EverymanTri.com

Zen and the Art of Triathlon: Brett reviews "How to be a Triathlete"

 

I never thought I'd be reading a book with such liberal use of the phrase "tight buns", but then, this is a book about triathletes.

My wife read it aloud while we drove home to Texas from a triathlon-themed vacation in Boulder, CO. Somewhere between the widely-spaced mesas and the gas stations with served diesel that surely tasted better than the food, Emily cracked this book open.  We are both so glad she did.

First look video: Timex Ironman Global Trainer GPS Sport Watch

Timex and Ironman have long had successful marketing partnership, but for most of the last few years if triathletes wanted a watch with GPS functionality the Garmin was the go to brand.

Why? The reason was simple.

Unlike Garmin, the Timex Body Link GPS sensor was a separate unit from the watch which meant that you had to have three bits of kit to really take full advantage of the Timex.

You needed the GPS sensor, the hearth rate monitor body strap, and of course the watch itself.

Rapid Review: Saucony women's ProGrid Triumph 7

I have about 350 miles on my Women's ProGrid Triumph 7, a cushioned shoe for the neutral runner.  Although I have a neutral gate, I slightly over-pronate which has been corrected by orthotics that also support a high arch. Having been a Saucony fan since the Omni 3, I have not found a model since the Omni 6 that has a wide-enough toe box to be comfortable on a very long run (13 miles or longer). 

Rapid Review Gelbot by Hydrapak: Suck is the word

GU, Clif Shots and energy gels are usually the last thing I reach for in my pack. But the Gelbot makes it easy to fuel and hydrate at the same time. The water bottle has an inner receptacle used for filling with your favorite energy gel.

The receptacle is easy to fill and easy to clean. Leave the valve down, suck and you get gel. Pull the valve up and you have water. I did find it a bit hard to suck out the gel which means that if you were really breathless, it might be a stretch.

Sports watch review: Two very similar watches get very different ratings

Editor's Note: Adidas recently sent us several similar sports watches to review. We thought that it would be fun to have two very different people review the watches. Nathan Adlen is a automotive journalist who enjoys writing about cars but endurance sports would probably be pretty far down his list of after work activities.

Paul Shippey is also a working journalist, triathlete, and runner who's getting ready to run the Boston Marathon. Here are both of their reviews of two very similar Adidas watches.

Review: Timex Ironman Sleek 150 lap with Tap Screen

This latest version with its cutting-edge performance allows you to access information without breaking your stride, giving you the edge when every second counts. TapScreen Technology logs split times with one firm tap on the watch face. Glancing at the over-sized display, or listening to the audible alarms then provides real-time performance feedback.

Reviewed Phonak PFE – Perfect Fit Earphones: You'll never use the standard Apple earbuds again

So I got an email the other day that went something like this…

“Hey Jamie, remember the Phonak pro cycling team?”

“Yeah! Floyd Landis is the man! What a BAMF!”

“Agreed. Well Phonak primarily makes hearing aids, but they have some pretty sick earphones. Wanna test ‘em out?”

“Heck yes I do!”

Unlike last winter when I was still teaching spinning classes a few times per week, I’ve been spending a TON more time listening to music by myself on the bike trainer (and even more once I really ramp up my running) so I thought this would be the perfect piece of new gear to review.

Reviewed FINIS SwiMP3 player: better than sticking a pointy screw driver in your ear

Let's be honest.

Like running on a treadmill, swimming back and forth and back and forth in a lap pool endlessly following the little black line can be about as much fun as sticking a pointy screw driver in your ear. Or at least you'll soon want to stick a pointy screw driver in your ear just to forget the boredom of the last 1000 yards.

So when FINIS sent us the newest version of their underwater MP3 player our small team of associate reviewers all begged for their chance to review the devise.

But since I get easily bored, and since I'm the managing editor, I snagged the device for myself and headed to the pool.

Do you remember the Bone-Phone from the early eighties?

Reviewed: HAVA wireless by Jan Musil

Editor's Note:

We tested and reviewed the HAVA because it allows endurance sports fans to watch coverage of live events such as the TdF on their computer or even cell phone. 

