walking

Starting 2015 On the Right Foot in Aptos

December 31, 2014 by Seb Frey

Happy New Year 2015 — Planning to make 2015 a very Happy New Year

I’ve been working on Aptos Community News for over a year now, in part because I want to help make Aptos an even better place tomorrow than it is today. And in that spirit, I plan on starting 2015 on the right foot in Aptos. I’m going to improve our community starting with me, which is the only thing I am 100% in control of.

The good news is, I won’t be alone in this. Thousands of folks in the community are looking back on 2014, and looking forward to 2015 and thinking about what they can do better in the new year. I have a very long list of ways that I can personally improve, but as I get older, one thing that becomes increasingly important is maintaining my health.

And that’s why my eyes opened wider when I saw that the good folks at Fleet Feet Sports in Aptos are organizing Tons of Fun 2015, which is a community-based health and weight loss challenge. When striving towards any goal, it’s often more effective not to go it alone, and to at least have some kind of accountability partner…and maybe meet some like-minded, health-conscious Aptosians to boot.

I spoke with Tina Coillot who is one of the owners of Fleet Feet Sports, and put up a recording of our conversation on the Real Santa Cruz Podcasat. You can listen to the interview here:

Interview with Tina Coillot of Fleet Feet Sports

Download audio file…

It’s refreshing to talk to someone who truly has a passion for what they do – and I think you can really get a sense of that from my interview with Tina. I get the feeling that she really enjoys being part of our community and making the folks who live here healthier – and happier.

The interview is around 40 minutes long, so you might want to just subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or Stitcher and listen to it in your car, on your morning walk, at the gym, or whatever.

In the interview, we also talked about their “Couch to 5K” program – which I hadn’t heard about before we started talking. It sounds like just the ticket for me – someone who has never, ever ran (since high school anyway, and then only barely). I would love to be able to run a whole five thousand meters – so this is something I’m going to sign up for as well. In for a penny, in for a pound!

Happy New Year, Aptos! I love you. See you in 2015!

Fleet Feet Sports Aptos

November 4, 2014 by Seb Frey

Locally owned and operated by Russ and Tina (Hill) Coillot, (a Soquel High graduate) since 2010, Fleet Feet Sports Aptos is located in the Rancho del Mar Shopping Center. Fleet Feet Sports in Aptos strives to be more than just a store where you shop for shoes and apparel. Fleet Feet Sports is a place in the Aptos community you can visit often because you feel comfortable there. They are a resource for all your running, walking and general fitness needs; they will support you through setbacks and challenges and will celebrate your accomplishments. They are inspired everyday by you: our community.

In fact, Fleet Feet Sports in Aptos was recognized in 2013 by competitor.com as one of the 50 best running stores in the entire USA. That’s a pretty impressive achievement given the thousands of running stores across the country. But Aptos is the best, and so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that we would have one of the best running stores in the country.

Fleet Feet Sports also works with a number of charities in the area, they work with our kids in our elementary schools to help keep them fit, and sponsor a number of running events in the area. If you run, walk, jog, or get around on two feet, this is the place you need to come and check out.

See also:

Saturday Morning

May 17, 2014 by Seb Frey

I make no bones about it: I’m a morning person. All my life, so far as I can remember, I’m up once I see the light, and it’s almost impossible for me to get back to sleep. As I get older, I seem to need less sleep than before, and I get up earlier and earlier.

This morning, my son Evan also was up pretty early, and rather than have him fuss and make noise and possibly wake up the whole house (none of whom share my penchant for early mornings), I put Evan in the baby backpack and hit the streets. I needed to visit the Wells Fargo down at State Park and Soquel to make some deposits and get some cash for the World’s Biggest Garage Sale today, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do that and get some exercise and fresh air while I was at it.

After we hit the bank, I noticed that the Pacific Coffee Roasting company was open, so Evan and I cruised over for a non-fat latte for me and an Odwalla blueberry smoothie-thing for him. Evan started missing his mommy around this time, so he got back in the backpack and we headed back home down Soquel Drive.

I love the mornings for how cool and quiet they are. It’s nice to walk down Soquel Drive without the roar of the passing traffic. There were a few people out this morning, going for walks like Evan and I, and it was lovely to say hi, hello, good morning, share a smile, and hear Evan say “hi” too in his little baby voice.

Almost back home, we came across a fireman raising the flags at the Aptos Fire Station. It was pretty cool to watch him tend to one of his daily duties in the calm and still of the morning. Don’t know why, it just was.