Gear Review / First Impressions: Garmin Fenix 2 Multisport Watch

First and foremost, I'd like to say that this review is not going to be a massively in depth review that details every nook and cranny of this watch.  There's simply no need to do that as it can all be found at Ray's blog - here. The DRRAINMAKER review.  He does an outstanding job, as always, of detailing out basically every feature, comparing it to other watches, and going so mind-numbingly in depth on a product that by the time you're done with the review - your work day is over and it's time to go home and you've accomplished nothing all day.  Thanks Ray.  =)

No, this review is going to be more about the watch in general, my impressions of it, how I've used it so far, how I think it will work for me, and some tidbits that I haven't seen on other blogs.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The first thing you notice about this watch right out of the box is that this isn't your typical triathlon / multisport watch.  Right off the bat, everything about this watch screams "Grow a beard, move to Siberia, live off the land, become a lumberjack, and run 75 miles a day!".  Aside from the picture of the ultra runner running straight up a mountain (quite literally), the watch itself is just extremely rugged and, excuse my French, badass.

The watch has an incredibly solid feel to it - and feels like it could take quite a beating and keep on ticking.

The unit comes with a heart rate monitor, some extra tools and goodies to replace parts on the watch strap, a charger, and an instruction booklet.

The watch, again, looks badass and has an extremely rugged feel.

View from the side which has the Start/Stop button (Red) and the Back button (black).

View from the other side with the Light, Menu/scroll up, scoll down buttons.

The strap on the watch gives a very "military grade" feel.

The back of the watch is solid - and the charging port is very easy to hook up.

USING THE WATCH:

The watch has a variety of multisport options which include trail running, running, swimming (indoor and outdoor), cycling (indoor and outdoor), navigation, climbing, and hiking - as well as some other modes that I'll never use (XC Ski, Ski/Board, etc).  You can go to the blog I mentioned above to get the run down on each of these modes - but I'll delve into how I've used the watch thus far.

As soon as the watch was out of the box - it was on my wrist and taken for a run.  Keep in mind, this was at 9 PM or so and I hadn't read the instruction manual (but I did read Ray's blog - which basically equates to the same thing).  So I turned the unit on - set it to Run - and off I went.

The first thing I notice is that the watch is a bit robust.  Not as much as the Garmin 310xt (which I previously used) or the 910xt - but the Fenix2 comes off as more of a "bigger watch".  It isn't a VCR on your wrist though - which is exactly what the other two triathlon offerings from Garmin were.

The buttons were extremely easy to access and the backlight was awesome for being able to see your progress during your workout.  In extremely dim lighting - it made the watch completely visible and easy to read.

The backlight on the watch is a thing of beauty.

After the run, I scrolled through the watch to check out what kind of data it records or doesn't record - and was quite surprised with the amount of running metrics it gives.  It uses the same platform as the Garmin 620 running watch - so you get cadence without a footpod, a detailed map of your route, and all of the normal stuff (distance, pace, elevation, speed, etc).

I have yet to upload any of my workouts to the computer - and I'll either update this post (or make a second review that's a bit more detailed on my thoughts).  Like I said before - I just don't see the need to get to into it with DCRainmaker having such a complete and thorough review.

I like the "circle timer" that gives you the progress when you bring up an old activity.

Example of the running metrics provided.

I've also used it for cycling and indoor swimming (but haven't taken any pictures of the device in those applications yet).  I will be putting it through its paces via open water swim next week.  With indoor swimming - the watch works basically just like the 910xt and Garmin Swim - giving all the swimming metrics you would ever want.  I didn't find much fault with that.  I'll be comparing the watch to my 310xt and a Garmin 220 (using one or the other in my swim cap) when I open water swim with it next week.  I'll put some of the results of those in a new post sometime in the future.

So far - this watch is nothing but positives (which one exception - which I'll note later).  I'm very happy with it and I think it's a complete multisport watch that surpasses the 910xt in nearly every way and can be considered one of the better running-only watches as well (it's somewhat slightly bulky profile is the only thing that holds it back in that regard).

Giving you an idea of the bulk of the watch.  Bigger than your typical running watch - but not the VCR that the 310/910 is.

Giving you an idea of the how the backlight illuminates things at night.

