(1049,1,'2017-04-13 08:28:22','2017-04-13 12:28:22','<h2><strong>Who says it can\'t be you?</strong></h2>\r\nThere are people are out there doing some pretty amazing things... and often I find they simply fell into it by accident. No grand designs of fame, fortune, and conquering. Simply... \"I want to run Boston\"... or... \"I\'d like to stay fit in the off-season\". And then, before you know it... you\'re crushing several 100 mile ultramarathons in a year and setting world records running marathons in 7 continents... at 42 years old... like Mike Wardian.\r\n<h3><strong>OK... so maybe he\'s special... but the point remains!</strong></h3>\r\nI only just learned of Mike Wardian\'s existence around the time I ran the <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2016/12/16-millinocket-and-the-golden-road.html\">Millinocket Marathon</a>. From that point in time, either my awareness of him or his star power skyrocketed... maybe both. What I have seen of this man is the kind of thing I hope to see in the rest of the world. He\'s unlocked the secret... and I\'m thrilled to share it with you guys today.\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full interview with Michael Wardian about his superhuman feats and a taste of his down-to-earth attitude (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>Mike Wardian has figured it out.</strong></h2>\r\nI am thoroughly and completely impressed by Michael Wardian as a human being. He is, simply put, extraordinary. I could list off his superhuman accomplishments but we\'d be here all day. The bottom line is... he\'s reached deep down in the well and found something within himself that he has piped directly to the surface... and the world has responded positively to it.\r\n<h3><strong>Michael Wardian Goes The Distance</strong></h3>\r\nHe\'s quickly rising to the top ranks of the running world. Mike is a big fish who\'s little, obscure pond is growing and being discovered. He\'s collecting accomplishments of such magnitude that the only people who can truly understand them... are those who are very \"plugged in\" to the running world. I told my dad last night that my podcast guest this week was Michael Wardian - a man who ran 7 marathons in 7 continents in 7 days... and he stumbled over himself unable to understand how someone could logistically and physically do 7 marathons... in 7 continents... in 7 days. We didn\'t even GET to the part where he won the whole thing by posting a 2:45 average time in each one.\r\n\r\nIt\'s not just his accomplishments I\'m impressed with, though. As I said... I\'m impressed with him as a human being. Mike is a special kind of guy. Through all his accomplishments and good fortune with sponsors... even breaking world records...\r\n<h3><strong>Mike Wardian is about as normal and humble as they come.</strong></h3>\r\nDespite his super-human feats and impressive running resume... he\'s just a guy having fun running. He fully understands how fortunate of a position he\'s in, and he doesn\'t take it for granted. He gets to do what he loves, hold down a steady job that allows him to do it, and his family supports him.\r\n<h2><strong>Most importantly - he doesn\'t let anything hold him back.</strong></h2>\r\nMike just turned 43. That means that, just months ago, he not only finished... but WON... the World Marathon Challenge... at 42 years old. And he set records while doing it! This year he plans to run some of the toughest 100 mile ultramarathons out there - Hardrock 100, Western States Endurance Run, and others... not to mention all the other marathons and ultras he\'ll do. <strong>At 43 years of age.</strong> Like I said before... he\'s a regular guy. He found something he enjoys, he works at it, and he excels.\r\n<h3><strong>Who\'s to say we can\'t all do the same?</strong></h3>\r\nWhen you get right down to it... aside from current conditioning level and past accomplishments... there\'s not a whole lot that separates people like you and me from Mike Wardian (as crazy as that might sound). He simply doesn\'t let anything hold him back. He has let go of any percieved limits he once thought he had. Now? He just works for it and DOES it. He lives life limitless. We should all take a page out of his book and try it. <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">Give a listen to episode 33 of the podcast</a> for my chat with him and you\'ll see what I mean about him. I think you\'ll like him.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Darrell is legit!</li>\r\n 	<li>Virtual Training is a thing</li>\r\n 	<li>Hills are WAY steeper in person</li>\r\n 	<li>Mike Wardian joins us for a chat!\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Living the dream</li>\r\n 	<li>Winning the World Marathon Challenge</li>\r\n 	<li>Running a marathon in Antarctica</li>\r\n 	<li>What REALLY happened out there during the 2017 Barkley Marathons</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Episode Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.mikewardian.com\">Mike\'s Website</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/michaelwardian/\">Mike\'s Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.worldmarathonchallenge.com/\">The World Marathon Challenge</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barkley_Marathons\">The Barkley Marathons wikipedia page</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.runtruenorth.com\">True North Running Co. website</a>\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5262230/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','Michael Wardian Goes The Distance (Podcast #33)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1043-revision-v1','','','2017-04-13 08:28:22','2017-04-13 12:28:22','',1043,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/04/1043-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0);
INSERT INTO `wp_ryff_posts` VALUES (1051,1,'2017-04-20 08:35:37','2017-04-20 12:35:37','<h2><strong>It\'s a damn shame.</strong></h2>\r\nI\'m a runner... a <em>marathoner</em>... so of course, I can\'t help talking about, and even writing about, the Boston Marathon. This year, though... I feel compelled to talk NOT about the marathon itself... but something else. There\'s a part of Boston Marathon weekend that I\'m pretty sure most people don\'t know exists. To be fair, there\'s so much excitement on Boston Marathon weekend... I suppose it can be easy to miss - even I missed it for quite a while. But now... not only do I know about it... <em>I can\'t forget it</em>. I\'m talking, of course, about Tough Ruck.\r\n<h2><strong>The real meaning and importance of this event cannot be overstated.</strong></h2>\r\nThe first of the coveted Boston Marathon medals goes, not to the first finishers of Monday\'s prestigious marathon... but to the finishers Tough Ruck. You might, at first, be offended, or even shocked at that... but if you were there... you\'d get why. Allow me to educate you...\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For all the interviews and story on Tough Ruck (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>The real \"marathon weekend\" action begins Saturday...</strong></h2>\r\nnot with the Boston Marathon expo... but with Tough Ruck. By or before 4 am the Saturday before Patriot\'s Day... Minuteman National Historical Park comes alive with volunteers, both civilian and military, preparing for what is to come. As the sun comes up, hundreds of servicemen and women, veterans and active duty home on leave, their families, friends, and civilians that support them, all begin to fill up the green in front of The Old Manse in Concord, MA.\r\n<h2><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1059\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_20170415_091350-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Boston Marathon medal with tough ruck pin\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Yes, the first Boston Marathon medals go to these men and women.</strong></h2>\r\nMen and women receive these well-deserved medals adorned with a special Tough Ruck pin after slogging through 26.2 miles with a 15 lb, 35 lb, or even 50 lb rucksack. These ruckers do this along the Battle Road; the trail where the original Patriots fought against tyranny for our independance now used to remember and honor all those who fell, both then and now, defending and fighting for their nation. So what is Tough Ruck... and where did it come from?\r\n<h2><strong>Tough Ruck was born from fire and baptized in bravery.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen the Boston Marathon was bombed in 2013... terrorists thought they crushed us. Instead, they showed the true colors of the City of Boston, its people, and its visitors. A number of those had been ruck marching the marathon - after ruck marching 26.2 miles, hearing the call, they sprang into action helping in any way they could. With increased security, they weren\'t able to ruck march the marathon in full gear again.\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1056\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_20170415_072245-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Tough Ruck start line\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Rather than be defeated, they were re-born from the ashes.</strong></h3>\r\nTough Ruck was born from the fire of the Boston Marathon bomb blasts and baptized in the bravery of the men and women who acted so quickly and instinctively to serve and save their fellow man. It\'s that exact spirit, honor, and love of life that makes Tough Ruck what it is. There\'s no way to truly describe it, you simply have to experience it. On this episode 34 of the podcast... we introduce you to Tough Ruck and chat with those who made it happen... and those who rucked it this year.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Darrell\'s still bad at time management</li>\r\n 	<li>Boston Marathon Weekend</li>\r\n 	<li>a new \"What\'s In The Box?\"</li>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>what it is</li>\r\n 	<li>where it came from</li>\r\n 	<li>why you should care</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Episode Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck Website - <a href=\"http://www.toughruck.org\">www.ToughRuck.org</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.militaryfriends.org\">Millitary Friends Foundation Website</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.teamrwb.org\">Team RWB</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.baa.org\">The Boston Marathon</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5282486/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','Tough Ruck (Podcast #34)','','publish','open','open','','tough-ruck-podcast-34','','','2017-04-20 08:35:37','2017-04-20 12:35:37','',0,'http://sothisisfitness.com/?p=1051',0,'post','',0),(1052,1,'2017-04-20 07:19:58','2017-04-20 11:19:58','','tough ruck title image','','inherit','open','closed','','wordswag_1492666270767','','','2017-04-20 07:20:15','2017-04-20 11:20:15','',1051,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/wordswag_1492666270767.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1053,1,'2017-04-20 07:20:19','2017-04-20 11:20:19','<h2><strong>Tough Ruck was born from fire and baptized in bravery.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen the Boston Marathon was bombed in 2013... terrorists thought they crushed us. Instead, they showed the true colors of the City of Boston, its people, and its visitors. A number of those had been ruck marching the marathon - after ruck marching 26.2 miles, hearing the call, they sprang into action helping in any way they can. With increased security, they weren\'t able to ruck march the marathon in full gear again.\r\n\r\n<strong>Rather than be defeated, they were re-born from the ashes.</strong>\r\n\r\nTough Ruck was born from the fire of the Boston Marathon bomb blasts and baptized in the bravery of the men and women who acted so quickly and instinctively to serve their fellow man. It\'s that exact spirit, honor, and love of their fellow man that makes Tough Ruck what it is. There\'s no way to truly describe it, you simply have to experience it. On this episode of the podcast... we introduce you to Tough Ruck and chat with those who made it happen... and those who rucked it this year.\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">\r\nFor the full interview with Michael Wardian about his superhuman feats and a taste of his down-to-earth attitude (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Darrell\'s still bad at time management</li>\r\n 	<li>Boston Marathon Weekend</li>\r\n 	<li>a new \"What\'s In The Box?\"</li>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>what it is</li>\r\n 	<li>where it came from</li>\r\n 	<li>why you should care</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Episode Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.toughruck.org\">Tough Ruck Website</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.militaryfriends.org\">Millitary Friends Foundation Website</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.teamrwb.org\">Team RWB</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.baa.org\">The Boston Marathon</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>','Tough Ruck (Podcast #34)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1051-revision-v1','','','2017-04-20 07:20:19','2017-04-20 11:20:19','',1051,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/04/1051-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1055,1,'2017-04-20 08:21:05','2017-04-20 12:21:05','<h2>It\'s a damn shame.</h2>\r\nI\'m a runner... a <em>marathoner</em>... so of course, I can\'t help talking about, and even writing about, the Boston Marathon. This year, though... I feel compelled to talk NOT about the marathon itself... but something else. There\'s a part of Boston Marathon weekend that I\'m pretty sure most people don\'t know exists. To be fair, there\'s so much excitement on Boston Marathon weekend... I suppose it can be easy to miss - even I missed it for quite a while. But now... not only do I know about it... <em>I can\'t forget it</em>. I\'m talking, of course, about Tough Ruck.\r\n<h2>The real meaning and importance of this event cannot be overstated.</h2>\r\nThe first of the coveted Boston Marathon medals goes, not to the first finishers of Monday\'s prestigious marathon... but to the finishers Tough Ruck. You might, at first, be offended, or even shocked at that... but if you were there... you\'d get why. Allow me to educate you...\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For all the interviews and story on Tough Ruck (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2>The real \"marathon weekend\" action begins Saturday...</h2>\r\nnot with the Boston Marathon expo... but with Tough Ruck. By or before 4 am the Saturday before Patriot\'s Day... Minuteman National Historical Park comes alive with volunteers, both civilian and military, preparing for what is to come. As the sun comes up, hundreds of servicemen and women, veterans and active duty home on leave, their families, friends, and civilians that support them, all begin to fill up the green in front of The Old Manse in Concord, MA.\r\n<h2><strong>Yes, the first Boston Marathon medals go to these men and women.</strong></h2>\r\nMen and women receive these well-deserved medals adorned with a special Tough Ruck pin after slogging through 26.2 miles with a 15 lb, 35 lb, or even 50 lb rucksack. These ruckers do this along the Battle Road; the trail where the original Patriots fought against tyranny for our independance now used to remember and honor all those who fell, both then and now, defending and fighting for their nation. So what is Tough Ruck... and where did it come from?\r\n<h2><strong>Tough Ruck was born from fire and baptized in bravery.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen the Boston Marathon was bombed in 2013... terrorists thought they crushed us. Instead, they showed the true colors of the City of Boston, its people, and its visitors. A number of those had been ruck marching the marathon - after ruck marching 26.2 miles, hearing the call, they sprang into action helping in any way they could. With increased security, they weren\'t able to ruck march the marathon in full gear again.\r\n\r\n<strong>Rather than be defeated, they were re-born from the ashes.</strong>\r\n\r\nTough Ruck was born from the fire of the Boston Marathon bomb blasts and baptized in the bravery of the men and women who acted so quickly and instinctively to serve and save their fellow man. It\'s that exact spirit, honor, and love of life that makes Tough Ruck what it is. There\'s no way to truly describe it, you simply have to experience it. On this episode 34 of the podcast... we introduce you to Tough Ruck and chat with those who made it happen... and those who rucked it this year.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Darrell\'s still bad at time management</li>\r\n 	<li>Boston Marathon Weekend</li>\r\n 	<li>a new \"What\'s In The Box?\"</li>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>what it is</li>\r\n 	<li>where it came from</li>\r\n 	<li>why you should care</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Episode Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck Website - <a href=\"http://www.toughruck.org\">www.ToughRuck.org</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.militaryfriends.org\">Millitary Friends Foundation Website</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.teamrwb.org\">Team RWB</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.baa.org\">The Boston Marathon</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5282486/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','Tough Ruck (Podcast #34)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1051-revision-v1','','','2017-04-20 08:21:05','2017-04-20 12:21:05','',1051,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/04/1051-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1054,1,'2017-04-20 08:20:35','2017-04-20 12:20:35','<h2>It\'s a damn shame.</h2>\r\nI\'m a runner... a <em>marathoner</em>... so of course, I can\'t help talking about, and even writing about, the Boston Marathon. This year, though... I feel compelled to talk NOT about the marathon itself... but something else. There\'s a part of Boston Marathon weekend that I\'m pretty sure most people don\'t know exists. To be fair, there\'s so much excitement on Boston Marathon weekend... I suppose it can be easy to miss - even I missed it for quite a while. But now... not only do I know about it... <em>I can\'t forget it</em>. I\'m talking, of course, about Tough Ruck.\r\n<h2>The real meaning and importance of this event cannot be overstated.</h2>\r\nThe first of the coveted Boston Marathon medals goes, not to the first finishers of Monday\'s prestigious marathon... but to the finishers Tough Ruck. You might, at first, be offended, or even shocked at that... but if you were there... you\'d get why. Allow me to educate you...\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For all the interviews and story on Tough Ruck (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2>The real \"marathon weekend\" action begins Saturday...</h2>\r\nnot with the Boston Marathon expo... but with Tough Ruck. By or before 4 am the Saturday before Patriot\'s Day... Minuteman National Historical Park comes alive with volunteers, both civilian and military, preparing for what is to come. As the sun comes up, hundreds of servicemen and women, veterans and active duty home on leave, their families, friends, and civilians that support them, all begin to fill up the green in front of The Old Manse in Concord, MA.\r\n<h2><strong>Yes, the first Boston Marathon medals go to these men and women.</strong></h2>\r\nMen and women receive these well-deserved medals adorned with a special Tough Ruck pin after slogging through 26.2 miles with a 15 lb, 35 lb, or even 50 lb rucksack. These ruckers do this along the Battle Road; the trail where the original Patriots fought against tyranny for our independance now used to remember and honor all those who fell, both then and now, defending and fighting for their nation. So what is Tough Ruck... and where did it come from?\r\n<h2><strong>Tough Ruck was born from fire and baptized in bravery.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen the Boston Marathon was bombed in 2013... terrorists thought they crushed us. Instead, they showed the true colors of the City of Boston, its people, and its visitors. A number of those had been ruck marching the marathon - after ruck marching 26.2 miles, hearing the call, they sprang into action helping in any way they could. With increased security, they weren\'t able to ruck march the marathon in full gear again.\r\n\r\n<strong>Rather than be defeated, they were re-born from the ashes.</strong>\r\n\r\nTough Ruck was born from the fire of the Boston Marathon bomb blasts and baptized in the bravery of the men and women who acted so quickly and instinctively to serve and save their fellow man. It\'s that exact spirit, honor, and love of life that makes Tough Ruck what it is. There\'s no way to truly describe it, you simply have to experience it. On this episode 34 of the podcast... we introduce you to Tough Ruck and chat with those who made it happen... and those who rucked it this year.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Darrell\'s still bad at time management</li>\r\n 	<li>Boston Marathon Weekend</li>\r\n 	<li>a new \"What\'s In The Box?\"</li>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>what it is</li>\r\n 	<li>where it came from</li>\r\n 	<li>why you should care</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Episode Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck Website - <a href=\"http://www.toughruck.org\">www.ToughRuck.org</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.militaryfriends.org\">Millitary Friends Foundation Website</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.teamrwb.org\">Team RWB</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.baa.org\">The Boston Marathon</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5282486/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" height=\"90\" width=\"500\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>','Tough Ruck (Podcast #34)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1051-revision-v1','','','2017-04-20 08:20:35','2017-04-20 12:20:35','',1051,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/04/1051-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1056,1,'2017-04-20 08:27:54','2017-04-20 12:27:54','','Tough Ruck start line','','inherit','open','closed','','img_20170415_072245','','','2017-04-20 08:33:03','2017-04-20 12:33:03','',1051,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_20170415_072245.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1057,1,'2017-04-20 08:28:17','2017-04-20 12:28:17','','Tough Ruck - beginning','','inherit','open','closed','','img_20170415_073654','','','2017-04-20 08:32:50','2017-04-20 12:32:50','',1051,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_20170415_073654.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1058,1,'2017-04-20 08:28:27','2017-04-20 12:28:27','','Tough Ruck finisher certificate','','inherit','open','closed','','img_20170415_091332','','','2017-04-20 08:32:39','2017-04-20 12:32:39','',1051,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_20170415_091332.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1059,1,'2017-04-20 08:28:37','2017-04-20 12:28:37','','Boston Marathon medal with tough ruck pin','','inherit','open','closed','','img_20170415_091350','','','2017-04-20 08:32:22','2017-04-20 12:32:22','',1051,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_20170415_091350.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1060,1,'2017-04-20 08:33:54','2017-04-20 12:33:54','<h2>It\'s a damn shame.</h2>\r\nI\'m a runner... a <em>marathoner</em>... so of course, I can\'t help talking about, and even writing about, the Boston Marathon. This year, though... I feel compelled to talk NOT about the marathon itself... but something else. There\'s a part of Boston Marathon weekend that I\'m pretty sure most people don\'t know exists. To be fair, there\'s so much excitement on Boston Marathon weekend... I suppose it can be easy to miss - even I missed it for quite a while. But now... not only do I know about it... <em>I can\'t forget it</em>. I\'m talking, of course, about Tough Ruck.\r\n<h2>The real meaning and importance of this event cannot be overstated.</h2>\r\nThe first of the coveted Boston Marathon medals goes, not to the first finishers of Monday\'s prestigious marathon... but to the finishers Tough Ruck. You might, at first, be offended, or even shocked at that... but if you were there... you\'d get why. Allow me to educate you...\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For all the interviews and story on Tough Ruck (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2>The real \"marathon weekend\" action begins Saturday...</h2>\r\nnot with the Boston Marathon expo... but with Tough Ruck. By or before 4 am the Saturday before Patriot\'s Day... Minuteman National Historical Park comes alive with volunteers, both civilian and military, preparing for what is to come. As the sun comes up, hundreds of servicemen and women, veterans and active duty home on leave, their families, friends, and civilians that support them, all begin to fill up the green in front of The Old Manse in Concord, MA.\r\n<h2><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1059\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_20170415_091350-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Boston Marathon medal with tough ruck pin\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Yes, the first Boston Marathon medals go to these men and women.</strong></h2>\r\nMen and women receive these well-deserved medals adorned with a special Tough Ruck pin after slogging through 26.2 miles with a 15 lb, 35 lb, or even 50 lb rucksack. These ruckers do this along the Battle Road; the trail where the original Patriots fought against tyranny for our independance now used to remember and honor all those who fell, both then and now, defending and fighting for their nation. So what is Tough Ruck... and where did it come from?\r\n<h2><strong>Tough Ruck was born from fire and baptized in bravery.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen the Boston Marathon was bombed in 2013... terrorists thought they crushed us. Instead, they showed the true colors of the City of Boston, its people, and its visitors. A number of those had been ruck marching the marathon - after ruck marching 26.2 miles, hearing the call, they sprang into action helping in any way they could. With increased security, they weren\'t able to ruck march the marathon in full gear again.\r\n\r\n<strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1056\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_20170415_072245-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Tough Ruck start line\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Rather than be defeated, they were re-born from the ashes.</strong>\r\n\r\nTough Ruck was born from the fire of the Boston Marathon bomb blasts and baptized in the bravery of the men and women who acted so quickly and instinctively to serve and save their fellow man. It\'s that exact spirit, honor, and love of life that makes Tough Ruck what it is. There\'s no way to truly describe it, you simply have to experience it. On this episode 34 of the podcast... we introduce you to Tough Ruck and chat with those who made it happen... and those who rucked it this year.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Darrell\'s still bad at time management</li>\r\n 	<li>Boston Marathon Weekend</li>\r\n 	<li>a new \"What\'s In The Box?\"</li>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>what it is</li>\r\n 	<li>where it came from</li>\r\n 	<li>why you should care</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Episode Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck Website - <a href=\"http://www.toughruck.org\">www.ToughRuck.org</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.militaryfriends.org\">Millitary Friends Foundation Website</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.teamrwb.org\">Team RWB</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.baa.org\">The Boston Marathon</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5282486/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','Tough Ruck (Podcast #34)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1051-revision-v1','','','2017-04-20 08:33:54','2017-04-20 12:33:54','',1051,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/04/1051-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1061,1,'2017-04-20 08:34:52','2017-04-20 12:34:52','<h2><strong>It\'s a damn shame.</strong></h2>\r\nI\'m a runner... a <em>marathoner</em>... so of course, I can\'t help talking about, and even writing about, the Boston Marathon. This year, though... I feel compelled to talk NOT about the marathon itself... but something else. There\'s a part of Boston Marathon weekend that I\'m pretty sure most people don\'t know exists. To be fair, there\'s so much excitement on Boston Marathon weekend... I suppose it can be easy to miss - even I missed it for quite a while. But now... not only do I know about it... <em>I can\'t forget it</em>. I\'m talking, of course, about Tough Ruck.\r\n<h2><strong>The real meaning and importance of this event cannot be overstated.</strong></h2>\r\nThe first of the coveted Boston Marathon medals goes, not to the first finishers of Monday\'s prestigious marathon... but to the finishers Tough Ruck. You might, at first, be offended, or even shocked at that... but if you were there... you\'d get why. Allow me to educate you...\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For all the interviews and story on Tough Ruck (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>The real \"marathon weekend\" action begins Saturday...</strong></h2>\r\nnot with the Boston Marathon expo... but with Tough Ruck. By or before 4 am the Saturday before Patriot\'s Day... Minuteman National Historical Park comes alive with volunteers, both civilian and military, preparing for what is to come. As the sun comes up, hundreds of servicemen and women, veterans and active duty home on leave, their families, friends, and civilians that support them, all begin to fill up the green in front of The Old Manse in Concord, MA.\r\n<h2><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1059\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_20170415_091350-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Boston Marathon medal with tough ruck pin\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Yes, the first Boston Marathon medals go to these men and women.</strong></h2>\r\nMen and women receive these well-deserved medals adorned with a special Tough Ruck pin after slogging through 26.2 miles with a 15 lb, 35 lb, or even 50 lb rucksack. These ruckers do this along the Battle Road; the trail where the original Patriots fought against tyranny for our independance now used to remember and honor all those who fell, both then and now, defending and fighting for their nation. So what is Tough Ruck... and where did it come from?\r\n<h2><strong>Tough Ruck was born from fire and baptized in bravery.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen the Boston Marathon was bombed in 2013... terrorists thought they crushed us. Instead, they showed the true colors of the City of Boston, its people, and its visitors. A number of those had been ruck marching the marathon - after ruck marching 26.2 miles, hearing the call, they sprang into action helping in any way they could. With increased security, they weren\'t able to ruck march the marathon in full gear again.\r\n\r\n<strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1056\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_20170415_072245-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Tough Ruck start line\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Rather than be defeated, they were re-born from the ashes.</strong>\r\n\r\nTough Ruck was born from the fire of the Boston Marathon bomb blasts and baptized in the bravery of the men and women who acted so quickly and instinctively to serve and save their fellow man. It\'s that exact spirit, honor, and love of life that makes Tough Ruck what it is. There\'s no way to truly describe it, you simply have to experience it. On this episode 34 of the podcast... we introduce you to Tough Ruck and chat with those who made it happen... and those who rucked it this year.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Darrell\'s still bad at time management</li>\r\n 	<li>Boston Marathon Weekend</li>\r\n 	<li>a new \"What\'s In The Box?\"</li>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>what it is</li>\r\n 	<li>where it came from</li>\r\n 	<li>why you should care</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Episode Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck Website - <a href=\"http://www.toughruck.org\">www.ToughRuck.org</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.militaryfriends.org\">Millitary Friends Foundation Website</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.teamrwb.org\">Team RWB</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.baa.org\">The Boston Marathon</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5282486/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','Tough Ruck (Podcast #34)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1051-revision-v1','','','2017-04-20 08:34:52','2017-04-20 12:34:52','',1051,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/04/1051-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1062,1,'2017-04-20 08:35:37','2017-04-20 12:35:37','<h2><strong>It\'s a damn shame.</strong></h2>\r\nI\'m a runner... a <em>marathoner</em>... so of course, I can\'t help talking about, and even writing about, the Boston Marathon. This year, though... I feel compelled to talk NOT about the marathon itself... but something else. There\'s a part of Boston Marathon weekend that I\'m pretty sure most people don\'t know exists. To be fair, there\'s so much excitement on Boston Marathon weekend... I suppose it can be easy to miss - even I missed it for quite a while. But now... not only do I know about it... <em>I can\'t forget it</em>. I\'m talking, of course, about Tough Ruck.\r\n<h2><strong>The real meaning and importance of this event cannot be overstated.</strong></h2>\r\nThe first of the coveted Boston Marathon medals goes, not to the first finishers of Monday\'s prestigious marathon... but to the finishers Tough Ruck. You might, at first, be offended, or even shocked at that... but if you were there... you\'d get why. Allow me to educate you...\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For all the interviews and story on Tough Ruck (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>The real \"marathon weekend\" action begins Saturday...</strong></h2>\r\nnot with the Boston Marathon expo... but with Tough Ruck. By or before 4 am the Saturday before Patriot\'s Day... Minuteman National Historical Park comes alive with volunteers, both civilian and military, preparing for what is to come. As the sun comes up, hundreds of servicemen and women, veterans and active duty home on leave, their families, friends, and civilians that support them, all begin to fill up the green in front of The Old Manse in Concord, MA.\r\n<h2><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1059\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_20170415_091350-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Boston Marathon medal with tough ruck pin\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Yes, the first Boston Marathon medals go to these men and women.</strong></h2>\r\nMen and women receive these well-deserved medals adorned with a special Tough Ruck pin after slogging through 26.2 miles with a 15 lb, 35 lb, or even 50 lb rucksack. These ruckers do this along the Battle Road; the trail where the original Patriots fought against tyranny for our independance now used to remember and honor all those who fell, both then and now, defending and fighting for their nation. So what is Tough Ruck... and where did it come from?\r\n<h2><strong>Tough Ruck was born from fire and baptized in bravery.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen the Boston Marathon was bombed in 2013... terrorists thought they crushed us. Instead, they showed the true colors of the City of Boston, its people, and its visitors. A number of those had been ruck marching the marathon - after ruck marching 26.2 miles, hearing the call, they sprang into action helping in any way they could. With increased security, they weren\'t able to ruck march the marathon in full gear again.\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1056\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_20170415_072245-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Tough Ruck start line\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Rather than be defeated, they were re-born from the ashes.</strong></h3>\r\nTough Ruck was born from the fire of the Boston Marathon bomb blasts and baptized in the bravery of the men and women who acted so quickly and instinctively to serve and save their fellow man. It\'s that exact spirit, honor, and love of life that makes Tough Ruck what it is. There\'s no way to truly describe it, you simply have to experience it. On this episode 34 of the podcast... we introduce you to Tough Ruck and chat with those who made it happen... and those who rucked it this year.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Darrell\'s still bad at time management</li>\r\n 	<li>Boston Marathon Weekend</li>\r\n 	<li>a new \"What\'s In The Box?\"</li>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>what it is</li>\r\n 	<li>where it came from</li>\r\n 	<li>why you should care</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Episode Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck Website - <a href=\"http://www.toughruck.org\">www.ToughRuck.org</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.militaryfriends.org\">Millitary Friends Foundation Website</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.teamrwb.org\">Team RWB</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.baa.org\">The Boston Marathon</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5282486/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','Tough Ruck (Podcast #34)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1051-revision-v1','','','2017-04-20 08:35:37','2017-04-20 12:35:37','',1051,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/04/1051-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1065,1,'2017-04-27 11:11:31','2017-04-27 15:11:31','<h2><strong>We tend to low-ball ourselves.