Hoka One One Cavu

October 10, 2018 By Hollie in Gear Review, Running Tags: fitness, run, running, shoes, sports, workouts 2 Comments

The Hoka Cavu is a new model from Hoka. It’s one of their lightest models that can be used for racing, training, or workouts. It’s quickly become one of my more favorite running shoes.

If you are looking for a “beginner” Hoka shoe, the Cavu, as well as the Clifton 5 and Mach, are good options depending on your foot type.

The Hoka One One Cavu has a broad range of use. It can be used for daily runs, to workouts, and races. I don’t think I would use it as my go-to 5k shoe, but it’s a solid marathon shoe.

In February, Hoka launched three new lighter models in their “Profly line.” It included the Cavu, Mach, and Evelon. The Cavu is designed to be the fastest of the shoes. I’ve used it for both workouts and daily runs, and I prefer it for workouts.

Fit:

Like many running shoes now, the Cavu has an all mesh upper. This makes the fit better for someone with wider feet or someone with bunions. It fits very similar to the Mach, but with the seamless mesh, fits wider feet. I wear a women’s 10-11 wide and the size 10.5 has fit fine.

Ride:

The Hoka One One Cavu is designed to be a fast shoe. Personally, it’s too much shoe for me on race day. However, it’s a lot less shoe than the Clifton or Bondi. If you train in the Clifton, both the Cavu or even Mach are shoes to look at one race day.

All three of the Hoka “Profly shoes” use new “Profly” technology.

What is that? It is designed with a softer heel for shock absorption and a firmer forefoot for propulsion and energy return. The Cavu has a much softer heel. However, the forefront is firm. It’s a much more responsive shoe than the Clifton and even the Mach. Like any Hoka model, it still uses the “rocker” technology that you feel like you are being propelled forward.

Keep in mind, how you run will play a significant effect on how you feel the technology in the shoe. That isn’t a bad thing but those who run on the forefront might feel a firmer shoe, and those towards the heel will feel a softer version.

Hoka One One Cavu Conclusion:

In all, I think the Hoka Cavu is a great choice for workouts, and I enjoy it. In fact, right now it’s one of my staple shoes, and I find myself wanting to run it more often than not. In fact, I believe I have already put over 150 miles in them. It is light and durable and a great racing shoe for anyone already using a substantial Hoka model.

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Lately I’ve felt strong…but I haven’t felt sharp. . #workoutwednesday was 12x400s on the road averaging 5:58 pace with 400 jog in between.

A post shared by Hollie (@fueledbylolz) on Oct 3, 2018 at 7:51am PDT

Shoe Rotation:

Easy/Daily Runs: Brooks Glycerin, New Balance 1080, On Cloudace

Workouts: New Balance 1400, Nike Fly

Races: Nike Fly, Nike LT Racer

Questions for you:

What shoe do you race in?

What is your favorite running shoe?

Training: 400s and Half Marathons

October 8, 2018 By Hollie in NYCM 2018, Running, Training Tags: fitness, health, nycm, run, running, wellness 3 Comments

Another Week of Training is done.

This week, went better than last week which gave me more confidence. Many people have said: “you’re in shape” and while I am in shape, I’m not in PRing shape, and there is a difference. In perfect weather, I could probably run a 1:25 half marathon right now, but my PR is 1:22. A fast time, but I’m not at the peak of my fitness. That doesn’t matter much as I haven’t had perfect weather for any long race so far…heck I haven’t even had “good” weather.

Monday:	Easy 30 minutes/Hike 4 miles
Tuesday:	Easy 60 minutes
Wednesday:	12X400s averaging 5:58 pace (total mileage 10)
Thursday:	Easy 70 minutes with Alexis
Friday:	Rest
Saturday:	Easy 60 minutes
Sunday:	Crawlin Crab Half Marathon (1:30.02) + 7 miles for 20 miles
Total:	55isb miles

Thoughts:

As I mentioned, I don’t feel at the height or peak of my fitness and I’m okay with that. My goal for the marathon is to start and finish healthy and I have to keep that in mind. I told a few friends, I would rather be undertrained than over. Overtrained is what burned me out and probably hurt both marathons last time.

