Advertisements

Tag Archives: review

New Balance 1080 v10 Shoe Review

December 6, 2019 By in Gear Review, Running Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment
New Balance 1080 v10 Shoe Review

New Balance 1080 v10 Shoe Review

New Balance has done a lot of great things with their shoes in 2019. From the New Balance Fuelcell Rebel to the New Balance 880, I’ve been a fan of pretty much everything they’re put out. I’ve run off and on in the New Balance 1080 for a few years. TheNew Balance 1080 v10 is very different than previous versions but in a good way. When someone asks: did my shoe change much, the answer is usually no. When someone asks did the New Balance 1080 change much, the answer is yes, it did by a lot.

Every aspect of the newest 1080 had to be better than it was before.

New Balance 1080 v10 Shoe Review

New Balance 1080 v10 Quick Facts:

Weight: 8.9

Heel to Toe Drop: 8 mm

New Balance 1080 v10 Fit:

The upper of the New Balance 1080 v10 is entirely different from previous versions. It’s still an engineered knit upper, but now with it’s been designed with a custom computer modeling technique called “reaction-diffusion.”  What does that mean? The upper creates different stretches within the same fabric.

New Balance calls this new fabric, “Hypoknit.” The Hypoknit is designed to support all the way around the shoe as well as be flexible for a more customizable fit.  Before Hypoknit, if you wanted a stretchy material as well as breathable, you would have to use completely different fabrics. Now it can all be done together on one machine.

New Balance 1080 v10 Shoe Review

All of this to say, the upper is now one material.  

One issue with the New Balance 1080 was the heel counter. Some felt as though the heel counter was too thin and sharp. The 3d heel counter of the New Balance 1080 v10 has been redesigned and is slimmer and less rigid. It also flairs up, so it doesn’t bother the Achilles.

New Balance 1080 v10 Shoe Review

I’ve worn anywhere between a 10-11 wide in the New Balance 1080 and I found the 10.5 to fit well.  I appreciate the wide toe box, New Balance is well known for.

New Balance 1080 v10 Ride:

Like the previous version of the New Balance 1080, the New Balance 1080 v10 uses a full-length fresh foam. New Balance Fresh Foam is known for its softness like a sponge. For the 10th version, New Balance has created “Fresh Foam X.” Fresh Foam X is a new cushion that has more cushioning and energy return.  Compared to previous versions of New Balance 1080, the Balance 1080 v10 is much softer mile after mile.

If you flip over the New Balance 1080 v10, you’ll also notice the change to the bottom of the shoe. Now, it features blown rubber outsole lug segments.  These blown outsole lug segments help provide the New Balance 1080 v10, traction as well as easier flex.

New Balance 1080 v10 Shoe Review

New Balance 1080 v10 Conclusion:

I think the New Balance 1080 v10 is one of the best-updated shoes of 2019. It’s lighter, more cushioned, and more responsive. It will remain a daily trainer for me and I’m fairly certain this will be a shoe I go through more than one of the New Balance 1080 v10.

New Balance 1080 v10 Shoe Review

Current Rotation:

Easy/Daily Runs: New Balance 1080 v10, Diadora Mythos Elite TRX, Hoka Bondi 6, Saucony Triumph 17 Shoe Review

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. 

Advertisements

Nudy’s Cafe (Paoli)

December 1, 2019 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Nudy’s Cafe (Paoli)

A few weeks ago, writer Jen M. and I met up at Nudy’s Cafe in Paoli.  Jen was out that way and we both wanted (and needed) to get out for a hike. She suggested Nudy’s Cafe, which recently opened.  Nudy’s Cafe has several locations in the suburbs of Pa; including Ardmore, West Chester, Phoenixville, Exton, and many more. After spending more time than anticipated riding through Philadelphia Traffic (when is that not the case?), I made it.Nudys Cafe Paoli

Nudy’s Cafe (Paoli) Atmosphere: A
The exterior of Nudy’s Cafe is clean, modern, and cute. It’s not a big, shiny, diner but a small modern building. The inside is bright and clean. There are several tables throughout the diner.  We sat in the back corner.  It wasn’t crowded but there is plenty of space, so you don’t feel like you’re sitting on top of anyone.

Nudy’s Cafe (Paoli) Coffee: A

The coffee at Nudy’s cafe was great. The waitress kept both Jen and I’s coffee refilled at all times.  It was hot and fresh, locally brewed Lacas coffee. I couldn’t have asked for better coffee.

Nudys Cafe Paoli coffee

Nudy’s Cafe (Paoli) Food: A

The Nudy’s Cafe menu has everything a stereotypical diner usually has, but it’s only open for breakfast and lunch. The promise at Nudy’s Cafe is to make you feel welcome, nourished and excited about coming back because of the freshly-made, great food.

