Gadgets

Long Walks and Gadget Melt Down

by warriorwoman on 22 April, 2013

I’m still struggling with the temporary transition from running to walking and yesterdays outing with multiple gadget failure just hammered another nail in the coffin. Today’s gadget doesn’t support the long drawn out monotony of a distance walk and if I can’t play with technology I’m just not that bothered.

Walking is too pure for my liking, it’s designed for the rugged “at one with nature” types who aren’t scared by the hours of silence and EMF solitude.

Yesterday’s program started with a slow yet painful parkrun at Bushy Park, followed by a planned hike along the Thames Path from Hampton Court to the Embankment. I was gadget free for the parkrun due to a late arrival at an extremely packed venue which meant I was bundled out of the car without the usual accoutrements of hydration packs, Garmin, jelly babies and iPhone.

I survived.

Leaving the park after a short interlude for champagne and the collection of gadgetry, I realised I had become disorientated and needed to engage the google maps app. The iPhone was at 97% and all was well. I spun in circles trying to orientate myself before following a bus heading in the direction of Kingston. I engaged the Runmeter app to record my GPS and submit my whereabouts and pace to my standby rescue vehicle (Lynn) and pressed play on the latest Audio book (The Art of Fielding).

2 hours later I paused for an ice-cream and noticed that the battery life had shrunk to 27%. That’s pretty drastic when you are miles from home and feeling weary. At that rate I’d have barely managed 10 miles before being cast into a telecommunication black hole.

I sent out a single text with my last known location (Richmond) and my intended direction (East along the Thames), then switched the phone off.

That’s it, radio silence.

Just me and the rowers and the occasional kamikaze cyclist. It wasn’t long before I started my own entertainment, humming along to the pulsing in my throbbing toenails. My spirits were flagging as fast as the crappy iPhone battery.

I made it as far as Hammersmith before joining the prostrate sun seekers in a riverside park. I’d completed a total of 17 miles including the preliminary parkrun. I’d learnt a lot, not least that this 100k London2Brighton walk is going to be a killer. As we currently stand, I think I’ll be ready to quit at 50k and ready to be airlifted out at 75k. I need an endurance boost over the next 5 weeks and I also need to find a solution to the technical blackouts.

I have a kit bag that PC World would be proud of, including iPhone 5, iPod Nano (2nd Gen from the bottom of a very old drawer), an ancient Nokia N82, assorted car chargers and a plan to switch my iPhone with Lynns every 25k. The fact that the phone died before 15k is a bit of shock. I’m terrified of hitting the wooded areas of the South Downs sometime post midnight and losing all contact with my hope of escape.

Twitter has been extremely useful on the subject of expedition style battery sources. The ideal power replacement for the hike would be these impact driven piezoelectric boots which would give my iPhone a boost with every step but unfortunately they don’t seem to have hit the manufacturing stage yet and besides I have just bought a new pair of boots for the occasion.

I am now coveting this expedition ready solar charger from powertraveller. The power monkey extreme holds enough juice to charge an iPhone 6 times over which ought to do the trick. At £120 its probably a bit too much gadget for one single day and I may have to sign up for another crazy challenge just to get my money’s worth.

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iPhone 5 Runners Armband Reviews

by warriorwoman on 22 February, 2013

Having upgraded to the iPhone 5 soon after release I found my choice of accessories to be quite restricted. In order to run with my iPhone I had to source an iphone 5 compatible armband as soon as possible. Back in September I had no choice at all but at least there was one model in stock – the Belkin Ease-Fitt Armband.

I bought it, but have never been entirely happy with it. It’s comfortable enough but it doesn’t cosset my phone quite as securely as I’d like. There is a slit at the top of the armband for me to feed the iphone through but it remains open to the elements. It takes a firm shove to ensure the phone reaches the bottom of the case but nothing prevents the phone from riding up and escaping onto the trail. I have to say I’ve never run sufficiently vigorously to send my phone flying out of the armband but that is not to say that it couldn’t happen and with its open-top aspect its not a case for use in a downpour.

Belkin Ease-Fitt
A fair weather joggers armband - the perfect gym runners armband.

I’ve been sent a few more armbands to try out recently and I’m pleased to say that I have found a couple more that I like.

Gadgetcase.co.uk have a few iPhone 5 specific armbands available now and I was sent samples the Elite Motion and the Reflect Armband, both of which are pitched at the value end of the market. At £5.90 its hard not to be a little impressed.

Out of the two the Reflect iPhone 5 Armband is far superior. It doesn’t look particularly classy but it holds the iPhone 5 securely and includes a flap to fully encase the gadget. The slot gapes a little but that is flattened out when you attach it to your arm.

