Over the weekend I splurged and bought myself the CycleOps Fluid2 trainer. Great for those rainy days, or when I have to work late and don’t want to ride at night. It was super easy and quick to set up since some of the tools were included. I gave it a quick test ride shortly after, and first impressions were positive indeed. It was just like the reviews on Amazon, as it was smooth and quiet. The only real noise was coming from my bike, which is normal. The true test will be when I train with it and turn on Netflix or Hulu.

One of the things I had to get over when training for a triathlon is that I have to wear tight shorts for swimming and biking. Initially, I was very uncomfortable because I’ve never worn tight shorts before. I’ve never really had to. I was warned by my roommate that yes, it will feel weird, but since everyone else is wearing the same thing, the fears will wear off, and it did. Some of the last few things I needed to get for training were more shorts. Swimming almost everyday, I needed some backup shorts, and the last time I ran in biker shorts with the extra padding, it felt really weird like I took a dump in my shorts, that I needed true triathlon shorts.

A great source for endurance sports accessories and gear is Amazon.com. I initially used it for my holiday online shopping a few weeks ago, but when I saw the benefits of great deals in combination with free shipping and no sales tax, it was a no brainer to use it again. Each of the above shorts were discounted at least $15, so I jumped on it quickly! They barely arrived earlier today, so I’m just super excited to try them on!

You see, there’s a HUGE opportunities in the endurance sports world for products because most of us are willing to try just about anything from weird balance bracelets, organic energy bars, shoe inserts that make you run faster, and so on. We love to use trial and error until something sticks. Believe me, I’m one of those people. I’ve got tons of running watches, water belts, and sunglasses. I never get tired of marathon health expos because most of the stuff in there are so entertaining. Some funny, some interesting, some… well, I end up buying. What you see above was something I saw a few years ago, but never thought of even buying because I would always carry my ID anyway. The risk of me getting hurt on a jog, I felt very unlikely, because to tell you the truth, I always ran in groups anyway. I hardly went on any midweek runs on my own, and if it was too dark, I’d just skip it (oops! don’t tell my coaches!). Now, there’s more of a risk because it’s easy to fall behind or stray off course on a bike route, especially if there’s no sweepers, or support staff following stragglers in their car.

It’s better to be safe than sorry, so I bought a RoadID Anklet. They also sell bracelets, but since I already wear my running watch, I didn’t want to get any more arm band tans! It’s a “Just In Case” bracelet that contains my name and emergency numbers, and precautionary info (I don’t have any allergies or anything). I even put my Twitter name just for fun. It is made of durable components that will withstand training, and it was highly recommended by my IronTeam coaches as well. I hope that I never really use this, but it’s good to know that the right people will be contacted if anything happens.

This is what they have on their website:
barefooting (bare•foot•n) n. 1. The exhilarating joy of going barefoot without leaving yourself exposed; 2. any activity requiring unconventional footwear offering the protection of a thin, flexible Vibram skin; 3. an intelligent way to deepen your connection with your natural surroundings.