Archives for 2009
Alright, for those of us in the northern hemisphere, or who are not doing much racing until May/June/July, etc., this is probably what you would call our Base period of training. Now is the time to focus on technique, endurance and conditioning work. In other words, going back to basics, polishing things up, learning from [...]
Using built in sensors, the Fitbit captures ‘three dimensional motion’ to provide insight as to the amount of activity and sleep you log each day. It compiles this data and based on your sex, height, weight and age calculates daily the amount of steps taken (reported to be 85-97% accurate), miles traveled, calories burned, calories [...]
To non-surfers, the Northeast seems an unlikely place to find good waves. It’s not California, not Hawaii and too cold most of year to get in the water… right? It seems a well kept secret that waves here in the Northeast are sometimes great and with the right gear it’s never too cold! The only [...]
Here in the Northeast we were just blessed with great surf for the past 4-5 days. I was fortunate enough to make it out for 3 of these days and loved every minute of it… almost. One of the most frustrating parts of surfing is after earning your wave in a lineup, dropping in and [...]
Over my lifetime I’ve done perhaps hundreds-of-thousands of pushups, usually as a form of punishment for poor performance in karate and sports. I still hear my coaches screaming ‘drop and give me 30!‘ and it always puts me in a cold sweat. In the military if you screw-up you have to do pushups in a [...]
Last weekend I participated in the inaugural “Druid Challenge” ultramarathon, along the Ridgeway, a beautiful, tough trail, just to the northwest of London. I did it because: (a) I wanted to get motivated to do some long-distance running as I train to tackle my first Ironman this year (b) I wanted do a small event [...]
In the Northeast the weather can change in an instant. This time of year temperatures fluctuate +/- 20° F almost daily. Being resistant to bad weather is important in these parts (I see kids in t-shirts at the bus stop in January), being prepared for bad weather is vital. Mountain Hardwear, a manufacturer of innovative [...]
I’ve taken your standard hand-held Sony camcorder on many hell-runs down steeps or through glades and only broke one camera. This point of view (POV) filming let’s me relive snowboarding in the off season, reminding me of favorite lines… and the one camera I ruined. Was it a rock or a root I hit? I [...]
Surfing in the Summer is quick and easy; boardies, rash guard and off you go. The only problem is there’s nowhere to stash a key (which in wetsuit season goes behind my calf). Surfers, runners, bikers, anyone who drives somewhere to get a workout has to hide their keys in the wheel well or under [...]
While it’s true the main focus of Bitness is fitness gadgets, we do – from time-to-time – write about gadgets for dogs. Most of these gadgets (like this, this and this) border on animal cruelty, but possible none quite so much as the PooTrap… Source: Geekologie
We’ve seen some pretty interesting exercise equipment (e.g. this, this and that), but none made me blush quite so much as the Shake Weight. Using what the manufacturer calls dynamic inertia, the Shake Weight promises a “revolutionary new way to shape arms you’ll love” in just six minutes a day. I’m not sure how they [...]
In the run-up to the London Triathlon, I had a miserable couple of weeks doing some really crappy work (teaching photography to a bunch of aggressive, violent teenagers) for which I was completely unprepared, getting stressed out, losing sleep, not eating enough, not training much, and generally giving my buddy, Crohn’s Disease, several good reasons to [...]
For almost a quarter century, Kinetic watches have kept themselves wound by converting movement into energy. As of 2007, over eight million Kinetic watches have been sold and the notion of harvesting energy from movement is becoming even more popular today with a new generation of what are called Nanogenerator devices. Nanogenerators have the ability [...]
Brick training is a concept that is popular in triathlon circles where you combine two different disciplines in one continuous training session. It is a good way of working different muscle groups (e.g. going from a swim straight onto the bike) or preparing yourself for some of the weird physiological sensations you might expect to [...]
On most runs I’m wearing a Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS watch with the heart rate receiver strapped around my chest, an armband with my iPhone and on my longer runs, a Fuel Belt around my waist. The hotter it gets and the longer into the running season I go, the more anxious I get with [...]
The sun has finally started to shine on the Northeast and people are once again flocking to the beach. Here’s a top 10 list of gadgets worth checking out for planning and making your next trip to the beach. 1. Long or short board? Learn the conditions before you leave home… Quicksilver Moondak watch and [...]
Motorists and cyclists are supposed to share the road and obey the same laws. All too often however, we see cyclists riding against a one way, blowing through red lights or failing to signal. Meanwhile motorists tailgate cyclists, open car doors without looking and crowd cyclists to the curb with seemingly little regard for their [...]
There is no denying our infatuation with gadgets is taking it’s toll on the environment. By following the three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) that have become synonymous with ‘green’ living, this article helps inform gadget enthusiasts what we can do to tread lightly. Reduce: energy consumption While some gadgets can have a positive impact to [...]
In the Summer I usually surf before 7 a.m. or after 5 p.m. because the parking lot is open to non-residents. These are also prime time hours to find the treasure hunters, typically older folks with metal detectors strapped to their arms, large headphones on their heads and clutching onto metal strainers as they comb [...]
Growing up, I was always a fan of The Hulk cartoons and TV show. My cousin Joe Harnell wrote the theme song for the TV show (song title: ‘The Lonely Man‘) and was kind enough to send me an autographed picture of himself, as well as Bill Bixby and an enraged Lou Ferrigno as the [...]
Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Fla. Coopers Beach in Southampton, N.Y. (Long Island) Hanalei Bay in Kauai, Hawaii Coronado Beach in San Diego Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii Main Beach in East Hampton, N.Y. (Long Island) Cape Hatteras in Outer Banks, N.C. Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Fla. Coast Guard Beach on Cape Cod, [...]
However unintentional, this is shaping up to be ‘Green Week’ on Bitness. Google.org just released a list of partners (typically power companies) from all over the world, who will install ‘smart meters’ that interface with and provide data to Google’s PowerMeter gadget. The PowerMeter Gadget can tell you how much it costs to make toast, [...]
Apparently, owning a lot of gadgets is as bad for your bank account as it is for the environment. According to an article in the Telegraph, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts our penchant for cell phones, iPods, large screen televisions and other gadgets is putting the world on track for 200 new nuclear power [...]
I’ve had an on again, off again love affair with lockers my whole life. In Middle School I graduated from a cubby hole to a locker that wouldn’t lock (an ‘er’ if you will). My Middle School wasn’t in an ideal location, drug deals went down right outside our doors, sometimes ending badly. My brand [...]
