Shoe Shopping !

Shoe Shopping !! 

A Girl can never have enough  shoes! running shoes that is!

For many months  I have been  looking to try  a  pair  of  Hoka One One shoes our good friend  Jeff Chaney who is an avid Hoka  runner has been saying  I should try them out  they may help me  with some  re occurring running injuries.   my hubby Paul has started  walking/running   & Jeff suggested that Paul also try the Hoka one One  shes  to help with his knee pain!

Today is the   day  we  find   Paul's  size  & mine   at  Fitniche in Lakeland   they said  they would hold our sizes   for us to try them out.  So we drive the hour to Lakeland  &  there they are waiting for us   Hoka one one  Bondi  & Bondi speed  for me

 

Paul was up first to try  the Hoka shoes   he tries them out on the tread Mill !  Paul was like they are like super  cushioned !!  I try on  a pair  they have a  4mm  drop so for me the drop was noticeable  felt like I was  walking  on the moon !  I  take  them for a test run outside :)  well I have to say  they felt like I was running on clouds,  when I looked  down they  make my feet  look   huge like clown feet  but the ride well lets  say....   Rolls  Royce comes  to mind !!  yep  you guessed  it we both brought a  pair  now I'm  super excited to try them out :)  Saturday  I go for  a  4 mile run   to test    them  I did  put my heel lifts in them  because of the drop  & my   Achilles  issues, until I get  totally used to them , the  4 mile  run  lets  say the first  2 miles   I have  calf  pain  this is  due to the drop  & my  tight Achilles  but   after  the run is finished  I  have no limping   Achilles swelling!  now I'm  curious  how will I do running  back to back  I have to run the following day group run at  Disney  8 miles !! 

Sunday  I'm running late for a  group run at Disney big  surprise  Jeff  was ruining with us :)   so it was Kirsten Brandi Jeff,  &  I met Michelle  & Bruce for the first time this was a great time  as  you can see in the  picture outside  of  Hollywood studios

Apart from  this run being   Hot Hot Sweaty Mess !!  My new hoka  One One  Bondi Speed  with speed laces  Love the laces by the way :)   the  box says get ready to fly !  Well we start  running   my first time doing a back to back run since  my injury :(   at the end  of this  run   we all went to panera  for breakfast   & I have to   say  I  felt great like  I really had not ran  8 miles ! this  was the answer   I am  now  a  Hoka one One  runner!!  Big Thank you  to Jeff  you were right  this  could keep me running for many years  more  :) 

 

Girls Trip To Canada !

Girls Trip To Canada  !!

May 31st here we go on the way to Canada for our girl's weekend to run Niagara Falls !! Paul drops April & I off at the airport early morning we are all ready to head to the airport thinking what have I forgot ;)

OK so were on our way here we come Canada! First stop Buffalo NY, I'm not a great flier but April was awesome kept me calm as we take off with my fingers crossed NO for real! They are always crossed on the way up & on the way down for 10 minutes !! Great landing off to get the car we are running crazy I even came prepared with my magnets for our rental car !! So now we have our car with our magnets on Canada next stop.

The trip from Buffalo to Canada not very exciting border patrol I am armed with my passport & Green card! I cannot forget that or they won't let me back in the US ;) border patrol smooth off to find our hotel Wyndham Gardens Falls View! Not using directions anymore it cannot be hard to find Falls View! Well, that does not mean a falls view LOL but now all checked into our hotel turns out NO view but a really nice hotel easy to walk to everything, staff super friendly gave us a late check out too !! Unpacked & off we go to packet pick up, we set off on our walk to the falls spectacular views.

By now, we have been walking for about 3 miles I ask for directions to packet pick up for the race! No one even knows there is a race here, bus driver says oh that is just up to the road !! hehe apparently a Canadian up to the road is a long way... another 3 miles walking !! Now I'm turning my Garmin on; I might as well log these miles!! However, we finally come upon some tents Both April & I look at each other & sigh !! If this is anything to go by not good.