Reflect Armband for iPhone 5
Pretty good value and does the job without an excess of style.

The Elite Motion Armband is worth avoiding. The phone doesn’t seem to sit happily at all and the flap is odd and insecure. I think I’ve been sent a prototype rather than the final product so I will assume that they now ship with headphone ports but unless they’ve dramatically altered the slot design I would suggest you consider the Reflect instead.

Elite Motion Armband for iPhone 5
Worth avoiding.

I was also sent two non iPhone 5 specific armbands and strangely they have become my armbands of choice with the other 3 relegated to the discarded gadget drawer.

The two front runners are the Tune Belt AB83 Sport Armband for larger Smartphones from mobilefun and the Armpocket Aero i-15 from gadgetcase.

These are now approaching the deluxe end of the market at £19.99 and £24.99 respectively but you can see and feel the step up in quality. They both include additional velcro loops to secure the flapping headphone cable and where the Tune Belt includes a fully enclosed flap to cover the phone, the Armpocket is totally enclosed within a zipped pocket.

The Armpocket is almost my out and out favourite but sometimes you just don’t need such a big armband. I have been scared out of my wits on a couple of occasions after running on the treadmill with the Armpocket – I run by the open patio doors, usually in the dark and usually with Zombies!Run playing over the headphones. I have twice felt the blood drain out of me when the phone jiggled within the massive armband and left me fearing for imminent Zombie attack. If you don’t pad the pocket out with sweets etc it can be a bit loose for running.

Armpocket Aero i-15 Armband
The perfect outdoor runners armband, my be too big for gym running.

The Tune Belt is a little smaller but still bigger than absolutely necessary for the iPhone 5. Its super comfortable and doesn’t jiggle like the Armpocket. It isn’t fully sealed and the fabric looks as though it would absorb rain water so I think I would restrict this to fair weather or indoor running.

Tune Belt AB83 Sport Armband
Stylish and comfortable but not prepared for the worst of British weather.

I’m still undecided between the latter two models. I’ll probably keep them both. The Armpocket is substantial and fully encapsulates my iPhone, as well as an assortment of other fripperies that you may wish to carry with you on your run. As such it is perfect for long out door runs where you may need to stash a supply of jelly beans and emergency taxi cash and where you want to feel prepared for sudden downpours. The Tunebelt is comfortable, stylish and the perfect companion for gym use – just don’t take it out in the rain.

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A Second Look at the Ki Fit Body Monitor

by warriorwoman on 13 February, 2013

Two years ago, inspired by the Biggest Loser, I purchased the Ki Fit Body Monitor.

There followed a relatively short-lived love affair with the gizmo which promised so much gadgety joy but delivered more frustration – check here for the review of the Ki Fit.

The idea is that the armband is a 24/7 body monitor that registers a whole host of metrics such as sleep length and efficiency, calorie burn, steps and exercise intensity. Combined with an accurate measure of your calorie intake you should be able to apply a “scientific” approach to weight loss – balancing the calorie intake and burn or tipping the balance to achieve the rate of weight loss required.

I became disillusioned with Ki Fit because I had doubts over the accuracy of particular elements, the food input options were restrictive and the syncing process was extremely painful and unreliable.

In terms of accuracy, I found that motorbike riding seemed to cause havoc with the calorie burn calculation, if I were to believe the gadget I burned more calories riding my Bonneville into work than I would have walking into work. Given the number of fat bikers out there I don’t think motorbiking is generally considered to be a high intensity work out option.

After 3 months I’d packed the gadget back in its box and flogged it on eBay.

This week I rekindled my interest in the Ki Fit body monitor after Fortnightflo raved about hers. I love the idea of 24/7 body monitors – I’ve been wearing the Nike Fuelband for over 6 months but its out of action at the moment and I’m waiting for a replacement from Nike. While I’ve been waiting my eyes have wandered and I’m now sporting a replacement Ki Fit on my arm.

It seems that the Ki Fit offering has moved on a bit. In an act of brilliance they have linked with MyFitnessPal to enable you to enter food details from their website or app. MyFitnessPal offers the most intuitive and British focussed calorie logging system that I’ve seen and is a huge improvement on the Ki Fit system. There is also an app from Bodymedia that enables you to view the activity dashboard from your phone.

Despite the enhancements I’m afraid I am still disappointed with this gadget. The data is great, oodles of detail and beautiful charts but unless you physically connect it up to a PC you can’t access the data. I’m particularly cross about it as I’d managed to convince myself that the Ki Fit monitor was now Bluetooth enabled and that it would link wirelessly to the iPhone app. I think the US version works in this way and despite scouring the UK website I didn’t find anything that contradicted my impression. Having spoken to Ki Fit I can now confirm that Bluetooth armbands are not yet available in the UK and that the iPhone app acts only as a window to the last synced position of the dashboard.

