Atlanta Trip pt. 3 Fleet Feet Lawrenceville, GA

Another stop on the tour was Joe Braley's other store in Lawrenceville to get in on a Tuesday evening run group.  Although the turnout was a little small this particular evening we had a great time with an awesome bunch of runners.

Getting geared up for the fun run.

Again, Joe has some great ideas when it comes to "shoe walls".  This is rebar anchored to two columns, fed through the holes in the brick.  The bricks can then be shifted around to change the look.  Pretty cool.

FF Lawrenceville is in a great old building in downtown.

Dogs always welcome at the fun run!

Atlanta Trip pt. 2 Johns Creek, GA

The second stop on the trip was to Fleet Feet Johns Creek just outside of Atlanta.  Joe Braley (owner) brings a very creative element to the style of his store here.

Cool shoe display.

Loved this!  Wall-sized chalk board for events, etc.

nutrition and accessories.

"Chandelier" over the shoe display.

Kristen and Jason working w/ a customer.

Pepsi-cola boxes.

Atlanta Trip pt. 1 Athen, GA

Athens, GA

My first stop on this trip was Athens, Georgia to see a Dustin Shinholser who is the owner of a brand new Fleet Feet Sports coming in the next couple of months.

I had never been to Athens and the only thing I knew about the place was that R.E.M. came out of Athens.

What a cool city!  And Dustin's store is right in the middle of the action - Earth Fare market across the street, coffee house 2 doors down, German bakery, bike shop on the corner and the university is a half mile away.  It's perfect!

Dustin having a chat out on the front porch with the mail man.

Showing us around the place.  It's an old house that used to be a hair salon.  Of course, he's keeping the chandelier for his office.

Fleet Feet Fit Workshop: Nashville, TN

After working the Flying Pig expo in Cincinnati, I hopped back into my rented Ford Fiesta and hit the road for the fit workshop in Nashville.

Elizabethtown, KY. 

Victor Ornelas from FF Inc.  Leading the workshop.

I'm telling you...I'm a sucker for cool diners and coffee houses.  417 Union.  Nashville, TN

Ryman Auditorium.

Country Music Hall of Fame.  I grew up about an hour and half north of Bakersfield.  I know all about the Bakersfield sound.  Too bad I didn't have time to go in.

Back at FF Brentwood (Nashville).  Victor Ornelas coaching new staff on the fitting process.

great use of dry erase boards for stock room organization.

Flying Pig Pt. 3: Farewell Cincinnati, Devou Park

 The last day in Cincinnati I managed to find some trails.  I didn't actually make it to the marathon.  It started at 6:30a and I was exhausted from working the expo, so I slept in.  I found Devou Park in Covington which everyone said had an amazing view of the city and bridges.   It was pretty rainy, but what a great time!

Devou Park trail.

Devou Park trail.

Flying Pig Pt. 2.

The first thing I usually do when checking into a hotel in a new city is asking the person at the front desk where, the cool, eclectic, hipster, artsy, mom & pop places are to get coffee and breakfast.  The Anchor Grill in Covington, KY was the first find.  (btw, for those who don't know, Covington, KY is right across the border from Cincinnati.  Right over the river.)

The Anchor Grill.  Covington, KY

The Anchor Grill has been in existence for decades in Covington.  Everyone I asked said that the Anchor was the place they usually went to after a night of drinking.  I was there in the morning and it was pretty quiet.  Mostly older locals who knew the staff by name and vice-versa. 

The Anchor.  mural

When I asked, the waitress said that "Goetta" (pronounced getta) was the thing to get.  I had NO idea what goetta was.  Goetta is a Cincy thing.  You can't really find it anywhere else.  It a mixure of ground pork, beef, onions, pin oats and spices.  It looked like thinly sliced meatloaf.  It was a creation of German immigrants during the great depression.  It was de-lish, let me tell you.

crossing the river into Ohio.

 

Flying Pig

above: left & right sides of the expo.

Fleet Feet Cincy.  Owner Frank DeJulius working the expo tent w/ manager Meredith.

One of our Balega reps, Amy Brown, telling the Balega story.

Flying Pig cookies for expo workers.

Jeff & Becky picking up their first pairs of Balegas!  Blister Resist.  They were a lot of fun.

The legendary Mike Moran holding down the fort at the Mizuno booth.

Tunnel vision.  Cincinnati, OH

I'm a fool for cool coffee houses.

 So after getting my coffee at the above coffee house I spotted this structure across the street.  The owner happened to be doing some gardening in the yard and asked her about it.  Her husband was an artist and architect and with the help of some of his students built the thing.  It took him 10 yrs. and was his studio until he was killed in a car accident.  His wife said she's fixing it up and will hopefully be moving in.

view from convention center.

Flying Pig Marathon Pt. 1: On the road to Cincinnati, OH.

I left Charlotte on Thursday, May 2nd in my compact Ford Fiesta bound for Cincinnati, OH.  The only other time I was in Cincinnati was spending time in the airport for a layover.  During that visit I met a gambler from North Carolina who was returning from Las Vegas with $10K in his pocket.

FIESTA!!!

Tunnel vision.  Asheville, NC

Not sure where I was.  Just stopping for gas.  Ironic that this place was right next to the gas station.

The cleanest rest stop bathroom I've ever seen.  TN.

Put my trail shoes on and took a run around the rest stop.  People looked at me like I was crazy.