Greetings blog followers!
After a long hiatus the Charles River Running blog is now pronounced
living and breathing once again. In the coming weeks we will have
lots of great running info to share with you along with guest bloggers , gear
reviews and fun race reports. This summer
will be jam packed but we also hope that our readers will be taking time to breathe,
relax, watch the weeds grow in the garden
and most importantly, LOOK FOR TICKS (I just found one behind my knee)!
My incredible staff and I have had quite a first year at
CRR. While I could recite a laundry list of store events, new products, Twitter Followers and crumpled
race bibs, I would rather tell you about all the amazing people, customers,
runners and walkers who have come into our lives. We’ve met so many people who shared their goals, accomplishments large and small, race stories, and
sometimes even heartbreaking set backs.
We’ve fitted over a thousand pairs of shoes, looked at thousands of toes
(you do the math), and rang up a lot of GU packets. What has made a more lasting impression on us
though, are the stories of our customers’ first mile of running without walking,
shedding those first 5 pounds, the
improved blood pressure numbers and cholesterol levels, and of course seeing
the swagger of a repeat customer that now, finally begins to refer to him or
herself as a “runner”. Chances are, if
you are reading this you are nodding your head and thinking back to a shared
experience. It is these intangible moments that have made Charles River Running’s first year so special. These are the reasons I started the business. These are the ideas I presented to the loan
officers at countless lending institutions before Charles River Running opened its
doors. "Yes, lots of folks buy their
running gear online", I would say to the banks, but lots want to shop in a real
store, chat with a knowledgeable staff member, try on a nice selection of shoes
and actually have their concerns addressed, questions answered and stories
heard. And here we are, one year later. Let me tell you, we have some stories, but I
will save those for later blogs! So just for fun, I will just torture you with a Top Ten List from the
store’s first 52 weeks of business.
Charles River Running's 1st Year Numbers and Notables
Top GU flavor: Vanilla Bean
Outdoor temperature at the December Group Run with Darn Tough Socks: 15 F
Number of CRR-hosted Pub Runs: 12
Amount of swag given away at pub runs: $$$$$
Free hugs, fist bumps and high fives awarded to our groupies: too many to count
Jen's favorite Tuesday evening runner’s yoga stretch: the “side ass” foam roller move
Times we’ve heard the phrase “I’m not really a runner…”: again too many to count
Largest shoe purchased by a customer: Men’s size 15D
Dozens of CRR Hen’s eggs given away at the register to random shoppers: 6
Properly fitted shoe- induced endorphin hits received by happy CRR customers: millions
Thanks to all of our customers for giving us these
experiences. We can’t wait to see what
year 2 brings. We love what we do and we
hope that you do too! Keep running, stay
healthy and keep those endorphins flowing.
Charlotte, Melissa, Dave and Jim
