much in doing it that I can't feel bad. I started Shoe Ranger with a couple friends. One had helped me build the Shoe Dog at RRS and the other has been a friend and running partner for a long time. We wanted the Shoe Ranger widget to help runners find their next favorite shoe. The widget actually works quite well. But to be honest there was a flaw in the thinking. If you ask a running if they get upset when their favorite shoe is changed by the shoe companies they will tell you yes. But sit back and watch. The majority don't care any more. They move on. They've come to expect change in their shoe and they really understand that every brand is making the same thing. There are some exceptions and it's there where I love to live.

So it's with this news that in the next month or so Shoe Ranger will go off line for good. Simply put it cost to much to maintain.  Sad but true. But as I said I learned a great deal and some of it will be brought to this blog.

1.  I learned that runners really want help with their functional running gait. The service is still available and I highly suggest you contact me before it's too late. The biggest thing I see are lifestyle choices that are affecting your running. Without a video and without all of my questions you'll continue to be frustrated by your lack of improvement or worse yet your constant pain. You can leave a comment here or send me a private message on Facebook to get started. 
2. I learned that Youtube is the better place for shoe reviews. People like to hear what you have to say so those will continue. Not nearly as often but hopefully I can build on the process and the quality of the videos. I will concentrate heavily on the exceptions in the market. The shoes I believe really stand out against the sameness in the market. 
3. I learned HTML but I'm not sure where that will help me in the future. 
4. I learned some Sequal coding and although it was fun to learn maybe it will help me. 
5. I learned it's really hard to maintain a business partnership from 800 miles away. Both of the other partners moved to SFO and it was really hard to get things done once that happened. 

I'm sad because I failed but long ago I wrote about how failure leads to success and I plan to make this true. I'm 12 months into a 2 more professional projects that I'm learning immensely about. They are fun, frustrating and super challenging. 6 more months will tell a great deal. 

If you've been toiling away at a special project for 18 months or more and it's not giving you any satisfaction it may be good time for a change. 

It's a good life....

Five for Friday: Building a Running Shoe

My last day at adidas was spent working on a running shoe. The developers I was working with said "It's your last day, why does this matter?" I said "Because it's important to runners". That shoe the Supernova Adapt went on to win Editor's Choice from Runner's World and the boys at adidas bought be a beer in Boston where they got their trophy.

And here we go again. Not the exact same scenario but close. One of the last things I did at Zoot was make sure these shoes got to Runner's World in time.

The Five Key things it took to build this shoe

1. My partner developer and I spent 2 hours at a running store watching people buy and trying on as many shoes as we could. We then wrote the product brief while sitting on the floor of the store. This was February/March of 2013. 
2. We challenged our thinking tremendously. We had a system called BareFit and I said "Let's do BareFit with a tongue". The developer first said "Can't be done". I challenged him to do it. Only because he is so talented I knew he could get it done. 
3. The midsole is a known process in the shoe world but it was a first time for Zoot. I'm known for my penchant to not accept ok. We trashed the first two molds or about $18,0000. 
4. The developers in China made a sample by mistake that opened the fit "Which is what we wanted". Sitting in the factory days before production I asked them to make that mistake a process. They said "That's crazy, we can't do that". Again I knew they were so talented that it could be done. They did it. 
5. We traveled to Asia 6 times for this shoe and probably each spent 2 months of our time in total sitting in a factory. 

It's a good life....

Five for Friday: Where to Find Dave

Happy New Year!

It's 2015. Finally I'm working in real time and not future time. I started working in 2015 in October of 2013. Today though my focus is the next 90 days not the next 18 months and that feels really good. With that bit of information I thought I'd share where you can catch up with me for at least the next 90 days.

1. Right Here - This will become a bit more personal about my life etc.
2. Shoe Ranger - Still in Beta form this will be up and running in the next two weeks. Here you will be able to read shoe reviews, read up on shoe news and learn in the Shoe Clinic. You'll also be able to use a new tool with new secret sauce.
3. Retail Brand Sync - Do you have a store or a brand you need help with? I'm using my expertise to help brands and retailers reach their dreams. I often ask both the same question "What do you want to be" and I either get a brand marketing statement or an "I don't know". Every once in awhile I get a real answer and it's here where I come into play. My expertise is taking that real answer and helping you make it a reality. Most of the information on the website will be free and frequent.
4. Facebook - Dave Jewell
5. Twitter - @superdavejewell

It's a good life......

