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Oct 19, 2022 | Apparel, Community, Newsletter, Nutrition, Testimonial, Training Advice, Uncategorized
We all go through challenges, and after 16 years in business I hit a major challenge with
Without Limits. REBRANDING! Running a business
is a journey of ups and downs.
Without Limits turned out to be my career, which I never would have predicted a long time ago. It turned out to be better than expected and I thank God for giving me that blessing.
So why did we rebrand? I could say it was time for a change, and maybe it was, but unfortunately a much bigger athletic company than mine thought our brand looked too much like theirs and change was inevitable.
The decision was easy, don’t fight this, instead, make things better!
We are who we are, and we don’t want anyone else to think we are trying to be them. So for all of my friends and followers, WOL is Without Limits and that is what it was called from the start.
Our journey continues and our story gets better and stronger. We want to thank all of our athletes and the folks that support our events and wear our gear! Our mission continues to set goals and break through our old limits. Limits are not always defined by speed. While getting faster and improving performance is a part of endurance sports, so is mental improvement and overcoming obstacles in sport and in life. All this trickles down to our inner core of improving the SELF. WOL is what people have called Without Limits since we started. There is no symbol to define without limits than the words and letters themselves!
Embrace the Challenge and continue to LIVE WITHOUT LIMITS!
A big thanks to our athletes, coaches, colleagues, friends , and most importantly my wife
Annette Clifford! She took over the administration and helped me tremendously when we first got married in 2011. She gave up her job with a big unknown. We developed a brand together have some amazing people around us!
Cheers to the future and thank you for your support!
Jul 9, 2021 | Apparel, Community, Newsletter, Nutrition, Testimonial, Training Advice, Uncategorized
by: Tom Clifford
WITHOUT LIMITS: 14 YEARS….HOW WE STARTED: 14 years ago we decided to start a business coaching runners and it turned out to be a little more than that:)
I met Kyle Shepard playing beer pong and told him I am going to start coaching runners at the track and he should come out. Kyle said. IGGHHHTT. I’ll be there. (I honestly didn’t believe him) but he showed up. Alecia Williams also showed up as she was my first client that I met in the gym and Erin Hogston a former UNCW hurdler also showed up.
That business was going to be named High Voltage running, because I loved the band ACDC. Really I loved Thunderstruck but that didn’t make sense to name a running group Thunderstruck. After some thought, I figured ehhh, High Voltage a little corny and took a vote with some runners that were already training with us. Without Limits stuck out as one of the great running films about Steve Prefontaine. So we moved forward with the name WITHOUT LIMITS and actually trademarked the name a year later.
The group grew and people improved. I learned a lot in those first years about working with ability levels from novice to good age group runners. Kristen Smith started helping me time from the beginning and is now still coaching and a Wilmington Firefighter. Kristen has been a tremendous coach over the years and we appreciate everything she has done!
(added: I can’t forget Anthony Enoch who took me to my first marathon in Myrtle Beach and is still a current friend and athlete)
In 2009 I got into triathlon. I enjoyed racing triathlon and really wanted to begin coaching triathletes as well. So after a year of studying triathlon and getting certified, we added triathlon to our list of services.
I then realized Wilmington did not have a full marathon in the city. The
NHRMC Wilmington NC Marathon and Half Marathon was born, formerly the Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon as many of you remember it. We put together a great team of people to make the race happen. The race had 1400 runners in it’s first year and putting on events really got my juices flowing. The marathon grew to a near 4000 runners over the last 10 years and continues to change and adapt to our city and hopefully will continue to be successful.
In 2011 Annette Clifford quit her job to help me with the business. We now had just one source of income for our family and we just got married and bought a house. Annette fixed a lot! If it wasn’t for her our books would probably be backwards.
In 2012 we had a coaching breakthrough when Christa Iammarino qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon. This was any coaches dream to be able to be on an athlete’s journey to an OTQ.
Also in 2012, I met Jon Carne from
Port City Apparel. Jon helped our brand improve drastically through apparel. We began creating our own race t-shirts for races. The race t-shirt industry just didn’t meet expectations with design and comfort. Jon really helped our company and our races create the best shirts you can get at a race!
2012 remained a great year as we had started our Without Limits Youth program with Colin Hackman. The goal was development of young athletes so they could go to High School developed and excited to run. Aaron Kolk came along and has been a tremendous coach for youth and adult and now triathlete coach for so many.
