Wireless Headphones Round-up

October 3rd, 2018 by Kathy Braginton
I have tried at least two dozen or so of wireless Bluetooth headphones for running and biking and also learnt about studio headphones . And before you start, this is blog is not meant to be commentary on whether this is a good idea or not.  I do it, in a safe manner, and that is the end of the issue herein. To date, the best unit has been the Jabra Elite Sport.  It’s important to note that I am a heavy sweater and have burned through EVERY pair of Bluetooth headphones, except this Jabra product.  However, in all fairness, I did have an issue with a unit, which Jabra replaced, but they withstood a year of my extreme sweat and keep on working great. I use Bluetooth headphones for the convenience of not having to trouble with wires.  It’s helpful whether it is a 21F degree winter day and I am wearing a hat, or if is a sweltering 87F degrees sticky workout.  Most headsets simply can’t handle the moisture, but he Jabra unit has a unique constriction that keeps the moisture out of the electronics. A drawback of Bluetooth units is that they require a charge.  Most run for two to three hours, and the initial Jabra Elite Sport struggled to make it slightly past two hours.  As I understand matters the new units promise 4.5 hours, and two full charges with the charging case. The Jabra Elite Sport has a charging case that stores and charges the unit.  And note that this product it two separate ear buds, not one with a connected wire around the back of your head or neck. One other concern of the Jabra unit is that it fits entirely in your ear.  I never had a problem with hearing other noises (e.g., runner, bikers, vehicles, etc.), but if this concerns you, there are other options. Second place goes to Plantronics Backbeat.  I have and use the original, but there is now a “Fit” version that promises 8 hours of use.  This is a one-piece unit connecting around the rear of your head.  It never really worked well with my bike helmet, and in my opinion the sound quality is poor. The real plus (or minus depending on how you view it) to the Plantronics unit is that it is a one-size fits all unit that leaves a lot of room for ambient noise.  So, if that is a concern for you, then this might work for you. Another unit that fills your entire ear is the Yerbuds, now owned by JBL.  I came to know this brand by a partnership with Ironman.  They offered a in the ear “enhancer” that you twisted into your ear for a tight fit.  Again, if you want ambient noise, this unit will be problematic.  And regardless of which size enhancer I used, it ultimately would slip out on long runs.  I remember twisting the unit in harder and harder each time, until ultimately, I had to see my doctor to clean out some accumulated ear wax.  Really. The Beats by Dr. Dre were the best sounding Bluetooth unit, but they barely lasted two months of mainly gym and dreadmill usage.  It was never a product that made it out on the trail/road. Near the back end for “sport” usage are the Apple Ear Buds.  They look kind of goofy to me, but the sound is great, and it lets in ambient sound.  And the Apple produce is excellent ear piece for a phone. I often use the Apple buds for strength workouts in the gym where I don’t sweat as much as a long run or ride and do supplement the unit with some aftermarket rubber pieces that keep sweat and water out of the unit. And to end with a pro tip, running with a phone is a PITA and I don’t do it.  I use a second-generation Apple Watch to link the ear buds.  When apply did away with not allowing Apple Music to sync with the Nano and Shuffle, I was really upset.  Apple effectively pushed active consumers to the Apple Watch. If you choose to go this route, you don’t need the fancy most recent Apple Watch, it doesn’t hurt, but if you are an Apple user, especially an Apple Music user, the system works very well. The post Wireless Headphones Round-up appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

Zwift Killed the Fatbike

October 2nd, 2018 by Kathy Braginton

I was an early adopter on the fat bake craze.  I absolutely loved the idea of something that would provide with me an incentive to continue to ride through the winter months.  Incidentally, this is the same reason is also why I started cyclocross so many years ago; to keep me riding later in the year than I otherwise would.

For the most part, the fat bike fit the bill.  I went through several fat bikes that got lighter and nimbler, almost like a 29er mountain bike.  But don’t get me wrong, it is still a royal PITA to get all the proper gear and stay warm and interested in significant long winter rides on a fat bike.  I could write an entire blog on the types of boots and gloves that I have tried for winter riding.

I also have the benefit of the Lake Michigan shoreline to spice up my fat bike rides. The shoreline in the winter is like riding on the moon, not a soul around, beautiful views, and sometimes floating rides.  But when Zwift came on the scene, my interest is suffering outside dwindled.  I know find myself routinely opting to Zwift rather than suffer in the winter conditions.

