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Highlands Ranch, CO – The Merrell Naked Foot 5K challenges runners to run barefoot in an effort to raise awareness about the benefits of barefoot running and collect donations for Soles4Souls.

The series kicked off along the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara, CA, then moved east along the Rocky Mountains in Boulder, CO. On Sunday, September 18, the Naked Foot 5K will return to Colorado for an event at Redstone Park in Highlands Ranch.

On the day of each event, The Merrell Naked Foot 5K will be collecting gently worn footwear and donations for Soles4Souls, a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) charity that collects and distributes shoes to people in need. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 5.5 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes and is currently donating one pair every nine seconds. These shoes have been distributed to people in over 125 countries including Kenya, Thailand and the United States.

 
It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets.

“We can use the shoes taking up space in your closet to change the world one pair at a time,” said Wayne Elsy, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. “We need our partners across the U.S. to 'STEP UP' and get behind our call for action. It’s one of the simplest yet most profound gifts you can make, because it will greatly improve someone’s life in the most difficult of times.”

  
Because barefoot running has been gaining attention recently, the Merrell Naked Foot 5K provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the benefits of this growing trend in addition to collecting donations for Soles4Souls. Studies have shown that barefoot running can help to prevent injuries, improve running form and correct common biomechanical issues that lead to lower body pain and ailments.

“You don’t have the cushioning of the shoe so you are much more aware of your form and tend to land a little softer,” said Lauren Jones, co-founder of the Merrell Naked Foot 5K.  “You can’t have bad form when running barefoot or you will really feel it and may injure yourself. Running barefoot forces you to correct common mistakes runners make like over striding and heel strike, which running shoes actually reinforce.”

The Naked Foot 5K welcomes shod runners to compete with barefoot runners, adding a level of competition and making an effort to earn their respect.

“Besides injury prevention, aren’t we preaching how we are running smoother and faster bare?” said co-founder Scott Jones. “ If runners start going bare more often and we start seeing respectable times, this ‘trend’ will take off even more than it has due to the prevention pitch we have been giving in every lecture, clinic and blog around. So let’s embrace shod runners at these events and challenge them down the home stretch.  That in the end is the difference in asking for respect and earning it.”

Register online or learn more about the benefits of barefoot running at www.thenakedfoot5k.com.

In addition to the 5K, the event includes fun activities for the entire family: a FREE kids fun run, one-mile race, foot massages, foot painting, Tarahumara barefoot games, green/healthy living vendors, prizes and more.

About The Merrell Naked Foot 5K

Scott and Lauren Jones founded The Merrell Naked Foot 5K, the first national barefoot running series, in an effort to create a unique event to make people curious. As “barefoot moderates,” they run about ten percent of their weekly training miles barefoot because they love the feel and the impact it has on their form and strength, but recognize that there is a time and a place for a good pair of shoes. Scott is an exercise physiologist and former collegiate athlete. Lauren earned her degree in exercise science. As a result, they understand the biomechanics of running and how barefoot running can help improve running form and prevent common running ailments.

For more information on The Merrell Naked Foot 5K, please contact Lauren Jones at barefootracing@gmail.com.

Visit www.giveshoes.org for more information about Soles4Souls.

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 Eating Recovery Center, a national center for eating disorders recovery providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia and bulimia, today announced that it has partnered with Summit Eating Disorders and Outreach Program. Summit is a nationally recognized center for eating disorders treatment and prevention located in Sacramento, Cali.

This partnership allows Summit to expand its partial hospitalization and outpatient treatment options. It also underscores Eating Recovery Center’s ongoing commitment to providing and supporting access to expert eating disorders recovery services.

“We have come to regard Summit as a highly reputable eating disorders treatment center in the Northern California area,” said Craig Johnson, PhD, FAED, CEDS, chief clinical officer of Eating Recovery Center. “We see tremendous value in not only the Summit team’s clinical approach, but also its community awareness and prevention programming.”

Founded in 2000, Summit is the only medically supervised treatment program in the Sacramento area serving adolescents and adults with anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder. The treatment center is led by founding partners, Tony Paulson, PhD, executive director, Lisa Peterson, PhD, clinical director, and Jennifer Lombardi, MFT, chief admissions officer.

