Gymboss Interval Timer

If there is one way to increase your fitness quickly it is through interval training. You go very fast for a time, and then after a short recovery, you do it over. And over. And over. Last night at our track workout I ran 8 x 800 m at 3:55 min/km pace, with a 200 m jog between. Intervals on bikes are often done with stationary trainers since that lets you focus on riding hard and not having to be interrupted by things like traffic signals. I’ve found the perfect timer for cyclists to use for interval training: the Gymboss Interval Timer. Only $US 20, it must have been designed by a cyclist. You input the length of your interval, the length of your recovery, and the number of intervals you want to do. It does the rest. It even has a clip so you can attach it to your clothes. If you do cycling intervals check it out—you will be able to focus on your riding and not watching a clock.

Running – Nuku’alofa Tonga

Nuku’alofa is the capital of Tonga, a kingdom located in the South Pacific some 2,000 km north of New Zealand. I arrived here after a long overnight flight Toronto-Los Angeles-Apia Samoa-Tonga.  After a few hours sleep it was full on with meetings so I was unable to get in my usual post-travel run. That had to wait until the next morning when at 06:00 I wandered past the sleeping front desk staff out onto the dark waterfront street in front of the International Dateline Hotel.

Running – Toronto’s Ravines

I grew up in Toronto and regularly visit to see my parents. One of the pleasures of the area where they live is the excellent network of running/biking paths in the ravines around the Don River. Much of the area is parkland with forest  lined trails. It is possible to travel over 15 km with never having to be on a road with motorized vehicles. On a sunny day there are hordes of cyclists and roller bladers to deal with, who are very un-Canadian with their rudeness in passing without warning. But that’s another story …

Running – Washington D.C.’s C&O Canal

One of the real gems of Washington D.C. is the C&O Canal. This follows the Potomac River from Georgetown all the way to Cumberland Maryland. The canal tow path is ideal for running as it provides a low impact surface, is shaded and—above all—free of traffic. Had a nice 12 km out and back. Brought back lots of great memories of running here when we lived in Virginia. Did a lot of marathon training here! Just look at the photos and you will see why.

Running – Georgia’s Black Sea Coast

My fourth country in four weeks. Four more to go before this around the world jaunt is over and I’m back in Sydney. Today I found myself in Kobuleti, a Black Sea resort town north of Batumi. I had to inspect a tunnel project half way here from Tbilisi and decided to spend the weekend here rather than return to Tbilisi. Much cooler weather than Tbilisi, although for some reason I still had trouble with my run. Wish I could start firing on all cylinders.

Riding Don’ts

The first time I went for a group ride I was terrified. Even though I have tens of thousands of kilometres under my bum from cycling, being in a group of riders at 50 km/h or more requires concentration and a lot more courage than pedalling on my own. Brad Khun who was in one group I rode with in D.C. wrote the following on riding don’ts. Some good advice …

Running – Tbilisi Georgia’s Hills

I’ve always enjoyed running Tbilisi’s hills. It’s both a good workout and very scenic as well. It was great to be back in town again. I couldn’t sleep so at 05:15 I donned my gear and hit the road. I decided to do the long variation of the run which took 18.75 km door to door from the Radisson Hotel. It was a perfect morning so I grabbed a few photos as well.

Running – Yerevan River Route

Found a nice new running route in Yerevan Armenia. It was an 18+ km out and back with flat sections, hills and best of all, no traffic! Starting at Republic Square head towards the airport and the football stadium. As soon as you cross the bridge turn right and run down the road. You will find yourself on a tree lined avenue which continues next to the river for about 8 km.  After 5 km the road head up a hill; turn across the bridge instead and keep going. You will find a very nice hill for 1.5 km before the turnaround. A very nice run. I’ll upload the GPS track to www.mapmyrun.com.

 

Running – Istanbul Airport

Often when transiting through a country we end up doing our running on treadmills in a gym. I’ve found a great alternative in Istanbul. The Polat Renaissance hotel is about a 10 minute drive from the airport and is on the Marmara sea. There is an excellent 10 km out and back run you can do along the coast as you can see below.

 

The run is flat on a concrete surface. Excellent for speed work. You will pass through a fishing village and see lots of very friendly cats. Just go out the front door of the hotel and turn left.

Vegetarians and Athletics

When people hear that I am a vegetarian and do triathlon—let alone my other ventures such as mountain biking the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico—they are surprised that I can do such things without being a carnivore. There is an interesting article in the NY Times about an ultramarathoner who is not only a vegetarian, but is a vegan. I tried that for about a year but it was just too difficult with all my travelling, especially to keep my protein intake up. In any event, it just shows that God knew what he was doing when he gave us our original diet: "Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat." (Genesis 1:29).