Week #12 in Review

February Week #12 Training

22. Bike 40'

23. Swim 60'

24. Run 50'

25. Swim 60'

26. Rest

27. Bike 60'

28. Run 40'

A great week of training, the second full week back.  The swim on Thursday had to be the hardest practice all week.  We did a 10 minute straight swim and a 5 minute straight swim at the end of practice.  The shoulders were super tired, and my breathing got really hard towards the end of the 10 minutes.  I think I swam about a total of 600-700 yards in 10 minutes, only about a third of the way of the total swim.

The bike ride on Saturday was great, I really like cycling, and I think I tend to push myself hard on the bike, and not really realize it until later.  Which is good for training, bad for the race, cause I still have 6 miles to run afterwards.  This coming week will be a true brick workout - 80 minute bike ride, 30 min run.  Last brick workout, my legs were going to quite on me, and my lungs were going to burst.  Stay tuned.

Gear
So, I got myself a new pair of glasses.  Before I get into my new pair, I want to just warn everyone not to consider Alterna Eyewear.  They say free sunglasses, just pay for shipping and handling, but its all crap.  I ordered a pair of glasses, paid $15 in S&H, and the only reason why I ordered a pair from here because I got a flyer in my triathlon race packet.  For some reason, I thought that flyers in the packet would be legit, but Alterna Eyewear, while a legitimate company, has crappy products.  The glasses broke on me just putting them on, I was pissed because it was just before a bike ride in 30 degree weather!  That's enough about them, they are crooks, and their products are plastic crap not worth the packaging they are delivered in.

Fed up with those glasses, I coughed up money for a pair of Oakley Flak Jackets.  These glasses are great, I got a pair of white frames with red ear socks, fire iridium polarized lenses for sunny days, and clear lenses for cloudy days.  I would have gotten the high intensity yellow lenses instead of the clear, but they didn't have any because law enforcement and the military buy them up, according to the store manager.  The high intensity yellow flak jacket XLJ lenses have been backordered for the last 6 months.

 

Pros

• Interchangeable lenses
• Frame is flexible and sturdy
• Lightweight
• Large, flatter ear wrap (the part of the glasses that wrap around the head) feels more secure on my head, when biking and running
• XLJ lenses give my eyes good coverage and protection
• Look great
• Comes with a case to protect your glasses and extra lenses

Cons

• Replacing the lenses can be challenging, takes practice.  People who want glasses whose lenses are easier to replace may consider Oakley's new Jawbone glasses, these glasses offer a frame that makes replacing lenses very simple
• The fire iridium lenses scratch easily

Bottom-line
I really like these glasses, I like how they look, and I like how they fit.  I had to get the larger nose pads, since my bridge isn't very large.  I still need some practice swapping out lenses.  All in all, the glasses fit comfortably on my head, stays still when I'm running, and offers good visibility when on the bike.

A note for people looking to buy custom Oakley glasses, buy them in the store vice online.  As long as you don't care about a custom Oakley colored icon on the side, and etched lenses, the stores will have everything you need to create a custom set of glasses.  They will set you up with your custom pair while you wait.  Not only will you have your glasses right away, but, they allow returns as long as its within 30 days and they are returned in the condition in which you purchased them.  If you order custom glasses online, Oakley will NOT accept returns.