With that said, I have found one major flaw (for me) - and that is the lack of a quick release. I'm sure this will be remedied in the future (I don't see why one couldn't be made for this watch) but the lack of a quick release makes this watch difficult to use for cycling in a multisport environment.  One option that I've considered doing is stashing my phone in my flat kit on the bike and using the watch as a "live tracker" while on the bike (and using my bike computer for power data, etc).  This would allow me to swim with the watch and run with the watch without ever taking it off my wrist.  I haven't really decided yet.

So, in a quick summary - I like the watch.  A lot.  A whole lot.  I think it's the best watch for triathlon out there - especially if it gets a quick release.  

To conclude - here's a picture of my son dressed as a Ninja Turtle. =)

Race Report: Coaster Run 2014

I was pretty pumped to do this race - yet another great race put on by Renegade Racing - for a variety of reasons.  1)  It would be my first official race with my son (i.e. me pushing him in a stroller).  He was turning one a few days after that - so it had a bit of special meaning to me to be able to run this race.  2)  I've always wanted to do this race since I first heard about it.  The race is unique in that it goes through Knott's Berry Farm.  Besides the cool scenery, it also makes for a pretty technical and challenging course.

My running this year is finally starting to get back to where it needs to be, and I'm "nagging pain/injury" free - so I figured to do pretty well in this race.  Having not done a 10k with a stroller in awhile - I figured it would hamper my pace by a few minutes (it did on the last 10k I did with my niece).  So I was aiming to basically break 40 minutes and would be satisfied with that.

When we arrived that morning - there was a couple of things that would immediately work against me.  For one, it was raining.  Not an "armageddon" type of rain, but a light drizzle.  This posed a problem because it would make the surface through the park extra slippery - which would require great care when running through it.  It also presented a bit of a problem with puddles throughout the park.  Secondly, there was no stroller division.  Typically, in races where strollers are permitted, they start the strollers in a single place (usually at the very front as the first to go off or at the very end after everyone else already started the race).  This is done mostly for safety reasons I'd guess - although I never really understood the practice.  What this meant for me was that I would have to start in a normal corral, surrounded by people running without a stroller.  It also meant that "sandbagging it" to get an easy win (i.e. in a stroller division) just wasn't going to happen (this was my bigger concern - haha).

At the start of the race inside the first corral.

Being that there was no stroller specific division, I just hopped in to my designated corral (the first one) - which was set according to the estimated pace one would run the 10k at (which you gave at registration).  Now, I understand how incredibly impossible it is to enforce such a thing, but it was apparent as soon as I was in the corral that a lot of the people inside of the first corral shouldn't have been in there. That's not a huge deal in of itself - it just imposes delays for the faster runners in the corral.  With that said - I have no idea where the "cut offs" were in terms of placing people in specific corrals.  In any case, I knew the stroller was going to cost me a few minutes on my time and navigating around people was always going to be a part of that.  I ended up positioning myself in the back of the first wave - knowing that bullying my way up front would just be a dumb thing to do.

Other than that, the race start was actually really cool.  They had the Sheriff (who apparently is a character from Knott's Berry Farm) come out and fire off his gun to start.  My son (who thankfully was already awake) really enjoyed that - and off we went!

As you can see - it was difficult to navigate around the crowd when starting in the first corral. 

  

One of the highlights of this race (for me) was being able to go through the park by the roller coasters and exhibits.  This proved to not be a disappointment as it was completely refreshing to see a different backdrop while doing a race.  The other highlight was how technical the course was - with a ton of turns and out-and-backs which proved a challenge for any runner (much less someone with a stroller!).  That said, it was really fun to weave through the park.

I managed to pull away from the main group pretty quickly (right after getting out of the park), and began my chase to catch the leaders when I ended up in more of a straight away.  I was able to keep a pretty good pace with the stroller, and was very pleased in how well the Skora Fits worked in this weather.  They are such an incredible shoe - and were very fast even in these less than ideal conditions.

I don't always make faces at the camera - but when I do I make sure to throw a shaka and give the photographer the impression that I want him to call me.  =\  *sigh*

You can see in these two pictures the amazing backdrop of running through a classic amusement park.

