A Summer Adventure: Don’t Forget Your SPF, Water And Hiking Boots!

Summer time, at last, we meet again… which means going to the beach, hanging with friends, and playing outside have all taken over. Sadly, that means less time to write and sit on the computer. But here I am, finally some time to relax and type away!

A few days ago, I went to Oscar Scherer State Park in Florida… only a 45-minute drive from my house, which is awesome! One of the main purposes of this little adventure was to test out my new hiking Montara Boots from Ahnu. It was a great day to be outside. Only about 90 degrees, sunny, no wind, and not a cloud in the sky. It felt similar to a desert but all that made the trip!

A hot, sunny day in Florida

There were endless trails to take but I decided with a 2-miler. The path ended up being deep sand, not the best terrain, but it made me really happy I had my boots on. No sand was getting in my shoes and socks! My boots are made by Ahnu and are made for traditional hiking, fast hiking, and all day walking, so basically you can wear them whenever! Don’t forget they are waterproof too!

Found this little guy on the path, you can see it was all sand. However, sand or no sand, the boots are made for the most rugged terrain. They are waterproof and breathable. So believe it or not but by the end of the hike, thunderheads were building and rain clouds quickly swept over the clear skies.

Not all the trails were sand, some were leaves and dirt. These paths ran alongside a river and were shaded, which was a great relief from the heat of the day.

The Montara Boot has features that will keep your feet dry and features that will keep you stable for when the terrain gets rugged. The boot also has Vibram outsoles, which are one of the top outsole companies around and are known for some running shoes as well, such as the Minimus Trail by New Balance.

Oscar Scherer State Park was a lot of fun. I forgot to mention that it is also known for the Florida Scrub Jay. I had no idea people travel  from all over to catch a glimpse of this magnificent bird. It’s known for being tame and really friendly to humans.

I HAD ONE FLY RIGHT AT ME!!!! Basically right at my face, talk about being friendly…

It would have landed on me but I got out of its way (It startled me at first). It was pretty crazy at the time. I had to do a matrix move in order for it to miss me. Then, he decided to land on a tree branch instead and starred at us as we continued on. He was probably mad I didn’t let him land on my head.

I’m sure my new boots would have done great anywhere! They come in many colors such as Astral Aura, Tawny Port, Dark Grey, Black and Smokey Brown colorways. Now they can match all your hiking and outdoor clothes. I came across these boots in the Backpacker Magazine featuring 2013′s best new gear! Make sure to check it out! Hiking is so much fun and remember, you don’t always have to be running. That’s not the only way to get in shape. Hiking is also a great way to get out and moving.

Have a great day everybody!

Gasparilla 15K: Racing in the New INJINJI’s

The Gasparilla race’s in Tampa, FL are not meant for setting new PR’s. Why? Because there are SO MANY PEOPLE! It’s crazy how many people sign up for this race. The 15K had 4,921 participants. And I placed 619th out of everyone with a time of 1:16. The 5K is absolutely horrendous(I ran that last year) so I wouldn’t even bother with that one. The 5k had 11,635 participants! The 15K wasn’t as bad but still, make sure you are good at weaving if you enter this race.

The sea of people at the start of the race

Once you got to mile 2, the congestion was down and you could run freely so not too shabby. I hadn’t been doing as much running as I had liked because cycling is my new thing! Therefore, I came to the race with dead quads from cycling the day before. That was dumb of me.

The weather wasn’t the best but could have been a lot worse. It was windy, overcast, and extremely humid. At mile 3, my shirt was already drenched. So at mile 9, the sweat was just dripping off of me, I was melting! haha. As you can see in these pictures, it looks like I went swimming.

Just keep running

I wore the race t-shirt because I didn’t really love it, so I don’t know when I would wear it again. I wore my SKORA’s, which are still my favorite shoe I’ve ever run in so far. They still kill my calves, which is great. Working hard! And then my new thing are my INJINJI’s. My new favorite socks. I was a little skeptical at first about wearing toe socks but after my first run in them, my feet don’t like anything else. Being able to move each toe freely is a great feeling. They also come in many different thicknesses and ankle heights. Seriously though, I absolutely love them. It just took a day for my feet to feel the same.

