A day of Chocolate in Zurich

After a long string of flights originating from St. John’s, Newfoundland, and visiting both Halifax and Montreal on our three-province tour, we finally arrived in Zurich, Switzerland.

And while our stay in Zurich would be brief – only 16 hours – we aimed to make the most of it.  We spent the first few hours waiting for the sun to rise and the weather to warm up, so we occupied that time with the only logical thing to do: Sleep.

After catching up on a couple hours of missing sleep we ventured to the airport train station and deciphered the scrolling board for the correction option to get downtown.

Soon, we were on board for the short 8 or so minute journey to Zurich’s main train station.  You may remember I made a similar airport trip the city last year when I had a layover in Zurich.  The only difference is last time it was nice and sunny out during summer.  This time?  Cold as crap.  When we landed it showed some –20*C, which…well…is cold.

And, because our ultimate destination is anything but cold, we didn’t really have (on purpose) any deep-cold clothing.  Kinda like our short Beijing layover last year, we figured we’d be able to make due for the day.  But, like last year, we quickly realized that the need for gloves was high.  So we found some cheap ones, except, they had little bow-ties on them.  From a manliness standpoint, I simply can’t have small gloves with bowties on them.  Luckily, The Girl was able to pull out some kung-fu nail clippers and depart with the bowties.

With the bowties dealt with, we bee-lined to the most important type of store in Zurich: The Chocolate Shops…or chocolatier’s.

The amount and varied types of chocolates in the store is really astounding.  But don’t worry, we carefully evaluated many many kinda before ultimately choosing our bag…err…bags…filled of chocolates.

The only problem with buying from one chocolate shop, is that not long later you’ll stumble into another chocolate shop:

This cycle ultimately repeats itself over and over – so you’ve gotta show some restraint.  The best way to do that is go visit some churches.  And thankfully – there are tons of them here.

Even little miniature ones:

With the snow on the ground, virtually everything in the city becomes rather picturesque.

Being so cold out, you’re attention is generally focused on finding warm places…which just happens to usually be places that serve food.

Not wanting to miss out on the Switzerland eating experience, we found ourselves near the dinner hour and staking out places to eat.  Initially we were going to get Fondue, but the place that had been recommended to us was half-way across the town and didn’t open for another hour.  So we settled on a different place that focused on primarily meat items, generally from the region.  All was most definitely good here though!

After dinner, we made our way back down the Christmas light lined main street back towards the train station.  Of course, with the incredibly silent street cars running, you had to be careful you didn’t end up a hood ornament.

No worries though, we made it back to the station successfully – albeit still rather cold.  We pretty much felt like this fountain:

And with that, we caught a train back to the airport, grabbed our bags and headed off for the second redeye flight in a row.  This time…to much warmer destinations.

A hands-on look at the FINIS Swimsense Performance Monitor

While my pool time has been severely restricted lately with all the international travel, I did get a short opportunity to jump into the pool with the Swimsense while up in Newfoundland.  For those not familiar, Swimsense is like having a Garmin fitness watch…but in the pool.  It counts laps, sets, strokes and splits while you ping back and forth between the walls.  But, the real meat of the watch is your ability to then download all that data to the online site and training log.

But before we get into the data pieces, let’s take a look at the key parts that make up the system.  First, we have the unit itself, along with the charger:

The charger uses a simple and standard USB cable to download your data from the watch via the cradle to your computer – identical to a cable used for a digital camera or USB hard drive.

The watch itself is actually fairly slim, albeit a bit wider than I would have expected.  But it’s roughly in line with other fitness watches out there, albeit not quite as small as some of the other lap counters out there.  Below compared to the Garmin FR210.

You may be asking yourself what makes this lap counter different than some of the others that have been around for a while.  Well, the biggest and more critical differentiator is Swimsense’s ability to download workouts.  Without this, it would in many ways be just another lap counter.  You’re also able to update firmware on the watch as they make improvements (they’ve already released one update in just the past few weeks).  And in the future, they plan to offer an AppStore like concept which would allow downloadable apps onto the watch (no, not Angry Birds, but swim specific stuff like workouts and the like).