Five for Friday: The 5 Best Things This Week

This week like no other I sat back and observed my life. These are 5 things that stand out in the week. 

1. Over a great deal of the last 10 years or so I've used running especially running hard to forget the frustrations in my life. Now and especially this week my mind is racing during my running. I'm excited about the possibilities I'm creating and while running I'm refining those possibilities. 
2. They paved Rancho Santa Fe - We are talking about one of the most wealthy communities in the USA and for years the road have been down right dangerous. As a cyclist you simply had to learn where the holes were and on certain downhills you had to know the exact line to take. On Wednesday I was riding and prepared myself for one of the obstacles and then realized that I was on fresh pavement. There was not obstacle. 
3. Making running a better experience for everyone is one of my life long objectives. This week I am confident I moved one step closer to that. This excites me. 
4. I stepped in a Gym and enjoyed it. Oh how I hate gyms. Waiting for the squat rack or watching men use the bathroom and then not wash their hands. I know that's just gross but believe me it happens. I hate gyms. But I went to the Gym had a great workout and got out without being disgusted. I find that to be a huge bonus. 
5. Coffee - Not the drink but the activity. I randomly went to a Pete's Coffee and ran into a long time work friend. He of the sales world and me the former buyer. We talked for 20 minutes and had a great time. The next day I went to Cardiff Starbucks which I rarely go to and ran into one of the power brokers in running. It was totally random and totally good. 

It's a good life....

Five for Friday: I Caused It or Allowed It, Peace, I Love my Brother, Running Shoes and Sage Advice

It's been a wild few weeks and it's time to settle down just. While out and about I've been listening more than talking and in the listening there is great learning:

1. Shit Happens is a real nice way of saying oh well I'll live with it. But I learned the following phrase and when I apply it to my life it changes the entire outlook. I either caused it or allowed it to happen - Preston Smiles. I look at my job at Zoot. I allowed it to drive me crazy enough to want to leave.
2. Peace - I was exchanging text messages with a long time friend. She said "Good luck and complete Peace with your decision". I told her I loved that word. She said this "That word has been present as I have been thinking of you through the transition-that wherever you are today, tomorrow, next month that you would be filled with peace" That's true friendship that I cherish and know for sure I need more of.
3. I am happy for my brother. For 18 months he knew this was not going to end well. He didn't complain, didn't outwardly ask Why Me? But there is no way he didn't suffer. Knowing for 18 months that you are going to die is not a way to live. I'm happy that he did it with grace and I'm happy he doesn't need to suffer any longer. I love my Brother.  
4. I have been spending the last 8 weeks learning about running shoes. I am astonished by the sameness. I knew it was there but when you dig like I have been digging it's more clear what I need to do next for a living.
5. Ask them to write it down - Lee Iacocca referring to how to take the emotion and persuasiveness out and get the message instead. I wish I had heard this 12 months ago.

It's a good life.....

Things in Running Shoes Causing me to Pause and Think

1. Your Perfect Running Shoe
2. They Changed my Favorite Running Shoe
3. Why are there so many running shoes and running shoe companies
4. The Dilution of the Running shoe business
5. Who is driving the running shoe business today, Brand, Retail, or Runner

It's a good life....

Five for Friday: Change is Good

"Every day the bucket goes to the well, One day the bottom will drop out"...... Bob Marely

The theme for today is doing the same thing over and over and expecting things to be different. The Bob Marely quote in I Shot the Sherriff speaks loudly to me right now. Doing the same thing day in and day out and one day it will just break. We need to change it up. So here's my top 5 ways to change it up.