On the menu, there are plenty of omelets, sandwiches, and salad options. On the back, there was a full page of specials. I contemplated the avocado toast (I’ve never had that before) but ultimately decided to order the Greek Wrap with a side mixed salad.

Nudys Cafe Paoli wrap

The Greek wrap was stuffed with chickpeas, feta cheese, greens, onions, and tomatoes. The side salad wasn’t anything unusual but tasted good too. In all, it was a good meal.

Nudy Cafe (Paoli) Service: A
Our waitress at Nudy’s Cafe as nice and our food came out extremely quickly.

Nudy’s Cafe (Paoli) Cost: $
For my wrap, side salad, and coffee it was $15.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come back to Nudy’s Cafe?
I liked Nudy’s Cafe and I would go back. There are a lot of different breakfast and lunch options. I appreciate the specials too.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: A
Food: A
Serice: A
Overall: A

You can see all the diner reviews here.

Questions for you:
What is your favorite type of wrap?
Do you prefer wraps or sandwiches? 

Midnight Express Diner (New York City)

November 24, 2019 By in Diners Tags: , , , , ,
Midnight Express Diner (New York City)

Midnight Express Diner (New York City)

While in New York, I ended up at the Midnight Express Diner. Originally I meant to take the train up to the Upper West Side, but I accidentally ended up on the East Side. No big deal and a quick google search ended up with the Midnight Express Diner.

Midnight express Diner

Midnight Express Diner Atmosphere: A
The Midnight Express Diner sticks out on the corner. There are plenty of windows. I was lucky enough to score a window seat. For a diner in New York City, the Midnight Express Diner is actually fairly large with plenty of booths, tables, and a small bar.

Midnight Express Diner Coffee: A
The Midnight Express Diner coffee was brewed hot and fresh. Plus the waitress brought plenty of refills.

Midnight express Diner coffee

Midnight Express Diner Food: A
The Midnight Express Diner menu has everything a regular diner has. There are plenty of breakfast and brunch options as well as lunch too. A few items on the Midnight Express Diner menu that stuck out to me were the smoked salmon, benny bagel, greek quesadilla, open-faced sandwiches with hollandaise sauce.  Since it was the day before the New York City Marathon, I decided to order the berry pancakes.

The berry pancakes came with strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries baked in the pancakes as well as topped with more berries and granola. The pancakes were light and fluffy and one of the better diner pancakes I’ve had. Pancakes are risky to order at a diner because they are either good or thin and boring. Luckily these were good.

Midnight express Diner pancakes

Midnight Express Diner Service: A
The waitress was friendly and the food came out fast. In all, it was a positive experience.

Midnight Express Diner Cost: $
For the pancakes and coffee, the meal was $14.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back to Midnight Express Diner?
I liked the Midnight Express Diner and if I come back to New York City, I would go back. It’s tough to find good pancakes and the Midnight Express Diner served them up.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: A
Food: A
Service: A
Cost: $10-20

Overall: A

You can see all the diner reviews here.

Questions for you:
Where are your favorite pancakes from?
What is your favorite type of pancakes?

Newton Gravity 8 Shoe Review

November 22, 2019 By in Gear Review, Running Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment
Newton Gravity 8 Shoe Review

Newton Gravity 8 Shoe Review

It has been a minute since I ran in Newton. For those who don’t know, the Newton Gravity was one of my first running shoe ever. In fact, I almost run exclusively in Newtons until working at the running store 6 years ago. I ran the in Newton Gravity 1 and Newton Gravity 2. I believe I ran in a pair of the Newton Gravity 3, but that was the extent of it. In total, I ran in 17 pairs of Newton Gravity (I distinctly remember counting one day).

I found this gem from the early days of blogging: I learned: a: I ran in a lot of Newtons. b: my photography has gotten better. (or maybe c. phone camera quality is better)

Back in their heyday…

Anyway, when I started working at the running store in 2014, I began running in different brands. I haven’t come back to Newton until this year. For those who don’t know, Newtons have a unique sole with “lugs.” They take some time to work into and you will have issues if you start running all of your mileage in them immediately.

Newton Gravity 8 Shoe Review

Newton Gravity 8 Quick Facts:

Heel to Toe Drop: 3 mm

Weight: 9.1 ounces

What are the Newton Gravity Lugs?

All models of Newtons hae lugs in the forefoot.  The lugs allow your body to be at a more flat heel to toe differential. If you are looking for a lower heel to toe drop, the Newton Gravity 8 has a 3 mm with the lugs.

Newton Gravity 8 Shoe Review

Newton Gravity 8 Fit:

First, it would be unfair to compare the Newton Gravity 8 to the original Newton Gravity. Like most brands, the upper is much more breathable and engineered mesh uses no seam on the foot to fit your foot better. For the Newton Gravity 8, Newton introduces Adaptive Fit, engineered mesh.