If you want to view your activity or burn status without access to the computer where you’ve installed the sync software, you’ll need to purchase another gadget – the Ki display. At another £60 I find the overall package a bit steep. It seems strange to create such a potentially motivational body monitor and then make it so hard to access the data. If you have to wait until the end of the day to see how the day panned out you’ve lost most of the opportunity to act on the information collected.

I may have to bite the bullet and buy the additional display though. I’m planning a DIY Biggest Loser style boot camp starting next week and this could be the perfect gadget to help me commit to the silly levels of intense exercise.

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IceSpike and Yaktrax for Snow Running

by warriorwoman on 20 January, 2013

For an urbanite living in a city where snow falls for approximately 2 days in every 365, it does seem a little excessive that I have 2 different sets of ice cleats and snow grips.

As London transport tends to collapse at the first hint of a snow flake, and commuters are left to fend for themselves in the harsh cold streets, I’ve developed a slight -ism. Call it what you like but my -ism means that from October to May I carry a set of Yaktrax in the bottom of my bag just in case I should find myself stranded at Victoria again and have to walk home through miles of slippy slush.

We’ve just had the annual weekend of snowfall so I was quick to take the IceSpikes and the Yaktrax Pro on a head to head test across Mitcham and Tooting Commons.

I was given a pack of IceSpikes at the recent running show. I think they retail around £25 (amazon link) and consist of a pack of hard screws and device for inserting them into your shoe. It took me about 10 mins to get them all set up and screwed in. You could technically remove them from your shoes after use as they only result in a smal puncture hole but really its a bit of a faff. I’ve instead chosen to sacrifice an old pair running shoes to become my permanent snow shoes. They will spend most of their remaining life in the bottom of a cupboard but on their annual outing they’ll become the star of the show.

I’ve had the Yaktrax for a couple of years now, purchased after the “stranded in Victoria” incident, and they haven’t seen snow that often. I’ve just checked on (Amazon) and at £16 they are cheaper than I remember.

The Yaktrax are much quicker to set up than the IceSpike although you have to do it over and over again. You start at the toe and peel them over the sole of the shoe. They are quite a tight squeeze and I’m always worried about trapping my chilled fingers in the coils and taut rubber but so far I have remained injury free. The pro versions have an additional velcro strap across the foot that gives you the confidence to run without fear that the contraption may spring off your foot mid-stride.

In terms of gripability I would say that both the Yaktrax and IceSpike were on a par. They both enabled a confident pace to be maintained across snow covered pavements and trails. The IceSpike were the least conspicuous and unless you walked on cleared tarmac you could forget that you had them on.

So if you can’t distinguish the two grips in terms of their performance on snow I suppose you have to look at the relative convenience factor.

Yaktrax can be carried around with you until required and convert any shoe (barring stilettos) into a snow shoe. Should you encounter patchy road conditions or need to enter a building you can whip them on and off at will. IceSpike, once installed on your shoe can just be left in place but that means if you walk across gritted and cleared roads you would either need to change your shoes or put up with the loud, sticky sound they make.

I think I’ll be sticking to the best of both worlds. My newly IceSpiked shoe will remain my snow running shoe of choice as they are so comfortable while the Yaktrax will remain in my bag, ready to transform any commuting shoe to an expedition ready mountain shoe – if ever required.

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Christmas Gift Ideas for Runners

by warriorwoman on 7 December, 2012

I regularly review and recommend high value running gadgets such as GPS watches and the latest release running shoes but I spotted a load of low priced items at the Running Show last weekend and thought I should put together a Christmas gift guide to help you treat the runner in your life without breaking the bank.

Socks

Socks may appear to be an unexciting xmas fall back, but a good pair of running socks can make a heck of a difference to the state of your feet when you start building up the distance of your runs. I’ve been through a load of different brands but am now happy that I’ve found the sock that suits my needs.

X-Socks. I’ve built up such a fondness for these socks that I’m almost superstitious and would struggle to run an event without wearing the grey and orange version. These are easily my favourite running sock.

CompresSport Running Socks. I received a free pair of these at the running show and have been extremely happy with them. They are another expensive pair of socks at £15 but are remarkably comfortable and ooze quality.

Headphones

I’ve been through many pairs of running headphones trying to find the perfect pair – headphones that will stay in place, deliver decent sound quality and preferably allow me to control my iPhone remotely.

