Olgas Diner Marlton boston cream pie
Nov 30 2019
Olga’s Diner (Marlton)

Olga’s Diner (Marlton)

Those who lie in South Jersey will know, Olga’s Diner used to be one of the most famous and popular diners in the area. It closed in 2008 and before I moved here. Sad, because everyone I talked to said it was the best. The original property in Marlton Circle at Route 70 and 73 was bought and the property was transformed into a medical building.  The new property is on the Northbound side of 73 on Baker Boulevard (less than a tenth of a mile away).

A year ago, a new family decided to recreate Olga’s Diner right up the road on route 73. It wasn’t the original family or original building, but the name Olgas.  When it finally opened in November of 2019, I was excited to go!

My friend Cyd from New Jersey Isn’t Boring and I met up around lunchtime on a weekday. It was packed! You would think we were going on a busy Sunday morning.

Olgas Diner Marlton
Olgas Diner Marlton

Olga’s Diner Atmosphere: A
Olga’s Diner stands out on route 73. It’s hard to miss the big, shiny, modern building. The inside of Olga’s Diner is large. Each booth and table is spread out, so you don’t feel like you’re sitting on top of anyone.

Coffee: B
The coffee at Olga’s Diner is good. Olga’s Diner uses the local company, Lacas. I could have used a few more refills.

Olgas Diner Marlton Coffee

Olga’s Diner Food: A
Olga’s Diner menu has everything you want and need in a diner.  There are plenty of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. If you are looking for healthy options, Olga’s Diner has that too. Plus an entire page menu dedicated to vegan options. Yes, vegan!  I thought about getting a vegan option just because Olga’s Diner had it but ultimately decided for the beet salad with rotisserie chicken. If beets are on any restaurant menu, I usually order them.

Olgas Diner Marlton salad

The beets tasted good and the greens were fresh. There was plenty of chicken too. I couldn’t taste a difference in the rotisserie-style chicken versus grilled.

Olga’s Diner Dessert: B
Cyd mentioned the original Olga’s Diner was known for their Boston Cream Pie, so we both decided to order that. The Boston Cream Pie was good, but the cake portion of it was a little dry.

Olgas Diner Marlton boston cream pie

Olga’s Diner Service: A
The waitress said it was her first day, but you would not have guessed. She was friendly and seemed like she was working there for a long time. The food came out quickly. We were sat and eating our food within 15 minutes of arriving.

Cost: $$
For my coffee, salad, and pie, it was $25. The salad alone was nearly $19, which I found a bit pricey for the size.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back?
I liked Olga’s Diner, and I’ll be back. The food was excellent, and Olga’s Diner has a lot of menu options I want to try.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Dessert: B
Service: A
Overall: A

You can see all the diner reviews here.

Questions for you:
What is your favorite dessert?
What is the last new restaurant you’ve been too?

 

 

Hollie 1 Comments
Saucony Triumph 17 Shoe Review
Nov 29 2019
Saucony Triumph 17 Shoe Review

Saucony Triumph 17 Shoe Review

Let me cut to the chase here. The Saucony Triumph 17 has gone through a massive update. Usually, when people come to the store and ask: “has the updated version of my shoe changed much,” the answer is no. The Saucony Triumph 17 is completely redesigned (along with many Saucony shoes coming out). It’s not changed in a bad way, but it’s very different than the last five years of ISO and everun models.

What’s new with the Saucony Triumph 17?

Big things. The cushioning has changed from “everun midsole” to “PWRRUN+ midsole.” What is “PWRRUN”? According to Saucony, it’s lighter and softer.

Saucony Triumph 17 Quick Facts:

Weight: 9.2 oz

Heel to Toe Drop: 8 mm

Saucony Triumph 17 Fit:

Like many running shoes, the Saucony Triumph 17 engineered mesh upper is soft, seamless, and flexible. If you have bunions or a wider forefront, your feet don’t rub. The Saucony Triumph has had a more freeing upper compared to other brands. This hasn’t changed and there isn’t a lot of structure in the Saucony Triumph 17 upper.

The massive change is that the Saucony Triumph 17 no longer uses the ISO fit. It’s gone back to regular shoelaces. I’ve worn the Saucony Triumph since the original model of the ISO. (The Saucony Triumph ISO was the best version of this shoe and I still stand by that). The formfit acts like a luxurious bucket seat to holds the foot into place. I’ve worn anywhere between a 10-10.5 wide and the 10.5 wide seems to fit the best this version.

Saucony Triumph 17 Shoe Review

Saucony Triumph 17 Ride:

Since the Saucony Triumph 17 no longer uses everun, the ride will feel different. The new PWRRUN+ midsole makes the Saucony Triumph 25% lighter and much softer. It feels like a higher cushioned shoe. With the everun, the Saucony Ride and the Saucony Triumph began feeling too similar. Why pay for the Saucony Triumph when the $120 felt basically the same? Now, there is a separation and you can feel that soft cushion in the Saucony Triumph.

The PWRRUN+ has a springy and responsive underfoot feel but also allows you to finish a run strong and feeling fresh. With the amount of cushion in the Saucony Triumph, you don’t feel beat up.

The traction of the Saucony Triumph 17 is great. There is plenty of crystalized rubber and with the rubber outsole hard to lose traction in an inclement weather day.

