Posted on Dec 24, 2010 under fitness, Raves |
As my swimming training sessions started getting longer and longer, I started to find the silence and wooshing of water, while generally calming, to be somewhat monotonous and, on a bad day, boring or tedious.
Knowing that some smart person out there had likely solved this problem, I started looking for waterproof mp3 players or waterproof headphones and cases for existing players I may have.
My research led me to the Finis Swimp3.1
The Swimp3 is a 1G mp3 player that delivers sound to your auditory nerve via bone conduction through bones in your skull. Compared to many other solutions in the space, the swimp3 is pretty small and streamlined. There is no arm-band or big clunky tube that you hide behind your head. Everything is contained in the 2 pods that attach to your mask-strap. In the air, with all the other sound pollution, they’re virtually inaudible. However, with earplugs in and your face in the water, the sound is surprisingly good. Bass response is, perhaps, a little less than would be desired (I tend to listen to dance music when swimming and some of the driving beat is missing), but still very listenable and enjoyable.
The only negative thing I’d say about the swimp3 is that the user-feedback for commands is a little weak. Different flashes of a single green led imply power-on/off, playing, standby, charging, charged. A multi-colour led or more distinctive flash patterns would help the user ensure that the unit was actually turned off (and not in standby-draining the battery). Some way to check the charge status, other than plugging it in to charge, would also be a great addition.
Generally, I’m pretty happy with my swimp3. I’d definitely buy it again having found nothing better on the market.
It’s unfortunate that triathlon rules prohibit use of mp3 players anytime during the race. I understand why, but since the swimp3 doesn’t plug your ears (and many swimmers swim with earplugs anyhow), it seems like a rule that needs review 😉
Posted on Dec 23, 2010 under Raves |
I recently had the opportunity to pickup a pair of Yurbuds. I saw them advertised on some a tri training site (sorry I don’t recall which), but the link took me to Yurbuds page where there are youtube videos of people trying to shake the buds out of their ears (without success).
This seemed pretty compelling to me, but before I parted with my money, I’d have to try it myself. Well, the ads are true, these buds ROCK! They are everything an athlete would want from an earbud: they’re comfortable, they don’t fall out – no really!, they’re water/sweat resistant and they sound great!
I’m so happy that I found these and had the chance to try them out. I’ve run, cycled and weight trained in my yurbuds and they’ve never even wiggled in my ears, never mind falling out. I imagine they’d be good bouldering too.
Thanks Yurbuds! These earbuds are amazing!
Posted on Dec 22, 2010 under etc... |
Wow, I’m really kinda blown away by this. The unstructured nature of being on vacation from my day job has *really* impacted my training.
Normally I’m up at 5, to the Y by 5:45 for swimming or cardio or weights. Done there by 8:30 and off to work. Bouldering at lunch 4-5 times during the week and climbing 2-3 times either after work or on the weekend.
This week (since Thursday), I’ve been on vacation and I’m finding the lack of overall structure making it very difficult to keep to my normal routine.
Add to that that the Y has closed its main conditioning room for track renos this week, and holiday travel, and it’s being quite a challenge for me.
I’m off until the 1st week in January, so I have a lot of time to sort it out, and I’m sure I will. 🙂
On the plus notes: picked up some new running shoes last week and went for my 1st outdoors run in a long (years) time (4k in 22m – walk and run). Got some running tights and compression tights – compression tights seem to be really cool. Picked up some yurbuds – these are the best earphones EVER: good sound, comfortable, and they don’t fall out even if you shake your head while doing a headstand! Amazing!
Posted on Dec 13, 2010 under etc... |
Last night, probably due to all the dried apricots and sesame candy I ate during the day, I was still wide awake and wired at 1am(!). Suffice it to say that going to bed post 1am and still trying to get up at 5:15am is difficult 🙂
I did push through though. Huzzah! Swam 3.6km. Turned into a good morning after all 🙂
I’ll sleep well tonight tho 🙂
Posted on Dec 11, 2010 under fitness |
So I’ve pretty much set my mind to training for the Milton Triathlon in June 2011. gulp! deep breath.
How’d this happen?
Well I’m glad you asked. I think it all started a year ago, maybe a little before that… but last year I turned 42. You know “42”: the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. I expected it to be a “big year” but of course had no idea what that meant in reality.
In August, Kim and I had started the Dr. Bernstein diet. I had been my heaviest ever at 250lbs, my body was retaliating: my knees hurt, my feet hurt, I had little energy. Life just seemed hard, and so, being me, I decided to try to fix “it”. The Bernstein diet is strict, but I like strict and it seems I have no shortage of self-discipline when I need it. By Dec I’d lost 85lbs, was 20 lbs below where the clinic thought I should be based on my BMI (rant on how useless BMI is suppressed) and they basically told me that there was little more they would do for me in terms of my health and diet, I was on my own, but this was ok by me. I’d learned a lot from the diet about me, how I relate to food, and what foods I do and don’t tolerate well. All good.
In Aug/Sept we sold the car and got bikes – best choice I’ve ever made. You don’t need a car when you live in the Toronto downtown and work a 10 minute walk from home. You just don’t! We have an autoshare and zipcar membership and for the most part, bike or walk everywhere. Massive win!
In December I started rock-climbing again after about a 10 year hiatus. I remember climbing before: I wasn’t very good, but I was also hauling around a LOT of extra weight that I no longer was carrying. Fueled by my weightloss and abundant extra energy, I had a new/renewed hobby. Of course, one thing you don’t want with climbing is extra mass: long and lean wins that race. So, I was motivated to keep my weight lost and work on strength.
At some point in the last year, I started hitting the Y again, 1st to work muscles contrary to climbing (keeping muscular balance helps avoid injury), then adding cardio for improved stamina on climbs and general health, then adding weight training to get stronger for climbing. Then one day it occurs to me that I can’t weight train every day, and swimming is available at the Y and a great whole-body workout… why not?!
A couple of months ago I started swimming lengths at the Y. Day 1: 12 lengths and I was pooped. 12x18m and I was done. Wow! This needs work. A few days later I go, 20 lengths, cool! Nice improvement. Next visit: 40! Holy cow… Well, I’m now swimming 3.25km in about 80 minutes, 3x/week. I could swim more distance and time, but I typically swim 1st thing in the morning and need to get to work!
So here I am.. weights 4x week (1 heavy upper body, 1 heavy lower body, 1 light upper, 1 light lower), swimming 3x week and rock climbing on average 5x week (either bouldering or routes) my weight is hovering around 165 with about 9% body fat and I feel AMAZING!
One day one of the guys at work (Yes James I’m talking about you!) says to me “Hey Rick! You should do a tri!”… I laughed him off, but the seed had been planted on, it seems, very fertile soil.
So now, I’ve basically talked myself into it (and it didn’t take much effort). I’ve set my sights on the Milton tri, which is in June and the 1st Tri in the area for 2011. I’m going to do the longer length that they offer (750m swim, 30km ride and 7.5k run), but I’m going to train for it as though it were an Olympic length (1.5km swim, 40km ride and 10k run). I feel very confident in the swim and ride components and have lots of time to get running again to do the 10k.
Of course, there’s a lot of time and a lot of training between now and June, but I’m excited and looking forward to the challenge.
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