1. Meditation - It's new to me so I don't begin to fully understand the impact but I'll try here. In easy to do Breath Awareness meditation you sit for your desired length of time and focus on your breath. Every time you mind wanders and it will, you bring focus back to your breath. I've found myself often recently bringing focus to a situation quickly. Where in the past I would get emotional and animated I don't do it. I quickly asses what is important and focus on that. The only reason I can find to that new found calm is the 5-10 minutes each day sitting in meditation. What's the most interesting to me is I can sit on the floor and get mauled by our chocolate lab Niki. Sit on the floor in meditation and she senses what I'm doing and leaves me alone. Think about that for a second. An Animal who doesn't have our brain senses the calm and remains calm.
2. Shock the System - Arnold talks about his early body building days where he learned to constantly shock his body to get results. He didn't do arm curls over and over and over again to get those arms. He shocked his arms with different movement with different weight with different cadence. This applies to your fitness goals. Do the same thing over and over again and you won't see change. My wife Mary does the same thing most of the time. Recently she started a belly dancing class. Instant change!
3. Quite Your Job - I know it's not for everyone and it's really scary. Believe me I'm sweating bullets each day wondering if I made the right decision. But at the same time it's really liberating. I'm relaxed and energized right now and ready for the new challenge that I know I'll find.
4. Walk Away - I'm so lucky to live in Cardiff by the Sea with the Pacifi Ocean just minutes away but my ocean is your nature trail, country road or mountain meadow. When the stress of the day builds up, walk away. I was always one to stay and fight the stress. Use food or coffee to fight it.  I've come to taking walks on the beach in the middle of the day and it's so refreshing. If I'm dead tired and cranky I walk away and come back calm and energized. It's different then meditation in that there is blood flow and fresh clean air. Sometimes I even combine and sit on the beach and do the meditation in the middle of the walk.
5. Stop Consuming - Oh my this has been liberating. I sat down a few weeks back and penciled out how much money I needed to make for us to maintain our life. The basics, food, water, shelter. It came out to less than half of my previous annual salary. So then I looked at where the rest of the annual salary was going. We were consuming (It didn't all go to consumption at huge portion went to long term saving). After that exercise I stopped consuming. Where swiping my debit card was just easy to do, I've gone days without a single swipe. I don't need to do this, we have money and I have time to get back on the work bus. The point is I forced myself the change a habit and it has been liberating.

It's a good life.....

Becoming a Man

While I'm on leave from working I've decided to take on my life as a man. I've been dabbling in this for most of my life and doing some heavy lifting in becoming a better man made sense at this time. As you can see I've learned to break my life into 4 parts and to really work on what I want in these 4 areas of my life. This practice comes courtesy of The New Man Podcast.

The Body - This one is fairly easy but also difficult to execute correctly with age.

1. I want to continue to be strong 
2. I want to be supple
3. I want to stay lean
4. I value clean eating

The Mind - My Relationship with Myself - We all have a voice in our head. There is no way not to have one. There are two ways to go about the voice in our head, change the voice or quiet the voice. Most of what I've studied through the years is change the voice through positive self talk and clear purpose. I worked a lot this year on the other tool, quieting the voice. I've found quieting the voice to be a much better tool. To quiet I've been practicing meditation daily. It's an amazingly good tool to quiet the voice. The end result is that I like myself more and more and I'm a great deal calmer all around. There is great work to be done in this but I'm confident I'm on the right path. I'm really interested in actually studying in meditation.

Relationship with Others
Through a quiet mind I believe my relationship with others will blossom. I understand that I can be a tough guy to get through and that's not what I want to be. I want to be the guy you can trust, the guy you can lean on, and the guy you want to have around the table. I know for sure at least for me, I have to be right with my own mind for this to work out.

Work in the World
This has been the most fun work over the last 4 weeks. I have options to stay put in San Diego, avoiding flights and heavy travel. I have options to completely set my own schedule and I have options to keep the schedule I was on only with a different brand. I'm in no hurry right now and my decision will be based on what really matters to me. The three above are really important so whatever I do for work will have to fit into the three above. This I know.

It's a good life....

