Fitness | Gear Diary

Gear Bits April 18, 2012

The Amazing Story of the First Woman to Officially Run the Boston Marathon

It is hard to think that within my life there was a time when women were essentially forbidden to run a marathon – yet the image above is one of those magical moments caught on film. It shows 20-year old Kathrine Switzer as the first officially entered woman in the Boston Marathon (Roberta Gibb ran as a renegade the year before). And the image shows marathon organizer Jock Semple chasing Switzer and attacking her, reportedly shouting “Get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers.” The image also shows a number of men helping Switzer hold off…

Gear Bits April 15, 2012

Stay Cool as Temps Rise!

Monday is a big day for many runners. It’s the 116th annual Boston Marathon (the oldest marathon in the world!), which is always an exciting event. I love following Boston, even though I don’t have a shot at qualifying to run it unless they let me race with a rocket strapped to my legs. This year is going to be very unusual though, and it serves as a good reminder to always adjust as temperatures rise quickly in this warm spring. See, Boston starts at 11am, and this Monday it looks like it is going to be a bit warm….

Editorials April 9, 2012

Ashley Judd Eviscerates the Gossip Industry

Gossip can be a very cruel phenomenon. There is reality, and then there is the truth according to viral videos, Facebook, Us Weekly, and the E! Network. Just this past weekend Sarah and I were in the grocery store, and she commented that the headlines screaming from the checkout magazines were just out of control and invasive. Did it really matter whether Kim Kardashian cheated on her (soon to be ex) husband? Do we really need to know the second Prince William and his wife get pregnant? So it makes me very happy to see a different kind of article…

Gear Bits April 6, 2012

Americans Love Their Half Marathons!

It is no secret that I like running, and apparently, I am not alone! Running in the USA has looked at half marathon statistics for 2011, and the results are very interesting. Despite record levels of obesity in America, we are also seeing a push towards more fitness — just look at the popularity of apps and gadgets that track how far you walk, run or bike, or how many exercise themed apps are out there! And apparently, the half-marathon is the most popular distance! On the one hand, I am not surprised. Halfs are my favorite race distance too….

Gear Bits March 22, 2012

Fitbit Adds an Android App

I picked up a Fitbit while at CES, and it has been my constant step-tracking companion ever since. Well, I take it back … after I washed and dried the original Fitbit that I was given at a press show (which effectively killed it), I went a few days without one until the replacement I purchased could arrive, but I digress. Fitbit is a great motivator, because it shows you in no uncertain terms whether you have been moving enough to meet your daily goals, and whether you have done it with enough intensity to make a real difference. The Fitbit device will show you…

Outdoors March 21, 2012

GAIN Fitness for iOS Is Pocket-Sized Personal Training

Exercise. It’s something we all need to do, with the exception of those among us who are genetically gifted. But it is too easy to get caught in a rut, slogging through the same workouts each day. Or to avoid working out entirely because a meeting ran late, the car is in the shop, dinner needs to get made, or the moon isn’t full. There are a million ways to track the workout you didn’t do, but what about learning how to work out? That’s where GAIN Fitness comes in. It’s an app used in conjunction with a website that…

News & Features March 20, 2012

Yoga Is In the Bag with Hot Dog Yoga’s New Rollpack

Getting the right tool to do the job properly was something I learned the hard way, the first time I did the “Couch to 5K” program. The same goes for pretty much any activity, and that includes yoga. Yoga doesn’t require a lot of equipment, but you do want to have your mat with you, along with water, some snacks (Elana has taught me that it is crucial to eat immediately after working out so the “snacks” aspect is key), and a few other assorted items. One could use a regular gym bag, but that means you’d have to carry…

Gear Bits March 17, 2012

The iPad Camera in Action (Literally)!

The new iPad has a fantastic camera, but it has led to the question “Why?” Why would anyone choose to hold up a 10″ tablet to snap a picture instead of the camera on their mobile phone or a regular point & shoot? It is a stumper, because unless you want a huge viewfinder, there are much more ergonomic and lighter choices in cameras. However, at least two or three people HAVE been snapping shots with their iPads. While running the ‘Rock N Roll DC’ half-marathon today, I passed a clump of spectators where everyone was holding up iPads to…

Reviews March 17, 2012

Sportiiiis Heads-Up Display System with Heart Rate Monitor for Athletes Review

I spend most of my days designing and executing workouts. With our football players, we concentrate more on raw strength and fast twitch muscle fibers, but for myself, heart rate is the important factor. If time is to be taken to workout, it is important to make sure the exercise is maximized. If your heart rate is too low, there will be no benefits, and if your heart rate is too high, the workout becomes dangerous. Maintaining target heart rate will bring the most results safely. Since I am no spring chicken anymore, the safety issue is really important for…

Editorials March 11, 2012

Running, Technology, and What Really Matters

(Me, 2 years ago) I fully intended this to be a post about over-reliance on technology. You see, in one week I am running my fourth half-marathon, and I really, really, really want to set a new personal record (PR). I have trained hard, and obsessed over every run, and my biggest dilemma is whether to use my Garmin Forerunner during the race, or whether it will psych me out too much to have all that data strapped to my wrist. For those who don’t live and breathe running, a Garmin Forerunner is a wristwatch with GPS that tracks your…

Gear Bits March 6, 2012

To Tweet or Not to Tweet: Is it Safe for Drivers to Tweet from the Track

A couple of weeks ago during the long and arduous Daytona 500, Brad Keselowski who races in the Sprint Cup racing series for Penske racing caused quite a stir while the cars were parked on the track during a red flag. He tweeted from the track. What did he tweet? Pictures from his vantage point on the track of the aftermath of fellow driver Juan Pablo Montoya’s collision with the jet fuel powered track dryer.

