"Don't Stop Believing" Journey to Ironman

How to Make A Customer for Life--Infinit Nutrition and Foot Solutions

As consumers, we often we struggle to get good service, and hope the products we choose to buy are even remotely as good as the claims that precede them. Skepticism has become a way of life. Recently, however, I had two experiences that have turned me from a customer to a customer for life.

Michael Folan, owner of Infinit Nutrition is one of my two new my poster boys for customer service. Many triathletes I know swear by the Infinit products, and I thought I would give the sports drink a try. If you are not familiar with Infinit, they offer pre-mixed formulas OR the option to customize a brew just for you--more electrolytes or less, caffeine or not, higher or lower calories, lots of flavor or a little--it can all be made to order.

I had visited the Infinit site a number of times in th past, and was never quite sure what I wanted. I finally dropped Michael an email asking for some additional direction. Know what?  He actually called me! On the phone. Talking person to person. Not only did Michael call me once to review my needs, he followed-up (unheard of!) and called again to review his suggestions! He also helped me figure out what my swimmer boys might need. That's it. I'm sold. I'll tweak the Infinit product till the end of my days to get it right, and stick with a guy who puts himself out there to that degree to stand behind his product and make customers happy.

My second poster boy for customer service is Abe Hirsch at Foot Solutions. I have terrible feet--flat, bunioned, pronating disasters. I have had orthotics for years, and couldn't do all that I do without them. You name the foot doctor/podiatrist of note in the Boston area, and I've seen them. Probably got orthotics from all of them too through the years.

About a year ago, I stopped into Foot Solutions on a whim to look for shoes. My orthotics were beyond worn out, and Abe showed me his system for making custom orthotics. I was skeptical--so conditioned was I to thinking only podiatrists could help me and provide the proper orthotic. But I took a chance (I mean, I was already in the store and time is precious), and I got my orthotics from Abe. Truly, I have NEVER had a better pair.

Now here's the customer service part. I went back to see Abe last week to get a new pair of orthotics since I'm training for Ironman. Abe took a look at the ones I got from him about a year ago, and said, "These are perfectly fine. They'll hold up to your training without a problem." I was stunned. Think about it. I was standing there willing to plunk down my credit card for a new pair on the spot. Instead of taking my money, he sent me home with the reassurance that my orthotics were fine. That saved me $300. $300!!!! I could not be more grateful.

So thank you Michael and Abe. The least I can do is give you both a blog nod, and hope others make their way to you.

You can find Michael Folan and Infinit nutrition here, and Abe Hirsch at Foot Solutions here.

Free Webcast: Training and Racing the Half Iron/70.3 Distance

My boys at Endurance Nation, coaches Rich Strauss and Patrick McCrann, did it again in this FREE hour-long webcast on "Training and Racing the Half Iron/70.3." As promised, the presentation covered:

• How to structure your training

• Key workouts to execute

• Race day strategies

• Pacing guidance

• Racing as an “A” race or as Ironman preparation

EN members were invited to take part in the live audio/web presentation on Sunday evening through a conference call. Then we had the chance to ask individual questions at the end. That event was also offered FREE to EN members. These hour-long talks with the coaches are just a small part of the ongoing services we athletes get over at Endurance Nation.

Click here, and you can download the audio and PDF presentation. You can also try out their free two-week trial membership, but that is not required to download the webcast. Have fun planning a great '08 season!

The Slow Treadmill

I found a new favorite treadmill at the gym. I call it the "slow treadmill" because when I've run on it the past few times doing my interval work, I've run at speeds I have not been able to maintain for that length of time in many, many years. That treadmill became my friend. My ego stroker. My I-don't-have-to-hide-the-numbers running machine. I mean, it had to be slow, right? I couldn't be running that fast...

Well, today it's an ice/snow/slush fest outside and as a result, the gym was packed. My "slow treadmill" was taken, as were most of the others. I had to run on a "stranger" :). Surely, I'd be back to my old paces. I think you can see where this is going....

It isn't the flippin' treadmill, IT'S ME! Sixteen weeks of hard interval work--which resulted in a 2-minute drop in my 10K time, BTW--and I still didn't believe in the gains I made. Did I think the improvement would just disappear? That the 10K TT was a fluke? That I was too old, and not talented enough to really make any lasting gains? The answers to those questions are yes, yes, and yes. And the lesson here is to change, change, change that mindset. Enough of that already!

I've had some fun today taking the time to laugh at myself a bit for hanging on to these old, worn out, tired thought patterns. I also let myself revel in the payoff of the hard work I've done. The reason I never made gains like this in the past 7 years is that I haven't worked this hard, with this level of dedication, and motivation. In times past I *told myself I was training effectively, but I wasn't. I wanted the improvement to magically appear, I guess. It doesn't, let me assure you of that!

Most importantly, these little discoveries take you steps closer to shedding negative views of oneself that create obstacles where none exist. You tell me--how much better will my training progress if I see myself as capable, and owning my improvements, as opposed to always thinking "I can't," "I'll never"? The words and thoughts we use in training surely mirror how we consider ourselves in other areas of our lives. Like attracts like, and I'd rather live in the glow that attracts more of that heady, positive training energy, than in the dark hole of "I can't."