Running and Walking Friends

FF Erie Blvd. 2009	FF Bridge Street 2010

Time is a funny thing. When you are on vacation, it goes by faster than a college sprinter.  When you are at school or work, time can crawl by like a turtle crossing the road.

Here at Fleet Feet Sports, time has been sprinting by and it seems like only yesterday that we opened for the first time on Erie Boulevard. Almost ten years and a lot of races and running shoes later, our 10th anniversary is upon us.

To mark our anniversary and Grand Opening of our new store on Bridge Street, we are hosting a month full of activities which will feature special weekend events.

Brian Buchanan, James Campbell, Craig Downie, Trevor Lewington and Mark Abraham of Enter the Haggis

It all kicks off on Friday evening April 9th.    A special Fleet Feet Sports concert at the Westcott Theater will feature Canadian Celtic Rock band Enter the Haggis. Tickets are only $12 and we will have sets of tickets that we will give away over the next few weeks. On Saturday April 10th we will have great in-store specials, gifts with purchase and anniversary cake.

Other highlights include:

Grand Opening Fun Run and Brunch at the store on Sunday April 18th

Six Legged 5k Fun Run for runners, walkers and canines on Sunday April 25th

Mountain Goat Run Packet Pick Up on April 30th and May 1st

Of course we will be out there with the Syracuse Track Club and the Dunn Tire Mountain Goat Training Runs and there will even be a few surprises along the way.

Thanks, Syracuse for 10 great years and we hope you can join us for some or all of the celebration starting on April 9th.

No Boundaries Begin to Run Info Session Tuesday Night

The first of two info sessions for our popular No Boundaries Begin to Run training program will be held on Tuesday, March 9 at 5:45 p.m. at Fleet Feet. The program is designed for anyone with little or no running experience who would like to complete their first 5K race. Starting with a combination of running and walking, we will build up to running the Paige’s Butterfly Run 5K on June 5.

A second info session will be held on Tuesday, March 23 at 5:45 p.m. at Fleet Feet and training will begin on Tuesday, March 30 at 5:45 p.m. at Long Branch Park.

Our Advanced 5K Training Program will also be starting this month in preparation for Paige’s Butterfly Run. This program, designed for graduates of our No Boundaries program or those who can already run 3 miles or more without stopping, will begin on Monday, March 29 at 5:45 p.m. at Long Branch Park. An info session will be held at Fleet Feet on Monday, March 22 at 5:45 p.m.

For more information on either training program, visit the training page of our website or contact coach Matt Werder.

Syrathon Winners and Snowshoe Championships

The Tipp Hill Run was a great success last Saturday. 2,358 finishers of all shapes sizes and dress made their way over the hilly streets of Tipp Hill. William Hoyne and Laurel Burdick were the race winners, but the real winners may be those who registered for SYRATHON.

$30 Ichiban gift card: Mark Schaeber
$25 Fleet Feet gift certificate: Leslie Martino
$20 Empire Brewery gift card: Jody Thomas
Free pair of Brooks shoes: Nicole Wagner

All prizes can be picked up at Fleet Feet Sports. The next Syrathon Race is the Dunn Tire Mountain Goat Run on May 2nd. Visit the Syrathon website for full details.

The US Nationals Snowshoe Championships at Highland Forest were a huge success as a difficult course and a lot of soft snow made for slower times than usual. But when you consider that the men’s winning time of 42 minutes and 51 seconds is faster than most of us could run 10k on the street, you have to be amazed at these athletes. Congratulations to Fleet Feet’s Fred Joslyn who finished 5th in 45:44.

A few minutes with Sean Johnston

Brothers Pat and Sean Johnston 5 years ago at the Mountain Goat near Woodlawn Reservoir

Sean Johnston is pretty busy these days. He is a local runner, musician, sales manager, radio host and festival organizer. Last week when we mentioned Syracuse is a “Can Do Town,” Sean is one of the individuals who make it so. We spent a few minutes with him to catch up.

