Equipment

Running with Everytrail

I'm still intent on running home once a week, so today I repeated the exact same running route as last week. I again finished the 10k distance in 1hr 20mins, and was strangely within 15 seconds of my previous time.

Given that it was direct replay of last weeks route, there isn't much point me repeating the sporttracks image. Instead I've used it as an excuse to introduce my new discovery - everytrail.com. I first came across this on The Trail Runners blog which is certainly worth a read.

Everytrail allows you to upload your running tracks directly from your GPS unit, add waymarks and photos and provides a really simple way to share the route as an iframe on your blog. Non of this is all that new really but I'm particularly happy that I can also directly upload the gpx file. This means I can plot out a route on memory map and upload it without actually having to cover the course with my garmin. I used this feature when I needed to plot my friends planned commute. I was able to stick it on the web for him to peruse at work and determine whether it was a manageable distance.

If you use another mapping package that saves the routes in an alternative format (eg tracklogs), you might want to try out GPSBabel which is a free tool for converting routes into the gpx format.

Equipment

More Playlist Mayhem

As I mentioned earlier, my Saturday has been pretty much ruined due to a wasted day waiting for a delivery from M&S. The delivery was to be expected anytime between 7.30 am and 6 pm. Its gone 8 now and I'm still sitting here, pee'd off, no parcel and no run. I've given up now and turned to the bottle, or at least a couple of cans of stella.

I've spent most of the day messing around with my iTunes library. I've been frustrated by the bpm column that remains empty against all my songs. This info could be super useful. As I determined earlier, my running pace is about 158 strides per minute when it ought to be 180 for maximum efficiency. Surely if I create my playlists around the target beat, I might be able to train my little ole legs to pump a bit faster.

So I've been researching bpm determining software. There are a number that require you to tap the beat out on your mouse or trackpad (absolutely useless for rhythmless me) and others that work it out automatically. Its not foolproof though, apparently it is common for the automatic system to either dbl or halve the true bpm, which might explain why my Norah Jones collection appears to the most upbeat music in my library.

I'm trialling beaTunes which is a standalone program that integrates well with iTunes. It populates my library with the bpm info that I'm after but also categorises my music in other ways too. It asigns a colour to each track which looks fairly pretty and again is designed to make intelligent playlist choices that reduce the opportunity for inappropriate or clashing tunes. I like the idea but I haven't had a chance to try this out as its taking about 20 hrs to analyse my library. The program itself is shareware - I get it free for 8 days, not ideal I suppose but at least I get to update my entire library before the free period runs out.

Equipment

New Gadget Anybody?

I want to go out for a run but I'm stuck in the flat all day waiting for a delivery - I had to pay extra for the privilige of having my saturday ruined, what was I thinking? I'm using the down time to surf the net and discover new gadgets that I can't possibly live without.

How about the iPod radio remote for starters?

I was reading Joggerbloggers post this morning about the joys of finding unexpected songs on his shuffle, including tunes from his mother in laws lifelong collection. This would absolutely horrify me. I can't bear even my own old songs appearing unexpectedly during my run and since I've been trying out The Filter to manage my playlists this tends to happen quite a bit.

None of this should be too much of a problem of course I could always skip the inappropriate song and move on. When I'm running though, and the nano is attached to my arm or worse still, secreted in a highly inaccessible zipped pocket of my backpack, skipping songs requires you to be double jointed or stationary.

That is where the little remote comes in handy, I can clip it to my shirt and lose the nervous anticipation of the next song. The radio is just a bonus feature.

**UPDATE 19/01/07**
Well, I went for it. My little gadget arrived on Wednesday. It's true that the radio reception isn't superb but I managed to put up with up during my bus commute and it was so enjoyable I managed to zip straight past the hospital and had to back track.

As I said though, I was buying it for the remote feature and not the radio. I tested it on this weeks commute and immediately came across a problem as it no longer fits in my Nike armband because of the large adaptor at the base. I managed to fit it through the little hole in my backpack though so it looks like me and the backpack are going to have to remain bonded. Its good to be able to control the music during my run though.

Equipment

Asics Barrios Backpack

I was looking for a smallish pack that I could use for my running commute. I was initially looking at the hydration packs but the small ones seem to have very little room for clobber. I don't need to hold that much - maybe a purse, diary and a waterproof.

In the end I plumped for this small running pack from asics. i'm impressed with everything else I use from asics and felt sure that they would have a better idea of my requirements as a runner than even I would myself. I think it has proven to be true, its an excellent pack and very comfortable.

