Irvine, CA (November 4, 2009) - ASICS® America Corporation is proud to announce that the GEL-Kayano® 15 received the International "Shoe of the Year" award from Runner’s World magazine during a special ceremony at the magazine’s 2009 International Shoe Summit. This is the second consecutive year that the GEL-Kayano series has been awarded the top honor, and the fourth time in five years that ASICS has won the International Editor’s Choice award since the award’s inception.

Along with this distinguished honor, ASICS also received two additional awards from Runner’s World, which will be featured in the Winter Shoe Guide (December 2009 issue) on newsstands in the U.S. this week.  The ASICS GT-2150™ accepted the acclaimed "Editor’s Choice" award and the GEL-1150™ took the "Best Buy" award.  These two styles were compared against 15 distinguished pairs of shoes from other leading brands that were tested and reviewed by Runner’s World.

"It is always an honor to be recognized internationally by Runner’s World the leading authority when it comes to critiquing our product, and we are humbled that they have selected ASICS again," exclaims Jim Monahan, ASICS VP of Footwear.

Runner’s World magazine, the worldwide authority on running information, awards one distinguished shoe style each year the prestigious International Editor’s Choice or "Shoe of the Year" award.  The publication noted that the GEL-Kayano® 15 won top honors from global wear testers.  The shoe was selected by a panel of International Runner’s World editors from the 15 countries in which the magazine is published (Australia/New Zealand, Brazil, Columbia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, The Netherlands/Belgium, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States).

ASICS GEL-Kayano® 15 will be updated in January 2010 with the GEL-Kayano® 16 retailing for $140.00.  The GT-2150™ is available now at specialty running retailers for $95.00 and the GEL-1150 is also at specialty running shops for $85.00.  Both the GT-2150™ and GEL-1150™ will be widely available on January 1, 2009.
 

Irvine, CA (November 4, 2009) - ASICS® America Corporation is proud to announce the men’s and women’s version of the GEL-Resolution™ 2 received the highest overall rating of the nine models reviewed in the November/December 2009 issue of Tennis Magazine.

GEL-Resolution™ 2

Men's	Women's

The GEL-Resolution 2 received an 8.4 score out of a possible 10, and earned near-perfect marks for both stability and arch support. The shoes were also scored on cushioning, weight, ventilation, break-in time and overall satisfaction.

The magazine described the style as: "the ultimate shoe for an advanced player with sore feet and those who appreciate comfort right out of the box since the shoe has virtually no break-in time."

The article also points out the shoe has "outstanding support" with features including the Biomorphic Fit® Upper and Personal Heel Fit (PHF®) that helps mold to the athlete’s foot creating a personalized fit with snug heel support. The GEL-Resolution 2 has a Solyte® Midsole to enhance cushioning, a GEL® Cushioning System to attenuate shock during impact and toe-off phase and a PGuard™ Toe Protector for durability.

"We are thrilled with the #1 ranking," says Matt Donnelly, ASICS Product Manager for Team Sports.  "Fit and function are always our first priorities at ASICS and it’s great to be recognized for this."

The ASICS GEL-Resolution 2, which retails for $115, is available in two color ways (white/rain/sun and blue aster/black/lightning) for men and one color (white/cargo/abyss) for women.

Tennis Magazine is geared toward the serious and recreational tennis player, with information on instruction and training, new product and equipment coverage, professional player profiles and highlights of tournaments.

Is it time to replace your favorite running shoes?  Spring 2010 styles are in running specialty stores already, with mass distribution planned for January 1st.  Here is the rundown on some of the most sought after styles.