Friday Five Update on Life

Step #1 in getting out of your little world: Show Your Vulnerability - Tripp Lanier - The New Man Podcast

1. My computer crashed over a week ago which is why you have not heard from me. It was about time on that computer. I bought while living in Germany and it got used.
2. For four years I was forced to own Zoot. Not literally but because of the set up with the parent company there was no day to day leadership at Zoot. I knew from experience that leadership is not a title and anyone can lead so I took it upon myself to lead the brand. Just over a year ago after multiple urging from myself and others at Zoot a General Manager was brought in to lead the brand. I thought I could work in that situation but I think it's like the owner trap. When you sell your business out of need or want the owner usually lasts a year in the company before they decide to leave. Some are forced out but most leave on their own because they feel like they don't belong any longer. I fell into that owner trap.
3. The daily question is "What are you going to do?" I've spent the last three weeks on that. Let's just say for now that the options are wide and each one has a bit of excitement to it. As soon as my decision is made you'll know about it. That being said, if you read this regularly and feel like contacting me for my expertise leave a comment or find me on Facebook and let's talk. Nobody in the running shoe business has my experience. There are many that have like experiences but nobody has the complete experience I have. I'm confident that experience is worth something to someone for something.
4. The side benefit of not working is extreme fitness. It's not all swim bike run fitness either. I'm on the paddle board often, in the water snorkeling often and just spending more time doing stuff than not doing stuff. For running you'll find me at the Sunday run at 8:00am out of Cardiff and Monday night at Moving Shoes or Cardiff
5. The ALSicebucketchallenge is growing. If you have a Facebook account you've seen it. It's interesting to me that I have not been challenged but I'm sure it's coming. You may or may not know but on April 1, 2013 my brother Bob was diagnosed with ALS. It has progressed very rapidly. Today he sits in a hospital bed in the living room of his house. He has no movement in any body part but his eyes. He can't speak, which makes communicating very difficult. He has little to no facial expression. His two boys and his wife take care of him. They feed him through a tube and wipe his ass for him. An Hospice Nurse visits him daily to look after his health and give him a bath. His mind is 100% intact. That's write his mind is 100% aware of what's going on, it it's thinking normal and it's emotional yet he can't share it. So I urge you to participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge either through the ice or through your wallet. This is a terrible disease. Nobody ever survives it and mentally they 100% know what's going to happen. It's terrible. We need to find a cure or at least the cause of ALS.

It's a good life....

Five For Friday: Five Tips to Raising a Son

As our son turns sixteen in the next month or so I thought it would be good to put some time into 5 things I've learned in raising him.

1. Be consisten with your values - Since day #1 we have been consistent with teaching him not through force but through example what we value. He's a great example of what we hold dear. 
2. Listen intently to his stories - His perception is amazing. He often is trying to tell you his stories as he is simply trying to get you to engage. He can change your mood and thought process through this. It's quite magical when you recognize this. 
3. Let him choose - We introduced him to a great deal when he was young and then we let him choose his path. To my amazement he chose running. 
4. Be Stern - There is no need to be easy with him. As long as you regularly show love and he feels that love, he actually appreciates course correction from time to time. I believe course correction without love is a disaster. 
5. Risk - Boys need to do things that feel risky. The more you show you are willing to do the same thing, the more he will be comfortable with risk. 

It's a good life…..

No Taste, No Energy Hit the Reset Button

I landed back home on Wednesday of last week in a wreck. Two trips to Germany and two sales meetings later this was my state:

1.  8 pm was the most I could get out of my body. By 8:30 I was very crabby. 
2. No Taste - Since I got back from Germany the first time I couldn't taste anything. Or better yet I couldn't enjoy the taste of anything. Nothing at all. 
3. Water - The more I drank the more I felt dehydrated. 
4. Soreness - Like I haven't felt in a long time. Sore back, tight legs, even my head was sore. 
5. No Energy - Even when I was awake I was not in good form. 

So what do I do when it comes to this? 

1. Sunday Massage - Even he felt my pain at points. 
2. Fasted - I had a small light dinner Saturday and had lunch Sunday afternoon. Nothing in between. 
3. Ice Cold Water - Normally I drink room temperature but on this day it was Ice Cold. 
4. A standard in the Jewell house for dinner. 

They say it takes 1 day for every hour of time change. I did 9 hours of time change twice in two and half weeks. Nothing was working the way it should. As the Massage Therapist said "Your organs shut down, your fluid is all whacked and your brain has no idea what time it is" 

If I didn't stop and reload with the 4 steps above I'd be in this state of fog for at least another 9 days or so. This reload is my way to fast track the recovery of all these trips. 