Zwift provides the benefit of quickly prepping for rides, especially if you have a dedicated trainer bike.  So, when faced with riding at night, in very cold conditions, or wet conditions, I hate to admit it, but I often pick Zwift.

Zwift is perfect for monitoring my effort, especially with a “smart” trainer, and gives me that added nudge to keep my limited attention span . . . especially when someone, or a group of riders, pass me.

Also, to support my limited attention span, on very easy trainer rides, I also often watch a movie or TV show.  Which is another draw.  And while I always look forward to riding, I got hooked on Peaky Blinders, Ray Donovan, and countless other shows and movies. I watched all four seasons of Peaky Blinders last February while on the trainer.

Like the old song goes, “Video killed the radio star . . .”, for me, and likely many others, my fat bike is getting far less use in favor of Zwift.

The post Zwift Killed the Fatbike appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.


Zwift Killed the Fatbike

October 2nd, 2018 by Kathy Braginton

I was an early adopter on the fat bake craze.  I absolutely loved the idea of something that would provide with me an incentive to continue to ride through the winter months.  Incidentally, this is the same reason is also why I started cyclocross so many years ago; to keep me riding later in the year than I otherwise would.

For the most part, the fat bike fit the bill.  I went through several fat bikes that got lighter and nimbler, almost like a 29er mountain bike.  But don’t get me wrong, it is still a royal PITA to get all the proper gear and stay warm and interested in significant long winter rides on a fat bike.  I could write an entire blog on the types of boots and gloves that I have tried for winter riding.

I also have the benefit of the Lake Michigan shoreline to spice up my fat bike rides. The shoreline in the winter is like riding on the moon, not a soul around, beautiful views, and sometimes floating rides.  But when Zwift came on the scene, my interest is suffering outside dwindled.  I know find myself routinely opting to Zwift rather than suffer in the winter conditions.

Zwift provides the benefit of quickly prepping for rides, especially if you have a dedicated trainer bike.  So, when faced with riding at night, in very cold conditions, or wet conditions, I hate to admit it, but I often pick Zwift.

Zwift is perfect for monitoring my effort, especially with a “smart” trainer, and gives me that added nudge to keep my limited attention span . . . especially when someone, or a group of riders, pass me.

Also, to support my limited attention span, on very easy trainer rides, I also often watch a movie or TV show.  Which is another draw.  And while I always look forward to riding, I got hooked on Peaky Blinders, Ray Donovan, and countless other shows and movies. I watched all four seasons of Peaky Blinders last February while on the trainer.

Like the old song goes, “Video killed the radio star . . .”, for me, and likely many others, my fat bike is getting far less use in favor of Zwift.

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3 triathletes, 1 race. Read about MITI with their race reports!

September 30th, 2018 by Kathy Braginton

Kathy Braginton, Olympic Distance, 2:40.42, 5th OA, 2nd AG
Going into Miti weekend, I was feeling fatigued and was not overly confident on what I would be able to bring for race day. A wetsuit legal race combined with cooler temps and overcast skies made for a very successful day. The swim was a fairly normal swim for me. I was able to conserve a little energy with the wetsuit and it felt so good after several non-wetsuit legal races. The first half of the bike was slower than what I had anticipated, so I was concerned I was showing some of that fatigue. I had forgotten the Olympic course was constant rolling hills. I was pleased to find the return portion of the course rolled much faster. I averaged over 3 mph faster on the return and was able to complete the bike with the overall average pace I had anticipated. It was the run portion of the race that really surprised me. I exploded out of T2 with a sudden burst of energy. I’m not sure if it was the roar of the crowd or what. I had a good first mile, but spent the next 2 trying to slow my breathing and my heartrate. After the turnaround on the run, I began cheering on other teammates and runners. This helped to push through the last few miles and I was able to post a negative split on the return route. The organizers and the volunteers do a great job with the aid stations on the run course providing hydration, nutrition, and lots of encouragement every mile. I finished 5th overall female and 1stin my Age Group. My race time and place made for a very satisfying closeout of the Triathlon season.

Chelsey Smith, Half Ironman, 5:36.37, 9th OA, 1st AG
MiTi was my first half Ironman distance event and I went into with very little expectations. Not having ever raced any endurance event longer than a marathon I really had no idea how my body would respond to the time and distance. I am happy to say I had a great race. The swim went well. I was strong and steady on the bike while enjoying hills, and the run went as expected. I ended up running down the girl that was first in my age group to finish ahead of her and take first. I followed my race plan to a tee, and ended up at 5:36 finish time, and top ten overall females. It was a great race. I enjoyed that both the bike and the swim had out and backs on the course to it was easy to see many friends that were also racing. The course was also very well supported and the volunteers were great. I am looking forward to doing this race again in the future.