</strong></h2>\r\nWe generally have a tendency to believe we are less capable than we really are. We routinely underrate our true potential, and assume we can only go so high up on the achievement ladder. We see the accomplishments of others and rank ourselves against them... assuming that if THAT\'S where THEY can get... we must be somewhere down just a little bit below them.\r\n<h3><strong>We need to believe we can rise above mediocrity.</strong></h3>\r\nWe are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. IF we can just STOP <em>stopping</em> ourselves and reach a little higher... it\'d turn everything upside down. THAT... is exactly what happened to Maggie Guterl. One day, she decided to \"get serious\", talked to a coach... and guess what her coach told her? <em>That she could achieve something amazing.</em> And she pushed Maggie to it. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">And she did it</span>. We can all take a lesson from what Maggie has to tell us, whether we work with a coach or not. Join me for the conversation.\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Maggie Guterl (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>It just takes a little push.</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1073\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FB_IMG_1493305563181-300x211.jpg\" alt=\"maggie guterl brazos bend\" width=\"300\" height=\"211\" />That\'s the difference. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">That\'s it.</span> A little push. Not everyone can do it on their own - Maggie couldn\'t. She knew what she wanted... she knew she wanted to rise above... but she had always seen her top end as just a little less than these elites she was looking at. She never thought that... maybe... <em>just maybe</em>... SHE could be one of those elites.\r\n<h3><strong>That\'s where a coach comes in handy.</strong></h3>\r\nNot all of us can provide that push we need for ourselves, even if we think we can. Maggie knew she wanted to push harder and higher... knew she could do better, but never imagined she could\'ve accomplished what her coach told her was possible. <strong>But she listened.</strong> <em>And she did it.<strong> </strong></em>Running a marathon is a major accomplishment. Running an ULTRAmarathon is monumental. Maggie was able, with that extra push, to kick it up even <em>another </em>notch to achieve something truly special that so few people in this world do... top finishes in some of the toughest endurance running events out there.\r\n<h2><strong>Maggie is not a unicorn. WE can fly high, too!</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1072\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FB_IMG_1493305525387-300x283.jpg\" alt=\"maggie guterl brazos buckle\" width=\"300\" height=\"283\" />We just need to figure out what\'s going to get us that push... and ride the wave all the way to success. Sure, it\'s gonna take hard work. Lots of it, too. But clearly, when you get to that finish line... and the next one... and the next one... it\'s so worth it. Join me for my chat with Maggie and see how she got where she is, and what knowledge nuggets she has to share with the rest of us.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Overtraining, Communication, and DON\'T be your wife\'s personal trainer</li>\r\n 	<li>Darrell gets flown to NOW Foods HQ because he\'s important and stuff</li>\r\n 	<li>British people apparently don\'t like recreational ruck marching</li>\r\n 	<li>We chat with Maggie Guterl - ultrarunning BEAST\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>believing in the impossible</li>\r\n 	<li>working with a coach</li>\r\n 	<li>rising above \"mediocrity\"</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>Episode <strong>Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.maggatron.com\">Maggie\'s Blog - maggatron.com</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://www.nathansports.com/community/blog/maggie-guterl-surviving-the-georgia-death-race/\">Maggie\'s Georgia Death Race feature on Nathan.com</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.trailracingovertexas.com\">Trail Racing Over Texas team</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>','Maggie Guterl Rises Above \"Mediocrity\" (Podcast #35)','','publish','open','open','','maggie-guterl-rises-above-mediocrity-podcast-35','','','2017-04-27 11:11:31','2017-04-27 15:11:31','',0,'http://sothisisfitness.com/?p=1065',0,'post','',0),(1066,1,'2017-04-27 07:25:47','2017-04-27 11:25:47','','Maggie Guterl cover photo','','inherit','open','closed','','wordswag_1493274794148','','','2017-04-27 07:26:17','2017-04-27 11:26:17','',1065,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/wordswag_1493274794148.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1067,1,'2017-04-27 07:27:19','2017-04-27 11:27:19','<h2><strong>We tend to low-ball ourselves.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen generally have a tendency to believe we are less capable than we really are. We routinely underrate our true potential, and assume we can only go so high up on the achievement ladder. We see the accomplishments of others and rank ourselves against them... assuming that if THAT\'S where THEY can get... we must be somewhere down here.\r\n<h3><strong>We need to believe we can rise above mediocrity.</strong></h3>\r\nWe are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. IF we can just STOP stopping ourselves and reach a little higher... it\'d turn everything upside down. THAT... is exactly what happened to Maggie Guterl. One day, she decided to \"get serious\", talked to a coach... and guess what her coach told her? <em>That she could achieve something amazing.</em> And she pushed Maggie to it. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">And she did it</span>. We can all take a lesson from what Maggie has to tell us, whether we work with a coach or not. Join me for the conversation.\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Maggie Guterl (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Darrell\'s still bad at time management</li>\r\n 	<li>Boston Marathon Weekend</li>\r\n 	<li>a new \"What\'s In The Box?\"</li>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>what it is</li>\r\n 	<li>where it came from</li>\r\n 	<li>why you should care</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Episode Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck Website - <a href=\"http://www.toughruck.org\">www.ToughRuck.org</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.militaryfriends.org\">Millitary Friends Foundation Website</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.teamrwb.org\">Team RWB</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.baa.org\">The Boston Marathon</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>','','','inherit','closed','closed','','1065-revision-v1','','','2017-04-27 07:27:19','2017-04-27 11:27:19','',1065,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/04/1065-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1068,1,'2017-04-27 07:29:45','2017-04-27 11:29:45','<h2><strong>We tend to low-ball ourselves.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen generally have a tendency to believe we are less capable than we really are. We routinely underrate our true potential, and assume we can only go so high up on the achievement ladder. We see the accomplishments of others and rank ourselves against them... assuming that if THAT\'S where THEY can get... we must be somewhere down here.\r\n<h3><strong>We need to believe we can rise above mediocrity.</strong></h3>\r\nWe are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. IF we can just STOP stopping ourselves and reach a little higher... it\'d turn everything upside down. THAT... is exactly what happened to Maggie Guterl. One day, she decided to \"get serious\", talked to a coach... and guess what her coach told her? <em>That she could achieve something amazing.</em> And she pushed Maggie to it. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">And she did it</span>. We can all take a lesson from what Maggie has to tell us, whether we work with a coach or not. Join me for the conversation.\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Maggie Guterl (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Darrell\'s still bad at time management</li>\r\n 	<li>Boston Marathon Weekend</li>\r\n 	<li>a new \"What\'s In The Box?\"</li>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>what it is</li>\r\n 	<li>where it came from</li>\r\n 	<li>why you should care</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Episode Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Tough Ruck Website - <a href=\"http://www.toughruck.org\">www.ToughRuck.org</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.militaryfriends.org\">Millitary Friends Foundation Website</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.teamrwb.org\">Team RWB</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.baa.org\">The Boston Marathon</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>','Maggie Guterl Rises Above \"Mediocrity\" (Podcast #35)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1065-revision-v1','','','2017-04-27 07:29:45','2017-04-27 11:29:45','',1065,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/04/1065-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1069,1,'2017-04-27 08:53:38','2017-04-27 12:53:38','<h2><strong>We tend to low-ball ourselves.</strong></h2>\r\nWe generally have a tendency to believe we are less capable than we really are. We routinely underrate our true potential, and assume we can only go so high up on the achievement ladder. We see the accomplishments of others and rank ourselves against them... assuming that if THAT\'S where THEY can get... we must be somewhere down just a little bit below them.\r\n<h3><strong>We need to believe we can rise above mediocrity.</strong></h3>\r\nWe are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. IF we can just STOP <em>stopping</em> ourselves and reach a little higher... it\'d turn everything upside down. THAT... is exactly what happened to Maggie Guterl. One day, she decided to \"get serious\", talked to a coach... and guess what her coach told her? <em>That she could achieve something amazing.</em> And she pushed Maggie to it. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">And she did it</span>. We can all take a lesson from what Maggie has to tell us, whether we work with a coach or not. Join me for the conversation.\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Maggie Guterl (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h3>The only difference</h3>\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Overtraining, Communication, and DON\'T be your wife\'s personal trainer</li>\r\n 	<li>Darrell gets flown to NOW Foods HQ because he\'s important and stuff</li>\r\n 	<li>British people apparently don\'t like recreational ruck marching</li>\r\n 	<li>We chat with Maggie Guterl - ultrarunning BEAST\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>believing in the impossible</li>\r\n 	<li>working with a coach</li>\r\n 	<li>rising above \"mediocrity\"</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>Episode <strong>Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.maggatron.com\">Maggie\'s Blog - maggatron.com</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://www.nathansports.com/community/blog/maggie-guterl-surviving-the-georgia-death-race/\">Maggie\'s Georgia Death Race feature on Nathan.com</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>','Maggie Guterl Rises Above \"Mediocrity\" (Podcast #35)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1065-revision-v1','','','2017-04-27 08:53:38','2017-04-27 12:53:38','',1065,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/04/1065-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1070,1,'2017-04-27 10:57:04','2017-04-27 14:57:04','<h2><strong>We tend to low-ball ourselves.</strong></h2>\r\nWe generally have a tendency to believe we are less capable than we really are. We routinely underrate our true potential, and assume we can only go so high up on the achievement ladder. We see the accomplishments of others and rank ourselves against them... assuming that if THAT\'S where THEY can get... we must be somewhere down just a little bit below them.\r\n<h3><strong>We need to believe we can rise above mediocrity.</strong></h3>\r\nWe are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. IF we can just STOP <em>stopping</em> ourselves and reach a little higher... it\'d turn everything upside down. THAT... is exactly what happened to Maggie Guterl. One day, she decided to \"get serious\", talked to a coach... and guess what her coach told her? <em>That she could achieve something amazing.</em> And she pushed Maggie to it. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">And she did it</span>. We can all take a lesson from what Maggie has to tell us, whether we work with a coach or not. Join me for the conversation.\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Maggie Guterl (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>It just takes a little push.</strong></h2>\r\nThat\'s the difference. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">That\'s it.</span> A little push. Not everyone can do it on their own - Maggie couldn\'t. She knew what she wanted... she knew she wanted to rise above... but she had always seen her top end as just a little less than these elites she was looking at. She never thought that... maybe... <em>just maybe</em>... SHE could be one of those elites.\r\n<h3><strong>That\'s where a coach comes in handy.</strong></h3>\r\nNot all of us can provide that push we need for ourselves, even if we think we can. Maggie knew she wanted to push harder and higher... knew she could do better, but never imagined she could\'ve accomplished what her coach told her was possible. <strong>But she listened.</strong> <em>And she did it.<strong> </strong></em>Running a marathon is a major accomplishment. Running an ULTRAmarathon is monumental. Maggie was able, with that extra push, to kick it up even <em>another </em>notch to achieve something truly special that so few people in this world do... top finishes in some of the toughest endurance running events out there.\r\n<h2><strong>Maggie is not a unicorn. WE can fly high, too!</strong></h2>\r\nWe just need to figure out what\'s going to get us that push... and ride the wave all the way to success. Sure, it\'s gonna take hard work. Lots of it, too. But clearly, when you get to that finish line... and the next one... and the next one... it\'s so worth it. Join me for my chat with Maggie and see how she got where she is, and what knowledge nuggets she has to share with the rest of us.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Overtraining, Communication, and DON\'T be your wife\'s personal trainer</li>\r\n 	<li>Darrell gets flown to NOW Foods HQ because he\'s important and stuff</li>\r\n 	<li>British people apparently don\'t like recreational ruck marching</li>\r\n 	<li>We chat with Maggie Guterl - ultrarunning BEAST\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>believing in the impossible</li>\r\n 	<li>working with a coach</li>\r\n 	<li>rising above \"mediocrity\"</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>Episode <strong>Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.maggatron.com\">Maggie\'s Blog - maggatron.com</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://www.nathansports.com/community/blog/maggie-guterl-surviving-the-georgia-death-race/\">Maggie\'s Georgia Death Race feature on Nathan.com</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>','Maggie Guterl Rises Above \"Mediocrity\" (Podcast #35)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1065-revision-v1','','','2017-04-27 10:57:04','2017-04-27 14:57:04','',1065,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/04/1065-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1071,1,'2017-04-27 11:08:04','2017-04-27 15:08:04','','FB_IMG_1493305642424','','inherit','open','closed','','fb_img_1493305642424','','','2017-04-27 11:08:04','2017-04-27 15:08:04','',1065,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FB_IMG_1493305642424.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1072,1,'2017-04-27 11:08:17','2017-04-27 15:08:17','','maggie guterl brazos buckle','','inherit','open','closed','','fb_img_1493305525387','','','2017-04-27 11:09:20','2017-04-27 15:09:20','',1065,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FB_IMG_1493305525387.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1073,1,'2017-04-27 11:08:32','2017-04-27 15:08:32','','maggie guterl brazos bend','','inherit','open','closed','','fb_img_1493305563181','','','2017-04-27 11:09:02','2017-04-27 15:09:02','',1065,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FB_IMG_1493305563181.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1074,1,'2017-04-27 11:11:08','2017-04-27 15:11:08','<h2><strong>We tend to low-ball ourselves.</strong></h2>\r\nWe generally have a tendency to believe we are less capable than we really are. We routinely underrate our true potential, and assume we can only go so high up on the achievement ladder. We see the accomplishments of others and rank ourselves against them... assuming that if THAT\'S where THEY can get... we must be somewhere down just a little bit below them.\r\n<h3><strong>We need to believe we can rise above mediocrity.</strong></h3>\r\nWe are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. IF we can just STOP <em>stopping</em> ourselves and reach a little higher... it\'d turn everything upside down. THAT... is exactly what happened to Maggie Guterl. One day, she decided to \"get serious\", talked to a coach... and guess what her coach told her? <em>That she could achieve something amazing.</em> And she pushed Maggie to it. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">And she did it</span>. We can all take a lesson from what Maggie has to tell us, whether we work with a coach or not. Join me for the conversation.\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Maggie Guterl (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>It just takes a little push.</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1073\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FB_IMG_1493305563181-300x211.jpg\" alt=\"maggie guterl brazos bend\" width=\"300\" height=\"211\" />That\'s the difference. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">That\'s it.</span> A little push. Not everyone can do it on their own - Maggie couldn\'t. She knew what she wanted... she knew she wanted to rise above... but she had always seen her top end as just a little less than these elites she was looking at. She never thought that... maybe... <em>just maybe</em>... SHE could be one of those elites.\r\n<h3><strong>That\'s where a coach comes in handy.</strong></h3>\r\nNot all of us can provide that push we need for ourselves, even if we think we can. Maggie knew she wanted to push harder and higher... knew she could do better, but never imagined she could\'ve accomplished what her coach told her was possible. <strong>But she listened.</strong> <em>And she did it.<strong> </strong></em>Running a marathon is a major accomplishment. Running an ULTRAmarathon is monumental. Maggie was able, with that extra push, to kick it up even <em>another </em>notch to achieve something truly special that so few people in this world do... top finishes in some of the toughest endurance running events out there.\r\n<h2><strong>Maggie is not a unicorn. WE can fly high, too!</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1072\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FB_IMG_1493305525387-300x283.jpg\" alt=\"maggie guterl brazos buckle\" width=\"300\" height=\"283\" />We just need to figure out what\'s going to get us that push... and ride the wave all the way to success. Sure, it\'s gonna take hard work. Lots of it, too. But clearly, when you get to that finish line... and the next one... and the next one... it\'s so worth it. Join me for my chat with Maggie and see how she got where she is, and what knowledge nuggets she has to share with the rest of us.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Overtraining, Communication, and DON\'T be your wife\'s personal trainer</li>\r\n 	<li>Darrell gets flown to NOW Foods HQ because he\'s important and stuff</li>\r\n 	<li>British people apparently don\'t like recreational ruck marching</li>\r\n 	<li>We chat with Maggie Guterl - ultrarunning BEAST\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>believing in the impossible</li>\r\n 	<li>working with a coach</li>\r\n 	<li>rising above \"mediocrity\"</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>Episode <strong>Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.maggatron.com\">Maggie\'s Blog - maggatron.com</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://www.nathansports.com/community/blog/maggie-guterl-surviving-the-georgia-death-race/\">Maggie\'s Georgia Death Race feature on Nathan.com</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.trailracingovertexas.com\">Trail Racing Over Texas team</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a> - $5 off Fool\'s Mile IV registration with code \"sothisisfitness5\"\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>','Maggie Guterl Rises Above \"Mediocrity\" (Podcast #35)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1065-revision-v1','','','2017-04-27 11:11:08','2017-04-27 15:11:08','',1065,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/04/1065-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1075,1,'2017-05-04 09:56:04','2017-05-04 13:56:04','<h2><strong>It\'s rare to find a company that cares.</strong></h2>\r\nAll we tend to see in the news about big corporations is how they\'re screwing the little guy, driving mom and pop out of business, and focusing solely on profit over people. When you come across a company that\'s doing the right thing... well, it can catch you off-guard. It\'s refreshing, to say the least, and it makes you take notice. Well... <strong>I have taken notice - </strong>NOW Foods is one such company.\r\n\r\n<strong>\"If you have to ask if you\'re doing the right thing... you\'re not.\"</strong>\r\n\r\nThat came out of the CEO\'s mouth during our 2 day \"influencer immersion event\", where we toured the facilities, learned all about NOW, and just generally got the royal treatment. It was impressive to hear something like that come from a major CEO... and it was even more impressive to see it reflected in the company and its staff in real life. So... why does a company care? Why go to all that trouble, as he describes in our chat, to ensure quality without charging twice as much?\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Jim Emme (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>It\'s about honesty and integrity.</strong></h2>\r\nHonesty and integrity are words we generally use when speaking about people, not companies. Companies don\'t care... major multi-national corporations don\'t care, right? They\'re just there to turn a big profit. <strong>Maybe that\'s what impressed me so much about NOW</strong>. I did a bit of reading up on the company before I got there, and I got the impression that they had some high standards for quality. They also made a big effort, right there on the website, to educate people - they call it their \"NOWledge section\"... isn\'t that adorable? Really though, that\'s the kind of thing you don\'t always find on a vitamin/supplement company\'s site, or on a foods distributor.\r\n<h3><strong>That was my first clue that NOW was different.</strong></h3>\r\nWe all had dinner with the CEO (Jim) and a member of the founding family (which still owns the company, btw), where they more or less reiterated and expounded on what you can find online. It wasn\'t just what they said though... it was <em>how</em> they said it. You could see some real passion and care... and you could tell they meant it. When they talked about quality control, high standards, going above and beyond to ensure the highest quality at the lowest price they can reasonably charge... well, they go to an awful lot of effort to do all that (which we saw the next day at their facilities). It\'s clear they really do believe in quality and value over all else. That\'s also evident in how Jim talked about their approach to GMO ingredients, and their relationships with other food and supplement manufacturers.\r\n<h3><strong>It really is all about doing the right thing.</strong></h3>\r\nThe company was founded as a result of Elwood Richard (founder) wanting to do the right thing, and they\'ve stayed true to that principle of \"do unto others\" all the way through today. It\'s impressive, honestly, to see a company with such integrity... and, really... the kind of soul that made me fall in love with Anytime Fitness. Check out Episode 36 of the podcast and find out exactly what I mean. And yes, there WILL be more to come on NOW Foods, including a full recap of the 2 day immersion event (might be a long one, kids).\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Recapping the SUPER busy past week Darrell had</li>\r\n 	<li>Previewing the Providence Marathon</li>\r\n 	<li>Chat with Jim Emme - CEO of NOW Foods\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>all things NOW Foods</li>\r\n 	<li>Vitamins, Supplements, and Regulation</li>\r\n 	<li>Healthy eating</li>\r\n 	<li>Honesty, Integrity, and Doing The Right Thing</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>Episode <strong>Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.nowfoods.com\">NOW Foods website</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','Doing The Right Thing - NOW Foods (Podcast #36)','','publish','open','open','','doing-the-right-thing','','','2017-05-04 10:02:48','2017-05-04 14:02:48','',0,'http://sothisisfitness.com/?p=1075',0,'post','',0),(1076,1,'2017-05-04 09:44:29','2017-05-04 13:44:29','<h2><strong>It\'s rare to find a company that cares.</strong></h2>\r\nAll we tend to see in the news about big corporations is how they\'re screwing the little guy, driving mom and pop out of business, and focusing solely on profit over people. When you come across a company that\'s doing it right... well, it can catch you off-guard. It\'s refreshing, to say the least, and it makes you take notice. Well... <strong>I have taken notice - </strong>NOW Foods is one such company.\r\n\r\n<strong>\"If you have to ask if you\'re doing the right thing... you\'re not.\"</strong>\r\n\r\nThat came out of the CEO\'s mouth during our 2 day \"influencer immersion event\", where we toured the facilities, learned all about NOW, and just generally got the royal treatment. It was impressive to hear something like that come from a major CEO... and it was even more impressive to see it reflected in the company and its staff in real life. So... why does a company care? Why go to all that trouble, as he describes in our chat, to ensure quality without charging twice as much?\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Jim Emme (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>It\'s about honesty and integrity.</strong></h2>\r\nHonesty and integrity are words we generally use when speaking about people, not companies. Companies don\'t care... major multi-national corporations don\'t care, right? They\'re just there to turn a big profit. <strong>Maybe that\'s what impressed me so much about NOW</strong>. I did a bit of reading up on the company before I got there, and I got the impression that they had some high standards for quality. They also made a big effort, right there on the website, to educate people - they call it their \"NOWledge section\"... isn\'t that adorable? Really though, that\'s the kind of thing you don\'t always find on a vitamin/supplement company\'s site, or on a foods distributor.\r\n<h3><strong>That was my first clue that NOW was different.</strong></h3>\r\nWe all had dinner with the CEO (Jim) and a member of the founding family (which still owns the company, btw), where they more or less reiterated and expounded on what you can find online. It wasn\'t just what they said though... it was <em>how</em> they said it. You could see some real passion and care... and you could tell they meant it. When they talked about quality control, high standards, going above and beyond to ensure the highest quality at the lowest price they can reasonably charge... well, they go to an awful lot of effort to do all that (which we saw the next day at their facilities). It\'s clear they really do believe in quality and value over all else. That\'s also evident in how Jim talked about their approach to GMO ingredients, and their relationships with other food and supplement manufacturers.\r\n<h3>It really is all about doing the right thing.</h3>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Recapping the SUPER busy past week Darrell had</li>\r\n 	<li>Previewing the Providence Marathon</li>\r\n 	<li>Chat with Jim Emme - CEO of NOW Foods\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>all things NOW Foods</li>\r\n 	<li>Vitamins, Supplements, and Regulation</li>\r\n 	<li>Healthy eating</li>\r\n 	<li>Honesty, Integrity, and Doing The Right Thing</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>Episode <strong>Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.nowfoods.com\">NOW Foods website</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>','Doing The Right Thing (w/ NOW Foods CEO Jim Emme - Podcast #36)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1075-revision-v1','','','2017-05-04 09:44:29','2017-05-04 13:44:29','',1075,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1075-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1077,1,'2017-05-04 09:50:40','2017-05-04 13:50:40','','Doing the right thing now foods','','inherit','open','closed','','wordswag_1493875784961','','','2017-05-04 09:51:00','2017-05-04 13:51:00','',1075,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1493875784961.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1078,1,'2017-05-04 09:51:55','2017-05-04 13:51:55','<h2><strong>It\'s rare to find a company that cares.</strong></h2>\r\nAll we tend to see in the news about big corporations is how they\'re screwing the little guy, driving mom and pop out of business, and focusing solely on profit over people. When you come across a company that\'s doing the right thing... well, it can catch you off-guard. It\'s refreshing, to say the least, and it makes you take notice. Well... <strong>I have taken notice - </strong>NOW Foods is one such company.\r\n\r\n<strong>\"If you have to ask if you\'re doing the right thing... you\'re not.\"</strong>\r\n\r\nThat came out of the CEO\'s mouth during our 2 day \"influencer immersion event\", where we toured the facilities, learned all about NOW, and just generally got the royal treatment. It was impressive to hear something like that come from a major CEO... and it was even more impressive to see it reflected in the company and its staff in real life. So... why does a company care? Why go to all that trouble, as he describes in our chat, to ensure quality without charging twice as much?\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Jim Emme (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>It\'s about honesty and integrity.</strong></h2>\r\nHonesty and integrity are words we generally use when speaking about people, not companies. Companies don\'t care... major multi-national corporations don\'t care, right? They\'re just there to turn a big profit. <strong>Maybe that\'s what impressed me so much about NOW</strong>. I did a bit of reading up on the company before I got there, and I got the impression that they had some high standards for quality. They also made a big effort, right there on the website, to educate people - they call it their \"NOWledge section\"... isn\'t that adorable? Really though, that\'s the kind of thing you don\'t always find on a vitamin/supplement company\'s site, or on a foods distributor.\r\n<h3><strong>That was my first clue that NOW was different.</strong></h3>\r\nWe all had dinner with the CEO (Jim) and a member of the founding family (which still owns the company, btw), where they more or less reiterated and expounded on what you can find online. It wasn\'t just what they said though... it was <em>how</em> they said it. You could see some real passion and care... and you could tell they meant it. When they talked about quality control, high standards, going above and beyond to ensure the highest quality at the lowest price they can reasonably charge... well, they go to an awful lot of effort to do all that (which we saw the next day at their facilities). It\'s clear they really do believe in quality and value over all else. That\'s also evident in how Jim talked about their approach to GMO ingredients, and their relationships with other food and supplement manufacturers.\r\n<h3>It really is all about doing the right thing.</h3>\r\nThe company was founded as a result of Elwood Richard (founder) wanting to do the right thing, and they\'ve stayed true to that principle of \"do unto others\" all the way through today. It\'s impressive, honestly, to see a company with such integrity... and, really... the kind of soul that made me fall in love with Anytime Fitness. Check out Episode 36 and find out exactly what I mean. And yes, there WILL be more to come on NOW Foods, including a full recap of the 2 day immersion event (might be a long one, kids).\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Recapping the SUPER busy past week Darrell had</li>\r\n 	<li>Previewing the Providence Marathon</li>\r\n 	<li>Chat with Jim Emme - CEO of NOW Foods\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>all things NOW Foods</li>\r\n 	<li>Vitamins, Supplements, and Regulation</li>\r\n 	<li>Healthy eating</li>\r\n 	<li>Honesty, Integrity, and Doing The Right Thing</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>Episode <strong>Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.nowfoods.com\">NOW Foods website</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>','Doing The Right Thing - NOW Foods (Podcast #36)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1075-revision-v1','','','2017-05-04 09:51:55','2017-05-04 13:51:55','',1075,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1075-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1079,1,'2017-05-04 09:56:04','2017-05-04 13:56:04','<h2><strong>It\'s rare to find a company that cares.</strong></h2>\r\nAll we tend to see in the news about big corporations is how they\'re screwing the little guy, driving mom and pop out of business, and focusing solely on profit over people. When you come across a company that\'s doing the right thing... well, it can catch you off-guard. It\'s refreshing, to say the least, and it makes you take notice. Well... <strong>I have taken notice - </strong>NOW Foods is one such company.\r\n\r\n<strong>\"If you have to ask if you\'re doing the right thing... you\'re not.\"</strong>\r\n\r\nThat came out of the CEO\'s mouth during our 2 day \"influencer immersion event\", where we toured the facilities, learned all about NOW, and just generally got the royal treatment. It was impressive to hear something like that come from a major CEO... and it was even more impressive to see it reflected in the company and its staff in real life. So... why does a company care? Why go to all that trouble, as he describes in our chat, to ensure quality without charging twice as much?\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Jim Emme (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>It\'s about honesty and integrity.</strong></h2>\r\nHonesty and integrity are words we generally use when speaking about people, not companies. Companies don\'t care... major multi-national corporations don\'t care, right? They\'re just there to turn a big profit. <strong>Maybe that\'s what impressed me so much about NOW</strong>. I did a bit of reading up on the company before I got there, and I got the impression that they had some high standards for quality. They also made a big effort, right there on the website, to educate people - they call it their \"NOWledge section\"... isn\'t that adorable? Really though, that\'s the kind of thing you don\'t always find on a vitamin/supplement company\'s site, or on a foods distributor.\r\n<h3><strong>That was my first clue that NOW was different.</strong></h3>\r\nWe all had dinner with the CEO (Jim) and a member of the founding family (which still owns the company, btw), where they more or less reiterated and expounded on what you can find online. It wasn\'t just what they said though... it was <em>how</em> they said it. You could see some real passion and care... and you could tell they meant it. When they talked about quality control, high standards, going above and beyond to ensure the highest quality at the lowest price they can reasonably charge... well, they go to an awful lot of effort to do all that (which we saw the next day at their facilities). It\'s clear they really do believe in quality and value over all else. That\'s also evident in how Jim talked about their approach to GMO ingredients, and their relationships with other food and supplement manufacturers.\r\n<h3><strong>It really is all about doing the right thing.</strong></h3>\r\nThe company was founded as a result of Elwood Richard (founder) wanting to do the right thing, and they\'ve stayed true to that principle of \"do unto others\" all the way through today. It\'s impressive, honestly, to see a company with such integrity... and, really... the kind of soul that made me fall in love with Anytime Fitness. Check out Episode 36 of the podcast and find out exactly what I mean. And yes, there WILL be more to come on NOW Foods, including a full recap of the 2 day immersion event (might be a long one, kids).\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Recapping the SUPER busy past week Darrell had</li>\r\n 	<li>Previewing the Providence Marathon</li>\r\n 	<li>Chat with Jim Emme - CEO of NOW Foods\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>all things NOW Foods</li>\r\n 	<li>Vitamins, Supplements, and Regulation</li>\r\n 	<li>Healthy eating</li>\r\n 	<li>Honesty, Integrity, and Doing The Right Thing</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>Episode <strong>Resources</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.nowfoods.com\">NOW Foods website</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','Doing The Right Thing - NOW Foods (Podcast #36)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1075-revision-v1','','','2017-05-04 09:56:04','2017-05-04 13:56:04','',1075,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1075-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1081,1,'2017-05-11 09:10:34','0000-00-00 00:00:00','<h2><strong>It\'s rare to find a company that cares.</strong></h2>\nAll we tend to see in the news about big corporations is how they\'re screwing the little guy, driving mom and pop out of business, and focusing solely on profit over people. When you come across a company that\'s doing the right thing... well, it can catch you off-guard. It\'s refreshing, to say the least, and it makes you take notice. Well... <strong>I have taken notice - </strong>NOW Foods is one such company.