The other night my family and I ventured out to the new City Creek Mall in Salt Lake City, Utah. If you haven’t seen anything on this mall, it is impressive. It seems to have anything you could ask for in a mall and much more. It has water fountains as well as a stream that runs through it that even has a waterfall. It has a retractable roof that can be open and shut depending on the weather. But even with all that back to the question that I asked in the title: Is there anything good at malls?
When asking that question I am thinking about all the outdoorsy type of people. If you like clothes or shoes then there is definitely something that you would like at a mall. But how about all of us people who love to play in outdoors? For me personally I think that malls are getting better at this. The new City Creek mall has the first Salomon store in the US which is just one outdoor brand that is setting up shop in a mall. The President and General Manager Mike Dowse of ASWO (which is the parent company of Salomon) said “we’re excited to offer shoppers another way to choose our stellar products in downtown Salt Lake City.” Also The North Face store opened a couple months ago in the Fashion Place Mall in the Salt Lake area as well. Also the Gateway Mall has Quicksilver, Roxy, Dicks, EpicBoardStore and Zumiez all dedicated to those who love the outdoors. I don’t know if it is just Utah and the Salt Lake area but I think malls are trying to serve the outdoor community better as more people get outside to play.
I still think there are plenty of other places to go and find your new gear but heading to the mall isn’t as bad as it once was for the outdoor community. And at least with the redesign of a lot of the malls around here, you are still outside for the majority of the experience. So the next time someone says lets head to the mall, just remember there is probably at least one store that you will enjoy going into.
As you might know if you follow us, Golf is not one of our strong points or even one of the categories that we usually cover. But we have this great opportunity to give away two pairs of the ECCO Street Premiere shoe. This is a great hybrid shoe that can be worn to the office and then right out to the golf course. To get a better feel of what this shoe could do for you, check out the video below.
If you are still interested in trying to win a pair of this shoes read on. ECCO USA has provided us with two pairs of these shoes in a size 42 or 8-8.5 in US and 46 or 12-12.5 in US. They are both the Licorice-Coffee-Fanta color and are new. If you are not one of these sizes, we are sorry, but you can still enter to win to give them to someone else. All you have to do is one simple step: Answer the following two question in a comment on this post:
1st. What will you be doing with these shoes?
2nd. Where is your favorite golf course?
Also if you could list the size that you would like.
You can also follow both @openairlife and @ECCO_USA_shoes on Twitter to get an additional entry for each one you follow. This is not a mandatory step though. All you have to do is answer the questions in a comment and you will be set. Good luck and we look forward to seeing who wins. The winner will be selected on Monday February 27, 2012.
Continue reading
For the past few years I have been posting about what I have accomplished in the past year and what I would like to accomplish in the coming year. I have decided to do this for two reasons. First, to give me something to shoot for and to look forward to. I have always been a goal driven person and writing things down gives me a written record of what needs to be achieved. Second, to analyze the past year to see what I would like to improve on or what I would like to do different in the coming year.
I was a little disappointed this year in my results last year. I was able to bike to work but not 45 times. It was just lazy on my part. The multi-pitch route that I wanted to do all year, I never made it down there to do. I looked at it all year and thought I really need to make some time and hit that route. But as we all know life is busy. Running was the last goal that I set and I was able to get out, just not as much as I would have liked. I was hoping to run a marathon last year but never did.
So now looking forward, how can we or I be a little more committed and accomplish the goals that are set for the coming year? I have come up with 6 ideas to help us set, achieve and to be successful.
1. Make goals specific and measurable
In the business world saying that I will sell more widgets is not enough. People are looking for a number as in I will sell 25 more widgets this year. As we are thinking about setting a goal we should be thinking of how much and not just more. I think that was one of my problems last year when setting goals. I said I would like to climb more or run more but how much more? Give a specific amount or number to reach if possible. The more specific the goal the more measurable it is. So if you wanted to get out hiking or climbing more. Give a number to that goal, like 6 times a month or once a week. This will give you a target that you can aim for and the ability to measure if you are achieving that goal.