GEL-Kayano® 16

Cutting-edge technology and high-end components combine as this venerated trainer returns in a bold new edition. Features ASICS new Guidance Line™ for optimal gait, DuoMax® Support System, a re-designed asymmetrical lacing system, and the shock-attenuating Discrete Heel Unit.
View Mens »
View Womens »

GT-2150™

The world's most popular running shoe just keeps getting better. Performance features for 2010 include DuoMax® Support System to enhance stability, Solyte® midsole material, ComforDry™ Sockliner, Space Trusstic System®, and Impact Guidance System (I.G.S.®) for gait enhancement.
View Mens »
View Womens »

GEL-1150™

With exceptional fit and comfort that appeals to all types of runners, this popular trainer features a DuraSponge® outsole, lightweight SpEVA® midsole material, the weight-reducing Trusstic System®, and rearfoot and forefoot GEL® Cushioning System.
View Mens »
View Womens »

GEL-DS Trainer® 15

A mainstay in the ASICS performance line features tooling and upper specs that reprise the fit and comfort of the legendary GEL-DS Trainer® 6. Updated with new features like the vaunted Impact Guidance System (I.G.S.®), Space Trusstic System®, Propulsion Trusstic®, and asymmetrical lacing.
View Mens »
View Womens »

Ribbon Cutting:

ASICS Store New York was officially opened by a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, October 22nd.

From left to right: Rich Bourne - President and COO, ASICS America; Kiyoma Wada - Chairman, ASICS Corporation; Nobou Oda - CEO, ASICS America

Store photos:

Press Day:

Press was invited to the store on Thursday to shop and learn more about the Foot ID system featured in the store.

Here's Lucy Danziger, editor-in-chief of SELF Magazine, getting her foot analysis done: http://www.self.com/magazine/blogs/lucysblog/2009/10/shoes-news-i-can-use.html

Lolo Jones Appearance:

ASICS Olympic Hurdler Lolo Jones, was in store on Friday, October 23rd to sign autographs and provide some inspiration to aspiring athletes.  She got a little shopping in too!

Fun Run

Runners gathered in the morning rain for a 5K Fun Run through the damp New York streets on Saturday, Oct. 24th.  The run was lead by Central Park Track Club Head Coach Tony Ruiz.  Thanks to all that attended!

 

Grand Opening Weekend Features ASICS Athletes, Free Product, “Fun Run” and Grand Prize Trip Give-Away

IRVINE, Calif. (October 22, 2009) – ASICS® America, a leading athletic footwear and apparel manufacturer, will open its first U.S.-based retail store on Friday, October 23, 2009 in New York City. The 1,100-square-foot store will be located at 51 West 42nd Street in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, near Bryant Park. Opening weekend festivities will feature ASICS’ professional athlete guest appearances, in-store promotions, a “fun run” through the city starting at Bryant Park, and a grand prize trip give-away.

“Despite a down economy, ASICS America is still seeing significant growth in sales,” says Rich Bourne, President and CFO, ASICS America.  “New York is an active city in the running community which ASICS has long been a part of through our support of the ING New York City Marathon. We feel this is the perfect time and place to mark our debut as a retailer in the U.S.”

As the first stand-alone ASICS retail outlet in the United States, the store will stock running specific merchandise including footwear and apparel, and will have a sleek design aesthetic with traditional ASICS white and royal blue coloring similar to it’s predecessors in London and Tokyo. A main draw for the store will be the proprietary Foot ID system, which includes a 3D scan of the foot along with gait analysis to help consumers determine the best shoe for their foot and running style.

Foot ID’s 3D scan utilizes a cross-section of lasers and cameras to measure all aspects of the foot including the arch, boney architecture of the upper, length, width, heel and ball girth. The consumer simply stands on two pads located on the scanner and information is entered into a database. The consumer then runs on a special treadmill to collect additional information about their running gait. A specifically trained ASICS staff member will interpret all of this information and provide a recommendation on which shoes will work best for that individual. The gathered information will also be shared with the ASICS Research and Development center in Japan for future research.

“The state-of-the-art Foot ID system allows the customers to experience first-hand what ASICS technology is all about,” says Gary Slayton, VP of Marketing, ASICS America.  “ASICS is known for our innovation, and we are proud to be bringing a piece of that to the floor of our first U.S.-based retail store.”