I was able to make up some ground on people in the straight aways by the Buena Park mall (outside of the park) and finished under my 40 minute goal time.  I would have destroyed that goal time had I not been in a stroller (the associated challenges of dodging people in a stroller would have, more or less, disappeared - and I would have started in the front of pack).  With that said, I was pleased with my performance.

Since the 5k runners finished in the same place as the 10k runners - it was impossible to tell what place I was in.  I was guessing anywhere from 5th to 10th (there were at least 3 people I saw coming on the out-and-back on the way back from the mall - but I wasn't sure how many were ahead of them).

I ended up 5th overall and first place in my age group with a time of 39:38 - which was seconds within 3rd and 4th place.  

The finish line is where the good part comes into play.  Not only do you get a really cool finishing medal (with Snoopy on it!), but you also get a great big piece of Boysenberry Pie.  A rather delicious way to finish a race!

The finisher's medal was really cool.

Post-Race goofing around with Snoopy.

The awards ceremony, as always, was very well done by the folks at Renegade.  They do an incredible job in making people feel really special about achieving a podium spot.  You also get a pretty sweet mug and a giftcard to BJ's Restaurant.  I was stoked about both things!

My son and I at the awards ceremony.

On the way back to the car from the race with racing partner and our first place award!

All in all, this was an incredible race and will become an "every year race" for me.  I had a blast - and that was in the rain!  Everything was well done - from the tents and booths, to the course set-up, to the course support - there just isn't much more to ask for in a 10k race.  They did an outstanding job and anyone doing this race (or any of their races) in the future will NOT be disappointed.

Next up:  The Leprechaun Leap 5k in Tustin, Ca.  This is a super cool race that will hopefully prove to be just as unique as the coaster run, as this course is laid out through the blimp hangars in Tustin!  If you're interested in going - use code BRYAN10 to save a few bucks.

 

Review: Cobb Cycling JOF Fifty Five Saddle

I've used a bunch of saddles designed by Cobb Cycling (and by a "bunch" - I mean all of them).  They flat out work for me, and I've never experienced discomfort, numb pepis (man parts), or saddle sores.  All were somewhat common problems with other saddles and they simply vanished when I got on a Cobb Saddle (first the SHC 170, then the Vflow, then back to the SCH, then the Gen 2).

Being that I'm a pretty open minded person - I've tried a variety of other brands with little to no luck - so when I first saw the JOF 55 saddle online - I had mixed emotions.

The saddle's "wide back" threw me off initially when looking at it in online photos.

"Man, this looks a lot like the Adamo that didn't work for me"

"Holy cow - this saddle looks badass!"

"Looks kind of wide - doesn't that kill the point?"

"Holy cow - this saddle looks badass!"

Anyway, I knew that I had to give it a shot and see how it worked for me, but I had tempered expectations simply because it was different from the other Cobb Saddles I was currently riding.

So I finally got my grubby little mitts on one, and here's what I thought:

FIRST IMPRESSION:

The first thing I thought when I got the saddle was "JOF?"  "55?"  "WTF does that even mean?"

Well, JOF stands for "Just Off Front" - which describes how the saddle is intended to be ridden.  For many of us, this will mean "Junk Off Front" - which basically amounts to the same thing.  It's a train of thought with this saddle that incorporates a very tri-specific geometry (although I've seen lots of road riders - like the Haute Wheels Racing Team - have great success with this saddle in an aggressive road geometry).  The shorter nose of this saddle allows you to "scoot" further forward and still remain comfortable.

The "55" is the distance between the two prongs up front.  55 mm.  This is actually important for this of us who look at this saddle and think "Oh man, this is going to be different from the saddles I've become accustomed to".  It's actually not.  I was a "nose-rider" anyway on the old saddles - and the narrowness of this saddle up front (not that much wider than other Cobb saddles) made it so things were pretty similar.

View from above - you can see that it's not as "big" as the pictures make it seem.

FIT CHARACTERISTICS / RIDE IMPRESSIONS:

The first ride I put on the saddle was a 1 hour interval session on the trainer.  From just sitting on it, you immediately shift into your "sweet spot" and find where it's comfortable.  The time it takes to "get used" to how the saddle feels is extremely minimal.