\n\n<strong>\"If you have to ask if you\'re doing the right thing... you\'re not.\"</strong>\n\nThat came out of the CEO\'s mouth during our 2 day \"influencer immersion event\", where we toured the facilities, learned all about NOW, and just generally got the royal treatment. It was impressive to hear something like that come from a major CEO... and it was even more impressive to see it reflected in the company and its staff in real life. So... why does a company care? Why go to all that trouble, as he describes in our chat, to ensure quality without charging twice as much?\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Jim Emme (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\n<!--more-->\n<h2><strong>It\'s about honesty and integrity.</strong></h2>\nHonesty and integrity are words we generally use when speaking about people, not companies. Companies don\'t care... major multi-national corporations don\'t care, right? They\'re just there to turn a big profit. <strong>Maybe that\'s what impressed me so much about NOW</strong>. I did a bit of reading up on the company before I got there, and I got the impression that they had some high standards for quality. They also made a big effort, right there on the website, to educate people - they call it their \"NOWledge section\"... isn\'t that adorable? Really though, that\'s the kind of thing you don\'t always find on a vitamin/supplement company\'s site, or on a foods distributor.\n<h3><strong>That was my first clue that NOW was different.</strong></h3>\nWe all had dinner with the CEO (Jim) and a member of the founding family (which still owns the company, btw), where they more or less reiterated and expounded on what you can find online. It wasn\'t just what they said though... it was <em>how</em> they said it. You could see some real passion and care... and you could tell they meant it. When they talked about quality control, high standards, going above and beyond to ensure the highest quality at the lowest price they can reasonably charge... well, they go to an awful lot of effort to do all that (which we saw the next day at their facilities). It\'s clear they really do believe in quality and value over all else. That\'s also evident in how Jim talked about their approach to GMO ingredients, and their relationships with other food and supplement manufacturers.\n<h3><strong>It really is all about doing the right thing.</strong></h3>\nThe company was founded as a result of Elwood Richard (founder) wanting to do the right thing, and they\'ve stayed true to that principle of \"do unto others\" all the way through today. It\'s impressive, honestly, to see a company with such integrity... and, really... the kind of soul that made me fall in love with Anytime Fitness. Check out Episode 36 of the podcast and find out exactly what I mean. And yes, there WILL be more to come on NOW Foods, including a full recap of the 2 day immersion event (might be a long one, kids).\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\n<ul>\n 	<li>Recapping the SUPER busy past week Darrell had</li>\n 	<li>Previewing the Providence Marathon</li>\n 	<li>Chat with Jim Emme - CEO of NOW Foods\n<ul>\n 	<li>all things NOW Foods</li>\n 	<li>Vitamins, Supplements, and Regulation</li>\n 	<li>Healthy eating</li>\n 	<li>Honesty, Integrity, and Doing The Right Thing</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Episode <strong>Resources</strong></h3>\n<ul>\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.nowfoods.com\">NOW Foods website</a></li>\n</ul>\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\n<ul>\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\n</ul>\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\n<ul>\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\n</ul>\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>','','','draft','open','open','','','','','2017-05-11 09:10:34','2017-05-11 13:10:34','',0,'http://sothisisfitness.com/?p=1081',0,'post','',0),(1082,1,'2017-05-11 10:35:27','2017-05-11 14:35:27','<h2><strong>Things aren\'t always... simple.</strong></h2>\r\nMost people have figured out... fitness is a difficult thing. There\'s a ton of info online to tell you what to do, how to do it, and how to make it stick. The fact of the matter is... it\'s usually easier said than done. We all know the phrase... and it\'s true.\r\n\r\n<strong>Despite best efforts... sometimes we hit a wall and <em>just can\'t do it.</em></strong>\r\n\r\nIt happens to the best of us. We know what we need to do, and we know how to do it. Did I mention \"WE KNOW WE NEED TO DO IT\"? And yet somehow it still doesn\'t click. This is the part nobody online offers a \"how-to\" book for... \"how-to\" defeat this awkward cycle of failure even though I\'M EFFING TRYING! Well.. that\'s why we\'re here today folks - I\'ve got some tough news to share (stick with me, eh?).\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Darrell &amp; Megan about those next-level answers (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>You tried, you failed, now you\'re back. <em>Again.</em> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Again</em></span><em> again...</em></strong></h2>\r\nWe all understand fitness is hard. That\'s why every jerk out here in internet-land deems themself the appropriate person to give you <strong>exactly the advice YOU need</strong> to be <em>successful </em>this time! And frankly, a lot of it is the same kind of stuff re-blogged over and over again. Sure, some of it bears repeating... and that\'s why it\'s out there and gets the hits. And <em>sure</em>, there\'s new people coming to this \"I\'ve gotta do something\" place every day, and they haven\'t seen the 18,000,000 posts about \"how to get started\" or \"how to overcome your roadblocks\"... but at a certain point...\r\n<h3><strong>It\'s easier said than done.</strong></h3>\r\nThere\'s only so many times you can tell someone how to fix the problem. Those same blog posts only work so many times before the advice either rings hollow or simply doesn\'t work.\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\"Hey! Mr. Blogger! I\'ve read your \"overcoming roadblocks\" blog THREE TIMES and HERE I AM... <strong>FALLING ON MY FACE AGAIN! </strong>So, Mr. Big-shot Blogger... <em>now what do I do?</em>\"</p>\r\n\r\n<h2><strong>This is the part nobody blogs about.</strong></h2>\r\nThe ugly Groundhog Day cycle where you\'re standing on an oil slick, stumbling, slipping, and falling back down every single time you try to get up off your butt. No matter how hard you try you <em><strong>just can\'t get on your feet</strong></em>. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>This is the part where people give up.</strong></span> So I challenge you:\r\n<h2><strong>Don\'t. Give. Up.</strong></h2>\r\nThis is the part where you have to hang tough, keep plugging, and really strip things down to your core truth. The deep down desire that made you start this journey in the first place. What\'s more important to you? The excuses? The clutter of life? How hard it is to balance and juggle everything and the ease of simply giving in and giving up? Or getting to the place you set out on this journey to reach? You have to ask yourself...\r\n<h3><strong>How bad do you want it?</strong></h3>\r\nThere are resources to help you. It might be the case that you simply can\'t do it on your own, and <strong><em>that\'s okay!</em></strong> There\'s no shame in seeking out help, whether it be a coach/trainer, a workout buddy, or some other source of accountability. Make it important, make it worth your time &amp; money, and just <em>do the damn thing.</em> Give a listen to episode 37 of the So THIS Is Fitness podcast (either below or via your favorite podcast app) to hear the extended chat with Darrell and Megan about this... and how a lesson learned in the darkest place of an Ultramarathon helped me find MY core truth.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Recap of the Providence Marathon</li>\r\n 	<li>Training not exactly going according to plan</li>\r\n 	<li>When life kicks you in the tail</li>\r\n 	<li>a real talk about why it\'s easier said than done\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>including the part of \"try try again\" nobody usually talks about</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">Podcast Companion Blog Archives</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5346433/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','Easier Said Than Done (Podcast #37)','','publish','open','open','','easier-said-than-done','','','2017-05-11 10:35:27','2017-05-11 14:35:27','',0,'http://sothisisfitness.com/?p=1082',0,'post','',0),(1083,1,'2017-05-11 10:12:27','2017-05-11 14:12:27','','Easier Said Than Done podcast 37','','inherit','open','closed','','wordswag_1494479949305','','','2017-05-11 10:31:08','2017-05-11 14:31:08','',1082,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1494479949305.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(1084,1,'2017-05-11 10:35:00','2017-05-11 14:35:00','<h2><strong>Things aren\'t always... simple.</strong></h2>\r\nMost people have figured out... fitness is a difficult thing. There\'s a ton of info online to tell you what to do, how to do it, and how to make it stick. The fact of the matter is... it\'s usually easier said than done. We all know the phrase... and it\'s true.\r\n\r\n<strong>Despite best efforts... sometimes we hit a wall and <em>just can\'t do it.</em></strong>\r\n\r\nIt happens to the best of us. We know what we need to do, and we know how to do it. Did I mention \"WE KNOW WE NEED TO DO IT\"? And yet somehow it still doesn\'t click. This is the part nobody online offers a \"how-to\" book for... \"how-to\" defeat this awkward cycle of failure even though I\'M EFFING TRYING! Well.. that\'s why we\'re here today folks - I\'ve got some tough news to share (stick with me, eh?).\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Darrell &amp; Megan about those next-level answers (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>You tried, you failed, now you\'re back. <em>Again.</em> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Again</em></span><em> again...</em></strong></h2>\r\nWe all understand fitness is hard. That\'s why every jerk out here in internet-land deems themself the appropriate person to give you <strong>exactly the advice YOU need</strong> to be <em>successful </em>this time! And frankly, a lot of it is the same kind of stuff re-blogged over and over again. Sure, some of it bears repeating... and that\'s why it\'s out there and gets the hits. And <em>sure</em>, there\'s new people coming to this \"I\'ve gotta do something\" place every day, and they haven\'t seen the 18,000,000 posts about \"how to get started\" or \"how to overcome your roadblocks\"... but at a certain point...\r\n<h3><strong>It\'s easier said than done.</strong></h3>\r\nThere\'s only so many times you can tell someone how to fix the problem. Those same blog posts only work so many times before the advice either rings hollow or simply doesn\'t work.\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\"Hey! Mr. Blogger! I\'ve read your \"overcoming roadblocks\" blog THREE TIMES and HERE I AM... <strong>FALLING ON MY FACE AGAIN! </strong>So, Mr. Big-shot Blogger... <em>now what do I do?</em>\"</p>\r\n\r\n<h2><strong>This is the part nobody blogs about.</strong></h2>\r\nThe ugly Groundhog Day cycle where you\'re standing on an oil slick, stumbling, slipping, and falling back down every single time you try to get up off your butt. No matter how hard you try you <em><strong>just can\'t get on your feet</strong></em>. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>This is the part where people give up.</strong></span> So I challenge you:\r\n<h2><strong>Don\'t. Give. Up.</strong></h2>\r\nThis is the part where you have to hang tough, keep plugging, and really strip things down to your core truth. The deep down desire that made you start this journey in the first place. What\'s more important to you? The excuses? The clutter of life? How hard it is to balance and juggle everything and the ease of simply giving in and giving up? Or getting to the place you set out on this journey to reach? You have to ask yourself...\r\n<h3><strong>How bad do you want it?</strong></h3>\r\nThere are resources to help you. It might be the case that you simply can\'t do it on your own, and <strong><em>that\'s okay!</em></strong> There\'s no shame in seeking out help, whether it be a coach/trainer, a workout buddy, or some other source of accountability. Make it important, make it worth your time &amp; money, and just <em>do the damn thing.</em> Give a listen to episode 37 of the So THIS Is Fitness podcast (either below or via your favorite podcast app) to hear the extended chat with Darrell and Megan about this... and how a lesson learned in the darkest place of an Ultramarathon helped me find MY core truth.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Recap of the Providence Marathon</li>\r\n 	<li>Training not exactly going according to plan</li>\r\n 	<li>When life kicks you in the tail</li>\r\n 	<li>a real talk about why it\'s easier said than done\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>including the part of \"try try again\" nobody usually talks about</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">Podcast Companion Blog Archives</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Darrell@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.addaday.com\">Get 10% off Addaday products with code SoTHISIsFitness10</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5346433/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','Easier Said Than Done (Podcast #37)','','inherit','closed','closed','','1082-revision-v1','','','2017-05-11 10:35:00','2017-05-11 14:35:00','',1082,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1082-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1085,1,'2017-05-11 18:00:35','2017-05-11 22:00:35','<em>(Disclosure: This post was sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of NOW Foods -  All opinions are </em><img style=\"padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\" src=\"http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTQ1MDAtTk9XR2V0Rml0LTY4MDktQy0x\" /><em><strong>very much</strong> my own.)</em>\r\n<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</strong></h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and (did I mention?) <strong>their product</strong>. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1077\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1493875784961-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"doing the right thing now foods\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n\r\nI may have taken the opportunity after our chat to go for a run with another blogger - Cynthia of <a href=\"http://www.yousignedupforwhat.com\">\"You Signed Up For What?\"</a> - of course I did... haven\'t you caught on by now? hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1092\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_181518-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />We were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\r\n\r\nIt also became very clear from conversation... that Jim had actually read (and enjoyed) all of our blogs. Not only that, he actually made some of the recipes, including one from Neli of <a href=\"http://www.deliciousmeetshealthy.com\">\"Delicious Meets Healthy\"</a> that apparently he \"wouldn\'t shut up about\" at the office (other staff confirmed that - hah!). We all know the brand usually selects the influencers they work with on a campaign, but it became clear that NOW really did pay attention to who they invited to this event... and that they had a genuine interest in connecting with us and getting to know us.\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1095\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_094527_586-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />We started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\r\n<h3><strong>The education began, and... WHOA...</strong></h3>\r\nFirst off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent st<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1094\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_082502-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />uff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle (get it here: <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015NFD8GO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B015NFD8GO&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;linkId=1e5489d36f906422ab887adb9c81828b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NOW Nature\'s Shield Oil Blend,1-Ounce</a><img style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=so0d2-20&amp;l=am2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B015NFD8GO\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" />). Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\r\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much.\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\r\n<h2><strong>The rest of the day was much of the same -</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1102\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_114656-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />We went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it reinforced the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\r\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1107\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_120848-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Jim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\r\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself, whether they needed to or not. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>... including whether they\'re non-GMO. They go to some great lengths, by the way, to ensure as many of their products as possible are Non-GMO. It\'s just something they\'re committed to.\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1113\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_125452-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\r\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\r\n<h3><strong>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1119\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_142432-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Oh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do. I also saw the serious level of quality that goes into making their \"real food\" products, and what the difference is with \"natural\" foods. It was impressive to say the least.\r\n\r\nAfter everything was through, we had a short while to connect with the staff and with the other bloggers/influencers that were there. I can\'t thank NOW enough not only for the opportunity to check out the facility and learn so much... but for bringing all of us influencers/bloggers together. It was a great opportunity to connect with like-minded people, and I certainly intend to keep in touch.\r\n<h2><strong>Turn after turn, step after step... I was only MORE impressed.</strong></h2>\r\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care is simply stunning. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever <img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1120\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_143323-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\r\n\r\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;linkId=cbbd1676e8e1a29e2df6d9f0308d08d7\">If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit</a> :) Also, check out the conversation I had with Jim Emme in the player below or by subscribing to the So THIS Is Fitness podcast in your favorite app!\r\n\r\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1125 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170505_101915-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />\r\n\r\n<a id=\"rcwidget_e2i1j46l\" class=\"rcptr\" href=\"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40d79c802/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-raflid=\"40d79c802\" data-theme=\"classic\" data-template=\"\">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>\r\n<script src=\"https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js\"></script>\r\n\r\nDid I mention shopping?! <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=ca74728876a30ab191b6c6731cd3f485\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shop NOW Foods products on Amazon!</a><img style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=so0d2-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1&amp;camp=1789\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" />\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','publish','open','open','','i-found-another-unicorn-now-foods','','','2017-05-12 09:14:50','2017-05-12 13:14:50','',0,'http://sothisisfitness.com/?p=1085',0,'post','',13),(1086,1,'2017-05-11 14:40:25','2017-05-11 18:40:25','<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose words are pretty much what came out of my mouth about 24 hours after arriving at the Eaglewood Resort &amp; Spa in Itasca, IL. I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... but sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving my the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly blown away. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... rare in corporate America...<!--more-->\r\n<h2>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will either get paid for their time / effort / exposure given to the company, compensated with product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you?\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nI did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and their product. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers.\r\n<h3><strong>Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>.\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\nWe were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table,\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\nWe started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (pro\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','NOW Foods Influencer Immersion recap - 24 Inspiring Hours','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-11 14:40:25','2017-05-11 18:40:25','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1087,1,'2017-05-11 16:24:47','2017-05-11 20:24:47','<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a unicorn. Well... I found another unicorn.<!--more-->\r\n<h2>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will either get paid for their time / effort / exposure given to the company, compensated with product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you?\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nI did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and their product. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers.\r\n<h3><strong>Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>.\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\nWe were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table,\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\nWe started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (pro\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-11 16:24:47','2017-05-11 20:24:47','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1088,1,'2017-05-11 16:33:16','2017-05-11 20:33:16','<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will either get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure, with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and their product. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong>Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\nWe were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table,\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\nWe started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (pro\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-11 16:33:16','2017-05-11 20:33:16','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1089,1,'2017-05-11 17:24:20','2017-05-11 21:24:20','','IMG_20170428_113858','','inherit','open','closed','','img_20170428_113858','','','2017-05-11 17:24:20','2017-05-11 21:24:20','',0,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_113858.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1090,1,'2017-05-11 17:44:49','2017-05-11 21:44:49','<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will either get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure, with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and their product. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong>Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\nWe were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\nWe started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\r\n<h3>The education began, and... WHOA...</h3>\r\nFirst off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent stuff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle. Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\r\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\r\n<h2>The rest of the day was much of the same -</h2>\r\nWe went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it was just reinforcing the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\r\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\r\nJim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\r\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>.\r\n<h3><strong>It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\r\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\r\n<h3>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></h3>\r\nOh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do.\r\n<h2>Turn after turn, step after step... I was only MORE impressed.</h2>\r\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\r\n\r\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit :)\r\n\r\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\r\n<h2>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</h2>\r\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-11 17:44:49','2017-05-11 21:44:49','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1091,1,'2017-05-11 17:51:12','2017-05-11 21:51:12','','IMG_20170427_142643','','inherit','open','closed','','img_20170427_142643','','','2017-05-11 17:51:12','2017-05-11 21:51:12','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_142643.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1092,1,'2017-05-11 17:51:20','2017-05-11 21:51:20','','IMG_20170427_181518','','inherit','open','closed','','img_20170427_181518','','','2017-05-11 17:51:20','2017-05-11 21:51:20','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_181518.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1093,1,'2017-05-11 17:51:26','2017-05-11 21:51:26','','IMG_20170428_071902','','inherit','open','closed','','img_20170428_071902','','','2017-05-11 17:51:26','2017-05-11 21:51:26','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_071902.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1094,1,'2017-05-11 17:51:36','2017-05-11 21:51:36','','IMG_20170428_082502','','inherit','open','closed','','img_20170428_082502','','','2017-05-11 17:51:36','2017-05-11 21:51:36','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_082502.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1095,1,'2017-05-11 17:51:44','2017-05-11 21:51:44','','IMG_20170428_094527_586','','inherit','open','closed','','img_20170428_094527_586','','','2017-05-11 17:51:44','2017-05-11 21:51:44','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_094527_586.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1096,1,'2017-05-11 17:51:47','2017-05-11 21:51:47','<img style=\"padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\" src=\"http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTQ1MDAtTk9XR2V0Rml0LTY4MDktQy0x\" />\r\n<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will either get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure, with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and their product. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong>Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\nWe were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\nWe started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\r\n<h3>The education began, and... WHOA...</h3>\r\nFirst off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent stuff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle. Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\r\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\r\n<h2>The rest of the day was much of the same -</h2>\r\nWe went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it was just reinforcing the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\r\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\r\nJim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\r\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>.\r\n<h3><strong>It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\r\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\r\n<h3>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></h3>\r\nOh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do.\r\n<h2>Turn after turn, step after step... I was only MORE impressed.</h2>\r\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\r\n\r\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit :) Also, check out the conversation I had with Jim Emme in the player below or by subscribing to the So THIS Is Fitness podcast in your favorite app!\r\n\r\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\r\n<h2>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</h2>\r\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-11 17:51:47','2017-05-11 21:51:47','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1097,1,'2017-05-11 17:51:50','2017-05-11 21:51:50','','IMG_20170428_110539','','inherit','open','closed','','img_20170428_110539','','','2017-05-11 17:51:50','2017-05-11 21:51:50','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_110539.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1098,1,'2017-05-11 17:52:00','2017-05-11 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21:57:13','','Pixlr_20170502153848736','','inherit','open','closed','','pixlr_20170502153848736','','','2017-05-11 17:57:13','2017-05-11 21:57:13','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pixlr_20170502153848736.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1129,1,'2017-05-11 18:00:35','2017-05-11 22:00:35','<img style=\"padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\" src=\"http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTQ1MDAtTk9XR2V0Rml0LTY4MDktQy0x\" />\r\n<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will either get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure, with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and their product. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1077\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1493875784961-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"doing the right thing now foods\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1092\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_181518-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />We were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1095\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_094527_586-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />We started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\r\n<h3>The education began, and... WHOA...</h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1094\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_082502-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />First off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent stuff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle. Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\r\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\r\n<h2>The rest of the day was much of the same -</h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1102\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_114656-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />We went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it was just reinforcing the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\r\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1107\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_120848-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Jim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\r\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>.\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1113\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_125452-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\r\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\r\n<h3>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1119\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_142432-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Oh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do.\r\n<h2><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1120\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_143323-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Turn after turn, step after step... I was only MORE impressed.</h2>\r\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\r\n\r\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit :) Also, check out the conversation I had with Jim Emme in the player below or by subscribing to the So THIS Is Fitness podcast in your favorite app!\r\n\r\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\r\n<h2>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</h2>\r\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!\r\n\r\n<a id=\"rcwidget_e2i1j46l\" class=\"rcptr\" href=\"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40d79c802/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-raflid=\"40d79c802\" data-theme=\"classic\" data-template=\"\">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>\r\n<script src=\"https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js\"></script>\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-11 18:00:35','2017-05-11 22:00:35','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1130,1,'2017-05-12 08:51:39','2017-05-12 12:51:39','<em>(Disclosure: This post was sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of NOW Foods -  All opinions are </em><img style=\"padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\" src=\"http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTQ1MDAtTk9XR2V0Rml0LTY4MDktQy0x\" /><em><strong>very much</strong> my own.)</em>\n<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\n<h2><strong>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</strong></h2>\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and (did I mention?) <strong>their product</strong>. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1077\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1493875784961-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"doing the right thing now foods\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\n\nI may have taken the opportunity after our chat to go for a run with another blogger - Cynthia of <a href=\"http://www.yousignedupforwhat.com\">\"You Signed Up For What?\"</a> - of course I did... haven\'t you caught on by now? hah!\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1092\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_181518-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />We were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\n\nIt also became very clear from conversation... that Jim had actually read (and enjoyed) all of our blogs. Not only that, he actually made some of the recipes, including one from Neli of <a href=\"http://www.deliciousmeetshealthy.com\">\"Delicious Meets Healthy\"</a> that apparently he \"wouldn\'t shut up about\" at the office (other staff confirmed that - hah!). We all know the brand usually selects the influencers they work with on a campaign, but it became clear that NOW really did pay attention to who they invited to this event... and that they had a genuine interest in connecting with us and getting to know us.\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1095\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_094527_586-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />We started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\n<h3><strong>The education began, and... WHOA...</strong></h3>\nFirst off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent st<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1094\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_082502-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />uff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle (get it here: <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015NFD8GO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B015NFD8GO&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;linkId=1e5489d36f906422ab887adb9c81828b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NOW Nature\'s Shield Oil Blend,1-Ounce</a><img style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=so0d2-20&amp;l=am2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B015NFD8GO\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" />). Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much.\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\n<h2><strong>The rest of the day was much of the same -</strong></h2>\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1102\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_114656-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />We went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it reinforced the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1107\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_120848-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Jim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself, whether they needed to or not. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>... including whether they\'re non-GMO. They go to some great lengths, by the way, to ensure as many of their products as possible are Non-GMO. It\'s just something they\'re committed to.\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1113\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_125452-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\n<h3><strong>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></strong></h3>\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1119\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_142432-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Oh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do. I also saw the serious level of quality that goes into making their \"real food\" products, and what the difference is with \"natural\" foods. It was impressive to say the least.