From the Have website: What is a HAVA?

The HAVA is a revolutionary TV place-shifting device that allows you to watch and control live home TV from broadband Internet or data network connected PC or mobile phone. HAVA lets you watch your live home TV in multiple rooms around the house, at work, or around the globe.

Product Review: Hava Titanium HD WiFi
http://www.myhava.com/

Retail Price: $249.99

Reviewed: Saucony ProGrid Paramount by Tawnee Prazak

For the longest time, I didn’t know how to pronounce Saucony. I was even embarrassed to ask to try on a pair in a running store: “Uh, can I have those shoes over there?”

But, really, pronouncing “Saucony” isn’t that hard, it’s just like “sock-a-knee.” And, no, that isn’t some cryptic clue implying that the running shoe will make you feel like you were socked in the knee.

I recently tried out the ProGrid Paramount, and my knees felt great, actually. And that’s just the beginning of what this versatile shoe offers.

Reviewed: Saucony Grid Type A2 Road Racer by Lynn Astalos

“Saucony” is an American Indian word meaning, “mouth of a creek or river.”  The brand’s “river” mark represents the flow of the Saucony Creek in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, where the company built its first factory in 1906. 

Founded in 1898, the Saucony brand today is most popular with marathoners and triathletes.  It may be best known for its Originals line, built around the Jazz running shoe in the 1980s and arguably the most technical running shoe of its time. 

Reviewed: Timex Ironman Race Trainer Heart Rate Monitor by Pegi Patwardham

Product Review: Timex Race Trainer Digital Heart Rate Monitor
TimexIronman.com

Retail Price: $220
Everyman Latte Rating: 3

I am training for my third marathon and have a dozen half's under my belt, but I have yet to consider myself a runner. I am a casual runner with the vague sense that I could do much better with a little more knowledge about how far to push myself.

Reviewed: Timex Road Trainer Digital Heart Rate Monitor by Tawnee Prazak

Product Review: Timex Road Trainer Digital Heart Rate Monitor
TimexIronman.com
Everyman Latte Rating: 2.5
Retail Price: $110

Every day I slap a Timex around my wrist. I sometimes even get heckled for not wearing a more “designer-style” watch. But I don’t care; my Timex fits my on-the-go lifestyle. And like any brand you love and trust, you’re going to want more of the products. Right? So I was stoked to try out the Timex Ironman Road Trainer Heart Rate Monitor Watch. I’ve trained with heart rate monitors for years now, but haven’t yet used one by Timex.

Reviewed: SOLE Custom Footbeds by Lynn Astalos

If you have ever considered insoles for your running shoes, here’s a product that might work for you. It really just depends on what problem you’re trying to address and how much money you want to throw at it. I had a painful bout of plantar fasciitis years ago and decided to pay $200 for custom orthotics which I ordered from my physical therapist. If SOLE custom footbeds were around back then, I might have tried this product first.

Reviewed: 3Bar Energy Bar by Lynn Astalos

The name comes from the three disciplines in triathlon, but can also stand for protein, carbs and essential fats.  3Bar is the only nutrition and energy bar made by a triathlete for triathletes.   That’s Erin DeMarinesin the photo, CEO and founder of 3Bar, certified sports nutrition consultant, and an accomplished triathlete. 

It sure seems like Erin has thought of everything to produce the healthiest, most effective nutrition bar on the market designed for athletes.  It claims to be vegan, kosher, wheat free, dairy free, gluten free, trans fat free, cholesterol free, GMO free, and all natural.  Wow, is there anything left?  And can it still taste good? 

Feature Review: SportCount Lap Counter by Mike "KodaFit" Mackrory

As I’ve increased my swim distance over the past year or so, one annoyance I’ve had has been counting laps.  The pool I frequent is a 25 yd pool, so to swim a mile or two requires keeping count through almost 70 laps.

Sometimes I’d get thinking about something and forget to count, sometimes I’d zone out and forget to count and then sometimes I’d just forget where I was.