Hydrow Campaign Has Started! →

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Don't get me wrong, I've always wanted a Peloton bike and enjoy their services when I'm at various hotels but rowing has always been up there as my go to if an ergometer is available. I rowed for a year at UCSD but it was some of the funnest times and the most awesome competitive sport that I have been a part of. Hydrow looks to grow the company with their Indiegogo campaign and seems to me an easy acquisition target for Peloton.

update: They are almost up to $1M in funds raised! Let’s get them over that hump!

Microsoft's Band vs the Apple Watch →

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The Band has also added a new sensor trick or two, most importantly a barometer to track elevation. That joins the built-in GPS, sleep tracking, calorie counting, notifications, and the other previously available features mentioned above. It’s also got more robust Cortana integration, both because talking to your wrist feels like the future and because it’s a much easier input method that tapping that tiny display.

There are sport-specific features here as well. Microsoft exec Lindsey Matese noted that the Band makes for a capable digital caddy, able to know where you are, your distance to the green, the calories you’ve burned, and your heart rate. It can even generate a score card after you’re done, an experience Microsoft first detailed in August but will be a headlining feature of its new hardware. For athletes more concerned with oxygen debt than par fours, the new Band can even measure VO2 max.

Ever since I acquired the iPhone 6s Plus, I'll admit that the temptation to buy an Apple Watch is reaching it's fever levels but at the same time, my desires for what it lacks is what is keeping me.

Come in stage right, Microsoft's latest Band. It comes closer to Garmin's 920XT in terms of fitness capabilities. Essentially, all these new additions for a price that is less than Apple's offerings is what makes the Band enticing. If Microsoft can make a band do this, I'd hope that the Apple Watch v2 could too. The wait... Ugh...

Untill then, when and if I start up training again, Garmin's one year old 920XT will have to do.

 
 

Enhance Your Self & Work it Out!

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The benefits of exercise on physical health are no secret, but there is also an increasing amount of evidence to suggest that it can help emotional and mental well-being as well. For example, studies have suggested that it can enhance mood states, boost self-esteem and even help those with anxiety and mild depression. It’s thought that physical activity can trigger changes in brain chemistry, which can in turn have positive effects on our mood. But that might not be where exercise’s effects on the brain end, as a new study suggests exercise could be associated with changes in brain structure.

It's all about working out! And if you needed any more convincing that it's good for you, the Mayo Clinic has some more great insight!

Latest Endeavour

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Two things.  1) I've just been accepted into 2XU's 2012 Ambassador Program and I'm super stoked.  I can already feel that it's giving me that extra edge to not only train but to bring it to the next level! If you have the time, check out their awesome clearance section for some great deals of up to 40% off! Just click here.

I've been stuck on my current level of physique weighing between 165-190 lbs for the last two years and I need to manage that.  As of this morning, I'm at 186.6 w/ a HIGH BMI of 26.0 / 146 lb Lean mass and 40.6 Fat mass.  (all these measurements have been calculated with Withings iPhone App WiScale)  I paired it up with a Tanita Irongirl scale because it was on sale at 75% off so until I find the need for the BC1000 or when Withings producers a better scale with more readouts, I'll hold off.

Eating on the road has its challenges and working out at hotels does have its drawbacks.  Because of that, I'll be taking it up a notch and actually be documenting it more here on elijahnicolas.com.  That's just an intro to number two; my dedication to Crossfit.  Check out my buddy Ryan Espiritu's blog.  He makes an awesome comparison between "Marathon Ry | Crossfit Ry" and he definitely is a great inspiration.

I let him down last week after he took one for the team partnering with me for the partner WOD and I blew chunks 5-8 minutes into the workout.  Way to pull for my slack.  SWAG!

Crossfit Ry takes better race pictures than Marathon Ry.

 

 

This post won't last long because having pictures of Ryan on my blog aren't my type of thing.

I Made it...to the Sheraton!

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I've been wanting to do this loop out & back for a while now and I was lucky to be running alongside a Mr. Jack Pham. I started a little too fast (well at least faster than normal = 9:00 pace) and had to take a break at mile 2 but then found the rhythm again and got back to it. My moving average was definitely slower than I would have liked clocking in at 10:36 / mile but I felt good.

Along the way though, the shin splint that I developed on the treadmill the day prior running 3 miles started to tingle and get the best of me. I was also trying to run a little more flatter, which helped out, but ultimately, my legs weren't feeling it. I mentioned to Jack at the end of the run that I felt like the time I finished my first ever 10K / first race without training.

With the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon June 5th just around the corner, I'm starting to get a little scared but I'm starting to definitely pick up the pace. I'm thinking of trying out my older Asics again. I don't remember getting bad shin splints with them as compared to my Lunarglides+ 2s. I can't believe that the Ragnar Relay: So Cal is next weekend either!

