Hello :) Hope you are having a good start to your week!
After yesterday’s post about the 7 course vegan feast, I left you with a cliff-hanger about Sarasota. The weather was warm but the rain put a real damper on our plans to hit up the beach and relax all day! We decided to see if we could cancel our hotel that we had booked and save some money by heading back to my mom’s place. Luckily enough, we could cancel and then we decided to spend the day in Sarasota looking around.
We went to St Armand’s Circle and it was really fun. Tons of shops and such. However we didn’t stay very long with the rain. After that we headed to the Sarasota outlets and decided on this place for lunch. When I saw the sign I knew it would be up my alley:
:mrgreen:
There is just one location of the Fast n Fresh. Eric and I could see this restaurant doing SO WELL in Toronto!! They definitely need to expand.
When I walked in there was a sign that said you could customize your own sandwich or salad!!! Ummm…basically a vegan’s dream! How cool is that?
I was all business as I decided on my wrap. ;)
Eric got a Chicken Ceasar Wrap!
I got a veggie wrap. I deemed this the vacation of wraps. I just can’t get enough of them! Wraps are such a great way to pack in a ton of veggie servings.
Amazingly I ate every last bite ;)
Then we hit a few shops…My eyes bugged out of my head and I screamed when I saw this store called Fit 2 Run- The Runner’s Superstore. A runner’s superstore!?!? I left Eric in the dust and sprinted to the entrance. ;)
Not only do they have a treadmill to test your gait with various sneakers on, but they have an indoor track to run on!
As you may know, I have had a terrible time with blisters ever since I started running. No one has ever been able to figure out why or fix the issues (even my foot doctor who made me custom orthotics!). I decided to have my gait analyzed and see if I was truly the severe overpronator that I thought I was. Well, it turned out that I am only a mild pronator and the Brooks I was wearing for the past two years were for severe pronation! Doh.
Additionally, the sales person said that I have very tiny ankle bones and narrow feet and I should have been running in narrow width all this time! This could be why I get blisters a lot because my heel slips around.
After trying and running on many pairs, these BROOKS Adrenaline GTS 10’s were the PERFECT fit! I have high hopes for these babies.
You know how they say when you try on the right wedding dress, you will just know? Well as soon as I tried these on (in narrow width) I finally felt like they were ‘the one’. They felt great and hugged my heel like a warm embrace. :mrgreen:
I also picked up a pair of my favourite running shorts:
And blister socks that the saleslady swears by (she is a marathoner)
They are sooooo comfy. I saved a ton of money by shopping in this store, so it was a win win situation all around! If you are ever in the Sarasota, Wellington, or Tampa area I highly suggest you check out this amazing store!
By the way, have you guys seen these new Five Fingers running ‘shoes’??? Apparently they are all the rage…
After the outlets we headed back to my mom and John’s place. By this point we had driven 6 hours yesterday and we were ready to relax and unpack out suitcase.
We had a quick and easy dinner:
Salad with tomatoes, mary’s crackers, and red wine vinegar:
Butternut squash:
Hummus with toast:
Some type of orange…not sure what kind it was, but it tasted like a cross between an orange and a grapefruit. Pure love!
It is still raining here so we are going to hit up some of the outlets in Naples today and I am going back to SUPER TARGET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yes. It will be off the hook.
My Approach To Exercise While On Vacation
I haven’t had any formal exercise for the past couple days, but I hope to run in my new sneakers later today when the rain stops.
My approach to exercise on vacation is to exercise when you can fit it in, but don’t stress when you can’t.
I also like to try new forms of exercise. We swam a lot at the beach and also in the hotel pool a couple times last week. We also have done a ton of walking, so even if I don’t get in formal exercise I know that I am being active.
Last week, I was able to fit in really strong workouts each day because I knew that there would be a few days of really early mornings with little sleep when I would not be able to fit a workout in. I love to workout while on vacation because it just makes me feel so good and I feel like something is missing when I can’t get in a good sweat to start the day.
What is your approach to exercise while on vacation? Do you take a break, try new things, or stick to your regular routine?
That wrap looks awesome! :)
It really depends on where we’re at on vacation. My parents have a place in SC, so I’ll usually do yoga in the mornings and we’ll go for a walk with our coffee to the store to pick up a paper, or go kayaking during the day, pass the soccer ball, swim in the ocean, etc. I usually take that as a “break” from my formal exercise to spice things up a bit, but make sure I get my heart pumping one way or another!
I usually take an active break- I’ll walk or surf or hike but won’t hit up the gym
I love Brooks! I am not much of a runner, but when I do any form of running, Brooks are my shoes of choice. And I love your thoughts about exercise while on vaca – I feel the same!
I just ran the Sarasota half-marathon the other week. I totally agree – Sarasota is a dream running place, the scenery is beautiful and the weather is perfect. Wish I knew about the Fit 2 Run – Runner Superstore when I visited! Hope you have more of an amazing time over there!