Now don't think for a minute that these trips are worthless. 

Monday - I road for 2 hours with two former European Professional Riders - It was good hard fun. 

Tuesday - I ran with my buddy for exactly 1 hour on a path every runner in the world would kill to run on. It wasn't this awe inspiring beautiful path but it was peaceful always in the shade and flat. 

It's a good life….

20 Things that Shape Me

There is only so much room on the About Me section I think from time to time it's worth going a bit deeper. Otherwise you can read this daily or weekly and get lost in what I'm trying to do here. So I'm going to take a deeper dive into what makes me tick.


Family

1. My wife Mary and I committed to each other for life. That was 20+ years ago and the only thing I know is that if you don't work hard on the relationship every day then it won't last. 
2. 15+ years ago our son Marco was born and it changed our lives forever. There is nothing better in life then raising a child. He is his own man but at the same time he carries our values and our drive to succeed. He's a runner by choice and that's why he is fast. If it felt like a chore he wouldn't be fast. 
3. My sister Cyndi is my confidant. She has quietly guided my values for my entire life. Sometimes out of pure fear but mostly out of love. 
4. My brother Bob has ALS and it sickens me every day. It drives me to stop caring so deeply about my job and to start caring about the next 25 years with 1 & 2. 
5. What would Papi Do? I'm not sure how my Dad still influences me but he does. He calms me down and keeps me thinking straight. He passed away almost 5 years ago. 

Running

1. I started running because my brother Bob ran and my high school girlfriend ran. 
2. I decided shortly after I started that I love running shoes. 
3. I'm 100% committed to helping others enjoy what I feel when I run. It's such a beautiful sport that it's simply awesome to share. 
4. Running got me into Triathlon and that changed my life. Before Triathlon I was shy and not very confident in my ability. I went from Saying "No fucking way those people (Ironman Hawaii) are crazy to doing the race 2 years later and having a total out of body experience on the Lava fields. I went from running fast, to running between aid stations, to running the aid stations and walking between and then back to running fast over the last 6 miles. I still can't explain it. 
5. I owe Triathlon and the people in it my career. Paul Huddle asked me to sell shoes, Murphy Reinschreiber taught me the business side of the sport and taught me to go after what I want. 

Travel

1. I was born in Bogota, Colombia
2. When I was 3 I ended up in Sao Paulo, Brazil
3. I've been on every continent but Antartica. 
4. I've run in every country I've ever visited and there are a host more countries I want to run in. 
5. Work Travel is not glamorous. I won't miss it when that part of my life is over. 

Lifestyle

1. I believe in constant learning and my learning is personal (how to be a better person). The trend word is bio hacking and I've been doing that for a really long time. I read a ton and listen a ton and try a ton but when I'm lost or confused I go see my friend Chris and he sets it all straight. If he ever decided to write a book it would change the face of what we all know but he won't. 
2. I love technology and hate what it's doing to our society.  
3. I was once a vegetarian and although I didn't realize it at the time it's when I was in really poor shape. Then my friend Chris came along after his education and changed my diet and I got faster again. 
4. I relate better with dogs than people. Dogs trust me and I'm not sure I trust people enough. So if I'm forcing myself into a conversation it's because I'm working hard on that fact. 
5. California is best at slow speeds. In fact it's really amazing to Cycle, Run, Walk and most of all to get into open water. 

Running Shoes

1. There are too many running shoes on the market today. There are more shoes than retail space available which means there are more shoes than runners can actually absorb. Something will give soon. But this opens the door for me to educate on the tool that is a running shoe and I love to do. 
2. There is no running shoe if there isn't a runner to run in them and a running store to sell them. 
3. The most innovative shoe I've ever been a part of is the Nike Free. I was lucky to be brought into the project really early in concept and it was a total blast to work with scientists and engineers on that project. The cool thing is that darn shoe really hasn't changed and yet it is still way beyond the expectations of the concept. 
4. My favorite running shoe ever has yet to be built. But my 5 favorites are Nike Pegasus (90's), Mizuno Wave Rider (early 2000's), Nike Free 5.0 (the first one), Asics Gel Lyte 98, adidas SuperNova Classic (by the way I'm also the one who killed the SuperNova Classic) 
5. I love Hoka so much I hate them. Hoka became an answer to something nobody could clearly identify. Originally designed as a down hill mountain running shoe, Ultra Marathoners found it made running 100 miles "Painless" and then runners in pain found them to take the pain away. Simply something you have to love. 

