Testing time: this time it’s my first time out with the Inov-8 Race Ultra Vest Running Backpack to see how comfortable it is with water on (just the pouch rather than the two bottles). Seems OK with just a bit of rubbing at the neck; I’ll try cinching it up a bit more.
Gear
The first run with my new Garmin fenix 3 Sapphire which means new metrics and reports. Plus I need to do a quickie review at some point too.
The Garmin Forerunner 410 I use is still hopelessly under-reading from my footpod, so I’ll be recalibrating it back to 1000 and trying again. In the meantime, these readings are from the treadmill itself:
So Apple has today announced its new Apple Watch.
Now previously, I’d said I was going to get one when they came out, pairing it with my iPhone 6 to do all sort of smart watch stuff but with the added health and fitness features. But I’ve changed my mind.
Instead, I’ll be upgrading my Garmin Forerunner 410 to the new Garmin Fenix 3.
Why? Well the Apple Watch isn’t capable of acting as a standalone fitness device as it relies on a Bluetooth connection to your iPhone for WiFi (understandable) and GPS (no, just no). Add to that the battery life of the Apple Watch being “up to 18 hours” (yeah, right) as opposed to the Fenix 3’s 6 weeks (!) and it’s a no-brainer. On my run-commute, linkage to my iPhone 6 isn’t a problem, other than battery life for any devices, but on a fitness/general run, I don’t want to have to have the iPhone strapped to my arm. No, I’d rather rely on the watch’s own GPS noting my distance.
And the Fenix also links via ANT+ to my footpod, heart rate monitor and bike cadence to measure a range of metrics. And the Apple Watch isn’t even waterproof!
Price? Well like for like (ish) you’re looking at £899 for the Apple Watch and £450 for the Fenix 3 Sapphire. Half the price.
Well this is a tad infuriating. I ordered those AfterShokz Bluez 2 bone-conductor headphones through Amazon at the start of October with the order being handled by Millet Sports.
After an e-mail from them saying they were experiencing stock issues, I finally contacted them last week to see if they were actually going to supply them or should I cancel the order. They replied, apologising but cancelling the order anyway! Curses. That’s about 3 weeks lost.
So – again through Amazon – I ordered them from SimplyRun. And guess what? Despite the Amazon order saying they had stock, SimplyRun didn’t and instead cancelled by order last weekend. Poo!
Now as I was just about to write this update, I discovered that the Apple Store has them … allegedly!
We shall see. The fact that the UK website is unreachable at the moment and that the US site is suggesting they’re on backorder doesn’t make for much confidence.
“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”
– Alfred Wainwright
We shall see tonight: it’s been raining all day and I’m due to run home tonight. I’ve brought some small plastic bags with me tonight just in case to ensure my phones stay dry as the rucksack doesn’t claim to be waterproof (although being PU-coated ripstop nylon, it should at least be able to shrug off some rain).
Of more concern, though, are my thighs, mainly the left thigh which seems to be showing signs of an issue with one of the rectus femoris tendons being inflamed, sprained or torn: lots of pain in both thighs on Saturday but particularly when I touch the tendon area on my left one. I’ve rested them this weekend and Ibuprofen is my friend this afternoon.
Ah well! Wish me luck…
One of the issues I’ve always found with running is that by the time I’ve left the house in the morning, worked until well after 6pm and made my way home again, I don’t really fancy getting changed and heading out for a run, especially as that also means my partner won’t be eating until I get back from the run and I’ve showered/bathed (oh and uploaded my data to Garmin Connect, Fetcheveryone and MapMyRun, of course).
If it’s dry, I tend to walk home from work: just under 4km. So the conversation the other evening turned to combining the two with me running home instead. This concept – “run-commuting” – is gaining pace and a lot of people I saw on my walks home are already doing this.
Work is office based, with a strict dress code for all of us. It’s rumoured that there’s a shower on the 6th Floor in the ladies’ loos but if it is there it’s behind a combination lock! So running to work and changing once I get there isn’t an option, but as I’m usually last out, changing in my office into my running gear to run home is definitely do-able. I can leave the suit in the office and take it home the next day – I like to wear a different suit each day.
So that’s the plan that was hatched. I now just needed one or two additional bits of kit…
First off was the rucksack. I have a number of Kriega rucksacks for my motorbikes which are fabulous but probably too much and too heavy for running, plus they’re not designed for bouncing around on your back. So I did a little research and settled on an inov-8 RaceElite 16 rucksack. All I need to carry to work is my running gear and to home it’s my shoes, socks, shirt, tie, cufflinks, phones and wallet, so the 16 litre rucksack just about fits these in, along with a spare gel sachet on the strap.
inov-8 RaceElite 16
Once packed, it’s a case of cinching up the elastic straps to hold the contents securely to prevent bounce and you’re away. The chest strap is adjustable for height and girth and the waist strap can also be tightened during the run. There’s even a hole for an accessory water pouch if you need one – I don’t – or you can fit a 500ml water bottle in each wing pocket – I don’t.
In use over the 5km route home that I’d mapped out on MayMyRun.com the bag was great with very little bounce and it kept secure. Although it’s not waterproof, it was fine for the first time when it started throwing it down around 4km (just as I was passing my house for the first time before the final 1km). Talking of which, I was pleased I’d also bought myself an Ironman “Active” running cap which kept the rain out of my eyes and as it’s vented meant I wasn’t too hot at the same time.
Ironman “Active” Running Cap
Sadly, I let myself down with my iPod being completely discharged: I find I run better with music than without, as it drowns out the panting of the sweaty old bloke I am! Mind you, I’d also been thinking that as I was having to cross a couple of main roads on my way home, I could probably do with something else and I found an AfterShokz Bluez 2 Bluetooth headset that works by bone conduction:
“Unlike conventional Bluetooth headphones and earbuds that use the eardrums to transmit sound, Aftershokz Bluez headphones utilize patent pending bone conduction technology to deliver sound through the listener’s cheekbones to the inner ear. This enables anyone using them to make/take phone calls and stay connected to both what they are listening to and the outside world – from warning sounds outdoors while walking or driving to a nearby colleague in an office setting.”
That way the safety aspect of being able to hear what’s going on around me can coincide with listening to music. I just hope it drowns out the panting! We’ll see when they arrive. I’ll pair them with my iPhone 6 and listen to my music from that.
AfterShokz Bluez 2 Bluetooth Bone Conduction Headphones
You must be logged in to post a comment.