\n\nAfter everything was through, we had a short while to connect with the staff and with the other bloggers/influencers that were there. I can\'t thank NOW enough not only for the opportunity to check out the facility and learn so much... but for bringing all of us influencers/bloggers together. It was a great opportunity to connect with like-minded people, and I certainly intend to keep in touch.\n<h2><strong>Turn after turn, step after step... I was only MORE impressed.</strong></h2>\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever <img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1120\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_143323-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\n\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;linkId=cbbd1676e8e1a29e2df6d9f0308d08d7\">If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit</a> :) Also, check out the conversation I had with Jim Emme in the player below or by subscribing to the So THIS Is Fitness podcast in your favorite app!\n\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\n<h2><strong>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</strong></h2>\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1125 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170505_101915-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />\n\n<a id=\"rcwidget_e2i1j46l\" class=\"rcptr\" href=\"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40d79c802/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-raflid=\"40d79c802\" data-theme=\"classic\" data-template=\"\">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>\n<script src=\"https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js\"></script>\n\nDid I mention shopping?! <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=ca74728876a30ab191b6c6731cd3f485\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shop NOW Foods products on Amazon!</a><img style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=so0d2-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1&amp;camp=1789\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" />\n\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-autosave-v1','','','2017-05-12 08:51:39','2017-05-12 12:51:39','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-autosave-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1131,1,'2017-05-11 20:05:22','2017-05-12 00:05:22','<img style=\"padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\" src=\"http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTQ1MDAtTk9XR2V0Rml0LTY4MDktQy0x\" />\r\n<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</strong></h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will either get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure, with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and their product. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1077\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1493875784961-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"doing the right thing now foods\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1092\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_181518-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />We were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1095\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_094527_586-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />We started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\r\n<h3><strong>The education began, and... WHOA...</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1094\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_082502-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />First off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent stuff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle. Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\r\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\r\n<h2><strong>The rest of the day was much of the same -</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1102\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_114656-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />We went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it was just reinforcing the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\r\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1107\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_120848-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Jim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\r\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>.\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1113\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_125452-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\r\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\r\n<h3><strong>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1119\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_142432-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Oh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do.\r\n<h2><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1120\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_143323-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /><strong>Turn after turn, step </strong>after<strong> step... I was only MORE impressed.</strong></h2>\r\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\r\n\r\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;linkId=cbbd1676e8e1a29e2df6d9f0308d08d7\">If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit</a> :) Also, check out the conversation I had with Jim Emme in the player below or by subscribing to the So THIS Is Fitness podcast in your favorite app!\r\n\r\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!\r\n\r\n<a id=\"rcwidget_e2i1j46l\" class=\"rcptr\" href=\"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40d79c802/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-raflid=\"40d79c802\" data-theme=\"classic\" data-template=\"\">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>\r\n<script src=\"https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js\"></script>\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-11 20:05:22','2017-05-12 00:05:22','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1132,1,'2017-05-11 20:06:21','2017-05-12 00:06:21','<img style=\"padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\" src=\"http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTQ1MDAtTk9XR2V0Rml0LTY4MDktQy0x\" />\r\n<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</strong></h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will either get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure, with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and their product. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1077\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1493875784961-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"doing the right thing now foods\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1092\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_181518-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />We were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1095\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_094527_586-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />We started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\r\n<h3><strong>The education began, and... WHOA...</strong></h3>\r\nFirst off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent st<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1094\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_082502-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />uff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle. Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\r\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\r\n<h2><strong>The rest of the day was much of the same -</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1102\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_114656-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />We went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it was just reinforcing the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\r\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1107\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_120848-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Jim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\r\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>.\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1113\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_125452-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\r\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\r\n<h3><strong>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1119\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_142432-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Oh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do.\r\n<h2><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1120\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_143323-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /><strong>Turn after turn, step </strong>after<strong> step... I was only MORE impressed.</strong></h2>\r\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\r\n\r\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;linkId=cbbd1676e8e1a29e2df6d9f0308d08d7\">If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit</a> :) Also, check out the conversation I had with Jim Emme in the player below or by subscribing to the So THIS Is Fitness podcast in your favorite app!\r\n\r\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!\r\n\r\n<a id=\"rcwidget_e2i1j46l\" class=\"rcptr\" href=\"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40d79c802/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-raflid=\"40d79c802\" data-theme=\"classic\" data-template=\"\">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>\r\n<script src=\"https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js\"></script>\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-11 20:06:21','2017-05-12 00:06:21','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1133,1,'2017-05-11 20:06:53','2017-05-12 00:06:53','<img style=\"padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\" src=\"http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTQ1MDAtTk9XR2V0Rml0LTY4MDktQy0x\" />\r\n<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</strong></h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will either get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure, with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and their product. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1077\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1493875784961-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"doing the right thing now foods\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1092\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_181518-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />We were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1095\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_094527_586-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />We started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\r\n<h3><strong>The education began, and... WHOA...</strong></h3>\r\nFirst off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent st<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1094\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_082502-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />uff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle. Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\r\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\r\n<h2><strong>The rest of the day was much of the same -</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1102\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_114656-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />We went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it was just reinforcing the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\r\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1107\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_120848-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Jim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\r\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>.\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1113\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_125452-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\r\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\r\n<h3><strong>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1119\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_142432-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Oh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do.\r\n<h2><strong>Turn after turn, step </strong>after<strong> step... I was only MORE impressed.</strong></h2>\r\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever <img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1120\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_143323-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\r\n\r\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;linkId=cbbd1676e8e1a29e2df6d9f0308d08d7\">If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit</a> :) Also, check out the conversation I had with Jim Emme in the player below or by subscribing to the So THIS Is Fitness podcast in your favorite app!\r\n\r\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!\r\n\r\n<a id=\"rcwidget_e2i1j46l\" class=\"rcptr\" href=\"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40d79c802/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-raflid=\"40d79c802\" data-theme=\"classic\" data-template=\"\">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>\r\n<script src=\"https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js\"></script>\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-11 20:06:53','2017-05-12 00:06:53','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1134,1,'2017-05-11 20:07:38','2017-05-12 00:07:38','<img style=\"padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\" src=\"http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTQ1MDAtTk9XR2V0Rml0LTY4MDktQy0x\" />\r\n<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</strong></h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will either get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure, with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and their product. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1077\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1493875784961-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"doing the right thing now foods\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1092\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_181518-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />We were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1095\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_094527_586-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />We started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\r\n<h3><strong>The education began, and... WHOA...</strong></h3>\r\nFirst off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent st<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1094\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_082502-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />uff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle. Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\r\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\r\n<h2><strong>The rest of the day was much of the same -</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1102\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_114656-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />We went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it was just reinforcing the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\r\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1107\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_120848-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Jim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\r\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>.\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1113\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_125452-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\r\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\r\n<h3><strong>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1119\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_142432-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Oh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do.\r\n<h2><strong>Turn after turn, step after step... I was only MORE impressed.</strong></h2>\r\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever <img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1120\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_143323-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\r\n\r\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;linkId=cbbd1676e8e1a29e2df6d9f0308d08d7\">If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit</a> :) Also, check out the conversation I had with Jim Emme in the player below or by subscribing to the So THIS Is Fitness podcast in your favorite app!\r\n\r\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!\r\n\r\n<a id=\"rcwidget_e2i1j46l\" class=\"rcptr\" href=\"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40d79c802/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-raflid=\"40d79c802\" data-theme=\"classic\" data-template=\"\">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>\r\n<script src=\"https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js\"></script>\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-11 20:07:38','2017-05-12 00:07:38','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1135,1,'2017-05-11 20:09:02','2017-05-12 00:09:02','<img style=\"padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\" src=\"http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTQ1MDAtTk9XR2V0Rml0LTY4MDktQy0x\" />\r\n<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</strong></h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will either get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure, with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and their product. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1077\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1493875784961-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"doing the right thing now foods\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1092\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_181518-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />We were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1095\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_094527_586-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />We started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\r\n<h3><strong>The education began, and... WHOA...</strong></h3>\r\nFirst off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent st<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1094\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_082502-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />uff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle. Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\r\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\r\n<h2><strong>The rest of the day was much of the same -</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1102\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_114656-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />We went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it was just reinforcing the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\r\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1107\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_120848-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Jim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\r\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>.\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1113\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_125452-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\r\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\r\n<h3><strong>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1119\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_142432-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Oh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do.\r\n<h2><strong>Turn after turn, step after step... I was only MORE impressed.</strong></h2>\r\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever <img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1120\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_143323-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\r\n\r\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;linkId=cbbd1676e8e1a29e2df6d9f0308d08d7\">If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit</a> :) Also, check out the conversation I had with Jim Emme in the player below or by subscribing to the So THIS Is Fitness podcast in your favorite app!\r\n\r\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1125 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170505_101915-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />\r\n\r\n<a id=\"rcwidget_e2i1j46l\" class=\"rcptr\" href=\"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40d79c802/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-raflid=\"40d79c802\" data-theme=\"classic\" data-template=\"\">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>\r\n<script src=\"https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js\"></script>\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-11 20:09:02','2017-05-12 00:09:02','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1136,1,'2017-05-11 20:19:22','2017-05-12 00:19:22','<em>(Disclosure: This post was sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of NOW Foods -  All opinions are </em><img style=\"padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\" src=\"http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTQ1MDAtTk9XR2V0Rml0LTY4MDktQy0x\" /><em><strong>very much</strong> my own.)</em>\r\n<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</strong></h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and their product. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1077\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1493875784961-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"doing the right thing now foods\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1092\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_181518-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />We were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1095\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_094527_586-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />We started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\r\n<h3><strong>The education began, and... WHOA...</strong></h3>\r\nFirst off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent st<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1094\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_082502-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />uff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle. Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\r\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\r\n<h2><strong>The rest of the day was much of the same -</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1102\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_114656-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />We went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it was just reinforcing the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\r\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1107\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_120848-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Jim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\r\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>.\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1113\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_125452-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\r\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\r\n<h3><strong>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1119\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_142432-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Oh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do.\r\n<h2><strong>Turn after turn, step after step... I was only MORE impressed.</strong></h2>\r\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever <img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1120\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_143323-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\r\n\r\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;linkId=cbbd1676e8e1a29e2df6d9f0308d08d7\">If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit</a> :) Also, check out the conversation I had with Jim Emme in the player below or by subscribing to the So THIS Is Fitness podcast in your favorite app!\r\n\r\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1125 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170505_101915-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />\r\n\r\n<a id=\"rcwidget_e2i1j46l\" class=\"rcptr\" href=\"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40d79c802/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-raflid=\"40d79c802\" data-theme=\"classic\" data-template=\"\">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>\r\n<script src=\"https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js\"></script>\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-11 20:19:22','2017-05-12 00:19:22','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1137,1,'2017-05-12 08:44:48','2017-05-12 12:44:48','<em>(Disclosure: This post was sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of NOW Foods -  All opinions are </em><img style=\"padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\" src=\"http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTQ1MDAtTk9XR2V0Rml0LTY4MDktQy0x\" /><em><strong>very much</strong> my own.)</em>\r\n<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</strong></h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and their product. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1077\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1493875784961-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"doing the right thing now foods\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n\r\nI may have taken the opportunity after our chat to go for a run with another blogger - Cynthia of <a href=\"http://www.yousignedupforwhat.com\">\"You Signed Up For What?\"</a> - of course I did... haven\'t you caught on by now? hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1092\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_181518-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />We were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\r\n\r\nIt also became very clear from conversation... that Jim had actually read (and enjoyed) all of our blogs. Not only that, he actually made some of the recipes, including one from Neli of www.deliciousmeetshealthy.com that apparently he \"wouldn\'t shut up about\" at the office (other staff confirmed that - hah!). We all know the brand usually selects the influencers they work with on a campaign, but it became clear that NOW really did pay attention to who they invited to this event... and that they had a genuine interest in connecting with us and getting to know us.\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1095\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_094527_586-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />We started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\r\n<h3><strong>The education began, and... WHOA...</strong></h3>\r\nFirst off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent st<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1094\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_082502-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />uff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle (get it here: <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015NFD8GO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B015NFD8GO&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;linkId=1e5489d36f906422ab887adb9c81828b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NOW Nature\'s Shield Oil Blend,1-Ounce</a><img style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=so0d2-20&amp;l=am2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B015NFD8GO\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" />). Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\r\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much.\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\r\n<h2><strong>The rest of the day was much of the same -</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1102\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_114656-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />We went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it reinforced the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\r\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1107\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_120848-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Jim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\r\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself, whether they needed to or not. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>... including whether they\'re non-GMO. They go to some great lengths, by the way, to ensure as many of their products as possible are Non-GMO. It\'s just something they\'re committed to.\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1113\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_125452-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\r\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\r\n<h3><strong>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1119\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_142432-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Oh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do. I also saw the serious level of quality that goes into making their \"real food\" products, and what the difference is with \"natural\" foods. It was impressive to say the least.\r\n\r\nAfter everything was through, we had a short while to connect with the staff and with the other bloggers/influencers that were there. I can\'t thank NOW enough not only for the opportunity to check out the facility and learn so much... but for bringing all of us influencers/bloggers together. It was a great opportunity to connect with like-minded people, and I certainly intend to keep in touch.\r\n<h2><strong>Turn after turn, step after step... I was only MORE impressed.</strong></h2>\r\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever <img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1120\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_143323-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\r\n\r\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;linkId=cbbd1676e8e1a29e2df6d9f0308d08d7\">If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit</a> :) Also, check out the conversation I had with Jim Emme in the player below or by subscribing to the So THIS Is Fitness podcast in your favorite app!\r\n\r\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1125 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170505_101915-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />\r\n\r\n<a id=\"rcwidget_e2i1j46l\" class=\"rcptr\" href=\"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40d79c802/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-raflid=\"40d79c802\" data-theme=\"classic\" data-template=\"\">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>\r\n<script src=\"https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js\"></script>\r\n\r\nDid I mention shopping?! <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=ca74728876a30ab191b6c6731cd3f485\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shop NOW Foods products on Amazon!</a><img style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=so0d2-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1&amp;camp=1789\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" />\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-12 08:44:48','2017-05-12 12:44:48','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1138,1,'2017-05-12 08:47:10','2017-05-12 12:47:10','<em>(Disclosure: This post was sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of NOW Foods -  All opinions are </em><img style=\"padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\" src=\"http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTQ1MDAtTk9XR2V0Rml0LTY4MDktQy0x\" /><em><strong>very much</strong> my own.)</em>\r\n<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</strong></h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and (did I mention?) <strong>their product</strong>. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1077\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1493875784961-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"doing the right thing now foods\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n\r\nI may have taken the opportunity after our chat to go for a run with another blogger - Cynthia of <a href=\"http://www.yousignedupforwhat.com\">\"You Signed Up For What?\"</a> - of course I did... haven\'t you caught on by now? hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1092\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_181518-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />We were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\r\n\r\nIt also became very clear from conversation... that Jim had actually read (and enjoyed) all of our blogs. Not only that, he actually made some of the recipes, including one from Neli of www.deliciousmeetshealthy.com that apparently he \"wouldn\'t shut up about\" at the office (other staff confirmed that - hah!). We all know the brand usually selects the influencers they work with on a campaign, but it became clear that NOW really did pay attention to who they invited to this event... and that they had a genuine interest in connecting with us and getting to know us.\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1095\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_094527_586-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />We started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\r\n<h3><strong>The education began, and... WHOA...</strong></h3>\r\nFirst off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent st<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1094\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_082502-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />uff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle (get it here: <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015NFD8GO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B015NFD8GO&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;linkId=1e5489d36f906422ab887adb9c81828b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NOW Nature\'s Shield Oil Blend,1-Ounce</a><img style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=so0d2-20&amp;l=am2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B015NFD8GO\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" />). Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\r\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much.\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\r\n<h2><strong>The rest of the day was much of the same -</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1102\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_114656-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />We went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it reinforced the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\r\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1107\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_120848-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Jim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\r\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself, whether they needed to or not. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>... including whether they\'re non-GMO. They go to some great lengths, by the way, to ensure as many of their products as possible are Non-GMO. It\'s just something they\'re committed to.\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1113\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_125452-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\r\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\r\n<h3><strong>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1119\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_142432-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Oh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do. I also saw the serious level of quality that goes into making their \"real food\" products, and what the difference is with \"natural\" foods. It was impressive to say the least.\r\n\r\nAfter everything was through, we had a short while to connect with the staff and with the other bloggers/influencers that were there. I can\'t thank NOW enough not only for the opportunity to check out the facility and learn so much... but for bringing all of us influencers/bloggers together. It was a great opportunity to connect with like-minded people, and I certainly intend to keep in touch.\r\n<h2><strong>Turn after turn, step after step... I was only MORE impressed.</strong></h2>\r\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever <img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1120\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_143323-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\r\n\r\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;linkId=cbbd1676e8e1a29e2df6d9f0308d08d7\">If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit</a> :) Also, check out the conversation I had with Jim Emme in the player below or by subscribing to the So THIS Is Fitness podcast in your favorite app!