It's a good life…...

You're Fired

I submitted the below post almost exactly one year ago. The topic of firing people came up this past week and I thought it was a good time to share more on the subject.

12 years or so ago I fired the Chief Runner at Road Runner Sports. I love Mike G and have love for the company but he was personally bringing me down. So I stopped communicating with him. I engaged with him only when he started the engagement. It worked for almost 10 years. I believe our relationship is as strong as it is today because I fired him years ago. When it stopped working is when I decided to leave the company. Best working 12 years of my life and best professional move I ever made, leaving RRS.

Roughly 4 years ago I fired three individuals associated with Zoot. All three were exceptional business people but all three were also bringing me down every time I interacted with them. It worked great. I never contacted them and if and when they contacted me I was always on the good side of emotions. Well over time 2 of them for one reason or another left the organization. This past week the third member departed.

So the story is that sometimes you need to leave and sometimes you just need to be patient and wait it out. The end result is your happiness. There is no room in your life to be miserable. There is every reason to stay engaged. Fire people in your work, fire people on Facebook (I do this regularly and it feels good), Unfollow on Twitter. Whatever you do don't let them bring you down.


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Quote of the Day: The average level of engagement that American team members have with their work has remained at 30% or less for the past 10 years, and almost as many are hostile to their employers. 
- Conscious Capitalism - John Mackey and Raj Sisodia

Catalina Island, CA from my last flight of the week. Interesting still photo of a propeller 

Number 2 on what I believe in my work life is Love What You Do. I'm lucking because my sport running and triathlon is also my job. But even in this world it would be very easy to get down on my job, get down on my company and be part of the Majority and not engage. I do a few things regularly that I think help to keep me engaged in my work:

1. I regularly tell myself that I'm good at what I do. 
2. I take frequent disengaged breaks from work. I do this daily, weekly and monthly. 
3. I read often about how to remain engaged. My favorite book of all time in this world is the Power of Full Engagement. 
4. I get out of the office regularly - I can do this as part of my job and it helps to get outside and talk the the retailers, athletes and others who play a role in the business. 
5. I Fire People 

What does that mean I Fire People
As best as I describe it is, regularly I come across people who bring me down rather than build me up. Or they are simply sour about my company. When they do too much of that I Fire them or remove contact with them from my life. In work that mean's I will engage with them only when they contact me. I will not start any engagement with them.

• I will not email them. 
• I will not stand at the water cooler with them. 
• I will not seek them out. 

Do I tell them You're Fired, No. I simply remove them from my life and move on. This way the negative energy is no longer around me and I can go on doing great things in my work. I would give you examples but that would mean bringing them back in my life and that' would be crazy. 

It's a good life....

Dave

My Running Shoe Program

I'm a big believer that you need to have a couple different shoes in your closet all the time for your running needs. For me I do this for three reasons.

1. I'm wear testing a shoe
2. I want a particular feel on a particular run
3. My mood dictates

The end result is a variety in my running which is always good. It's what keeps the legs and the head fresh. 

First up is the Zoot Solana. A new shew for this July. My goal here is to run in it until it dies. I've had it since early December and it has been my main shoe. Still going strong. The midsole is injected EVA with a constant ground contact. Incredibly smooth and quiet. The upper is a running shoe upper. Great Heel fit, ample room in the midfoot that I can lock my skinny foot down and room in the forefoot to breath. I humbly think it's the best shoe I've made while working for a brand. There was one quite close to this at adidas and if the Solana can come anywhere close to that shoe in sales I might get a raise. 

 I may do one or two sessions a week of speed work depending on the week. I'll usually do it in the Kiawe 2.0. It's firm, low to the ground and fits tight. You can see the constant ground contact in this Photo. I like it also because it has our carbon fiber piece in the midfoot. That little extra snap at toe off feels great thanks to the carbon fiber.

