Internal Mono(b)log

Source: Road Cycling Summit

This looks pretty cool.  Gonna try to check it out.

Late in 2015, Finis released the newest installation in the bone-conduction mp3 collection: The Finis Duo. As with the other devices in this line it produces pretty good sound quality by sending vibrations directly into your skull rather than relying on earplugs or speakers.  I like this about the line because I use silicon earplugs and like to dump them regularly to keep the chances for some strange ear bug growing in the earplugs.

Unfortunate, for me, the Duo is not a step forward in the evolution of Finis products.  Lets dive in (no pun intended).

Likes

• the bone conduction tech that Finis has used for years, it’s not the most high fidelity sound, but to break up the hours staring at the black line, it’s enough
• the Duo has a magnetic charge adapter that is a definite improvement over the previous grommeted swimp3 approach and is perhaps a little better than the charge adapter for the Neptune (though I never had a problem charging my neptune)

Dislikes

• previous incarnations of the swimp3 and neptune had plastic clips on the sides of the “ear pieces” (they don’t go in your ear, but not sure what else to call them… sound pods?).  While the ones on the swimp3 could be a little cumbersome, especially if you have short fingernails, they improved them on the Neptune to be a clothes-peg-like design that was simple to attach to goggles and to adjust. The Duo has a hard plastic channel that you have to weave your goggle-strap into. Having wrestled with it daily for about a week, I have to say “don’t like”.  It’s very hard to clip in with your goggles on your head and once the strap is threaded, its nearly impossible to adjust the location of the “pods”.
• the neptune has a longer battery life. The Duo’s 7hrs isn’t bad, but it won’t get me through a weeks’ training in the pool without a recharge.  There’s also no indicator of battery charge on the Duo (unlike the Neptune).
• the neptune actually has a display and user interface that doesn’t require guessing and interpreting a single blinking light, again (imo) a step backwards for the Duo
• I’m not sure if this is bad luck (track selection), or by design, but I’ve noticed LONG (20-30s) gaps between tracks with the Duo.  To the point where I wonder if the unit is still on/out of battery/malfunctioning.  I haven’t checked to see if my track selection had long lead-ins/outs (but I’d be surprised). Also because of the lack of screen, I have no idea what track is playing, so it’s “difficult” to quickly diagnose.

To me, the Duo is a refresh on the old SwiMP3 v2.. call it the SwiMP3 v3.. the interface is pretty much the same, the case is more difficult to comfortably fit on your goggle strap but the battery life and memory is beefed up a bit.

Personally, I’ll stick with the Neptune.

The 22-year-old announced a 2-year deal after setting the world record on Tuesday night.

Source: Brooks Signs Beer Mile World Record Holder Lewis Kent – Competitor.com

I got a chuckle out of this.  Who knew winning a beer mile could get you a shoe sponsor 🙂

Great news for Clif and for those of us who find their products palatable when training and racing.

Source: Clif Bar & Company and IRONMAN Expand North American Partnership

Been waiting for an update to WKO for quite some time.  This looks amazing!  Can’t wait to give it a go 🙂

Using your athlete’s unique physiology, WKO4 will help you identify individual strengths and weaknesses. You’ll gain faster insights and have confidence in prescribing the most precise training possible.

Source: TrainingPeaks

You know that pedal… the one in the car that isn’t the accelerator… kinda rectangular more or less under the steering column… it’s called the brake pedal.. use it! If the bike were a tractor, any car would slow down and pass when safe.. why treat a cyclist any differently? *sheesh*

I dunno about California, but here in Toronto, the Police regularly break the law as part of their daily routine and hardly seem to give it a second thought: speeding in residential zones, wrong way on 1 way street, parking on the sidewalk to run into Starbucks or Timmie’s.   Sure is convenient to misquote the law when it suits your purposes.

An avid bicyclist hopes to raise awareness about the vulnerability of bicyclists after a close encounter with a California Highway Patrol officer’s vehicle.

Source: VIDEO: Bicyclist confronts CHP officer in SUV after close encounter | abc7.com

See!  When I say I’m 28, I’m talking about my fitness age, not chronological 🙂  We won’t talk maturity level or mental age though.. ok 🙂

Older athletes can be much younger, physically, than they are in real life.

Source: Older Athletes Have a Strikingly Young Fitness Age

This makes me happy.  Coeur d’Alene is on my bucket list.  Now there’s less of a hurry. 😉

TAMPA, Fla. (June 24, 2015) – IRONMAN today announced that it will continue its long-standing relationship with the city of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho thanks to an agreement that moves the event to late August while extending the IRONMAN® Coeur d’Alene triathlon through 2020. This change in date allows for the…Read more ›

Source: IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene Extended through 2020 with Race Date Moving to August; IRONMAN Announces Addition of IRONMAN 70.3 Coeur d’Alene starting in June 2016 – Endurance Sportswire

TAMPA, Fla. (June 23, 2015) – Due to the current weather forecast calling for unusually high temperatures for this weekend’s IRONMAN® Coeur d’Alene event, IRONMAN has decided to adjust the race start time to 5:30 a.m. As our primary concern is the safety and security of our participants, spectators, volunteers,…Read more ›

Source: Announcement from IRONMAN: IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene Moves to a 5:30 A.M. Race Start – Endurance Sportswire

Appropriately timed given that 70.3 Mont Tremblant is 6 days away 😀

Source: Choosing the Best Taper for Your Next Triathlon | TrainingPeaks