“Partnering with Eating Recovery Center allows Summit to enhance and further develop our partial hospitalization and outpatient programming by incorporating clinical models developed by the Center’s leadership team,” said Dr. Paulson. “Additionally, the Center’s intensive inpatient and residential programs are valuable resources for Summit’s adult and adolescent patients requiring a higher level of care. We believe this continuity of care is critical in supporting lasting eating disorders recovery.”

Summit’s eating disorders treatment programs offer:

• Comprehensive medical, nutritional and psychological care.
• A philosophy rooted in evidence-based treatments including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Family Based Treatment.
• Treatments for co-morbid psychological issues, including: anxiety, depression and substance abuse.
• Individualized treatment plans.
• Collaboration with community partners.

“Summit provides highly effective outpatient care to eating disordered patients and is a trusted treatment resource for the community of referring professionals,” said Kenneth L. Weiner, MD, FAED, CEDS, founding partner, chief medical officer and chief executive officer of Eating Recovery Center. “This partnership facilitates expanded reach for the clinical models that have proven highly successful in treating patients at Eating Recovery Center.”

For more information about Eating Recovery Center, visit www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com. To learn more about Summit Eating Disorders and Outreach Program, visit www.sedop.org.

• 44% of rape victims are under age 18
• 80% are under age 30
• 1 in 5 women has been sexually assaulted in their lifetime
• 60% of sexual assaults are not reported to police (so all statistics only show 40% of the cases!)
• 7 out of 10 assaults are committed by someone known to the victim
• Every 2 minutes, some is sexually assaulted

• The average rate per 100,000 inhabitants for forcible rape in the US was 28.7 in 2009 (that does not include all sexual assault, this means that the real number of problems is MUCH higher). The rate per 100,000 inhabitants for forcible rape in Colorado was 44.6 and went up 5.2% since 2008. This is a major increase over the national average. Source: FBI Crime in the US

• The offenses known to law enforcement: Boulder law enforcement listed 32 forcible rape cases in 2009 (keep in mind only 40% gets reported and then still some may not be counted; think about school campus, lack of evidence etc.) If you compare Boulder with other cities such as Arvada and Centennial which have a similar amount of inhabitants, Boulder mostly had higher numbers in many different offenses such as violent crime, murder, robbery, assault etc. Source: FBI Offenses Known to Law Enforcement

• 4 forcible rape cases were listed in 2009 in the University of Colorado with a student enrollment of 32,469. Denver, with a student enrollment of 21,903 had 0. Fort Collins however, had 5 with a student enrollment of 28,882. CU Boulder did have the #1 spot in violent crimes, aggravated assault, property crime, burglary and larceny-theft. Source: FBI Offenses Known to Law Enforcement by State and University

• Crime statistics in Boulder, CO up to 2010. In this case, please keep in mind the population in Boulder has increased much since 2006. There is a lot of info for you to see but I will mention a few items I noticed. For example, the amount of officers has remained the same even though the population increases and the ration even (slightly) dropped per 1000 inhabitants: from 1.67 in 2006 to 1.65 in 2010. In 2010, 25 rape cases were reported (only 7 arrests total with juvenile arrests booming to a total of 4 in 2010), 72 sexual assault cases and 4 murders (3 arrests). In many other crimes however, numbers have dropped over the past 5 years which is a positive sign. Some have increased and other remain very volatile year over year. I am positive that our law enforcement does an excellent job and am very supportive of their actions. Numbers are not an exact science and don’t explain everything. However, it does give an individual an idea of the amount of crimes and we can only create a safer community if we all work together. The police and Sheriff’s department exist to keep us safe but we all have duties as individuals as well. Source: www.bouldercolorado.gov

• Finally, campus statistics at CU Boulder. Please take a look at their website at they give you much information to explain more about them and what to do if something were to happen (including phone numbers). If we take a look at the crime statistics, you will see there is a 5 year average of 4.2 forcible rape cases each year with a total of 4 in 2010 (does not include other sex offenses such as sexual assault, unlawful sexual contact and does not reflect a total count since not all are reported and/or listed!!) No arrests were made from 2006-2008 for forcible rape cases. Source: website of CU Boulder Police Department

Hopefully this indirectly helped you to be safe and maybe make certain decisions that will keep you safe in the future. If we can assist you in any way, if you have any questions or you would like to try out a free class with us, you can always contact us at info@definedefense.com

From Eugenia Price and novels set in 19th century northern Florida and southern Georgia to T. Jefferson Parker and southern California and Mexico --- my reading routine has taken a distinct turn. After reading an in-depth article on T Jefferson Parker and his works, I became curious and picked up a copy of his latest crime thriller: Border Lords.