When my legs are hurting or I'm going long on the roads it's the Kalani 3.0. This shoe just feels like butter on the feet. Soft, smooth and with a little kick in it. I keep it on the roads because of the massive (for me) midsole under my foot and the upper is not very stable for off road. I never have a bad run in this shoe. It's that simple. 

 I also run once or twice a week in other brands. I have some favorites and I have some shoes I simply want to test. I picked up the new Newton Motion with their 5 Lug design last week. I think the new Lug design is way better than the older 4 lugs. I personally can run in any shoe with no issues. That's not so for runners who don't have the leg strength or form that I have. I'm afraid the new shoes may be even harder to adjust to than the previous versions. I say that because their new midsole is super soft which only puts you deeper into negative when your heel touches and your heel will touch, it always does on every runner. I do think the upper and the fit is dramatically better.

 When I was a young runner it was Nike all the time. I swore by the Pegasus. Then they stopped making it and I worked with Mizuno on the Wave Rider and my life was good again. The issue is the Wave Rider today is not one of my favorite shoes. I feel the balance is off and personally I can feel it when I run. But hey that's me. So my new go to other brand shoe is the Pegasus again. I like it's simplicity and Nike always fit my foot well. Usually if it fits my foot well it's not good for all the other runners in the market. Which brings me back to Zoot. I specifically try to build shoes that don't fit me.

 I've tried the Hoka Conquest. I love the design and manufacturing of this shoe. I so much wanted it to work for me but it doesn't. The Hoka Bondi was not too bad but this Conquest is terrible for me. It's too stiff, and if a shoe is stiff it better roll and this one doesn't for me, it's flat. Remember fit for me is critical. I'll adjust fit on any shoe with socks but I can't seem to find the sock that creates the best fit. So this shoe sits on my desk as an example of beautiful shoe making.

If a brand is spending a large amount of money to launch a shoe I'm buying it. I buy with the anticipation of the kid I was doing the same thing. I had to have the Nike Air Max when it came out. I had to try the Asics flat with the split tongue. So on launch day I went to the local running store and bought the Brooks Transcend. Now I'm not the target runner for this shoe. I'm too light, too leg strong and my form is too good. But I can run in anything and it's with that knowledge that I anticipate great runs in new shoes. I was bummed when I ran in it. The shoe did not meet my expectations for value and function. Too bad for me but I can see where it will probably work for large group of runners. So instead of running in it any more we cut the shoe to pieces to see how it's made. 

I get to do all this because it's my job. But that should not stop you from being smart about your running. Have a couple different shoes in your closet. Decide which to run in based on  criteria 2 - 3  above and your legs and head will thank you. 

It's a good life....

Thank a Teacher

Most of you know that my wife Mary is a school teacher. High School, 10th graders and all the drama involved. Here is what it takes to be a School Teacher:

4:15 a.m. Alarm Sounds

•  Prepare for the day ahead
• Eat Breakfast
• Make two lunches (Marco and Mary) 

6:00 a.m. Depart for School

6:30 - 7:30 - Prep for the day

7:30 - 2:30 - Teach, Love, Teach, Love, Teach, Love

2:30 - 3:30 - Meet with Parents, Meet with other teachers

4:30 pm - Walk Niki the Dog

5:00pm - Run or Walk, Help with homework. 

7:00pm - Eat Dinner with the Family (Most of the time she cooks it too) 

7:30 - 10:00 - Grade Papers, Research for upcoming classes, answer emails from students, parents or faculty, talk to students 

Sleep, Repeat. 

Notice there is no time to watch TV. There is very little "me" time. From day #1 of each Semester to the last day of the Semester this is the schedule. If you know a teacher, you know this schedule well. If you have students, thank their teachers. They don't do this for the money. They don't do this for the summer vacation. They do this because they Love your kids. There is no 8 hour day for this teacher. There is just a day devoted to the future of this community, our kids. 

It's a good life...

Running Stores of the World: Running Central Peoria IL

My recent travels took me home to Peoria, IL. Well at least it was home from the time I turned 8 until I graduated High School at the age of 18. I still have family there so it still feels like home and I love going back. But this trip was also part business. When I was 17 I took up running. My girlfriend at the time ran track and cross country (we didn't have a boys CC team). I was sitting on the couch one day stuffing my face with Oreo Cookies, got up, put on a pair of "running" shoes and ran 3 miles. I have not stopped since.