This tweet made me feel, a little better. That’s how I feel now,. I don’t feel ready to run or race a marathon. I hope the next 3 weeks will fine-tune training and get me there.

I’ve been saying this for 30 years but people seem to always need a refresher about a month out from their marathon. If you are so fatigued that you feel like you are going to fall asleep in your breakfast cereal, then you are doing everything right. Stay the course.

— hansonsrun (@hansonsrun) October 3, 2018

My easy runs were untimed and easy, and it was nice to get some miles in with my coworker and friend Alexis.

Wednesday: 12x400s (averaging 5:58 pace) with 400 jog in between

I was actually surprised I was moving this fast because I didn’t feel like it when running. I said on Instagram, but I’ve felt strong but not sharp. I’m hoping to get more speed on my legs during my marathon training. I’ve felt my best, running-wise when I raced my fastest 5k in 2016.

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Lately I’ve felt strong…but I haven’t felt sharp. . #workoutwednesday was 12x400s on the road averaging 5:58 pace with 400 jog in between.

A post shared by Hollie (@fueledbylolz) on Oct 3, 2018 at 7:51am PDT

Crawlin Crab Half Marathon: 1:30.02

Last year, at Crawlin Crab, it was about the same conditions. I ended up tanking around mile 9, and shuffling home. This year, the goal was not to do that and I didn’t. I ran a consistent race ranging in pace from 6:44-6:58. It was mid to high 70s, humid, and the course has zero shade or breeze. The day was tough but I made the best of it. I would have loved to get an actual base of where I am fitness wise, but, you must race for the day and who knows…NYCM could be the same conditions.

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Mid to high 70s, humid, but just kept chugging along. Ran a consistent race and ended up with a 1:30.02 today.

A post shared by Hollie (@fueledbylolz) on Oct 7, 2018 at 8:35am PDT

Next Week:

I’ll continue running and racing and see how it goes from there. My next, and last half, is tentatively the Atlantic City half marathon on October 21^st. I hope the weather will be decent, not even perfect, just not extremely hot and humid. I am confident, I’ll be able to finish the marathon but I don’t feel as fit as when I was running last fall into the Spring.

Posts from the Week:
Vital Proteins Gelatin
New Balance 1400 Shoe Review
September Training:
The Dragon Run (19:28)

Questions for you:
How do you recover from training?
Would you rather run in extreme cold or heat?

Golden Pigeon Diner (Bridgeton)

October 6, 2018 By Hollie in Diners Tags: beets, bridgeton, coffee, Diner, food, new jersey, pork chops, review, salad 2 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I finally made it to the Golden Pigeon Diner in Bridgeton, NJ. Why finally? I’ve been excited to make the Golden Pigeon work because of the name. Except for the “Time to Eat” diner, The Golden Pigeon has one of the coolest names.

Atmosphere: B
The Golden Pigeon is typical of a New Jersey Diner. The outside is a mixture of both cobblestone and metallic in the front. There is a huge sign that says “diner” and fresh baking on premises. The promise of fresh baking is enough to lure anyone in.

Coffee: C
The coffee was good. However, they were out of whipped cream! A diner with fresh baking and no whipped cream? Oh well, it’s only happened a few times. I don’t always get coffee with whipped cream, and I do prefer it.

Food: A
The Golden Pigeon has everything you can imagine in a diner. There are plenty of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. I’ll warn you that the portions are huge. I decided to order the Pork Chop special, and it did not disappoint.

I’ve never had anything like it! It started off with the choice of salads, and I chose a Greek which came with anchovies (off to a good start).

I also got fresh cheese bread which was amazing. If you have never had cheese bread, it’s bread baked with cheese in the center.

My three pork chops came with sautéed onions and on top of hashbrowns as well as french fries. It was unique, ultra filling, and I have no complaints. I wasn’t expecting the french fries, so it was definitely a filling addition.