Set largely in that dangerous area between Mexico and the US, I find myself caught up in the plot as Parker sets it up. One has to pay strict attention to the characters and to details that in other genres might be overlooked with no harm done to reading pleasure, but this genre requires more concentration. As a result, I'm reading slower than usual. Could it be that I'm adjusting the the change in genre or just savoring Parker's writing style.

Already, I'm planning to read two of Parker's  earlier works: California Girl and Summer of Fear. I'm told that Summer of Fear features a character with a brain tumor--something I am indeed familiar with. Changing genres, I believe, sharpens one's mind both as a reader and as a writer.

Ecotech Institute, the first and only college focused entirely on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainable design, today announced that it received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

“This is one of the highest honors anyone can receive in green building and design and we are thrilled to receive gold-status recognition for the numerous design elements we’ve incorporated into Ecotech,” said Tom Moore, President of Education Corporation of America, the parent company of Ecotech Institute.  “We want to make sure we’re truly walking the talk for our students, so we took great care in how we designed Ecotech.”

The U.S. Green Building Council awarded Ecotech points for its sustainable design and energy efficiency, giving Ecotech the second highest LEED certification.  Examples of Ecotech’s sustainable design include:

Renewable Energy

All together the renewable energy sources at Ecotech will generate more than 65,000-kilowatt hours of electricity annually.  Since Ecotech’s current facility opened in January, the school has produced more than 18,000 KWh of clean renewable energy. 

• Ecotech has 12 rooftop solar panels with a system capacity of 2.8 kilowatts.
• Eight small wind turbines are mounted on the roof to generate up to 4.8 kilowatts of electricity.

Energy Savings

A key component of the campus is its rigorous energy savings.

• Energy efficient lighting reduces energy consumption by 30 percent below standard lighting energy levels.
• A measurement and verification system provides real time monitoring of the campus power, natural gas, and water consumption. This information is displayed in the lobby for visitors and is also recorded and used to determine further energy saving possibilities.

Water Aspects

Improvements to the Ecotech building to make it the campus it is today reduced average water use by 30 percent.

• Low-flow fixtures helped reduce water use from 1.6 gallons per flush to 1.28 gallons per flush for toilets. Low-flow fixtures also cut water use from 1.0 gallon per flush to 1/8 gallon per flush for urinals.
• Sensors on lavatory faucets also cut water use. While a faucet uses 0.5 gallon per minute, sensor-operated faucets cut that to 0.25 gallon per cycle in some lavatories.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the primary uses for energy in buildings today. Some of the methods Ecotech uses to limit the amount of energy used by lighting include:

• Motion sensors and a programmed schedule to limit lighting in unoccupied rooms.
• Classroom and office lighting have step-dimming options so that fixtures have multiple light levels – further increasing energy savings when lights are dimmed.

Other Resource Savings

The campus includes four electric car-charging stations, capable of delivering a full charge to a vehicle in two to four hours.

Ecotech’s LEED gold certified building opened for classes in January 2011.  Currently about 250 students are taking classes at Ecotech and the first graduating class will receive their diplomas in July 2012. 

Ecotech Institute, which is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, offers seven highly practical degree programs and one certificate program that provide graduates with skills valued by today’s alternative renewable energy employers.  More information about Ecotech’s programs can be found at http://www.ecotechinstitute.com/green-facility-college.cfm.

To learn more about Ecotech Institute, visit www.ecotechinstitute.com. The next round of classes begins this fall and applications are being accepted now. Financial assistance is available.

Philmont%202011%20Summary.doc

Photo- Sitting from left: Jack Seifert, Ryan Elliott, Brandon Smith, Ranger Dan D., Stephen Hollis, Taylor Jackson, Ambrose Ahlers. Standing from left: Bob McCormick, Neal McCormick, Darren Jackson

