Review: New Balance Minimus 3090 Ionix Running Shoes

It was finally the day to say goodbye to my Nike Shox from 6 years of running indoors, outdoors, through the mud, through my bikini competition prepping, dodgeball-ing, and of course chasing the boys :D

Don't get me wrong, I could probably wear those Shox down until I couldn't wear them anymore. I love my old shoes. But when splashed water on the front of the shoes would make my socks wet or the foam padding at the heels would come out after each use...I knew it was time to replace them.

Good thing SportsChek at West Edmonton Mall was having one of their BOGO 1/2 off sales or I probably would have waited another year to get some new shoes. Sam, the fiancé, was also on the market for new shoes. His situation...even worse than mine...having had his shoes for a good 10 years. It was definitely time!



I tried on a couple of running shoes. Nike Free's - I didn't enjoy too much. It felt too much like a barefoot running shoe, which I already own (Vibram FiveFingers). I then tried on the New Balance Minimus and WOW I was impressed.

Here are the details about the shoe:

 

Features:
4mm drop
No sew synthetic overlays for support
Synthetic/Mesh upper
EVA (Ethyl Vinyl Acetate) foam footbed for cushioning

This shape provides a standard fit with slight adjustments, including a more anatomical heel, an improved arch and a closer fit in the toe box. One of our most popular lasts in running, cross-training and court.

I immediately enjoyed the cushioning in the shoe, as well as the lightweight feel it had (so different than my Shox, which were extremely HEAVY). I felt support horizontally and throughout the heel area. These shoes are also very breathable, which is awesome. My other shoes...not so much. You wouldn't want to be near me when I took off my Shox. They could scare off ANYONE.



I typically weight train doing total body circuits and treadmill training. This shoe is perfect for both horizontal and vertical movements. My old shoes were definitely weighing me down. NOW, I feel as free as a bird when I do my workout. I am superwoman!!!

If there was one bad thing I would have to say about the shoe, it would be that it comes a little narrow at the front of the shoe...but then again...I do have wider feet. MEH! I still enjoy them nonetheless.

Conclusion: These shoes are great for any type of training style. There are great for anyone who wants something in between a minimalistic shoe and a support shoe. It was well worth the amount I paid for them. I highly recommended this shoe. New Balance, I give you props for making an amazing shoe.

PS. Thanks to Brandy for recommending the Minimus. I adore them!

Gym Hopping on Vacation - My Reviews

Some people think that because you are in vacation, you need to take a vacation from everything.  FALSE.  If it has been a part of your lifestyle, you'll find it's difficult to say away :D

One of my fav things to do while on vacation is do drop-in's at gyms I've never been to before in my life.  It's just so exciting for me.  It's kind of like being a kid and going to a brand new amusement park.  YUP, I get that excited!

Sam and I took a mini-vacation to Leduc, Alberta (just south of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) for 5 days.  Mind you, 2 days were just used driving there and back from Winnipeg, Manitoba (UGH long drives are a pain).

The first gym we went to was in the City of Leduc.

(via City of Leduc)

Leduc Recreation Centre is a MASSIVE 9000 sq ft facility, which has everything under the rainbow when it comes to anything sport related (swimming pools, skating rinks, indoor field houses for various sports, curling complex, run/walk full-sized indoor track and of course a gym).

This place was just breathtaking.  We got lost at first because we went through the back entrance but soon found our way upstairs to the gym floor.





We arrived closer to 7 am to find not too many members/staff, which was a good thing (MORE EQUIPMENT!!!).  Drop in was $8, which was very reasonable for this state-of-the-art facility.      
     

(via City of Leduc)

Here are the things I loved/disliked about the gym:

• Quiet, clean & spacious
• Tons of functional gym equipment (no unnecessary equipment on the gym floor)
• Squat platform
• Large windows throughout the facility (natural lighting) to see the amazing view of the Leduc community while doing cardio
• Showers were surprisingly strong for water output (because no one wants "weak" shower)
• Treadmill incline goes up to 30 (YIKES my hamstrings!!!)
• Toilets were cool (ya I know that sounds weird).  There were two separate dials for liquid waste and solid waste.  

Overall, I really enjoyed it there. Nothing to complain about.  I would definitely recommend this to anyone visiting the city.  

5 stars *****

Gold's Gym at West Edmonton Mall was our next stop.  

I was super hyped up about going to this HUGE franchise that the great Arnold Schwarzegger made famous.  

When I got the response from the girl up front to my question of how much the drop in was, my immediate thought was..."$20 BUCKS?  DAMN that's expensive!"  But the girl advised us the drop in fee was good for a 24 hour period, which then made sense.

Here are the things I loved/disliked about the gym:

• Had all the basic equipment a gym would need
• Cool juice bar at the front with a small store for apparel
• Members seemed very dedicated to their goals (no fussing around here)
• Inside the women's change room, there was a little mirrored area for weight lifting, as well as a few cardio machines (SO NEAT!)
• New Cardio Cinema (closed off room playing movies in the dark) with many choices of cardio machines
• Change rooms were clean & tidy...kind of small though.
• No windows and short ceilings made me feel a little claustrophobic 
• Small, busy, cramped with a tiny weight-lifting area (too much cardio equipment)
• Not enough mirror space in the weight area, as well as walking room
• Drop in fee was kind of pricey  

Overall, this gym didn't live up to my expectations.  It definitely won't deter me away from hitting up other locations though.  My whole experience was just so-so.  

