Harvard Caps Harris Poll on Israel

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The Harvard Caps Harris poll this month has an interesting set of data regarding support for Israel. In particular, the anti-Israel protests are not reflective of the overall sentiment of US voters. That’s not to say that there aren’t real consequences to the Jew hatred occurring in our streets and on college campuses or that brainwashing of young adults hasn’t happened, but these numbers show that a majority of voters are supportive of Israel. #StandWithIsrael #BringThemHomeNow

https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/HHP_Apr2024_KeyResults.pdf

The Grumpy Swimmer

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I think I’m that grumpy swimmer. Today, someone jumped into my lane without giving me the courtesy of a warning, like standing in the lane corner or dangling his feet at the end so I could move over. Fortunately I’m not that good a swimmer, so my head pops up more than it should and I saw him before we had a head-on collision.

After my set, I flagged him down to tell him and all he did was deny it, saying he stood at the end and waited. He must have been standing on the pool deck instead of in the pool because there is no way I wouldn’t have seen him in the lane.

Anyway, I was grumpy afterwards. It’s a bit tough swimming at a facility that isn’t really for “swimmers”. The pool is way too warm and the other swimmers aren’t really dedicated swimmers. Triathlon woes …

Buying an Apple Watch

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We had a funny experience yesterday at the Apple store buying a watch. First, why bother to go the store when we could buy it online and just pick it up or have it shipped? Well, the reason is that the watch itself is jewelry. While there’s an impressive amount of compute and functionality in the watch, the important decision wasn’t about the difference between the models (SE, Series 9, or Ultra 2) – the important decision was about the color and style of the band and the case. As I said, the Apple Watch is jewelry.

So why write about this? Because, the store seemed to be ill-equipped to handle this as the primary sales motion. The demo models were not marked with the names of the colors, so differentiating the Starlight and Sliver cases was really difficult. Similarly all of the available bands were not on display. To top it all off, the sales person seemed indifferent to this selection and wasn’t particularly helpful as he continued to go back to a screen to try to get us to make a selection there.

Maybe it’s not really a big deal – I suppose if we got a color we didn’t like, we could return it. But I’m pretty sure that if I were buying a regular watch elsewhere, the discussion would be all about the style and look. While there aren’t choices in the shape of the Apple Watch case, the choice of watchband and case color is why one would go to the store for one. It would be great if Apple would recognize this.

As a side note, many years ago, I used to refer to all Apple products as jewelry. I’ve apparently never written about this, but it’s one of my long-held perspectives. Apple builds amazing devices with terrific functionality, but one of the main reasons people buy them is because they jewelry. No one walks around proudly with their Samsung Galaxy as a fashion statement, but everyone with an iPhone certainly does. The price of these devices reflects that idea – these are “designer” devices, just like designer clothing – and you have to pay big to get into one. Sure, there are always the SE models, which are cheap, but it’s the fashion designers usually have a few low end models to give those that can’t afford the luxury a taste of the good life.

2023 Athletic Recap

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I’ll start with a big thank you and much love to Sharon (@mtnester1) for supporting and cheering me on as I pursue my athletic endeavors. I know you are tired of me schlepping a bicycle around with me, but I love you for putting up with it :-) 

I also want to thank my coach Kimberly (@ladybaba_13) for her continued efforts to coax another iota of performance out of me.  Thankless work for sure :-)

I became a product ambassador for the first time for @nuunhydration.  It was an interesting experience and I have no idea if I’ll be invited back, but what matters more to me is that if you see a product on my posts, it’s because the product has been good to me as an athlete and I hope others will benefit .  So a shout out to many other products for which I receive nothing but goodwill (and sometimes better performance) – @wildcycler (rad designs), @altrarunning (these shoes enable me to run day after day), @zygogram (the best swim headphones ever), @formswim (smart goggles that let me focus on swimming), @desoto_sport (my tri-shorts and tops), @iamspecialized (my road and gravel bikes), @cervelo (my tri bike), @garmin (my watches, pedals, sensors) and there are others I’m sure I’m forgetting.

I did a smaller number of events this year because of injuries, scheduling and life events.  This year I only did one triathlon – IM 70.3 Honu in June.  As always, it’s a great race.  I enjoy the bike leg the most, trekking up to Hawi and back. 

I started the year with the New Year’s Cheer race in Volcano, HI at Volcano Winery.  It’s a 3 hour race – a trail run counting as many laps as possible – and it’s the first podium I’ve been on, maybe ever.  I came in second but, to be fair, there were only three of us running the race :-).  No matter – I was proud of the effort.

I also participated in a pickleball tournament earlier in the year and my partner Terri Lee (from Maui) and I secured a second place finish in our group.  As I did then, I continue to thank Terri for being a great partner.  

My biggest event of the year was L’Etape du Tour – a race on Stage 14 of the 2023 Tour de France.  It was by far the hardest ride I’ve ever done with 4100m of climbing.  I’ve posted about it before, but it was my athletic highlight of the year and one I’ll remember always.  If I can, I’m going to do another one, but not 2024 (I wasn’t very excited about the stage they are racing this year).  

Another great highlight was in April, when Sharon (@mtnester1) and I rode our bikes around the Tulips in Skagit county.  We don’t often get to ride our bikes together but every time we do, it’s special for me.  

I brought my gravel bike to Israel in October and was fortunate enough to get one good ride in before the terrorist attack on 7 October sent us to our bomb shelters and eventually home.

One interesting thing to note this year is that I started lifting weights again.  I’ve learned how to do belt squats to deal with my continuing back issues and have rehabilitated my separated shoulder so that I can now to push-ups and pull-ups again.  It feels good to be back in the gym.  

Next year’s calendar is starting to take shape.  I’m planning on doing two half-Ironman races (Honu in June and Tri-Cities in September).  I’m considering doing Levi’s Gran Fondo as one of my bicycle events.  If things are good enough to run the Tiberius race in Israel, I may do that 70.3 as well.  I’m sure I’ll find a half-marathon and other bicycle events as the year goes  but this is what’s on the calendar so far.  I hope everyone had a great 2023 and that you achieve your goals for 2024!