Jeff Nordquist, Olympic Distance, 2:12.56, 7th OA, 2nd AG
With the cooler weather and the overcast morning, the conditions couldn’t have been better. I knew going into this race, I hadn’t spent the time training as much as I’ve had in previous years. My wife and I welcomed our first child into this world in June and as you may know the training schedule looked different in years past.
It all started in the water with wetsuit legal temps (thank goodness). After the first minute passed, found a rhythm and a set of legs to follow, allowing me to conserve energy for the remainder. Transitioned well onto the saddle in 5th place. The ride out was nearly all climbing and made sense considering the 6mph difference in the speed on the way back. But the hills were relentless and having a disc wheel may have caused more harm than good. With the run approaching, I started to transition my legs to be ready to hit the street. Jumping in to the shoes, I was in 8th place. I normally make ground on the run, but today was not that case. I couldn’t get the legs to turn and it costed me a few chances to move up as much as I’d like. I finished the across the line in 7th, and 2nd in my the AG.
I had higher hopes than my finish, but overall satisfied with the effort. I suffered, but ran the race that I had in mind. Looking forward to the rest of the season and the months to come.

The post 3 triathletes, 1 race. Read about MITI with their race reports! appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.


3 triathletes, 1 race. Read about MITI with their race reports!

September 30th, 2018 by Kathy Braginton

Kathy Braginton, Olympic Distance, 2:40.42, 5th OA, 2nd AG
Going into Miti weekend, I was feeling fatigued and was not overly confident on what I would be able to bring for race day. A wetsuit legal race combined with cooler temps and overcast skies made for a very successful day. The swim was a fairly normal swim for me. I was able to conserve a little energy with the wetsuit and it felt so good after several non-wetsuit legal races. The first half of the bike was slower than what I had anticipated, so I was concerned I was showing some of that fatigue. I had forgotten the Olympic course was constant rolling hills. I was pleased to find the return portion of the course rolled much faster. I averaged over 3 mph faster on the return and was able to complete the bike with the overall average pace I had anticipated. It was the run portion of the race that really surprised me. I exploded out of T2 with a sudden burst of energy. I’m not sure if it was the roar of the crowd or what. I had a good first mile, but spent the next 2 trying to slow my breathing and my heartrate. After the turnaround on the run, I began cheering on other teammates and runners. This helped to push through the last few miles and I was able to post a negative split on the return route. The organizers and the volunteers do a great job with the aid stations on the run course providing hydration, nutrition, and lots of encouragement every mile. I finished 5th overall female and 1stin my Age Group. My race time and place made for a very satisfying closeout of the Triathlon season.

Chelsey Smith, Half Ironman, 5:36.37, 9th OA, 1st AG
MiTi was my first half Ironman distance event and I went into with very little expectations. Not having ever raced any endurance event longer than a marathon I really had no idea how my body would respond to the time and distance. I am happy to say I had a great race. The swim went well. I was strong and steady on the bike while enjoying hills, and the run went as expected. I ended up running down the girl that was first in my age group to finish ahead of her and take first. I followed my race plan to a tee, and ended up at 5:36 finish time, and top ten overall females. It was a great race. I enjoyed that both the bike and the swim had out and backs on the course to it was easy to see many friends that were also racing. The course was also very well supported and the volunteers were great. I am looking forward to doing this race again in the future.

Jeff Nordquist, Olympic Distance, 2:12.56, 7th OA, 2nd AG
With the cooler weather and the overcast morning, the conditions couldn’t have been better. I knew going into this race, I hadn’t spent the time training as much as I’ve had in previous years. My wife and I welcomed our first child into this world in June and as you may know the training schedule looked different in years past.
It all started in the water with wetsuit legal temps (thank goodness). After the first minute passed, found a rhythm and a set of legs to follow, allowing me to conserve energy for the remainder. Transitioned well onto the saddle in 5th place. The ride out was nearly all climbing and made sense considering the 6mph difference in the speed on the way back. But the hills were relentless and having a disc wheel may have caused more harm than good. With the run approaching, I started to transition my legs to be ready to hit the street. Jumping in to the shoes, I was in 8th place. I normally make ground on the run, but today was not that case. I couldn’t get the legs to turn and it costed me a few chances to move up as much as I’d like. I finished the across the line in 7th, and 2nd in my the AG.
I had higher hopes than my finish, but overall satisfied with the effort. I suffered, but ran the race that I had in mind. Looking forward to the rest of the season and the months to come.