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How mistaken first impressions can be so incorrect this turned out to be the best packet pick up & swag a race has ever given, first off. The swag well not only did Niagara Falls women's 21.1 race gave the finest bag! bottle of wine !! We also had the pleasure to meet with Kathrine Switzer ... one of my running idols, in fact, if it was not for Kathrine, who challenged the all-male Boston marathon!! women's  running would not be the same !  We spend a long time talking to Katerine & taking pictures.

As we were leaving the expo with our swag, we ran into Jillian, who is spending this weekend of fun with us thankfully Jillian had a car & took us all to the hotel I don't think April & I could have walked back another 7 odd miles back at the hotel Jillian checks in to the hotel  while we go  off to check out our swag below picture.

Off we  go exploring the first night  then the rain came  & boy did it rain   now on the search for  food!  We  find  a  spaceship restaurant  yep for real  it was  a space ship   had a great night of food drink  & laughter Jillian's beer was almost as big  as her upper-body LOL  we  got back to the hotel   late after  exploring the casino  !! OH yeah!  I won  ....well I came back out with what I put in  :) 

Up early after  only  a few hours sleep to  explore!  we have our  passes  that include the   we go bus!  First stop  Maid Of  The Mist this is  a must do!   We had a lot of  fun  & did not get too wet !!   We took  a  gangster shot before the boat trip in our  blue rain coats! 

The ride out to the horse shore of the falls took about  10 minutes   the  sound of the falls is deafening spectacular  views of the falls.  

We continue the day   sight seeing  walking   the fall's  rapids  spectacular  we saw a woodchuck !! I think we took   a dozen pictures. We  did  the typical  tourist  attractions  shopping  goofing off   taking pictures, all in all, having a great day together  below are some of the pictures :) 

  

We discovered the first day a place called Tim Hortons!! Let me tell you they sell the best donuts TimBits !! Yep they were awesome I'm hooked Jillian's husband Tim was on his way to meet us; it was their wedding anniversary weekend, we head to tourist town area to get a beer & April had to have some more Poutine you asked !!! It's Poutine is a common Canadian dish, made with French fries, topped with brown gravy and cheese curds !! I did not partake in this Canadian food !! April was hooked!

So here we are partaking in some beer & poutine! Canada is not cheap!! That pitcher was $19.00 Canadian, we all got into the hotel in time to change & set off for dinner at Carpaccios where we met Aprils Friends Sherrie & her husband what great company & conversation! We all headed back to the falls to watch fireworks that did not happen the heavens opened up & rain Oh My! Rainstorm everyone was soaked & the race was in the morning due to be the same weather :( 

So  were up early ready to head to the start of the  Niagara Falls  Women's  half marathon  !  tired  but thankfully no rain  some one  was  looking over us .... thanks  Dean !

We finally met up with the Brandi & Michelle they were staying in NY so never got to see them until race morning! We took a group picture then I headed to the porta potty, or as I like to call them porta-loos! Now these were some awesome loos! with flowers inside scented lavender, a big plus!

 The race started!! We all set off with each other running the initial miles from the start that says Wine Start! 4 miles looping Niagara Falls with each other, we passed a harpist & just enjoyed the race together :) after you finished the first 4 miles you head off into a suburb alongside water & nice homes to look at.

We ran into Tia  from Tampa,  there were  a few Florida  girls  here  took a  picture   had a  hug  & off, she went,  she a speedy runner  :) 

 

The race was over. We all got our bling & headed to the hotel to shower & change before heading back to the airport, but I have to a lot of races could learn a lot form this race awesome swag! Great race! We even got to Hi Five Katherine Switzer on the course well we stopped for pics & hugs with her ... as she was saying keep running :)


We managed to get through the border smoothly!! They let us back in! & of to the airport to have buffalo wings & beer with Brandi, we also ran as the Fit2Run-Orlando Ambassadors wearing our shirt's medals all the way home!

We had a long flight home with many delays 2:30 flight turned into an eight-hour flight home but laughing all the way best flights ever & great girl's weekend 11 times to plan another :)