Not long after that first run I decided I needed some real running shoes. So I drove to Running Central and bought a pair of New Balance 373s for the outrageous price of $45. Soon after I was out running and decided then and there that I was going to work in the running shoe business.

So it was great to be able to go back to Running Central and to help teach the great crew there about the Zoot Footwear they had on the wall. I spent 4 hours at the store listening to the staff service runners and I fell in love with their method.

First off they are as midwestern as you can get. So there is an honesty and work ethic about them. You know when you go there, they are giving you their best. Instead of treadmills they ask you to take off your shoes, they get down on the floor and they watch very closely as you walk back and forth in a straight line. Then they make their functional suggestions.

Their inventory in the back is laid out by size not by brand or by style. So it's a guarantee they will have shoes for you to try on but they don't really care about which brand they are brining out. They are choosing by function. So in the first few days of Zoot being in the store, our shoes were just included in the mix. People tried on our shoes with no preconceived notion except that it was brought out for them to try. The results have been great so far. Of course I think that's good for Zoot but I think it's good for runners too. You are not going to get stuck on a favorite shoe this way. You are going to be open to options which I believe is best for every runner. I see so many runners get upset because their shoe changed or worse yet don't realize that maybe their running gate has changed and that the favorite shoe just may not be the best for them. So the Running Central method keeps the variety in running shoes going and keeps you on your toes if you will.

There is nothing fancy about Running Central. It's just a hard working well managed running store and as they say "If it plays in Peoria, it will Play everywhere". Their method would be a welcome change to some of the stores in the market today.

It's a good life…..

I Keep Right on Failing

If I were an unstable person, the last 4 years would have sent me to my grave (either by drink, drugs or self mutilation). Why you ask. The Zoot footwear business in the US has only gone down. I've never in my life worked in a declining business. Everywhere I've gone it's been up, up, up. But because of the lessons in the post below I've stuck to it. Look out because if the booking on our new shoe is any indication we are on the way up and the future looks very bright.

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This year like any year has been filled with Failure. Although my Ironman St George result to many seemed like a success it was a failure to me. I wasn't close to my goals (however stretched they might have been) and worse than that I often failed to even compete. I was so bad my competition was a guy who was worried about making the cut off for the day. 

In building running shoes, the failures have been many. The most recent has been heel problems. Notice the pictures below. Those are my feet and those are my heels. This was last week in a pair of top secret new shoes for next year. They are simply the best shoes we've ever made so I'm proud of that. But I'm not proud of that heel. Failure to the highest degree in running shoes. 

 Which leads me to our house. We sent Marco to a camp last year and were really impressed with his attitude coming out. What we learned though was that we need to work with him on the camp values to make them stick. He wanted to go again this year which was great. That mean's this camp that is all about his head was doing something. When he got home from camp Mary had the great idea of ordering all the camp materials. So we did, and received a couple great books, DVD's, posters and the 8 keys. Sunday Marco and I hung the 8 keys and the posters around the house where we would see them regularly. The one below caught my attention today.

This key is so right. Failure Leads to Success if you let it. If you let failure get you down you will stay down. But if you learn from your failure you will grow. I can tell you that I hope to fail often in the future. I can also tell you that the Zoot heel will be fixed to success and that Ironman racing may not ever truly be a success but I'm willing to give it another shot.

It's a good life....

The Industry Ride

What a great time. The first Friday of every month there is an industry ride. All the people in the cycling industry in San Diego are invited. The first ride was a total blast. Easy conversation pace with as you can see was a big group. I met quite a few people I didn't know and that is part of the reason for the ride. We all work in this very fun industry and why shouldn't we all get to know each other. No question the Zoot crew took advantage of the 8 am start.

One of the guys mentioned "Many go play golf, we ride". I was happy this day to keep the conversations personal and not business. I learned from a great mentor (Think Wolf of Wall Street kind of guy) that work is work and play is play and they should not mix. You do and talk work at work, you don't talk work at play. He would not allow it when we played golf. So I was happy during this ride that even if someone tried to lure me into a business discussion I turned the channel.

It's a good life….