Seven members of Boy Scout Troop 69 of Louisville completed a twelve-day wilderness expedition at Philmont Scout Ranch. This national High Adventure base is located in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico and is known for its extreme weather variations, rough terrain and elevation ranging from 6,500 to 12,441 feet. To prepare for the physically demanding trek of 56 miles, Troop 69 leaders Darren Jackson and Bob McCormick planned five practice hikes in the preceding months and helped each Scout to select the most durable yet lightweight equipment to bring so that their packs would be as light as possible. The crew had to be prepared to carry all of their gear, including water, tents, cooking equipment, fuel, and three days worth of food at a time.
After arriving at Philmont on July 22, the group spent one night at base camp, and got an early start the next morning on their expedition. “Dan D.,” an experienced wilderness ranger, was assigned to accompany the group for a few days and familiarize them with advanced mountain hiking and camping skills such as the “Bearmuda Triangle.” On the third day, the guide determined that the group of nine was capable of completing the trek on their own and returned to base camp.  
“He potentially saved my life.” said Brandon Smith,” I didn’t bring a pillow on the trip because I was trying to eliminate extra weight. I was going to use my backpack as a pillow, but Dan told me about an unfortunate camper whose head was seriously injured when a bear swiped at the backpack while he was sleeping. The bear was attracted to the backpack because it smelled like food. So instead I used my sleeping bag case stuffed with clean clothes, and that worked pretty well.”
Every night the group set up a ”Bearmuda Triangle” and erected “bear bags” at least 50 feet away from the tent site. To prevent any incidents with bears, all smellables (food, toothpaste, and even clothing with a remote scent of food or drink) had to be put in this twelve-foot-high spot suspended by trees.
“Living in Colorado and being used to higher altitudes definitely helped us tremendously,” said Smith. “We ran into Scouts from St. Louis, Florida, and Indiana, and we seemed like we were struggling less than they were.”
The trip went smoothly overall, and there were no bear encounters. But, Smith recalled, ”One day Ambrose Ahlers, Neal McCormick, Jack Seifert and I were resting on some boulders, and Neal said, ‘There’s a snake.’ I asked, ‘Is it a rattlesnake?’ And he replied, ‘I don’t think so…wait…yes, it is.” We heard it rattle its tail and we sat and watched it for a while.”
“It was about three feet long, all stretched out,” recalled Seifert. On day eleven of the expedition Neal McCormick ran into another rattlesnake, about five inches away from him on the trail he was hiking down. It caught him by surprise, but the group snapped some pictures of it and continued on their way.
“The only other incident that I remember,” Said Smith, “was that I think Taylor and Ambrose went to get their sporks out of their backpacks to eat dinner, but they were broken. It would have been hard to eat, but Darren Jackson had duct tape to put them back together. We ended up using the duct tape almost every day,” said Smith. “It’s definitely something I’ll be sure to bring camping from now on.”

“Everyone got along very well,” said Bob McCormick. He has been to Philmont a total of four times- twice as a Boy Scout, and twice as an adult leader, and said,” I’d like to go back.”  
The boys had assigned jobs, for example, Jack Seifert was the “Chaplain’s Aide.” He was responsible for assisting the crew in meeting their responsibility to the 12th point of the Scout Law. He also used conflict resolution several times during the trek to ensure the smooth operation of the crew. The boys took turns each day being the “Pace-Setter.” This person hiked first in line and kept everyone traveling at a steady, constant pace. Ryan Elliott was the assigned “Leave no trace trainer.” It was his job to make sure that the group left absolutely nothing behind. Before the trek, each camper signs the Philmont Wilderness Pledge, which declares that he will do everything possible to preserve the beauty and wonder of the Philmont wilderness and its facilities through good scout camping. Each morning before leaving the campsite, Elliott would direct the group to stand arms width apart in a police line and make sure no trash or personal belongings were left at the campsite. Stephen Hollis was the crew leader and was responsible for organizing the crew, assigning duties, and making decisions. Hollis enjoyed the trip, but when asked what he thought of the food, he replied that it was a “gross understatement” and during the whole trip he couldn’t wait to get home and get some Pasta Jay’s. The meals during Philmont were limited in variety. Breakfast and lunch consisted of powdered drinks that were mixed with water, crackers, tuna, squeeze cheese, PB&J, and canned chicken or ham. Dinner was usually one of ten different freeze-dried meals that had to be thoroughly rehydrated with boiling water. Many campers brought spices and hot sauce to make their entrée more palatable.    
The Philmont itinerary also included both 12 Gauge Shotgun and .30-06 Rifle shooting, a “Class Five” rock-climbing challenge, and a chuck wagon dinner, all of which were nice breaks from the hiking. When Taylor Jackson was asked what he remembered most he replied, “It was a lot of walking.”
The group is glad to be home and some members are looking forward to another expedition next summer, this time canoeing at Northern Tier High Adventure Base in Minnesota.