Gear Bits March 5, 2012

How Fast Do You Need to Run to Be a Secret Service Agent?

I was a teenager during the Clinton administration, so I didn’t pay a great deal of attention to the news, but I do remember hearing about the President’s habit of running a few times a week. From what I understood, it wasn’t uncommon for Presidents to run to stay in shape and deal with stress, but it never occurred to me what a Secret Service issue it was! According to former Agent Dan Emmett, they had a hard time finding agents who could protect the President while he was out running: Clinton jogged about three days a week, for no…

Gear Bits February 19, 2012

JayBird Bluetooth stereo headphones

I was checking out these JayBird Bluetooth stereo headphones on the company website and figured I would watch the promotional videos. The headphones look good too!

Editorials February 9, 2012

Checking Out Windows Phone Speed, Apps, Camera, Music Player and Games

Judie: Our saga began when Dan and I received HTC Titans at a Microsoft sponsored dinner while attending CES; it’s hard to believe that on the 11th it will have been one month ago. You can catch up on our previous posts before starting with this one by clicking the following links: Considering the Move from an iPhone 4S to Windows Phone Titan Comparing the iPhone 4s Hardware to the HTC Titan and Dipping into the Windows Phone User Interface In that month, my iPhone has never left my gadget drawer. Although I can think of a few times I…

Gear Bits February 2, 2012

Fact or Crap: Super Bowl – Cancer – Proposal – Greedy Girlfriend Edition

This week I had to visit a company making equipment for a project I’m working on, and due to the locations of both of our companies, it was simply easier to do the 350 mile drive each way over the last couple of days. As a result – and also the result of the rental car not having any sort of MP3 player input jack, and me not bringing any CDs – I listened to a lot of radio. I heard angering stories about Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, Komen, and the state of financial literacy in our nation. I…

News & Features January 28, 2012

ZBoard, Like a Moped Only Way Cooler

Remember that moped you thought was the coolest when you were 14? No? Well, pre-drivers license, the idea of motorized transportation in any form sounded way cool to a lot of us. That even went for mopeds, until we actually bought one. Well this is like the moped but is a whole lot cooler.

News & Features January 23, 2012

One Good Earbud, One Brilliant Idea?

I have said many times that running with headphones in is not a good idea. It’s dangerous for multiple reasons; you can’t hear cars, animals, or people coming up behind you. Even with the music turned down you lose a sense of what’s around you. The common suggestion is usually to leave one earbud out, but then you’re stuck with a mono listening experience. That’s why One Good Earbud from Far End Gear is such a smart idea. From their website: One Good EarbudTM is the ideal way to safely listen to music, podcasts, audio books, and mobile calls while running,…

Events January 22, 2012

A Visit with Gear4, and a Look at Their Current and Upcoming Prodcuts

Judie and I had a chance to visit with Gear4 in their suite at the Wynn. We’ve seen some of the company’s products in the past, but I don’t think that either of us realized how extensive their portfolio is. And it is going to get even larger in 2012. Needless to say, we came away impressed. Here’s a rundown on the company and their current lineup … Gear4 wants to “make things that are simple, enhance your life and are a pleasure to use.” While all of that is highly subjective from what we saw they are doing everything…

Events January 11, 2012

iBike POWERHOUSE Brings a Complete Fitness System to the iPod Touch and iPhone

I don’t know about you, but for me, trying to get into and keep on a fitness plan is difficult. Unless you have motivation, it can be difficult to keep with it. Personally, one way I have found that works to keep motivated is to have a training partner, or use statistics to track my progress. Well, the iBike POWERHOUSE does both! The iBike POWERHOUSE is a fitness tool which combines an iPhone 3G/3GS/4/4S or an iPod Touch with a hardware device which: A weather-proof / shock resistant patented smart case and sensors The iBike POWERHOUSE app Goal-specific plans developed…

Events, News & Features January 11, 2012

YurBuds Ironman Pro Earbuds Stay In… Even If You Do Backflips!

Here at CES last year I was introduced to a new earbud company. YurBuds was offering their Inspire earbuds. The bright red earpieces stood out and promised a degree of comfort and “stay-putt-edness” that is in great demand among people who listen to music while doing a strenuous activity. I was skeptical but ended up impressed by their sound. Elana, who hates in-ear headphones, tried them on and within minutes co-opted the pair the company had given me for review. (The company kindly replaced mine.) A year later Elana’s YurBuds are going strong and she continues to evangelize for them…

Events, News & Features January 10, 2012

Velocomp Introduces iBike Powerhouse for iPhone/iPod Touch

Since I am one of Gear Diary’s cooking and kitchen gadget reviewers and also write about food for a few other publications, it’s all I can do to keep myself anywhere near fighting weight. One of my favorite exercise regimens as part of the battle of the bulge is cycling, both on the road and in the gym. So that’s why I was excited to see the latest announcement from Velocomp that they have developed an iOS-based cycling computer that interfaces with iPhones and iPods. I usually ride with my iPhone anyway, for safety on the road and for entertainment…