For my side, I chose beets.I’m happy I did because I knew it would be a lot of food and I like good beets.

Service: A
The server was nice. I think he might have also been the manager, but he was friendly, chatted often, and made sure I had plenty of refills and that my food came out quickly.

Cost: $

For my entire meal and coffee, it was $15.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back?
I enjoyed the Golden Pigeon a lot, and it’s one of my top diners in the area. I’ll be back if it works out.

Atmosphere: B
Coffee: C
Food: A
Service: A
Cost: $8-20
Overall: B

You Can See all 212 Diners Here.

Questions for you:
Do you like pork chops?
What is one of your favorite restaurant names?

Vital Proteins Gelatin

October 5, 2018 By Hollie in vital proteins Tags: collagen, health, recovery, vital proteins, wellness 12 Comments

About a month ago, I wrote about the differences of Collagen Peptides and Gelatin. I wanted to try Gelatin, but to be honest, I didn’t know where to start.

I didn’t know the differences myself. As most people know, I’m a Vital Proteins Ambassador so in exchange for a couple of products each month, I get to try new products. I’m not being paid to promote the products.

First, What is Gelatin?

Gelatin is a substance derived from collagen. As I’ve written about before, Collagen is well known for its hair, nail, and skin benefits. Gelatin is also just as good for those. Gelatin also has about the same amount of protein. So it’s a great addition to smoothies after a workout.

In food, collagen is found mostly in tougher cuts of beef that contain a lot of connective tissue. Typically these are pieces we don’t use.

Most people don’t eat animal skin or tendons raw. When you cook collagen, it transforms into gelatin.

In short, Gelatin is the cooked form of Collagen.

The properties of both gelatin and collagen are slightly different, but the health benefits are the same.

Gelatin produces a “gel” effect in foods.

Collagen Peptides are better mixed into foods because they don’t turn to gel.

I currently use the Flavorless Beef Gelatin Powder. Many people have asked, but it truly has no flavor. I’ve mixed it with sweet drinks and never had an issue.

What is Gelatin better for?

It’s better than Collagen Peptides for a few things:

Homemade jello or jello type desserts
Homemade marshmallows (I’ve wanted to make this)
Thickening smoothies, sauces, and soup.

One thing that Gelatin has that regular Collagen peptides do not is more of an effect on overall “gut health.” Gelatin fills the holes of the stomach lining and reduces inflammation. It also increases the amount of gastric acid in the gut. Gastric Acid is used to digest protein.

Hopefully, that helps with Gelatin. I would love to hear how you’re using collagen or a recipe for Gelatin you have!

Thank you Vital Proteins for keeping me as an ambassador.

Questions for you:

Have you tried cooking with gelatin?

Do you have any easy recipes?

September Training:

October 4, 2018 By Hollie in Running, Training Tags: fitness, marathon, run, running, sports, training

Where did September go? It’s hard to believe the month is already over but I think I say that about most months now. Training for September wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t bad either. I’ve gotten quality runs in which has been most important.

Range of Paces: 6:05-11:15-untimed
Rest Days: 6
Races:
Boothbay Half Marathon (1:29.50)
Air Force Half Marathon (1:31.12)
Cherry Hill Library Book It 6:30 pace
Dragon Run 5k (19:28)
Longest Run: 20 miles
Workouts: 6

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Recovering well from last weekend (said after a well needed 10 hours of sleep last night). . Charged through 6x800s on the road at 6:10 pace with 800 jog recovery.

A post shared by Hollie (@fueledbylolz) on Sep 19, 2018 at 11:46am PDT

Thoughts:

This month didn’t go exactly as I had hoped, but honestly no month really ever does with running or life. There are always hiccups in life, training, and everything else.

I was actually hoping to be more fit than I am right now, my fitness hasn’t come back as quickly. My endurance is there but I don’t feel sharp. My primary goal is to start and finish New York Marathon healthy. If I can do that, I will feel satisfied. I don’t have a secret time goal. As someone who hasn’t run a marathon in a few years, I am treating it my first one again.