Congratulations to you and your brother on being the first and second runners registered for this year’s Dunn Tire Mountain Goat Run, what's the story behind this?

We pick names every year at Christmas and this year I got Pat's name and he knew exactly what he wanted. We have done countless runs and races together but the most memorable was 5 years ago when we did the Mountain Goat together. He wanted to do it again but registration was not ready for sale by Christmas. I gave him a certificate to run the goat inside a picture frame that he can switch after the race with a picture of us.   

 You are a busy guy.  You are a sales manager at Lamar Outdoor Advertising, work on the Syracuse Irish Festival, play in the local band (The Causeway Giants) and also host a weekly radio show featuring Irish Rock music, how do you juggle it all?

Sean Johnston and Cabrina Gilbert hosts of Irish Power Hour

I am blessed to be surrounded by great people! My wife is very understanding and my co-host on the Irish Power Hour - my "work wife" as she is affectionately known - is very organized. The Irish festival committee members have also been great to work with. They get behind the show and have come up with some very creative ideas for this year which keeps it fun.  Being surrounded by great people at work and at play keeps me on track.

The Irish Power Hour is unique and one of the few opportunities to hear Irish Rock music on the radio, how did it start and where do you see it going? 

It started as a way to raise awareness for Celtic Rock that the rest of the country is already listening to. We have Tipp Hill and the green over the red light but no way to listen to Celtic Rock except for the couple of festivals that we have each year. And the show is growing:  we are now doing live remotes, IPH nights and bringing bands to Syracuse throughout the year. I could not keep the show going without the
help of all of our sponsors to
which we are very grateful.

With all that you are doing, you are now promoting a show this Thursday with the Ontario- based, Glengarry Bhoys at McNamara’s Pub in Camillus, tell us about the band and the show?

The Bhoys have been playing since 1998. The name reflects their heritage and where they originate from in Glengarry County in Canada. It has been way too long since they have played in Syracuse so the IPH and the Irish Festival decided to bring them in to kick off the Parade, St. Patrick’s Day and have a half way to The Irish Festival party. Timing is perfect because the show is March 11th at McNamara's in Camillus and the Guinness festival is September 10th & 11th in Clinton Square.  

 What are your plans for St. Patrick's Day?

It is more like St. Patrick's week. We have the Glengarry Bhoys at McNamara’s on the 11th, the IPH is marching in the parade and then The Causeway Giants will play at the Ballybay after the parade. St. Patrick’s Day the band will open up for The Town Pants in Ithaca. Then sleep, lots of sleep.

 Where can people learn more about The Irish Power Hour?

You can buy tickets to see the Glengarry Bhoys at Fleet Feet Sports or at Kitty Hoyne’s in Armory Square. Tickets are also available at the door.

High School Running Scene
By Kaitlyn Richards

Last week we finally saw the amount of snowfall that is usually common for this time of year.  Schools were closed for two days, kids were building massive snow forts, and parents were waking in the wee hours of the morning trying to dig their way out of the driveway so that they could get to work. 

I love it when I can come downstairs after first waking up and look out my front window to see a world covered in white.  The snow leaves no area untouched, so that all roads and other figures of our current world disappear and we can recall those times when nature was much more predominant in society.  Those are the moments when the sights are absolutely breathtaking, but they only last until the snowplow comes by a few minutes later.  That being said, it’s not always that fun to run with icy snow hitting your face and side streets you planned on venturing down being buried under a foot of fallen snow.

The end of this week was the polar opposite.  On Friday I came home from school to find the sun warming the air and causing all of that snow from last week to turn to slush and melt away.  I couldn’t believe that only a week ago my field trip to New York City with my classmates was being postponed because the bus couldn’t navigate through the weather conditions. 

As I was running I saw kids outside playing pick-up games of basketball, people walking their dogs, and other runners stepping out to join me on the road.  Everyone seemed to want to seize the chance to get in a few easy miles while the sun was shining. 

Next week marks the beginning of my junior year of outdoor track.  I’m both excited yet cautious at the same time, curious as to what will happen in the next three months.