The post 3 triathletes, 1 race. Read about MITI with their race reports! appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.


IM OHIO 70.3: a first-hand look – Kathy Braginton

September 9th, 2018 by Kathy Braginton

Each year, my sister and I plan out our racing calendar for the following summer choosing 1 race in particular to be the “A” race.  This year’s “A” race brought us to Delaware, OH for Ironman 70.3 Ohio. Centered in and around Ohio Wesleyan Universities football stadium, Ironman turned the area into an amusement park for triathletes.  We were immediately filled with excitement at the sight of Ironman Village. It was filled with vendors galore and……..the “Ironman” store. It was as though a choir of angels were singing as we stepped foot into the erected store.  It had everything from clothes, socks, bags, and hats to dog collars and aprons all carrying the universally recognized Ironman logo. There was no way anyone was walking out of that store without making some sort of purchase.

According to the Ironman website, Delaware, OH is said to bring together urban amenities and rural Midwestern charm.  It is accessible and awesome with Columbus less than 30 minutes away. Delaware was a quaint town and I would have loved a little extra time to shop and dine.  However, the town did bring a few challenges. There was very little parking to accommodate the plethora of athletes and spectators that had converged on the town.  Hotels were hard to come by if you waited until July to make your reservation as I did. The nearest lake suitable for a 1.2 mile swim was 6 miles away which brought the need for 2 separate transitions.  Logistically, this flipped my normal race day planning and prep out the window.

I love the local 70.3 races I have competed in the last few years.  So, what sets an “Ironman” branded race apart from these local races?  The whole event seemed to be on a grand scale. Ironman rolls out the red carpet, literally!  However, this does come with a heavier price tag. There were photographers all over the course capturing the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat from start to finish.  The result was some pretty awesome photos that also came with a hefty price tag and, as you’ll see here, I could not resist buying them. I was surprised to find race number tattoos were available for purchase and were not included in the race packet.  Each local 70.3 race included the tattoos at no additional charge. This Ironman event drew as many participants as the local events. However, the local events consist of multiple races within the 1 event, whereas, Ironman consists of a single race. Ironman provides sunscreen stations as you exit both T1 and T2.  Volunteers slather you with lotion as you exited T1 onto the bike and spray as you exited T2 onto the run. I have to admit this is the first 70.3 in which I did not walk away with a sunburn. The differences that surprised me the most were the rules and officiating. Being a USAT sanctioned race, I expected the rules to be the same as any other sanctioned race.  The wetsuit legal water temp was 76.2, versus 78 degrees. The drafting rules, which are normally 3 bike lengths and 15 second to pass, were 6 bike lengths and 25 seconds to pass. Penalties were handed out by way of a blue card (5:00 minute penalty) or yellow card (2:00 minute penalty). These time penalties were to be served during the race when you encountered the next penalty tent. During the entire 56 mile bike ride, I only encountered 1 official and a lot of drafting that went unnoticed.  Ironman incorporates a volunteer appreciation into the race by providing the athletes with red wristbands at athlete check-in. These wristbands are to be distributed during the race to your favorite volunteer to thank them for their service.

The 1.2 mile clockwise swim was a very well marked course with yellow buoys marking the first half of the course, orange the second half and red marking each turn.  In anticipation of a non-wesuit legal swim, I took advantage of the Aquaman Black Friday sale to purchase the Speed Speedsuit. As predicted, the water temp was 79 degrees on race morning.  The swim start was a rolling start with 4 competitors leaving every 3 seconds. The calm waters prior to the race turned into choppy waters as 2000 swimmers converged onto the course.

The bike was a blazing fast, flat course.  At the athlete pre-race meeting, a few of the roads were described as a little rough with fresher chip seal.  Even the roughest road, was far better than anything in Michigan. The first 46 miles were straight and flat through the bean and the corn fields.  With all 2000 athletes competing in the same race, the course was solid bikes as far as the eye could see. The last 10 miles were winding with rolling hills.  The last mile of the course leading into town was on a narrow bike path with a 90 degree turn and a downhill decent to T2. After 56 miles, this made for an interesting dismount on the asphalt with wobbly legs and slippery bike cleats.

