Gym Belle Q&A: Reebok Nano 2.0's vs. Inov-8's

Joe asks: Hey Lauren.....so how do you like your Nanos? I'm so comfortable with my Inov-8's I'm afraid I won't like how the Nanos feel. I want to get them, just making sure you like them. Thanks! 

Too pink!By way of background, I first ordered the Reebok Nano 2.0's on the recommendation of one of my fellow coaches at CrossFit Metropolis.  He told me that he loves his new Nanos more than his Inov-8s.  Blasphemous, right?  But I was intrigued - and the Nano 2.0's came in pink, so I decided to give them a shot.  (I am still bitter about missing out on the pink Inov-8 230's last year.)  

My new sneakers arrived less than 48 hours after I ordered them, which was amazing.  But they were half a size too small (my fault) and, well, VERY pink.  I like pink.  A lot.  But these were intense.

Right around the time I sent them back, I learned that I could design custom Nano 2.0's.  I spent hours playing with color combinations.  Some of my ideas were pretty bold, but I was nervous because of the pink debacle.  In the end, I decided to go with a fairly simple gray and purple design.  I added "Gym Belle" to the sides.  

I ordered them on June 13; they arrived one month later.

Straight out of the box, they were super comfortable.  The toe box is wide and they're pretty light, although not as light as the Inov-8's. The Nano 2.0's are a more solid shoe.  The soles are considerably more substantial even though they're fairly flat.  They're also more deeply textured, which makes them grippy.

Inov-8 230, Nano 2.0, Inov-8 210I've worked out in my Nano 2.0's a few times now, and I like them.  They're flat enough to squat and lift in comfortably, but when you run and jump you feel like you've really got something between you and the ground.  My only complaint is that the back of my socks keeps slipping down into them.  I hear that will stop when they're broken in.  By far the biggest difference is that I don't feel the ground through the shoe the way I do in the Inov-8 230's and 210's.

If I were picking one shoe for a competition tomorrow, I'd pick a pair of Inov-8's.  I love their lightness and I like that grounded feeling that comes from feeling what's beneath the shoe.  That said, I'm pretty excited to have the Nanos 2.0's in my mix.  There are certainly days when I want a more substantial shoe.  And they're cute.  And they say "Gym Belle."

Meanwhile, my quest for the perfect pink sneaker continues... I'm eyeing the Inov-8 F-Lite 215 if anyone wants to buy me a present.

-Gym Belle-

Eeeeee! #gympressions

via Instagram http://instagr.am/p/NCeNnCERER/

Adventures in Paleo Baking: Cookies

The doughLet's flash back to 2010.  My favorite food was bread - particularly this whole wheat bread that I baked myself with rosemary olive oil and honey that I brought back from Greece.  I'd make these eggplant sandwiches that were to die for.  My favorite day of the week was, naturally, Friday.  And Friday's were even sweeter twice a month when my law firm would serve up fresh baked cookies.  The cart would stop by my office at around 3:30, I'd dive into some gooey goodness and know that the weekend was just around the corner.

And then I went paleo.  Goodbye grains.  Goodbye sugars.  Goodbye legumes.  Goodbye (most) dairy. 

It started as an experiment.  People at CrossFit Metropolis were doing a 60 day challenge.  I went for it thinking I'd crack after 4 or 5 days max.  But I didn't.  And, at the end of the 60 days, I knew I'd never go back to eating how I had before.  I just felt too good.  Foods that had seemed "clean" and "healthy" before suddenly seemed downright toxic. 

A year and half later, I don't focus on what I'm not eating.  I focus on the good protein, the nuts, the avocados, the veggies and the fruit.  I spoil myself with quality foods. 

That said, I'm not 100% strict.  If I'm eating out, I don't ask what's in the sauce.  I don't ask what type of oil they're using in the kitchen.  I'm just not that girl.

And, yes, sometimes I stray.  But while corn or rice based foods tempt me, ice cream tempts me and really good cheese tempts me - I can't bring myself to go for wheat-based baked goods any more.  They kill my stomach.

Every now and then, I try a recipe for a paleo desert.  I've had mixed luck.  Banana "ice cream" is hands down my favorite.  (And it's the easiest.  Cut up and freeze bananas.  Then blend them in a blender.  Ta-da!  Sometimes I add some organic cocoa powder.)  Avocado chocolate mousse - disgusting despite a lot of effort to make it work. 

This morning, I made paleo chocolate chip cookies.  I worked with BakerGal's recipe, which she developed after trying out a bunch of recipes she'd found. 

BakerGal's ingredients are: 5 oz finely ground blanched almond flour (but not Bob's Red Mill), 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/4 cup raw agave nectar, 1/8 cup macadamia nut oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips.  (I know this isn't perfectly paleo, but for a cookie recipe, it's pretty dang close.)

Testing the resultsI didn't use Bob's Red Mill almond flour, but I don't think Eli's is much more finely ground.  Also, BakerGal suggests weighing out 5 oz of the flour - but I just didn't have the patience, so I used the 1 1/4 cups equivalent.  I used 1/4 cup honey and 2 tsps water in place of the agave - mainly because I have honey and prefer it.  I couldn't find macadamia nut oil, so I went with hazelnut instead.  I used Ghirardelli's 60% dark chocolate chips.

Once I had my ingredients lined up, it was simple.  Preheat to 325.  Mix dry.  Mix wet.  Combine.  Add chips.  Lay the cookies and flatten them on parchment paper.  Bake for 6 minutes.

The batter was delicious and the cookies turned out great.  Yes, they are soft and tear easily - but nowhere near as bad as other almond flour cookies I've tried.  (I think I might take BakerGal's advice and weigh the flour next time to see if that helps.)

The only real issue I'm having is that the cookies and chips - while yummy on their own - don't taste quite right together.  I may skip the chips altogether next time, and make smaller cookies so the tear factor isn't as bad.  I'm getting an idea for mini banana "ice cream" sandwiches...

I'll keep you posted.

-Gym Belle-