Man I can't believe I've been back from my Las Vegas vacation for a week already, and I'm just getting to write about it now.



I feel like my schedule has been pretty much insane since the last weekend of January, so it was really nice to have a vacation on the calendar where the plans were to sit by the pool and go to the Backstreet Boys concert.

Yes, that's right. I went to Vegas to see the Backstreet Boys residency, and it was amazing.



This was my first time ever in Vegas, and since the trip wasn't super long, I never really adjusted to West Coast time. This basically meant I was awake super early Vegas time every day.

That worked out in my favor though because it gave me a chance to run the Strip early in the morning before it got too packed with tourists.



On Wednesday morning, I decided to head south on the Strip to the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. The run south took way longer than I expected because of the weird street crossings on the Strip.

If you're not familiar, to cross many of the streets you have to go up a set up steps and over a sky-walk and then down another set of steps. Because of some construction on the way to the sign, I ended up inside some of the casinos. My Garmin was very, very confused about my run that day.





Running past all the crazy looking hotels and casinos was kind of fun though, and I did eventually make it to the welcome sign, and asked some tourists to snap my picture.



On Thursday morning, I had a slightly more ambitious run planned. My mom had told me it was worth heading to Old Las Vegas (or downtown Las Vegas) to see what Vegas was like before the Strip existed.



It was about a four mile run from where we were staying on the Strip up to downtown, but I figured with my East Coast wake up times, I'd have plenty of time to get there and back before the pool opened.

The run north was nothing too exciting in terms of scenery. I went past some of the way less nice hotels on the Strip, but then it was just a lot of nothingness through potentially questionable parts of town. (When I got home my friend who travels to Vegas a lot for work questioned my sanity running up there, but I never really felt too unsafe).

Old Las Vegas was fabulously tacky. It reminded me of a ridiculously over-the-top boardwalk, with blinking lights and carnival games. Since I was up there pretty early in the morning, I didn't get to see it in all its glory, but I'm glad I took the time to make the run up there.





After 8 miles on Thursday and about 6 on Wednesday, I was happy to spend the bulk of my days lounging around the pool reading many books.



Wednesday night was the Backstreet Boys concert, and man it was everything my middle-school self could have ever hoped for. It's one of the only concerts I've been to where literally every person there sang along to just about every song.



We also spent some time playing games in the casinos (turns out I have no luck), watching the dancing Bellagio fountains and watching a volcano erupt in front of the Mirage.



It was a quick trip, but overall the perfect mix of relaxing and fun.

You may remember a little ways back when I did a review of the MilestonePod -- a small device you attach to your shoe when you're running that gives you data on your foot strike patterns, cadence, etc.



I enjoyed using the MilestonePod and ran with it for a while on several pairs of shoes (and then forgot to replace the battery when it died). My friend Stripes (who you might remember from when I spectated his Ironman) read my review and talked to me about the device, and then decided to buy one of his own.



He recently emailed me his thoughts on the MilestonePod, and I thought it was really informative so I asked him if I could share his email here and he agreed. As a warning, Stripes is a super smart data nerd, so he goes kind of deep into the data you get from MilestonePod. If that will make your eyes bleed, you can skim those parts!

So without further ado, here are his thoughts:

TL;DR - Amazing value, not super accurate, but amazing value; Worthwhile buy

So I finally got a MilestonePod after inquiring about it over a year ago. I actually waited so long that I got the 3rd generation hardware which made me happy because newer is always better right? (1st gen was a prototype that never hit the market)

So let's note the differences: easier set-up (no more un-lacing), faster syncing, longer battery life, 4% increase in accuracy, waterproof, and a notification reminder to sync. In my opinion of all those, the big one is water proofing; everything else is meh. There is nothing to really entice you to buy the upgraded model if you already have one. I will say the notifications are nice though, if data is on the pod that has not been sync'd yet it will send a push notification to your phone. This doesn't happen frequently though since you quickly get in the habit of syncing it immediately after your run because you want to see the data!

So overall I really like this thing. For $25 it's a no brainer for the extra metrics you get. It is actually pushing me to be a better runner. Personally my focus is on cadence and rate of impact; everything else I have down pat. I always knew my cadence was bad and this device gives me tangible evidence of that. If all this pod did was cadence I still might have bought it for $25.


Note: This screenshot is from Jess' cadence on the old app design.

Before I go on I realize that I am going to neg this thing for the rest of the review. I guess it is because it is so close to "elite-ness" that I want it to be there and judge it as so. But I still have to emphasize - great value - would buy it again in a heart beat. So let's delve into all its little shortcomings.

