Garmin Fenix 3 Product Review

So I got this watch about a week ago, and it is pretty cool, and super expensive. It has a place on my wrist all the time now, and if you want more info than I could probably ever put in a review, check out DC Rainmaker, he has so much info that I would not know how to get, or how to even know about, but he cheats, he tests for garmin. So anyway, lets start with my thoughts on this watch. There is so much on here, so keep in mind I am just scratching the surface. Now you make see the watch and think why do I need a 500 dollar watch, well you don't, but it is cool. I wanted it because it has a long battery life, plan and simple, I love ultras, I just did the TARC fels winter ultra, and it offers better gps accuracy than my last watch, the fr10. So some f the things you may not know, that I wanted to know, but could not find online:

1. It has programmable timers for each activity (like running, trail running, biking, swimming, etc). You have several options: preset, water, food, (you can set them for any interval based min)Also HR, Run/Walk, Pace, Time, Distance, Cadence, Calories, and Elevation (also under custom, turn around, go home (lol) and a completely custom name you make yourself!)
2.  It has a track back feature, it comes in handy when you are in unfamiliar territory, or a trail you can get lost in easily.
3. you can make a course, and race it, it gets stored on the watch somehow, I guess magic!
4. you can make hotkeys, I chose bluetooth and location storing (you can also use stop watch and timer)
5. you can lock the screen, so when you hit button it will not effect your data 
6. Instant gps lock, even in new places, it barley takes a second the few times I have used it! 
7. there is a setting that lets you use the watch wile charging, not just gps, but also change settings, whatever you want to access wile it is plugged in
8. you can have the watch auto shut off notifications off all kind, or just phone calls.
9. you can set up a live track and post it to facebook, twitter, email, or your connect friends, all  of them (not many people use it regularly, but hey it has facebook)

 This watch is also heavy, not as bad as the sapphire one, (it has a nicer quartz, (watch talk for face plate) it is scratch resistant, and nicer metal bracelet, and rubber strap as well). But this watch could be a problem on super long runs or races just switch wrists, keep in mind if it was not heavy it probably would not do all the cool things it does!

Weather!

As far as the other non running things too! It connect by bluetooth, and tells you when you have notifications like text, call, email, facebook, etc. You can easily change that on your phone and the notifications area and shut off the push, or change the settings as you wish. It is pretty good, I have had my watch buzz before my phone on several occasions, and  Step counter is a nice touch. You can see the temp, altimeter, and barometer for the last 48hrs as well. You get cool controls for you music, it has to be in the background, and you can see your calendar for the day as well, but that has on occasion not worked unless the app was in the backround. It is also supports temperature on the watch face, by converting to some app on your phone I would guess, as it only worked for a day or two. When I updated my IOS to the current one (9.1, about to be 9.2 as I type this) the weather no longer showed, no idea what happened, both the watch and phone have been power cycled, and connections reset. So I am at a loss. The blue tooth connectivity is great, a surprisingly long reach for a watch, and an Iphone 5s. The watch face can be tweaked in the digital face to show battery, day of week, and month, and  bluetooth connection status, also the time of the next sunrise/sunset! All of which can be tweaked based on prefernce, you can have a classic analog look if you prefer, but that seems to offer less options for what you see other than the dial. There is a find phone option on this watch as well, it will make the phone make noise, and it will show an arrow as to where it is, giving you direction when you louse your phone!

Time!

The heart rate monitor is super easy to connect, I do not plan to get any of the other fancy high tech data collectors ( you can get monitors for temp, and a foot  pod that measures cadence and other data based on your run very easily, and one for more accurate data on a bike) It will auto upload by bluetooth to your app on your phone, it is super easy. It took me a few tries to connect the heart rate monitor (that is why I connected it the night before my run), but after a few applies of water from a sponge it connected quickly, and now as soon as the strap is connected, and wet, it connects instantly, no need for me to dig through sub menus to find it! I have heard that the wrist based ones are still not as good as the chest, and they have to be pretty tight to be fully accurate. But I do not know, I mention this because if you want a cheaper alternative, there are some and they have many of the same features, but I wanted the super long battery life, the option to make it even longer in the settings, and the ability to charge on the go so a multi day race can still be recorded! (and yes those are planned in my future, I will learn everything about this watch, probably before the end of the summer in 2016)

I am so not meeting my step goal

So Is this watch the greatest at everything? Hell no, but it is awesome for what I want it to be, long battery life, notifications from my watch, accurate details on more things than I ever thought would be cool on a watch. It comes at off sets, several options are unavailable unless the garmin connect app is running in the back ground, and I still can not get the weather to connect. But I am a fan, you can do most of this stuff on some of the medium level watches from garmin (or sunnto, or tomtom, I just picked garmin a wile ago, and love them, well most of the time)

So there you have it, My first impression on this super fancy ultra watch! I am sure I may have forgotten something, but bear with me I have only had it for like 3 runs, in about a week. Soon I will see how some of the apps work fr it, and how well it works as a srtength training tool, there are a few cool apps that set timers, and show you your heart rate wile you work out. Also cool apps that show your your heart rate and what zone you are in ect. If you have any further questions, or think I missed something, let me know!

