Consuming

Today I played the role of a healthy triathlete consumer 🙂

I spent a little time at the JackRabbit New York City Running Show.  What drew me in was the Atlantic City style payment.  Yes you have to pay $10 to get in, but you get a $15 discount card, and since I was going to be buying at least $15 of stuff, plus getting my normal 10% discount, I felt like I would be getting a deal!

What was also nice about the event is the long list of speakers, including some famous people like Matt Long and Scott Jurek, covering a multitude of topics of interest to runners and triathletes.  I was only able to listen to the half hour discussion on ‘running a faster and more enjoyable marathon’, and it resonated with me and I enjoyed it.

Otherwise, the event was similar to a marathon expo, just without the ‘discount racks’ and the multitude of options you’d see at large races.

I felt I hit jackpot as I was able to buy the 3 critical items that I’ve really had my eye on for a long time.

• swim goggles – I’ve been using a pair of basic swim goggles that were uncomfortable and constantly pinching me.  So I picked up a nice new pair of BlueSeventy goggles that adjust nice and easily and feel great
• hydration backpack – I’ve been wanting to buy one for a long time, but when I’ve shopped for them in the past, I’ve only seen models that are marketed for trails and hiking.  I really liked the Nathan brand they had, it felt comfortable to me, and I now will be carrying 70oz of liquid on my longer runs in the summer, and on my bike rides!
• Sunglasses – my old sunglasses, which I only use for biking by the way and not for running, were messed up and scratched up, and just plain falling apart.  I picked up a new pair.  I offhand don’t remember the brand it was they were selling as I don’t have them handy, but I’m really happy to have a new pair to wear on my bike rides.  They claim a lifetime guarantee to cover even scratches to the lens, so I hope these will last for several years.