Grand opening events for the public will take place throughout the weekend of October 23, including appearances from ASICS Olympic athlete Lolo Jones, product giveaways, a “fun run” on Saturday, October 24th at 8:00AM starting in Bryant Park and a chance to win a grand prize all-expense-paid trip to an ASICS-sponsored Marathon. For additional information on these activities, visit www.asicsamerica.com/asicsstoreny.

Last week was a good week.  In terms of training it was the most defining week of my buildup for The ING NYC Marathon.  Coming off a very difficult Sunday marathon simulation I was expecting to feel a little sluggish with only one day rest before my 1000 meter repeat session on Tuesday.  It was one of those good surprises when I got part way into my workout and realized there was a freshness to my legs that hadn’t been there since I began my heavy marathon training.  I knew the rest of the week was going to be special, and it had to be, since I had my hardest runs I would be doing leading up to NYC on Friday and Sunday.
 
As we were finishing our repeats on Tuesday it began to snow, and snow, and snow.  We ended up getting so much snow that the ski resort reported a 30” dump and that they had enough to open a month earlier than expected.  On Tuesday night I went over to my training partners house, Josh Cox, for a pre-birthday healthy homemade pizza dinner.  Driving home I felt lucky to be in my four-wheel drive equipped Titan because there was no way I was getting home any other way. 
 
I turned 27 years old on Wednesday.  Birthdays have definitely changed over the years and especially since I began marathoning.  I used to have stay up all-night parties with my buddies in grade school.  Now I am eating Splenda pumpkin pie, which is really good, and enjoying low-key moments with teammates and friends.  This year Sara wanted to throw a big party for me but when I am in the middle of heavy training it is hard to find extra energy for even fun things like parties. 
 
Friday was my biggest workout of the week, an 18-mile tempo run.  I had already done an 18-mile tempo two weeks prior and it had gone well but with how good my body was feeling I knew I could run much faster this time around.  Luckily the snow had subsided and it was almost a no-shirt day (a runners way of relating temperature).  I ended up running two minutes faster than I had previously run.  When I finished that run I knew, with all certainty that I was ready.  It was not that I didn’t know before but there are those moments when you no longer have to talk yourself into the fact that you are ready you just know because the evidence is undeniable.
 
I was expecting to feel pretty trashed on Saturday but I was surprised, once again, when I felt unusually bouncy on my training runs.  Another good sign.  Running good workouts is important but how you come off them is almost equally important.  In training, no single run should ever be looked at in isolation.  It’s about the whole block of training.  This is why some people can hop in someone else’s workout, run it and apparently be in the same shape but then finish minutes behind on race day.  It isn’t totally about what has been done on just one day, it is about what has been done over the weeks and months leading up to the event.  Coming off the workout well is just as important as doing the workout.  Here is how I come off workouts well.
 
The first thing I do after a workout is eat.  Recovery begins with nutrition.  I have Cytomax protein and a banana right away, and then I go home and stretch and eat lunch soon thereafter.  After lunch I go straight into a 90-minute massage.  I know massage might not be accessible to everyone, which is why when I don’t have access to a massage I use various balls, rollers, Normatec MVP, etc to workout any knots or tight spots I may have acquired from the workout.  After the massage I go straight into my Icool for an ice bath.  After relaxing for a couple of hours, it is time to go to the gym for some light leg weights (quad extensions, pulley exercises, etc…the key here is to strengthen the muscles that tend to be weak on you specifically), a kick in the pool for hydro-therapy and a brief (10 minutes tops, followed by lots of water) stretch in the hot tub.  These are the keys I have found helpful in coming off workouts well but you are going to have to experiment to find what works well for you.
 
Sunday marked two weeks till race day.  It was my last long run.  I ran 2 ½ hours and covered well over 20 miles feeling very controlled the whole way.  It is at about two weeks before the race that I make sure to really monitor my effort level.  I still do some hard running but there are no tests until the marathon.  I did my usual recovery routine in the afternoon and finished the day with a night service at church.
 