The pack itself sits quite high on the back, which took a bit of getting used to as it means the waist strap is quite high too. When I started running though, i felt it to be very stable and it didn't disturb me at all. There is some padding at the back which acts to hold the pack away from the body so I didn't even notice my back getting hot - and I'm very sensitive to overheating.

It has stacks of features. There is a pouch at the top for your iPod or other mp3 player and the headphones feed through an orifice leaving them perfectly positioned for your ears. This is actually the first time I've managed to run without getting tangle or strangle with the headphone cable. There is a stowable net for cycle helmet or other gear and a seperate section for a hydration system. Theres also a peculiar attachment that zips away at the bottom and is apparently for holding a bottle but I can't quite see how.

Very good purchase - £30 from wiggle.

Equipment

Gore Running Spy II Shirt

I'm afraid it looks a bit creased in this photo (basically because I just pulled it from a pile in the floor).

This is an ideal shirt for me as I overheat very easily. It's incredibly lightweight and breathable, in fact the material is almost non-existant beneath the arm pits, so no chance of getting too clammy.

It both looks and feels to be quite a high quality garment but then it did cost about £30.

Equipment

Running - The Purists Sport?

Running is normally considered the minimalist sport, much favoured by purists who just like to pop on a pair of shoes and head out of the door to freedom. I somehow manage to thwart this image and see a necessity in spending the best part of a months salary on "essential" running clobber.

This snap shows a representative sample of the gear I require to push one foot in front of the other. Its amazing I can even move under the weight of all this gear.

Dr Nick asked me, a few entries back, whether the GPS actually improved my running performance or whether it was just the gadget factor. Thats quite a toughy really. It has undoubtedly improved my running but only really by providing me with the incentive to get out there and run.

I suppose the actual question he wanted answering was "will it improve my running?". This again is a tough question. I tend to think if it was going to work for you, you'd have one by now.

I enjoy the post run analysis more than the actual running. If I forgot the garmin - I just wouldn't bother running, it has become the most important feature to me. I run to feed its little data banks. If you were just such a data fiend I reckon you wouldn't have any difficulty rationalising the expense.

Here's my list of "essential" running gadgets and utilities from 2006:

1. Garmin Forerunner 305 - see above for my sad addicts confession. Here for a review and comparison with other speed and distance monitors. Plenty of other bloggers have seen the light as well and adorn their sites with the maps and stats acquired en-route: Steve's Running, Trail Runner, Celeste and Getting Buff


2. SportTracks - Training log software. I'm tempted to put this in at number 1 as it is the reason that the garmin forerunner is such a dream gadget. Without SportTracks the gps system would be seriously emasculated. SportTracks is available for free download and I can't recommend it strongly enough for anyone with a gps unit. It is by and far the best sports diary I have come across. Whats more it continues to be a work in progress, with the developer working closely with the users to make it increasingly brilliant. Most of the stats I dsplay in this blog are cut directly out of SportTracks.


3. Runners World Marathon schedules - I'm not up for the marathon yet but these have been made available as downloadable schedules for the garmin forerunner. You can select the schedule based on standard predicted finish times or alter each for your specific target. I've been playing around with these schedules as part of the testing phase and have found them to be excellent. Even without completing the full program I now have a load of training routines to add variety to my runs.


4. iPod Nano - I don't run with this all the time, sometimes its a joy to hear the birds and the rowers. The good thing about running with music though is that it adds an element of bouncing fun and it stops me hearing my gasping breath. It also stops me from hearing the fattist abuse hurled from white vans. I haven't been tempted by the Nike+ phenomonen, mainly because I have the forerunner, but you can see some interesting Nike+ paraphenalia at Booyaa.


5. The Filter. One of the reasons I don't use the iPod too much while running is that I struggle to develop suitably stirring playlists. I just can't be arsed to dedicate that much time to iTunes. My latest discovery is another free download and seems to be working wonders for my playlist doldrums. I can highlight a few songs that typify the mood I'm after and then press a magic button on The filter console and watch it search through my library to propose a whole new playlist. Apparently it learns from its mistakes and takes into account both my preferences and those of the online community. It seems pretty good so far.

Equipment

New shoes

Here's my first attempt at blogging direct from my mobile phone via flickr. It's also an excuse to show off my new running shoes.

I went to see the physio yesterday about my assorted running injuries and she told me I needed more supportive shoes. My last pair have only done about 200K so that has been an annoying expense. Can't wait to try them out though, at £110 I really hope they solve my niggling problems. Actually at that price I'd be happy with a little motor.