One word of caution:  I was lucky enough to have my fitter tell me what adjustments to make when putting this saddle on.  Due to the height of the rails on the saddle, and the geometry, you likely will not put this saddle in the exact same spot as your old saddle.  It might take some tinkering on that end to get just right in terms of your fit.

The saddle "disappears" underneath you - which is perfect in my opinion.  I've had it on 4 hour long rides with no issues whatsoever.  It is extremely comfortable in the aero position, but just as comfortable if you sit up and scoot back to just chit-chat while riding.  

Sitting on the nose of the saddle, extremely comfortably.

As seen in the picture above - the JOF 55 is compatible with the Cobb Rear Hydration unit - which is an outstanding way to carry fluids / nutrition for long course racing or training (or any racing - as I use it in all my events).  

The saddle with the rear hydration system.  I use Arundel Mandible bottle cages - which I find to be the best carbon cages around in terms of holding bottles.

I would recommend this saddle to anyone looking for something different or for anyone who is having issues with discomfort, saddle sores, aero positioning due to the saddle, etc.  No single saddle is a universal fix - but I'd imagine that most people would be able to get this saddle to work for them very well.

For me, it's an outstanding saddle that will be a mainstay on my time trial / triathlon bike.

The TT bike with the Cobb JOF 55 on it.

Go to Cobb Cycling JOF 55 to purchase or find them at any of your local Cobb retailers.

Race Review: ITryathlon (Spring Edition)

The first triathlon of my 2014 season kicked off with the ITryathlon Sprint in Laguna Nigel, Ca.

This is another really good race put on by the good folks over at Renegade Racing and is a perfect race to get back in the swing of things for the upcoming season.

The race consists of a 5k run, 10 mile bike, and 175 yard swim - in that order.  Reverse triathlons with short swims tend to favor me (since I'm a fairly fast runner and a poor swimmer) - so I was excited for a good result going into this race.

PRE RACE:

The race started at 7:00 am - which wouldn't be a problem but a portion of the freeway was closed for construction (we should have checked).  What this ultimately meant was that we arrived to the race with approximately 5 minutes to get our stuff checked in and get over to the run start.

Not fun.

This presented a slew of problems for me (race-wise).  First, when you start at the back of a run like the one that started this triathlon - you are literally starting behind the 8-ball.  There's no way to push your way to the front (unless you just want to be a total ahole about things, which I'm not) and you're guaranteed to lose time on your 5k right off the bat because you are starting so far back (weaving between people, having to slow down due to the masses of slower runners, etc).  Second, just the general stress from rushing just to get to the start line is bound to affect your performance.

All of that said, there's no one to blame but myself for being late.  I will say that the people at Renegade did an outstanding job at having everything set up perfectly for a quick packet pick-up process (say that ten times fast).  We were in an out of there in no time.  The volunteers at the packet pick-up booth were great!

THE RUN:

I started the run at the very back of the group at the start line.  The race had around 400 to 450 people from my guess (which included people only doing the 5k), and the 5k start "bottlenecked" into an area that fit about 15 people wide shoulder to shoulder.  If you weren't near the front of the pack - it dramatically reduced your time.

I'm normally an 17:45ish 5k guy for my races and I ended up with 19:19.  In large part, in my mind, to dodging people.

Again, whose fault is this?  100% mine.  That said, I was still rather pleased with my run.  It was my first race with my Skora Phases and I'm really impressed with how fast of a race shoe these are.

The run course itself is wonderful.  It goes through a very nice and scenic route through Crown Valley Community Park - which is a great park in Laguna Niguel, Ca.

At the start of the race you can see how crowded it was.

I found myself running far to either side, weaving in and out of people trying to get open on the run.

Things opened up a bit once I got in front of the main pack.  You can see how nice the run course was in this photo.

I began passing people pretty quickly once I got going.

THE BIKE:

Coming in from the run - the transition area was really nice.  I was able to get unracked and out pretty quickly.  Somehow, one of my shoes had been knocked off my bike, so that was a bit of an issue (which slowed me down) but wasn't too bad.

The bike was a two loop 10 mile (total) course.  Very fast with a couple of small hills and some turns which required a bit of attention, but nothing too nasty.

On a couple of the turns, you would have to hop out of the aero position.

