Sunday, June 20, 2010

TIMEX IRONMAN TRIATHLON WATCH w Tap Screen

This is my current favorite watch by Timex. Presenting the latest Timex IRONMAN Triathlon T5K254HC  watch with TAP Technology. Ok I admit, when I first read about it, I thought it was a touch screen watch, and I thought "COOL", I could scroll through all the functions just by touching the screen.....sure...I even brought my buddy to the shop and told him it was touch screen! Yikes....The poor guy kept pressing the watch's face to no avail!!! LOL....

Let it be known people! that this watch is Tap Screen not Touch Screen. So, only in Chrono and Timer modes does the Tap Screen come into PLAY! Instead of the usual way to Start the Timer/Chrono by pressing the button at the edge, Tap Screen allows us to activate, deactivate and/or split, just by duh....Tapping the Screen. Ok this may initially put a few of you off. You maybe thinking :"Wah Lao..what's the dif then? I can just press the buttons enough already what! Need this fancy Tap meh?". I had this same thought too! Timex claims that with TAP, we will be able to access info without breaking stride as in the runs. Seriously, I'm no PRO runner so if pressing buttons breaks strides and takes an extra few secs, let it be! BUT chotomateh! I purchased this piece of watch solely because of the TAP Techno! Not for running but for swimming! 

Yes, I need it to count laps underwater. Pressing any waterproof watch underwater is asking for trouble. Doing so will allow water to seep into the watch resulting in foggy screens. With TAP Tech, I'll not jeopardise the device anymore. Its no pure lap counter which is available where the device is worn on the finger where the thumb can activate lap splits. This takes a little few secs on the turns to tap the screen (1-2secs). The TAP comes with 3 settings, light, medium and hard. On the first trial swim, the watch was set to light TAP. I encountered several instances where I had to tap twice in order to clock the split, so I'm not going to set it to medium or even hard.

This watch has an over sized screen which is a bonus. It comes in 2 colours, Orange Black and Black Grey. Its 100M Water Resistant and has a capacity of 150 Laps. The alarms are audible. The rubber strap is pretty comfy and it has a secure strap lock. Overall, I give this watch a 8/10 rating based on technology, aesthetics and functional design.

What would make me give it a 10/10 is if Timex were to incorporated GPS and Heart Rate monitoring options.

To the Guys at TIMEX, thanks for the TAP Tech!

Friday, June 18, 2010

The Fastest Stroke in the World

Call it what you like, Freestyle or Front Crawl, this is the fastest, most efficient swim stroke in the world to date! The actual stroke is called Front Crawl while freestyle actually means you can use any style you like in say a 100M Freestyle event. But since everyone wants to win, they'll most likely use the Front Crawl.

Today I'd like to recap about my 30Laps at the Katong pool. Its a base training session so I'm not pushing up the tempo, this gives me a chance to concentrate on stroke technique. I chose to concentrate on 2 things.

My secondary Concern was my New Timex IRONMAN watch. I usually lose count of my laps and gettin a lap counter seems a little apprehensive so when the New Ironman Timex came with Tap Screen Technology, I jumped on it. You see, pressing any buttons of any waterproof watch, underwater, will allow tiny water molecules to enter the watch. This is why you see fogging of your watch face sometimes. With Tap Screen, all I need to do is tap! But...it takes some getting use to. I'll discuss abt this sleek device some other time.

Now to the business at hand. I decided to improve on my flutter kicks. With my feet at Plantar Flex position, I had to remind myself to keep the ankles Floppy but not too floppy as I want to stay in plantar flex position. The kick has to be generated from the thighs and not the knees. All these to be performed while ensuring the depth of the kick does not extend above 30cm. I had to picture in my mind the gracefulness of the fish-like motion as I zip through the water with enforced ease.

Timing of each kick had to be planned. The rhythm I chose was when my hand enters the catch phase, my kicks increases in frequency, I feel that this lengthens my glide. Executing the entire kick phase pattern like a metronome for the whole 30 laps made the whole swim session feel pretty effortless...well ok I stayed within my target heart rate zone so...this is really good for me.

I urge all to try this and let me know your observations!

Monday, June 14, 2010

RUN


Seriously! I hated running. It made me feel tired, weak and frail. In secondary school, even some girls overtook me in the PE 2.4Km sessions. It was really demoralizing. So why did i decide to start? Well, it wasn't an overnight thingy, nor was it over a few months. It took me years before I fell into it .... seriously;)
I started trying to go for runs with friends and many times ended up bonking (as in failing to catch up). Didn't feel good, NO SIR! You see, the thing with running with friends is that more than always, they are more season a runner than yourself but not to the point where they are able to "coach" you. Thus, you end up running at other people's pace and not your own!
Base training should be the starting goal of any runner. Start slow at your own pace. A pace where only you reside. Feeling and knowing for sure that at this sustained pace, you'll make your goal distance without hitting the wall at the end of it. Base training duration and distance should be slowly increased. Once you are THERE.... then you may start training for speed.
Do read up and try interval/fartlek patterns dished out by the Pros in the magazines. Look, Listen and Feel... Look at how others train, Listen to more experienced runners and feel the workout. Its not necessary to take every advice given.... you are the best gauge so you have to feel the workouts on your own. Know what works for you and what makes you feel strong after repeated training in a particular pattern.
The human body can be trained to perform almost any task and it gets better and better at that task if its trained repeatedly. Its like if you kick a coconut tree everyday...say a 100 kicks....after years of such training, that kick of yours will be well known for sure. The key is consistency! While others are playing, you are running, while others are eating supper, you are running, while others are clubbing, you are running, while others grow fat and old, you are lookin mighty FINE..., while others are stressing over just Passing their IPPT, you are collecting your $400.00.
Its your life.... with mine, i chose to run.