Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Shoe Review: Altra Instinct 1.5 (week 1)
I am not sure when I first came to this realization, but
this thought has been with me for a while:
“I want a shoe I can forget about. I want to run, not worry
about my shoes.”
Over the past 25 years, I have run in shoes from many of the
major running shoe companies. The past 3 years, I have also been training in
shoes that are considered more minimalist and even done some barefoot running. Yet,
after thousands of dollars spent and thousands of miles run—through all the many trials and many miles—I never found a shoe that 100% allowed me to forget that they
were there…until today.
After running in the Altra Instinct 1.5, I am
happy to report: I finally found
my ideal road shoe!
Keep it simple and natural: I am a runner. I want a shoe I can forget about. I want to
run and not worry about my shoes. Yet, over the years, I have waded through gimmicks
and fads and tried everything from overly supportive and cushioned to extremely
minimalist.
In the Altra Instincts (and all the Altra running shoes from what I
see), I am finding a simple blend of all the things I have enjoyed about past ‘traditional’
shoes and all the elements I have been looking for in newer more ‘minimalist’
shoes. The result is a natural and yet protected running experience that
lets me focus on why I leave the house in the first place….the joy of running! J
Give me another 2 weeks and I will post how they hold up on some longer runs and over time. But so far so good. Please feel free to message me with any questions. Happy Running! :-)
The
Specs: You can get all the specific shoe details at their website.
My Conclusion: Here are the 3 things
that mattered most to me and how it looks so far:
- Altra is THE ONLY zero drop, foot shaped shoe with cushioning and support. That means my form is more natural (proper midfoot strike and foot splay). Yet, I am still protected from the pavement (Though I do think we are born to run and also that some barefoot running is important, we did not evolve to train 5-10 miles/day on concrete.)
- Altra's provide a stable flat ride. I have had many ankle and foot injuries in the past, but when I run in these I feel confident with every footfall.
- There is enough protection for the long haul and yet they are very light (8.9 ounces) and flexible. There is just enough shoe here to help ride out mile after mile on man-made surfaces. But the overall build of the shoe lets my feet do what they want to do. (Caution: since these are minimalist and foot shaped, it is important to ease into them. Your feet, ankles, knees, hips and all the muscles and tendons in between will be stengthened more with this shoes. So give them a chance to get used to actually having to do their jobs...:-)
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Riding my bike 100 miles around the Puget Sound...
A co-worker at WS SSCC is putting together a team for a 100-mile benefit ride around Puget Sound.
It takes place in one month on September 15th.
or just send some positive thoughts and energy our
way. J
Thanks!
Tanner
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The Essence of Successful Networking
What is networking?
We are already always networking.
Networks are communities of like-minded individuals building together toward common goals.
Networking for a job is simply the act of realizing where it is you belong and joining forces with people who share your same common interests. As your goals change, the role that people play in your life changes. And as you refine your goals your target companies take shape. So, networking is just this:
Define your Brand:
What do you love to do? What are you
good at? And what jobs are out there that match up?
Narrow down your target companies:
Only focus on those
companies you are excited about and that share your values. Company culture
matters more than job descriptions.
Recognize the specific role people play in your network:
Strategize about
how the people you already know relate to your Brand and Target companies.
Live your life so that your Brand is visible:
Give people a chance to connect you to your target companies. This works best by finding ways to help those who are already in your network.
As you develop your brand, narrow down your target companies and define the role that people play in your network, you will start to find opportunities to meet people with common interests. As you build upon those interests, you will network into a meaningful job and long term career.
(Along the way, if you need to get a survival job, it will be much easier because the passion that drives your long term job search will shine through in the survival job interview.:-)
The primary purpose of a job interview is not getting a job…
The primary purpose of a job interview is not getting a job…
My mentor Duncan Burgess always says, “People hire peoplethey know.”
We know that is true because 80% of all jobs are filled by
networking.
What we tend to ignore is that the whole point of a job
search is not to get a job. It is to secure an interview with an employer.
And the whole purpose of that job interview is to have a productive
conversation that allows for you both to get to know one another.
At the end of that conversation it may turn out that you are
not the best fit for that particular team. However, if you have had the right
kind of conversation, that employer will remember you and the next time a job
comes open and they ask themselves, “Who do I know?”
They will think of you.
A job interview is not about getting a job. It is about
telling your story and presenting your brand.
…The primary purpose of a job interview is networking.
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