UNIQUE...BY DESIGN

Whether you are a veteran runner, or a runner who has recently entered the world of road racing, your closet is probably filled, or is filling, quickly with race T-shirts.

The shirts, some of which may be very nice, are little more than billboards, covered with the names of sponsors, on the back, front, and even on the sleeves. There is little that is unique about these shirts, and so many people are wearing “The (fill in the blank) 5K” T-shirts these days, they are hardly recognizable.

On Facebook last week, I stumbled upon a page, https://www.facebook.com/runshirts and when I visited the page and took a look at the T-shirts offered by the company, I was impressed by the unique, very interesting, inspiring, and humorous phrases placed on the shirts.

The company was started last year by a runner, who, decided after looking at over 200 race shirts he had collected over the years, that they were all pretty boring and uninspiring advertisements for the events. So he decided to create a few shirts with some catchy sayings. As it turned out, there was an appetite for these types of shirts. Runners are passionate people, and appreciated the fact that there were other shirts available that spoke to their passion as runners.

These shirts don't sell in stores. They are only sold through online campaigns, or through running races across the country. That is what makes them unique. They also have a monthly campaign on Twitter, where people can submit their own idea for a running shirt. If the design is picked, then they get the shirt for free.

The shirts are reasonably priced, starting at $21.99 for a short sleeved tee, and move up in price from there. Long sleeved shirts and tanks start at $22.99, and even high quality, sweatshirt hoodies are available at $34.95. The shirts are made from fine quality cotton, still, in my view, far superior to the shiny, oily feel of some of today’s fabrics.

And, later this summer, these cool shirt designs will be available on phone cases as well.

Any race that wants to offer its runners a completely unique T-shirt to their registrants to enhance their race series can certainly contact Running T-shirts via their Facebook page.

On June 30, a drawing for a free T-shirt will be held. You can go to the opt-in page and enter your email. One winner will be selected. Here is the link: http://tinyurl.com/oubatvn

Follow them on Twitter @running_tshirts

If you are looking for a truly unique, high-quality T-shirt that expresses you as a runner, I recommend you check out these awesome T-shirts. Go to the weblink under each shirt to order.

                                                                http://tinyurl.com/nnppdxh

                                                                  http:// tinyurl.com/p3tpzm4

                                                                    http://tinyurl.com/q8jtvyc

                                                                  http://tinyurl.com/ogv4hp9

DASWISE CHOICE FOR RUNNERS...AND MORE

I'll admit that I'm an old-school minimalist.

When I run, I prefer to keep it light, carrying little, or nothing, if possible.

Today, however, it is nearly impossible to run without carrying something with you.

Our phones have become essential elements in our lives, and God forbid we lose our credit or bank cards. Keys are pretty important, and I;m just not comfortable placing them in those little pockets sewn into our running shorts.

The solution to these issues seemed to me to be some type of running belt, but when I searched for such a product, most of the belts I found looked like something I would wear if I were building a house of climbing a telephone pole.

After much searching, I discovered the Daswise Waterproof Exercise Running Belt. This belt, which is available in five colors, is extremely lightweight and waterproof. It features an elastic belt that is fitted with an adjustable buckle, which will fit any waist size 22" through 40". The belt is ideal for running, walking, cycling, and I plan to use it for kayaking.

The belt fits snugly and is guaranteed not to bounce or ride up your waist. It is made with polyester, and features a power stretch mesh gusseted, waterproof and sweat proof pocket.

This belt fits my needs because it IS minimalistic. It is only 1.6" wide, and the pocket is fully expandable. You can easily carry any Smartphone, keys, credit cards, or energy bars and supplements on a long workout or in a marathon.

The Daswise Waterproof Exercise Running Belt is backed by a Lifetime Warranty.

And here's the best news about the belt. Unlike many overpriced products, the Daswise Waterproof Exercise Running Belt costs just $9.99.