\r\n\r\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1125 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170505_101915-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />\r\n\r\n<a id=\"rcwidget_e2i1j46l\" class=\"rcptr\" href=\"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40d79c802/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-raflid=\"40d79c802\" data-theme=\"classic\" data-template=\"\">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>\r\n<script src=\"https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js\"></script>\r\n\r\nDid I mention shopping?! <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=ca74728876a30ab191b6c6731cd3f485\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shop NOW Foods products on Amazon!</a><img style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=so0d2-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1&amp;camp=1789\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" />\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-12 08:47:10','2017-05-12 12:47:10','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1139,1,'2017-05-12 08:53:29','2017-05-12 12:53:29','<em>(Disclosure: This post was sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of NOW Foods -  All opinions are </em><img style=\"padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\" src=\"http://www.findyourinfluence.com/trackrun.aspx?tcode=MTQ1MDAtTk9XR2V0Rml0LTY4MDktQy0x\" /><em><strong>very much</strong> my own.)</em>\r\n<h2><strong>In a word... <em>wow.</em></strong></h2>\r\n<blockquote>\"I just wanted to let you know... I am genuinely impressed by the level of honesty, integrity, and care in this company. You guys have something special here... This company has... soul.\"</blockquote>\r\nThose are pretty much the words that came out of my mouth on my way to the airport shuttle to come home... just 24 hours after arriving in Illinois for the NOW Foods \"Influencer Immersion Event\".\r\n<h3><strong>I like to think I\'m a pretty smart guy... </strong></h3>\r\nbut sometimes I still manage to get caught off-guard... and by the time I was leaving the 2 day \"Influencer Immersion Event\" at NOW Foods headquarters... well... I\'d say I was not only caught off-guard... but thoroughly <em>blown away</em>. No, not because of an impressive facility or big revenue numbers... something else. Something much more important and, frankly... very rare in corporate America... Something I found in Anytime Fitness that made me think I found a <strong>unicorn.</strong> Well... <em>I found another unicorn</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes the best things are unexpected.</strong></h2>\r\nI do \"influencer\" campaigns whenever I can. They\'re basically where companies work with \"influencers\" to share a product with the influencer\'s audience. The influencer will get compensated for their time / effort / social exposure with cash, product, or both. Generally, the opinions expressed are always honest and always <em>solely</em> that of the influencer. The posts and opinions always tend to be good because, well, <em>you sign up for these campaigns</em>... and you\'re probably not going to set yourself up for a bad review, now are you? So naturally, when a campaign opportunity came along for a supplement/natural foods company... and what a sweet set-up it was... I dove at the chance and put in for it.\r\n<h2><strong>I didn\'t even know what NOW Foods <em>was</em> before this.</strong></h2>\r\nAs any responsible person would... I did some reading online prior to flying out to Chicago, and I got a really good impression of the company. It seemed like they really cared about their products, their customers, their people and (did I mention?) <strong>their product</strong>. They seemed like they went to some heightened efforts to ensure quality and transparency, and they made a big effort to share information and engage with their customers. Good first impression, <em>we\'re on the right track.</em>\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1077\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1493875784961-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"doing the right thing now foods\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />Then I got there... and I started to find out just how serious they were.</strong></h3>\r\nI had arranged, ahead of time, to meet with the CEO (Jim Emme) for a <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">one-on-one interview/chat</a> for <a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">my podcast</a>. He was an incredibly personable, very real, very <em>non-corporate</em> guy. <strong>Not</strong> what I had expected (that\'s a good thing). We had an awesome conversation, he was very easy to talk to, and we covered it all. Through our conversation, I could tell that it wasn\'t just BS for an interview... he genuinely cared about quality, his customers, his employees... It\'s tough to get across, but you can listen for yourself on <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/doing-the-right-thing.html\">episode 36 of the podcast</a>.\r\n\r\nI may have taken the opportunity after our chat to go for a run with another blogger - Cynthia of <a href=\"http://www.yousignedupforwhat.com\">\"You Signed Up For What?\"</a> - of course I did... haven\'t you caught on by now? hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Dinner that night was more of the same.</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1092\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170427_181518-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />We were brought to an exceptionally nice restaurant not far from the resort. They had a custom (healthy) four-course menu arranged for us ahead of time. We had four large tables in the room, and after we all sort of chose tables the NOW leadership members present sort of divied themselves up among us. Jim ended up at my table, and he spent the whole meal just chatting, answering questions, he REALLY wanted to dig in, get to know us, and have us get to know him and NOW. Early on, before the meal started, he got up to speak to the group, as did Dan Elwood (the founder\'s son). They both said a lot of the same things Jim said in our chat earlier at the hotel. You could tell they meant every word. It was refreshing to see that coming from corporate leadership.\r\n\r\nIt also became very clear from conversation... that Jim had actually read (and enjoyed) all of our blogs. Not only that, he actually made some of the recipes, including one from Neli of <a href=\"http://www.deliciousmeetshealthy.com\">\"Delicious Meets Healthy\"</a> that apparently he \"wouldn\'t shut up about\" at the office (other staff confirmed that - hah!). We all know the brand usually selects the influencers they work with on a campaign, but it became clear that NOW really did pay attention to who they invited to this event... and that they had a genuine interest in connecting with us and getting to know us.\r\n<h2><strong>Day 2... they put their money where their mouth is.</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1095\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_094527_586-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" />We started our day off with a pretty solid boot-camp workout at the resort\'s fitness club before getting going because... let\'s be real... you bring a dozen-and-a-half health &amp; fitness influencers together... it\'s just kind of a thing you do, right? And of course there\'s that jerk (me) that goes for a run BEFORE the hour-long bootcamp (totally necessary, right?). Afterward they provided protein shakes based on our preferences, all made with NOW products, of course (tasted great, too). As I eyeballed the custom-printed ingredients label on the shaker cup we made our way to an \"Essential Oils education &amp; DIY session\".\r\n<h3><strong>The education began, and... WHOA...</strong></h3>\r\nFirst off, we weren\'t just learning about NOW and how they roll... they were teaching us about the stuff itself. This first session/time-block/whatever... it was essential oils. I never realized there was so much to it... had no idea what essential oils were or what to do with them. I didn\'t know what a carrier oil was or how potent st<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1094\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_082502-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />uff was or <em>anything</em>. Not only did I learn a ton... I also learned NOW\'s process... and the short version here is... they\'re providing a product that\'s just as good, if not a HIGHER quality than their competitors... at literally a fraction of the cost. They compared a popular oil - \"Thieves Oil\" - to their \"Nature\'s Shield\" blend. Basically the same. Thieves Oil was about $40 for a .5 oz bottle... NOW\'s oil? $19.99 for a 1 oz bottle (get it here: <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015NFD8GO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B015NFD8GO&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;linkId=1e5489d36f906422ab887adb9c81828b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NOW Nature\'s Shield Oil Blend,1-Ounce</a><img style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=so0d2-20&amp;l=am2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B015NFD8GO\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" />). Half the cost, twice the size. That\'s where something Jim said the day before stuck out:\r\n<blockquote>\"The question shouldn\'t be \"why are we charging so little\"... you should be asking why are THEY charging so much.\" - Jim Emme</blockquote>\r\n<h2><strong>The rest of the day was much of the same -</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1102\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_114656-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />We went over to the plant next, where we watched a short video, got a great q &amp; a session, and toured the plant. We saw the manufacturing floor, the labs, the office space, the old warehouse space (they just relocated to a larger space)... all of it reinforced the things Jim and Dan had said earlier on. Seeing the plant floor - the equipment, the staff, their inventory control, safety precautions... every little bit really just goes not just one step beyond the necessary... but two or even three.\r\n<h3><strong>Funny thing happened on the plant floor...</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1107\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_120848-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" />Jim felt the need to point something out by the large mixing hoppers. They wash them after each use, right? Well, the faster they can get them dried out after washing... the better, right? So Jim points out this particular piece of equipment on the wall. Looks like some sort of funky blower unit. Lo and behold, it\'s not some expensive professional piece of equipment... it\'s a gerry-rigged thing with a $2 giant salad bowl from Wal-Mart. In a facility with millions of dollars of high-grade equipment... they\'re still saving where they can. Hah!\r\n<h3><strong>Throughout the whole plant tour - one thing was apparent...</strong></h3>\r\nNOW was going to go at least one step further whenever the opportunity presented itself, whether they needed to or not. Ingredients are tested for quality before they arrive? <em>Let\'s test \'em again.</em> There\'s already 4 layers of purity/contaminant check? <em>Let\'s do a 5th.</em> There\'s an ingredient that\'s contaminated with Listeria but not the batch WE got? <em>Let\'s do a voluntary recall anyway. </em>They don\'t bother with proprietary formulas, either, and they\'re very honest about what their products are and <em>aren\'t</em>... including whether they\'re non-GMO. They go to some great lengths, by the way, to ensure as many of their products as possible are Non-GMO. It\'s just something they\'re committed to.\r\n<h3><strong><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1113\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_125452-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />It was also apparent that they know what they\'re talking about.</strong></h3>\r\nWe had a great sports nutrition q &amp; a during lunch at the corporate offices. We fired LOTS of questions at the guy as he ran through his powerpoint, and he did pretty darn good with the answers. That session sparked a lot of discussion, and I definitely learned a few things.\r\n<h3><strong>Then we went to the kitchen... and saw the <em>fun!</em></strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1119\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_142432-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Oh my good lord... Chef Suzy Singh in the \"culinary innovation lab\"... what a hoot! She was so fun, and you could just SEE her passion for what she does. We learned about the NOW Real Food products, the new Nutty Infusions (infused nut butters), and the Ellyndale food lines. We got to be some of the first people to taste the Nutty Infusions, did an oil tasting (whoa... there\'s a new one for me) and did make-your-own Q-Cups (quinoa cups). I learned a ton and saw the passion the staff has for what they do. I also saw the serious level of quality that goes into making their \"real food\" products, and what the difference is with \"natural\" foods. It was impressive to say the least.\r\n\r\nAfter everything was through, we had a short while to connect with the staff and with the other bloggers/influencers that were there. I can\'t thank NOW enough not only for the opportunity to check out the facility and learn so much... but for bringing all of us influencers/bloggers together. It was a great opportunity to connect with like-minded people, and I certainly intend to keep in touch.\r\n<h2><strong>Turn after turn, step after step... I was only MORE impressed.</strong></h2>\r\nSeriously, the longer the tour experience went on, the more impressed with NOW I became. The level of care is simply stunning. I rarely feel so strongly about a company, but frankly... I feel compelled to recommend NOW to everyone I know for whatever <img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1120\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170428_143323-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />product they\'re looking for if NOW makes it. There\'s something special going on in that place that\'s really tough to describe... but you could maybe call it \"soul\". It\'s what I found at Anytime Fitness that made me fall so in love with the place. Honestly, I didn\'t think I\'d run into it again in the corporate world... but here we are. That\'s what prompted me to stop and say those words at the top of this post before leaving, and it\'s what\'s going to keep me coming back for more. I was lucky enough to find another unicorn, I\'m CERTAINLY not going to let it out of my sight.\r\n\r\nCheck out their site, take a peek at what they\'re about and what they sell, and I\'d love to urge you to buy their stuff. <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;linkId=cbbd1676e8e1a29e2df6d9f0308d08d7\">If you follow this link to do so you\'ll even support So THIS Is Fitness a little bit</a> :) Also, check out the conversation I had with Jim Emme in the player below or by subscribing to the So THIS Is Fitness podcast in your favorite app!\r\n\r\n<strong>Have YOU tried NOW products? Hop into the comments and let me know your favorite stuff!</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>Oh, and you can win some stuff too.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen I arrived at the hotel their were two big ol\' bags of product waiting for me. \"Goodie bags\". Well, I get to give away a set of the same stuff I got, worth over $350 I\'m pretty sure. Want in? Hit the widget below and enter! It\'s only open for a week - get in while you can!<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1125 aligncenter\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170505_101915-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />\r\n\r\n<a id=\"rcwidget_e2i1j46l\" class=\"rcptr\" href=\"http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40d79c802/\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-raflid=\"40d79c802\" data-theme=\"classic\" data-template=\"\">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>\r\n<script src=\"https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js\"></script>\r\n\r\nDid I mention shopping?! <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=so0d2-20&amp;keywords=NOW Foods&amp;index=aps&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=ca74728876a30ab191b6c6731cd3f485\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shop NOW Foods products on Amazon!</a><img style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=so0d2-20&amp;l=ur2&amp;o=1&amp;camp=1789\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" />\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5325878/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','I Found Another Unicorn - NOW Foods','','inherit','closed','closed','','1085-revision-v1','','','2017-05-12 08:53:29','2017-05-12 12:53:29','',1085,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1085-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1140,1,'2017-05-15 13:08:25','2017-05-15 17:08:25','<h2><strong>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</strong></h2>\r\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\r\n<h3><strong>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</strong></h3>\r\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</strong></h2>\r\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\r\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\r\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and that those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\r\n<h3><strong>Both groups have their moments.</strong></h3>\r\nIn the end, though, everything usually tends to work out and go just fine. For all the complaining and whining we as runners might do... it was a pretty good race! And for all the worrying the Race Directors tend to do... It usually goes off pretty smoothly!\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes, though, the Universe demands blood.</strong></h2>\r\nA Race Director never really gets to breathe easy until the last runner crosses the finish and he/she can be reasonably sure everything went well. A race director\'s worst nightmare is to get news mid-race that something terrible happened. Despite the best of preparation and instruction... sometimes, for some reason... the Universe, it seems, demands a blood sacrifice. That is exactly what happened at the 2017 Maine Coast Marathon.\r\n<h2><strong>A half-mile on course, havoc at the finish.</strong></h2>\r\nIn short... it appears a paid course marshall / traffic control official went rogue, directed runners off-course down a side-street and back, and added about a half-mile to the race. In the end... this didn\'t really have a big impact on the majority of runners. Sure, some will complain they ran farther than they were supposed to. I\'m sure a good few were amused to find they accidentally became Ultramarathoners that day. A handful, though... <em>were </em>seriously impacted. That half-mile added a few minutes to their time... and that few minutes either certainly or probably cost them a Boston Qualifying finish time. To say these people were upset would be a massive understatement. How could something like this happen? <em>Who should you be mad at?</em> And WHAT can be done?\r\n<h2><strong>Frankly, this should\'ve been impossible.</strong></h2>\r\nI worked this race as a timer, so I was behind the scenes. I was that guy at mile 8.8 in downtown Kennebunk - you probably didn\'t see me, I was hiding from the rain in my SUV with the timing laptop. On the street - my timing mats were placed <em>just so</em> across that crosswalk, and my GoPro was positioned and aimed <em>just so</em> on the white monument/street marker by the traffic cop.\r\n<h3><strong>Know why everything was <em>just so</em>?</strong></h3>\r\nBecause I had a very detailed, very <em>exact</em> GPS satellite-view map telling me <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">exactly</span> what to do. There were green arrows indicating runner direction and path. Red arrows told me where to point the GoPro. A little blue nearly-to-scale rectangle indicated exactly where to place my timing mats. There was even text detailing everything, just in case I got confused or was unclear. It would\'ve been <strong>shockingly</strong> difficult for me to screw it up. I basically would\'ve had to not read or completely ignore my instructions.\r\n<h2><strong>Course officials had the same kind of instructions.</strong></h2>\r\nMaine Coast Marathon had many volunteers, cops on detail, and they also hired a company to provide about 20 traffic control personnel / course marshalls. All of these people, if they were positioned on-course, were provided similar instructions to what I had (though I\'m sure theirs didn\'t include where to place timing mats or where to point a GoPro). In fact, that means their directions were even simpler than mine. A Maine Coast Marathon Facebook post this morning confirmed: they had a map/diagram with green arrows indicating the direction of runners for each intersection - very simple. Not only that, they had pre-race meetings and the Race Director even drove the course with these hired traffic control personnel to go over things and point out everything.\r\n<h2><strong>So how did this happen?! And who\'s fault is it?</strong></h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1146\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-1146 size-medium\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12-300x243.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"243\" /> What SHOULD\'VE happened.[/caption]\r\n\r\nYes, I understand that if you were affected... you\'re angry. Your pitchfork is out and your torch is blazing. You want your pound of flesh... you want your BQ restored. You want your effort to not have been wasted! <strong>I get it.</strong> So who\'s to blame? Well, of course, the Race Director is accepting responsibility as any good Race Director would. Know what, though?\r\n<h3><strong>I don\'t think the Race Director is to blame.</strong></h3>\r\nThe Maine Coast Marathon leadership - Charles and Erik, did everything they possibly could to ensure they provided more-than-adequate very-clear instruction to their paid and volunteer crew in a number of different ways, with ample clarification. As someone who had a set of instructions from them... I honestly don\'t understand how that course marshall / traffic controller could\'ve <em>possibly</em> mis-interpreted his/her diagram/map. So am I blaming the rogue course marshall? Maybe, yeah.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1143\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1143\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12error-300x215.png\" alt=\"Maine Coast Marathon Course Error\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" /> What ACTUALLY happened.[/caption]\r\n\r\nWhy would he/she have directed people off-course like they did? <strong>We may never know. </strong>Do I understand that, ultimately, anything that goes wrong lands at the Race Director\'s feet? <em>Of course. </em>Doesn\'t mean I have to agree with it. At the end of the day, I think Charles and Erik did everything they reasonably could have, and more, to ensure the course was accurate. I don\'t blame them for this... but then again, I didn\'t run it.\r\n<h2><strong>So what can be done?</strong></h2>\r\nUnfortunately the short answer is: not a lot. Charles indicated that it\'d be easy enough to measure and certify that extra distance... but many runners realized it was a mistake and didn\'t run the whole detour... meaning not everyone ran the same extra distance and rendering that \"fix\" not-doable. While they ARE talking to the B.A.A. it\'s unlikely the B.A.A. will do anything to honor a just-missed BQ, as there are rules in place and it\'s simply too hard to certify what <em>would\'ve </em>happened if you <em>hadn\'t </em>run the extra distance (however long you, in particular, ran). Too many variables, too many what-ifs, and too big of a can of worms.\r\n<h2><strong>Remember to keep things in perspective.</strong></h2>\r\nTrust me, I know very well what goes into training and preparing for a marathon. The time, money, blood, sweat and tears that goes into the months of marathon prep is considerable indeed. The sacrifices you make to get it done and the sacrifices your family makes to support you have an impact on daily life... even moreso when you\'re pushing for a BQ. <strong>Really, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">I get it</span></strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>.</strong></span> So I feel for those of you who feel your Boston Qualifying time.. or your new personal best (or both)... was just ripped out of your hands unfairly. But as crushed as you are... try to remember...\r\n<h3><strong>The Race Director is just as crushed.</strong></h3>\r\nRace Directors spend lots of time and effort planning, coordinating, and preparing for the event. They spend countless hours and many sleepless nights in order to ensure a solid event. They sacrifice just like you, and so does their family (who often helps out for free), to help create the best event possible... even if at their own expense (financially and figuratively). When YOU get a BQ or a new personal best, they share your joy and accomplishment. The fact that this happened, and so many people are upset, angry, sad, and broken... cuts them to the core.\r\n<h3><strong>And now they\'re trying to figure out what happened... and why.</strong></h3>\r\nCharles and Erik are sitting at home right now with overflowing inboxes and phones ringing off the hook. They have the weight of all of your anger and sadness on their shoulders... and they\'re helpless to do much of anything for you. This kind of thing is a race director\'s worst nightmare... the only way it gets much worse is if someone <em><strong>actually dies</strong></em> during the event. They\'re doing their best to investigate and figure out what happened... but at the end of the day... all they can really do is express a heartfelt &amp; honest apology. They personally apologized to runners as they crossed the finished, they apologized online many times, and I\'m sure they\'re apologizing individually and personally as you email/call them. Frankly... I\'m not sure there\'s much else they can do.\r\n<h3><strong>It\'s time to pick yourself up and keep running.</strong></h3>\r\nNot very satisfying, I know... but unfortunately it is what it is. Sometimes things go wrong and there\'s nothing that can be done for it... no further care or caution that could\'ve prevented it. The best thing a runner can do in this situation is... well... <em>keep running.</em> Sad truth of the universe is that bad things happen to good people for no reason. There will be more marathons and more opportunities for a BQ. If you\'re already in fighting shape now... pick an August marathon and keep moving! Focus on the sport you love, have mercy on the Race Director, and keep on running. If you\'re still looking for answers, you can email the Race Director at info@mainecoast262.com - just give them a bit of a buffer as they\'re working hard to answer everyone and remember...\r\n\r\n<strong>Race Directors and Runners aren\'t all that different... if you\'re hurting or angry over this right now... don\'t you suppose they are, too?</strong>','A Race Director\'s Almost-Worst Nightmare - Maine Coast Marathon 2017','','publish','open','open','','2017-maine-coast-marathon','','','2017-05-15 15:11:28','2017-05-15 19:11:28','',0,'http://sothisisfitness.com/?p=1140',0,'post','',0),(1141,1,'2017-05-15 09:58:09','2017-05-15 13:58:09','<h2>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</h2>\r\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\r\n<h3>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</h3>\r\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\r\n<h2>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</h2>\r\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\r\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\r\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\r\n<h2><strong>When catastrophe strikes... it\'s the RD\'s head on the block.</strong></h2>','2017 Maine Coast (Ultra)Marathon...','','inherit','closed','closed','','1140-revision-v1','','','2017-05-15 09:58:09','2017-05-15 13:58:09','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1140-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1142,1,'2017-05-15 10:27:15','2017-05-15 14:27:15','<h2>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</h2>\r\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\r\n<h3>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</h3>\r\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\r\n<h2>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</h2>\r\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\r\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\r\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and that those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes, though, the Universe demands blood.</strong></h2>\r\nUsually things are gonna go pretty smoothly, and even on a good day there\'s going to be <em>someone</em> that complains about <em>something. </em>A Race Director never really gets to breathe easy until the last runner crosses the finish and he/she can be reasonably sure everything went well. A race director\'s worst nightmare is to get news mid-race that something terrible happened. Despite the best of preparation and instruction... sometimes, for some reason... the Universe, it seems, demands a blood sacrifice. That is exactly what happened at the 2017 Maine Coast Marathon.\r\n<h2><strong>A half-mile on course, havoc at the finish.</strong></h2>\r\nIn short... it appears a paid course marshall / traffic control official went rogue, directed runners off-course down a side-street and back, and added about a half-mile to the race. In the end... this didn\'t really have a big impact on the majority of runners. Sure, some will complain they ran farther than they were supposed to. I\'m sure a good few were amused to find they accidentally became Ultramarathoners that day. A handful, though... <em>were </em>seriously impacted. That half-mile added a few minutes to their time... and that few minutes either certainly or probably cost them a Boston Qualifying finish time. To say these people were upset would be a massive understatement. How could something like this happen? <em>Who should you be mad at?<strong></strong></em> And WHAT can be done?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','2017 Maine Coast (Ultra)Marathon...','','inherit','closed','closed','','1140-revision-v1','','','2017-05-15 10:27:15','2017-05-15 14:27:15','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1140-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1143,1,'2017-05-15 11:20:30','2017-05-15 15:20:30','','Maine Coast Marathon course error','What ACTUALLY happened.','inherit','open','closed','','halfcoursemile12error','','','2017-05-15 14:54:46','2017-05-15 18:54:46','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12error.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(1144,1,'2017-05-15 11:27:57','2017-05-15 15:27:57','','PhotoGrid_1494862033985','','inherit','open','closed','','photogrid_1494862033985','','','2017-05-15 11:27:57','2017-05-15 15:27:57','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/PhotoGrid_1494862033985.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1145,1,'2017-05-15 11:29:53','2017-05-15 15:29:53','','Maine Coast Marathon course error','','inherit','open','closed','','photogrid_1494862179795','','','2017-05-15 11:30:22','2017-05-15 15:30:22','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/PhotoGrid_1494862179795.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1149,1,'2017-05-15 13:08:25','2017-05-15 17:08:25','<h2><strong>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</strong></h2>\r\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\r\n<h3><strong>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</strong></h3>\r\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</strong></h2>\r\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\r\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\r\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and that those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes, though, the Universe demands blood.</strong></h2>\r\nUsually things are gonna go pretty smoothly, and even on a good day there\'s going to be <em>someone</em> that complains about <em>something. </em>A Race Director never really gets to breathe easy until the last runner crosses the finish and he/she can be reasonably sure everything went well. A race director\'s worst nightmare is to get news mid-race that something terrible happened. Despite the best of preparation and instruction... sometimes, for some reason... the Universe, it seems, demands a blood sacrifice. That is exactly what happened at the 2017 Maine Coast Marathon.\r\n<h2><strong>A half-mile on course, havoc at the finish.</strong></h2>\r\nIn short... it appears a paid course marshall / traffic control official went rogue, directed runners off-course down a side-street and back, and added about a half-mile to the race. In the end... this didn\'t really have a big impact on the majority of runners. Sure, some will complain they ran farther than they were supposed to. I\'m sure a good few were amused to find they accidentally became Ultramarathoners that day. A handful, though... <em>were </em>seriously impacted. That half-mile added a few minutes to their time... and that few minutes either certainly or probably cost them a Boston Qualifying finish time. To say these people were upset would be a massive understatement. How could something like this happen? <em>Who should you be mad at?</em> And WHAT can be done?\r\n<h2><strong>Frankly, this should\'ve been impossible.</strong></h2>\r\nI worked this race as a timer, so I was behind the scenes. I was that guy at mile 8.8 in downtown Kennebunk - you probably didn\'t see me, I was hiding from the rain in my SUV with the timing laptop. On the street - my timing mats were placed <em>just so</em> across that crosswalk, and my GoPro was positioned and aimed <em>just so</em> on the white monument/street marker by the traffic cop.\r\n<h3><strong>Know why everything was <em>just so</em>?</strong></h3>\r\nBecause I had a very detailed, very <em>exact</em> GPS satellite-view map telling me <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">exactly</span> what to do. There were green arrows indicating runner direction and path. Red arrows told me where to point the point the GoPro. A little blue nearly-to-scale rectangle indicated exactly where to place my timing mats. There was even text detailing everything, just in case I got confused or was unclear. It would\'ve been <strong>shockingly</strong> difficult for me to screw it up. I basically would\'ve had to not read or completely ignore my instructions.\r\n<h2><strong>Course officials had the same kind of instructions.</strong></h2>\r\nMaine Coast Marathon had many volunteers, cops on detail, and they also hired a company to provide about 20 traffic control personnel / course marshalls. All of these people, if they were positioned on-course, were provided similar instructions to what I had (though I\'m sure theirs didn\'t include where to place timing mats or where to point a GoPro). In fact, that means their directions were even simpler than mine. A Maine Coast Marathon Facebook post this morning confirmed, they had a map/diagram with green arrows indicating the direction of runners for each intersection - very simple. Not only that, they had pre-race meetings and the Race Director even drove the course with these hired traffic control personnel.\r\n<h2><strong>So how did this happen?! And who\'s fault is it?</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1146\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12-300x243.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"243\" />Yes, I understand that if you were affected... you\'re angry. Your pitchfork is out and your torch is blazing. You want your pound of flesh... you want your BQ restored. You want your effort to not have been wasted! <strong>I get it.</strong> So who\'s to blame? Well, of course, the Race Director is accepting responsibility as any good Race Director would. Know what, though?\r\n<h3><strong>I don\'t think the Race Director is to blame.</strong></h3>\r\nThe Maine Coast Marathon leadership - Charles and Erik, did everything they possibly could to ensure they provided more-than-adequate very-clear instruction to their paid and volunteer crew in a number of different ways, with ample clarification. As someone who had a set of instructions from them... I honestly don\'t understand how that course marshall / traffic controller could\'ve <em>possibly</em> mis-interpreted his/her diagram/map. So am I blaming the rogue course marshall? Maybe, yeah. Why would he/she have directed people off-course like they did? <strong>We may never know.</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>So what can be done?</strong></h2>\r\nUnfortunately the short answer is: not a lot. Charles (of Maine Coast Marathon) indicated that it\'d be easy enough to measure and certify that extra distance... but many runners realized it was a mistake and didn\'t run the whole detour... meaning not everyone ran the same extra distance and rendering that \"fix\" not-doable. While they ARE talking to the B.A.A. it\'s unlikely they\'ll do anything to honor a just-missed BQ, as there are rules in place and it\'s simply too hard to certify what <em>would\'ve </em>happened if you <em>hadn\'t </em>run the extra distance (however long you, in particular, ran). Too many variables, too many what-ifs, and too big of a can of worms.\r\n<h2><strong>Remember to keep things in perspective.</strong></h2>\r\nTrust me, I know very well what goes into training and preparing for a marathon. The time, money, blood, sweat and tears that goes into the months of marathon prep is considerable indeed. The sacrifices you make to get it done and the sacrifices your family makes to support you have an impact on daily life... even moreso when you\'re pushing for a BQ. <strong>Really, I get it</strong><strong>.</strong> So I feel for those of you who feel your Boston Qualifying time.. or your new personal best (or both)... was just ripped out of your hands unfairly. But as crushed as you are... try to remember...\r\n<h3><strong>The Race Director is just as crushed.</strong></h3>\r\nRace Directors spend lots of time and effort planning, coordinating, and preparing for the event. They spend countless hours and many sleepless nights in order to ensure a solid event. They sacrifice just like you, and so does their family (who often helps out for free), to help create the best event possible... even if at their own expense (financially and figuratively). Many Race Directors are runners themselves, who sacrifice their own training because they know what THEY would want in an event... and they want to provide it for YOU.