The seamless upper molds to your foot for a secure ride. Newton wants the Gravity to feel “amazingly” soft, breathable and snug experience. I do appreciate the Newton Gravity 8 is wider than previous models and molds to the contours of my foot well. I typically wear between a women’s size 10-11 wide and the 10.5 fits well.

Newton Gravity 8 Shoe Review

Newton Gravity 8 Ride:

Like any Newton Running Shoe, the Newton Gravities take time to get work into. Since the Newton Gravity has a 3 mm heel to toe drop, which puts more stress on your calves. If you have already been running in lowering heel to toe drops and minimal shoes, it should take less time to get used too. What is different when the Newton Gravity, is even though it has a minimal heel to toe drop, it has full foot cushioning. The trampoline-like cushioning system causes the foot to bounce back and lose less energy.

Most people’s first impression is they feel “weird” or “different.” It’s different than the traditional foam-core running shoe. You feel the lugs under your feet and you feel them walking around. Even though I’ve run in Newton Gravities, it still felt weird to come back to them 5 years later. Weird in a good way.  Take your time getting used to them. I started running 1 mile in them (then switching into another shoe) for the rest of my run to make sure my body felt good.

When you first start running in the Newton Gravity 8, you’ll notice the lugs.

Newton Gravity 8 Shoe Review

What do the lugs do?

The lugs help promote a midfoot strike and propel you forward. All Newton Running shoes use proprietary “Action/Reaction Technology.”  The movement of the lugs generates the Action/Reaction Technology. It creates a responsive ride that provides less energy loss than most traditional running shoes.  Similar to an adidas running shoe but that quality and durability is much higher in Newton.

Now that I’m used to them, I’e run anywhere between 1-10 miles in the Newton Gravity 8. I like how cushioned they are while still being responsive.

One issue that has always been a problem is Newtons can collect debris.  I’ve gotten many rocks stuck between the lugs. I recommend sticking to the roads where the technology of the lugs can be used and less debris gets stuck between the lugs.

Newton Gravity 8 Shoe Review

Newton Gravity 8 Conclusion:

I like the Newton Gravity 8 and it’s fun to run in a shoe that was so familiar to me for so many years. I will continue to run in them and use them more for daily runs. I think they fit best there. Finally, it’s essential to mention the Newton Gravity 8 is $175. Newton has claimed you can get more mileage out of the shoes.

When I ran consistently in the Newton Gravity, I found I could get between 500-600 miles; when many shoes, I could only get 300-400. Every foot is different and when your body doesn’t feel good, it might be the shoes. Do I think the price of the Newton Gravity 8 is worth it? I do think if you get the full amount of mileage in them, you aren’t paying much more.

Current Rotation:

Easy/Daily Runs: Diadora Mythos Elite TRX, Hoka Bondi 6, Newton Gravity 8

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:

Have you tried Newtons before? Have you tried the Newton Gravity 8?

What was the first shoe you ran in? 

PonyFlo Hat Review

November 20, 2019 By in Gear Review, Running Tags: , , , , , , ,
PonyFlo Hat Review

PonyFlo Hat Review

One thing I’m trying to incorporate more into the blog is reviews of running and fitness things that aren’t shoes.  For the longest time, I was a visor only person. A regular ballcap would give me hat hair for a week and honestly, after losing my hat at Shamrock 2016, I was over hats.

Ponyflo contacted me a few weeks ago to try their hats. Before looking, I thought, Nah. Then after reading more about them and noticing the design, I thought it might be what I’ve been looking for along.  While Ponyflo sent me a hat to try, I’m not obligated nor being paid to write a review.

So What is a PonyFlo Hat?

Typical ballcaps and hats have a fixed hole in the back. If you have long hair, it makes it impossible to pull your hair through. You either lose hair or the hat doesn’t come off.

Ponyflo hats have a unique design that allows the entire hat to open in the back.  This means if your hair is long or thick, you can adjust to let your hair to “flow” through easily.  When you take the hat off, you don’t lose hair. Ponyflo hats use a tangle-free adjustable Velcro opening in the back.

While PonyFlo Hats Make their Active Design, They also make lounging around “game day” hats, beanies, and what caught my eye first: Cat mom!

Are PonyFlo Hats Good for Running?

I was worried by how PonyFlo Hats would stay put when running. I’ve used the Classic Active Hat a few times on pouring rain and windy runs and it’s stayed put the entire time. I haven’t had issues with it falling off, coming undone, or just being uncomfortable. Like a visor, I forget it’s there.

If you are like me, with long or thicker hair and looking for a hat: PonyFlo Hats are a good fit for running and working out.  Finally, it’s the first baseball hat designed by a woman for women.

 

Finally, Ponyflo Hats was nice enough to give a discount code for all readers. Using Fueledbylolz will get you 25% of your purchase.

You Can See Gear 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:

Do you have issues with hats and running? Do you wear a hat while running? 

%d bloggers like this: