slowdad

Random thoughts on HRM Monitor Functionality

If you could define the criteria for a dream sports data solution what would it include?

Here's my random thoughts.

- Device interoperability. I'd like to be able to run, walk, swim, bike, xc-ski and have any device I grab be able to latch onto any other component I have no matter what the model number. If I go to the gym, I want the treadmill to pick up my HR and upload my pace back to the watch. A big happy device family.

- Sports Intelligence. I'd like to have the devices "understand" what I am doing, without having to preset exercises or try and figure out settings. If I say I am going rollerskiing, and I don't have a GPS on me, I'd like it to know not to look for the footpod and change the screen so as to not show cadence. If I do have a GPS, great.

-More intelligence. I'd like my system to know that since my max hr is 185 that reporting a 230 value is a mistake, and that there's likely some problem with the data if 1 second I'm at 130bpm at x pace and then suddenly I'm at 175 at the same pace.

-Full time recording. Why can't I collect hr data all day, first using my "fashionable" watch, then my sports watch. Wouldn't it be cool to have a lifetime of physiological data to study?

- HR recording in water. Why can't if the hr strap not transmit in water, store the hr data for upload later?

- Blood analysis! There are devices that prick your finger and measure blood sugar levels. There are devices that measure blood values by shining light through skin. What about a polar lactate measurement device?

- "No Syncing" I'd love it if I just had to walk into my house, and my workout data would upload to my network, so I could look at it in the software, and also have it uploaded to 2 or 3 online services, example, Polar Pro 5, Map My Ride, Training Peaks, Polar Online

- Intelligent Analysis - Enable more artificial intelligence for data analysis. Allow developers to plug in and sell analysis tools.

- Open standards. What if I don't like Polars power solution for the bike? Why can't I get a pedal or a hub that will work instead? What about a 3rd party GPS? I have GPS on my phone that I take with me on the bike.

- Device swap. I'd like to be able to loan my wife my watch and hr strap and not have it think it's me. She should just be able to select a different user on the watch.

- Audio. When running/skiing planned sessions, it's typically winter and it's dark. Then going from phase to phase I can't see well enough to read the screen on the watch and have it tell me the time, pace, distance the next segment is. It's not up long enough and my eyes suck. Have it read the data out on my ipod.

- Graphics. What ever happened to a heads up display on the sunglasses I was supposed to have by the year 2000. Back in the '80s this technology was promised to me by many movies.

- Remote tracking/emergency data. Ever heard of SPOT? It uploads your data to a private site so your family can see where you are. And it has a 911 button to call for help if needed. What about incorporating a Road ID sort of data display on watches, or on the strap?

- Outdoor gaming for kids. Kids love video games, Kids love playing outside. Integrate their activity with something recordable, point driven, location aware.

- Colour. Ever heard of Oakley? They brought colour and mass customization to everyday sunglasses. We've had unique coloured sports gear long before that. My favorite gear is stuff that's unique to me, that I don't see other people wear.

- Data portability. Why can't I see my workout data on my blackberry, or iphone? I use PP5 and am scared to death that my machine will die, so I painstakingly back the data up.

- Mapping. Not that I have a GPS device yet, but there is open, none proprietary map data out there. Help me not get lost, if I'm wearing a watch, or riding my bike. Help route me to where I want to go.

- Batteries. Please, try and use the same size battery for devices. It's a pain to have to keep track or all the different model numbers.

- Updateability - My favorite devices, that last the longest, have built in methods to update the firmware to extend the functionality as it gets improved. Same holds true for software. Keep improving and allow for easy updating.

end of random thoughts.

Where the hell is that wagon?

It's been a month since the marathon. 

I knew that that afterwards would be a tough transition, having accomplished my goal, but even knowing that hasn't helped me be either positive, or smart, about keeping headed in the right direction.

I don't want to turn this post into a sob story.  But I'm feeling out of sorts lately and jebus knows that those around me have noticed.

I have yet to lay out my goals for the up coming year.  I have been eating like crazy, and poorly. And my leg doesn't feel quite right.

It doesn't help to read about how it's supposed to be done and then not have the motivation to do it. Part 1 and Part 2 of planning a season.

Goals, Training plans, task lists and blog topics have been flying through my head like those toasters from the old Window screen saver from back when screens needed saving.  

And on top of that I just got banned from a cycling torrents site!  Thankfully my pleas to the admin have me reinstated. 

I'm guessing that I need to just sit down and get some events on the calendar. Cycling, Running and Cross Country Skiing.

Meanwhile, if you've got a wagon handy, I need to get back onto one.

Recalling a Time When Children Ran in the NYC Marathon - NYTimes.com

Scott Black ran the New York City Marathon in 1979 as a 9-year-old. “I find that running has defined me as a person; a lot of my self-esteem has come from it. I don’t regret anything. That said, as a parent, I wouldn’t push my kid to that,” Mr. Black said.

via www.nytimes.com

via www.nytimes.com

The above article in the New York Times was interesting for a variety of reasons. At first I read it with a view of "Hey!  Kids used to be able to run marathons, lets do THAT!"

Actually that view only lasted about 2 seconds. But then it got me thinking more deeply about fitness, kids, and endurance events.

What seemed to be a theme throughout the article, was that the kids who did do marathons then, were rare, had supportive parents who ran, weren't pushed and were self regulated. And by that I mean they chose to stop when it suited them.

Clearly, these kids were statistical outliers.  Unlike the adults that run marathons, who come in all shapes and sizes.

I think that mocking the original article, and using it for an amusing twist, really doesn't do the topic justice. Even though it is amusing.

What the article highlighted for me was that, back in the good old days, there was some resistance to letting kids do these kind of events, just as there was for women a few years earlier, it did happen.

What happens to these outliers now?  What happens to the kid who can't sit still and just wants to run?  Perhaps they're being entered in 5 km runs.  Perhaps they're put into some team sport to be just as averagely skilled as the rest of the kids. Perhaps their fidgety nature is medicated out of them.

I suspect that parents would be, until recently, vilified for letting their kids undertake something as difficult as a marathon. But, maybe the questions do need to be asked, with parents occasionally using their kids for personal recognition

But, there are more and more kids races out there.  Maybe the pendulum will swing back and we'll start seeing more articles about kids winning their local race.

I do think that it'll be a long uphill battle to convince a large segment of the parenting population out there that their kids don't need to be protected from physical activity, and that being exhausted after running around playing isn't going to stunt their growth.

Head to Head CX Vid

I'm not even sure what's going on in this video aside from some guys racing cross bikes. But it's a good video that's worth watching. Maybe even a bit inspiring.

Someday I hope to crash with style myself.

1 Ride, 3 Cars, Fun Times

All things come in threes they say.  Of course that's entirely bullshit but nobody said that the average person understands statistics.

Today I went out for a 2 hour ride that went a bit longer than expected because I have the memory of a sieve.  Perhaps if Garmin would sponsor me this wouldn't happen, but until then I will flange about trying desperately to remember which roads Craig took when he lead me through town on the ride all the cool guys do.

All in all it was an ok ride.  58 km in 2:15ish ~25km/hr. My usual.  For some reason I have this bizarre hope that it'll be faster each time I go out but it never is.  Maybe I should stop measuring.

But for this ride the most notable occurrences were the 3 cars that tried to make my life a little more interesting.  And they succeeded.  I got to yell at 1 and smack two of them.

The first person simply backed up onto the street without looking.  I swerved, "Hey!" "Hey!" "HEY!" was enough to get him to slam on the brakes once I had gone by. No birds were flipped.  I remembered that Toronto cyclists are supposed to start being nice.