\r\n<h3><strong>And now they\'re trying to figure out what happened... and why.</strong></h3>\r\nCharles and Erik are sitting at home right now with overflowing inboxes and phones ringing off the hook. They are <em>painfully</em> aware you are angry... hurt... broken. They have the weight of all of your anger and sadness on their shoulders... and they\'re helpless to do much of anything for you. This kind of thing is a race director\'s worst nightmare... the only way it gets much worse is if someone <em><strong>actually dies</strong></em> during the event. They\'re doing their best to investigate and figure out what happened... but at the end of the day... all they can really do is express a heartfelt &amp; honest apology. They personally apologized to runners as they crossed the finished, they apologized online many times, and I\'m sure they\'re apologizing individually and personally as you email/call them. Frankly... I\'m not sure there\'s much else they can do.\r\n<h3><strong>It\'s time to pick yourself up and keep running.</strong></h3>\r\nNot very satisfying, I know... but unfortunately it is what it is. The best thing a runner can do in this situation is... well... <em>keep running.</em> Sad truth of the universe is that bad things happen to good people for no reason. There will be more marathons and more opportunities for a BQ. If you\'re already in fighting shape now... pick an August marathon and keep moving! Focus on the sport you love, have mercy on the Race Director, and keep on running. If you\'re still looking for answers, you can email the Race Director at info@mainecoast262.com - just give them a bit of a buffer as they\'re working hard to answer everyone.','A Race Director\'s Almost-Worst Nightmare - Maine Coast Marathon 2017','','inherit','closed','closed','','1140-revision-v1','','','2017-05-15 13:08:25','2017-05-15 17:08:25','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1140-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1146,1,'2017-05-15 11:40:46','2017-05-15 15:40:46','','HalfCourseMile12','','inherit','open','closed','','halfcoursemile12','','','2017-05-15 11:40:46','2017-05-15 15:40:46','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(1148,1,'2017-05-15 11:46:03','2017-05-15 15:46:03','<h2><strong>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</strong></h2>\r\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\r\n<h3><strong>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</strong></h3>\r\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</strong></h2>\r\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\r\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\r\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and that those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes, though, the Universe demands blood.</strong></h2>\r\nUsually things are gonna go pretty smoothly, and even on a good day there\'s going to be <em>someone</em> that complains about <em>something. </em>A Race Director never really gets to breathe easy until the last runner crosses the finish and he/she can be reasonably sure everything went well. A race director\'s worst nightmare is to get news mid-race that something terrible happened. Despite the best of preparation and instruction... sometimes, for some reason... the Universe, it seems, demands a blood sacrifice. That is exactly what happened at the 2017 Maine Coast Marathon.\r\n<h2><strong>A half-mile on course, havoc at the finish.</strong></h2>\r\nIn short... it appears a paid course marshall / traffic control official went rogue, directed runners off-course down a side-street and back, and added about a half-mile to the race. In the end... this didn\'t really have a big impact on the majority of runners. Sure, some will complain they ran farther than they were supposed to. I\'m sure a good few were amused to find they accidentally became Ultramarathoners that day. A handful, though... <em>were </em>seriously impacted. That half-mile added a few minutes to their time... and that few minutes either certainly or probably cost them a Boston Qualifying finish time. To say these people were upset would be a massive understatement. How could something like this happen? <em>Who should you be mad at?</em> And WHAT can be done?\r\n<h2><strong>Frankly, this should\'ve been impossible.</strong></h2>\r\nI worked this race as a timer, so I was behind the scenes. I was that guy at mile 8.8 in downtown Kennebunk - you probably didn\'t see me, I was hiding from the rain in my SUV with the timing laptop. On the street - my timing mats were placed <em>just so</em> across that crosswalk, and my GoPro was positioned and aimed <em>just so</em> on the white monument/street marker by the traffic cop.\r\n<h3><strong>Know why everything was <em>just so</em>?</strong></h3>\r\nBecause I had a very detailed, very <em>exact</em> GPS satellite-view map telling me <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">exactly</span> what to do. There were green arrows indicating runner direction and path. Red arrows told me where to point the point the GoPro. A little blue nearly-to-scale rectangle indicated exactly where to place my timing mats. There was even text detailing everything, just in case I got confused or was unclear. It would\'ve been <strong>shockingly</strong> difficult for me to screw it up. I basically would\'ve had to not read or completely ignore my instructions.\r\n<h2><strong>Course officials had the same kind of instructions.</strong></h2>\r\nMaine Coast Marathon had many volunteers, cops on detail, and they also hired a company to provide about 20 traffic control personnel / course marshalls. All of these people, if they were positioned on-course, were provided similar instructions to what I had (though I\'m sure theirs didn\'t include where to place timing mats or where to point a GoPro). In fact, that means their directions were even simpler than mine. A Maine Coast Marathon Facebook post this morning confirmed, they had a map/diagram with green arrows indicating the direction of runners for each intersection - very simple. Not only that, they had pre-race meetings and the Race Director even drove the course with these hired traffic control personnel.\r\n<h2><strong>So how did this happen?! And who\'s fault is it?</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1146\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12-300x243.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"243\" />Yes, I understand that if you were affected... you\'re angry. Your pitchfork is out and your torch is blazing. You want your pound of flesh... you want your BQ restored. You want your effort to not have been wasted! <strong>I get it.</strong> So who\'s to blame? Well, of course, the Race Director is accepting responsibility as any good Race Director would. Know what, though?\r\n<h3><strong>I don\'t think the Race Director is to blame.</strong></h3>\r\nThe Maine Coast Marathon leadership - Charles and Erik, did everything they possibly could to ensure they provided more-than-adequate very-clear instruction to their paid and volunteer crew in a number of different ways, with ample clarification. As someone who had a set of instructions from them... I honestly don\'t understand how that course marshall / traffic controller could\'ve <em>possibly</em> mis-interpreted his/her diagram/map. So am I blaming the rogue course marshall? Maybe, yeah. Why would he/she have directed people off-course like they did? <strong>We may never know.</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>So what can be done?</strong></h2>\r\nUnfortunately the short answer is: not a lot. Charles (of Maine Coast Marathon) indicated that it\'d be easy enough to measure and certify that extra distance... but many runners realized it was a mistake and didn\'t run the whole detour... meaning not everyone ran the same extra distance and rendering that \"fix\" not-doable. While they ARE talking to the B.A.A. it\'s unlikely they\'ll do anything to honor a just-missed BQ, as there are rules in place and it\'s simply too hard to certify what <em>would\'ve </em>happened if you <em>hadn\'t </em>run the extra distance (however long you, in particular, ran). Too many variables, too many what-ifs, and too big of a can of worms.\r\n<h2><strong>Remember to keep things in perspective.</strong></h2>\r\nTrust me, I know very well what goes into training and preparing for a marathon. I know how much hard work, planning, and preparation goes into it. The time, money, blood, sweat and tears that goes into the months of marathon prep is considerable indeed. The sacrifices you make to get it done and the sacrifices your family makes to support you have an impact on daily life... even moreso when you\'re pushing for a BQ. <strong>Really, I get it</strong><strong>.</strong> So I feel for those of you who feel your Boston Qualifying time.. or your new personal best (or both)... was just ripped out of your hands unfairly. But as crushed as you are... try to remember...\r\n<h3><strong>The Race Director is just as crushed.</strong></h3>\r\nRace Directors spend lots of time and effort planning, coordinating, and preparing for the event. They spend countless hours and many sleepless nights in order to ensure a solid event. They sacrifice just like you, and so does their family (who often helps out for free), to help create the best event possible... even if at their own expense (financially and figuratively). Many Race Directors are runners themselves, who sacrifice their own training because they know what THEY would want in an event... and they want to provide it for YOU.\r\n<h3><strong>And now they\'re trying to figure out what happened... and why.</strong></h3>\r\nCharles and Erik are sitting at home right now with overflowing inboxes and phones ringing off the hook. They are <em>painfully</em> aware you are angry... hurt... broken. They have the weight of all of your anger and sadness on their shoulders... and they\'re helpless to do much of anything for you. This kind of thing is a race director\'s worst nightmare... the only way it gets much worse is if someone <em><strong>actually dies</strong></em> during the event. They\'re doing their best to investigate and figure out what happened... but at the end of the day... all they can really do is express a heartfelt &amp; honest apology. They personally apologized to runners as they crossed the finished, they apologized online many times, and I\'m sure they\'re apologizing individually and personally as you email/call them. Frankly... I\'m not sure there\'s much else they can do.\r\n<h3><strong>It\'s time to pick yourself up and keep running.</strong></h3>\r\nNot very satisfying, I know... but unfortunately it is what it is. The best thing a runner can do in this situation is... well... <em>keep running.</em> Sad truth of the universe is that bad things happen to good people for no reason. There will be more marathons and more opportunities for a BQ. If you\'re already in fighting shape now... pick an August marathon and keep moving! Focus on the sport you love, have mercy on the Race Director, and keep on running. If you\'re still looking for answers, you can email the Race Director at info@mainecoast262.com - just give them a bit of a buffer as they\'re working hard to answer everyone.','A Race Director\'s Almost-Worst Nightmare - Maine Coast Marathon 2017','','inherit','closed','closed','','1140-revision-v1','','','2017-05-15 11:46:03','2017-05-15 15:46:03','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1140-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1147,1,'2017-05-15 11:41:35','2017-05-15 15:41:35','<h2>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</h2>\r\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\r\n<h3>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</h3>\r\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\r\n<h2>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</h2>\r\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\r\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\r\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and that those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes, though, the Universe demands blood.</strong></h2>\r\nUsually things are gonna go pretty smoothly, and even on a good day there\'s going to be <em>someone</em> that complains about <em>something. </em>A Race Director never really gets to breathe easy until the last runner crosses the finish and he/she can be reasonably sure everything went well. A race director\'s worst nightmare is to get news mid-race that something terrible happened. Despite the best of preparation and instruction... sometimes, for some reason... the Universe, it seems, demands a blood sacrifice. That is exactly what happened at the 2017 Maine Coast Marathon.\r\n<h2><strong>A half-mile on course, havoc at the finish.</strong></h2>\r\nIn short... it appears a paid course marshall / traffic control official went rogue, directed runners off-course down a side-street and back, and added about a half-mile to the race. In the end... this didn\'t really have a big impact on the majority of runners. Sure, some will complain they ran farther than they were supposed to. I\'m sure a good few were amused to find they accidentally became Ultramarathoners that day. A handful, though... <em>were </em>seriously impacted. That half-mile added a few minutes to their time... and that few minutes either certainly or probably cost them a Boston Qualifying finish time. To say these people were upset would be a massive understatement. How could something like this happen? <em>Who should you be mad at?</em> And WHAT can be done?\r\n<h2>Frankly, this should\'ve been impossible.</h2>\r\nI worked this race as a timer, so I was behind the scenes. I was that guy at mile 8.8 in downtown Kennebunk - you probably didn\'t see me, I was hiding from the rain in my SUV with the timing laptop. On the street - my timing mats were placed <em>just so</em> across that crosswalk, and my GoPro was positioned and aimed <em>just so</em> on the white monument/street marker by the traffic cop.\r\n<h3><strong>Know why everything was <em>just so</em>?</strong></h3>\r\nBecause I had a very detailed, very <em>exact</em> GPS satellite-view map telling me <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">exactly</span> what to do. There were green arrows indicating runner direction and path. Red arrows told me where to point the point the GoPro. A little blue nearly-to-scale rectangle indicated exactly where to place my timing mats. There was even text detailing everything, just in case I got confused or was unclear. It would\'ve been <strong>shockingly</strong> difficult for me to screw it up. I basically would\'ve had to not read or completely ignore my instructions.\r\n<h2>Course officials had the same kind of instructions.</h2>\r\nMaine Coast Marathon had many volunteers, cops on detail, and they also hired a company to provide about 20 traffic control personnel / course marshalls. All of these people, if they were positioned on-course, were provided similar instructions to what I had (though I\'m sure theirs didn\'t include where to place timing mats or where to point a GoPro). In fact, that means their directions were even simpler than mine. A Maine Coast Marathon Facebook post this morning confirmed, they had a map/diagram with green arrows indicating the direction of runners for each intersection - very simple. Not only that, they had pre-race meetings and the Race Director even drove the course with these hired traffic control personnel.\r\n<h2>So how did this happen?! And who\'s fault is it?</h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1146\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12-300x243.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"243\" />Yes, I understand that if you were affected... you\'re angry. Your pitchfork is out and your torch is blazing. You want your pound of flesh... you want your BQ restored. You want your effort to not have been wasted! <strong>I get it.</strong> So who\'s to blame? Well, of course, the Race Director is accepting responsibility as any good Race Director would. Know what, though?\r\n<h3><strong>I don\'t think the Race Director is to blame.</strong></h3>\r\nThe Maine Coast Marathon leadership - Charles and Erik, really care. Being an RD is an often-thankless job which receives mostly criticism and sparse praise. They are not making gobs of money doing this, either. They\'re in it for a \"love of the game\", so to speak. <strong>They want you to have a good experience...<em>fun, even!</em></strong> <img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1143\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12error-300x215.png\" alt=\"Maine Coast Marathon Course Error\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" />To facilitate that, they did everything they possibly could to ensure they provided more-than-adequate very-clear instruction to their paid and volunteer crew in a number of different ways, with ample clarification. As someone who had a set of instructions from them... I honestly don\'t understand how that course marshall / traffic controller could\'ve <em>possibly</em> mis-interpreted his/her diagram/map. So am I blaming the rogue course marshall? Maybe, yeah. Why would he/she have directed people off-course like they did? <strong>We may never know.</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>So what can be done?</strong></h2>\r\nUnfortunately the short answer is: not a lot. Charles (of Maine Coast Marathon) indicated that it\'d be easy enough to measure and certify that extra distance... but many runners realized it was a mistake and didn\'t run the whole detour... meaning not everyone ran the same extra distance and rendering that \"fix\" not-doable. While they ARE talking to the B.A.A. it\'s unlikely they\'ll do anything to honor a just-missed BQ, as there are rules in place and it\'s simply too hard to certify what <em>would\'ve </em>happened if you <em>hadn\'t </em>run the extra distance (however long you, in particular, ran). Too many variables, too many what-ifs, and too big of a can of worms.\r\n<h2><strong>Remember to keep things in perspective.</strong></h2>\r\nTrust me, I know very well what goes into training and preparing for a marathon. I know how much hard work, planning, and preparation goes into it. The time, money, blood, sweat and tears that goes into the months of marathon prep is considerable indeed. The sacrifices you make to get it done and the sacrifices your family makes to support you have an impact on daily life... even moreso when you\'re pushing for a BQ. <strong>Really, I get it</strong><strong>.</strong> So I feel for those of you who feel your Boston Qualifying time.. or your new personal best (or both)... was just ripped out of your hands unfairly. But as crushed as you are... try to remember...\r\n<h3><strong>The Race Director is just as crushed.</strong></h3>\r\nRace Directors spend lots of time and effort planning, coordinating, and preparing for the event. They spend countless hours and many sleepless nights in order to ensure a solid event. They sacrifice, and so does their family (who often helps out for free), to help create the best event possible... even if at their own expense (financially and figuratively). Many Race Directors are runners themselves, who sacrifice their own training because they know what THEY would want in an event... and they want to provide it for YOU.\r\n<h3><strong>And now they\'re trying to figure out what happened... and why.</strong></h3>\r\nCharles and Erik are sitting at home right now with overflowing inboxes and phones ringing off the hook. They are <em>painfully</em> aware you are angry... hurt... broken. They have the weight of all of your anger and sadness on their shoulders... and they\'re helpless to do much of anything for you. This kind of thing is a race director\'s worst nightmare... the only way it gets much worse is if someone <em><strong>actually dies</strong></em> during the event. They\'re doing their best to investigate and figure out what happened... but at the end of the day... all they can really do is express a heartfelt &amp; honest apology. They personally apologized to runners as they crossed the finished, they apologized online many times, and I\'m sure they\'re apologizing individually and personally as you email/call them. Frankly... I\'m not sure there\'s much else they can do.\r\n<h3><strong>It\'s time to pick yourself up and keep running.</strong></h3>\r\nNot very satisfying, I know... but unfortunately it is what it is. The best thing a runner can do in this situation is... well... <em>keep running.</em> Sad truth of the universe is that bad things happen to good people for no reason. There will be more marathons and more opportunities for a BQ. If you\'re already in fighting shape now... pick an August marathon and keep moving! Focus on the sport you love, have mercy on the Race Director, and keep on running. If you\'re still looking for answers, you can email the Race Director at info@mainecoast262.com - just give them a bit of a buffer as they\'re working hard to answer everyone.','A Race Director\'s Almost-Worst Nightmare - Maine Coast Marathon 2017','','inherit','closed','closed','','1140-revision-v1','','','2017-05-15 11:41:35','2017-05-15 15:41:35','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1140-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1150,1,'2017-05-15 15:10:13','2017-05-15 19:10:13','<h2><strong>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</strong></h2>\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\n<h3><strong>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</strong></h3>\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\n<h2><strong>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</strong></h2>\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and that those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\n<h3><strong>Both groups have their moments.</strong></h3>\nIn the end, though, everything usually tends to work out and go just fine. For all the complaining and whining we as runners might do... it was a pretty good race! And for all the worrying the Race Directors tend to do... It usually goes off pretty smoothly!\n<h2><strong>Sometimes, though, the Universe demands blood.</strong></h2>\nA Race Director never really gets to breathe easy until the last runner crosses the finish and he/she can be reasonably sure everything went well. A race director\'s worst nightmare is to get news mid-race that something terrible happened. Despite the best of preparation and instruction... sometimes, for some reason... the Universe, it seems, demands a blood sacrifice. That is exactly what happened at the 2017 Maine Coast Marathon.\n<h2><strong>A half-mile on course, havoc at the finish.</strong></h2>\nIn short... it appears a paid course marshall / traffic control official went rogue, directed runners off-course down a side-street and back, and added about a half-mile to the race. In the end... this didn\'t really have a big impact on the majority of runners. Sure, some will complain they ran farther than they were supposed to. I\'m sure a good few were amused to find they accidentally became Ultramarathoners that day. A handful, though... <em>were </em>seriously impacted. That half-mile added a few minutes to their time... and that few minutes either certainly or probably cost them a Boston Qualifying finish time. To say these people were upset would be a massive understatement. How could something like this happen? <em>Who should you be mad at?</em> And WHAT can be done?\n<h2><strong>Frankly, this should\'ve been impossible.</strong></h2>\nI worked this race as a timer, so I was behind the scenes. I was that guy at mile 8.8 in downtown Kennebunk - you probably didn\'t see me, I was hiding from the rain in my SUV with the timing laptop. On the street - my timing mats were placed <em>just so</em> across that crosswalk, and my GoPro was positioned and aimed <em>just so</em> on the white monument/street marker by the traffic cop.\n<h3><strong>Know why everything was <em>just so</em>?</strong></h3>\nBecause I had a very detailed, very <em>exact</em> GPS satellite-view map telling me <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">exactly</span> what to do. There were green arrows indicating runner direction and path. Red arrows told me where to point the GoPro. A little blue nearly-to-scale rectangle indicated exactly where to place my timing mats. There was even text detailing everything, just in case I got confused or was unclear. It would\'ve been <strong>shockingly</strong> difficult for me to screw it up. I basically would\'ve had to not read or completely ignore my instructions.\n<h2><strong>Course officials had the same kind of instructions.</strong></h2>\nMaine Coast Marathon had many volunteers, cops on detail, and they also hired a company to provide about 20 traffic control personnel / course marshalls. All of these people, if they were positioned on-course, were provided similar instructions to what I had (though I\'m sure theirs didn\'t include where to place timing mats or where to point a GoPro). In fact, that means their directions were even simpler than mine. A Maine Coast Marathon Facebook post this morning confirmed: they had a map/diagram with green arrows indicating the direction of runners for each intersection - very simple. Not only that, they had pre-race meetings and the Race Director even drove the course with these hired traffic control personnel to go over things and point out everything.\n<h2><strong>So how did this happen?! And who\'s fault is it?</strong></h2>\n[caption id=\"attachment_1146\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-1146 size-medium\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12-300x243.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"243\" /> What SHOULD\'VE happened.[/caption]\n\nYes, I understand that if you were affected... you\'re angry. Your pitchfork is out and your torch is blazing. You want your pound of flesh... you want your BQ restored. You want your effort to not have been wasted! <strong>I get it.</strong> So who\'s to blame? Well, of course, the Race Director is accepting responsibility as any good Race Director would. Know what, though?\n<h3><strong>I don\'t think the Race Director is to blame.</strong></h3>\nThe Maine Coast Marathon leadership - Charles and Erik, did everything they possibly could to ensure they provided more-than-adequate very-clear instruction to their paid and volunteer crew in a number of different ways, with ample clarification. As someone who had a set of instructions from them... I honestly don\'t understand how that course marshall / traffic controller could\'ve <em>possibly</em> mis-interpreted his/her diagram/map. So am I blaming the rogue course marshall? Maybe, yeah.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_1143\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1143\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12error-300x215.png\" alt=\"Maine Coast Marathon Course Error\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" /> What ACTUALLY happened.[/caption]\n\nWhy would he/she have directed people off-course like they did? <strong>We may never know. </strong>Do I understand that, ultimately, anything that goes wrong lands at the Race Director\'s feet? <em>Of course. </em>Doesn\'t mean I have to agree with it. At the end of the day, I think Charles and Erik did everything they reasonably could have, and more, to ensure the course was accurate. I don\'t blame them for this... but then again, I didn\'t run it.\n<h2><strong>So what can be done?</strong></h2>\nUnfortunately the short answer is: not a lot. Charles indicated that it\'d be easy enough to measure and certify that extra distance... but many runners realized it was a mistake and didn\'t run the whole detour... meaning not everyone ran the same extra distance and rendering that \"fix\" not-doable. While they ARE talking to the B.A.A. it\'s unlikely the B.A.A. will do anything to honor a just-missed BQ, as there are rules in place and it\'s simply too hard to certify what <em>would\'ve </em>happened if you <em>hadn\'t </em>run the extra distance (however long you, in particular, ran). Too many variables, too many what-ifs, and too big of a can of worms.\n<h2><strong>Remember to keep things in perspective.</strong></h2>\nTrust me, I know very well what goes into training and preparing for a marathon. The time, money, blood, sweat and tears that goes into the months of marathon prep is considerable indeed. The sacrifices you make to get it done and the sacrifices your family makes to support you have an impact on daily life... even moreso when you\'re pushing for a BQ. <strong>Really, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">I get it</span></strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>.</strong></span> So I feel for those of you who feel your Boston Qualifying time.. or your new personal best (or both)... was just ripped out of your hands unfairly. But as crushed as you are... try to remember...\n<h3><strong>The Race Director is just as crushed.</strong></h3>\nRace Directors spend lots of time and effort planning, coordinating, and preparing for the event. They spend countless hours and many sleepless nights in order to ensure a solid event. They sacrifice just like you, and so does their family (who often helps out for free), to help create the best event possible... even if at their own expense (financially and figuratively). When YOU get a BQ or a new personal best, they share your joy and accomplishment. The fact that this happened, and so many people are upset, angry, sad, and broken... cuts them to the core.\n<h3><strong>And now they\'re trying to figure out what happened... and why.</strong></h3>\nCharles and Erik are sitting at home right now with overflowing inboxes and phones ringing off the hook. They have the weight of all of your anger and sadness on their shoulders... and they\'re helpless to do much of anything for you. This kind of thing is a race director\'s worst nightmare... the only way it gets much worse is if someone <em><strong>actually dies</strong></em> during the event. They\'re doing their best to investigate and figure out what happened... but at the end of the day... all they can really do is express a heartfelt &amp; honest apology. They personally apologized to runners as they crossed the finished, they apologized online many times, and I\'m sure they\'re apologizing individually and personally as you email/call them. Frankly... I\'m not sure there\'s much else they can do.\n<h3><strong>It\'s time to pick yourself up and keep running.</strong></h3>\nNot very satisfying, I know... but unfortunately it is what it is. Sometimes things go wrong and there\'s nothing that can be done for it... no further care or caution that could\'ve prevented it. The best thing a runner can do in this situation is... well... <em>keep running.</em> Sad truth of the universe is that bad things happen to good people for no reason. There will be more marathons and more opportunities for a BQ. If you\'re already in fighting shape now... pick an August marathon and keep moving! Focus on the sport you love, have mercy on the Race Director, and keep on running. If you\'re still looking for answers, you can email the Race Director at info@mainecoast262.com - just give them a bit of a buffer as they\'re working hard to answer everyone','A Race Director\'s Almost-Worst Nightmare - Maine Coast Marathon 2017','','inherit','closed','closed','','1140-autosave-v1','','','2017-05-15 15:10:13','2017-05-15 19:10:13','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1140-autosave-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1152,1,'2017-05-15 14:06:59','2017-05-15 18:06:59','<h2><strong>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</strong></h2>\r\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\r\n<h3><strong>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</strong></h3>\r\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</strong></h2>\r\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\r\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\r\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and that those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\r\n<h3><strong>Both groups have their moments.</strong></h3>\r\nIn the end, though, everything usually tends to work out and go just fine. For all the complaining and whining we as runners might do... it was a pretty good race! And for all the worrying the Race Directors tend to do... It usually goes off pretty smoothly!\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes, though, the Universe demands blood.</strong></h2>\r\nA Race Director never really gets to breathe easy until the last runner crosses the finish and he/she can be reasonably sure everything went well. A race director\'s worst nightmare is to get news mid-race that something terrible happened. Despite the best of preparation and instruction... sometimes, for some reason... the Universe, it seems, demands a blood sacrifice. That is exactly what happened at the 2017 Maine Coast Marathon.\r\n<h2><strong>A half-mile on course, havoc at the finish.</strong></h2>\r\nIn short... it appears a paid course marshall / traffic control official went rogue, directed runners off-course down a side-street and back, and added about a half-mile to the race. In the end... this didn\'t really have a big impact on the majority of runners. Sure, some will complain they ran farther than they were supposed to. I\'m sure a good few were amused to find they accidentally became Ultramarathoners that day. A handful, though... <em>were </em>seriously impacted. That half-mile added a few minutes to their time... and that few minutes either certainly or probably cost them a Boston Qualifying finish time. To say these people were upset would be a massive understatement. How could something like this happen? <em>Who should you be mad at?</em> And WHAT can be done?\r\n<h2><strong>Frankly, this should\'ve been impossible.</strong></h2>\r\nI worked this race as a timer, so I was behind the scenes. I was that guy at mile 8.8 in downtown Kennebunk - you probably didn\'t see me, I was hiding from the rain in my SUV with the timing laptop. On the street - my timing mats were placed <em>just so</em> across that crosswalk, and my GoPro was positioned and aimed <em>just so</em> on the white monument/street marker by the traffic cop.\r\n<h3><strong>Know why everything was <em>just so</em>?</strong></h3>\r\nBecause I had a very detailed, very <em>exact</em> GPS satellite-view map telling me <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">exactly</span> what to do. There were green arrows indicating runner direction and path. Red arrows told me where to point the point the GoPro. A little blue nearly-to-scale rectangle indicated exactly where to place my timing mats. There was even text detailing everything, just in case I got confused or was unclear. It would\'ve been <strong>shockingly</strong> difficult for me to screw it up. I basically would\'ve had to not read or completely ignore my instructions.\r\n<h2><strong>Course officials had the same kind of instructions.</strong></h2>\r\nMaine Coast Marathon had many volunteers, cops on detail, and they also hired a company to provide about 20 traffic control personnel / course marshalls. All of these people, if they were positioned on-course, were provided similar instructions to what I had (though I\'m sure theirs didn\'t include where to place timing mats or where to point a GoPro). In fact, that means their directions were even simpler than mine. A Maine Coast Marathon Facebook post this morning confirmed, they had a map/diagram with green arrows indicating the direction of runners for each intersection - very simple. Not only that, they had pre-race meetings and the Race Director even drove the course with these hired traffic control personnel.\r\n<h2><strong>So how did this happen?! And who\'s fault is it?</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1146\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12-300x243.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"243\" />Yes, I understand that if you were affected... you\'re angry. Your pitchfork is out and your torch is blazing. You want your pound of flesh... you want your BQ restored. You want your effort to not have been wasted! <strong>I get it.</strong> So who\'s to blame? Well, of course, the Race Director is accepting responsibility as any good Race Director would. Know what, though?\r\n<h3><strong>I don\'t think the Race Director is to blame.</strong></h3>\r\nThe Maine Coast Marathon leadership - Charles and Erik, did everything they possibly could to ensure they provided more-than-adequate very-clear instruction to their paid and volunteer crew in a number of different ways, with ample clarification. As someone who had a set of instructions from them... I honestly don\'t understand how that course marshall / traffic controller could\'ve <em>possibly</em> mis-interpreted his/her diagram/map. So am I blaming the rogue course marshall? Maybe, yeah. Why would he/she have directed people off-course like they did? <strong>We may never know.</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>So what can be done?</strong></h2>\r\nUnfortunately the short answer is: not a lot. Charles (of Maine Coast Marathon) indicated that it\'d be easy enough to measure and certify that extra distance... but many runners realized it was a mistake and didn\'t run the whole detour... meaning not everyone ran the same extra distance and rendering that \"fix\" not-doable. While they ARE talking to the B.A.A. it\'s unlikely they\'ll do anything to honor a just-missed BQ, as there are rules in place and it\'s simply too hard to certify what <em>would\'ve </em>happened if you <em>hadn\'t </em>run the extra distance (however long you, in particular, ran). Too many variables, too many what-ifs, and too big of a can of worms.\r\n<h2><strong>Remember to keep things in perspective.</strong></h2>\r\nTrust me, I know very well what goes into training and preparing for a marathon. The time, money, blood, sweat and tears that goes into the months of marathon prep is considerable indeed. The sacrifices you make to get it done and the sacrifices your family makes to support you have an impact on daily life... even moreso when you\'re pushing for a BQ. <strong>Really, I get it</strong><strong>.</strong> So I feel for those of you who feel your Boston Qualifying time.. or your new personal best (or both)... was just ripped out of your hands unfairly. But as crushed as you are... try to remember...\r\n<h3><strong>The Race Director is just as crushed.</strong></h3>\r\nRace Directors spend lots of time and effort planning, coordinating, and preparing for the event. They spend countless hours and many sleepless nights in order to ensure a solid event. They sacrifice just like you, and so does their family (who often helps out for free), to help create the best event possible... even if at their own expense (financially and figuratively). Many Race Directors are runners themselves, who sacrifice their own training because they know what THEY would want in an event... and they want to provide it for YOU.