Iron Gym Pull Up Bar

I picked up the "Iron Gym" pull-up bar from Target on Friday for around $30 + tax. Despite the cheesy packaging (and extremely annoying web site), it looks like a solid product (and it got good reviews on Amazon.com)

I have it attached to the door frame of my laundry room. It's one of the few doors in the house that seldom gets closed. It doesn't look like it should hold "up to 300 pounds" but it actually works.


Here's a view of the back side. The z-shaped metal clip in the middle of the bar (wedged between the door frame molding and drywall) is there just so that the bar doesn't accidentally come down when not in use. When I (or anyone else) hang on it, the weight is distributed across the top and sides of the door frame and it feels safe and stable.

Overall, a worthy addition to my fitness gear collection. Now, I just have to USE IT. Less than 3 weeks until the Navy Seal Fitness Challenge on May 9!

PattStrap Review

I posted a review of the PattStrap on their site today (kept getting reminder emails from the vendor to do this). It's at http://pattstrap.com/pattstrap-counter-force-knee-strap-pri-28.html?reviews_id=107 but I'll reproduce it here in case they remove the reviews in the future:

PattStrap Knee Compression Strap
$18.50USD
by Andrien Wang
Date Added: Wednesday 06 February, 2008

I had IT-band trouble in my right knee/leg during marathon training (was up to about 19-20 mile runs when the "IT" hit the fan). Recovery has been slow (I'm back up to 7-8 miles now) but the PattStrap seems to have helped. I think it is a good product, but as another reviewer mentioned it sometimes curls up on the edges. Unlike that reviewer's experience, who had the problem after about 20 uses, mine has started this problem after only 5 runs. Maybe I just got a bad PattStrap. I'll try the other one (they come in a pair) and see if that one stays flat longer. I'm [also a little] disappointed that the "bulk-pack" option has been discontinued.

Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!]

UPDATE:

PattStrap Knee Compression Strap
$18.50USD
by Andrien Wang
Date Added: Saturday 09 February, 2008

Update to my last review (Wednesday, Feb 6). The last sentence is incorrect. I misread "10 Pair Bundle (Discounted)" as "Discontinued" - totally my fault! The PattStrap is still working great for me. I ran 16.5 miles this morning and will be doing the Cowtown (Fort Worth) Half Marathon on February 23 - something unfathomable just a few weeks ago.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

Update link: http://pattstrap.com/pattstrap-counter-force-knee-strap-pri-28.html?reviews_id=108

Spin Bikes

Squeezed in another workout yesterday. Caught the last 45 minutes of a spin class at the Bellevue LA Fitness and then just stayed on the bike for another 45 minutes myself. I'm quite pleased considering it was after *six* days off.

On a related note, one thing that I recently realized is that the cooler winter weather is really screwing up my triathlon training. While I'm still going to the gym regularly (these pesky holiday/travel interruptions notwithstanding) and I've ramped up my running (Cowtown Marathon in February), all through the summer I was doing 4+ hour/60+ mile bike rides every weekend ... and that hasn't happened since before Thanksgiving.

This wouldn't be a problem except that I'm doing a half-Ironman triathlon in less than 3 months, and the "Long Slow Distance" (LSD :-P) is critical in building up aerobic capacity. (Note to self: never sign up for a long-distance tri or biking event early in the season; I'll be much better prepared for it in late summer/early fall).

So, as an alternative, I ordered/purchased a spin bike this past weekend: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11229007

I heard some very persuasive arguments about why I should get a road bike trainer instead (cheaper: $250-300 vs $700; log hours on "your own bike") - and I will look into them in the future but these reasons sealed the deal for me:

1. Zero set-up time. Trainer set-up may only take 5-10 minutes, but that still may be 5-10 minutes too much. Convenience minimizes workout inertia.
2. Unlike my road bike, the spin bike will stay indoors so it won’t get dirty. This means that I can put it in any room of my house - i.e., the media room. (I'm thinking "Spin and a Movie" - spin bike + Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Trilogy = 12-hour, 200-mile, bike ride!)
3. My wife gave her thumbs-up. She wants something "sturdy" and wants to ride it too. (And if I get a trainer later, we can "ride" together.)
4. It's from Costco - with their awesome return policy, if I don't like it, back it goes. :-)

Hmmm, now I own a $350 bike for races and a $700 bike that goes nowhere. That's so messed up ...

Garmin Forerunner 305

Picked up a new gadget this week. I picked up a Garmin Forerunner 305 - following the lead of Jonathan (who has one), Derek (has Garmin Forerunner 205 - same form factor, but no heart rate monitor), and Don (has Garmin Edge 305 - similar, but larger and optimized for cycling).

After using it for a 5K practice run and the Goatneck 100K, my thoughts are pretty much in line with the other reviews out there. It gives great heart rate and GPS info - I love seeing the Google maps via MotionBased. Its elevation sensor is not very accurate (the Edge 305 doesn't suffer from this problem since it combines the GPS elevation with a barometric altitude sensor). It is fairly comfortable to wear despite its "largish" size.

I wish it had more accurate elevation readings like the Edge 305 and I also wish it was completely waterproof so that I could swim with it (it is rated at only 30 minutes at 1 meter and the manual explicitly says that "this product is not intended for use with swimming").

Other than that, it is a great device and a great addition to my training arsenal.