Coming right off the bike, I began passing most everyone who got into T1 ahead of me.  I wasn't biking overly hard but I only got passed by one person (and that was someone who I previously passed on the first lap).  All in all, a decent bike.

The bike course itself was done beautifully.  It was wide open with plenty of room when things got crowded.  This was the perfect way to do a looped course.

The bike leg was, however, not without its faults.  There was a slew of volunteers (people in yellow shirts) who were standing in front of the signs on the "bike in" and a bunch of people standing in the road where the turn was supposed to happen to head to transition.  From what I understand (with talking to people after the race), there were other volunteers constantly moving them out of the way - but when I came through (along with 3 other people) - they were there which caused us to overshoot the "bike in".  We were not the only ones, as there are a handful of people (further back on the results list) that also do not have bike splits - which indicates this was an ongoing problem during the race.  I don't think this "killed" my time by any means - but it definitely caused me to lose a minute or two.  Again, my fault for not just stopping and moving my way in (or running over helpless volunteers) - but it is what it is.

Lots of room to pass people on the bike course - which made the ride pleasurable.

THE SWIM:

The run up to the swim was pretty lengthy - which is actually quite funny when you rack your bike and head up there.  You run up and around the pool area, and then through the pool entrance all the way to the far end of the pool where the swim begins.  Lots of people were complaining about this - but I thought it was kind of different and cool.  It was a neat thing for the course and probably the only way it could really be done in terms of location - so it was a plus in my eyes.

Once you got to the edge of the pool, you jumped in and would swim one length on the 25 yard pool, go under the lane ropes (with no kicking off the wall) and then swim back and so on and so forth until you arrived at the end of the last lane and hopped out through the finish line.

As I came to the pool, I saw seven people in the water and hopped in.

GERONIMO!  Yes...I'm plugging my nose.  Yes, I'm lame.  

I actually had a pretty damn good swim for me all things considered.  My stroke felt good, I was gliding pretty well, and going faster than I thought I would (I'm normally around ~2:00/100 as a swimmer).  Finish time was 3:41 for 175 yards - which isn't too shabby for me considering there was a brief pause every 25 yards for me to get under the lane ropes and start swimming again.

The finish line was rather uneventful (it was in a pretty compact area).  You hopped out of the pool and then across the finish line, received your medal, and then were directed to a "refreshment tent" down by the transition area.

All in all - it was a very fun race that I enjoyed quite a bit.  There were a couple of snags - but nothing major and nothing that hampered the fun.  I DO question the results a bit, as I had people finish ahead of me who I passed on the run and the math just doesn't make sense when I do their times in comparison to mine.  That said, it's not a huge deal.  I finished 4th in my age group - which is a decent result for me (I'll take it considering two people in my age group were in the overall winners).

My wife also did the triathlon, as did two of my brothers-in-law and my sister-in-law.  It was a fun event for all of us and we all had a good time.  I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking to do a beginner friendly triathlon.

My wife and I post race.

Me and the steed.  :)

Next up on my race list is a 10k stroller race at The Coaster Run at Knott's Berry Farm.  That's this Sunday and should be a fun one.  After that, I'll be doing a 5k at the Leprechaun Leap race in Tustin - which should be a good "top end" run speed test for me leading up to the Leadman Tri Marquee in April.

I'll be volunteering at the ITryathlon in August - which is a women and youth only event.  My wife might be doing that one, and there's an outside chance that my son will even be doing a kid's run depending on how well he's walking/running by then.

Shoe Review: Skora Fit

I received these shoes ahead of their release date due to being a part of the Skora Ambassador program.

I first heard of the shoe last year and details were sketchy at best.  There was this beautiful shot of a demo model at a running shoe expo, however:

Skora Fit

Loving the "burnt orange" color scheme - this shot had me salivating and wanting more info.

Fast forward to this past week or so where I finally have gotten my hands on a pair and I can make my review super short, super quick by saying this:

"The Skora Fit is a game changer on the minimalist shoe market.  It's far and away the best minimalistic shoe I've worn for daily training and consistent racing."

That's the super short version.  The short version is that I like the shoe a lot and it's going to be the main thing that's on my feet day to day in training and in races.  I've put almost 80 miles total on them now, and feel I have a pretty good grasp at what this shoe is all about.  In short, it's durable, feels great, light weight, responsive, and looks pretty damn good too.  To top this off, it's slated to sell for under $100 (although I don't have any details on the final MSRP) - so pretty cheap for what you get as well.