Muscle shot at the end of the race = MUST DO!

Recently, I held a contest for all my followers to win a pair of Injinji’s and the winner sent me some reviews from his running experiences. Overall, we shared the same thoughts! So I’m going to post what he said! Thank you Jeff for participating in the contest and giving feedback!

TOE SOCKS!

Performance 2.0 and Run 2.0

These socks are designated as the running, gym, crossfit, etc socks.  Both performed very similar to each other.  Both are definitely much more robust than the first generation of Injinji’s.  The core difference I could sort out was that the Run sock is more breathable than the Performance.  However, you definitely feel that thickness.  And, since it’s thicker, I noticed they ran a little warmer than the Originals.  I really liked the think feel of the originals.  If you like a thicker sock, then these are winners.  Not only do they fit better than the version 1, but the addition of the Achilles protection is awesome.   However, I like a thin sock, so I’m saving these for colder weather or for my Luna Sandals.

Trail 2.0

All I can say about this is “Wow, I could wear these every day! ”  They are plush, comfy, warm.  Again, things are thicker with 2.0, but boy is this comfy.  The protective cuff fits well and would definitely protect against getting dirt/rocks into the sock for trail running.  I’d say this sock is my hands down favorite for casual wear.

Hike 2.0

This sock was the real surprise.  This sock is made of NuWool, but retains the thin feel of Version 1.0.  It’s also very comfortable.  I actually really enjoyed using these on several runs.  The durability may not be that of the Run or Performance, but it’s a really good sock.  In fact, I’d say these have become my long run favorites.  They really work well and would be great in almost any condition.  I wouldn’t use them for the gym since the NuWool causes a little more slipping inside the shoe for crossfit, but for running or hiking, these are fantastic.

The trail 2.0 was my favorite. So comfortable! That is the sock I ran my 15K in and personally, I felt like I just wanted to run in the sock by itself. They’re cushioned and durable. My feet felt great while running and after running. And to make that mean more, my feet blister because I sweat so much but I didn’t experience that this time. Woo! Here’s a picture of me stretching after running and check out those toe socks.

Stretching my calves after the race, wearing my Injinji toe socks!

I recommend giving them a try! And they worked very well with my Skora running shoes. They couple each other very nicely. Happy running everyone!

WIN! The NEW Injinji Performance 2.0

Hey everybody!

Today Injinji launched their brand new website at http://www.injinji.com/. A new look, new products, and even the chance for YOU to WIN a pair of their fancy new socks.

All you have to do is this:

1. Go to http://www.injinji.com/

2. Check out the site. Watch the video. Look at the athletes. Do what you want.

3. Come back here and write a comment on this post saying something that you liked about Injinji. Can be anything. Get creative with it. Don’t forget in the comment to include your name and email address so I can contact you if you are the winner!

Example Comment:

I like Injinji because I can wear their socks with flip flops!

John Smith   jsmith@gmail.com

4. Also, make sure to be a follower of Fit Body Now so you don’t miss anymore of these offers.

Good Luck! And enjoy the website.

Also, I want to thank everyone for their support of Fit Body Now and getting me over a a quarter million views! Today was the day! 250,000!

Happy running!

SUPER Exclusive Sneak Peek. Plus GIVEAWAY details!

You are a runner. You are always on the move. You work hard. You live life with no dull moment. Therefore, Injinji socks are perfect for you. You may have had your fair share of blisters, dirt and grime and any other hazardous things you can think of that make your socks get pushed to their limits. And socks often go unnoticed. Many people put all of their thought and focus into their shoes. But what about your little piggly wiggly’s? They need more then just a shoe.

Save those piggies people. 

All the way from San Diego, Injinji is a company with a unique approach: a 5-toe sleeve design. Performance 2.0 will be unleashed on Wednesday, January 23rd, when Injinji’s new website goes live.

But wait! There’s more! 

Injinji plans to unveil their new website on Jan 23rd and you dear reader, get an exclusive sneak peek of what you can expect from this fabulous brand!  Visit my blog on January 23rd for details on how to win a GRIP of these fancy new socks! More details to come about this special giveaway for my followers. Follow FitBodyNow if you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity.