\r\n<h3><strong>And now they\'re trying to figure out what happened... and why.</strong></h3>\r\nCharles and Erik are sitting at home right now with overflowing inboxes and phones ringing off the hook. They are <em>painfully</em> aware you are angry... hurt... broken. They have the weight of all of your anger and sadness on their shoulders... and they\'re helpless to do much of anything for you. This kind of thing is a race director\'s worst nightmare... the only way it gets much worse is if someone <em><strong>actually dies</strong></em> during the event. They\'re doing their best to investigate and figure out what happened... but at the end of the day... all they can really do is express a heartfelt &amp; honest apology. They personally apologized to runners as they crossed the finished, they apologized online many times, and I\'m sure they\'re apologizing individually and personally as you email/call them. Frankly... I\'m not sure there\'s much else they can do.\r\n<h3><strong>It\'s time to pick yourself up and keep running.</strong></h3>\r\nNot very satisfying, I know... but unfortunately it is what it is. The best thing a runner can do in this situation is... well... <em>keep running.</em> Sad truth of the universe is that bad things happen to good people for no reason. There will be more marathons and more opportunities for a BQ. If you\'re already in fighting shape now... pick an August marathon and keep moving! Focus on the sport you love, have mercy on the Race Director, and keep on running. If you\'re still looking for answers, you can email the Race Director at info@mainecoast262.com - just give them a bit of a buffer as they\'re working hard to answer everyone.','A Race Director\'s Almost-Worst Nightmare - Maine Coast Marathon 2017','','inherit','closed','closed','','1140-revision-v1','','','2017-05-15 14:06:59','2017-05-15 18:06:59','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1140-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1151,1,'2017-05-15 14:06:19','2017-05-15 18:06:19','<h2><strong>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</strong></h2>\r\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\r\n<h3><strong>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</strong></h3>\r\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</strong></h2>\r\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\r\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\r\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and that those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\r\n<h3><strong>Both groups have their moments.</strong></h3>\r\nIn the end, though, everything usually tends to work out and go just fine. For all the complaining and whining we as runners might do... it was a pretty good race! And for all the worrying the Race Directors tend to do... It usually goes off pretty smoothly!\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes, though, the Universe demands blood.</strong></h2>\r\nUsually things are gonna go pretty smoothly, and even on a good day there\'s going to be <em>someone</em> that complains about <em>something. </em>A Race Director never really gets to breathe easy until the last runner crosses the finish and he/she can be reasonably sure everything went well. A race director\'s worst nightmare is to get news mid-race that something terrible happened. Despite the best of preparation and instruction... sometimes, for some reason... the Universe, it seems, demands a blood sacrifice. That is exactly what happened at the 2017 Maine Coast Marathon.\r\n<h2><strong>A half-mile on course, havoc at the finish.</strong></h2>\r\nIn short... it appears a paid course marshall / traffic control official went rogue, directed runners off-course down a side-street and back, and added about a half-mile to the race. In the end... this didn\'t really have a big impact on the majority of runners. Sure, some will complain they ran farther than they were supposed to. I\'m sure a good few were amused to find they accidentally became Ultramarathoners that day. A handful, though... <em>were </em>seriously impacted. That half-mile added a few minutes to their time... and that few minutes either certainly or probably cost them a Boston Qualifying finish time. To say these people were upset would be a massive understatement. How could something like this happen? <em>Who should you be mad at?</em> And WHAT can be done?\r\n<h2><strong>Frankly, this should\'ve been impossible.</strong></h2>\r\nI worked this race as a timer, so I was behind the scenes. I was that guy at mile 8.8 in downtown Kennebunk - you probably didn\'t see me, I was hiding from the rain in my SUV with the timing laptop. On the street - my timing mats were placed <em>just so</em> across that crosswalk, and my GoPro was positioned and aimed <em>just so</em> on the white monument/street marker by the traffic cop.\r\n<h3><strong>Know why everything was <em>just so</em>?</strong></h3>\r\nBecause I had a very detailed, very <em>exact</em> GPS satellite-view map telling me <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">exactly</span> what to do. There were green arrows indicating runner direction and path. Red arrows told me where to point the point the GoPro. A little blue nearly-to-scale rectangle indicated exactly where to place my timing mats. There was even text detailing everything, just in case I got confused or was unclear. It would\'ve been <strong>shockingly</strong> difficult for me to screw it up. I basically would\'ve had to not read or completely ignore my instructions.\r\n<h2><strong>Course officials had the same kind of instructions.</strong></h2>\r\nMaine Coast Marathon had many volunteers, cops on detail, and they also hired a company to provide about 20 traffic control personnel / course marshalls. All of these people, if they were positioned on-course, were provided similar instructions to what I had (though I\'m sure theirs didn\'t include where to place timing mats or where to point a GoPro). In fact, that means their directions were even simpler than mine. A Maine Coast Marathon Facebook post this morning confirmed, they had a map/diagram with green arrows indicating the direction of runners for each intersection - very simple. Not only that, they had pre-race meetings and the Race Director even drove the course with these hired traffic control personnel.\r\n<h2><strong>So how did this happen?! And who\'s fault is it?</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1146\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12-300x243.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"243\" />Yes, I understand that if you were affected... you\'re angry. Your pitchfork is out and your torch is blazing. You want your pound of flesh... you want your BQ restored. You want your effort to not have been wasted! <strong>I get it.</strong> So who\'s to blame? Well, of course, the Race Director is accepting responsibility as any good Race Director would. Know what, though?\r\n<h3><strong>I don\'t think the Race Director is to blame.</strong></h3>\r\nThe Maine Coast Marathon leadership - Charles and Erik, did everything they possibly could to ensure they provided more-than-adequate very-clear instruction to their paid and volunteer crew in a number of different ways, with ample clarification. As someone who had a set of instructions from them... I honestly don\'t understand how that course marshall / traffic controller could\'ve <em>possibly</em> mis-interpreted his/her diagram/map. So am I blaming the rogue course marshall? Maybe, yeah. Why would he/she have directed people off-course like they did? <strong>We may never know.</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>So what can be done?</strong></h2>\r\nUnfortunately the short answer is: not a lot. Charles (of Maine Coast Marathon) indicated that it\'d be easy enough to measure and certify that extra distance... but many runners realized it was a mistake and didn\'t run the whole detour... meaning not everyone ran the same extra distance and rendering that \"fix\" not-doable. While they ARE talking to the B.A.A. it\'s unlikely they\'ll do anything to honor a just-missed BQ, as there are rules in place and it\'s simply too hard to certify what <em>would\'ve </em>happened if you <em>hadn\'t </em>run the extra distance (however long you, in particular, ran). Too many variables, too many what-ifs, and too big of a can of worms.\r\n<h2><strong>Remember to keep things in perspective.</strong></h2>\r\nTrust me, I know very well what goes into training and preparing for a marathon. The time, money, blood, sweat and tears that goes into the months of marathon prep is considerable indeed. The sacrifices you make to get it done and the sacrifices your family makes to support you have an impact on daily life... even moreso when you\'re pushing for a BQ. <strong>Really, I get it</strong><strong>.</strong> So I feel for those of you who feel your Boston Qualifying time.. or your new personal best (or both)... was just ripped out of your hands unfairly. But as crushed as you are... try to remember...\r\n<h3><strong>The Race Director is just as crushed.</strong></h3>\r\nRace Directors spend lots of time and effort planning, coordinating, and preparing for the event. They spend countless hours and many sleepless nights in order to ensure a solid event. They sacrifice just like you, and so does their family (who often helps out for free), to help create the best event possible... even if at their own expense (financially and figuratively). Many Race Directors are runners themselves, who sacrifice their own training because they know what THEY would want in an event... and they want to provide it for YOU.\r\n<h3><strong>And now they\'re trying to figure out what happened... and why.</strong></h3>\r\nCharles and Erik are sitting at home right now with overflowing inboxes and phones ringing off the hook. They are <em>painfully</em> aware you are angry... hurt... broken. They have the weight of all of your anger and sadness on their shoulders... and they\'re helpless to do much of anything for you. This kind of thing is a race director\'s worst nightmare... the only way it gets much worse is if someone <em><strong>actually dies</strong></em> during the event. They\'re doing their best to investigate and figure out what happened... but at the end of the day... all they can really do is express a heartfelt &amp; honest apology. They personally apologized to runners as they crossed the finished, they apologized online many times, and I\'m sure they\'re apologizing individually and personally as you email/call them. Frankly... I\'m not sure there\'s much else they can do.\r\n<h3><strong>It\'s time to pick yourself up and keep running.</strong></h3>\r\nNot very satisfying, I know... but unfortunately it is what it is. The best thing a runner can do in this situation is... well... <em>keep running.</em> Sad truth of the universe is that bad things happen to good people for no reason. There will be more marathons and more opportunities for a BQ. If you\'re already in fighting shape now... pick an August marathon and keep moving! Focus on the sport you love, have mercy on the Race Director, and keep on running. If you\'re still looking for answers, you can email the Race Director at info@mainecoast262.com - just give them a bit of a buffer as they\'re working hard to answer everyone.','A Race Director\'s Almost-Worst Nightmare - Maine Coast Marathon 2017','','inherit','closed','closed','','1140-revision-v1','','','2017-05-15 14:06:19','2017-05-15 18:06:19','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1140-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1153,1,'2017-05-15 14:07:55','2017-05-15 18:07:55','<h2><strong>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</strong></h2>\r\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\r\n<h3><strong>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</strong></h3>\r\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</strong></h2>\r\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\r\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\r\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and that those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\r\n<h3><strong>Both groups have their moments.</strong></h3>\r\nIn the end, though, everything usually tends to work out and go just fine. For all the complaining and whining we as runners might do... it was a pretty good race! And for all the worrying the Race Directors tend to do... It usually goes off pretty smoothly!\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes, though, the Universe demands blood.</strong></h2>\r\nA Race Director never really gets to breathe easy until the last runner crosses the finish and he/she can be reasonably sure everything went well. A race director\'s worst nightmare is to get news mid-race that something terrible happened. Despite the best of preparation and instruction... sometimes, for some reason... the Universe, it seems, demands a blood sacrifice. That is exactly what happened at the 2017 Maine Coast Marathon.\r\n<h2><strong>A half-mile on course, havoc at the finish.</strong></h2>\r\nIn short... it appears a paid course marshall / traffic control official went rogue, directed runners off-course down a side-street and back, and added about a half-mile to the race. In the end... this didn\'t really have a big impact on the majority of runners. Sure, some will complain they ran farther than they were supposed to. I\'m sure a good few were amused to find they accidentally became Ultramarathoners that day. A handful, though... <em>were </em>seriously impacted. That half-mile added a few minutes to their time... and that few minutes either certainly or probably cost them a Boston Qualifying finish time. To say these people were upset would be a massive understatement. How could something like this happen? <em>Who should you be mad at?</em> And WHAT can be done?\r\n<h2><strong>Frankly, this should\'ve been impossible.</strong></h2>\r\nI worked this race as a timer, so I was behind the scenes. I was that guy at mile 8.8 in downtown Kennebunk - you probably didn\'t see me, I was hiding from the rain in my SUV with the timing laptop. On the street - my timing mats were placed <em>just so</em> across that crosswalk, and my GoPro was positioned and aimed <em>just so</em> on the white monument/street marker by the traffic cop.\r\n<h3><strong>Know why everything was <em>just so</em>?</strong></h3>\r\nBecause I had a very detailed, very <em>exact</em> GPS satellite-view map telling me <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">exactly</span> what to do. There were green arrows indicating runner direction and path. Red arrows told me where to point the point the GoPro. A little blue nearly-to-scale rectangle indicated exactly where to place my timing mats. There was even text detailing everything, just in case I got confused or was unclear. It would\'ve been <strong>shockingly</strong> difficult for me to screw it up. I basically would\'ve had to not read or completely ignore my instructions.\r\n<h2><strong>Course officials had the same kind of instructions.</strong></h2>\r\nMaine Coast Marathon had many volunteers, cops on detail, and they also hired a company to provide about 20 traffic control personnel / course marshalls. All of these people, if they were positioned on-course, were provided similar instructions to what I had (though I\'m sure theirs didn\'t include where to place timing mats or where to point a GoPro). In fact, that means their directions were even simpler than mine. A Maine Coast Marathon Facebook post this morning confirmed, they had a map/diagram with green arrows indicating the direction of runners for each intersection - very simple. Not only that, they had pre-race meetings and the Race Director even drove the course with these hired traffic control personnel.\r\n<h2><strong>So how did this happen?! And who\'s fault is it?</strong></h2>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1146\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12-300x243.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"243\" />Yes, I understand that if you were affected... you\'re angry. Your pitchfork is out and your torch is blazing. You want your pound of flesh... you want your BQ restored. You want your effort to not have been wasted! <strong>I get it.</strong> So who\'s to blame? Well, of course, the Race Director is accepting responsibility as any good Race Director would. Know what, though?\r\n<h3><strong>I don\'t think the Race Director is to blame.</strong></h3>\r\nThe Maine Coast Marathon leadership - Charles and Erik, did everything they possibly could to ensure they provided more-than-adequate very-clear instruction to their paid and volunteer crew in a number of different ways, with ample clarification. <img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1143\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12error-300x215.png\" alt=\"Maine Coast Marathon Course Error\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" />As someone who had a set of instructions from them... I honestly don\'t understand how that course marshall / traffic controller could\'ve <em>possibly</em> mis-interpreted his/her diagram/map. So am I blaming the rogue course marshall? Maybe, yeah. Why would he/she have directed people off-course like they did? <strong>We may never know.</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>So what can be done?</strong></h2>\r\nUnfortunately the short answer is: not a lot. Charles (of Maine Coast Marathon) indicated that it\'d be easy enough to measure and certify that extra distance... but many runners realized it was a mistake and didn\'t run the whole detour... meaning not everyone ran the same extra distance and rendering that \"fix\" not-doable. While they ARE talking to the B.A.A. it\'s unlikely they\'ll do anything to honor a just-missed BQ, as there are rules in place and it\'s simply too hard to certify what <em>would\'ve </em>happened if you <em>hadn\'t </em>run the extra distance (however long you, in particular, ran). Too many variables, too many what-ifs, and too big of a can of worms.\r\n<h2><strong>Remember to keep things in perspective.</strong></h2>\r\nTrust me, I know very well what goes into training and preparing for a marathon. The time, money, blood, sweat and tears that goes into the months of marathon prep is considerable indeed. The sacrifices you make to get it done and the sacrifices your family makes to support you have an impact on daily life... even moreso when you\'re pushing for a BQ. <strong>Really, I get it</strong><strong>.</strong> So I feel for those of you who feel your Boston Qualifying time.. or your new personal best (or both)... was just ripped out of your hands unfairly. But as crushed as you are... try to remember...\r\n<h3><strong>The Race Director is just as crushed.</strong></h3>\r\nRace Directors spend lots of time and effort planning, coordinating, and preparing for the event. They spend countless hours and many sleepless nights in order to ensure a solid event. They sacrifice just like you, and so does their family (who often helps out for free), to help create the best event possible... even if at their own expense (financially and figuratively). Many Race Directors are runners themselves, who sacrifice their own training because they know what THEY would want in an event... and they want to provide it for YOU.\r\n<h3><strong>And now they\'re trying to figure out what happened... and why.</strong></h3>\r\nCharles and Erik are sitting at home right now with overflowing inboxes and phones ringing off the hook. They are <em>painfully</em> aware you are angry... hurt... broken. They have the weight of all of your anger and sadness on their shoulders... and they\'re helpless to do much of anything for you. This kind of thing is a race director\'s worst nightmare... the only way it gets much worse is if someone <em><strong>actually dies</strong></em> during the event. They\'re doing their best to investigate and figure out what happened... but at the end of the day... all they can really do is express a heartfelt &amp; honest apology. They personally apologized to runners as they crossed the finished, they apologized online many times, and I\'m sure they\'re apologizing individually and personally as you email/call them. Frankly... I\'m not sure there\'s much else they can do.\r\n<h3><strong>It\'s time to pick yourself up and keep running.</strong></h3>\r\nNot very satisfying, I know... but unfortunately it is what it is. The best thing a runner can do in this situation is... well... <em>keep running.</em> Sad truth of the universe is that bad things happen to good people for no reason. There will be more marathons and more opportunities for a BQ. If you\'re already in fighting shape now... pick an August marathon and keep moving! Focus on the sport you love, have mercy on the Race Director, and keep on running. If you\'re still looking for answers, you can email the Race Director at info@mainecoast262.com - just give them a bit of a buffer as they\'re working hard to answer everyone.','A Race Director\'s Almost-Worst Nightmare - Maine Coast Marathon 2017','','inherit','closed','closed','','1140-revision-v1','','','2017-05-15 14:07:55','2017-05-15 18:07:55','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1140-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1154,1,'2017-05-15 14:08:56','2017-05-15 18:08:56','<h2><strong>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</strong></h2>\r\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\r\n<h3><strong>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</strong></h3>\r\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</strong></h2>\r\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\r\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\r\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and that those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\r\n<h3><strong>Both groups have their moments.</strong></h3>\r\nIn the end, though, everything usually tends to work out and go just fine. For all the complaining and whining we as runners might do... it was a pretty good race! And for all the worrying the Race Directors tend to do... It usually goes off pretty smoothly!\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes, though, the Universe demands blood.</strong></h2>\r\nA Race Director never really gets to breathe easy until the last runner crosses the finish and he/she can be reasonably sure everything went well. A race director\'s worst nightmare is to get news mid-race that something terrible happened. Despite the best of preparation and instruction... sometimes, for some reason... the Universe, it seems, demands a blood sacrifice. That is exactly what happened at the 2017 Maine Coast Marathon.\r\n<h2><strong>A half-mile on course, havoc at the finish.</strong></h2>\r\nIn short... it appears a paid course marshall / traffic control official went rogue, directed runners off-course down a side-street and back, and added about a half-mile to the race. In the end... this didn\'t really have a big impact on the majority of runners. Sure, some will complain they ran farther than they were supposed to. I\'m sure a good few were amused to find they accidentally became Ultramarathoners that day. A handful, though... <em>were </em>seriously impacted. That half-mile added a few minutes to their time... and that few minutes either certainly or probably cost them a Boston Qualifying finish time. To say these people were upset would be a massive understatement. How could something like this happen? <em>Who should you be mad at?</em> And WHAT can be done?\r\n<h2><strong>Frankly, this should\'ve been impossible.</strong></h2>\r\nI worked this race as a timer, so I was behind the scenes. I was that guy at mile 8.8 in downtown Kennebunk - you probably didn\'t see me, I was hiding from the rain in my SUV with the timing laptop. On the street - my timing mats were placed <em>just so</em> across that crosswalk, and my GoPro was positioned and aimed <em>just so</em> on the white monument/street marker by the traffic cop.\r\n<h3><strong>Know why everything was <em>just so</em>?</strong></h3>\r\nBecause I had a very detailed, very <em>exact</em> GPS satellite-view map telling me <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">exactly</span> what to do. There were green arrows indicating runner direction and path. Red arrows told me where to point the point the GoPro. A little blue nearly-to-scale rectangle indicated exactly where to place my timing mats. There was even text detailing everything, just in case I got confused or was unclear. It would\'ve been <strong>shockingly</strong> difficult for me to screw it up. I basically would\'ve had to not read or completely ignore my instructions.\r\n<h2><strong>Course officials had the same kind of instructions.</strong></h2>\r\nMaine Coast Marathon had many volunteers, cops on detail, and they also hired a company to provide about 20 traffic control personnel / course marshalls. All of these people, if they were positioned on-course, were provided similar instructions to what I had (though I\'m sure theirs didn\'t include where to place timing mats or where to point a GoPro). In fact, that means their directions were even simpler than mine. A Maine Coast Marathon Facebook post this morning confirmed, they had a map/diagram with green arrows indicating the direction of runners for each intersection - very simple. Not only that, they had pre-race meetings and the Race Director even drove the course with these hired traffic control personnel.\r\n<h2><strong>So how did this happen?! And who\'s fault is it?</strong></h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1146\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-1146 size-medium\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12-300x243.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"243\" /> What SHOULD\'VE happened.[/caption]\r\n\r\nYes, I understand that if you were affected... you\'re angry. Your pitchfork is out and your torch is blazing. You want your pound of flesh... you want your BQ restored. You want your effort to not have been wasted! <strong>I get it.</strong> So who\'s to blame? Well, of course, the Race Director is accepting responsibility as any good Race Director would. Know what, though?\r\n<h3><strong>I don\'t think the Race Director is to blame.</strong></h3>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1143\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-1143 size-medium\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12error-300x215.png\" alt=\"Maine Coast Marathon Course Error\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" /> What ACTUALLY happened.[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe Maine Coast Marathon leadership - Charles and Erik, did everything they possibly could to ensure they provided more-than-adequate very-clear instruction to their paid and volunteer crew in a number of different ways, with ample clarification. As someone who had a set of instructions from them... I honestly don\'t understand how that course marshall / traffic controller could\'ve <em>possibly</em> mis-interpreted his/her diagram/map. So am I blaming the rogue course marshall? Maybe, yeah. Why would he/she have directed people off-course like they did? <strong>We may never know.</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>So what can be done?</strong></h2>\r\nUnfortunately the short answer is: not a lot. Charles (of Maine Coast Marathon) indicated that it\'d be easy enough to measure and certify that extra distance... but many runners realized it was a mistake and didn\'t run the whole detour... meaning not everyone ran the same extra distance and rendering that \"fix\" not-doable. While they ARE talking to the B.A.A. it\'s unlikely they\'ll do anything to honor a just-missed BQ, as there are rules in place and it\'s simply too hard to certify what <em>would\'ve </em>happened if you <em>hadn\'t </em>run the extra distance (however long you, in particular, ran). Too many variables, too many what-ifs, and too big of a can of worms.\r\n<h2><strong>Remember to keep things in perspective.</strong></h2>\r\nTrust me, I know very well what goes into training and preparing for a marathon. The time, money, blood, sweat and tears that goes into the months of marathon prep is considerable indeed. The sacrifices you make to get it done and the sacrifices your family makes to support you have an impact on daily life... even moreso when you\'re pushing for a BQ. <strong>Really, I get it</strong><strong>.</strong> So I feel for those of you who feel your Boston Qualifying time.. or your new personal best (or both)... was just ripped out of your hands unfairly. But as crushed as you are... try to remember...\r\n<h3><strong>The Race Director is just as crushed.</strong></h3>\r\nRace Directors spend lots of time and effort planning, coordinating, and preparing for the event. They spend countless hours and many sleepless nights in order to ensure a solid event. They sacrifice just like you, and so does their family (who often helps out for free), to help create the best event possible... even if at their own expense (financially and figuratively). Many Race Directors are runners themselves, who sacrifice their own training because they know what THEY would want in an event... and they want to provide it for YOU.\r\n<h3><strong>And now they\'re trying to figure out what happened... and why.</strong></h3>\r\nCharles and Erik are sitting at home right now with overflowing inboxes and phones ringing off the hook. They are <em>painfully</em> aware you are angry... hurt... broken. They have the weight of all of your anger and sadness on their shoulders... and they\'re helpless to do much of anything for you. This kind of thing is a race director\'s worst nightmare... the only way it gets much worse is if someone <em><strong>actually dies</strong></em> during the event. They\'re doing their best to investigate and figure out what happened... but at the end of the day... all they can really do is express a heartfelt &amp; honest apology. They personally apologized to runners as they crossed the finished, they apologized online many times, and I\'m sure they\'re apologizing individually and personally as you email/call them. Frankly... I\'m not sure there\'s much else they can do.\r\n<h3><strong>It\'s time to pick yourself up and keep running.</strong></h3>\r\nNot very satisfying, I know... but unfortunately it is what it is. The best thing a runner can do in this situation is... well... <em>keep running.</em> Sad truth of the universe is that bad things happen to good people for no reason. There will be more marathons and more opportunities for a BQ. If you\'re already in fighting shape now... pick an August marathon and keep moving! Focus on the sport you love, have mercy on the Race Director, and keep on running. If you\'re still looking for answers, you can email the Race Director at info@mainecoast262.com - just give them a bit of a buffer as they\'re working hard to answer everyone.','A Race Director\'s Almost-Worst Nightmare - Maine Coast Marathon 2017','','inherit','closed','closed','','1140-revision-v1','','','2017-05-15 14:08:56','2017-05-15 18:08:56','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1140-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1155,1,'2017-05-15 14:51:28','2017-05-15 18:51:28','<h2><strong>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</strong></h2>\r\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\r\n<h3><strong>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</strong></h3>\r\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</strong></h2>\r\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\r\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\r\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and that those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\r\n<h3><strong>Both groups have their moments.</strong></h3>\r\nIn the end, though, everything usually tends to work out and go just fine. For all the complaining and whining we as runners might do... it was a pretty good race! And for all the worrying the Race Directors tend to do... It usually goes off pretty smoothly!\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes, though, the Universe demands blood.</strong></h2>\r\nA Race Director never really gets to breathe easy until the last runner crosses the finish and he/she can be reasonably sure everything went well. A race director\'s worst nightmare is to get news mid-race that something terrible happened. Despite the best of preparation and instruction... sometimes, for some reason... the Universe, it seems, demands a blood sacrifice. That is exactly what happened at the 2017 Maine Coast Marathon.\r\n<h2><strong>A half-mile on course, havoc at the finish.</strong></h2>\r\nIn short... it appears a paid course marshall / traffic control official went rogue, directed runners off-course down a side-street and back, and added about a half-mile to the race. In the end... this didn\'t really have a big impact on the majority of runners. Sure, some will complain they ran farther than they were supposed to. I\'m sure a good few were amused to find they accidentally became Ultramarathoners that day. A handful, though... <em>were </em>seriously impacted. That half-mile added a few minutes to their time... and that few minutes either certainly or probably cost them a Boston Qualifying finish time. To say these people were upset would be a massive understatement. How could something like this happen? <em>Who should you be mad at?</em> And WHAT can be done?\r\n<h2><strong>Frankly, this should\'ve been impossible.</strong></h2>\r\nI worked this race as a timer, so I was behind the scenes. I was that guy at mile 8.8 in downtown Kennebunk - you probably didn\'t see me, I was hiding from the rain in my SUV with the timing laptop. On the street - my timing mats were placed <em>just so</em> across that crosswalk, and my GoPro was positioned and aimed <em>just so</em> on the white monument/street marker by the traffic cop.\r\n<h3><strong>Know why everything was <em>just so</em>?</strong></h3>\r\nBecause I had a very detailed, very <em>exact</em> GPS satellite-view map telling me <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">exactly</span> what to do. There were green arrows indicating runner direction and path. Red arrows told me where to point the GoPro. A little blue nearly-to-scale rectangle indicated exactly where to place my timing mats. There was even text detailing everything, just in case I got confused or was unclear. It would\'ve been <strong>shockingly</strong> difficult for me to screw it up. I basically would\'ve had to not read or completely ignore my instructions.\r\n<h2><strong>Course officials had the same kind of instructions.</strong></h2>\r\nMaine Coast Marathon had many volunteers, cops on detail, and they also hired a company to provide about 20 traffic control personnel / course marshalls. All of these people, if they were positioned on-course, were provided similar instructions to what I had (though I\'m sure theirs didn\'t include where to place timing mats or where to point a GoPro). In fact, that means their directions were even simpler than mine. A Maine Coast Marathon Facebook post this morning confirmed, they had a map/diagram with green arrows indicating the direction of runners for each intersection - very simple. Not only that, they had pre-race meetings and the Race Director even drove the course with these hired traffic control personnel.\r\n<h2><strong>So how did this happen?! And who\'s fault is it?</strong></h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1146\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-1146 size-medium\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12-300x243.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"243\" /> What SHOULD\'VE happened.[/caption]\r\n\r\nYes, I understand that if you were affected... you\'re angry. Your pitchfork is out and your torch is blazing. You want your pound of flesh... you want your BQ restored. You want your effort to not have been wasted! <strong>I get it.</strong> So who\'s to blame? Well, of course, the Race Director is accepting responsibility as any good Race Director would. Know what, though?\r\n<h3><strong>I don\'t think the Race Director is to blame.</strong></h3>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1143\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-1143 size-medium\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12error-300x215.png\" alt=\"Maine Coast Marathon Course Error\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" /> What ACTUALLY happened.[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe Maine Coast Marathon leadership - Charles and Erik, did everything they possibly could to ensure they provided more-than-adequate very-clear instruction to their paid and volunteer crew in a number of different ways, with ample clarification. As someone who had a set of instructions from them... I honestly don\'t understand how that course marshall / traffic controller could\'ve <em>possibly</em> mis-interpreted his/her diagram/map. So am I blaming the rogue course marshall? Maybe, yeah. Why would he/she have directed people off-course like they did? <strong>We may never know.</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>So what can be done?</strong></h2>\r\nUnfortunately the short answer is: not a lot. Charles (of Maine Coast Marathon) indicated that it\'d be easy enough to measure and certify that extra distance... but many runners realized it was a mistake and didn\'t run the whole detour... meaning not everyone ran the same extra distance and rendering that \"fix\" not-doable. While they ARE talking to the B.A.A. it\'s unlikely they\'ll do anything to honor a just-missed BQ, as there are rules in place and it\'s simply too hard to certify what <em>would\'ve </em>happened if you <em>hadn\'t </em>run the extra distance (however long you, in particular, ran). Too many variables, too many what-ifs, and too big of a can of worms.\r\n<h2><strong>Remember to keep things in perspective.</strong></h2>\r\nTrust me, I know very well what goes into training and preparing for a marathon. The time, money, blood, sweat and tears that goes into the months of marathon prep is considerable indeed. The sacrifices you make to get it done and the sacrifices your family makes to support you have an impact on daily life... even moreso when you\'re pushing for a BQ. <strong>Really, I get it</strong><strong>.</strong> So I feel for those of you who feel your Boston Qualifying time.. or your new personal best (or both)... was just ripped out of your hands unfairly. But as crushed as you are... try to remember...\r\n<h3><strong>The Race Director is just as crushed.