Sennheiser PMX680 – These are my current headphones and are near-perfect for running. The neckband style headphones are very stable and never fall off but they can be inconvenient if you wear hats or glasses.

Yurbuds – I tried these out at the Running Show and would love to take them on a proper test.
They twist and lock into your ear so that you can tug on the cables and they stay in place. They have a number of models, one with a tangle free cable option and another with the microphone and remote control option that I’m so fond of. You need to get these sized to ensure they will lock into place so they aren’t the easiest gift option.

Injury Prevention

It won’t be long before the runner in your life starts to make those tell-tale groans that indicate an urgent massage is required. The next best thing to an on-site masseuse is a massage tool:

The Stick – a slightly flexible plastic stick around which a set of plastic spindles can independently rotate. It is these spindles that work on your muscles to ease out knots and release tension.

The Rumble Roller – If you have a cruel streak and a big wallet, you might consider the rumble roller. It’s an implement of torture and an expensive one at that but still remarkably effective at loosening tight knots. Its extremely hard to use without screaming a bit though.

Headbands, Visors and Hats

Halo Visor and Headband – I bought both of these items at the Running Show. I’d practically blinded myself at the gym the night before as the sweat was pouring off my forehead and the guys from Halo had an excellent display model demonstrating the effectiveness of the sweatbands with their unique sweatblock seal.

Jack Rabbit Caps – These are lovely running caps that you can customise with a logo, slogan or name.

Bags and Armbands

Workplay Fleetfoot II – This is great little running pack. The shape is designed to accommodate the curvature of a woman’s hips. I’ve previously written a more comprehensive review of the Workplay Fleetfoot II bumbag.

Y-Fumble – This is a stretch arm pocket that will grow to accomodate most of your carrying needs – keys, cash or phone and at only £6 it makes a great stocking filler or secret Santa gift.

Books

Blood, Sweat and Tears – I downloaded this to my kindle last week and it has rapidly worked its way up to the top of my running books chart. It is easily the most enjoyable running book I’ve read to date. Moire is a fascinating character and I’ve really enjoyed following her exploits across the Wicklow Mountains. If you are ever so slightly inspired by crazy feats, gruelling multi-day mountain adventures and relentless doggedness you are going to enjoy this book. I’m already hoping for a sequel.

Ultramarathon Man – I’ve been recommending this for a long time. It was my first ultrarunning read and has started an obsession and a whole shelf of my bookcase has now been given over to the genre.

Born to Run – This book filled me with excitement and has obviously had the same affect on many others as it’s often cited as having inspired the worlds obsession with barefoot running. In parts it’s a hugely exciting tale of ultrarunning adventure, in others it’s an evangelical barefoot bible.

Running the Rift – it’s unusual to find a novel where running forms the major theme. This book tells the poignant story of Jean Patrick, a young Tutsi who has set himself the target of running for Rwanda in the Olympics.

Winter Gear

IceSpikes – I was quite excited by these. They are bolt like gadgets with sharp screw ends. You just screw them into the sole of your shoe and hey presto, you have an ice friendly outsole. They’re about £20 and come with a few spares and the tool for screwing them in. I’m going to turn one of my old pairs of running shoes into my standby ice runners and can’t wait to try them out.

Let me know if you think I’ve missed the perfect gift and I may be able to add it to Santa’s list.

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Top 10 iPhone apps for Runners

by warriorwoman on 23 October, 2012

I’ve previously written a Top Running App post but times move on and although some of the apps remain, my iPhone sports folder has been refreshed recently.

Here is my list of the Top 10 iPhone running apps, in no particular order.

Let me know if I’ve missed any gems.

1. Runmeter GPS Running Stopwatch – Abvio Inc.

There’s a huge array of GPS apps available and I have been guilty of writing them off as pointless battery drainers. I’m not sure if its the software that’s improved or the iPhone itself but I’ve been seriously impressed with Runmeter. In fact I often leave the Garmin Forerunner at home now and choose to run solely with Runmeter.

It is such an accomplished piece of software. It does the standard route recording as expected but has so many other intuitive extras.

Compare times against previous runs on the same route
Audible Pace or Interval reminders
Route following – download gpx from web, open via email and then follow the trail
Detailed analysis charts

2. VIA – Firebird Creative
This is a fairly new contender and I have recently reviewed VIA.

It is best described as an audible sat nav for runners (or walkers). It’s quite a novel app and with the latest update it has proved to be a really useful route planner. It was initially launched as a tool to get from A to C via B but now you can add so many via points that you can plot A to A circular routes via no end of twists and turns (well 15 at the moment).