Friends don’t let friends wear crappy socks.

 

 

 

SKORA: Base Shoe Review

It’s difficult to find a pair of shoes that you can run-in, walk-in and wear out to dinner… Shoes that are good for everything. But I think I finally did it, I found my one stop shop!

SKORA

Skora is a new company, from Portland, Oregon, with lots of fresh ideas. They are different and original with a slogan that makes you want to give them a try: RUN REAL. I want to run like I was supposed to run, not run how company’s are trying to mold me. I was a little skeptical at first going to something new but literally, I have not felt a more comfortable shoe. I opened the box, put them on and didn’t take them off. No joke. I was like no way a shoe is this comfortable without breaking them in. EVERY shoe I have ever worn has recovered some break-in time. But not these. Here are the shoes I got:

These are called Base, which are a women’s shoe in light blue, white, and blue

MY FIRST RUN

For my first run in the Skora’s, I did a road run of 5 miles. It was great, and even in the rain. They were very light and not bothersome at all. No blisters, no discomfort anywhere, just a great run. You can wear these shoes in rain or shine, socks or no socks, road or trail, they are amazing.

Also, just to add-in, I’m not used to the minimalist shoe yet. So my first run did go very smoothly, however, I had sore calves the next day, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s part of the process from changing from a heel strike to a strike in the middle of my foot. I don’t mind feeling sore, I like to know my body is working hard. I did some shorter and slower runs to build the up muscle memory and get my legs used to the motion and new running style. It’s only been 3 weeks but I feel that these shoes and I will go far… no pun intended.

Notice the velcro straps

A WEEKEND IN D.C.

I just went on a mini vacation to Washington D.C. and I brought my Skora’s… I actually didn’t bring any other shoe on the trip. Our first day there, we walked 15 miles. Now, that’s a far walk. My sister’s started complaining about their feet and legs and blisters… But not me. I didn’t even think about my shoes once. I never had to re-tie the laces(thanks to the velcro), never felt a blister forming, and had no pain anywhere. Next day, we did 10 miles. No problems again. It even rained on us. My shoes dried so quickly, it was great. Also, I wore my Skora’s out to dinner and they look great with jeans or shorts. They are so versatile.

The Jefferson Memorial. Look closely and you will see that I am rocking my Skora’s

Outside the National Zoo, walked miles to get here!

THE BASE – WOMEN’S SHOE: LIGHT BLUE, WHITE, BLUE

Now more about the shoe itself. Base is a very durable shoe. The shoe has a very unique design with an X-strap system for the laces. There are no shoe strings, just velcro that crosses the shoe in the middle and it can be adjusted. There is also another velcro strap on the heel that can be adjusted to your liking. The shoe is made of a stretchy mesh material, which makes it so comfortable. Also, if you decide to run at night there are reflective details that will make you be seen by oncoming vehicles. A helpful tip is to order a half-size smaller if you decide that SKORA looks like the shoe for you. To learn more about the Base design and the method behind it, visit: http://skorarunning.com/#/

Overall, I’m so excited to train for my half-marathon in my Skora’s. My race is on November 25 so I’m training now and the running couldn’t be better. I will keep everyone updated with my training and how it goes. I’m so excited. It will be my first half and my friends are even doing it with me. Enough sitting for me, time to go outside!

P.s. If you are on Facebook, SKORA has a great page with many helpful tips, reminders, and motivation to keep you training. I love when their stuff pops up on my newsfeed.

Taking It To The Trails: Reasons Why

It’s a new revoultion of running… TRAIL RUNNING! That requires a new revolution of running shoes… THE MINAMILST SHOE!

Recently, I have become more interested in taking my runs from the streets to the trails. Running on the road is much different then running on roots, mud, rocks, hilly terrain, etc. I have heard that once you start trail running, you won’t want to go back to the streets.

I find Trail Running to be so much more beneficial than any road run that I have done. I also, feel that I have to work a lot harder while running on trails. Here are some of the benefits I have found to trail running.