Until Next time
Stay active
Stephen

Update! Literally a moment after I hit post for this blog, the watch started to show the weather again, so yay!

Under armour hood product review

I have worn the under armour hood on a few runs and races so far. I have mixed feelings about this product. It is made from the same infrared material that my other cold gear is made of so it works to keep you warm. The issue that i have is the fit. They advertise it as a balaclava style that can be worn in various ways. The face guard does not stay over my face, but rest helps keep you warm. If you ever overheat you can just take it off and it hangs off your neck its so light that you barley notice it wile running. It definitely needs to be around freezing temps for it to be worth wile to wear, otherwise you will overheat and be pouring sweat on your run. However if you are just walking or shoveling it can be worn at warmer temps. It is also thin enough that you can also wear it under any winter hat, and it helps diminish the wind. Again, the face coverage is very poor and never stayed long over my face. When i ran the polar bear challenge i wore this on the first lap, and it worked well under another winter hat (the high that day was 25, around 2pm, i started running at 7am). I quickly gave up on the face coverage, which got my beard covered in snow before i realized it. Not the biggest deal, but kind of annoying considering that i could have worn 2 buffs one for under the winter hat, and one for the neck. Buffs stay snug better than this does, and are cheaper, plus if you go to enough races you can get them for free (i got one from: urban raid, blizzard blast, and polar bear) buffs also block most of the wind, and can be worn in the summer to block the sun, and can wick sweat as well. Bottom line i like the idea of this "hood" but for the 30 dollar price tag, and a face coverage that does not stay put for long, it is a little disappointing. So considering you can get similar hoods, that are made from polyester that seem to be able to keep warm, and still wick, for 10 dollars less. Those you can find at jc penny, or other department stores and have a better securing  method (pull string with a locking mechanism, much like the plastic drawstring from hoodies/jackets). So buy at your own warning, good warmth coverage for head and neck, cleans easy, but sub par face coverage, which considering the rest of the hood holds tight (just looser than compression) is disappointing.

Plant fusion product review

In case any of you were wondering, my protein shake of choice is the Plant Fusion. I am  big fan of the taste. I am lactose intolerant, and when i was doing whey it did not agree with me (constant gas). I drink these shakes everyday, I even started making cookies and bars with this powder (recipes, and reviews are next on the list). I tried some others, the only one I remember was garden of life raw. I really did not like the way it tasted, I think it was chalky, and did not mix as well as the plant fusion. this powder is fine, and mixes really well. I use almond milk, I have read way too many things about soy, and its negative affects on the body. I like that this is made from quinoa and amaranth, and gmo free. I have only had the chocolate flavor, i have discovered in a protein shake chocolate flavors are the best, it hides any bed flavors easily. It has bcaa from peas and a bunch of other goodies from plant sources.


So if you are looking for a protein source, and want it to be vegan, and allergy free, this is a great choice

Darn tough socks review

Wool socks have been gaining in popularity in running, and darn tough socks have been at the top, showing up in magazines and cites all over the internet explaining that they are great for ocrs. This could not be more true, they have a lifetime guarantee, i have yet to need it, but i have spoken with friends and i have been told that they are quick to solve problems, so that is a plus.  I bought them for running ocrs, wool is great, and cotton is not good when running through water and mud. Cotton retains water for way to long. Wool also helps reducing chances of blisters when running. I have several pairs of the hiking ones, and a few of the road running socks. (Hiking and Running). They have done great when trail running or racing, I have done 18 miles over rolling hills, and highly technical trail, and no trail toes, and no new blisters or anything (sore arches but socks can not stop that). The socks are also great at regulating body temperature. Unless you are wearing long socks you will not notice them in the summer, i actually switched over to darn tough socks for all of my socks. They help keep me warm in the colder weather and cool in the hotter weather. I have talked with a few friends who thought that wool in the summer can make you sweat early and be uncomfortable, but they are great! Socks are one of the things that can be easily overlooked when it cones to running and/or racing gear, but they make a difference in comfort.

Bottom line they are not cheap (no wool socks that last are cheap) but they are worth every penny!