As for swimming with it (yes, you know, the activity you’re supposed to do during the winter), I found it pretty dead simple.  The user interface is in line with any easy to use watch (something that’s actually somewhat rare in the swim counter world).  I normally swim with a small wrist-watch, so the concept of having a watch on my wrist doesn’t bother me (despite being sacrilege to true swimmers).

While the watch is generally easy to read underwater – it’s not super-easy to read the distance during the wall push-off.  Some watches I have I can read the time during the push off with a slight twist of my wrist, but this one required more wrist twisting. Not a huge deal, but worth mentioning.

Also worth mentioning is that the watch easily adapts to smaller wrists as well, such as The Girl’s:

Swimsense can track everything from length swam to the strokes you’ve taken per length.  And, best of all you can create sets or laps, allowing you to easily analyze it all later on – just like you would with any other downloadable fitness device.

Perhaps one of my favorite features is that when you’ve got the unit ‘paused’ (such as during a rest at the wall), it reverses the screen colors (black/white).  Whereas when you’re supposed to be swimming, the background goes back to being not-black.  Sounds simple, but it helps you to ensure that the watch is recording.

Once you’ve finished up the swim, it’ll show overall totals on the unit.  But you can also drill down within a history menu on the watch and see per-set information as well.

(Hey, no laughing at the low total – I had exactly 35 minutes before the pool closed…and that included taking all these photos and videos…plus, I forgot to press start once, so I lost some yardage there).

After you get back to your computer, you get the Swimsense watch all snuggled up next to the cradle and get the software downloaded to your computer.  It only takes a moment to install the Adobe AIR based software suite, which is compatible on multiple platforms including Windows and Mac.  This is called the Swimsense Bridge and is the main conduit between your watch and the Internet.

Once installed, you’re able to go ahead and download completed workout with just the click of a button:

The watch itself holds 14 workouts, and once you download the workout to your computer and upload it to the site, it’ll clear it from the watch.  Note that with the 14 workouts, you can easily accommodate 2-3 hours per workout and still be fine.  Essentially, it would allow a competitive swimmer with two 2-3 hour workouts per day to go a week without downloading.

Additionally, if a firmware update is pending, it’ll go ahead and make a note of that – though you aren’t forced to download it immediately.  I did though after I uploaded my workout, and the process was quick and easy – took mere seconds.

Once you’ve got the workout uploaded to the free Swimsense site, it allows you to break down the sets and workout into a million little chunks.

For example, I can drill down into a specific set (think of them like intervals) and look at my stroke rate or times per lap.  Not just per set – but actually each individual lap within that set.  Pretty sweet!

Below is an example of showing one full interval of 200 yards, comprised of eight lengths, which you can see are labeled along the bottom of each graph, showing you detail per length.

Going into more depth you can see below where I’m now showing just one specific lap (25y) within a set/interval.  On the timeline view (upper of the two images below), you can see how I’ve select a given lap, and that corresponds to the set below (marked int-2).

While the site is great as a standalone application, I’m really looking forward to the Training Peaks integration coming in January.  At that point, it’ll ensure that all my data from all three activities is being stored in a single location, making for pure data goodness.

Based on my brief time with the Swimsense thus far – I’m really looking forward to it becoming a mainstay in my swim bag, especially if I can get the data seamlessly flowing from me to my coach via Training Peaks – as that’s the my goal.  I’m also interested in seeing how looking at cumulative data over time in areas like stroke count per lap compared to lap splits pans out for me, hopefully with the goal of improving my swim times (after all, that’s why we swim…right?).

Over the next month I’ll get more hands on experience with the trial unit sent to me, and be able to put together a full in depth review.  In the meantime, feel free to use this post to ask any questions about the unit, and I’ll be happy to answer them here.

The Swimsense can be picked up either directly from their site, or via Amazon, for $199.