1. Scenery Change

Mountains, forests, springs, waterfalls, nature… Trails are beautiful. The scenery is never the same. I see so many animals while running, like deer, rabbits, tortoises, birds, etc. Also, the overall atmosphere is perfect. It makes me feel like I’m somewhere different, not in Florida anymore, away from all the stressors in life. It’s very relaxing to be surrounded by trees and wildlife. Being more relaxed makes my run that much more better. Also, many of us are indoors majority of the time surrounded by concrete and walls, trail running allows you to escape all of that!

2. Easier on the Joints

Trail running is great because the surface is soft, usually covered by leaves, pine needles, dirt, and grass which are much better for your joints when compared to concrete and asphalt. And if you are like me and run a lot, you want to keep your joints pain free and trail running, will help prevent any injuries that could be caused by running repeatedly on a harder surface. Your knees will be saying thank you if you transition to the trails.

3. Makes Your Body Tougher

Running on trails requires a different type of running style. It’s not just flat ground… you are going uphill, downhill, leaping over things, etc, your body never gets used to it because the trail changes. Also, if you are a trail runner, you will have a forefoot strike rather then a heel strike. Running on the middle of your foot is what you should be doing. If you are making the transfer from heel striking to forefoot striking, expect your calves to be sore but believe me, I am making the transfer now, and what a difference. My legs actually feel so much stronger and I feel so much more efficient while running. You take smaller steps but you go further in the long run.

4. The Trail Shoe: Very Minimal

Trail running shoes are a necessity if you want to become a trail runner. They make you do more of the work. They have more tread, they are built more durable, and lightweight. Vivo Barefoot is a shoe brand that carries high-quality trail shoes. I like to run in the Vivo Barefoot Neo Trail. It has very aggressive tread for off road surfaces, and I even have tried it on the road and it is manageable for road running. It also, has a water-resistant upper that is perfect for the outdoors. It has a big toe box that allows your feet to flex and a zigzag, lace-lock structure that will keep your foot secure in all circumstances. It is a thin shoe but also has cushion, as well as a removeable insole. Overall, a great shoe for running. The minimalist design is exactly what to look for when it comes to trail running.

Vivo Barefoot Neo Trail Shoes

I know the road may seem more convenient but sometimes you should “treat” yourself to something nicer. Where I live, I have to drive to get to trails but it’s totally worth it for me. But remember, train on what you will compete on. If you do more road races then I suggest sticking to the streets. However, I feel the trails would prepare you just fine for your road races. You will be ready for anything and your body will be even tougher. Go Nature!

Shoe Review: Day 3 – 4 Mile Beach Run

Running on the beach!

Running on the beach was the final test for my Karhu’s. Since I live in Florida near the coast, I absolutely love going to the beach. I like to get tone and tan, it’s a small handful who don’t like that combination. So in order to do that, I go for a nice run along the shoreline then relax by soaking up some sun. Florida has beautiful weather, however, in the summer time things tend to heat up significantly. It was close to 90 degrees Farhenheit but thankfully the sea breeze keeps it slightly cooler. The sand at this particularly beach where I love to run is packed down and the ground is even so it makes the run so nice. I have been to beaches where the sand is thick, and really difficult to just walk in. Also, some beaches are sloped by the shore making it painful to run, definitely not the case here.

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The Karhu shoes worked perfectly. I had no problems at all. Some people may ask why I just don’t run barefoot on the beach? And I like to run with shoes because of all the shells. I don’t know if you have ever stepped on a sharp shell but it is not a good feeling. If you have never gone for a run on a beach, DO IT! The scenery is all paradise and if you get hot, just take a break in the water. Running and the beach are two of my favorite things and being able to combine them makes me the happiest I ever am.

• Running Shoes: Flow_Fulcrum Ride – Bright Violet/Scream WMN
• Karhu website: http://www.karhu.com/
• If you want to test Karhu’s apply at: http://www.facebook.com/likekarhu
• Karhu online store 10% off code: 10off (use it at karhu.com check-out page)

Thank you for reading!

Show Review: Day 2 – 8K Trail Run

Trail Run!

