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Look out, wallets - the Zombie Runner store in Palo Alto, CA, is officially open! I stopped by the grand opening on Saturday to check out the wares, have a cup of Don Lundell's amazing coffee, and let Sophie wreak havoc on the new store.

It makes so much sense to have a trail running store. Want to see which headlight gives off the right beam? Want to try out the latest Inov-8, La Sportiva, New Balance, etc., before buying them? Want to taste the latest flavors of gel and mix before committing to a case? So much of this stuff is hands on! Plus hear you can get the sage advice of the trail running staff.

In classic Zombie form, Don and Gillian (and team!) have made their store into a great hang out. As a former theater, the space is large and inviting. There's a nice sitting area with the latest trail running magazines, a full wall of DVD's to peruse, and more. We even got a full demonstration of the new DryMax socks. The real hidden secret to the store, however, is that Don Lundell makes the best coffee/cappucino you will ever taste. He has his own posse of local, micro-batch roasters that bring him hand-selected beans (also available online) which Don whips into a masterful brew topped with a perfect rosetta. My prediction is that this secret won't be secret for long, and the long line for the coffee soon becomes an area to convert new trail runners. ;-)

We could only spend 20 minutes in the store before Sophie had a meltdown, but I still managed to drop a few bucks on stocking stuffers, supplies, and some new winter gear. I will certainly be back regularly!

- SD