Today I woke up and had that unusual pop in my legs once again.  I was thinking about how I only had a couple weeks left to enjoy the fitness that I have gained over the last four months, and then it will be time to stop running and let my body recover.  People are always surprised when I tell them I let myself get out of shape over a two-week complete no-run recovery period after all my marathons.  I have come to see it as a very necessary part of marathon training.  I have tried only taking a modified break and found that I came back in very good shape but then as I began my training my body goes stale, begins to breakdown in the form of injuries, and I see very little improvement.  Recovery is a necessary part of the cycle of a marathon runner.  Plus, if you never let yourself get out of shape its harder to appreciate being in shape. 

Have you ever thought about what a difference a few seconds can make?  I have never been so thankful for a few extra seconds as I was this week while doing my last hard uphill run.  Last Thursday morning Sara and I had driven 15 minutes to what has become one of my favorite runs in preparation for the hills of The ING New York City Marathon. 

I locked my Titan and headed out for my typical 20-minute warm-up jog along this beautiful little single track that runs along Lower Rock Creek.  I came back and, uncharacteristically for me, hopped right in the truck to drive the 2.5 miles up the road where I would start my climb.  I usually take a few minutes to stretch before getting in the car but today for some reason I didn’t feel the need.  I pulled onto the highway about 200 meters in front of a sport utility vehicle and we started to drive up to the base of the climb.

As we were driving I glanced back in my rear view mirror and what I saw was like something out of a movie.  The car, for no apparent reason, swerved into the far right hand shoulder and then headed all the way back across the four lane highway into the left hand shoulder where it rolled in a cloud of dust and came to a stop.  My heart missed a couple of beats and didn’t know what to do.  My mind flashed back to a psychology class I had taken at Stanford where we learned about how when emergencies happen in public places, where there are lots of people who could act, people usually didn’t because they all figured someone else would.  I was not going to be that person.  I pulled off on the shoulder and we immediately called 911 and talked to the dispatcher for a few minutes.  Before we got off the phone a fire truck that happened to be driving by was already on the scene with its lights on.  We figured at that point there was very little we could do by running back to the scene, as not only the fire truck was there but various cars had pulled over as well.

I was pretty shaken up as we continued on our way and Sara dropped me off to start my run.  My thoughts were with the person in that car and I was imaging what could have happened to us.  What went wrong with their car?  Did they make it?  What if I had jogged the warm-up 20 seconds slower and had been driving next to that car when it started swerving?  What if I had taken some more time to stretch?  That could have been us.  I started the climb with a very different perspective than I started the warm-up.  Running didn’t seem any less significant, it felt more precious.  Life felt more precious. 

Perspective is a huge part of running.  It’s the lens that we experience our running through.  My “lens” was very different for the uphill run than it typically is.  I welcomed the pain as I appreciated being alive to experience it.  I made the conscientious decision to take in every aspect of the run taking in the beauty of the scenery, despite the thinning air.  I paid extra attention to my senses.  I felt the cool breeze blow through my hair and the sweat dripping from my brow.  I could feel my heart pounding in my body and it never felt so good.  Sometimes it takes tragedy for us to realize what a gift it is to get to go out for a run.  Rolling out of bed on Thursday morning I wasn’t expecting to get much more than a good workout in but I got a brand new appreciation for life.

It served as a good reminder for me to really enjoy these last couple of weeks before the marathon.  I often get into countdown mode, thinking about how many more long tempos or long hard runs are left.  Thursday reminded me to take in every moment of every day.  After all, it’s the journey that makes the summit so special.  If someone took you to the summit of Everest in a helicopter you would appreciate being there, but if you just spent years of training and preparation and had just completed a long and treacherous journey to the top of Everest you would have a whole different sense of accomplishment when you summit.  I have spent the last 13 years of my life trying to make it to the summit of my career.  I haven’t been to the top yet, but it feels close.  But even if I get to the summit on November 1st, if I get there and haven’t enjoyed each step of the journey than I have lost.  Life is too precious to wish a moment away.