I’ve run easy runs, long runs, and a workout. I feel (for me), the Saucony Triumph 17 works best as an easy run shoe.

Saucony Triumph 17 Shoe Review

Saucony Triumph 17 Conclusion:

The Saucony Triumph 17 has changed a lot. It’s lighter and softer than everun. It’s a good shoe, but it is very different than previous models. I like it and I’m glad Saucony has updated it.

Current Rotation:

Easy/Daily Runs: Diadora Mythos Elite TRX, Hoka Bondi 6, Saucony Triumph 17

Speed Work: New Balance FuelCell Rebel, Reebok Float Ride Run fast Pro, Hoka Rincon, Nike Pegasus Turbo 2

Long Runs: New Balance FuelCell Rebel, Mizuno R2, Hoka Cavu 2

Races: New Balance Fuelcell 5280, Nike Next%,  Reebok Run fast Pro 

You Can See All Current Shoe Reviews Here.

Finally, have you subscribed to the LOLZletter? It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport. 

Questions for you:

Hae you tried the Saucony Triumph 17? 

What is your favorite shoe? 

 

Hollie 1 Comments
Chimney Rocks Trail via Hermitage and Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Nov 26 2019
Chimney Rocks Trail via Hermitage and Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Chimney Rocks Trail via Hermitage and Appalachian National Scenic Trail

That’s a trail name, right? Chimney Rocks via Hermitage and Appalachian National Scenic Trail. As most people know, the Appalachian Trail goes from Georgia to Maine. One thing to note, is in Central PA, many of the hikes have little to no cell service. I would download and view a full map before heading out.

Chimney Rocks Trail via Hermitage and Appalachian National Scenic Trail

The Chimney Rocks Trail is located in Michaux State Forest.  Michaux State Forest is massive and the Chimney Rocks Trail is closer to South Mountain.  The peak at Chimney Rocks is beautiful. While the trail itself is about 4.8 miles roundtrip has approximately 1000 feet of elevation gain in the first two miles.

Chimney Rocks Trail via Hermitage and Appalachian National Scenic Trail

The Chimney Rocks Trail begins at the yellow gate along Biesecker Gap Rd.  It follows the road until reaching the spur trail.  There were about five parking spaces in the parking lot and parking area and we got the last one. The Chimney Rocks Loop Trail wasn’t too busy. In the 2.5 hours we were out, we saw four other parties.

Once you get it on the trail, it slowly climbs to the summit. I thought: “wow this isn’t too bad,” but it gets steep quickly. The first two miles are almost entirely uphill and you get most of the 1000 feet elevation gain there. It makes coming down much more manageable. The Chimney Rocks Trail is rated as moderate, which is all in the first two miles.

Chimney Rocks Trail via Hermitage and Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Around 2.2 miles, the trail finally reaches a junction labeled ‘Chimney Rocks Lookout.’ You can look over and see beautiful rock formations: “the Chimney Rocks.” At the Chimney Rocks, you get views of Pennsyannia and Michaux State Forest. There is even a small Waynesboro reservoir. It was one of the better views I’ve seen on the Appalachian Trail.

Chimney Rocks Trail via Hermitage and Appalachian National Scenic Trail
I’ve been hiking a lot in my Hoka Speedgoat Midi

After viewing the top of Chimney Rocks, you can go down a more natural terrain with fewer rocks. It’s slightly longer but easy, with a few stream crossings, and view at the bottom.

In all, if you find yourself in Central PA, Chimney Rocks is a great view.

You can see more hikes here.

Questions for you:

Hae you been to central Pa? Hae you hiked the Chimney Rocks? 

Hollie 0 Comments
me running
Nov 25 2019
Base Building Week 2: Adding Miles

You know when you have a good week of training and you don’t want to jinx it? Just me?

Last week felt good. I’m starting to build my base up for some (hopefully) faster shorter races in the Spring.  I was able to get the mileage I wanted.  The goal right now is to build quality weeks.  Most of my speed will come informally from fartleks and races. In a few weeks, I’ll incorporate fast, speed workouts.

Monday: Easy 6.3 miles
Tuesday: Easy 6.3 miles
Wednesday: 10 miles with Kris
Thursday: 4 miles with strides+hike with Jen
Friday: 6 miles easy
Saturday: Easy 10 miles
Sunday: 12.5 miles with 2X400s at the end (6:50, 6:38)

Thoughts:

On paper, this wasn’t supposed to be a busy week of life for me at all. I thought it would be easy with not much excitement. Plans started popping up and it ended up being active every day.  I was happy to get the mileage in. November, December, and January are going to focus on building back mileage and trying to get back to shorter stuff.

I’ve started using my watch more so I have a better idea of the distance I’m running. Based on this year with races, my “easy run pace” should be between 8:50-10 mins, but if I run 10:15, I’m not worried about it. I’m excited to start training and getting back into shape for shorter races. It’s going to be a long road, but I’m looking forward to the days when sub 1:30 half marathons feel “easy” again.

Posts from the Week:

Newton Gravity 8 Shoe Review

PonyFlo Hat Review

Hiking the Pulpit Rock-Pinnacle Loop (Appalachian Trail)

Cpl. Marc T. Ryan Memorial 5k (21:38)

Finally, have you subscribed to the LOLZletter? It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport. 

Questions for you:

Are you running a turkey trot next week?

What is your favorite distance to run? 

Hollie 0 Comments
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