The BIGGEST drawback is no real time data. That sucks... I want to know as I am running how my form looks. For example usually as I am going up a long hill I catch myself in bad form so I try to correct it. It would be great to be able to just look at my watch and go, "Oh man my cadence and leg swing really suck right now, I need to straighten up." I can do this currently with tracking my pace metrics (current v overall v goal); I want to be able to do it with other metrics.

Real time data would be very hard for this thing to pull off so I can't really knock it for that, but it's accuracy is still something that needs to be improved dramatically. I did some calibrating runs on a high school track and noticed VERY different results. First off, any runs less than 1 mile it will not pick up as a workout. So if you have dreams of interval workouts or want to track segments individually you are out of luck. After one mile sometimes it was dead on, others it was off by a quarter mile (an entire lap!). Distance matters! Especially when it comes to calculating pace.

This leads me to my other big gripe. This pod kind of ruins my warmup and cool down. Since I can't manually start or stop the tracking, my before and after routines usually get caught in the metrics and they ruin my averages. My warmup is not even proper running, between shuffles, skips, kicks, karaoke, etc... this kills my runficiency score. And my cool down ruins my average pace since of course I am going slower. To get around this I have found myself taking a break between my dynamic warmup and actual run by doing stationary warm up activities (toe raises, squats, arm rotations) in hopes of resetting the pod start time. For my cool down I take off my shoes immediately after running and then do the cool down run.



This is really the big thing they need to fix for v4. A simple double tap on top of the pod to start and stop the thing would be perfect. It would make the pod way more accurate and actually let me do proper runs. The whole idea of just getting out of a car, go for a run, and finishing with static stretching is for the recreation runner. And that is what this marketing feature is trying to sell to: "No buttons, no hassle. Just clip and go." BUT THE PROBLEM IS their actual market is the more advance runner who knows you need proper warmup and cool down. So its mixed messaging, the death of any marketing campaign for a product. I think internally they know they are having accuracy problems so they don't view these faulty metrics as a big concern for now. Honestly, the thing is too cheap to be super accurate; I understand that as an informed consumer. But it is going to be hard for them to sell me an upgrade, because they have lost my trust in their algorithms.

So let's dive into this accuracy problem a bit more. We know the time and distance are off. That's fine. I just use my watch and calibrate the pod afterwards. I am using this pod for the other measurements. Rate of impact and cadence seem dead on. Personally I cannot even get close to 200ms, but then again I am not elite. My best is a 239 average for a 2 mile run. I am suspect of the leg swing and strike metrics. I usually end my runs with an average of 85% high swing and I know I am not "high." High is when you are pushing off with so much power that you are basically kicking your butt. If you want to see high leg swing watch the Olympics. How they keep that form for so long is AMAZING! So I know I am not high for that long. I think they have lowered the bar for what "high" means and the sensor measures accordingly.

Second inaccuracy is the foot-strike. It says I am 99% toe strike! Maybe I define toe strike differently from them. Toe strike to me is when you are sprinting or reaching with your toe out. For long endurance runs this is not great form. I run with a forward mid-strike, so it gets interpreted as a toe strike which frustrates me. Mainly because I do not think toe strikes or heel strikes are good and count as dings against my runficiency.



I have looked EVERYWHERE and they don't tell you how they calculate their score. I understand this is their secret sauce, but then I do not know how to improve my score. They need to let you know! Maybe cadence is weighted 50% and strike is only 5%. That means don't waste your time improving your strike until you get cadence down. But they don't tell you that. They also do not give you goals for strike or stride length, but hint that they are both part of the run score. Once again mixed messaging. If this is for the runner trying to get better, you have to let them know HOW. I feel like I am running in the dark and have no idea on what to do. So right now I am focusing on cadence and rate of impact. Hopefully that is good...

As a side note the app UI SUCKS. Like, its really bad. Worse than my writing skills ;) To be honest, the main reason I held out for so long is I downloaded the app and thought "this hurts my eyes." I don't want to get too geeky about it, but the design actually gets in the way of the features. In August they did this "big redesign" and the "refreshed look" is still awful, so I figured I was just going to have to suck it up. But come on Milestone... The app is not clean, visually distracting, confusing to use, and poorly laid out. I mean this thing thing is UGLY... But so is the app for the company I work for. Making a good app is hard. And I have high expectations as a developer myself.

So there you go. MilestonePod, so much unrealized, untapped potential, but for its price I would still buy it again.

This weekend was the first time in more than two months that I had a free Saturday morning. My schedule has been bananas since the end of January, so I was ready to embrace my low-key day.



My big plans were to get up and work out.

I originally thought about a long run, but I poked around on ClassPass and found a Dailey Method class called Battle of the Boy Bands.


BSB concert in 2011

I signed up immediately.

This was my first Dailey Method class, so I wasn't totally sure what to expect in terms of style or pacing. But I did know the music would be awesome.