Now, on to the more detailed review:

The side view of these shoes is really slick.

Shoes from the top.

The first thing you notice about the shoes is the upper.  It has a metallic material that I don't know the exact name of - but it's super flexy and reflective.  When you feel the shoe in your hands, you can feel how flexible it is - but it isn't flexible in a way that you question the durability of the shoe.

Besides - it looks super cool.

The upper is completely unique, and really looks cool.

Putting them on - you can immediately tell where the name of the shoe came from.  The Fit does just that.  It fits.  The asymmetrical lacing system really hugs your foot, and the padding in the heel tightens just perfectly once you tie the laces down.  This padding is soft - and eliminates the risk of "rubbing" which caused sores and blisters on the Phase (which was my only complaint about that shoe).

The lacing system on this shoe is really spot on.

The cushy material on the interior of the heel provides a comfortable fit.

On the Phase - the hard material on the rear of the shoe would cause blisters and sores on my heels where it went from hard material to softer material.

The Fit also has a wide toebox (pretty standard with Skora shoes), which allows to plenty of toe splay when running.  This gives the shoe a "roomy" feel but does not compromise the secure fit of the shoe.  It really if a perfect combination.

One of the first things I noticed about the shoe when taking it for a run was that the cushioning on the shoe is a bit more substantial than some of the previous Skoras I've worn.  This is a good thing.  It's still minimalistic for sure - no one is going to mistake this shoe with your Hokas or standard running shoe - but it has enough cushion that you can put some serious training miles in them and not have to worry about any injury or foot issues that some people experience when running in really low cushion shoes.  

Exterior of the shoe to get an idea of the cushioning

For people who prefer a much lower profile, you can always remove the sole on the inside and run without that.  Unlike a lot of shoes, when you do this - there is still a "built-in sole", not a barebones hard shoe.  This allows for a comfortable ride and a lower profile, lower cushion feel - if that's what you're after.

The shoe beneath the sole.  Still comfortable and able to be worn without socks.

The feel of these shoes is top notch - there's simply no other way to put it.  I was able to slide them on and immediately take them out for my scheduled 14 mile run with no issues at all.  The shoe is incredibly responsive and has a great toe-off (as do most Skora shoes).  It's lightweight and fast, but at the same time gives you the feeling that it's not going to fall apart on you with abuse.

Which is absolutely true, after putting 6 days of hard running on these shoes (~80 miles or so), they look nearly new with 0 wear on the tread of the shoe.

Outside of a few scuffs - the shoe is practically brand new.

I could see these shoes lasting a very, very long time and I'm stoked to have them.  I'll be wearing these in most of my races - adding an elastic lacing system to them for triathlon use.  This is a fast shoe that can be worn in just about any distance - up and beyond marathon.

They're due to release sometime in late February.  I'll update this blog with more details when the time comes.

In the meantime, you can see that my son approves of them:

kid can't even walk yet and he's taking my shoes already.

Check them out at Skora Running and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

A New Year - Goals, Upcoming Races, and Misc Stuff

I've never been a fan of looking back for reasons outside of critiquing my performance to figure out what I can get better at.  2013 was a good year for me (endurance sports wise) but could have been a lot better, but other - more important things - took a foothold in my life (birth of my son, family, etc) which pushed training and racing back quite a bit.  No excuses, and I wouldn't change a thing - and I'm incredibly happy with how 2013 turned out.

Regardless, I think there is a lot I can improve upon for 2014 and it will be an interesting year crunching my training plans in with other commitments.  I have a busy race schedule planned for this year, and it will be fun to see how that plays out.

For 2014, I'll be racing for the Big Sexy Racing Triathlon Team and the Cobb Mobb Grassroots Team.  Hopefully I can represent these to the best of my ability - as there are a lot of great athletes I can draw inspiration from on both teams.