Interesting time for this post. I just got back from Disney World with my Mom and 2 kids. I had every intention of working out before the parks in the morning, even brought my bands and jump rope. Let’s just say I managed to run the stairs twice and that’s it. We did an awful lot of walking though and we were beat at the end of the day. I just came to terms with the fact that it’s okay to take a break once in a while. My body actually feels good and ready to return to the weight room. It’s just about trying to not feel guilty about it, especially since you’re probably eating more than normal at the same time. : )
I have a similar strategy to exercise while on vacation. I always bring my workout stuff with me and try to come up with an idea of how much I want to do (ie workout 3-4 times if its a week, etc) but I don’t stress if I can’t do that. I also try to be as active as possible (walking everywhere, etc) but its vacation, so you gotta live a little, right!?
Isn’t St Armand’s Circle awesome? My husband and I went to Sarasota a few years ago and loved that area! I hope you continue to have a great time in Florida!
I was just at the Running Room last week for my clinic and the lady there recommended those exact socks! I’m picking them up later this week! :) Love the vacation posts Angela! You look like you’re having such a blast!!!
Ever go to the Sandwich Box on Richmond? It’s similar.
That wrap looks amazing. I got my gait analyzed at the Asics store in NYC a few weeks ago, it was awesome. I love the Nike tempo running shorts, they’re my favorite too!
I like your take on vacation work outs.
Like you, I tend to be fairly active while on vacation. I try not to worry about doing my regular fitness routine. I just stay active and take advantage of whatever activities are around. When I’m in Quebec, I ski. When I’m in Hawaii, I surf. That way I stay active, enjoy the vacation, and try new things.
I would be allllll over that running store :D I get more excited shopping for exercise attire than I do regular attire (probably something I should change lol)
I exercise consistently while I’m on vacation because I genuinely love it! It never felt like an obligation :)
Just like you on vacation I try to fit in workouts when I can, but don’t obsess if I can’t. On Friday I’m leaving to France to spend a few days with my parents, we will go to their little country house, so I can see long walks with my mum in the country, breathing fresh air, in the near future. I will also try to fit in my morning yoga practice in my room before making an appearance for breakfast, I’ll see how it goes.
Then I’ll spend two days at their home in the city, there’s a lovely park near their apartment, and I usually borrow my mum’s old bike to go on small rides in this park when I’m there.
What I probably won’t be able to fit in are my longer yoga practices, I’ll try but I’m already planning a few long yoga sessions for when I am back in Brussels, so I won’t force anything.
I tend to still feel a little “guilty” when I don’t work out or practice yoga as much as I think I should, but I am slowly learning that there is no such thing as “should” but it’s all about embracing what I can do. And as you say so yourself, life happens!
I generally try to stay active on vacation, like you, but don’t stress about squeezing in workouts. I also try to keep a reasonable sense of portions when I go out to eat too. Just because I’m on vacation doesn’t mean I need to stuff myself with food. Practicing moderation both in exercise and when dining out helps me maintain lots of energy and my sanity! :)
Btw, LOVE St. Armand’s Circle. We were there in February for my cousin’s wedding and adored it. Bummer it was raining though b/c there are some great shops and restaurants I bet you would have loved. At least you made it to the running store though :)
Hey! They do have something very similar in Toronto. It’s called Fresii: http://www.freshii.com/
They have custom: salads, wraps, soups, frozen yogurt, and rice bowls.
I 100 percent agree with you. For me, vacation is about seeing the sites and, if I’m outside the US, immersing myself in the culture. If I can get some exercise in while doing that, great. If not, I don’t stress. I think, “When will I ever get to do X, Y, or Z again?”
I usually take a break, and just try to make walking part of the vacation. Since I usually sit at a desk all day i figure walking everywhere is great for me!
Oh my gosh I want to go to that running store!!!! And what a cool restaurant- I bet writing your own order down takes care of avoiding lots of mistakes!
I take a break from everything when I am on vacation … and that includes exercise.
On Friday I will be leaving to NY for a week, and I am sure I will be doing a LOT of walking there. I figure that is enough exercise for the week. I might, just might sneak in a jog around central park … but that is only because I am supposed to be training for the C25K!!
I love Sarasota! My grandparents go there for the winter each year and I’m planning to visit them next year for a week or so. Definitely want to go to that running store!
I try to exercise when on vacation or visiting my parents at home but I try not to stress about it. I’d rather enjoy my time rather than feel obligated to put in a good cardio session each day. Usually walking around sightseeing is good exercise and I fit in other stuff whenever there is a bit of downtime.
That’s a cara cara orange! :)
I think it might be a tangelo? They are a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit. Cara cara oranges usually taste like a cross between orange and cranberry.