As I nervously laced up my custom built ASICS running flats last week, prior to my 18 mile tempo run, I could not help but smile to myself as I thought I am living every kids dream. As a kid growing up, I was sports mad. When I wasn't forced to go to school I did nothing but play sports or watch sports on tv. At that time professional basketball players were just starting to come out with their own custom built shoes that were becoming available to the general public. I remember wanting a pair of Air Jordan's but not having anywhere near the bills I needed to sport them. I always dreamed of what it would be like to have my own shoe. Now I know.

Ever since I signed with ASICS in 2005, I had heard stories about the ASICS Research and Development Center in Kobe, Japan and the special custom shoes that were being turned out for their athletes. This past spring I had the opportunity to take a two-day trip to Kobe and get a pair of my own shoes built. The trip opened up my mind to what all goes into making a custom pair of shoes and ultimately made me glad I wasn't wearing someone else's custom shoes when I was a kid.

Going to the ASICS R&D Center I knew that they would measure my foot a couple of different ways using cutting edge technology, however I wasn't prepared for all that my 36 hour trip would involve. I had no idea what goes into making my shoes. There were about seven different experts that I met with throughout the day. Some measured my leg lengths, some measured my arch using a high tech device. Then there were a couple stations that I had to be physically put to the test. They had me perform all out leg exercises so they could take into account my leg strength ratio and my strength in relation to other marathoners. The test that I personally liked the best was a running test where I literally ran through the middle of the building on a indoor/outdoor track that runs in and out of the building, landing on plates that measured my ground impact force and reaction time.

At the end of my testing they sat me down and went over all my running mechanics, giving me strengthening and stretching tips. What I love about the Japanese is that they tell you how it is. So when they respectfully told me that I "ran like a girl", I wasn't too surprised and tried to take it in stride. If I didn't get it by now that they were only doing everything in their power to make me better I never would. I thought I was flying half way around the world to get a pair of shoes made but with a company with a slogan of "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body" I should have known I would be getting much, much more than a pair of shoes.

RYANS RESEARCH - Video

After a hard day at the office, I enjoyed some traditional Japanese hospitality when we went to get my first taste of Kobe steak. I can't even begin to describe how good Kobe steak is. You have to go there and try it for yourself. Before catching my afternoon flight the next day, I had the opportunity to visit the ASICS Global Headquarters and meet the faces that make up ASICS. I met many enthusiastic employees but my highlight had to be meeting with the President, Chairman and other VIPs from the Global Office. I admit that I was pretty nervous as they ushered us into a leather chair lounge for our meeting. I got even more nervous when I saw the barrage of suited men walking toward me as I took inventory of my attire, or lack there of. They were very gracious as we exchanged hellos and found our seats. Then the Chairman said something that I was least expecting, "Your wife is so beautiful." Instantly all the tension in my body melted away as I thought to myself I can't wait to tell Sara about this one.

RYAN VISITING SPORTS MUSEUM - Video

I left Kobe knowing that the first time I race a marathon, at The 2009 ING NYC Marathon, in my new custom designed racing shoes, I will have no doubt that I am in the perfect shoes for me. The experts at ASICS took everything that makes me who I am and made a shoe around that. It is easy to take a mold of a foot and make a shoe around it, it is another thing to design a shoe around an entire body, which is exactly what my shoe is. My shoe is not just a customized shoe, it is a customized extension of me.

It took about six weeks till I came home one day from practice to find the very normal looking package waiting for me outside my door that I had been waiting for since my youth. I knew it would take time to make my shoes because I saw the workers putting the finishing touches on one of my buddy's pair of track spikes. It is pretty cool that when I lace up my shoes before The ING NYC Marathon I will see all the faces behind the shoe. From the woman who is responsible for punching the holes, to the technician who analyzed my stride impact force, to the Chairman who acknowledges my wife's good looks, I will feel their support in more ways than through my shoes absorbing the tough roads of New York.