Equipment

Even a rubber duck runs faster than me

It was a tough psychological run this morning. I took the new route around both the Chiswick and Hammersmith Bridges and I've displayed the MotionBased viewport below. It turns out to be an almost perfect 10k route, but its hard on the mind. I'm dreading starting my marathon training when I'll have to face considerably longer runs each weekend.

Continue reading "Even a rubber duck runs faster than me"

Equipment

This mornings 8km Run

This is a small extension to the 6.6k route I mapped out a few days ago. It saves me retracing my steps as its a truly circular route. It was nice and cool this morning with quite a blustery breeze, I'm sure this helped to keep my heart rate under control and meant I was able to run the entire route. Oh well, not quite the entire route, as usual I walked up the steps to each bridge and you can see this reflected in the heart rate profile. Still a pretty good effort I think, and makes a stark contrast to the enforced interval training on the 26th. It looks like a heart rate of 160 bpm makes a manageable run for me.

You can check out more details on the MotionBased website again.

Continue reading "This mornings 8km Run"

Equipment

Buff Headgear

I was running blind the other morning, which seems to be an occupational hazard for sweaty unfit runners. I was desperately trying to wipe the sweat out of my eyes with the hem of my t-shirt, whilst trying to maintain my modesty and continue running. I failed on at least one of these.
I decided I ought to purchase a headband to improve matters. This thought occupied me til the end of my run wondering if I could bear the 70s look and whether I would be prepared to wear matching leg warmers next.

Two days later I received an unsolicited parcel through the post. Inside was a brand new Buff headwear thingy. This is a head band cum balaclava cum scarve cum neckerchief cum headwear thingy.
Now where did that come from?!
No note, no invoice, just a solitary Buff headwear thingy.

Nice eh?
I'm going to dream about a car on tomorrows run.

Equipment

New 6.6km Run

I've really started to increase the length of my runs now. I blame it on the Garmin Forerunner 305 as it seems to be encouraging me to try out new routes so I can play with them on SportTracks. Here is a satellite screenshot of my latest training run, I've taken all the images out of SportTracks.

This route takes me out from my flat, immediately along the Thames and up to Kew Bridge, up and over, back down Strand on the Green til I reach Chiswick Bridge and then a slight retracing of my steps til I make it home again. Nice ole route and not a bad length for my 10k training.

The red bits highlighted on the photo, represent the areas where I dropped down to a walk. Besides the fact that it is a really nifty feature of the SportTracks software, it is pretty abyssmal for a run - init?

I blame it on the weather, tis flippin hot! If you check out my heart rate profile, its clear that my heart rate climbs to around 170 bpm and then I quit and start walking til it gets to about 135 bpm and I can start again. I suppose this is enforced interval training and its meant to be good for you.

Continue reading "New 6.6km Run"

Equipment

Garmin Forerunner 305 Review

My last speed and distance watch, the Polar RS200SD was beginning to get a bit tatty, so I took the opportunity to try out the latest thing in sports watches - the Garmin Forerunner 305.

Continue reading "Garmin Forerunner 305 Review"

Equipment

Stumpy FSR - Girls Bike

Can you believe it? It seems that I am so short, that I have to buy a girls bike!

I went in to the bike shop to pick up a men's Specialized Stumpjumper FSR comp, but even the small is too big for me. The women's frame is only just ok, but I have to make do with the puffy colours.

I'm not really complaining, its a beautiful bike. I ended up getting the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert, which is just a tad above my current skill level, but it was the only one in stock. What can a girl do?

I pick it up tomorrow, after they have removed most of the seat post length. Can't wait to have some fun this weekend. Got to get my skill level up quickly, you can't have a bike like that and then start behaving like a wuss on the trails.

Equipment

New Bike Dreams

I am just teetering on the age of buying my new bike. That will be about the 6th bike purchase this year and leave me living with another bike in my shower for a while. Ah well - it is another beauty.
The bike in question is a Specialized Epic. Yes I have moved over to the other side - mountain biking! Well at least at the weekend, for the rest of the week I'll be happy on my Sirrus Pro.

I've started collecting together a load of reviews on the Epic:
Bike Mag review
Bike Magic Review
MTBR user reviews

Continue reading "New Bike Dreams"

Equipment

PocketBFL

As any casual reader of my site will realise - I am a terrible, gadget freak, come spendaholic. It is therefore no surprise that I have managed to find a purchasable product that will be absolutely invaluable /an absolute necessity in my latest project - the Body For Life challenge.

Continue reading "PocketBFL"

Equipment

The end of Peryl!

