Latest Looks: Inside the ASICS NYC Meatpacking District

Thought I'd give you a virtual look at some of the coolest new stuff at the ASICS Meatpacking District Store in NYC. It's located on 14th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, across from the Apple Store in what is now one of the hottest parts of town. You can find all of this stuff on asics.com.

Here's my friend Justin, a store staffer who's also an endurance cyclist and marathoner, holding up one of the new Favorite Half-Zips in the color he's planning to buy himself . . .





There are a lot of new touches to this including the light and breathable fabric around the thumb holes, as you can see pictured here from the ASICS product page. I'll be running in this.



Like this Urban Run tee below?



I do. So do others I see. And they have stacks of them, or it's $34 at asics.com. . .



Happiness is a wall of running shoes. Here are four categories I was looking at . . .

CUSHIONING

SPEED

TRAINING

MAXIMUM SUPPORT

There's a whole wall full of those for women as well, obviously. I just did a Follow Friday (#FF) on my ASICS @Marathoner account on Twitter, listing every ASICS retail account around the world, and if you follow those, then you will see some really cool ways they show off their own hot items that are just-in. If I could walk out of the ASICS NYC Meatpacking District Store with one box of shoes right now, I believe it probably would be . . .



. . . and maybe this . . .



There is still room in my sock drawer for a new pair of these . . .



In a matter of hours, I will be looping Central Park in the New York City Marathon Long Training Run #1. We are being blessed with some unbelievably fantastic summer weather lately in the Big Apple, and I figured we earned it after that last winter that tested one's soul. So on these #SummerRunnin days, my thoughts are still of running in tops like these . . .





Make sure the ASICS Meatpacking District Store is a stop on your next trip to New York, or head on down if you're in the area. It's like a playland if you love ASICS, as I do. They have the best shoe testing treadmill area in NYC, so be sure to let the pros there test you and get in the right type of shoe for you so you always get to the start line healthy. Tell 'em ASICS @Marathoner sent you.

Queens 10K Race Recap

I stopped to smell the flowers after the Brooklyn Half marked my milestone 100th race. Literally. We made several trips to the New York Botanical Garden, where we are proud members, and rebuilt our garden out back with a wide array of perennials, annuals and organic vegetables and berries. Assorted work around the house including the annual opening of our pool, always an adventure. There was less focus on running over the past month, just occasional maintenance runs.

Then, on the first full day of summer yesterday, it was time to refocus and start on the next 100 races, beginning with the Queens 10K held entirely within Flushing Meadows Corona Park next to Citi Field, and I did so with a PR. In fact, 1:07 (10:54 pace) marked my fastest 10K in two years!



That's me in the final stretch, going for it. My 5K split was 31:59. Considering where I am in my fitness right now, I am very happy. Have been a gym stranger and my core has been mostly ignored. It's OK. I have learned over the last 7+ years of running that it is important to really stop and smell the flowers. Don't listen to those who say it has to be year-round focus or you will fade. Take your breaks. The biggest obstacle to sustained running is Loss of Purpose. Stay fresh. Have fun. Then run again!

The best thing about that race picture above is my pair of shoes. In honor of ASICS' #SummerRunnin campaign, I broke out the ASICS LA Marathon GEL-Lyte 33 shoes that ASICS gave me as part of being on the first ASICS LA Marathon Blogger Challenge in March. They had sat in a closet since then and I was thinking of just keeping them away as a memento of that experience. But instead I wore them to Queens and it was such a great experience. I still need more cushion for longer runs, but for the Queens 10K, my legs felt so light! I could feel my quads actually lifting easier in stretches. They felt sensational and I will use them more going forward. They helped me to a respectable finish, and now am on the brink of 2015 guaranteed entry for the TCS New York City Marathon and the NYC Half:

I thought it would have been cool to run this race in a full black suit and maybe a giant cockroach on a leash. Maybe next year. This is where I got that thought . . .



Just imagine, when they created the World's Fair on this site, there was a thought that perhaps those could be platforms for air transportation such as the Jetsons' space ride. Maybe one day . . .

What's ahead: My next scheduled race is The Color Run MLB All-Star Game 5K on July 13 in Minneapolis, where I will be working All-Star Week, staying that Wednesday to Wednesday. Then I am registered for both NYC Marathon Long Training Runs, although I am still TBA for my fall marathon. I am registered for the Walt Disney World Marathon in January as well. Will gradually fill out the schedule.

This morning I was diagnosed with a mild case of ITB Syndrome on my right side (two years ago I was treated for left side), so I'll be looking at PT sessions in coming weeks and that will take care of it to strength my right hip. No worries. I'm ready to go! Here's to great #SummerRunning and all these friends...