Second Wind Running Store | In[FOCUS] Shop Edition

Welcome to the SBR.ph In[FOCUS] Shop Edition! Our newest section will feature, rate, and scour the archipelago for shops that’s truly worthy of the SBR.ph badge. Hey, as much as we love gear and technical stuff, we also love visiting running and multisport shops!

For this debut edition, our favorite running shop takes center stage.

Read on below for SBR.ph’s In[FOCUS] Shop Edition numero uno. Second Wind Running Store!

“We take the guesswork out” – That’s one of the things that resonated with me when I visited Second Wind Running Store for the first time around circa 2009. With no idea on what shoe to buy, Second Wind guided me through all the stability shoes inside the shop. I tried and test rode all of them, and after much thought, gave them the  “sige babalik ako ha” line, I never came back. =P

Well that is until I really needed new running shoes! For fear that they’ll remember me as the “Ah, eto yung nagsukat ng marami pero hindi bumili!” guy, I came back wearing a cap and armed with a digital weighing scale (yep, triathletes can be O.C. like that!),  and decided to give their entire stability shoe line another go. To my horror, they recognized me! But the good thing is, the staff still offered me the same diligence and enthusiasm as I test rode all the shoes again. That’s when I found out that this shop is more than just a shoe specialty store.  They’re passionate about their products just like we are when it comes to our gear. Why? Because they’re athletes themselves.

Second Wind opened their third branch, aka B3, this year in Greenhills and by the looks of it, nothing’s going to stop this team from opening 1-2 more shops in the near future.

What really got our attention was the plethora of multisport products inside this so called “running shoe store”. Could an expansion be in the works? Let’s find out. Want a trivia? They call their branches B1, B2, and B3. B1 for the Quezon City branch, B2 for the one in Ortigas Home Depot, and B3 for the Greenhills branch.

We got the chance to have a little chit chat with Second Wind’s big cheese, Hector Yuzon, co-owner of the Second Wind Running Store.

SBR.ph : Can you give us a brief history of Second Running Store?

Hector : Dati ko pa napapaginipan yung running store (pero di ko pa alam paano).  I was still working in corporate then, I knew exactly where I wanted to go but HOW was the biggest question.  One day January 2009, I took the leap and resigned.  Nothing like good old fear to drive you away from failing.

It was a dream for me to offer something to the running community that doesn’t just say “may size pa yan” or “yan po ang latest” but rather to actually have a running specialty store for runners, by runners – a shop where you can go and talk about the sport mismo.  The ‘running man’ logo depicts the athlete running and breaking away from the pack – this for every athlete out there who wants to be better at what they do.  We opened our stores officially march 28, 2009 – Philippines’ first running specialty store for runners, by runners.  And thankfully enough, the community has supported us since then.

SBR.ph :  I noticed B3 has a lot of products totally unrelated to running. Whats the reason behind this?

Hector : B3 or Greenhills carries some bike accessories, trisuit, speed suits, goggles, and other swim gear because we noticed that almost 50% of the clients we have there are triathletes, so yes we try to adjust our services and cater to their needs to as an endurance athlete.  Anyway at the end of the race, theres always a run leg.

SBR.ph : Are there plans to open a B4?

Hector : As of now, none.  To be honest all our branches are unplanned, all were blessings in disguise.  Yung Branch 2 (aka B2) or Ortigas Home depot, was through edmund – he mentioned that there is a unit right beside his shop, and would complement each other- same with B3 or Greenhills, I heard that my friend Bobby was opening a shop there and I asked kung meron din space – meron din daw.  And the rest is history.

SBR.ph : What’s SW’s mantra/policy when it comes to customers?

Hector : We don’t aim to be the biggest running specialty store – we just want to be good at what we do.  We take pride in our customer service, and we VALUE our relationships with our clients.  We greet them like how we greet friends, we mean it ;)

SBR.ph : Being a specialty store, how do you make sure that the shoe you recommend to the customers is the right one for them?

Hector : Doing the gait analysis is only HALF of the process.  The rest of the info is based from the questions we ask from our clients.  What do they need the shoe for? How far do they run? How intense do they train? Do they have a specific race in mind?  Those are key questions that help us go through a process of elimination on how to do our job better.  Another thing that helps is that if they brought their old running shoes with them – from your old pair we can see how they ran and weight distribution.  This gives us a more accurate forecast on what shoe to recommend.

SBR.ph : Name 3 things people (probably) don’t know about Second Wind Running Store?

Hector : 1) We carry everything and anything about running from head to food, and even race registrations 2) Locations and store hours 3) We don’t upsell or push the most expensive product to our clients

SBR.ph :  Who’s the most famous member of the Second Wind Triathlon Team?

Hector : Don Velasco!

SBR.ph : Message you want to say to all the regular/soon to be customers?

Hector : Welcome ang mga tambay na runners / triathletes or yung mga nakiki wifi!  Seriously though, enjoy running.  Take your time, don’t rush through the distances.  Enjoy every race, each one are unique.  Be thankful for the chance to swim, bike or run.  Lastly, thank you for the continued support sa Secondwind – it means so much for us independent entrepreneurs, the small guys.

SBR.ph : What makes SW unique compared to other running stores?

Hector : Let me put it this way: we have clients coming to us asking for a second opinion because they are not confident enough with what explanation they heard from the other shops, and 10 out of 10 their reactions are “buti pa dito na explain ng maayos, sa kabila bili po kayo ito po sapatos nyo”, true story.  But the most fulfilling is when our clients come to visit us, not to buy – but to just say “uy ginamit ko na yung sapatos na binili ko ditto, ok yung suggestion mo, nakapag PR pa ako!” customer service – yun talaga!

SBR.ph : What’s next for SW this coming 2013?

Hector : Store-wise expect continued good service and great product selection, like I said, we don’t aim to be the biggest, we just want to be good (if not the best) at what we do.  Team-wise we will continue to swim, bike, and of course, run :D

SBR.ph : Thanks for the time Second Wind!

The Grades : Second Wind Running Store B3

ACCESSIBILITY :

SELECTION :

STAFF KNOWLEDGE OF PRODUCTS :

OVERALL   :

Want a tour of B3? Check out the slideshow below! :)

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