Via App review.

3. Athlete’s Diary – Stevens Creek Software
Athlete’s Diary was on my original list and I think it’s one of those apps that rewards loyalty as it builds up a huge database of my sporting history.

On the face of it, Athlete’s Diary is a very simple training log. It’s not a GPS unit or step counter its just a training log. Some people will download this and feel a bit cheated, especially as its expensive but I’m a big fan. It rewards a little effort in set up and is incredibly customisable.

I’ve set up a number of keywords such as MaxHR, Weight, Shoe type etc so that I can filter by sport, event and then keyword. To me it has the feel of paper based training log with the benefits of a neat database so I can rapidly select all the entries for the Great North Run and see how my weight fluctuated for each or see all my times for the Bushy Park run.

It’s import and export features have meant I’ve been able to keep track of every run since I started in 2005 by selective imports from each and every system I’ve used to record runs in over the years.

4. Zombies, Run! – Six to Start
This is brilliant! If you run, you must get this.

I’m a huge a scaredy cat but there is nothing like the breath of a pack of half-deads to make you run faster.

Absolutely ace fun.

I posted a Zombies, Run! review in more eloquent detail earlier in the year.

5. LogMyTraining – F.M. Industries, Inc.
This used to be called HRM Log FM.

I use this for one reason only and that is to access detailed run stats from Garmin Connect. It syncs effortlessly and then I can view the garmin map, the lap by lap stats such HR and pace and display them all on custom charts.

6. RUNNING PACE CALCULATOR – Andrew Wayman
This is another simple app but it does its job better than most.

It’s a straight forward pace convertor and race time predictor.

You enter your time for a race or a custom distance and the app returns a screen with pace and speed conversions in metric and imperial and then on another screen it displays projected race times on the basis of your entry. It also provides a series of recommended training paces.

7. Mirror’s Edge™ – Electronic Arts
This is a bit of fun for rest days.

Probably the best running game I’ve come across and translates beautifully to the iPad or iPhone screen. For those who fancy themselves as urban runners.

8. AudioFuel Running Music + GPS Run Tracker – AudioFuel
The Audiofuel Running App offers something different to the standard GPS offerings. Audiofuel prepare running tracks that are perfectly suited to your running needs, providing a range of beats that target a specific cadence range.

Within the app you can select your skill range – beginner, intermediate and advanced which loosely equate to jogging, running and fast running and from there you can select either timed, interval or marathon sessions.

I’ve downloaded a selection of the shorter programs which are ideally suited to my mid week runs and my particular favourite so far is the Pyramid 180 interval training session which includes coaching – it’s a killer program but the beat and voice over is so inspiring that you can’t help picking up the intensity.

9. miCoach – adidas International, Inc.
This is one of the few apps that focuses on training plans. It’s a GPS recorder again but it’s selling point is it’s integration with the miCoach website that enables you to draw up detailed pace or heart rate specific training plans.

10. Nike+ Running – Nike, Inc.
Nike+ doesn’t need much of an introduction. This to me is all about social interaction and Nike just get it.

It’s simple, records you run, plays your music, keeps you motivated and lets you brag online.

I rarely use it but if you’ve invested in your social network you’ll probably love it.

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The Yale Keyless Lock for Runners

October 7, 2012

It’s not unusual for me to run with a backpack containing a single fruit sherbet and a bunch of keys. It may be a bit over the top but keys are a problem for runners. If I try to unthread the single front door key from the rest of the bunch I run the high [...]

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ViA – The Audible Route Planning app for Runners

September 19, 2012

Every once in a while I wake with hangover. If that isn’t punishment enough for a night of excesses I tend to also discover that the car isn’t in the drive as it was responsibly abandoned the night before and I’m now faced with collecting it. This has given rise to a whole new category [...]

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Hoka One One – Mafate 2 Review

July 30, 2012

When I first caught sight of these Hoka One One (Maori for “Fly Over Earth”) running shoes I thought they were a ridiculous gimmick but I shouldn’t underestimate my attraction to gimmicky items – I’ve worked my way through more than my fair share of weird shoes in 2012. It was the day after the [...]

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The Nike FuelBand Review

June 12, 2012

At first sight the Nike Fuelband appears to be little more than a black plastic wristband. If you explore further you’ll find a button, and on pressing you will discover an array of colourful LED lights. It’s quite cool and it tells the time (for a brief moment) but I’m not sure this level of [...]

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Gadgets

Long Walks and Gadget Melt Down

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iPhone 5 Runners Armband Reviews

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A Second Look at the Ki Fit Body Monitor

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IceSpike and Yaktrax for Snow Running

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