The instructor played some solid favorites like "Everybody" and "MMMBop." She also played some of the less popular boyband jams by O-Town and 5ive. (I had forgotten about 5ive until "baby when the lights go out" started cranking over the studio speakers).



The soundtrack did a nice job of making me forget how much my legs were burning during the workout.

For those not familiar with Dailey Method, each bike has a computer so you can see how fast you're going and how hard you're working. This is both a blessing and a curse for competitive people like me.

I also completely loved the Dailey Method bikes. I felt like all of my pedal strokes were super smooth. Plus I was able to find a comfortable seat height that didn't make my left knee click like it does on other bikes.

You can use Dailey Method bikes with regular sneakers or you can bring your own clip-in shoes. I don't have fancy spin class shoes, so I just rode in my sneakers, and I still felt like I got a pretty good workout.

Not only was the music awesome, but the instructor really varied the workout. We did a mix of sprints and climbs in and out of the saddle. I liked the variety and how much she mixed things up. It kept me from getting bored.

As an added bonus, everyone in the class was super friendly. I've been to other spin classes where people don't talk to each other at all. But everyone at Dailey Method was so friendly before and after the class.

This was such a fun way to start my Saturday. I'm already looking to see when I can work some more Dailey Method classes into my schedule.

Hi friends! It's a gorgeous sunny day here in Washington, D.C., and I have so much fun stuff I'm looking forward to sharing with you this week. I tried a couple of new (to me) workouts this weekend, and I have a guest post from one of my friends that I think you'll enjoy!



But before we get too far into the month of April, I want to make sure to share my book recap from March. I read more books in March than I realized thanks in part to having five and half hours on an airplane home from Iceland where I mainly had my nose stuck in a book.

Most of them were decent. Only one was a total dud, which is a pretty big improvement from January and February.

Soulmates by Jessica Grose

I found this story-line super compelling, but hated the ending so much because it just didn't seem to jive with everything else we'd learned about the main character. I was so frustrated with how it ended, I kind of wanted to chuck the book across my hotel room in Iceland.

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

Ugh I was so disappointed in this book, and normally I really like books by this author. But this particular book felt like it dragged forever. The first 200 pages were actually painful to read while we wait to find out what big event happened at the barbecue. Then when we finally did find out, it was kind of a let down. I also pretty much hated every character in the book except the children and the former stripper. Save yourself the disappointment and skip this one.

Modern Lovers by Emma Straub

I really enjoyed this book and the complicated relationships it followed between two college best friends who grew up, got married and had kids and then the relationship that formed between the kids. It was an interesting take on how time can change and test even the strongest relationships.

Order to Kill by Kyle Mills

I just can't quit the character of Mitch Rapp, and the author who picked up after Vince Flynn died is doing a decent job of making the plots just as interesting as before. I'll probably keep reading as long as Kyle Mills doesn't totally make Mitch Rapp jump the shark like the new person writing the Jason Bourne character has.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Loved this classic book, and the crazy terrifying world it portrayed. It's really interesting reading it in light of all that's currently going on politically, and that's all I'm going to say about that. Also, yes, I definitely read this because Hulu is releasing a show based on this book this month.

Our last day in Iceland was spent relaxing in the Blue Lagoon. After several days of being on the go nonstop, I was looking forward to a nice relaxing day of soaking in the Blue Lagoon before catching our flight back home to DC and then getting a good night's sleep in my own bed.



The Blue Lagoon is one of the more touristy geothermal spas in Iceland. It sits on a lava field about 20 minutes from the airport, making it an ideal destination either right after you get off a flight or right before you head to the airport.

Based on advice from a friend, Meghan and I chose to get to the Blue Lagoon on the early side of the day. I'd heard that the lines can get insanely long later on.

When we arrived, we had no problem getting our wristbands and towels, finding a locker and heading out to the lagoon.



The water felt wonderfully warm compared to the air temperature, and Meghan and I spent some time soaking in the water and taking pictures before heading over to the silica bar to get our mud masks.



But it wasn't too long after we arrived that the Blue Lagoon really started to get crowded. Meghan and I explored some of the less crowded areas before heading back to the silica bar to get our algae masks. After all those masks you'd expect our skin to be glowing!



After about an hour in the Blue Lagoon, we were both kind of over it. It was crowded and the novelty had worn off.

We went over to the swim-up bar and got some really delicious smoothies and then we headed back to the locker room to shower and get dressed. The locker room was packed, and we had to wait for a bit to get a shower and then to have any room to open our lockers, but the crowds eventually dispersed a little bit, and we got dressed and went to take a walk around the lava fields.







The stunning blue water flowing through the lava fields was actually more gorgeous than the water in the Blue Lagoon itself. Meghan and I strolled all over stopping for pictures here and there because we just couldn't get over how pretty everything was.