End of the Month Run

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After four days of cold and bitter weather, I landed in San Diego two nights ago and then immediately prepared for some hot yoga. Being awake for over 17 hours and just coming off of a 4 hour flight isn't necessarily the best way to prep for the hotness, but Adelle and I still went for it. I almost didn't have a choice but none the less, I enjoy it. The following morning, I wake up from a zombie attacking / survival mode dream (yes, I blame the yoga and dehydration status), and am wide awake. Adelle heads out for her shift and I just hang out until I get the will power to head out for my San Diego Harbor Loop. I guess some of you, namely a Mr. Ryan Espiritu, might not consider it a "loop" but I do. I guess you can call it an out and back but and just because I want Ryan to still be my friend, I official concede.

I felt good heading out but I didn't hydrate properly and the sun was definitely beating down on me. The first three miles were great great running at under a 10 minute pace, but then it went to crap. I got a phone call, my headset stopped working for a minute and then when I started to head back, the 11:00 sun got the best of me. I didn't bring any water with me and I wasn't prepared for the heat. I would find a pace runner here and there, but ended up walking more on the way back and could never find the initial stride that I had. Overall, I'd say that I felt like a 6/10 and when I got back to the apartment, I drank and drank, and drank...and now I'm sitting here blogging. Good times all around!

Here are some awesome pictures of the beautiful weather thanks to an awesome high pressure ridge just to the north. You have here the Downtown San Diego skyline with some sailboats scattering the bay and the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and the Coronado Bay Bridge. Awesome day for a run!

My First Miramar Lake of many

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Every since I can remember, the very idea of running around a lake was always daunting. Let alone the veracity of the environment ridden with competitive runners (or maybe just looking like they are and like myself all decked out in Nike gear), the once you go half way or even just around the first bend you cannot turn back and all the little indentations creating the optical illusion like you're almost there...Miramar Lake has been that thorn in my side. Well, I like to come out and say, I DID IT! I ran it with my wife Adelle and actually also started out with her friend Esther Choi. It's always nice to have a running buddy but being the first time, I wanted to take it easy. I guess to be honest, her marathon like pace wasn't something that I could keep up with anyways, so I hung back and ran with the wifey. It was a good feeling as the only way that I have ever circled the lake was in a car and on a bike. I shall conquer it over again and make it my doggy. Yea, that's right...my doggy.

Off to a Bang for 2011

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So far, 4 days into 2011, I've already logged two good workouts, bought some new running shoes (Nike Lunarglides+ 2) that I think I'll be training and running my first marathon with and have posted both on adellelijah.com and elijahnicolas.com! It's a constant barrage of staying busy and trying to utilize the time I have whether laying over at an airport or working while commuting using Gogo's Inflight WiFi. It's a bummer that the free WiFi, sponsored by Google's Chrome over the Holiday Season, has expired so I'm back to paying for it but count it as a business expense right? I'm currently working on more write-ups and reviews for the next few days and my wife even has a couple in the pipeline. I couldn't be more excited to finally get things going again. For now, here's my bucket list for 2011.

1) Run a Marathon before I'm 30 (San Diego Rock 'N Roll is in June and my birthday is in July) 2) Work up towards an Olympic Triathlon distance for the San Diego Tri-Rock 3) Ride a century either for the Tour de Cure of San Diego Century 4) Continue to post from 3-5 entries a week for either elijahnicolas.com or adellelijah.com 5) Focus more in the future on my cloud based endeavors 6) Eat healthier and less 7) Get down to my racing weight by June which is actually 20 lbs in 6 months

Check out the new Nike Lunarglide+ 2s!  A little loud as they didn't have the Wolf Grey / Blue combo at Road Runner Sports, San Diego.

Here's a quick pic of New Year's Eve 2011 celebrating it with great friends at Stingaree San Diego. Over priced at $50.00 presale and nothing included. Never doing that again.

Training here and there...

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Over the last few weeks, I've been on and off the bicycle trainer, out and about on the road with an occasional 3 mile run and even a 5 miler the other day, but it's still sporadic. Getting to a hotel and motivating myself to put on the running clothes is sometimes just a little much after a 7.5 hr day of flying and 11 hours of being at work. Nutrition on the road is a little hard to actually maintain and my habits don't help. On the other hand, I've noticed that my interest in keeping it up has been regaining it's pre sprint triathlon status. *thumbs up* That fire that was absent for a bit now it's back. I'm going to try to stay on track this time and mimic my June / July fitness habits. It's quite amazing how much I was actually working out back then.

This time around, I've been actively using RunKeeperPro on my iPhone 4 and am pleased with the results. I've been running with my Garmin 500 and the more that I use it, the more I want a "true" running watch e.g Timex Ironman GPS Global Trainer (view DC Rainmaker's Review here) or maybe the Garmin Forerunner 310xt (another awesome review by DC Rainmaker), but I'll hold off just a little while longer. I have too many gadgets as is. We'll see how long I

My First Not so Nite Moves (@NiteMovesSD) #FAIL

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Over the last couple of weeks, I've been attending a weekly 5K in San Diego called Nites Moves SD which takes place on every Wednesday night at Liberty Station Park in Pt. Loma. I've been improving constantly (by seconds almost a minute one week ago), finding my rhythm & stride and what I initially thought was good headway. That is, up until last night's performance. I finished a miserable 28:45 which makes it my worse time in four tries! I've been running treadmills a lot lately on a incline of 1.0 at a steady speed of 6.5 / 7.0 so that might have made this run a little slower but I thought that I could best my 27 minute wall. Granted the last few days looked like this:

Monday/Tuesday Morning: I worked all day and was delayed on the flight back to San Diego for 2 hours arriving at 2:00AM not going to bed till shortly after.