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I ran a 1:30 half today and couldn’t be more proud. . It was the hardest 13.1 for many reasons. 😵The elevation. 😵the random trails the race director announced with a min before the start. 😵no Gatorade on course (and I rely on it in this weather). 😵 They didn’t close the roads. . But it was $55 and they even gave out a medal (no T-shirt though). Ha…thanks Maine for the memories. . My first (mostly) road race since June so it was nice to get a good base of where my fitness is.

A post shared by Hollie (@fueledbylolz) on Sep 2, 2018 at 12:38pm PDT

The first half of the month was spent getting ready for my husband’s deployment. He was gone for a lot beforehand anyway, and it was a whirlwind of chaos leading up to it. Luckily, we were able to spend time with each other on a couple of short trips including Maine and Dayton. The middle of September went by with no major incident, but last week ended up bringing more anxiety than I would have hoped or liked. (But really, who wants to have anxiety?).

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Before the workout, I drafted a post in my mind about how it was 100% humidity and you have to judge by effort not pace. I fully expected it to be a slower one. . But then I began grinding and felt good. . 3×1 mile at 6:20 pace. . So today’s lesson is still judge by effort and not pace but also wait until your done with the workout to write a caption.

A post shared by Hollie (@fueledbylolz) on Sep 12, 2018 at 5:34am PDT

My goal for October is to get 2, 20 mile runs in. One needs to be next weekend at the Crawlin Crab and I’ll figure the second. Other than that, I’m living a relatively low key, and boring life. I wake up, go for runs, go to work, go to diners and see friends when I have the time, and go home. People think bloggers have “thrilling lives” and believe me I don’t! I am looking forward to seeing my parents this upcoming weekend though.

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C-17s are big. ✈️ . With conditions in the 80s and humid, I raced for the day and ran a 1:31.12. . Most of my miles were around 7 mins and then hammered the back 5k with 6:50, 6:42, and 6:36…passing a few women. . Chatted, smiled, and trucked along. I know I’m in better fitness but you must race the day you’re given. Proud of this race like any other which is what the sport is all about.

A post shared by Hollie (@fueledbylolz) on Sep 15, 2018 at 9:24am PDT

Posts from the Month:
Shoe Reviews:
On Cloudace Shoe Review
Brooks Levitate 2 Shoe Review

Training:
NYCM Training Thoughts
I have a Fall Goal Race
A Summer of Fun

Hiking:
Exploring Wells State Park (Sturbridge, MA)

Questions for you:

How was your month of September?

What are you currently training for?

New Balance 1400 Shoe Review

October 3, 2018 By Hollie in Gear Review, Running Tags: fitness, health, review, run, shoe, shoes, sports 2 Comments

Despite never running in the New Balance 1400, I’m familiar with it. It’s been a favorite shoe for several of my coworkers who prefer racing marathons. It won’t be my marathon shoe (which is still undecided), but it’s been good to do long runs and workouts in.

The New Balance 1400 is a great racing flat for anything from the 5k to the marathon. It’s been around for several updates and designs as well. I’ve tried on the shoe (as I like to do with every shoe), through each version but never run in it until now.

Fit:

I wear a size 10-11 wide in running shoes, and the 10.5 womens is fine. Often times I need to just scratch women’s racing flats and go to a unisex/ men’s shoe because of my foot width. The women’s 10.5 is fine.

Other bonuses of the flat include minimal seams and overlays. Less weight, less rubbing, equals faster runner. There is only so much actual cushion you can remove from a flat, so many companies are removing as much stuff from the top as possible.

Also included in the fit is an update to the tongue. While I did not run in the previous version, but I know the tongue bothered several people. Many people said it bunched up or caused irritation.

The updated tongue is more similar to the New Balance track spikes. I suppose if Emma Coburn and other New Balance professionals like the tongue of a shoe, the common folks like us can too.