I have also picked up a couple of ambassadorships, with X-1 Audio and Skora Running.  Both are products I used on a regular basis and I'm glad to be an athlete representing them in my 2014 races.  X-1 Audio (formally H20 Audio) makes the best headphones available for the endurance athlete.  There simply isn't another real option if you want headphones that you can use on land and water.  Skora running shoes are perfect shoes for me.  Very low profile, lightwight, and unimpeding on the foot (allowing me to run naturally) are qualities that make them a perfect shoe for my running style.  Both products are already a staple in my training, and will be a mainstay for me in the future and beyond.

2013 brought other ambassadorships to the table and I'm happy to continue my relationship with those companies.  Headsweats - a product I cannot run, train, or race in without, EnduroPacks - monthly nutrition delivered right to your door, and Renegade Race Series - whom I will be doing a litany of local races for throughout 2014.  All of these companies are top notch outfits and I'm excited to continue working with them for the upcoming racing year.

I've already pretty much filled my race schedule for 2014 and set appropriate goals for it.  My (very busy) schedule so far:

Jan 19 - PV Aquathlon
Feb 9 – ITry Sprint Triathlon
Mar 2 – Coaster Run (10k)
Mar 29  - PCRF Reaching for the Cure Half Century (50 Mi cycling)
Mar 30 – PCRF Reaching for the Cure Half Marathon (13.1 Mi)
Apr 13 – Leadman Epic Tempe (125k Triathlon)
May 17 – Xterra San Dimas Offroad Triathlon
May 26 – Laguna Hills Half Marathon (13.1 Mi)
Jun 22 – Dina LaVigna Olympic Triathlon
Jul 26 – Vineman Full Distance (140.6 Triathlon)
Sep 21 – Ironman Lake Tahoe (140.6 Triathlon)
Nov 2 – Surf City Triathlon (70.3 Triathlon)
Dec 7 – North Face Endurance Challenge (50 Mi)
TBA:  (Oct) F1 Double Super Sprint Triathlon
TBA:  (Nov) San Dimas Turkey Tri

There will probably a couple of additional running events added to that list, and I might give the Nadadores Open Water Championships another go this year - but that's more or less the schedule for 2014.  There is a slight potential for doing the LA Marathon as well (which might knock an event or two off the list if it happens) but that all depends if I end up with a comped entry or not.

My goals:

Generic:  Finish with a few podiums and get an overall win.  Get my swim times down.
Specific:  Break 2:05 in an Olympic distance, Get a belt buckle at Leadman Tempe, finish top 5 in my Age Group at Vineman.

Some interesting things for this season include full distance races within each other - and an offroad triathlon (which will be my first official Xterra race).  I'm excited for the new challenges and think I have a very good plan this year to be successful in every race I compete in.

The good thing is that I'll be able to get my run training in without too much of a hassle because my son is now big enough to actually go running with (as in - I can put him in the stroller without too much of a worry about him bouncing around).  So I'm stoked for that (and hopefully he is too!).

He's getting so big, so fast.  Look at those toes!

With 2014 already off to a start, I did a small, local aquathlon last weekend.  Ended up almost dead last out of the swim (par for the course), but came roaring back on the run to finish 3rd with a 47:18 split for 8.5 miles (hehehe fish can't run I suppose).  My swim was utterly horrible, however, so my bragging comes to screeching halt right there.  

Just a subtle reminder that there's a lot of work to do this year to reach my goals.

Beautiful course.  I'd love for their to be a full fledge tri here someday.

Product Review: Headsweats Supervisor

Sometimes, some things are so obvious and apparent that they go unnoticed.

That's how I feel when I ask myself why I haven't done a review of a product that I've used (near daily) for years now.  On 100% of my training runs, oftentimes backwards on the trainer, in races, on paddleboards, and oftentimes just around town - I can be found wearing a Headsweats visor more often than not.

FOREWARNING:  I am in the Headsweats ambassador program - so this is will obviously be a positive review (why would I be an ambassador for a product I didn't like?).  However, I have to say that I went to Headsweats to apply for this program (since I used the product daily and truly believed in it) and was absolutely stoked to get accepted to it.  So, with that said, please realize that while I an ambassador for this product - it is a product I've used for years (well before I became an ambassador or even knew that they had a program) and would give a stellar review of anyway.

My backstory:  When working out, I've ALWAYS been a sweater.  A very heavy sweater.  An extremely heavy sweater.  It was to the point where sweat would get into my eyes, sting, and inhibit my run.  That badly.