Check it out at Amazon: www.amazon,com,, where you can read the positive reviews from many satisfied customers, and buy the product. With Father's Day coming up, it is a perfect, economical gift for an active dad.

I think the Daswise Waterproof Exercise Running Belt is great, and give it my highest endorsement.

ENDURANCE EXTRAORDINAIRE

Runners are extraordinary individuals, who, through desire, hard work, and dedication, achieve extraordinary things.

In today's issue of the Republican Herald, a local newspaper from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, I wrote an article about a local young woman who recently completed a race that was truly remarkable.

Following is the article.

Many of you have probably participated in a 5K race. Sometimes the 3.1-mile distance feels a Himalayan trek. Perhaps you’ve felt the pain of a 13.1-mile half-marathon, or the utter fatigue of the full 26.2-mile marathon.

If you feel extremely energetic, try completing a 50-mile race.

That’s right, a 50-mile race.

Megan Gabardi, a former Pottsville Area High School cross country and track runner, did just that when she completed the North Face Endurance Challenge 50-Miler on May 2 at Bear Mountain State Park, New York.

Completing a 50-mile footrace is a daunting task, but a glance at the North Face Endurance Challenge website is enough to strike fear into any endurance athlete.

According to the event’s website, the race is “a hardy test for trail runners of any level, The North Face Endurance Challenge New York winds along the western shores of the Hudson River and through the craggy foothills of the Catskill Mountains. Expect enough rocks and challenging terrain along the course to keep you engaged, but not enough to prevent you from running the majority of the race.”

A self-proclaimed “Adrenaline junkie,” Gabardi, 29, now lives in Old Bridge, New Jersey. She has completed five marathons, several half-marathons, and chose to compete at the 50-mile distance to “see how far I could go.”

“My goal was simply to finish,” Gabardi said.

And finish she did.

Despite unseasonable heat and hills that would pose a challenge to mountain goats, Gabardi completed the course in 14 hours, 15 minutes, 34 seconds, good enough for her to earn fifth place in her age division.

Hard work and intense motivation are necessary if one is to complete such a grueling event.

Gabardi found the motivation through her 3-year-old daughter, Chloe. Several times a week, sometimes two or three times a day, on her training runs, she would push her daughter in the jogging stroller.

“I want to be a good role model for her,” Gabardi said.

The race itself, which began at 5 a.m. with runners illuminating their way wearing headlamps, was brutal. Hilly, rocky trails, followed by steep, rock-strewn downhills, made the hills of Schuylkill County seem more like speed bumps. The downhills were more difficult than the uphills, according to Gabardi. To keep up with the caloric depletion during the race, she drank plenty of water, consumed energy gels, ate peanut butter, M&M’s, potato chips and potatoes rolled in salt, as well as bananas, all obtained from aid stations, located every two to five miles along the route.

Many marathon runners hit “the wall,” during a portion of the race, usually around miles 18 to 22, where the body simply wants to shut down. Gabardi experienced several such stages during 50 miles of continual body motion. At 18 to 22 miles, like in a marathon, legs cramp, feeling like oak tree trunks beneath the body. From 30 to 40 miles, ultramarathoners experience “the blues,” a period of mental depression, or a second “wall.” Around Mile 45 was the toughest portion of the race for Gabardi, where she told herself, “I would rather go through childbirth again.”

A quarter of the 420 starters did not complete the race, but Megan Gabardi was not one of them. She devoted six months of training to the event, eating cleanly and grinding out four-hour plus training runs. She lifted weights and increased strength, especially in her quads, which bore the brunt of the relentless hills. She rode her bicycle for hours, and sometimes turned in three workouts a day, all in an effort to keep her body in motion for a long period of time.

Gabardi’s future goals include the Rhode Island Marathon in October, a 70-mile endurance run, and an Ironman triathlon. To her, “Running is therapeutic.”

She has used her therapy to successfully go the distance.