Now Without Limits, the Marathon and Without Limits Apparel were three main pillars of our company. I met Mike Duncan at Sage Island who helped us with branding and web design. With my brother Steve and Mike dialing in our logo we had a good branded logo that had meaning! WITHOUT LIMITS…..Embrace the Challenge.
Now Without Limits had some other coaches in other locations. Chris Bailey in Charleston. Matt Hammersmith in Greenville, Trey McCain in Columbia and Josh Estep in Raleigh area.
After going to one of Matt’s races in Greenville, that sparked and idea to create a trail relay that brought families, friends of all ages to compete in an ultra marathon style age graded relay race in a big field. The
Southern Tour Ultra was born. A combination of ideas into one. The Southern Tour was another pillar of Without Limits that added my kind of flavor. Woods, Beer, Running, Classic Rock Music and competitiveness! From Southern tour
Copperhead 20K and
Shakori 40 were both branches off the same concept with different distances and vibes at each event.
In 2019 three of our ladies qualified for the 2020 U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials which was another coaching honor to be on the Journey of Erin Hogston who was one of my first athletes, Brittany Perkins and Peyton Thomas.
In 2019 I met Shawn and Scott Tunis along with Diana Davis our dietitian and we created a vitamin and long run recovery shake line that will assist runners with better nutrition and recovery.
Runners Daily Vitamin
Of all of these highlights, there are so many accomplishments by athletes along the way that I am so excited to have been on their journey. Also so many people to thank. Beth Ann Soporowski for coming on board and helping us with back end work and sponsors, Maleia Tumolo Celia Wolff, JP Merchant and Angela Midget who all have brought great energy to practices.
While this may look like a good ol’ highlight reel, there were many struggles along the way. But I can say every single struggle made us a stronger company, better communicators and always lit a fire under us to BE BETTER.
We are Without Limits, and we appreciate the support from so many.
Visit us now and grab some apparel if you want:)
Mar 26, 2020 | Apparel, Community, Newsletter, Testimonial, Training Advice, Uncategorized
By Kyle Genaro Phillips
March 2020 will forever be etched in our memories. Over the course of the last fourteen days, our global community came to a grinding halt. There are a number of different personal responses, to include, denial, panic, and hopelessness against the backdrop of something that we collectively do not have a firm grasp or understand. I have taken a moment to reflect on what this experience means to me during a period that Winston Churchill aptly phrased as the “end of the beginning.”
Readiness is something that is dogmatic in the Marine Corps ethos. As a battalion commander at the School of Infantry for two years, we constantly preached “readiness” to our newly minted Marines. The refrain went something like this: “the time to prepare for combat is not when you are on the precipice of conflict. Train every day like it’s your last to prepare for war.” Readiness was the mantra. Be ready. Study, be physically fit, prepare your family for the possibility of deploying for combat. Since September 2001, our military has rightfully seen the benefits and consequences of our state of readiness.
The current global pandemic has provided an opportunity for all of us to take inventory of our personal state of readiness. What is our readiness – physically, financially, and spiritually for the unknown challenges that we will face in the future? The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated in a clear fashion that our physical readiness may have a very real impact on our individual ability to be resilient in the face of unknown health crises. Do we exercise? Do we smoke? Are we eating healthy meals? Do we get adequate sleep in order to maintain the best and healthiest version of ourselves? Physical readiness is not something that we can flip a switch, take a pill, or order from Amazon. Physical readiness takes discipline, teamwork, and dedication to the process to ensure our individual well-being. While it’s never too late to start, we have a finite ability to improve our physical conditioning. Don’t delay.
The current crisis has also demonstrated the necessity of financial readiness. Everyone in some way has been impacted financially by the outbreak of the coronavirus. Financial planners have often preached that we should have 6 month’s salary saved for emergencies. Additionally, are we disciplined to keep our debt to income ratio low so that we have credit when we need credit. Our individual financial resiliency contributes to the overall financial resiliency of our community and country. While we may not be able to immediately change our financial position in the light of the current volatile environment, at some point we will be back to a stable economy where we must balance our current needs and wants with the necessity to build economic resiliency through savings and low debt.