After our walk, it was time to hop a bus back to the airport.

Pro tip: There are not a lot of food options in the Iceland airport. If you are planning to eat lunch there, you will probably be disappointed. I actually ended up buying food on the plane that was decent and didn't cost all that much money.

Our flight landed to a drizzling and grey evening in DC. As much as I was sad for our Iceland adventures to be over, I was happy to be back home and more than ready to pretty much immediately go to sleep.

Of all the things we planned to do in Iceland, I was most looking forward to our trip to the South Coast to hike some waterfalls and a glacier. The glacier hike was by far the thing I was most excited about because I imagined there wouldn't be many opportunities for me to do that again.



Given that the South Coast was a bit of a drive from the city of Reykjavik, Meghan and I woke up on the earlier side Thursday morning to grab some hotel breakfast and hop the shuttle that would take us on the days adventures.

Our first stop was to Seljalandsfoss, a long and skinny waterfall that we had the opportunity to hike behind. It was a pretty windy day on Thursday, and when we got near the waterfall, we were pretty much immediately blasted with spray from the water.



Everything I'd read about this waterfall advised me to wear waterproof clothing for this hike, and I'm really glad my mom let me borrow her waterproof pants for this trip. I pulled them on over my running tights and hiking boots, and they spared me from coming out of the hike drenched like some of the other folks in our little group.



I'm not sure how evident it is from the pictures, but being behind the waterfall was so cool. It felt like we were in a bit of a cave and there was just water pounding down all around us. There's a video of it in the Snapchat story at the end of this post that's definitely worth checking out.







After we finished the hike, we made our way to the next waterfall on our tour, Skogafoss. This is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland, and it's formed where water tumbles off the cliffs that used to be the former coastline of Iceland.





There are a set of steps near this waterfall where you can climb to the top and look down on the falls. By this point, the gentle breeze from earlier in the day had picked up and by the time we made it to the top of the climb, I was a little terrified to pull out my phone for fear the wind would rip it out of my hands, and it would go tumbling into the falls.



I kept a death grip on it and came away with some meh pictures.



Even though it was pretty windy, it was still a clear day out, and just down the road from Skogafoss, we had some stunning views of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull. We could see all the way to the crater at the top of the volcano and see the ice cap covering the top. The pictures don't quite do it justice.





If you remember back in 2010 when a volcano eruption in Iceland disrupted all the air traffic in Europe because of the blowing ash...yea that was this volcano.



I'm glad the weather cooperated so we could see the top of the volcano because that was pretty cool. But unfortunately not long after the weather took a turn for the awful, and we got stuck in a hail storm with winds somewhere around 56 mph (as estimated by our glacier hiking guide).



We stopped at the black sand beaches and saw monstrous waves crashing along the shore. The winds were so strong that I felt like I was literally being pushed out further onto the sand.



It was hard to even enjoy the incredible basalt columns along the shore with the wind and the hail whipping around and making everything freezing cold.





I tried to snap some pictures of the basalt columns out in the sea, but the pictures aren't great because the visibility was pretty crappy with all the clouds.





Because of the freak storm, the glacier hike part of our trip was called off. Our hiking guide said there was no way he could safely take us out on the glacier with winds like this. It would be too easy to get caught in a white out and get lost.

I was so bummed since the glacier hike was the thing I was looking forward to the most on the whole trip, but I would not have wanted to be on a hike in that sort of weather.

We did take about a mile walk in the insane 56 mph winds to get to the base of the glacier just so we could see it.



We were literally bent over 90 degrees from the waist trying to push our way forward in the wind out to the glacier. There were times the wind gusted so hard, I couldn't breath and I had to turn around and put my back to the wind so I could get a breathe. There were other times the wind was so strong it would push me a couple of steps backward or throw me into the person walking next to me. I've never experienced wind like that.



I will say, as miserable as that walk was, and as much as my face hurt from getting pelted with pieces of hail, I'm glad we made it. Being able to see the glacier was at least a cool experience, even though we didn't get to hike it. And I guess seeing weather turn that quickly is a very "Iceland" experience.

Again, my pictures don't really do it justice because I was so cold and was trying to snap a few pictures, and then my phone battery died because of the cold. But if you watch the Snapchat story below with the volume on, there's a clip at the glacier where you can hear the wind wailing and you can see my phone being shaken all about while I'm trying to hold it steady.

After being out in that weather for a little bit, I was pretty happy to pile back into our little van for the drive back to the city.

As soon as Meghan and I changed out of our wet clothes at the hotel, we set off to find some dinner that would warm us up, and found a place serving some delicious lamb soup in bread bowls. It definitely hit the spot after our adventures day in Iceland.



Thursday FitBit steps: 16,293 Miles: 6.89

Snapchat story: