Product Review 27 - Kiefer Performer Swim Goggle

Full disclosure, Kiefer (http://www.kiefer.com/) contacted me and asked me to review a product for them and I picked this goggle (http://www.kiefer.com/kiefer-performer-swim-goggle-products-435.php), the Performer Swim Goggle.
I picked this goggle because of the way it looked, it looked like it would fit correctly, and it has a low price (Kiefer website has $12.00, selling now for $9.00 on the website). 
The goggles I have been wearing the last 3 or more years are the Speedo Active Goggles - Air Seal Tri Mirror (http://www.speedousa.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3620527&kwCatId=&kw=speedo+air+seal+goggles&camp=PPC%3AGoogle&gclid=CKqmsaCe9bQCFao7MgodiV8ApQ&cid=1062213), which run about 25 bucks. 
I reviewed those goggles here: http://nowiamdoingsomething.blogspot.com/2010/04/product-review-20-speedo-active-goggles.html 
The Air Seal Tri Mirror have done me well.  I have lost one pair, and had to replace one pair due to leakage around the eyes.  The leakage did not become a problem until I wore them for over a year of swimming, indoor and outdoor.  A year+ of swimming for me would be about 250,000 - 300,000+ yards.
I wanted to see if there was a less expensive alternative to the Air Seal Tri goggles.  I have tried lesser expensive Speedo goggles and I have not been that happy with them.  They would not fit me correctly and either leak around the eyes, slip, or pinch.  So, when I was offered a free pair of goggles to test, I decided these looked to be the best. 
In high school, I swam with the hard plastic, and simple Swedish goggles.  Kiefer had some of these, and I remember in high school how much they hurt around my eyes, how they never fit quiet right, and basically how much I did not like them, but they were inexpensive, so I stuck with them throughout high school.
Onto the Kiefer goggles.  They come in a very nice hard plastic case that is hinged and has a snap, which is a plus.  I don't like my goggles loose in my bag, that being said, the end of this review has a bit of an unhappy ending.  I will get to that later.  Because I got these goggles in the winter, I have not had a chance to wear them in open water, only in the pool.  I have put about 10,000 yards on them, maybe a little less.  So far, they are great.  They have fit me well and not leaked.  There is some flex in the lenses and more in the frame.  The only adjustment is the back of the strap.  They have stayed on my face well and there have been no issues.  Hooray! Exactly what I want in goggles.  They fit correctly, are cheap, and even come in a nice case.

Onto the bad news.  I accidentally ran the Kiefer goggles through the washer and dryer.  In a hurry to leave LA Fitness, I forgot to put them in the case and they got mixed with my towel.  Running them through the wash and dryer damaged/broke the strap.  I am guessing the strap is not dryer resistant.  I am going to replace the strap. If not just the strap, then the goggles, since they are inexpensive, because I want to swim with these goggles more and I want to try them in open water.
So, at least for pool swimming, I recommend these goggles. 
That being said, I know that how goggles fit have a lot to do with one's face and personal preference, so what works really well for one person, not so much for someone else. 

Weight

I try not to get to hung up on my weight.  I do weigh myself a few times a month, just to get an idea of were I am at.  It is another easy piece of information to keep about myself. 
I do like to keep my weight around 190lbs, I would like it to be about 180, but I am not going to change my diet dramatically to get there.  I like to eat good food, and drink good beer, and I don't really want to give those things up.  I know that some times I need to do a better job of moderation.  That is probably my biggest issue.  That is the issue with most people.  Eating too much, eating crap, and/or eating too much crap.  I do not eat a lot, or much, crap, but I do tend to eat too much at times. 
I base my weight more on look and feel.  I can gain muscle, lose fast, and gain some weight. I could also lose muscle, gain fat, and lose weight.  I kind of know how I should look and be comfortable. 
I am not going to preach about diet.  What to eat, what not to eat.  There are enough people out there doing that.  I think that most people know that the best thing to do is eat healthy, watch portions, and exercise.  The problem most people have is doing what they know they should do.
I know my weight fluctuates with the season, more in the winter, less in the summer.  It is part of life, especially if you are an athletes who race in summer\spring and takes an "off-season".
Below is the chart that tracks my weight since I started in 2007.   Below that is the chart with my average weight for each year, and below that is the table that shows average weight for the year and standard deviation.  Eventhough, I was a little heavier this year than the past years, I was more consistent this year than last year.
I weigh myself the same way each time, in the morning, after urinating, in the nude.
For reference in 2005, before I started racing, I was probably 220+, and in 2006 I was probably 210+.  In high school, 20 years ago, I was about 175.