The second was an old lady in a Ford.  I had stopped at a light, something drivers think cyclists never do I presume, and was along side another car waiting for green. All of a sudden I saw a bumper about half an inch from my leg, followed by a bang on my elbow as the right side mirror flipped back on it's hinge.  I smacked the car, and the lady turned right and drove off without so much as a "I'll get you next time my pretty!"

The third was close to home, where drivers feel that the bike lane is an overflow parking lot when the street parking is full of cars that seem to be permanent fixtures. It was the classic, "I'm gonna pass you and then pull over and brake"  I found a hole between him on my right and the next car passing me on the left.

Good times.  I'm fully expecting to crash any day now.  I understand that the probability of crashing while riding a bike is 1.

Castelli Leggerezza Bibtight Review

I have dearth of cycling gear.  Unlike somebody like Fatcyclist, who has enough gear for an entire season without doing a wash I haven't been doing this long enought to warrant an extensive collection of wicking fabrics that are impervious to the wind.

With cooler weather prevailing, and my foray down to the bike and gear blowout a bust, I headed down to Mountain Equipment Coop and checked out their cycling gear which has gotten better over the years.

What I found were these Castelli Leggerezza Bibtights.  I am told, that, because they are Bib tights they are far more pro than just regular tight.  And I desperately wish to appear more pro than I am.

I've worn these for a few rides now, and I must say that I'm disappointed I didn't get myself some proper cycling tights sooner.  I would have looked funny wearing them without a bike between my legs I could have talked my way out of any awkward situations.

Here's the product description cut and paste from the MEC site.

Weight: 300g (Medium)

Step into these technical bib tights for warm, windproof comfort on the nippiest winter days. The multi-panel construction provides a highly windproof front and a warm, breathable back. The variable-thickness Kiss chamois puts padding where you need it most.

• *Front panels are windproof SG0.6, the lightest cycling fabric available today. Each polypropylene fibre is hollow on the inside, trapping air to provide weightless insulation. The fabric is also engineered to prevent water absorption.
  
• Back panels are Thermoflex 86% nylon and 14% spandex, with a flat face and a brushed back for excellent warmth and comfort.
  
• Flat-lock stitching reduces seam bulk and increases comfort.
  
• Seamless Kiss chamois has four-way stretch and a variable-thickness design that puts padding where you need it most and reduces it where you don't.
  
• Giro+ ankle closures ankle zippers.

I am glad these are 300g.  Had they been 305 I would have had to pass.  There is a Castelli Logo on them you can scrape off if you wish to.

I am even more glad that they have a "Kiss" chamois. The little lips stitched on the material right at head level make me feel like I am inches from having sex during the entire ride. I shall not repeat the joke I told to my wife as it got me in trouble the first time I told it.

Interestingly these tights employ the new weightless air insulation.  It should have been called unobtanium but that name was already taken.

Finally the Giro+ zippers are far better than any zippers found in the actual Giro. That in itself is amazing.

In reality these tights seem to be doing the trick for me.  The windproof material is in all the right places, and they do feel comfortable.

My only gripe with them is that the seem to fit a little short.  I'm 6' with normal length, and moderately skinny, legs and I'm on the limit for length for the large size. Check out the sizing info for Castelli. Based on the tag that came with them the large fits 6' to 5'9" or something like that.  I didn't want to go up a size and have them be too wide.

It would be ok that they are short but normally I'd just hike them up. But when I did that the lack of stretch around the knee when they were pulled up 2 inches caused my knees to start hurting.  Once I pulled them down a bit the knee pain went away.

Now that I've figured that out, they're doing well for me.  I'll just have to see how cold I can wear them.  At this point I've worn them down to about 0 deg Celsius and they've been fine.

They seem to be sturdily constructed which is good considering all the yanking I did on them the first ride out. Even the ankle zippers live up to their billing.

I got them, not on sale or anything for $152 CDN at MEC. 

Cross Bike Build

Well it's done.  After about $1000 and a couple hours of fiddling, plus several life saving tips from Tom, my personal oracle, the CX bike is mainly complete.  With some tidying up of the cables, and the purchase of some new shoes I'll be hammering through mud in no time.

