My new toys!...ummm....training and racing tools! ;)

I did my last longish run yesterday...20km of fun!  The rest of my runs before IMC will be no longer than an hour...yay!  I wasn't too happy with my run though.  It was slower than I wanted it to be but oh well!  Still did it!

So I decided I will write about some of my new toys I bought over the past year to make training and racing a bit more fun!  Most of it was just over the past month.  I got the bike and the wheels already so I just had to buy some new toys this year!

Limey in all her glory - custom 650 Guru Crono (race wheels Zipp 404)!

First, I got a powertap!  I got this late last year and was my big purchase for last year.  I got a good deal on it and was told it is a good training tool so I bought it used off of Terri.  I got the Powertap SL+ and its been fun training with it.  I know I am not using it to its full potential but I like looking at numbers and graphs for now.  My coach can analyze the data.  I just use it for training as it is on my training wheels only.

My first purchase this year were a new helmet and cycling shoes.   I needed a new helmet because it was time.  My old one was beginning to fall apart and it wasn't very comfortable.  So I got the Giro Atmos in silver and white.  The shoes were a must.  My previous cycling shoes were getting a bit smelly and I think they were a little on the small side since anytime I hit a bump on the road, my big toe felt it.  So I got the Shimano SH-TR70!!!  I wasn't planning on getting these ones but I was offered a great deal and thought why not!  They fit and they felt comfortable.  They are made out of carbon and I got to put them in this oven cooker to mold to my feet so they are custom too!  Plus, Simon Whitfield uses these shoes too! LOL!

Next I got a few Garmin toys!  The first of the bunch was the Edge 705, a cycling computer.  I think I will keep this for cycling trips or new adventures like my Parry Sound to Barrie ride.  More for navigational purposes.  Otherwise, I will use the Edge 500 as a training/racing tool as it can read from the Powertap as well.  The 705 does everything the 500 does and more but it is a bit on the big side and I prefer the size of the 500 for racing.  Also, I am not a big fan of the yellow computer that comes with the PT and I hope this does the trick!  It can display many readings at the same time including speed, power, average power, cadence, time, distance etc.

Edge 705

Edge 500 

       

My next new toy that I really like right now is the Garmin 310XT!  I use it for all my training sessions and since it is waterproof, I can also use it swimming, and racing!  It is smaller than my previous 305 and is much more comfortable.  And the battery life is a bonus, I can actually use this for the full Ironman!  So I will be wearing this for IMC to help me pace my run and to remind me to eat every 20min or so on the bike.  Then I will have cool numbers and graphs to analyze afterwards, well more for my coach to analyze!  Apparently, the 310XT can read from the PT as well but I haven't figured that out yet.

310XT

In hopes of getting faster, I decided to buy an aerohelmet!  Apparently, it is the most bang for the buck in the speed and aerodynamic category.  I haven't decided whether I will actually wear this for IMC but I have it.  I have to get over that dorkiness factor.   But all the cool kids are wearing it so I may go with it! Hehe!  I got the Giro Advantage 2 in the same colours as below.  Too bad they don't make it in lime green to match Limey!

My final purchase are my Oakleys!  I have wanted to buy Oakleys for the longest time and I finally did it, plus I got a good deal on them too!  I was torn between a few models but I went with the Radar Paths with Polarized lenses.  I may in the future decide to get another pair as I like to train and race in different pairs but for now these are pretty awesome!  And I wanted white frames too!  My next ones may be the Split Jacket, Jawbone, or the Flak Jackets depending on fit and look! ;)

So there you go!  A few new toys to maybe help me get faster.  At least they will make me look faster! :)