Updated Note: I’ve since completed a full Showcase Showdown between the FINIS Swimsense and the Pool-Mate Pro – check out that post here.

A Newfoundland Christmas

As I’ve come to realize over the past few months, that when going to Newfoundland (home of The Girl), the journey is half the battle.  I’ve yet to experience a trip there free of flights being dorked up, and this was no exception.  Thankfully, I had planned for the worst and had a few backup plans and flights, which were enacted to get me there not too much later than planned.

Once I arrived, the second part of the battle would become not eating everything in sight.  That’s because everything was just so good!

First off, we started with Newfoundland Surf and Turf aka Lobsters and Moose.  You may remember my first foray into moose this past summer.  And of course, everyone loves lobster.  In addition to the awesome moose steaks and whole lobsters, The Girl made a fresh risotto from wild mushrooms that The Girl’s Dad had picked a few months prior.  All around awesomeness here!

(The Girl’s Dad, working on The Moose)

Of course, the moose didn’t stop there.  Moving onto Christmas Eve there was moose pie (awesome!) and moose sausages.  Here’s the pie (savory, not sweet):

But it’s not technically all about the moose in Newfoundland.  It’s really all about The Meat.  And The Meat they do:

Which…eventually ends up like this Christmas dinner:

Now you may notice that little Nutcracker hanging out back there behind my plate.  The key item in this picture is that you only notice just one.

That’s because, in reality – there are far more than just one guarding the house.  Hundreds in fact.  No really, more than 300 of them are around at every corner.  For example, on the tree:

Or a small side table:

Or shelf at eye level:

It’s really rather impressive, considering they’re almost all different – not really any duplicates that I saw.

And, for better or worse, they always seem to be guarding the food.  For example, I went to get a cupcake, and found these guys there:

Or, this guy – who even wields a knife should you try and touch the butter.  He’ll take a chunk outta ya.

And these guys here – they’re keepers of the vino.

Ya know…I’m starting to see a trend.  In fact, I never saw any guarding any healthy foods like green beans or potatoes.  Hmm…

As for the outside, we actually spent very little time outdoors.  This was due to the nonstop rain, fog and 30-50MPH winds that pretty much kept it look like this – or far worse – the entire time:

Thus, there was a lot of these eaten:

And a lot of gambling occurred:

That all made for a great four day trip up north.  It was nice to relax a bit and just eat…well…and gamble…and eat again.

Oh, and there were Christmas presents of course, under the perfectly decorated tree:

But just a few hours after the last of the Christmas food was cleaned off the plates, both The Girl and I were boarding a plane again…this time, on our long awaited vacation.

More to come!

So you just gotta Garmin Fitness watch? Start here.

A whole lot of ya just got new Garmin Forerunner’s and Edge devices over the last few days, so I figured what better way to get you all kick-started into the world of GPS running devices than a consolidated post of all the best ‘How-to’ posts for getting the most from your Garmin Device. 

First up, ensuring you're showing the right fields…

1) Getting the lay of the data fields

You’ve got TONS of data at your disposal now – perhaps too much, but which data fields should you show, and which ones just cause confusion?

I put together this detailed post on every data field offered, and which ones I use, as well as why.  Others have chimed in with their favorites as well:

Choosing your Garmin Device Fields

2) Training Indoors with your new Garmin

There’s a lot of you along the Atlantic seaboard right now who might be a wee bit stranded inside due to snow, so what better way than to inaugurate your Forerunner or Edge on the treadmill or trainer?

You can do an amazing amount of stuff inside with it, if you just spend a brief moment to configure it.  Here’s how to get the most when you’re stuck indoors:

How to train indoors with your Garmin

P.S. – If you managed to make it outdoors into the snow, but only to ski…well…use this guide instead. :)

3) Burning off all those Christmas Calories…and getting accurate calorie burn numbers

So, you just finished up the statistical 3,000-5,000 calorie Christmas Day grazing – but don’t worry…so did I!  Assuming you’re planning on trying to work some of that off, you’ll probably be wondering how to get your Garmin to tell you how many calories you’ve burned.

