Why I don’t wear gloves
“The only legitimate use for a glove is to cover an injury. A desire to prevent callus formation (possibly so as to not snag one’s pantyhose) does not constitute a legitimate use.”
-Mark Rippetoe
Lust makes my heart beat faster
The choices for heart rate monitor watches are pretty varied nowadays and you have a number of great options. What matters to me is simplicity, functionality and form. It just need to do its job and look decent enough on my wrist.
Here are my favourites from each brand.
Polar has always been a market leader in developing great HRM watches to suit a wide range of sports and activities. I’ve been using their F11 for two years now and don’t really need another one. But darn, the FT80 looks good.
Where to buy it: They are well-distributed in Malaysia through fitness and bike shops.
To make sure Polar doesn’t get the monopoly on HRMs, Timex has always been there to keep em honest. They definitely benefited from having association with the IRONMAN(Tm) brand, representing the quintessential triathlete event. Doesn’t look quite as good as the Polars but still does its job.
Where to buy it: Honestly I don’t really know where to get em in KL. Any ideas?
For a company known to produce fantastic diving watches, Suunto has burst into the HRM scene in recent years with great offerings like the t3. Known to produce real-time training info (whatever that means), I must say that the good looks and more sophisticated features are giving Polar and Timex the run for their money. If they continue to churn out well-made quality products that way they do now, they will be pushing the frontiers for innovative gears both on land and underwater.
Where to buy it: Here’s one place to get em.
This is the watch. My dream watch. I’ve heard about problems with its usability but darn, it looks hot! What’s even hotter is its GPS functionality which allows you to track exactly where you are at any given time and also how far you have gone, without the use of a foot pod. Definitely on the wishlist but it sets me back by USD300. Damnit.
Where to buy it: I saw em in Paragon Orchard, Singapore. I was tempted. Thank God I looked away.
Why I’m giving Three-Stripes a 2nd chance
Comfort is overrated.
Strength, flexibility and speed is the name of the game.
Unfortunately the way shoes are made now, we are being led away from achieving what we are born to do. I have so many folks coming to me, complaining of how they develop knee injuries, back problems and sore feet. It’s not surprising, we were not trained to walk or run properly.
As the so-called marquee brands of the 21st century continues to churn out tons and tons of “innovative” and technological enhanced shoes, the shape and posture of the way we do sports and fitness deteriorates. We have the Motion-control, the Structured Cushioning, the Stability, the Performance Trainers, the Shoxs, the Frees etc. till the number of choices sends our consumer-driven heart-rate up to new peaks. The modern shoemaker knows our problems with injuries and have decided to manufacture shoes that makes the whole experience a little more pleasant. Add some cushioning here and more stability over there should do the trick.
By giving more comfort to your feet, they’re actually killing it.
Just take the world’s most efficient movers from A to B. The Africans. The fact is, they don’t really like using shoes. They go barefoot ever since they could move. Says Haile Gebrselassie, the world’s marathon record holder.
As emphasized by Romanov, founder of Posetech running, we need shoes that provides little separation between our feet and the ground. Reasons for this is it allows us to connect our forefoot with the running surface with greater sensitivity and clarity. It means we should use shoes that are not loaded around the heel area and packed with unnecessary bulk. One of the major reasons for knee injuries is that people who attempt to run without proper coaching might develop the bad habit of heel-striking, which puts tremendous stress on the legs.
So gives your knees a chance. Land on the ball of your foot. Allow gravity to lead in your running. And get light racing flats so that your feet might be strengthened. And say goodbye to injuries.
I once had an adidas running shoe but it was hopeless because the arch was too high, making it extremely painful to run in. After that, I swore never to get another pair of adidas runners ever again.
But they have been evolving. And listening. In fact, they are one of the few shoe companies right now that has an entire series of light racing flats available to the market right now. They’re called the Adizeros.
Please note that I’m not promoting the shoe company. I’m endorsing a certain type of shoe that brings us very close to art of bare-foot running that the Africans developed even without giving it much thought. Every shoe company has these kinds. My favourite brand Asics has its version in the Hyperspeed, which is used by the American marathoner, Ryan Hall. When I say bare-foot running, you might immediately think of the Nike Frees because they launch those with a commercial directly linked to the way Africans run. The idea was great but sadly, the shoe doesn’t really live up to what it claims. They look good though, if that’s what you’re after.
So it’s time to leave my very cushioned Kayanos behind. Because I couldn’t find the Hyperspeeds in this part of the world, I’ve decided to embrace the Adizeros.
(It could take a while before I’m used to flat runners because my once well-cushioned pampered feet needs a bit of strengthening and adjusting)
Yes, Three-stripes. I’m giving you another chance. Cos you actually made something that seemed to work. Don’t disappoint me.
And a note to Nike. Please buck up. You kinda sucked in the functional department for some time now.
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