Trail running is probably one of my favorite things to do. The scenery makes it so much more fun and enjoyable. Also, the trails are shaded, which is nice. Running on a treadmill or the road can get boring to me so surrounding myself with nature just gives me an extra boost.

Shoes still look good

Recently, I took my new Karhu running shoes to one of my favorite places to run: The Trails. I run these trails more often then any other place. It was once again a gorgeous day: Sunny, however shady in the trails, and about 84 degrees Fahrenheit. The trails I run are well wooded with a packed-down ground made up of leaves, dirt, soil, and other things you find in nature. The shoes I have been running in are great for trail running so I didn’t know if the Karhu’s would be able to keep up… Ohhh was I wrong for questioning their ability. The time flew by! Before I knew it, the trail run was over and I felt great! I think I’m finally getting ready for a race, I have felt a huge improvement lately in my running ability. Also, my feet weren’t hurting, which is great news! I have experienced shoes that make my feet hurt, blister, and cramp. Avoiding all of that completely made my day. Also, just make sure you where comfortable and high socks because that helps a lot. I like extra comfort while breaking-in new shoes and I have had some problems with my socks sliding down. You don’t want to be thinking about all of that while running but thankfully, the socks are an easy fix. So no worries.

Make sure when you get new running shoes to really test them out. See where they work best. It’s fun testing them out and seeing what they are capable of and seeing if they are the shoe for you. If you are interested in testing Karhu products… GO FOR IT! The link is below.

• Running Shoes: Flow_Fulcrum Ride – Bright Violet/Scream WMN
• Karhu website: http://www.karhu.com/
• If you want to test Karhu’s apply at: http://www.facebook.com/likekarhu
• Karhu online store 10% off code: 10off (use it at karhu.com check-out page)

Thank you for reading!

Shoe Review: First Day in the KARHU’s – 5K Road Run

Today I did my first run in my new KARHU’s! If you are like me, I am totally new to KARHU. I love trying new things so KARHU was sounding perfect from the beginning! I was sad to go out and get these beautiful new shoes dirty. But to start, I didn’t want to overdue it… I like to ease into new shoes in order to get my feet used to the new feeling so I started with a light 5K road run on a great day. The weather was partly cloudy and about 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Love it!

KARHU's Flow-Fulcrum Ride… All you can want in a running shoe.

My pair of KARHU’s are the Flow-Fulcrum Ride in Bright Violet/Scream. These shoes are said to be for the performance neutral runner seeking lightweight foot strike management with a highly responsive, durable forward ride. The sneakers are engineered with neutral performance fulcrum, the Flow-Fulcrum Ride is suited for faster, long distance running and racing with a clean, supportive minimalist design. But if this type of runner is not you, don’t fret! KARHU produces shoes for all levels and foot strikes. I already love many aspects about this running shoe. First thing I noticed when I put them on, was the extra comfort on the heel of my foot. There’s a lot more cushion along the bottom of my foot, which I like! Also, I have plenty of stability and ankle support. I laced up to the very top hole and it was perfect.  My run went very smooth. I had no problems. There was a little stiffness but every shoe I have ever owned has required a short break in period so other then that these shoes treated me very well.

First run in my new KARHU running shoes!

If KARHU’s aren’t known for their crazy, fun colors, they should be! The style nowadays for running shoes seems to be bright and vibrant colors. If you are like me, I love bright colors. I like shoes that stand out. While walking around my college campus wearing my new KARHU’s, I get so many compliments! I love the attention my running shoes give me.

The vibrant colors of KARHU made it love at first sight

I can’t wait to see where these shoes take me. I will be doing a lot more testing to see what they can handle! If you have any questions for me regarding the shoes, just ask in a comment! Or if you own a pair feel free to share your thoughts!

• Running Shoes: Flow_Fulcrum Ride – Bright Violet/Scream WMN
• Karhu website: http://www.karhu.com/
• If you want to test Karhu’s apply at: http://www.facebook.com/likekarhu
• Karhu online store 10% off code: 10off (use it at karhu.com check-out page)

 

Thank you for reading!