Finally, our spiritual readiness is critically important. What is the status of our relationships, both personally and professionally? Do we have a firm spiritual base to weather the rough seas that undoubtably will present themselves in our life? Do we have a loving relationship with our family and those closest to us? This we can change. Be kind. Show empathy. The individual positivity displayed in the face of extreme circumstances has the same exponential effect as the viral crisis we face today. Our spiritual readiness must be constantly nurtured. In hard times, spiritual resiliency is perhaps the hardest to muster in the absence of a lifelong commitment to fostering a foundation upon which to build.
Readiness is critical to our individual and collective achievements. Let us all reflect on where we are now, physically, financially, and spiritually. We all can improve. Let us be accountable for ourselves with the support of our friends and community. The current crisis will pass. Resist the urge to just “get back to normal.” Together we can work for a better normal. Through our disciplined approach to our personal readiness we will persevere. Start now.
(Kyle G. Phillips is an active duty Marine with nearly 22 years of service. The views presented are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD, DON, or the Marine Corps.)
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Aug 27, 2019 | Apparel, Community, Newsletter
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Without Limits loves being an active part of our communities.
In Wilmington, we are working with St. Marks school with the cross country and track team. We have put on track meets and cross country meets for kids and sponsoring our county championship meets. We also sponsor the NICA youth cycling team, The North Carolina Triathlon Series, The Pink Ladies and donate to our local YMCA of Southeastern NC. Through our events we have helped give back to charitable organizations over $60,000.
In Greenville Our race series has funded the South Carolina State Parks over $10,000 this year in addition we raised over $5,000 for Camp Spearhead, a facility that host week long camps for children and adults with special needs. As a host of our Knock on Wood Ultra event they “Embraced” the challenge of our race so we could raise awareness and funds for these great services the County provides. Greenville is also raising money through the registration of the Sassafras 8k for the Rocky Bottom Retreat Center for the Blind
In Charleston, we sponsors Girl on the Run, She Tri Events, Tri it for Life which is a non-profit encouraging women to participate in their first triathlon and local volunteering at youth triathlons.
FROM THE BLOG
WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER YOU PEAK ON YOUR A RACE?
The hours, days , and months of training have paid off. You just peaked for the season and crossed the finish line of your “A” race. So now what? Well its RECOVERY time!!!
WHAT IS A TEMPO RUN? WHY DO WE DO THEM?
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COACHING AND TRAINING
(RUN + TRIATHLON)
WILMINGTON | CHARLESTON | GREENVILLE| COLUMBIA | SPARTANBURG
First of we congratulate Brent Manely for starting run practice and coaching in Spartanburg, SC. Brent has been a coach for WOL and relocated to Spartanburg and will host run practices on site! Good luck Brent.
The team-centered approach of Without Limits creates an encouraging atmosphere of support & accountability for athletes & clients of all fitness levels from beginners to elite competitors. When I refer a client to WOL, whether it be for them to start running with proper form & fundamentals, or to prepare for their first 5k, or for a comprehensive coaching program with the goal to PR in a full Ironman, I can rest assured that they will be embraced by the WOL family and provided with the tools, support, & coaching necessary to achieve their goals.
If you are looking for consistency, an individual plan in a group atmosphere, several practice options each week, and coaches who care about you more than you will ever know, PUSH THE GET STARTED BUTTON!
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WHAT IS NEW WITH OUR RUNNERS DAILY VITAMIN
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Heather Carrick Braithwaite, MD – ran Boston Marathon, 6 weeks later Grandma’s Marathon, and a  6 minute PR!
“Its (Runners Daily Vitamin’s) unique blend of vitamins and adaptogens such as beetroot, rhodiola and ginseng gives me the energy to keep up with those high mileage weeks. In the past, after a big race or intense training week, I would immediately come down with a cold or other minor illness. Since I’ve been taking Runners Essentials, the biggest change I’ve noticed is how easily I fight off or recover from illness. If you are not healthy, you cannot put in the work needed to reach big goals.”
GET A FREE WITHOUT LIMITS RUNNING IS ESSENTIAL T-SHIRT WITH ANY 3 MONTH ORDER!
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WITHOUT LIMITS SWAG
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| New Without Limits towels made with a low-profile, ultra-absorbent microfiber material that is both durable yet soft. Low profile fabric allows for reduced sand collection and more uses between washes. Most importantly, the Performance Towel dries five times faster than traditional cotton towels! Measures: 30″ x 60″
Only 26 currently in stock!