Only 10 days to go until the Chicago Marathon and I am thrilled with the way my training has gone in the last 2 months.  Today marked my last tempo run and the official beginning of tapering for the race.  Although I still have a couple quality workouts to do, my mileage will reduce considerably.  I have been running about 115 miles a week and will reduce to about 80 the week leading up to the race.  Tapering is when we expect to feel exuberant with energy, but our bodies have something else in mind.  Tapering never feels as good as we want it to.  My week usually consists of restless night’s sleep (from not taxing myself in training), a mild headache (endorphin withdrawals) and a sudden feeling of loosing fitness (a five mile run doesn’t feel as easy as it should).  But our bodies have a self-preserving mechanism when it comes to marathon preparation.  We train for months to condition ourselves and then taper to store energy.  Race day arrives and we have all the tools to accomplish the distance.  When you add the buzz and enthusiasm of 45,000 people on the starting line, I consider this the special ingredient, the added boost that drives us.  Tomorrow is my last day at altitude before heading to sea-level to rest. 

I’ll be lounging in Southern California for a few days before heading east. We call these interim days “Camp Oxnard” since the sea-side town calls for a leisure existence.   I look forward to arriving in Chicago next week.  If you are there, please visit the ASICS booth at the Marathon Expo on Friday, October 9th from 1:30-2:30.  I’ll be there to visit with runners and running fans, sign autographs and enjoy the camaraderie of so many fit people on a 26.2 mile mission.  I look forward to sharing the experience with all of you.

Today as I was out running the last 20 miles on The ING NYC Marathon course I felt like I re-learned a very important lesson and fulfilled my purpose for coming to New York City this week.  I was having one of those days where I was tired and my run wasn’t going as well as I hoped.  All I could think about was how off my body felt, how tired I was from getting up at 5:30 am, how hard it was for me to navigate the city roads and traffic, how I wished I was back home in the forest. Really I was reaping frustration because I had let my heart become too self-focused.  As I ran along, God was telling me this is what it is like to be running with an inward focus, but it doesn’t have to be this way.  Though I heard Him, it didn’t make it from my head to my heart until after the run, as I lay on the massage table, still irritated by the morning, God impressed on my heart, get outside yourself.
 
It’s ironic that I am writing about lacking an outward focus less than two days after Sara and I launched our foundation, the Hall Steps Foundation.  Its goal is taking small steps towards the marathon goal of ending poverty.  The vision for the foundation came from one of my personal heroes, Mother Teresa, who said, “I can do no great things, just small things with great love.”  Out of this quote our slogan was born, “small steps, great love”.  Marathoners know best about taking lots of small steps towards accomplishing a seemingly impossible goal, whether it’s to break 2 hours or 8.  Through the Hall Steps Foundation our aim is to encourage runners to take their own “small steps” by focusing outside themselves on others both in their community and around the world living in poverty.
 
Yet, despite my excitement about starting this endeavor and belief in its mission, somehow I had lost focus.  This morning I woke up with the wrong perspective and forgotten my life and running is not all about me. I had forgotten that the truly special moments that I have experienced in running are all when I was outwardly-focused.  When I set my mind on God and praising Him through my running, thinking about my wife, family, and all those who I love, and remembering the people I am impacting a positive force in my running and is how God designed me to ideally function.  The more I reach out to positively impact others, the more my motivation and focus changes when running.  After visiting Zambia with World Vision in the fall of 2008, the faces of the kids we were to bring clean water to became burned in my mind’s eye.  I often go there when I am hurting on a run finding new strength that I couldn’t find in myself. 
 
The goal of today’s run was to preview the last 20 miles of The ING NYC Marathon course, but I accomplished so much more than that.  I learned an important lesson about what enables me to really fly: focusing outside myself by focusing on others I love.