The good news is that the setup for calories is easy…even if the hard work outdoors or in the gym isn’t:

How calorie measurement works on your Garmin

4) Choosing which software to use

By default your Garmin Forerunner or Edge device comes with free access to Garmin Connect, as well as a bit of older software that you can load onto your PC or Mac called Garmin Training Center.  While Garmin Connect is a good starter piece of software, it lacks any detailed analysis capabilities.  Thus, I recommend a few different options instead:

A) Sport Tracks 3.0 – This is free for up to two plug-ins, or $35 for the paid version.  It’s downloadable to PC’s only, but has an incredible range of functionality.  I wrote up a review on ST3.0 back a few months ago when it came out.

B) Training Peaks – I use this as my day to day training log, as it offers a good balance between usability and functionality.  I can drill down pretty deep in data – but also get data from other devices such as my Withings WiFi scale (note: ST integrates there as well).

C) Golden Cheetah – This free application is primarily targeted at cyclists, and ideal for the Edge devices.  It’ll analyze your power data and more, to degrees you never considered possible.

There’s of course a ton more options out there, but these are my favs, mostly because they’re tried and true.  As a minor side note, I do recommend that if you have a Forerunner device that uses the ANT+ agent (wireless), to configure it to upload all activities to Garmin Connect automatically.  That way, in case something ever happens, you have a copy there – even if you never use it.

5) Understanding how those things in outer space actually see where you are

For the geeks around these parts, I’ve got a few posts that talk to both accuracy of GPS fitness devices, as well as how elevation data works with GPS devices.

Understanding Sport Device GPS Elevation Issues

Sport Device GPS Accuracy In Depth – Part I

Sport Device GPS Accuracy In Depth – Part I

6) Creating workouts and race plans, and then downloading them to your Garmin

You know what’s probably one of the cooler features of the Garmin devices that doesn’t often get as much ‘press’?  The ability to have it continuously yell at you until you follow your workout plan.  Yup, it’ll do that.  Even in a race.

Here’s how to setup workouts that your Garmin will execute and you just follow along:

How to download workouts to Garmin devices (all training devices)

And, if you’re looking to follow a route, you can follow this guide as well:

How to create courses and maps for your Garmin Forerunner or Edge

7) Understanding the heart rate strap and how to get the most accurate numbers

Heart rate straps can be finicky little things, especially in winter when the air is dryer and cooler.  Thus, check out these guides I’ve put together for getting you on the right path to issue-free heart rate readings:

Troubleshooting your heart rate monitor straps when you see HR spikes

A solution to heart rate dropouts/spikes with Garmin HR Soft Straps

How to fix cold/dry weather erratic heart rate readings

8) The Quick Release Kit – Why you’ll love it!

If you’re a triathlete, the quick release kit is your best friend on earth.  It enables you to quickly snap the Garmin Forerunner off your wrist band and place it onto your bike…and vice versa.  It’s also great for cyclists who run occasionally and want it otherwise hard-mounted onto their bike.  And heck, you can even tweak a Garmin Edge 500 and Edge 800 to work with it. :)

The quick release kit – Solving one of life’s great mysteries

Looking for even more in depth how-to’s and details?

Fear not, I’ve got years of rambling about how to use these devices – and I’ve tossed them all in a semi-structured page here, divided up categorically by what ya want to do:

Have a great week all, and enjoy your new toys!

Week in Review–December 26th, 2010

I’ve long since wondered what to do with all the random tidbits of things I collect each week – or the little thoughts that don’t quite make for a full post.  But I finally came up with a solution: The Week in Review Post.  This takes the place of my Weekly Mailbag – which is over on Slowtwitch.  These are just quick snippets of things that I’ve found interesting.  Nice and easy Saturday reading.  Plus, a recap of my Weekly Mailbag post a well.

So with that, let’s get into the action!

