Saucony Ride 8 Shoe Review

The Saucony Ride 8 falls into the category of a neutral running shoe. I ran for a very long time in a stability shoe but as my running got stronger I felt more comfortable in a neutral shoe. I am not kidding when I tell you I think I ran in 4-6 pairs of the Ride 7s prior to the 8’s. They were a really great shoe for me.

So when the Ride 8s came out I was very excited to try them. I was hoping for a bit more cushion for a smoother run but not at the sake of becoming a big bulky spongy shoe. They nailed it!

Early run in the Ride 8s…these will work nicely!

The Ride 8s provided me with all the support but flexibility my running required. The upper is made of a consistent material, which for me is good. I find that if there are differences in the material of the upper (top of the shoe) it ends up rubbing on my foot differently. I had that experience with the ISO Triumphs. LOVED the shoes and support but the upper just hit me wrong and gave me blisters.

I found the Ride 8s to be a more cushioned run than the Ride 7s but they still allow for more natural foot motion than a stability shoe.

Another thing I love about Saucony in general is their shoes are consistently produced. I know I can start a new pair a week before a big race like and Ironman, and not be concerned that there will be a problem.

Ride 8s serving me well at Ironman Boulder

If you are looking for a solid reliable neutral shoe, give the Ride 8s a ride! They have a great amount of cushion while still allowing your feet to do their job.

Here are some of the details from Saucony’s website:

*My first pair of Ride 8s was provided by Saucony but I have purchased more since. I needed the pink pair to match my kit!

Garmin Race Predictor

You may not know this but if you have one of the newer Garmin devices that estimates your VO2Max you also have a race predictor. Apparently, it uses your VO2 Max with your gender and age to predict how you will do at different races. I am currently training for a marathon so I thought it might be interesting to see how accurate this function is. Below is what my crystal ball Garmin 920 is predicting as of today, September 15, 2015:

This is based off my estimated VO2 Max of 46. It will be interesting to see what I actually run in November. The watch has captured a lot of running data so you would think it could be pretty accurate. Do I think I can run 3:36 marathon right now? No. But it is nice to know my watch thinks I can!

Inspired

IM Santa Cruz 70.3 35-39 Podium

Inspired. That is how I feel lately.  The picture above was posted by Hailey, one of the founders of Coeur Sports and triathlete extraordinaire. She, like many of the Coeur Ambassadors, is going to Kona. I was so lucky and honored to be chosen at the beginning of the year to be in the company of many amazing women. They train their heart out! They believe in themselves! They are proud of their accomplishments! They are amazing!

And they inspire me:

• to believe in myself
• to set big goals
• to work hard
• to be thankful for success
• and to learn form any setbacks

When I started in triathlon, I thought that making it to Kona would never be in the cards for me. These ladies make me believe it can be done.

Whole 30 so far…

I started the Whole 30 diet 11 days ago and I have to say, so far so good! The premise of the diet is to remove all possible food allergens and all added sugar from your diet. My goal with the diet was to try and reduce my sugar cravings and crappy food intake! That is happening perfectly! I never knew I get so excited to eat a date bar, fresh fig, or banana!

The diet has also forced me to embrace cooking almost everything; but I am loving it. Things I have cooked/prepared from the book so far:

• Mayonnaise
• Clarified butter (lots of it)
• Ketchup
• Stuffed roasted peppers
• Shepherds Pie

My breakfast staple has been scrambled eggs with green chilies and avocado.

I have accepted coffee with full fat coconut cream (I actually like it!).

Only thing I find hard is drinking enough fluids. I am kind of tired of water and you don’t have too many other options (in my opinion).

I did figure out that quality no-sugar added grape juice mixed with coconut water makes a good electrolyte drink for running/cycling.

Dessert is a frozen banana blended with some coconut cream and coconut milk…YUMMY!

We have broken one rule and that is we have been weighing ourselves. Stuart is down 5-6 pounds and I am down about 3!

I will share some recipes later but you really should get the book. It is fantastic!