• All Define Defense adult members receive a $75 gift card and a 15% discount for all products at Max Muscle
• Max Muscle customers can enjoy a 10% discount off services and programs at Define Defense

Week 4:

At this point, following this plan seemed natural to me and extremely easy to do. Once you know your routine and the important basics behind it, you start doing things automatically, for example what to get in the grocery store or what to pack for your snack etc. 
At the end of week 4, we reached my goal. I went down to 5.92% body fat and was a whole lot leaner than when we started. 2.48% to be exact and my starting point wasn’t all that high to start with. My final weight was 203.25 lbs. The lean mass was at 191.22 lbs., which went up 3.44 lbs. My fat mass was now only 12 lbs., which went down 5.22 lbs. This means I lost over 5 lbs. of fat mass while gaining 3.44 lbs. of muscle mass! This is exactly what I wanted to accomplish and the combination of paying attention to my dietary needs and responsible, well thought out training paid off! 

I had a great experience with Max Muscle Boulder and think it would be beneficial for anyone to do. No matter if you want to lose weight, gain muscle or just be and feel healthier. Please remember you do not have to train 10 hours per week to make progress. Getting some nutrition advice and working out 4-5 times per week will go a long way and give you results! It is not always how much you train, it’s about how smart you train. That is why getting professional advice always gives you an advantage. We at Define Defense and Max Muscle Boulder are looking forward to assist you in your physical training and nutrition needs!

Ecotech Institute, the first and only college focused entirely on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainable design, today announced that it has created MORE (Mentoring Others Results in Excellence), a mentorship program to help incoming students.  Now that Ecotech has students entering into their third and fourth terms, many of these more experienced students have great expertise and knowledge about Ecotech, the course material and the Denver Metro area.  These qualities are great attributes to help acclimate first-term students with their surroundings.

“Many of our students are not only studying subject matter that they are unfamiliar with, but they are also taking classes in a new building and may even be living in an entirely new city or state,” said Mike Seifert, president of Ecotech Institute.  “Now that we have students who have walked our halls many times and are familiar with the Denver Metro area and Ecotech’s course material, we want to embrace the leadership skills of these students and give them the chance to share their knowledge and serve as a resource for our new students.”

The mentorship program is open to all first-term Ecotech students, but to qualify to become a mentor the students must meet several criteria including:

• Have a minimum GPA of 3.5.
• Have completed a minimum of two terms at Ecotech.
• Make time to meet with his or her “buddy” student at least one time each week throughout the term.
• Willingness to develop study groups and help with tutoring.

Right now Ecotech has seven student mentors signed up for the program.  One of those students, who actually brought up the idea for a mentorship program,  is Michael Streight. Streight is serving his 22nd year in the Navy, but he sees his military career coming to an end since the aircraft system he works with is being phased out.  With one career on its last legs, Streight says he wants a future career that has growing potential.  Streight is now working full-time, while going to school four nights a week.  With dozens of new students starting at Ecotech each term, Streight started thinking about the mentor program the Navy uses and wondered how Ecotech could implement a similar program.  That idea helped lead to Ecotech’s mentorship program today.

“It’s a great program because as mentors we’ve been in their shoes,” said Streight.  “We’ve had their classes and had the different instructors.  We can also offer our opinions on non-school subjects such as the best areas to live and ideas for things to do on the weekends.”

With 25 percent of Ecotech’s students relocating to Colorado to attend school, this program helps students instantly have a buddy when they move.

“We have students from as far away as Florida and Maryland coming to Ecotech so it’s important those students especially feel connected, since their friends and family may be thousands of miles from their new home,” said Seifert.

To help with relocation, Ecotech has also created a relocation guide that details information about Aurora and the Denver Metro area.  That guide can be found at http://www.ecotechinstitute.com/ecotech-location.cfm.

Ecotech Institute, which is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, launched in Aurora, Colorado in April 2010 with seven highly practical degree programs and one certificate program that provide graduates with skills valued by today’s alternative renewable energy employers.

To learn more about Ecotech Institute, visit www.ecotechinstitute.com. The next round of classes begins this fall and applications are being accepted now.  Financial assistance is available.