Weekly Mailbag Over at Slowtwitch.com: 
This is a look into the future.  Think of it like being a psychic. You’re actually looking at the topics for tomorrow’s Slowtwitch Mailbag, crazy ehh! It’s all about the footpod, like a footpod extravaganza!  Go on over and check it out here on Monday!

1) Footpod (steps per minute) SPM – what it all means
2) Weird Footpod Values
3) Getting cadence and speed outdoors via footpod?
4) Saving routes with footpod data
5) Troubleshooting footpod dropouts

You can read all my past weekly mailbags at Slowtwitch here.  Or the pre-Slowtwitch days here.

Posts this past week:
The week before Christmas and all through the blog, not a…well…I have no idea actually, and my rhyming skills are pretty minimal at the moment.  So, let’s just recap the posts ya may have missed – cause it was a surprisingly jam-packed week!

Saturday: Week in Review – December 18th, 2010
Sunday: Back in the Ice
Monday: Zeo – An in Depth Product Review
Tuesday: Swimming with sharks!
Wednesday: Feelin’ lucky?  Water immersion tests with Garmin Edge and CycleOps Joule Computers
Thursday: On LA Talk Radio Show Later this Morning
Friday: Have a Merry Christmas!

Stuff that I found interesting around the interwebs: 
As always, here’s a sampler platter of some of the interesting articles and posts I found around the Internet this week.

#1) A look at the doping trade – A pretty interesting in depth look at the global doping trade in relation to sport.

#2) How NFL Pro’s are using triathlon wetsuits – You think it’s cold during the summer when you’re wet?  Try doing it in winter.  This post from Slowtwitch includes links to mainstream news articles, as well as a bit of the behind the scenes of their use.

#3) Boston Marathon Qualifying Time Changes – It looks like Boston is planning on making changes for the 2012 Marathon…read on to see a few more hints from BAA.  You may remember my previous In Depth Analysis of Boston Qualifying Times back a month or so ago.

#4) Got snow?  Need studded bike tires? – Well, then, look no further than this creative solution with some cheap pieces from your local Staples.  That was easy! (Thanks Annette for the heads up!)

#5) First Windows 7 Phone App to support Withings WiFi Scale– I noticed that Withings WiFi Scale Support is now available via a partner app, allowing folks to get all the same data that so many other platforms have today.

#6) Why the Personal Health Record is Dead – I noticed this on the personal blog of the founder of ZEO, and it actually has virtually nothing to do with Zeo.  It analyzes why all these centralized health repositories (Google Health, Microsoft Healthvault) aren’t actually being used.

Weekend Update Items:

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas yesterday!  I had quite an enjoyable Christmas with the Girl’s family in St. John’s, Newfoundland (Canada).  I’ll have some deets out soon.

For those who didn’t catch my interview on LA Talk Radio on Thursday, you can relive all the glory via simple MP3 (additional show archives here).  I spent a good half-hour discussing all the latest gizmos and gadgets for sport, as well as what 2011 holds in the little snow-globe crystal ball.  Plus, I doubt many of you have ever actually heard my voice…so there ya go!

I’m now headed out on vacation for the next few weeks, but fear not, they’ll be a mix of regular sports posts, and some travel stuff along the way.

Enjoy!

Have a Merry Christmas!

To all those that celebrate Christmas, have a Merry Christmas tomorrow! And remember, it’s not all about training.  One or two days a year you can enjoy it and just relax.

(Photo from when the Christmas Tree fell over into the bikes on the trainers…)

I’m up here in St. John’s, Newfoundland (Canada) enjoying the holidays with The Girl’s family.  Being so far north – basically just down the street from the North Pole – I’m optimistic that I’ll run into Santa at the grocery store or the Chinese buffet today.  These are pretty much his stomping grounds. Though, I’m always careful to ensure I don’t hit one of his wandering reindeer when I’m driving around up here, as you may remember my last moose-like-animal excursion – those buggers are sneaky!

So while I’m out looking for Santa and Prancer, y’all have a great Christmas!  And for those that don’t celebrate – have a safe and enjoyable weekend!