 
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Without Limits is an athletic brand that inspires people to believe in themselves and continue to improve on and off the course. Through endurance coaching, events, apparel, and nutrition, our mission is to provide athletes top notch services, well designed merchandise, a fun experience at our events and nutrition that will enhance an athlete experience inside and out.
Embrace the Challenge and Live Without Limits.
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Jul 19, 2019 | Apparel, Community, Newsletter, Testimonial, Training Advice, Uncategorized
COACHING AND TRAINING
(RUN + TRIATHLON)
WILMINGTON | CHARLESTON | GREENVILLE| COLUMBIA
TONS OF FUN THIS WEEK AT THE WITHOUT LIMITS YOUTH CROSS COUNTRY CAMP! AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE.
If you are looking for consistency, an individual plan in a group atmosphere, several practice options each week, and coaches who care about you more than you will ever know, PUSH THE GET STARTED BUTTON!
 
“I heard about WOL Charleston through the running community here. I had been using training programs on my own but I had reached the point where I needed something more to be competitive. I starting training with Coach Chris and I have seen great gains in my running! He keeps workouts challenging and also tailors it to your specific training goal. I PRed the marathon by 5 1/2 minutes after training with Coach Chris and WOL Charleston! I highly recommend this group whether you have a fitness goal or you are looking to PR some races!” ~Bronwen
“These coaches are AMAZING and will not only improve your running ability, but will improve your self confidence, self worth, and the way you see yourself and others. I promise you won’t be the same person you were when you joined – you’ll be a much better version of yourself. Remember: If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. But most importantly, always remember to #EmbraceTheChallenge and that you are #WithoutLimits!” ~Tayler
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WHAT IS NEW WITH OUR RUNNERS DAILY VITAMIN
We are headed to the Chicago Marathon and IRONMAN 70.3 NC this October. We will then be at the  Parkway Subaru Battleship Half Marathon Expo November 2nd, and the NHRMC Wilmington Marathon Madness Expo and the Boston Marathon Expo next spring!
1500 bottles have been sold so far with many re-orders and happy customers. You have nothing to lose when you try Runners Essentials, even a 2% gain is a lot of time off of a race and nothing beats a healthy body! ORDER TODAY
“I’ve been running for 8 years and I have never felt stronger and more confident with my running. Runners Essentials is exactly what my body needed. I have more energy during the day, my training runs are smooth, virtually no recovery time and I recently had 3 huge PRs in races since starting the vitamins. Coupled with my training plan, this is now my daily vitamin for training and life. I have big goals this year and I’m feeling very confident and excited to see what the future holds. Thank you so much!”
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WITHOUT LIMITS SWAG
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WITHOUT LIMITS
WWW.IAMWITHOUTLIMITS.COM
INFO@WITHOUTLIMITS.COM
About the Coaching Division
Without Limits has 15 coaches that embody the coaching division. The coaches mission is to help athletes embrace their challenge of becoming better endurance athletes from youth to adult. Many leaders in the world relate life to running a marathon. What better way to teach people to break their self imposed limits than through running, triathlon, and other endurance sports.
About the Apparel Division
In 2011, the apparel came to fruition when Tom Clifford, Without Limits founder, and Jon Carne, Port City Apparel owner, capitalized on a meeting in September of 2011 to conceptualize a brand that embodied the right balance of inspiration, quality, dedication, determination and performance. “To build a successful brand in the active lifestyle genre is a challenge that will take a Without Limits mindset and effort. We are excited to be partnering with Tom and his team to build a global apparel brand that will inspire future generations to live a life Without Limits.” – Jon Carne, Co-Owner Without Limits Apparel
About the Events Division
In 2009, we started the NHRMC Wrightsville Beach Marathon. In it’s first year, 1600 people signed up and it became a signature event in the Southeast with nearly 4000 runners annually. Without Limits’ goal is to put on fun, participant first, events where people can come together and enjoy friends, family and race their best. This starts with the race production and race swag. These two essentials make the event a favorite of the participant. In the end we want the client to be thrilled but more importantly we want the end users to love our products and events. This will grow awareness for the event, increase sponsor visibility and ensure increased participation, all which make the event a success year after year.