3 stars***  

On our way back home, we stopped in the small town of Yorkton, Saskatchewan.  Sam had been raving about this gym for sometime now (since he had been there on several occasions).  WE HAD TO CHECK IT OUT!!!  

Forever Fit is a 24-hour card accessible facility.  A small gym, but boy did it amaze me.  Drop in here was $10, which is the average price for most gyms.  For a small town, (to my surprise) the gym was somewhat busy on an early Sunday morning.  Good for you Yorkton!!!    

Here are the things I loved/disliked about the gym:

• Just the essential gym equipment/machines on gym floor
• Sturdy bars/equipment
• Mirrored ABS studio, MMA studio, large group class studio
• Easy-to-put-on clips for barbells
• Clean & tidy (the owner was cleaning up every couple of minutes..TOO CUTE!)
• Sold supplements & apparel at the front
• Motivational & inspirational quotes all around the gym, as well as inside each locker (LOVE IT!)
• Showers has a dispenser for shampoo, conditioner, soap and body wash.  

Overall, no complaints.  I really love this gym.  Small space but jammed with just everything needed to get into tip top shape.  I would DEFINITELY recommend this to anyone passing through SK.  Props to the owner for bringing in this great gym.  It's a must-see!!!  

5 HUGE STARS *****

Hope you enjoyed the read.  Thanks for stopping by.  

"I'll Have That Wrapped Up Please!" : Universal Body Contour Wrap Review

The most I have ever pampered myself is getting a pedicure or manicure done at a spa.  I have never ONCE treated myself to a body wrap or even a full body massage (I KNOW!  I AM SO DEPRIVED!!!). 

While reading a new pamphlet at my local spa, my mental dialogue went something like this:

"You gotta be joking me?  Lose at least 6" on my first wrap treatment says this brochure?  Well gosh, I WANT to lose 6" off this body...now where do I sign up?"

I didn't know what to expect.  Do I have to get completely nude? Would I see any results like the pamphlet said I would? Are they going to wrap me so tightly that it will be hard for me to breathe?  Will it make me look super sexy in that super-tight dress I want to wear on the weekend?  Just some of my random thoughts going through my mind.

Again, where else would I go but Zealous Medi Spa.  They like to call this the "Universal Contour Wrap" or as I like to call it "Mummification" (OH you will see).  The Universal Contour Wrap (UCW) has claims of detoxification, compaction, improved lymphatic drainage, and skin tightening.  NO!  The wrap doesn't get rid of just water weight.  In fact, in order for the detoxifying process to continue, a client is encouraged to drink TONS of water post-wrap.

If you need more information about this service, check out the official website at http://universalcontourwrap.com

Left: The wrap station..cue scary music (DUN DUN DUNNN).
Right: The wraps all hot and ready to placed on this body of mine.  

Mariana, the wrap specialist, was my esthetician for the day.  She handed me over some disposable underwear and then instructed for me to get undressed.  After leaving me for a few minutes while I was undressing, she came back gladly with the measurement chart for the FUN PART to begin.  I thought the usual would be measured (hip, waist, chest, thigh, bicep) BUT was surprised to see a whole page full of measurements she needed to do...18 different spots to be exact ACK.

After measuring everything and I mean EVERYTHING, it was finally "WRAP-TIME".  All the wrap pieces were heated beforehand in the UCW basin and soaked in the clay-detoxifying formulation.  Mariana wrapped me up but not too tightly (thank goodness) since I am somewhat claustrophobic.  I lost count as to how many wrap pieces were in the basin but there were at least 20+.  No corner was left unturned!  The whole process takes 2 hours (30mins for measuring/wrapping at beginning & end of session, as well as the whole hour of detoxifying).           

That's ME!  Mummification in present day :D          

Want to sumo wrestle me?

After all the wraps were secured, I was given a very stylish sauna suit (see right picture) to wear whilst in my 1-hour of detoxifying stage. 

I was instructed to lay down on what looked like to me the comfy spa bed, which was then blanketed (with me underneath) with a heated blanket (OOOH so nice!).  

The lights were dim.  The music playing in the room was soothing.  So very zen-like.  It was just the right atmosphere for me to fully relax and be with my own thoughts...err...well that was until I passed out.  

I woke up closer to the end of the session feeling the moisture or "toxins" within the sauna suit.  I was super excited and anxious to see the results.

First came off the sauna suit.  Then came the unravelling process, which took 10-15 minutes followed by measurements (another 10 minutes).

Left: Unravelling by the lovely Mariana
Right: Robyn (taking the picture) caught this candid of us. We are laughing/staying
STOP because the next step is to take the wraps off my breast area.  LOL 

THE RESULTS!

Well take a look for yourself.  The first column are the initial measurements.  The second column are the post-wrap measurements.  The third column displays the differences between the two.  

Notes:

Mid-section feels tighter and noticeably slimmer

Total body "tightness"

Final Thoughts:

So that guaranteed result of an 6 inch loss...toss that out the window.  I lost at total of 9.6 inches all over my body with only ONE SESSION of the Universal Contour Wrap.  My body feels most definitely tighter.  I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process.  It is a service I would recommend for anyone to do as TOXINS=BAD NEWS.  

Get rid of "the bad" now.  Book your appointment today.  

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To learn more about the UNIQUE services Zealous has to offer, visit the website at http://www.zealousmedispa.com/

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