It was like rain whenever I did anything active.

I tried nearly everything.  Headbands, bandannas, hats, etc - and nothing seemed to work - I still had sweat pouring down on my face, getting into my eyes.  It made running a miserable experience (although that didn't stop me).

My solution came one day when I got a free piece of race SWAG in a goodie bag for a half marathon I was doing.  It was a Headsweats visor.  I remember slapping it on, using it on my run, and being shocked at how dry my face generally was.  It was the solution to my problem!

And it's been the solution ever since.  Since then, I've owned COUNTLESS visors from Headsweats and used them near daily on all of my runs and races.  The only time I am not wearing one in a race is if it's a short enough race that I won't be sweating much (i.e. a one mile race) or if it's a triathlon and I've forgotten it in transition (some of the shorter tris that I might be in).

On the run portion of a triathlon with a Headsweats visor

In any case, it's a product I truly believe in and feel would be a benefit to anyone who is active.  Not to mention that, but they look pretty cool too!  Anywho, on to the review:

As with all my reviews - I use what I call CCPP - "Crappy Cell Phone Pictures".  I feel this does two things:  1)  it gives readers a look at the actual item in lieu of the showcase photos that you see on manufacturer's websites and 2) it's incredibly easy for me rather than setting up lighting and begging my wife to take photos.

For this review, I elected to use the plain white visor in an effort to illustrate the visor itself (without logos from a race, fancy lettering or triathlon logos, or anything else taking attention away from the product).

There's several features I love about this visor (and pretty much all of Headsweats visors):

Elastic Band -  This is one of the best features you'll see on the visors (and some of the hats) Headsweats makes.  What makes this so good is that it allows a customizable fit - regardless if you have a gigantic melon for a head like I do - or if you have a normal sized head like my wife does.  Unless you're Beetlejuice (when his head got shrunk), these visors will fit you and fit you comfortably.  The elastic does a very good job in stretching to just the right distance to create a perfect fit for your head, which equates into comfort.  Oftentimes, you won't notice that the visor is even on your head - which means it's doing its job perfectly.

Elastic band offers a wide range of adjustability.

The elastic is pretty durable as well.  I get quite a bit of usage out of a visor (even if I run in one specific visor and do not switch them out).  Over extended, extended periods of time (as in - a visor that I used on its own for six months, shelved, and then brought out for a run a year after the fact) - I've noticed that the visor does have a tendency to stretch a bit.  Not enough to render the visor useless - but enough for it to be noticeable.  However, keep in mind that this was one visor (and I have dozens), so that definitely hasn't been the norm.

Visor Material - The material on the "head" of the visor is comfortable against the forehead - to the point where you don't even notice that it's there (which is a good thing).  Even after long hours of wicking away sweat - it's still comfortable and doesn't scratch or irritate the forehead.

The exterior of the visor is made from a durable material that doesn't scratch or tear easily.  Most of my visors look pretty much new - even after a ton of use.  I think this is a testament to just how well made these visors are.  

Outside of the durability - the visor just flat out looks cool.  

Functionality - The visor is extremely functional.  Most of the visors I have have some form of reflective accents on them - which is pretty useful when running.  Anything to make myself more visible is a plus in my book. 

In addition, the brim is positioned in a way that allows the visor to be ridden with a low profile while still wearing eyewear (sunglasses, prescription, etc).  This is extremely important for me - as eye wear is a must for me on any race over 10k.

Just the right amount of coverage and still remains low profile.

The Headsweats logo embroidered.

Reflective accents can be found across the visor.

I would rate this visor as a "must have" for any endurance athlete.  I find I use mine daily on nearly every run that I do, and oftentimes I'll throw one on backwards while riding my bike trainer in my garage.  I've also worn these backwards on runs to hold a headlamp in place if I'm doing a long distance trail run and the sun isn't quite out yet.  The band works perfect for that.

Headsweats created the perfect solution to control sweat for the endurance athlete.  I would highly recommend this, or any of their other products (they make some pretty sweet cold weather beanies and some nice hats too).

Check them out at the Headsweats website and use code LAMB25 for 25% off of your order.

Headsweats Performance Beanie.  Great for chilly morning runs.

Baby approved!