Well its taken me a shockingly long time to let you all know but I'm afraid Peryl is no more. Way back in October, I discovered a fairly major crack in the frame of my airnimal chameleon ultegra. That was not a particularly good day for me. I had an OU maths exam in the morning but I was up early and thought I would take my mind off things by washing the airnimal in the shower.

Aaaaargh! Just look at the damage....

Can you believe that? To top it all I missed my exam with all the stress and trying to contact airnimal and Ben Haywards to get some kind of response.

Continue reading "The end of Peryl!"

Equipment

New Tyres for Peryl

I've just taken Peryl in for a bit of a service, her gears aren't changing too well and no amount of fiddling by me is making much difference. The guy at BikeFix reckons that brake cable has been used for the rear mech instead of gear cable so he is going to change it for me. So long as it fixes the gear change I don't really care.

While I was there I decided to invest in a pair of the new tyres now available for the Chameleon. They are the Panracer Pasela touring tyre, they apparently have a little more tread than the Technova although they look very similar. I'll let you know what I think later.

I damaged my tyres on the Sightseer audax, I got the wheels caught in a ridiculously fine grid - a bit like a cattle grid that spanned one of the roads. Everyone else seemed to sail over it but the combination of small radius and width left me stuck. It has ripped the side of both tyres and gauged my rims.

No puncture incurred though which is amazing. Having said that I will get hundreds now.

Equipment

Me and Peryl get re-acquainted

I've had a few teething problems with Peryl the Airnimal Chameleon, since I got her nearly 3 months ago.
No real problems, it was just a shock to the system to move from the comfort of a hybrid with front suspension to a twitchy, road bike. I had aches and pains particularly in my elbows and wrists but the main problem was the price. It is a shockingly expensive machine and I suppose it has to be said that I can't quite afford it. Don't get me wrong, I have paid for it, but really I can't warrant such an outlay. Now that its my only bike I have worries about trips like going to the hairdressers and the shops - I just don't want to leave her outside.

Continue reading "Me and Peryl get re-acquainted"

Equipment

Dirty Little Tike

Peryl had her first shower last night. After 4 consequetive days commuting I thought she deserved it.
Typically it pissed it down this morning so I wish I hadn't bothered.

Equipment

Online Bike Journal - Motivation

I've started hanging out on the Cycling Plus web forum, my handle is warriorwoman (of course). You can pick a fair number of tips as its a really active site.

Anyway the latest gem pointed me in the direction of BikeJournal which is a free site, geared up for storing all your ride details. You have to be bothered to key in all the relevant bits of data such as time, distance, av speed, av heart rate etc but in the long run you have a great record.

It's really quite motivational as well, so long as you have a competitive bone in your body, which I do. There are ranks of other riders, so you can see where you fit into the scheme of things. At the moment I am in position 498 or 44th in the womens rankings, only 6552 miles behind the leader.

Log on try it out - and why not join the warrior women team?

Equipment

Airnimal Rides Again

Four days and Peryl hardly got a ride in, my excuse is that I've been ill and in truth I've felt just a little intimidated by her.

Still, thats all changed now. I replaced the seat and we headed for the hills yesterday, or at least we went to Richmond Park.

Blimey, blimey that bike can move. I went down one of the hills at such a pace I nearly wet myself. Can't tell what speed I was actually going as I had set the wrong wheelsize into the computer! Must have been 60mph at least!

Today i went into work and set a time of 37mins which is really pretty good for me, now if I could remove the traffic lights I might really be able to set some records.

All in all I am pretty happy with Peryl the Airnimal Chameleon, I've sussed out the balance so I can stand in the pedals and have begun to feel that old confidence - the trust between man and bike. I was talking to my dad about the importance of feeling in tune in your bike, London is a scary place to ride without trusting your machine. He described me as a cyclotaur - half woman, half bike. He thinks he's funny, what can you do?

Equipment

The Airnimal Has Landed

Well it arrived, a beautiful yellow dream machine. It came flat packed but I managed to keep singing throughout my frustrating attempts to put it together. Really it shouldn't have been that hard, I'm just rather unfamiliar with all the road bike components - never heard of a Ring-go star.

Anyway, I better stop calling her it and introduce you, she's called Peryl and she has taken to living in my bath. Either I'm going to get pretty smelly or we'll have to get over our inhibitions quickly and start showering together.

I took her out for a ride today and I'm pleased to say we got on well. Its going to be a bit of an adjustment for me, moving from my hybrid cannondale designed with comfort and more comfort in mind. The new Airnimal Chameleon Ultegra Ultra is very much more hardcore. Light, fast, sexy, although that is not how I feel after sitting on the saddle for an hour.

