Week in Review–April 17th, 2011

I’ve long since wondered what to do with all the random tidbits of things I collect each week – or the little thoughts that don’t quite make for a full post.  But I finally came up with a solution: The Week in Review Post.  This takes the place of my Weekly Mailbag – which is over on Slowtwitch.  These are just quick snippets of things that I’ve found interesting.  Nice and easy Saturday reading.  Plus, a recap of my Weekly Mailbag post a well.

So with that, let’s get into the action!

Weekly Mailbag Over at Slowtwitch.com:    
This week over at Slowtwitch I went all smartphone.  I had a bunch of questions that focused on using smart phones in sport so I kept the conversation focused on the phone related items.  Check it out!

1) Bluetooth Heart Rate Strap Monitors
2) Android ANT+ Cell Phone Client and App Options
3) Review of smartphone clients and apps

You can read all my past weekly mailbags at Slowtwitch here.  Or the pre-Slowtwitch days here.

Posts this past week:  
A wide variety of posts this week covering quite a range of stuff.  The most popular was definitely the FR610 review, to say there was a lot of interest there would be a minor understatement. Here’s all the stuff that landed on the front page:

Sunday: Week in Review–April 9th, 2011
Monday: A Weekend Peaking in Transition
Tuesday: Garmin Forerunner 610 In Depth Review
Wednesday: Pre-race time back in the pool with wetsuits
Thursday: Other peoples workouts
Friday: Tip of the day- How to avoid decapitating your bike

Stuff that I found interesting around the interwebs:  
Here’s a small smattering of links I found interesting this week:

1) National Park Week starts today (free access) – Each year the National Park service sets aside a few weeks where access is completely free.  This being one of them.  If you’re in the DC area, I’d highly recommend checking out the 110 mile long Skyline drive – perfect for cycling.

2) Why Cyclists Hate Stop Signs – This fun science-eque article my brother sent over explains in detailed mathematical and physics terms exactly why cyclists hate stop signs.  Pretty cool.

3) Ironman St. George Infographic – Interesting chart that goes into details on the demographic makeup of Ironman St. George.  The chart focuses on a fairly clear shift towards a younger demographic for the race that’s earned its place as fairly tough.

4) Running vs. Walking Calorie Burn – Probably the biggest caloric debate out there is whether running a mile or walking a mile burns the same amount of calories.  This piece talks to where some of the numbers came from, as well as some new scientific evidence around the question.

5) Fitbit adds support for Withings WiFi Scale – I love the Withings WiFi scale I have, and I also love the Fitbit – especially for travel.  Now, the two are married together from a data standpoint.  (Thanks Stuart for sending this in!)

Random Note #1: Nike+ Watch Update

I’m happy to report that I’ve gotten the Nike+ watch that cracked last week all taken care of.  Both the replacement from the standard support and returns center arrived, as well as a unit from Nike/Tom-Tom’s PR team.  At this juncture I could even do one Nike+ on each wrist.  I mean, not that I’d do anything like that.

But I could.

And that’s what counts.

It should also let me get back on track pretty quickly with an In Depth Review.

Random Note #2: Heart Rate Straps

This was the week of heart rate straps arriving at the DCRainmaker pad.  I had the Polar Nike+ compatible strap, the Polar Bluetooth combination strap, and then the Zephyr Bluetooth strap all arrive.

Look for these straps to be reviewed here in the future with a Heart Rate Strap Showcase Showdown!  It’ll be thrilling…except probably without Plinko.  A shame really.

Hope you all had a great weekend!  Look for my soaking wet race report Monday morning!

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