2. Write them down
By putting your goals on paper, computer, smartphone, or the web, will make them official. With all the technology we have now it is easy to have our goals right in front of us.
3. Find someone to hold you accountable
Even though there are many ways to have the goals right in front of our faces each day, we can all eventually ignore them or hide them. But if we can find someone who will follow up with us and hold us accountable the success will follow.
4. Celebrate your successes
This is where baby sets are congratulated. Sometimes the overall goal is huge. But if we never celebrate the little accomplishment along the way we might just drop the goal all together. So an example would be if you wanted to run a marathon and you have never run anything before. Reward yourself as you increase your miles or speed. When you run you first 5 miles without stopping, take yourself out to dinner or do something nice for yourself. Acknowledge successes along the way and be happy.
5. Be prepared for obstacles and setbacks and re-evaluate and adjust
Are there going to be days or maybe weeks that things are not going to be going well? Of course. Be prepared for these setbacks and make the appropriate adjustments. Don’t allow any obstacle or set back derail your goals. Have a plan “B” (and “C”) in place that will keep you on course. If things are still not working out the way you would like it to, adjust the goal, don’t just give up on it. A new job or kid in the family, are valid excuses that might interfere with your goals. So be prepared to adjust and continue.
6. Don’t allow failure to be an option
We all know the story of the little engine that could. The engine wasn’t big or strong but he never gave up. If you think you can, you can. As in idea number 5 there are going to be days that failure seems to be the only option. But those are the days that we just need to dig in our heels and find ways to achieve.
So how am I going to apply these things? First I am going to write my goals down and post them here so hopefully family, friend and people I don’t know will follow up with me. I am also going to post them on the corkboard in the kitchen so I can see them and make adjustments daily if needed. I am also going to set a reminder in my Google and Outlook calendars for 6 months out to make me re-think what I have been doing and make the appropriate changes at that point if needed.
So with that said what my goals are for 2012:
- Bike 45 times to work.
- Run a marathon.
- Climb 12 new climbing routes.
- Take my kids to the mountains at least 2 times a month.
- Write at least 500 words a day.
Now I would love to hear from all of you. What are you planning this year? What goals have you set for you? I would love to hear what big plans you are making for the coming year and I would love to help follow up on those goals. Leave a comment and make it official. And let’s have a great 2012. We are also giving away to one lucky winner who replies to this post the book, “The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running” by Adam W. Chase and Nancy Hobbs. If you have ever thought about trail running this is a great book to get you started. If not make it a goal this year.
Continue reading
We have been going strong now for two years and we have been seeing continual growth through the whole thing, but we are happy to see that we made it on the frontpage of Hiking The Trail Daily. We hope this is a trend that we will continue to see. And we thank everyone who has been spreading the word about us and has been there from the start.
So I don’t usually talk or write about golf or for that matter even play golf all that often. But if there was a way that you would get me on the course more often it would be in a shoe like the ECCO Street Premiere. I am always looking for a shoe that can do more for me, while still being comfortable. So even if you don’t golf you probably know someone who does. That is why I have posted this blog article. As Christmas is coming and as you might be scrambling to find a gift for your Dad, this might just be your ticket.
This coming Monday or known as Cyber Monday, ECCO is having a Deal on these shoes. On Monday (11/28) starting at 6 AM EST you can snag these shoes for a great price. Be sure to check out the Deal here. You might be able to check another person off your Christmas list.
The video below shows Fred Couples in these shoes and what he has to say about them.
One of the best parts about this post is the giveaway. ECCO USA is giving an autographed pair of golf shoes to someone. All you have to do to enter this contest is to simply comment on this blog post. It doesn’t get easier than that. The shoes are an approximate value of $400. The best to all of you.