December 2012 Racing and Training Summary and 2012 Summary

This December I had one of the highest for biking and running, for the two combined it was the highest of any December.  This is exactly what I wanted to do.  I did alot of work at a high intensity, which is something else I wanted to do.  Jackie and I attended the LA Fitness Sunday morning spin group, and that was a very good workout.  I went in with some doubts, but it proves to be a very good workout.  The guy who runs the workout does a good job and is not too obnoxious.  I barely swam this December, which is fine, because I substituted with strength, which is what I wanted to do.  I will start Masters swimming again in Jan and hope to continue with strength work.
The "other" in the table is 30 minutes of elliptical.
We also did a "Boot Camp" workout at LA Fitness and that really kicked my ass.  A totally different kind of workout that I should do more often.  It is a mix of cardio work and strength, using body weight and small hand weights.  Most of the workout is done in place and you go from one exercise to the next in rapid succession. 
Below all my usual workout data tables is the comparison of 2012 to previous years.

Comparison of Decembers from Year-to-Year

Totals Since 2007 and Averages

Year-to-Date and Totals Since 2007

 

Comparison of Year-to-Year Totals

My year-to-year totals for swimming and biking were the lowest since 2007, running was pretty close to last year.  Running has been pretty similar the last 3 years.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, I don't think I need to increase time too much, would just like to keep intensity up.  I would like to see my swim about 90 hours, bike around 100 hours, and run above 60 hours.  While maintaining high intensity.  I am happy with my strength time and hope to continue to maintain into June, typically I quit strength in April or early May. 

In a few weeks I will put a post for my 2013 goals.  Overall, I am happy with what I have done this year, it might not be my best year, but I did a lot and worked pretty hard, which is what counts.  Now, on to 2013!

Race Totals Since 2006 (154 Races) and More Statistics

Below is a table with my race totals since 2006.  All races, running, TTs, triathlons, duathlons, and a little cyclecross.





Since 2006, I have raced a combined total of 154 times pretty decent amount considering my injury in 2009.

26 Duathlons

58 Triathlons (Since 2007)

38 Time Trials (32 of them Tuesday Night Time Trials)

28 Running Races (15 of them are 5K)

and 4 Cyclecross races

2008 was the most with 29 races total and 2012 was the least, non-injured, with 20.

 

I put together a table with hours and miles spent racing.  This combines all the race data I have, except cyclecross because I did not keep track of time or distance.

I also included my average pace, just divided the distance by the time.  Actually looks pretty good.

Just for fun, I used the average paces and applied them to an Ironman distance race to see what my time could be, it would be about 10.5 hours.  I have no desire to do an IM, and that calculation is not applicable, but I was just curious.

 

In my spreadsheet, I keep racing and training data together.  With the data above I can see the percentage of time spent racing compared total time, total training and racing.

Percent time Swimming = 3.7%, so I spend 96.4% of my time training to race the swim.

Percent time Biking = 18.4%, so I spend 81.6% of my time training to race the bike.

Percent time Running = 23.5%, so I spend 76.5% of my time to race the run.

Percent total time = 14.2%, so I spend 85.8% of my time training to race.

The running and biking is not entirely accurate since I did not keep track in 2006, but probably close enough.  I would like to increase my percentages for biking and running over the next few years, and decrease swimming.

 

Interesting to see how much total time spent swimming, compared to the amount of time is spent in a race swimming.  I have spent close to 575 hours swimming since 2007, but a total of 19.5 hours of race time swimming.  The bike and run make sense, compared to how much time is spend racing those two.

 

It is really interesting, and kind of fun, to break this data down and look at it.  There is a certain amount of satisfaction in looking at what has been accomplished and how it breaks down.  Data is fun.  Right?

 

Analysis of Swim Performance Since 2007 - Comparison of Performance to Training

I (re)started swimming in 2007, after not swimming since high school. I did duathlons in 2006 and then decided to try triathlons in 2007, so I started swimming in March 2007.  I have undoubtly gotten faster.  I hired a coach in 2008 and got swimworkouts that I did on my own, typically 3 days a week. I started Masters in early 2009, typically 3 days a week.  You can see significant yardage jumps from 2007 to 2008, and I have more or less maintained that yardage since then.  Something of a spike in 2009 and 2010, when I swam more due to my stress fracture.
I have shown improvement with time, but more or less flattened out.  Since the swim distance on swim courses is somewhat suspect, it is hard to determine really how fast you are going.  The only true test of improvement and how fast you are is in the pool, with a certified distance and controlled conditions.  Some swims have the timing mat immediately out of the water, some you have a decent run up before you get to it, so that is included in your time. 
I do know that when I started, it was 2+ minutes for a 100s in a set.  Now I am more in the area of 1:30, sometimes faster. 
I do not think I need to add yardage to get faster.  I think I do plenty of yardage for the distances I race.  To get faster I think I need to do more intensity and probably get a stroke coach.  I know that I require improvements to my stroke.  I drop my left arm, and my entry can get sloppy.  I try to work on those things, but I think it will take coaching for me to really improve my stroke.
Below is the data table.  My times in the table and the charts are in seconds/100yards because it is easier to plot.  The unusually fast time in 2011 is the Twin Cities Triathlon swim in the Mississippi.  In 2009, I only did two races, the reason for the narrow range, one was a relay and one was a sprint, where I walked the run.
I think the data plots really display the change in yardage, and time, and the change in my average pace.  There is a huge jump in yardage and time, and my drop in pace, and then everything is clustered at the end.  This is probably a good indicator that I need to change my intensity and/or stroke, since my improvement has leveled off.  It seems to be the same trend as my run and bike, I don't really need to do more, I just need to do more intensity and do it better.
My fastest times, are probably the 1:24/100yards - 1:29/100yards.
I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times, and I will say it again.  As a beginning triathlete, the best thing you can do is swim a lot and get conditioned in the swim.  I have heard/seen, so many beginning triathletes say they will just "get through the swim", barely do any swim training, do all bike and run, and then get to race day and have a bad/horrible swim, and up having the rest of the race be difficult because of it.  When the swim is comfortable, in the sense you can do it and it is not stressful, and you are conditioned for it, the whole race is "easier".

Swim Data Table

 

Comparison of Total Hours Swimming to Average Swim Pace for that Year 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comparison of Total Yards Swam to Average Swim Pace for that Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 2012 Racing and Training Summary

When I type this it is the second of December and I have done 8 workouts in 7 days.  3 bike, 2 run, 2 strength, and 1 swim.  I plan on not taking a rest day for another few days.  My off season has been pretty aggressive.  More aggressive than I thought it would be.  I have not put in as much time as in the past, but I have been putting in speed.
I thought I would take it a little easier, in terms of swimming and total time, I have not put in as much as previous years, for this time of year, but I am putting in the effort. 
Not much to say about the workouts this month, I have put in more strength, which is what I planned to do.  My strength workouts always consist of some core and back, then it is either some arm or leg work, or a little of both.  Basically, I do what I feel like doing when I am doing strength work.  Mostly,  I have been doing sets of 3x15 or 4x15, I have tried some 12, 6, 3, 1 where I increase the weight with decreasing reps, and then continue doing 1 rep and increasing weight until I cannot lift anymore.
My November run time is the most since 2008 and my bike time is about average.  I am getting that run time up, which I what I need to know.  Hope to continue in December.
I have start shopping around for new Masters swim program.  I would like to get back to swimming around 25,000 yards a month starting in January.  I am going to go to Facebook and see if I can get some triathletes to recommend me a place.

Comparison of Novembers from Year-to-Year

 

Totals and Averages Since 2007

YTD Total and Totals Since 2007

 

 

Analysis of Run Performance Since 2006 - Comparison of Training Time to Run Performance

This post is a look at my run data since 2006.  Unfortunately, like the bike, I only have full run data from 2007, only results from 2006.  In 2009, as I have mentioned in the past, I had a bad stress fracture and basically did not run for 6 months of that year, and the beginning of 2010.  So,I have no data for 2009.
Since 2009, I have been hesitant to run as much or as hard as I did prior to the stress fracture.  I am sure that this is part of the reason for my slower times since 2008. 
Near the end of 2012, currently, I have begun to do my training faster, and I plan on running longer training workouts in 2013.  I think I am getting over my fear of re-injuring my leg.  I have been hesitant in training to go as faster or as far as I require to go faster.
So the plan is to go longer and faster in 2013, with the hope I can improve my run speed to 2008 times, or faster results.  In 2008, I ran my fastest 5K (22:33 = 7:16min/mi), 10K (46:36 = 7:31min/mi), 2mi (12:58 = 6:29min/mi), and 8K (36:40 = 7:20min/mi), in 2009 before stopping due to stress fracture.  I have not been close to those times since then.  I have not run an open 10K since 2008, which is something I need to start doing again.
In 2008, for the period of Jan-Sept I put in 86+ hours of running. Since then I have not even come close to that amount of time.  Unlike the bike, where I think I do not need to put in that much more time, just more effort, with the run I think I need more time and effort to show the improvement I am looking to obtain.
2006 is heavily weighted with open runs (11) and duathlons (5).  I have done less and less open runs since then and more and more duathlons and triathlons.  I should really get back to doing more open runs.
The larger range in 2008 is due to my slow run time at Alcatraz and the 70.3 I did that year.  The large range in 2010 is due to the two half-IMs I did.  My average in 2010 is depressed due to the fact I took it easier in the first few races of the year as I came back from injury. In 2011 and 2012 I did only sprint and olympic distance, so the shorter distances kept the range tighter
The data in the table and graphs is in Seconds/Mile, rather than Minutes/Mile because it is easier to graph in Excel.
The graph of comparing total training time to fastest speed and average speed shows no real corollation between the two.
Based on the graph comparing total run time to fastest and average, an argument can be made that more time is better.  The problem is one data point is at the high end and the rest are at the low end.  Hopefully, in 2013 I can put a data point closer to the higher end, at least between the high data point and the low data point, and that data point has a faster average and faster fastest than the rest.
It is too bad that I cannot get a quantative measure of run effort, like power, and plot that, it would be more useful to include with time.


Run Data Table

Comparison of Run Training Time to Fastest Run Speed

Comparison of Run Training Time to Average Run Speed

 

 

Comparison of Total Training Time to Fastest Run Speed

 



Comparison of Total Training Time to Average Run Speed