 

Surprisingly my last post on the bike is getting a fair number of hits from people looking for a cheap cross bike build.

The main components of this build are.

Scattante XRL Frame

SRAM Rival Crank

Campagnolo Veloce Shifters

Campagnolo Centaur Front Derailleur

Shimano 105 Rear Derailleur

Ultegra Cassette

Crank Brothers C Pedals

Crappy Wheels off my Road bike

A $4 stem that weighs about a billion tons

Now I've ridden 2 bikes.  The first had shifters on the downtube.  The most recent has Sora level components.  So really I've got as much experience as a helper monkey. But this thing shifts great.  It makes me want to build up a new road bike, and thereby start divorce proceedings..

 

  

 
 

3 Hour Ride made Worthwhile in 3 seconds

On Sunday I went for a 3 hour ride.

Now, lest you think I have any sort of ability, my average speed was roughly 25km/hour nothing too fast, although I don't think I could go much faster at this point.

All in all it was a fun ride, cool, but not cold, lots of fall colours, and no drivers doing silly things.  The only road obstacle I faced was people in Oakville deciding that it's somehow beneficial to society to pile enormous amounts of leaves in the bike lane.

But it's probably not the strangest thing ever to be avoided by a cyclist. 

I had the most fun when I caught up to one of those stupid e-bikes on Lakeshore.  I had picked up the pace, and just gotten blown away by some dude on a Cervelo, when I caught a guy with the hammer down on his 3 hp electric two wheeler.

It just so happened that he was going just a bit faster than me, but had gotten slowed by some lights.  First I passed him, and I managed to get away for about a km, but then he caught me and I grabbed his wheel, hiding behind the amazing draft created by a size XXXXL winter jacket. T'was fun.

But I was already in a good mood.  Earlier, a kid pedaling along with his family had given me an excited wave. And then, as I came to a stop at a light alongside a bus stop, a young kid, maybe 6 years old, had come running up. Of course his mom started yelling at him, furious for no good reason.

He waved, excitedly, and I waved back, and his smile stuck with me for the rest of the ride.

Toronto International CycloCross Race Photos

This past Sunday I had a chance to head out to Centennial Park to check out some cross races.

The kids and I headed out to check out the action once Mom got back from her morning run.  The air was cool, the skies, sunny.  And the ground was very dry.

Watching the races was fun, and it was somewhat different than I expected.  Everyone was out having fun and there didn't seem to be very much of the "Why are you here? You suck!" kind of subtle vibe I normally pick up when I am around people with shaved legs.  Girls and Cyclists.

It was a bit different than expected.

There was no mud to speak of.  It's difficult to make mud on such a glorious day.

There were few fans and even fewer cowbells.  And little beer.  But that's to be expected in Toronto, and in this case it seems we were all living up to our reputation as being cold-hearted sticks in the mud. Even when there isn't any mud.

I did manage to get in my good duty for the day.  Leslie was 5 minutes from race start and her friends/inlaws/husband hadn't come by to look after her kids.  I was happy to oblige, as her kids were the same age as my guys and they happily hit it off and played on the slide for an hour.  I even gave them a snack which they happily scarfed down.  It seems that kids will eat anything strangers are giving away, but in this case it was meat, fruit, and toast.  Moderately healthy for kids in training, as I am sure hers were.

Thankfully my kids didn't beat up her kids, or vice-versa.

I took quite a few pictures.  You can check out the set on flickr, here

Here's a couple of my favorite shots. 60 total in the above set.

2009 Giro de Lombardia

For some reason I never get tired of watching bike racing videos.  Perhaps that's a character flaw.  I suppose I should ensure that if I am watching one I should be on my bike, on my trainer. 

I don't have that kind of willpower apparently.

Mainly I'm testing publishing videos.  Cause that's a really hard thing to do.  

I was secretly hoping Chris Horner would win this race, but alas, he did not.