</strong></h3>\r\nRace Directors spend lots of time and effort planning, coordinating, and preparing for the event. They spend countless hours and many sleepless nights in order to ensure a solid event. They sacrifice just like you, and so does their family (who often helps out for free), to help create the best event possible... even if at their own expense (financially and figuratively). Many Race Directors are runners themselves, who sacrifice their own training because they know what THEY would want in an event... and they want to provide it for YOU.\r\n<h3><strong>And now they\'re trying to figure out what happened... and why.</strong></h3>\r\nCharles and Erik are sitting at home right now with overflowing inboxes and phones ringing off the hook. They are <em>painfully</em> aware you are angry... hurt... broken. They have the weight of all of your anger and sadness on their shoulders... and they\'re helpless to do much of anything for you. This kind of thing is a race director\'s worst nightmare... the only way it gets much worse is if someone <em><strong>actually dies</strong></em> during the event. They\'re doing their best to investigate and figure out what happened... but at the end of the day... all they can really do is express a heartfelt &amp; honest apology. They personally apologized to runners as they crossed the finished, they apologized online many times, and I\'m sure they\'re apologizing individually and personally as you email/call them. Frankly... I\'m not sure there\'s much else they can do.\r\n<h3><strong>It\'s time to pick yourself up and keep running.</strong></h3>\r\nNot very satisfying, I know... but unfortunately it is what it is. The best thing a runner can do in this situation is... well... <em>keep running.</em> Sad truth of the universe is that bad things happen to good people for no reason. There will be more marathons and more opportunities for a BQ. If you\'re already in fighting shape now... pick an August marathon and keep moving! Focus on the sport you love, have mercy on the Race Director, and keep on running. If you\'re still looking for answers, you can email the Race Director at info@mainecoast262.com - just give them a bit of a buffer as they\'re working hard to answer everyone.','A Race Director\'s Almost-Worst Nightmare - Maine Coast Marathon 2017','','inherit','closed','closed','','1140-revision-v1','','','2017-05-15 14:51:28','2017-05-15 18:51:28','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1140-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1156,1,'2017-05-15 14:55:03','2017-05-15 18:55:03','<h2><strong>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</strong></h2>\r\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\r\n<h3><strong>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</strong></h3>\r\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</strong></h2>\r\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\r\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\r\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and that those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\r\n<h3><strong>Both groups have their moments.</strong></h3>\r\nIn the end, though, everything usually tends to work out and go just fine. For all the complaining and whining we as runners might do... it was a pretty good race! And for all the worrying the Race Directors tend to do... It usually goes off pretty smoothly!\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes, though, the Universe demands blood.</strong></h2>\r\nA Race Director never really gets to breathe easy until the last runner crosses the finish and he/she can be reasonably sure everything went well. A race director\'s worst nightmare is to get news mid-race that something terrible happened. Despite the best of preparation and instruction... sometimes, for some reason... the Universe, it seems, demands a blood sacrifice. That is exactly what happened at the 2017 Maine Coast Marathon.\r\n<h2><strong>A half-mile on course, havoc at the finish.</strong></h2>\r\nIn short... it appears a paid course marshall / traffic control official went rogue, directed runners off-course down a side-street and back, and added about a half-mile to the race. In the end... this didn\'t really have a big impact on the majority of runners. Sure, some will complain they ran farther than they were supposed to. I\'m sure a good few were amused to find they accidentally became Ultramarathoners that day. A handful, though... <em>were </em>seriously impacted. That half-mile added a few minutes to their time... and that few minutes either certainly or probably cost them a Boston Qualifying finish time. To say these people were upset would be a massive understatement. How could something like this happen? <em>Who should you be mad at?</em> And WHAT can be done?\r\n<h2><strong>Frankly, this should\'ve been impossible.</strong></h2>\r\nI worked this race as a timer, so I was behind the scenes. I was that guy at mile 8.8 in downtown Kennebunk - you probably didn\'t see me, I was hiding from the rain in my SUV with the timing laptop. On the street - my timing mats were placed <em>just so</em> across that crosswalk, and my GoPro was positioned and aimed <em>just so</em> on the white monument/street marker by the traffic cop.\r\n<h3><strong>Know why everything was <em>just so</em>?</strong></h3>\r\nBecause I had a very detailed, very <em>exact</em> GPS satellite-view map telling me <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">exactly</span> what to do. There were green arrows indicating runner direction and path. Red arrows told me where to point the GoPro. A little blue nearly-to-scale rectangle indicated exactly where to place my timing mats. There was even text detailing everything, just in case I got confused or was unclear. It would\'ve been <strong>shockingly</strong> difficult for me to screw it up. I basically would\'ve had to not read or completely ignore my instructions.\r\n<h2><strong>Course officials had the same kind of instructions.</strong></h2>\r\nMaine Coast Marathon had many volunteers, cops on detail, and they also hired a company to provide about 20 traffic control personnel / course marshalls. All of these people, if they were positioned on-course, were provided similar instructions to what I had (though I\'m sure theirs didn\'t include where to place timing mats or where to point a GoPro). In fact, that means their directions were even simpler than mine. A Maine Coast Marathon Facebook post this morning confirmed, they had a map/diagram with green arrows indicating the direction of runners for each intersection - very simple. Not only that, they had pre-race meetings and the Race Director even drove the course with these hired traffic control personnel.\r\n<h2><strong>So how did this happen?! And who\'s fault is it?</strong></h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1146\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-1146 size-medium\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12-300x243.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"243\" /> What SHOULD\'VE happened.[/caption]\r\n\r\nYes, I understand that if you were affected... you\'re angry. Your pitchfork is out and your torch is blazing. You want your pound of flesh... you want your BQ restored. You want your effort to not have been wasted! <strong>I get it.</strong> So who\'s to blame? Well, of course, the Race Director is accepting responsibility as any good Race Director would. Know what, though?\r\n<h3><strong>I don\'t think the Race Director is to blame.</strong></h3>\r\nThe Maine Coast Marathon leadership - Charles and Erik, did everything they possibly could to ensure they provided more-than-adequate very-clear instruction to their paid and volunteer crew in a number of different ways, with ample clarification. As someone who had a set of instructions from them... I honestly don\'t understand how that course marshall / traffic controller could\'ve <em>possibly</em> mis-interpreted his/her diagram/map. So am I blaming the rogue course marshall? Maybe, yeah.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1143\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1143\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12error-300x215.png\" alt=\"Maine Coast Marathon Course Error\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" /> What ACTUALLY happened.[/caption]\r\n\r\nWhy would he/she have directed people off-course like they did? <strong>We may never know.</strong>\r\n<h2><strong>So what can be done?</strong></h2>\r\nUnfortunately the short answer is: not a lot. Charles (of Maine Coast Marathon) indicated that it\'d be easy enough to measure and certify that extra distance... but many runners realized it was a mistake and didn\'t run the whole detour... meaning not everyone ran the same extra distance and rendering that \"fix\" not-doable. While they ARE talking to the B.A.A. it\'s unlikely they\'ll do anything to honor a just-missed BQ, as there are rules in place and it\'s simply too hard to certify what <em>would\'ve </em>happened if you <em>hadn\'t </em>run the extra distance (however long you, in particular, ran). Too many variables, too many what-ifs, and too big of a can of worms.\r\n<h2><strong>Remember to keep things in perspective.</strong></h2>\r\nTrust me, I know very well what goes into training and preparing for a marathon. The time, money, blood, sweat and tears that goes into the months of marathon prep is considerable indeed. The sacrifices you make to get it done and the sacrifices your family makes to support you have an impact on daily life... even moreso when you\'re pushing for a BQ. <strong>Really, I get it</strong><strong>.</strong> So I feel for those of you who feel your Boston Qualifying time.. or your new personal best (or both)... was just ripped out of your hands unfairly. But as crushed as you are... try to remember...\r\n<h3><strong>The Race Director is just as crushed.</strong></h3>\r\nRace Directors spend lots of time and effort planning, coordinating, and preparing for the event. They spend countless hours and many sleepless nights in order to ensure a solid event. They sacrifice just like you, and so does their family (who often helps out for free), to help create the best event possible... even if at their own expense (financially and figuratively). Many Race Directors are runners themselves, who sacrifice their own training because they know what THEY would want in an event... and they want to provide it for YOU.\r\n<h3><strong>And now they\'re trying to figure out what happened... and why.</strong></h3>\r\nCharles and Erik are sitting at home right now with overflowing inboxes and phones ringing off the hook. They are <em>painfully</em> aware you are angry... hurt... broken. They have the weight of all of your anger and sadness on their shoulders... and they\'re helpless to do much of anything for you. This kind of thing is a race director\'s worst nightmare... the only way it gets much worse is if someone <em><strong>actually dies</strong></em> during the event. They\'re doing their best to investigate and figure out what happened... but at the end of the day... all they can really do is express a heartfelt &amp; honest apology. They personally apologized to runners as they crossed the finished, they apologized online many times, and I\'m sure they\'re apologizing individually and personally as you email/call them. Frankly... I\'m not sure there\'s much else they can do.\r\n<h3><strong>It\'s time to pick yourself up and keep running.</strong></h3>\r\nNot very satisfying, I know... but unfortunately it is what it is. The best thing a runner can do in this situation is... well... <em>keep running.</em> Sad truth of the universe is that bad things happen to good people for no reason. There will be more marathons and more opportunities for a BQ. If you\'re already in fighting shape now... pick an August marathon and keep moving! Focus on the sport you love, have mercy on the Race Director, and keep on running. If you\'re still looking for answers, you can email the Race Director at info@mainecoast262.com - just give them a bit of a buffer as they\'re working hard to answer everyone.','A Race Director\'s Almost-Worst Nightmare - Maine Coast Marathon 2017','','inherit','closed','closed','','1140-revision-v1','','','2017-05-15 14:55:03','2017-05-15 18:55:03','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1140-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1157,1,'2017-05-15 15:10:56','2017-05-15 19:10:56','<h2><strong>Sometimes life throws us a curveball...</strong></h2>\r\nThis past weekend, it was in the form of an extra 1/2 mile on the Maine Coast Marathon course. That might not seem like a big deal to some - indeed, it\'s probably only an extra 3 - 8 minutes added to most peoples\' day. For the exceptionally fast, though... that extra few minutes could be the difference between earning a coveted, and often elusive, BQ... or walking away heartbroken after months of effort seemingy wasted.\r\n<h3><strong>Needless to say, the pitchforks and torches are out.</strong></h3>\r\nPeople are raging on social media, railing against the race, and demanding their pound of flesh. In this situation, as often happens, not everyone knows what, exactly, happened... but they know they\'re angry and upset. They know they want answers and a resolution. While nothing I can say today is going to award anyone a BQ... hopefully I can help give a little insight into things...<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>As runners, we can be a needy bunch.</strong></h2>\r\nI say it because I am one and I know it. I\'m also (often) a paid race timer and (sometimes) a volunteer. Seeing races from all sides of the event allows me to see runners (including myself) at our best and at our worst. I think we can all be honest and agree... many runners damned-near expect perfection when we roll up to a race. We expect fast, easy parking, and a lightning-fast bib-pickup. We want short bathroom lines and an ideal race-course experience. If we get bottlenecked at any point on-course we\'re complainey and if our photos aren\'t cover-worthy we whine. God forbid our official time doesn\'t match what our Garmin says... I mean, what the heck! We paid good money for this!\r\n<h3><strong>Race Directors, it seems, have a much shorter list of race-day \"needs\".</strong></h3>\r\nAs a Race Director... you know there are SO many variables... and you just hope you can control as many as possible (and that those you CAN\'T control go your way). Things like... it would be GREAT if nobody got injured or, God forbid, carted off to the nearest hospital. Hopefully vendors show up on-time with enough stuff. Having good weather is always a bonus. Of course, you want your volunteers and paid support staff to do their jobs correctly. Ultimately though, the most important thing is that your runners have fun and enjoy themselves.\r\n<h3><strong>Both groups have their moments.</strong></h3>\r\nIn the end, though, everything usually tends to work out and go just fine. For all the complaining and whining we as runners might do... it was a pretty good race! And for all the worrying the Race Directors tend to do... It usually goes off pretty smoothly!\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes, though, the Universe demands blood.</strong></h2>\r\nA Race Director never really gets to breathe easy until the last runner crosses the finish and he/she can be reasonably sure everything went well. A race director\'s worst nightmare is to get news mid-race that something terrible happened. Despite the best of preparation and instruction... sometimes, for some reason... the Universe, it seems, demands a blood sacrifice. That is exactly what happened at the 2017 Maine Coast Marathon.\r\n<h2><strong>A half-mile on course, havoc at the finish.</strong></h2>\r\nIn short... it appears a paid course marshall / traffic control official went rogue, directed runners off-course down a side-street and back, and added about a half-mile to the race. In the end... this didn\'t really have a big impact on the majority of runners. Sure, some will complain they ran farther than they were supposed to. I\'m sure a good few were amused to find they accidentally became Ultramarathoners that day. A handful, though... <em>were </em>seriously impacted. That half-mile added a few minutes to their time... and that few minutes either certainly or probably cost them a Boston Qualifying finish time. To say these people were upset would be a massive understatement. How could something like this happen? <em>Who should you be mad at?</em> And WHAT can be done?\r\n<h2><strong>Frankly, this should\'ve been impossible.</strong></h2>\r\nI worked this race as a timer, so I was behind the scenes. I was that guy at mile 8.8 in downtown Kennebunk - you probably didn\'t see me, I was hiding from the rain in my SUV with the timing laptop. On the street - my timing mats were placed <em>just so</em> across that crosswalk, and my GoPro was positioned and aimed <em>just so</em> on the white monument/street marker by the traffic cop.\r\n<h3><strong>Know why everything was <em>just so</em>?</strong></h3>\r\nBecause I had a very detailed, very <em>exact</em> GPS satellite-view map telling me <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">exactly</span> what to do. There were green arrows indicating runner direction and path. Red arrows told me where to point the GoPro. A little blue nearly-to-scale rectangle indicated exactly where to place my timing mats. There was even text detailing everything, just in case I got confused or was unclear. It would\'ve been <strong>shockingly</strong> difficult for me to screw it up. I basically would\'ve had to not read or completely ignore my instructions.\r\n<h2><strong>Course officials had the same kind of instructions.</strong></h2>\r\nMaine Coast Marathon had many volunteers, cops on detail, and they also hired a company to provide about 20 traffic control personnel / course marshalls. All of these people, if they were positioned on-course, were provided similar instructions to what I had (though I\'m sure theirs didn\'t include where to place timing mats or where to point a GoPro). In fact, that means their directions were even simpler than mine. A Maine Coast Marathon Facebook post this morning confirmed: they had a map/diagram with green arrows indicating the direction of runners for each intersection - very simple. Not only that, they had pre-race meetings and the Race Director even drove the course with these hired traffic control personnel to go over things and point out everything.\r\n<h2><strong>So how did this happen?! And who\'s fault is it?</strong></h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1146\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-1146 size-medium\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12-300x243.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"243\" /> What SHOULD\'VE happened.[/caption]\r\n\r\nYes, I understand that if you were affected... you\'re angry. Your pitchfork is out and your torch is blazing. You want your pound of flesh... you want your BQ restored. You want your effort to not have been wasted! <strong>I get it.</strong> So who\'s to blame? Well, of course, the Race Director is accepting responsibility as any good Race Director would. Know what, though?\r\n<h3><strong>I don\'t think the Race Director is to blame.</strong></h3>\r\nThe Maine Coast Marathon leadership - Charles and Erik, did everything they possibly could to ensure they provided more-than-adequate very-clear instruction to their paid and volunteer crew in a number of different ways, with ample clarification. As someone who had a set of instructions from them... I honestly don\'t understand how that course marshall / traffic controller could\'ve <em>possibly</em> mis-interpreted his/her diagram/map. So am I blaming the rogue course marshall? Maybe, yeah.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1143\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1143\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HalfCourseMile12error-300x215.png\" alt=\"Maine Coast Marathon Course Error\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" /> What ACTUALLY happened.[/caption]\r\n\r\nWhy would he/she have directed people off-course like they did? <strong>We may never know. </strong>Do I understand that, ultimately, anything that goes wrong lands at the Race Director\'s feet? <em>Of course. </em>Doesn\'t mean I have to agree with it. At the end of the day, I think Charles and Erik did everything they reasonably could have, and more, to ensure the course was accurate. I don\'t blame them for this... but then again, I didn\'t run it.\r\n<h2><strong>So what can be done?</strong></h2>\r\nUnfortunately the short answer is: not a lot. Charles indicated that it\'d be easy enough to measure and certify that extra distance... but many runners realized it was a mistake and didn\'t run the whole detour... meaning not everyone ran the same extra distance and rendering that \"fix\" not-doable. While they ARE talking to the B.A.A. it\'s unlikely the B.A.A. will do anything to honor a just-missed BQ, as there are rules in place and it\'s simply too hard to certify what <em>would\'ve </em>happened if you <em>hadn\'t </em>run the extra distance (however long you, in particular, ran). Too many variables, too many what-ifs, and too big of a can of worms.\r\n<h2><strong>Remember to keep things in perspective.</strong></h2>\r\nTrust me, I know very well what goes into training and preparing for a marathon. The time, money, blood, sweat and tears that goes into the months of marathon prep is considerable indeed. The sacrifices you make to get it done and the sacrifices your family makes to support you have an impact on daily life... even moreso when you\'re pushing for a BQ. <strong>Really, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">I get it</span></strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>.</strong></span> So I feel for those of you who feel your Boston Qualifying time.. or your new personal best (or both)... was just ripped out of your hands unfairly. But as crushed as you are... try to remember...\r\n<h3><strong>The Race Director is just as crushed.</strong></h3>\r\nRace Directors spend lots of time and effort planning, coordinating, and preparing for the event. They spend countless hours and many sleepless nights in order to ensure a solid event. They sacrifice just like you, and so does their family (who often helps out for free), to help create the best event possible... even if at their own expense (financially and figuratively). When YOU get a BQ or a new personal best, they share your joy and accomplishment. The fact that this happened, and so many people are upset, angry, sad, and broken... cuts them to the core.\r\n<h3><strong>And now they\'re trying to figure out what happened... and why.</strong></h3>\r\nCharles and Erik are sitting at home right now with overflowing inboxes and phones ringing off the hook. They have the weight of all of your anger and sadness on their shoulders... and they\'re helpless to do much of anything for you. This kind of thing is a race director\'s worst nightmare... the only way it gets much worse is if someone <em><strong>actually dies</strong></em> during the event. They\'re doing their best to investigate and figure out what happened... but at the end of the day... all they can really do is express a heartfelt &amp; honest apology. They personally apologized to runners as they crossed the finished, they apologized online many times, and I\'m sure they\'re apologizing individually and personally as you email/call them. Frankly... I\'m not sure there\'s much else they can do.\r\n<h3><strong>It\'s time to pick yourself up and keep running.</strong></h3>\r\nNot very satisfying, I know... but unfortunately it is what it is. Sometimes things go wrong and there\'s nothing that can be done for it... no further care or caution that could\'ve prevented it. The best thing a runner can do in this situation is... well... <em>keep running.</em> Sad truth of the universe is that bad things happen to good people for no reason. There will be more marathons and more opportunities for a BQ. If you\'re already in fighting shape now... pick an August marathon and keep moving! Focus on the sport you love, have mercy on the Race Director, and keep on running. If you\'re still looking for answers, you can email the Race Director at info@mainecoast262.com - just give them a bit of a buffer as they\'re working hard to answer everyone and remember...\r\n\r\n<strong>Race Directors and Runners aren\'t all that different... if you\'re hurting or angry over this right now... don\'t you suppose they are, too?</strong>','A Race Director\'s Almost-Worst Nightmare - Maine Coast Marathon 2017','','inherit','closed','closed','','1140-revision-v1','','','2017-05-15 15:10:56','2017-05-15 19:10:56','',1140,'http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/1140-revision-v1.html',0,'revision','',0),(1167,1,'2017-05-25 12:16:05','2017-05-25 16:16:05','<h2><strong>On the eve of a great battle... there is much to do.</strong></h2>\r\nThere are plans to be finalized and preparations to be made. Warriors must gear up and mentally prepare for what they\'re about to do. <em><strong>Wait... wait...</strong></em> this seems a little... over the top... for a fitness blog.\r\n<h3><strong>Is it, though?</strong></h3>\r\nWhen we\'re about to take on a new phase of our journey... well... we\'re no different from those warriors. Instead of swords and shields, we\'re donning running shoes and a water bottle, or cross-trainers and a sweat towel. And yes, we ARE about to do battle... just in a different way. It\'s wholly appropriate to hunker down and view it as such in order to get your head right for what\'s to come. And that\'s exactly what I\'m here to talk about... I don\'t know about YOU... but I\'VE got something big coming this weekend...\r\n\r\n<strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat on this, the conversation with Katrina White, and more... check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong>\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes the enormity of our task doesn\'t occur to us.</strong></h2>\r\nSometimes we get so used to what it is we\'re doing... that we kind of lose sight of the bigger picture. This weekend, I\'ll be going back to New Gloucester, Maine to run the Pineland Farms Trail Festival 50 Miler. A year ago, this race was my first 50 miler... my first <em>ultramarathon</em>. I\'m pretty excited to get back there and...\r\n<h3><em><strong>Wait... I\'m about to do a 50 MILE ULTRAMARATHON...crap...</strong></em></h3>\r\nYeah... that\'s the realization I had while recording episode 39 of the So THIS Is Fitness podcast. And it hit me just like that. I\'m about to go do an event that ties for 2nd longest and most challenging endurance event <em>I\'ve ever done</em>. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">This is serious business.</span> Regardless of how much of a badass I think I am... this is going to push me pretty hard... mentally, physically, physiologically... I\'m gonna be out there, chugging along... one foot in front of the other... for over 10 hours. 50 miles... <strong><em>fifty freaking miles...</em></strong><em> </em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Yeah, I\'d say I\'m about to do battle.</span>\r\n<h3><strong>Perhaps it <em>is </em>approppriate, then, to <em>prepare</em> for <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">battle</span>, as a warrior would.</strong></h3>\r\n<em>That means the total package, kids. </em>If you\'re going to battle you\'ve gotta come armed to the teeth and ready to fight. In this case, I\'ve gotta come prepared to fight for every mile, every inch. Mental and physical preparation have to be excellent and they are equally important. Maybe your battle is different - maybe you\'re not running a race. Perhaps you\'re about to join the gym... or take your currently <em>unused </em>gym membership seriously. Maybe you\'re gonna clean up your nutrition and stop eating like a jerk (hey, call it what it is - I did for myself). Maybe you\'re going to finally take on a toxic personal relationship situation... whatever it is, you\'ve got to be ready. Physically and mentally. Whatever those might mean for you.\r\n<h3><strong>Physical preparation - your weapons, armor, and supplies.</strong></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1174\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/race_1769_photo_37112737-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" />For me, or any of us with a race or endurance event... the weapons with which we will conquer the course are simple - our shoes... our bike... our<em> feet and legs</em>. Our armor serves to protect us through our endeavor - specialty athletic clothing... sunglasses, sunscreen, and bug spray... our hydration vest, belt, or handheld...  We fill our pack with supplies meant to sustain us through the battle - gels, chews, chomps and food... water and electrolytes... salt tabs, bandages, headlamps and more... Just as the warrior sharpens and shines his blade, lays out his armor, and readies his supplies, so, too, do we in the days and nights before the battle. The pre-race selfies and pictures of our laid-out gear serve as a sign to all who may see or hear that we\'re ready for the fight and intend to emerge victorious.\r\n<h3><em><strong>\"Know thyself, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.\" - Sun Tzu</strong></em></h3>\r\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-1173\" src=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_20170525_120418-e1495728745984-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />Just as it\'s important for the warrior to mentally prepare for the rigors of battle, and just as he\'s got no choice but to envision total victory... so too must we when we\'re facing down something like this. When we\'re about to take on a new phase in our fitness journey, we HAVE to believe it\'s going to be successful. We MUST have confidence in our ability to succeed! And we simply CANNOT doubt ourselves. When we step up to the start line of the race, we <em>must </em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">know</span> that we can succeed, and we <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">must</span> allow only one possibility - total victory. Be prepared for what happens when you hit that dark place and fall into your pain cave... whether it happens at mile 2, or 20, or 80... you have to be ready for it and know how to fight your way through to the other side. Only then can you achieve victory.\r\n<h2><strong>Be the warrior - claim your victory.</strong></h2>\r\nSo as you wake up on race day, keep this in the forefront of your mind. As you don your armor and wield your blade... <strong>know</strong> that victory is assured. You are prepared, you are well trained, and you <em>will </em>win the battle.\r\n\r\nIt\'s that simple. And that\'s the topic of discussion today, kids - how to handle yourself on the eve of battle. However hyperbolic that might sound. Join me for episode 39 for more. Go be a badass - crush it, and #LiveLifeLimitless.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Interesting happenings at the gym</li>\r\n 	<li>Life is actually pretty good right now</li>\r\n 	<li>What to do when you\'re about to embark on a major journey\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>including a conversation with Katrina White all about the upcoming Pineland Farms 50 Mile Ultramarathon</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">Podcast Companion Blog Archives</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Podcast@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5388134/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','On The Eve Of Battle (Podcast #39)','','publish','open','open','','on-the-eve-of-battle-podcast-39','','','2017-05-25 12:16:05','2017-05-25 16:16:05','',0,'http://sothisisfitness.com/?p=1167',0,'post','',0),(1161,1,'2017-05-18 12:39:32','2017-05-18 16:39:32','<h2><strong>We\'ve got some STRONG feelings about running... sometimes.</strong></h2>\r\nWhen you\'re hot, you\'re hot... and when you\'re into running... boy, you are INTO it! You pour yourself into training, you get your significant other to help out and pick up the slack... you give it everything you\'ve got! And God forbid something happens on race day to knock things out of orbit... <a href=\"http://sothisisfitness.com/2017/05/2017-maine-coast-marathon.html\">like an extra half-mile added to your marathon...</a> You\'re going to be heartbroken. Or go ballistic. Y\'know, depending on your personality.\r\n\r\n<strong>But what happens when the love is gone?</strong>\r\n\r\nWe\'re not ALWAYS going to be in love with running... or fitness for that matter. The question is... what do YOU do when you <em>aren\'t </em>feeling it? Do you still do it? Or does it fall by the wayside?\r\n<h3><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">For the full chat with Darrell &amp; Megan about Maine Coast Marathon and \"feeling it\" (plus more!) check out the podcast episode on</span> <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iTunes here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, on</span> <a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android here</a><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">, or on the web player at the bottom of this post. </span></em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #f54545;\"><em>Don’t forget to hit “subscribe”!</em></span></strong></h3>\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2><strong>This is something we ALL deal with from time to time.</strong></h2>\r\nWe get SUPER into a thing... running, fitness, that new tv show, a good book... and when you\'re on it, you\'re on it - you ride that high into oblivion. Eventually though... you\'re gonna fall out of love with it. You don\'t feel that same fire and passion for it. This might sound kinda stupid or obvious... but that\'s probably because <em>this is simply how real life works - <strong>we get bored. </strong></em>Normally, this is non-issue; we\'ve got enough things to do that demand our attention - maybe it\'s a GOOD thing we\'re off that previous fixation. Now we can direct our attention at other things, right?\r\n<h3><strong>But what happens when it\'s a GOOD habit? Fitness or nutrition?</strong></h3>\r\nAll of a sudden... we\'re NOT crazy about going to the gym. All of a sudden... we\'re REALLY not that excited about getting out for a run. So what do you do? Do you just let it go like the other things you\'re... <em>not crazy about?</em>\r\n<h3><strong>Not everyone does. Some people soldier on and do the thing.</strong></h3>\r\nJust because you\'re not loving it doesn\'t mean you\'re just gonna <em>stop</em>. I mean, <em>come on</em>, I know I\'m supposed to do this, I know it\'s good for me, I know it benefits me, and I know I\'ll feel better for having done it. I just... don\'t feel like it. So what? I don\'t feel like going to work today, but I did <strong>that</strong>. So yeah, I\'m gonna keep going and doing it.\r\n<h3><strong>Not everyone thinks that way, though.</strong></h3>\r\nUnfortunately.... many people DO give up and let it go. That\'s why I see people vanish from the gym for months at a time. When you\'ve lost the drive and motivation... it can be tough to get back into it. You\'ve gotta build up the momentum and the mental drive to do the thing again. <em>That</em>, arguably, is the hard part. You\'ve already been there and done it, so you know the thing itself... the gym, the running, the whatever... isn\'t the hard part.\r\n<h2><strong>Sometimes you burn out.</strong></h2>\r\nWe all know how it goes - you went too hard, burned too bright, and now you just don\'t have it in you. <strong>You need a break.</strong> It happens. This is something a lot of us do with races. We work so hard, we prep, we train, then the race comes and we give it everything we\'ve got... and at the end... there really is nothing left. And we fall off, hit post-marathon blues, just... drift away. Whatever the case may be.\r\n<h2><strong>So... DO you FEEL it? Now?</strong></h2>\r\nDo you feel that fire, that passion, right now? What\'s it focused on? Is it the running, the fitness, the healthy habits? If so... <em>good!</em> Ride that feeling, but harness it and channel it. Don\'t go too hard and burn it out. And if you <em>don\'t </em>feel it... try your hardest to get moving with the things you know you should. You\'ll be glad you did - trust me.\r\n<h3><strong>What\'s in this episode:</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li>Our weekend working the Maine Coast Marathon</li>\r\n 	<li>The accidental .5 mlie detour at that marathon</li>\r\n 	<li>The difference between Trail/Ultra and Road runners</li>\r\n 	<li>Do we take things a little too seriously?</li>\r\n 	<li>DO You FEEL it?! And what happens... if you don\'t?</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Connect with So THIS Is Fitness</strong></h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/sothisisfitness\">Facebook</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/snuffydx\">Instagram</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.instagram.com/cardisandcardio\">The Fitwife\'s Instagram!</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/snuffydx\">Twitter</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.com/podcast\">Podcast Companion Blog Archives</a></li>\r\n 	<li>Email - Podcast@sothisisfitness.com</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Listen to the So THIS Is Fitness Podcast</strong></h3>\r\nTo listen, you can either use the player below OR browse the following links:\r\n<ul>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/so-this-is-fitness/id1185769801?mt=2&amp;ls=1\">iPhone / iTunes - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://subscribeonandroid.com/sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Android devices - Subscribe</a></li>\r\n 	<li><a href=\"http://www.sothisisfitness.libsyn.com/rss\">Subscribe via RSS</a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Support the show by supporting our sponsors!</strong></h3>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.foolproofbrewing.com\">Foolproof Brewing Company\'s website</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.hopheadevents.com\">Hophead Events website</a>\r\n\r\n<iframe style=\"border: none;\" src=\"//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5366966/height/90/width/500/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/f59d0f/\" width=\"500\" height=\"90\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe>','Do You FEEL It?! (Podcast #38)','','publish','open','open','','do-you-feel-it-podcast38','','','2017-05-18 12:39:32','2017-05-18 16:39:32','',0,'http://sothisisfitness.com/?p=1161',0,'post','',0),(1163,1,'2017-05-18 12:36:46','2017-05-18 16:36:46','','do you feel it? Podcast 38','','inherit','open','closed','','wordswag_1495079371606','','','2017-05-18 12:37:44','2017-05-18 16:37:44','',0,'http://sothisisfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/wordswag_1495079371606.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),