Tuesday, September 22, 2009

In with the new!

In keeping with my theme of “out with the old, in with the new” there are plenty of new things for me to tell you about!

Swim Lessons

I really was not enjoying my swim lessons at the Y by the time the summer was coming around.  I was going to just do swim workouts on my own, but Coach Angie pointed my in the direction of some swim classes out in Cochrane.  Richelle teaches on Monday evenings, Angie on Wednesday evenings, and there are classes on Sundays as well.  Last night was my first class and Angie was filling in for Richelle.

This was such a different class!  We spent a lot of time focusing on technique.  Angie gave me more pointers in one hour than I got through three sessions at the Y.  It was so great to focus on how to do things properly as opposed to running through a workout.  I’m really excited about this class!

Bike Gear

More team gear arrived, and I finally have a super cool Team Tri Life bike jersey to wear!  I got to wear it on our ride out in Cochrane this evening where it was an amazing 28C out!!  I cannot complain about the extended nice weather we’ve been enjoying here lately.  It was terrific to ride outside in the middle to end of September in shorts and a jersey.  No need for arm warmers, tights or jackets.  I had a great time riding with a couple of guys on our team, Joel and Scott.  Since my workouts have been a wee bit sporadic lately Angie wanted me to do some intervals and, although the guys didn’t know it, they helped to push me along when I was trying to push hard!

Garmin Gear

With my bike computer going belly up in July I knew I would need to figure out a solution before indoor training rides start.  Knowing cadence is key to really following a great indoor workout!  I picked up the Garmin cadence sensor and used it for the first time tonight.  The install was very easy, and I love the wireless solution.  Having recorded cadence data is a great perk too!  I also picked up the new, more comfortable soft heart rate monitor strap.  Wow, this strap is infinitely better!  Looking forward to trying it on my run tomorrow…

Canadians looking to buy anything Garmin related, be sure to check out GPS City and GPS Central.  Live in Calgary?  Even better as these companies are both based here.  You can pick up your items directly after ordering online instead of paying shipping and handling.  And yes, you can get the new HR strap on its own at both of these retailers in case you aren’t planning on upgrading your Garmin just yet…

15 comments:

Rainmaker said...

Wow, all sorts of new gear too. Glad you like the new HR strap - I love the new one as well...soooo much nicer and more comfortable.

Mel-2nd Chances said...

great news about the swim classes, and I lave the cadence sensor on the bike too :)

Wes said...

Do not tease me with new Garminy stuff!!

Lily on the Road said...

Thanks for the heads up on the Canadian made (?) GPS stuff...

Nice that you live close enough to get your swimming done at a pool over the winter months...

Julie said...

Isn't it so exciting to actually learn how to swim properly? :) :) I remember the first pool meeting with my coach and I could not believe the difference just after one meeting.

So awesome that you switched pools. :)

Missy said...

I love new gear...of any kind! I need the garmin cadence sensor, NEEEED.

Marlene said...

Yay for new stuff!

That sounds like a great swim class that you'll be able to get a lot out of.

Keith said...

Thanks for the links to the GPS places. I'm down to one stopwatch/heart rate monitor and it's not waterproof.

$500 for the 310XT!!!!! Ouch!

It's fun taking things apart over the winter, and putting them back together to be faster and more efficient. I can't wait to do that for my swim.

Meg said...

I "facebook like" all of this :)

Didn't realize Garmin did cadence monitors!! My bike has the cateye sensor on the front wheel which sucks for winter training, and the cord is too short to move it to the back. Was considering up grading to a new one so I can get it on the back wheel. Would the garmin cadence sensor work on a trainer?

Lindsay said...

hooray for cool new gear and glad you found a swim class you enjoy!

joyRuN said...

Awesome new stuff! Swim pointers are definitely always appreciated.

Aron said...

all kinds of awesome new stuff!!! funnnn :)

Ali said...

Yippee for new stuff especially garmin.

Great call on the swim classes. I am thinking about joining a class in the winter.

RoadBunner said...

Get ready for a slew of comments from me as I catch up on your blog!

Yay for new gadgets!!

Aaron Cunningham said...

How different is the soft HR strap from the one that ships with the Garmin?

I've got the stock one that came with my 405 and it doesn't seem to be too uncomfortable.