Twitter as a Motivator?

I originally ruled out Twitter as just another crap-tastic time-waster, and it still might be.  Blabbing about what you are doing in short bursts for the whole world to read screams "I'm the most important person ever!"  Kinda lame.  BUT, there is an interesting trend of actual utility with some of it's pawns.  Here's several examples:

1. The Open Sourcer - I recently had a problem with some code on my blog.  I posted on Twitter that I needed some help and the calvary came a-running.  Pretty cool.

2. The Fund Raiser - Coach Adam is using it to get people to donate to a swim to raise money to fight cancer.  It works!

3. The Leader - Twitter user McNitt is using it to motivate others to do the 100 pushups a day program.  Very interesting how people are willfully following his cyber punishment.

4. The Self-Motivator - I've seen many others and myself posting their progress while working on a project.  Many computer jobs are solitary and it is nice to get encouragement from others while working alone on something.

All other uses of Twitter are stupid and evil.  Except for a few more I can think of... What are some of yours?

Surfing, Anyone?

Looks like Hurricane Dolly is busy working up waves in South Texas this week. I'm watching netsurfing.com and some other sites to see what's not deadly available for surfing on Saturday. I haven't been in a while, so I'm excited about going!

It's also my birthday this week! I have been taking it a little bit easy and catching up on some home stuff. My new iPhone came in and was broken right out of the box. I get the honor of waiting for another one to come in again, but only after I sign some paperwork and fax it back to Apple. That being said, this is my first customer service experience with Apple and they are really sharp.

I've gotten the iPhone to work some and it lives up to it's hype. The thing is unbelievably cool. What we need now is some triathlon-specific apps on it. iTri 1.o, people!

Gear Review - SLS3 Compression Socks

Here's something relatively new on the block that you might want to check out. I've been testing out the SLS3 compression socks for a few months now and they work great.

Compression gear of any kind reduces fatigue by stopping your muscles from shaking and vibrating during exercising. Compression shorts were first on the scene many years ago, then Under Armour brought it to the upper body. Now we are seeing it being used on the lower portions of the legs.

What you might not know is that compression gear increases blood flow. From SLS: "...scientific tests have shown that the SLS3 Compression Sport Sox boost bloodflow about 34%. This increases oxygen delivery to the working muscles to enhance their performance. The circulation improvements also help the body to eliminate metabolic wastes like lactic acid. The combination of these effects allows you to work harder and longer."

Do they work? Heck yeah! I've been wearing them on my weekly long runs (2 hours or more) and I experience zero fatigue from the knees down. I also have been hearing that triathletes wear them after workouts to speed recovery and during long flights.

Aside from function, the most interesting thing is how they look. My wife laughed as I started out the door. But, after many years of biking at 3 AM, swimming with a foam block between my legs, and running with more electronics than the Space Shuttle, I've learned that you cannot care about appearances and be triathlete at the same time. Besides, if you act like you know what you're doing, these socks kind of look awesome.

My running buddy told me about one of his friends that wears them for trail running for additional protection against brush. Cool idea!

In conclusion, they work great and pros are starting to wear them like crazy. They may look a little weird at first, but they also have that signature style that shows that you know what you are doing and that you take your training and racing seriously.

They cost around $57 at various dealers and you can see more pictures of pro triathletes racing with them here.

How I ran 50 miles this week posted at Teamwhitelinefever.com.

I just posted this week's detailed workout log at www.teamwhitelinefever.com.  I'm one of four team members running the 200 mile relay race called the Ragnar and I'm trying to get in as much running as I can before the end of October.  Rather than post the same thing in two places, you can just follow the above link to go check it out.

There's also a Twitter feed on that site that details our running-specific issues as we train.  Those twits don't show up in my profile - that's the only place you can get them.  Enjoy!

I'm taking a nap.

The iPocalypse

Join me for another epic bike ride as Gregg and I ride 50 miles to the Brazos River and back. I talk about what's new in Tech, what's old in Zen, and everything in between.

SHOWNOTES!

• The iPocalypse is HERE!


• My left calf is uber-jacked.


• Rambonie logic on stretching - Do you pull on a knot to loosen it?


• "Approach stretching at the speed of a glacier." - Dr. George Sheehan.


• "Good judgment comes from experience, experience comes from bad judgment."


• Wear a wifebeater shirt when traveling to be safe.


• Put raw local honey in coffee to help with allergies.


• Replay of audio of me getting stung in the face by a bee.


• Forest Gump audio clips.


• Multitasking is as bad as smoking pot.


• Worked at bike shop for 4 hours. Very Zen.


• Need help with artwork for book.


• Rico got me a Bosu ball for exercise + sitting.


• Endurance Base Camp Podcast guy was channeling ME? To help him finish his marathon? Cool! Left him a comment. Great music, btw.


• Right now is the future of your past. this is when all the planning you've been doing is in effect! What if that tree falls on us? what if it didn't? Why always plan for the worst? Plan for the best!


• The Agegrouper Podcast has gone mobile!


• Japanese Soto Zen and Original Enlightenment.


• CONTEST - Tell me your best triathlon secret and win some Oakley Half Jackets.


• Donation by Matthew Hood for the "How to cure Piriformis" video I made.


• Donation by Gordon Scott, put us over the top for registration fee!


• Donation by Rico.


• Donation From "D. A." Keeping name secret!


• Donation from Jonathan B.