Tuesday: Woke up around 8:00am motivating myself for the move to the new apartment in Downtown San Diego. Excited but somewhat exhausted

Tuesday Night: Definitely had a hard time falling asleep being anxious, excited and just new

Wednesday Day: Breakfast was a quick bar, daily mass, meeting w/ our priest to tie up loose ends before the wedding, coffee, head home to pack up more stuff, spill the full venti caramel macchiato in fiance's car, meet up w/ the caterer for finalization and payment, show mom the new apartment, grab lunch at JWok which is conveniently around the corner from our new apartment, head to Vons in PQ, drop off mom, go the bank on the way back to the apartment, get ready for the 5K.

If you notice, my nutrition and liquid intake prior to the 5K wasn't all that great. I didn't get to stretch that well nor was I feeling the tip top shape that I've been use to the previous weeks. It's crunch time and August is a big month . Good times! I'm just glad that it's somewhat smooth sailing from here. *crossing fingers*

Also, if you haven't already had the chance to see my tweet or facebook profile update, make sure to check out @DCRainMakerBlog on twitter, follow him and also navigate your way to his webpage for a chance to enter into his contest for a free Garmin 310xt! Check out his website here! http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/08/garmin-forerunner-310xt-giveaway.html

Books & My First Brick

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As previously noted just a day ago, I signed up for my first Sprint Tri.  More specifically, I signed up for the San Diego Tri-Rock which is just under 58 days from the publishing of this post.  I have the bug and I can't deny it.  Buying a couple of magazines tonight and reading the last two editions of Competitor Magazine San Diego Edition, I'm all about getting fit and doing it right.  Well, starting off on the right foot at least.  I thought that I could get off to a simple easy start w/ more magazines so I set out to Barnes and Nobles in Mira Mesa and picked up a couple more.

One of my friend's had a book entitled "Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance" by Matt Fitzgerald which looked good so I thought of picking that up too.  Of course, the only one that they had in stock was on hold but I might as well just buy the book from Amazon anyways.  I also found another book by critically acclaimed trainer, coach and athlete Joe Friel conveniently titled "Your First Triathlon" so I added that to the cart too.  Expect reviews on adellelijah.com in the upcoming weeks.

Click on these links below to check them out via my amazon affiliate link!

Since I decided a couple of days ago to do this sprint tri, I thought that I should get a head start and do the bicycle and running portion of the race.  Apparently this is called a brick with whom I was enlightened by Mr. Espiritu (@ly0n123).  Today was the first full day that I was back in San Diego, so I made it my goal to do the 4S Ranch CC Loop (which conveniently happens to be a 20K (12.4 miles)) followed by a 5K (3.1 miles).  I also got to ride with a new colleague, Mr. Juan M. (@juanrcm)who found me on Twitter as a cyclist in his neighborhood.  I kept a great pace with a goal in mind to beat my previous 55 minute trial and riding alongside Juan made it easier and more enjoyable. Check them out here via my Garmin Edge 500 from Garmin Connect. note: I still have yet to pick up the Garmin Quick Release kit so that I can wear my G500 on my wrist instead of gripping it in my hand while jogging. Maybe I'll pick it up tomorrow at REI in Convoy.

I had a 10 minute transition which included changing my outfit + shoes and waiting for my sister. It all worked out in the end, but I copped out and only completed 2 miles. Here's my excuse if you care to know: It was getting dark and I decided that I should head in.

I still think that I did a pretty awesome job with it being my first brick workout and all. I'm going to be at Nite Moves SD tomorrow night anyways for a full 5K so I don't feel that bad. Come check it out!

If you're asking, I'm thinking about swimming tomorrow or sometime later in the week. Not open water just yet, but we'll see.

Fitness is the new Goal

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I've always been into some kind of staying in shape activity but lately, I've definitely felt the need and desire to take it to a different level. I'm feeling more competitive, energetic and just want to do a lot!  It started with the Mud Run a couple of weeks back with my good friend and groomsman Bobby Nourani.  I've also done a 10K with Matty P in Northport, Long Island New York and the St. Patty's 10K in San Diego, all three which I didn't train for.  I'm not proud, but I think that I need to get a little more serious. I'm sure you've noticed that I've also been cycling quite a bit over the last year but because of my erratic work schedule, I haven't been able to keep a constant build.  Even my friend Ryan Espiritu has passed me up in cycling accomplishments and we started around the same time!  Bottom line, I'm going to try harder.  You can check out the past 20 or so days since the Mud Run below.  You'll see my stats and everything that I'm logging on Garmin Connect.  You can also track me on my Garmin Connect Identity here: irija Fun times!!!