Sprints in India to begin 2018

The end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018 took place in Hyderabad, India. I was coaching in the city and a video was taken of one of my workouts at the hotel. Every other day, I was concentrating on my sprint form up the incline on the hotel grounds.

Looking forward to the racing this summer!

Maui Jim Reflection

Hope you have enjoyed the week of seeing Sarasota reflected off the lenses of Maui Jim. Today is the final reflection on the beach of Siesta Key where we will be working on our “give and go” speed tomorow.

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Maui Jim at Siesta Key

I do a lot of my fitness training on Siesta Key beach. I think it is one of the special places in this country if not the world. Siesta Key is gifted with white “sand” that does not get hot on a summer day. The “sand” is actually a quartz sediment (no one knows why this beach is the only one with a quartz deposit) that does retain heat. So when you are working out in the sand, sprinting, or playing volleyball, your feet will stay cool.

Here is reflection of the beach life:

#mauireflect

A Week of Maui Jim Reflections

We have taken Maui Jim sunglasses around the world the last six months. Now it is time to share some of our beautiful views here at home in Sarasota. This week we will post one reflective photo each day. Looking at the lenses of Mau Jim, you will see some of the sites in downtown Sarasota and at Siesta Key, the #1 beach in the USA.

The first reflection photo starts in the bushes at Siesta Key: #mauireflect

Enjoy the week of Maui Jim reflections!

 

 

Maui Jim Sunglasses: From India to Nigeria

You know you are getting older when you are coaching your student’s children. That is where I am in life as I am coaching the daughter of one of my former Indian students. June and July was spent training some of India’s brightest tennis prospects.

I lived in Chennai in the late 80s and early 90s. During my final year, I had the pleasure of coaching Vasudev Reddy. He went onto play Davis Cup for India and establish a thriving tennis academy in Hyderabad. His daughter, Vineetha, has a great future in tennis. Vasu wears his Maui Jims everyday on the court protecting his eyes from the harmful rays and optimizing his clarity of the ball.

 

After trips to Boston, Portland, London, Paris, and Madrid, we finished the summer with training and meetings in Abuja, Nigeria. My wife’s cousin, Manji, was an excellent host and guide, but also a Maui Jim (#MauiJim) fan as can be seen in front of the fabulous Aso Rock.

We had the opportunity to meet with Maria Wophill of The Athletics Federation of Nigeria about Body Protection coming to Nigeria again in 2018.

We then flew from Abuja to Paris to find out that Miami airport was closed due to hurricane Irma. When we reached Paris, we had a text from a family friend in Charlotte inviting us to stay with them if we were evacuating Florida. Little did they know that we were in Paris. We changed our flight to Charlotte and were so blessed to stay in there for four nights while Irma veered a little east when approaching Sarasota. We were so fortunate.

After going around the world three times this summer, it is time to train for a few months in Florida. Maui Jim will still be with us every step of the way guarding our eyes and enhancing our sports performance.

What Is The Best Treadmill For You in 2017?

I recently heard from Ilona from Reviews.com about their interesting testing of the various models in the packed treadmill market. While I enjoy the Florida heat and have access to run outside whenever I wish, I thought our readership who cannot always run outside or want to change their routine would really benefit from the Reviews.com research and testing.

Ilona shared what her team at Reviews.com recently put together for runners. For people looking to maximize their training without having to rely on favorable weather conditions, a treadmill can be a great solution. However, a treadmill is a hefty investment and finding the right one is not a one-size-fits-all process.

That’s why the Reviews.com research team recently spent six weeks testing and evaluating 65 treadmills currently on the market. With the help of exercise physiologists and fitness experts, they examined models for versatility, portability, and usability. Once they narrowed down their list, they personally tested the finalists to come up with their top three picks: best overall, most immersive experience, and best for race preparation.

You can see the Reviews.com research and their choices at:

https://www.reviews.com/treadmills/

And let us know what you think.

Pedal Board: The New Workout on the Water

This past Sunday was a beautiful day in Sarasota, Florida. We had the opportunity to enjoy this warm early December afternoon on the waters of Siesta Key with Al Hurxthal of Economy Tackle demonstrating the new Hobie Mirage Eclipse Pedal Board.

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I have spent afternoons paddle boarding and even conducted company brainstorming meetings while on paddle boards, but I was stunned at the new technology in the Hobie Mirage Eclipse. We have had some paddle board participants have difficulty with basic balance and even more problems when wave activity increases. Not so with the Eclipse, the stability is amazing even when a boat drives by your boards.

We had the two board lengths: 12 feet or 10.5 feet. The 12 foot board is much more stable than the 10.5 and is the recommended pedal board. I guess the only reason to go with the 10.5 ft. board is the slightly less weight (approximately 5 pounds). This stand up board has minimal set up.  Just pop in the handle bars (“T” form) and rudders and you are good to go on the water.

The “T” handle bars also increase your stability on the board making it easy to hold on even in rough waters. The handle bars look like they have brake levers on the side (like a bicycle), but they are NOT brakes, but are control and directional tools for the rudders in the water. If you want to turn left, then squeeze the left lever. If you wan to turn right, just squeeze the right lever. It is that simple.

The Hobie Mirage Eclipse rudder technology tears up the waters as you move swiftly through waves and wind. The pedals are like your aerobic pedal stepper in the gym. Al showed us the different positions of our feet on the pedals for changing speeds. It was like having different gears with increasing range of motion. Start with your toes on the front of the pedals for the smallest range and minimal movement. Then start to move your position of your feet backward on the pedal until you reach the largest range of motion and speed as your heels hang off the end of the pedals allowing you to fully thrust into every pedal. It makes for a great aerobic workout.

A very cool feature of the Eclipse is the ability to kick up the fins (as they lie flat) by holding one pedal down. This avoids damage to the fins in very shallow waters (or beached) conditions and removes the fear of damaging the blades. A long paddle is even attached to the board if you want or need to use a paddle.

I think once you start to use the Hobie Mirage Eclipse Pedal Board technology, you will not go back to the standard paddle board technology. It was an absolute treat to pedal around the Siesta Key waters so quickly. Try the technology for yourself the next time you hit the ocean. Feel free to give Al a call at Economy Tackle if you have any questions or want more information at (941) 922-9671. Have fun with this new water workout!

Video of Hobie Mirage Eclipse:

Maui Jim Around Europe

Just arrived back on US soil and still a bit jet lagged after our long flight from Athens. We had an incredible trip with stops in Zurich to the Greek Islands of Rhodes, Patmos, Kalymnos, and Symi. As a Maui Jim Ambassador, our Body Protection workouts through the hilly roads or beaches of the Greek Islands were all seen through the incredible clarity and color of the Maui Rose lenses.

Here is a few photos from our trips showing how the details of our travels are more crisp and more defined through the lenses of Maui Jim:

In Zurich:

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From a boat in Symi:

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Resting on the ship after our workouts, Maui Jim hanging out on the tabletop on our way to Rhodes:

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