The run course was a lollipop shape of rolling hills with a repeat loop on the pop before returning to the stadium.  It was named as one of the top run courses in the Ironman athlete choice awards and was filled with great volunteers and spectators cheering along the way.  Mile 6 and mile 11 were the most mentally challenging sections on the repeat loop with a mile stretch uphill in full sun. The best part of the run was a little girl I would guess to be about 4 or 5.  She was standing near the road outside her home cheering on the runners. As I approached, it appeared she had a broken arm with a red cast starting at her wrist and extending the entire length of her arm.  On closer inspection, as I extended my hand to give her a high five, I realized her arm was not broken. It filled with the red volunteer wristbands. By lap number 2, she had so many bracelets; she had moved them from her arm to fill a shepherd’s hook.

Ironman 70.3 Ohio was a great event and I would highly recommend it for anyone wanting to try an Ironman branded race.  Plan ahead! Sign up early and reserve your hotel well in advance to ease some of the expense.

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Grand Rapids Triathlon Race Report

July 5th, 2018 by Kathy Braginton

On June 10th, The Grand Rapids Triathlon saw numerous Team Athletic Mentors’ athletes compete across all race distances at this world class event.  Known for its flat, fast course, 2018 was no exception with a plethora of Podiums and Personal Records.

Brian Reynold’s took the overall win in the Half Iron distance with a time of 3:59:49.  It was the first time he had broken 4 hours in the Half Iron distance and he had the best bike split of the day, averaging over 25 mph.  The swim and bike went really well to give him a 4 min lead over 2nd place going into the run.  Despite running a 5:56/mile pace on the run, the 2nd place guy gained 2:30 minutes on him during the run, but he was able to hold him off for the win.

Kathy Braginton took 2nd in her Age Group in the Half Iron distance with a time of 5:40:51.  This was a 10 minute PR for her in the Half Iron distance from this event 2 years ago.  A strong tail wind on the return from the out and back bike course made for a fast bike split.  It also helped in conserving the legs for the run portion.  Cool temps and overcast skies, aided in carrying a strong, consistent run leg into the finish. Kathy loves the out and back of both the bike and run portions on this event.  The opportunity to see all her teammates compete and to cheer them on can be very inspiring.

Two relay teams took on the Half Iron Distance placing 3rd and 4th overall.  In the Athletic Mentors Coaches relay, Elizabeth Kayfish swam, Mark Olsen biked, and Bridget Miller completed the run leg to place 3rd overall.  Lindsey Lilley and Dave Stebbins did a Father/Daughter 2 person relay with a time of 5:00:53.  Dave swam and biked while Lindsey did the run.  Dave had a good, strong swim and bike.  His swim was 2 minutes slower than last year, but his bike time was 2 minutes faster.  He credits his faster bike time to Mark Olsen who gave him some encouragement when they passed each other.  Dave is super consistent and refuses to let age slow him down!  The run portion was a fight from step 1, but Lindsey oddly enjoyed the long battle.  She loved trying to chase down the other AM team runner, Bridget.  She knew she couldn’t catch her, but it was a fun mental game.  With so many AM team members out there, it helped make the miles and time go by faster.

Tammy Shuler, Dawn Hinz, Belinda Vinton, and Bob Schultz rounded out the Olympic distance race.  Tammy Shuler took 1st in her age group with a time of 2:42:59. 

Dawn Hinz took 4th in her age group with a time of 2:52:10, a 6 min PR for her from a year ago.  Belinda Vinton took 3rd in her age group with a time of 3:00:10.  Bob Shultz competed in the Aquabike Olympic race placing 7th overall with a time of 1:59:47.

 

In the Sprint distance, Andrew Fathman, JoAnn Cranson, Paul Raynes, Jacob Florey, and Danielle Nye brought on strong performances.  Andrew Fathman finished 11th overall and 2nd in his age group with a blazing fast time of 1:05:57.  JoAnn Cranson, competing in her first triathlon, had a strong race.  She was last coming out of the water in her age group, but recorded the fasted bike and run splits for a 5th place age group finish.  Paul Raynes took 3rd in his age group with a time of 1:23:46.  Jacob Florey, our youngest competitor from the youth team, took 3rd in his age group with a time of 1:30:18.  Danielle Nye repeated as the overall Sprint Aquabike winner with a time of 58:21.

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