Garmin forerunner 10 review

I bought this watch over the summer (early July) based on the recommendation from some friends, internet research, and talks with sales reps. Firstly i was told, (by various people) to stick with a gps branded watch, Which makes sense because they have been working with gps for a wile. I am also tight on funds so i wanted the most economical watch, that did not skimp on usage. I have been using my watch for every run, and race for the summer and fall. This watch connects very fast, the only thing you need to do is not be next to a building, which is common for gps. And the more you stay in one place the quicker it reconnects, runs in front of my house seriously take a few seconds to connect, that is all. Even at races that i have not been to it connects real quick (from what i hear even faster than some of the fancier gps watches). This is a more basic watch, but it does it great! It holds mile, 5k, 10k, 1/2, marathon, and longest run records.
The only draw back i can see is that the battery lasts 5 hours from full charge, but for the price that is a minor gripe. You can use it as an everyday watch (which i have started to). It is also water proof, and for that natter mud proof. I have taken it to many ocrs and it has recorded them with no issue. They also have a good web cite that store all of your runs. You can customize the watch display to show speed, distance, time run, and time. Their is a graph that shows how fast you ran (in min per mile) over the distance, and you can lay it out over a map with terrain or streets kind of like Google maps.

Bottom line, if you are looking to record your runs, and do not have a lot of money to spend, with more gadgets than the average runner needs, buy this watch!

Goruck 10l Bullet Review

I got the Goruck 10l bullet in April, i needed a water bag that had good storage, and could take a beating. I have used it for a Goruck Light, a spartan super in new jersey, the spartan beast in Vermont, o2x at sugarbush, shale hill and plenty of training runs. This company is committed to making a high quality product. The lifetime grantee, and the fact that they fix and send it back if you somehow manage to break the military grade product is great. I know of people that bought their hat, and it shredded after years of use, and they sent a new one in the mail, no hoops to jump through. But back to the bag, this thing held the 4 bricks needed for the light with no real issue, it also held the water and plenty of snacks. I wore it wile rucking Washington, it was about 30 lbs, and considering it was 30 on my back the whole day, it was pretty comfortable, just make sure to wear a shirt, or you will get a nice mark on your back. In new Jersey i was testing how it would feel in a race, and it was great held up fine. It gives you the confidence to throw it wile doing the barbwire crawl, knowing i could throw it as far as i could, then roll and repeat until you are threw. Other than that i did not need to take it off and it was comfy, and i never needed to stop to get a drink of water, and i knew i was comfy for the beast when it was a requirement. O2X (is a great race, if you get the chance do it) i used it to carry extra clothes (hoodie and hat) that mountain was 18 at the top, so happy for extra layers that day, i was not ready for that cold yet, that is when i decided to get the under Armour (great move, so happy, see last review) and with killington it was great, i was able to put more food than i would need for the world championships, and more salt and mustard than i would need as well. The bladder has a cover over the mouth opening, which is great when it is dragging through mud and the like under the barbwire crawls. It has a drain hole so when you hop out of the water you are not drenched again with the water trapped by the bag. The water drops down and there are a few pockets that do not get wet. When i was at shale hill, i got to the top of an obstacle and did not want to crawl over a cargo net that was small, with the bag on so i threw it down 2 stories, and no issues. This is a high quality bag, that you have to try to break, and the good news is they fix it for you, and in most cases they do it for free ( I have not had to send anything back but i hear great things from people that have done more than i would, like high endurance races and other ways that could destroy most gear) so i have faith.

Bottom line it is worth the price, you will mot need to buy another bag. Only draw back is you have to buy the bladder, chest strap, the strap that holds the tube to the bladder. So you only get the bag, none of the stuff that  camel gives you with the purchase, but this bag will outlast camel, and you can do way more events. So if you want indestructible bag, buy this one!

Under Armour Cold Gear Infrafed Review

I bought these under armour tights and mock neck shirt for the Spartan Race Vermont Beast. I have had several chances to run in them and i am so happy that i did. They make running in the cold so much easier. I have discovered that the do great until you hit low 20's. They did wonderful for me in VT, and the weather in Vermont in September is not warm, the week before it was 18 degrees on top of a mountain 30 min away from killington. Killington was 55 degrees, i had to rool up my sleeves, it was just barley out of the max range for these guys, when i was under the trees they were great in direct sunlight a ittle warm. But my body does run a little high temp wise. On This past Saturday i ran the Fenway Spartan Sprint, and it was in the low 30's nothing like starting in the 7:15 wave and it is below freezing! this outfit works wonders! wile waiting i needed more layers, but when moving i was in a comfortable temperature, i did not notice the cold! I spent the whole day running around the stadium, my first wave was about around 7:25 am, through 5 laps, the final starting at about 2:30, and the only time i was cold was when i stopped moving. I also put a hat on for the later waves, and gloves. I joined The November Project for a run in Harvard Stadium, it was 22 degrees, and i had on a running Jacket, hast and gloves, my legs were slightly under temp, but if i had shorts on i would have been fine, i also had on wool socks (darn tough brand) boot cut so it covered the bottom of my legs. but for 30's and up these are perfect as is. anything lower and then they need another layer, but they are so close to the skin, they are not compression so they are looser, but still close enough that you can easily layer with these with ease. Bottom line if you want to run in the cold, real cold, these are highly useful, and you should buy them!




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