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?
I would go crazy in the store, I have those same socks and I love them.
Hope you are having a nice relaxing day, and see if you can make it to Corkscrew Audubon Sanctuary. Its magical.
I need a store like that. I go to a running store to get my shoes, but theyve sent me home with the WRONG ones a couple times now. I have such a hard time getting the right shoes, its not fun!
I HAVE seen those toe shoes. I think they would bother me though. I dont like toe socks, so I dont think I’d be comfortable in the shoes.
How awesome is that store!? I’d love to get my gait analyzed. But I already know I supinate. Darn those high arches..
I tend to get in as much exercise as I can. Definitely go by how I feel and how much time I have, but I love to exercise on vacation. Some people kind of look down on it, but why would I not do something I love to do, just because I’m away from home??
While on vacation I try to work out if I can get it in, if not it’s ok. We always try and be as active as possible, lots of walking, or doing activities that get us up and moving.
That is a great approach. Mine when I am on vacation is similar to yours. If there is a chance, I take it! But if not, I don’t stress- vacations are supposed to be FUN, and no stress!!
That store looks amazing!! As does that wrap, yum!
xo
K
Back when I was in my exercise and eating obsessed state, I wold freak if I couldn’t exercise on vacation. I’d make sure to get in super long runs before and after vacation to “make up for it”. Even when I was in Europe for 2 weeks, I would get up at like 6 am and run 3-5 miles everyday. There was probahly only 2 days where I didn’t get up and run and I just would feel guilty all day! Now I look at is as a few days off isn’t going to kill you! And honestly while on vacation you usually get more walking in anyways!
That place is similar to Freshii in Toronto. Pretty much the exact same concept. There are at least 10 Freshii locations around the city and its really great. Healthy fresh produce…build your own..its good. try it.
OMG – I love that you could customise your sandwich at that place!! How cool is that? And that running shop sounds great.
Personally, when I’m away, I don’t exercise. I don’t even intend to because it just makes me feel bad when I inevitably don’t. I just try to make sure that I go on more walks and to get more non-work-out-y activity in.
That wrap looks … freaking amazzzzzzing!
I like scaling back my workouts while on vaca. I am going away for a long weekend this thursday and plan on running while I am there, but if I miss a day….its ok :-)
Wow what a great store! I’ve always thought how cool it would be to have a runner’s superstore that’s bigger than a closet! I have some fivefingers and I love them!! I don’t run in them though, I just like being “barefoot.” I LOVE the experia socks. I have them and love the cushion. They are great for running in the winter too!
Hi Angela,
I live in Sarasota, so I know what you mean about the rain this morning – yuck!
But, if you need more shopping, be sure to head up 75 to Ellenton, they have a huge outlet mall there. :) It’s not too far, maybe 10 miles at the most.
Also, if you like fish, I would recommend the blackened mahi-mahi sandwich at the Casey Key Fish House in Nokomis (a little south of Sarasota, on 41). It is divine!
Have fun – looks like the rest of the week will be nice so you will have great weather for the beach. Siesta Key Oyster Bar is always a fun spot to grab a quick lunch if that is the beach you are visiting.
Holly
last time i went to the running shoe store they recommended those exact shoes to me too! i was going to buy them but they had to order my size. i had also been getting blisters on my heels, though i don’t have narrow feet. when i went back to see if my size had come in, a new sales person gave me a laces tying tip to help with the blisters. i tied my old shoes the new way and didn’t end up going back to get the new shoes because i stopped getting blisters with the new lace method.
i guess its called the runner’s knot, if you’re curious. but i can’t wait to hear what you think of the shoes. they’re on my list for next time i need shoe replacement.
That wrap looks fantastic. That is my ideal sandwich right there.
Cara cara orange! They are soooo good!
I just bought a gargantuan bag from Costco today!
Man that is a great looking wrap!!
I like to run when on vacation – and use it as a way to explore the new area :) It is an exercising form of sightseeing really!
That wrap looks delicious! It has given me inspiration for my lunch tomorrow. :D
Sadly I haven’t been away on vacation in a long time, but whenever I get time off school I go to my parents’ place. I manage to squeeze in workouts there because my mom’s gym lets me go for free!
Thanks everyone for your suggestions about FRESHIIIIIIII =) I cant wait to go.
Hi Angela,
Loving your blog, I have been following it for a few months now.
I wear five fingers everyday. I love them to run in, weight train, walk, work etc etc. I love getting back to my barefoot roots. Check out my blog if you have time brittanysfooddiaries.blogspot.com
: )
Brittany x
Loving the vacation blogs! I cannot wait for warmer weather up north!!
I try to exercise first thing in the morning when on vacation, before the rest of the world gets going. That way I know I got my workout in and the day can bring what it may. We also do LOTS of walking on vacation usually, if we aren’t walking then we most likely have bikes with us instead.