About the Without Limits Runners Daily Vitamin
In 2018, Board certified physician Scott Tunis, Registered dietitian Diana Davis, and Without Limits owner Tom Clifford developed a nutritional supplement specifically for endurance athletes and runners. Without Limits is proud to put our name on a formula that we knew will help runners fulfill what they lose from endurance sports and receive nutrients they need for optimal performance. More about our runners vitamin can be found at www.runnersdailyvitamin.com
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Jun 27, 2019 | Apparel, Newsletter
COACHING AND TRAINING
(RUN + TRIATHLON)
WILMINGTON | CHARLESTON | GREENVILLE| COLUMBIA
Read what Olympic Trials qualifying athlete Brittany Perkins has to say:
“Being a coached WOL athlete has helped me set and reach goals that I’ve only dreamed about. Not only do I have a group of teammates and friends who encourage, hold me accountable, and challenge me on a consistent basis, I also have a coach who does the hard work of creating a personalized training plan to help make these goals attainable. I initially had a tough transition from being a collegiate athlete to post-collegiate as I watched my times and results become significantly slower. With the help of Without Limits, I have realized that I can still have big and ambitious dreams while being the ‘adulting’-athlete. Having someone who is knowledgeable and successful in the sport believe in the goals I have set for myself helps tremendously. When it comes to race day, I’m able to reflect on my training and all the work I put into getting to the start line, and trust the training. I trust that results will come.”
– Brittany ran a 2:44 at the Houston Marathon to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials in February 2020 in Atlanta, GA!
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DO YOU TAKE A DAILY VITAMIN?
Why not try Without Limits Runners Essentials. Physician, elite athlete, and nutritionist formulated, manufactured in the USA, gluten and GMO free.
Runners Essentials is one of fewer than 60 dietary supplements in the United States certified drug free
by the Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG).
Runners are high demand athletes. It is impossible to replenish nutrients lost when training for endurance events. Runners essentials is your affordable answer that has been tested!
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WITHOUT LIMITS BRAND APPAREL
Grab one of our Without Limits T-shirts on the way out! We have all heard statements about breaking through limits, but there is more to it than just physical. The Without Limits brand represents the experiences, relationships, triumphs and failures you experience on the journey of accomplishing your goals and dreams. #iamwithoutlimits #embracethechallenge
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WITHOUT LIMITS
WWW.IAMWITHOUTLIMITS.COM
INFO@WITHOUTLIMITS.COM
About the Coaching Division
Without Limits has 15 coaches that embody the coaching division. The coaches mission is to help athletes embrace their challenge of becoming better endurance athletes from youth to adult. Many leaders in the world relate life to running a marathon. What better way to teach people to break their self imposed limits than through running, triathlon, and other endurance sports.
About the Apparel Division
In 2011, the apparel came to fruition when Tom Clifford, Without Limits founder, and Jon Carne, Port City Apparel owner, capitalized on a meeting in September of 2011 to conceptualize a brand that embodied the right balance of inspiration, quality, dedication, determination and performance. “To build a successful brand in the active lifestyle genre is a challenge that will take a Without Limits mindset and effort. We are excited to be partnering with Tom and his team to build a global apparel brand that will inspire future generations to live a life Without Limits.” – Jon Carne, Co-Owner Without Limits Apparel
About the Events Division
In 2009, we started the NHRMC Wrightsville Beach Marathon. In it’s first year, 1600 people signed up and it became a signature event in the Southeast with nearly 4000 runners annually. Without Limits’ goal is to put on fun, participant first, events where people can come together and enjoy friends, family and race their best. This starts with the race production and race swag. These two essentials make the event a favorite of the participant. In the end we want the client to be thrilled but more importantly we want the end users to love our products and events. This will grow awareness for the event, increase sponsor visibility and ensure increased participation, all which make the event a success year after year.
About the Without Limits Runners Daily Vitamin
In 2018, Board certified physician Scott Tunis, Registered dietitian Diana Davis, and Without Limits owner Tom Clifford developed a nutritional supplement specifically for endurance athletes and runners. Without Limits is proud to put our name on a formula that we knew will help runners fulfill what they lose from endurance sports and receive nutrients they need for optimal performance. More about our runners vitamin can be found at www.runnersdailyvitamin.com
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http://www.shopwithoutlimits.store
