The Long Green Line (the movie)
Running is hard. It takes a healthy body and disciplined mind to overcome the physical and mental obstacles to cross the finish line. "The Long Green Line" paints the picture of the 2005 York Dukes cross-country team combating myriad obstacles to add to its already-impressive resume. Along the way, it provides a wide array of compelling figures and story lines to get wrapped up in.
The documentary, directed by Elmhurst native Matthew Arnold, follows the high-school squad from the beginning of the season to the capture of a remarkable 25th state title in Peoria. At times moving, at times jovial, it captures the drama and camaraderie born out of a local dynasty striving to add yet another piece of hardware to its trophy case.
But the real story -- the film's unequivocal star -- is the Dukes' incomparable coach Joe Newton. The master motivator is a spry, cunning 76-year-old savant who comes off nothing short of larger than life. It's captivating to watch him coddle those who need to be coddled and deliver tough love to the ones who better respond to harsher criticism. He brings a tried and true set of values that help mold the team into better citizens and tougher competitors.
As directed by Arnold, a former member of the York Dukes, the film is a healthy reminder of how sports can mold young men and women into better people. Arnold and his team succeed in presenting several examples of runners reaching individual goals. From the Dettman twins, senior co-captains overcoming health issues for their fourth straight state title to the wide-eyed and raw freshman Joe Kiolbasa, we're reminded that hard work pays off.
"The Long Green Line" serves as a refresher course in how team sports can provide priceless life lessons and tug at the heartstrings when done right." The DVD is for sale now in the store for $24.99. Get instpired!
Nike Sportband for Speed and Distance
The Nike iPod Sport Kit has been a tremendous success. It allows a Nano or an iTouch to connect wirelessly to a sensor placed in or on your running shoe and record your speed and distance. Lance Armstrong and other famous athletes will come on while you listen to your encouraging music tracks and praise your efforts (Lance just congratulated my wife Ava the other day for completing her longest run to date!). Your workouts are automatically uploaded when you synch your iPod to NIke's web site for your perusal. Some of us, however, including yours truly, don't have the slightest desire to use a Nano while we run. So... Nike has come up with the Sportband - essentially a sport wristwatch with the iPod interface built in, so you can get the same info as the iPod kit, but without a Nano. You upload the data to your PC (if you want to) via a USB cable. The price for the watch and the sensor if $59.99 - not much different than an ordinary old watch. They have been a bit hard to come by, but we have them in stock now.
While we all know we SHOULD wear sunscreens, there always seems to be something not to like about a particular sunscreen. Bio Soleil sunscreen is unique in that the active ingredients, zinc oxide and octinoxate, are suspended and encapsulated in beeswax and aloe, helping to minimize the actual contact of these checmicals with the skin. Those who have experienced skin irrtation when using sunscreens may just find this protects you with less likelihood of reaction. The formula is water based and is alcohol and oil free. It also claims to provide more UVA protection that most sunscreens above the 320 nanometer threshold. It is water resistant and sweat proof. The initial release orf the product is in a 2 ounce spray on bottle priced at $13.99. With summer here, let's stay protected!
GU Chomps
The energy chew market is VERY crowded. However, market leader GU has introduced an innovative line of energy chews that have got a great taste and offer some unique benefits. Chomps come in four flavors, Strawberry and Cran-Apple (both caffeinated) and Blueberr-Pomegranate and Orange (non-caffeinated). Chomps are the ONLY chewable on the market that contain branched chain amino acids like the GU Energy Gel line. They also deliver 100% of your daily minimum requirement for vitamin C and vitamin E, both important anti-oxidants that help defend your system from damage caused by free radicals produced by increased oxidation found in muscles under load. They also contain needed levels of sodium and potassium. Pick up a pack when you stop by!
Nathan Sprint 10 oz Handheld
Handheld water carriers are never a delite to deal with.Most of what is out there are 20 oz water bottles with straps, some with more anatomically designed bottles. What is TOUGHER to find is a SMALL comfortable hand held. Enter the Nathan Spring 10 oz hand held. It's comfortable on the hand and it holds just enough fluid for those in between runs that are too long to go without water and too short to carry a big waist pack unit. They proved to be extremely popular and Nathan has been sold out for some time. We have them in stock again and they are priced at $16.