I really need to up the ante on the diet front again. I am not designed for sitting on a knife edge and the new bent forward, aerodynamic seating position brings my knees perilously close to my tits (which are certainly not my most aerodynamic feature).

The wheel size turns out to be fine, much better than the Brompton style wheel. It handles like a big bike and isn't too jittery on the steering. Not quite sure about powering myself out of the saddle yet but I think my fears are because the bike is so light (and I'm not) rather than because of her diminutive size.

Not sure how the speed compares yet, it feels fast, my throat was burning in under a mile so I must have been going for it. I will try and rig up the polar S725 tonight and then I can tell for sure.

Equipment

Possible Solution to Speed and Cadence Issues

I still have the ongoing problem with the intermittent response from both the speed and the cadence sensor. As my new bike is turning up next week I need to get it sorted out as a matter of urgency.
I don't want anything to get in the way of some serious training so I have done a bit of research and it looks like this might be a useful tip.

To increase the transmission range on the S510/S520/S710/S710i/S720 s-series speed/cadence sensors only:
- Remove sensor from the bike.
- Undo 2 small screws holding the two halves of the sensor together with a small philips screwdriver.
- Carefully remove one section of the housing (end with cable ties).
- Carefully slide the exposed printed circuit board a little way out.
- Remove the jumper plug from the inner most pin and insert it over the two pins closest to the edge of the circuit board. This will give the maximum range. Shorting out the inner two pins with the jumper plug gives the medium range.
- Re-assemble carefully in the reverse order.
- Becareful not to over-tighten the two screws which can either distort or crack the case leaving the unit not water resistant.
- Further information can be found on Page G82 of the S510 user's manual or Page G90 of the S710i/S720i user's manual.

web link

Equipment

Speed Sensor failing with the polar s series

After about 2 weeks of playing with the new toy the speed function failed, I removed the sensors and remounted but regardless of position I couldn't get the function to return. As it was failing it would work off and on so on download it appeared I had been stop starting constantly. The cadence monitor has started doing the same thing.

The HRM receiver and transmitter works fine if I ignore the bike features but then I could have spent considerably less on a heart rate monitor without the bike features.

I have contacted polar and they have given me a number of pointers to check out. Read on if you are having the same issues.

Continue reading "Speed Sensor failing with the polar s series"

Equipment

More Graphing Genius

I promised to show you a few snaps from the Nokia 5140 after I've downloaded the days commute:

This just shows the altitude, heart rate and cadence functions on a pretty decent colour display. It would show speed as well but I seem to be having problems with the speed sensor.

This is a really useful summary feature that isn’t even available on the PC software. Have you noticed that it says I’ve used 839 calories? That’s just the cycle home – I should be a flippin rake by now, instead I continue to look like a brick shit house on wheels.

Equipment

Polar 725 - Graphed and ready to go

Here's an example screen shot from the polar precision performance software that comes bundled with the S725. Quite why I need precision performance when I'm only commuting to work. mmmmmm I think I like to waste money.

Anyway it great to be able to relive my trip to work, I can see the point at which my heart appears to stop - that's the level crossing and how I constantly have to stop and start for traffic lights and then how I start taxing myself as I steam up the very minor hill in Hyde Park. Trouble with commuting is that todays ride is the same as tomorrows and the next days and so on. The incentive to upload the files wears off after a while.

Perhaps in the spring I better start adding some proper cycle training into the mix and start heading for Richmond Park at the weekend.

Equipment

Nokia 5140 and Polar Connectivity

I've just downloaded the polar link for cycling gadget/accessory thing for my mobile phone.
Yes of course its another ridiculously unecessary item of gadgetry!

Anyway, its amazingly easy to download files from the Polar 725 watch - much easier than to the pc and it shows a useful summary and graphic file of the work out.
I could now email it to someone if I had anyone even remotely interested or instead I could entertain myself with it for a few moments and then move on to the next project.

I'll try and upload a few screen shots later.

Equipment

Day 1: Unpacking the Polar S725

A good day was heralded by the arrival of a new toy - the Polar S725 heart rate monitor cum cycle wonder computer. One of my more unnecessary purchases to date but surely it ranks amongst the most exciting.
I've read a few reviews that suggest the polar S725 and S720 are rather traumatic to install especially if you go for the optional/vital IR interface connection. I wasn't in the least worried - bravado in the face of technical gadgetry is one of my strong points.
Bravado is all it is though - I was practically crying by the end of the night as no amount of button pressing or cursing was going to make the monitor communicate with my computer.

Continue reading "Day 1: Unpacking the Polar S725"