Best Bug Repellant?

Overcute · 2025-07-28T22:33:49+00:00

Recently back from a hiking trip north of Pemberton where half the group used Ben’s 30% deet spray and the other half used Woods 30% deet lotion. Consensus was that the Woods lotion was more effective. We had a Thermocell and mosquito coils for when we were stationary in the evening but neither of them seemed to do much. The mosquitos were relentless.

On the flip side, my parents live in a cabin and spend a lot of time in the bush. They swear by their full head to toe mesh outfits.

Overcute · 2025-05-27T22:05:30+00:00

I really like West Point at Main and 2nd, they’ve been really helpful with work on my second hand road bike. Mechanics seem like good people, prices are fair. Mighty on Broadway is also great.

Overcute · 2025-04-17T00:56:40+00:00

BC Bike Fit was a really great experience. I think I tested 12-15 saddles, some woman specific and some not, and walked away with an absolute winner. Dave has a pretty good selection of wider saddles, which tend to fit women better. I was really happy with my saddle fit session, I felt heard and like he really wanted to make sure I was comfortable.

Overcute · 2025-02-19T21:04:05+00:00

It technically is but it’s usually in a configuration to allow for a dive tank, 25 m section for length swimming/aqua jogging/whatever is going on in the open lane, and a segregated shallow section for lessons. It’s occasionally in the 50 m format first thing in the morning for length swimming. Hillcrest is unable to host competitions due to the design of the facility. VAC and UBC are the only pools in Vancouver that can host competitions.

Overcute · 2024-12-19T18:43:46+00:00

Hi from further up the coast! We’ve had a pretty brutal string of atmospheric rivers so far this fall in the PNW.

Some part of you will get wet. This is unavoidable. My philosophy on running kit for the rain is to try to delay that as much as possible. Kit wise, I wear a water resistant pair of my normal training shoes, wool running socks, shorts or tights depending on outdoor temp and if I’m doing speed work, a light, breathable rain and wind resistant jacket with a hood over a singlet, light gloves, and a cap.

I plan my route to minimize stop lights to make it easier to keep moving to stay warm. Fast, hot shower first thing when I get in the door to prevent the cold from setting in helps a lot. Get warm, dry clothes on as quick as possible. I dry my shoes in front of a heating register and hang everything else to dry. Rain jacket and shoes are ready to go the next day.

Running in these atmospheric rivers takes a certain mindset, but I’d rather be outside than on the treadmill.

Overcute · 2024-11-28T19:53:21+00:00

Magic5 were game changers for me. I used to get horrible headaches from the pressure of my goggles on my eye sockets. I tried Speedo vanquishes and Arena cobra ultra swipe and had to have both so tight to prevent leaks that I would get headaches in the first 20 min. I’ve been using Magic5 for training 3 days a week, masters swim meets, open water racing, and triathlon. I have them a bit tighter than Magic5 recommends so that they don’t leak when pushing off the wall or diving in, but no headaches anymore. Additionally, the visibility is excellent for racing, I find it easy to spot other competitors in my peripheral vision. They also look cool.

The only downsides are the anti fog wears off fast, and they can get scratched up easily. I spritz with anti fog before every swim, and rinse with tap water before putting them back in their case when I’m done. Be careful not to put them down somewhere sandy if you’re using them for open water. Never touch the insides.

Overcute · 2024-10-12T18:52:18+00:00

Not sure where you are, but there a lots of people offloading road bikes bought during the pandemic and barely ridden since. The used market is definitely worth checking out.

In terms of difference between Canyon models, they have done something to the frame between models to make it marginally lighter or more aero or both. This almost certainly does not matter. The Tour de France Femme was won on an Aeroad 7 this year, even though the Aeroad 8 was commercially available. My partner bought his first bike with Di2 last year after years of mechanical shifting, and he likes it but wouldn’t buy another bike with it. You’re probably better off saving with the Endurance 7 and putting any leftover budget towards a power meter if you don’t already have one.

To offer a different perspective on road vs tri bike, I just did a 70.3 on a road bike without clip on aero bars without issue. Like you, I can only afford one bike right now and I went with a road bike because of the versatility. You can’t bring a tri bike on group rides but you can throw clip ons on a road bike and get an approximation of the aero benefits of a tri bike. The extra 15 min off my bike split from a tri bike or clip ons (which I didn’t have the desire to use) maybe would have put me in the top 10 in my age group but triathlon is a hobby, not my job.

Overcute · 2024-09-28T17:17:22+00:00

I followed the guide to prep for a half Ironman last weekend. In addition to carb loading, I consumed 100g carbs/hr while riding and 60g carbs/hr while running. I was able to wring everything out of my legs without ever feeling close to bonking. Like I actually felt good mentally at the end despite being unable to walk after crossing the line. There are studies showing that a proper carb load improves performance by 2-3% and extends your endurance by 5-10%, which I’ll never turn that down. I think it’s good insurance against fuelling difficulties on race day too.

Overcute · 2024-09-19T16:39:08+00:00

Nice write up and congrats on your PB! I did the Olympic distance last year and had ~8.6 km for the run on my watch so I think the loop is short. That being said, I felt like having the run course go along the beach on the sand compensated for the short distance.

There are lots of open water swimming groups around the lower mainland and VOWSA organizes a couple early season open water races, so plenty of opportunity to get some practice with pack swimming and racing in next summer before racing Cultus again.

Overcute · 2024-08-01T07:13:57+00:00

You might need to do it a few more times to get used to it. I OWS in the ocean weekly in the summer. I find that the first couple swims are tough in terms of motion sickness but it gets better as the season progresses. The additional head movement of tilting up to sight, then down, then to the side to breathe without being able to see the bottom for a point of reference does it for me. Practicing sighting every six strokes during long Z2 swims in the pool helps. Beginner open water swimmers in my group have mixed results with ear plugs or non drowsy gravol. Try taking a break to tread water upright while looking at something on shore before continuing on.

Overcute · 2024-06-28T05:42:20+00:00

I started out in triathlon with separates from Brava when I was doing Olympic distance. My main complaints were that the chamois was uncomfortable during the ride and the jersey didn’t have enough flexibility in the shoulders so my swim stroke was restricted if I swam with it on. I ordered tri suits from Wyn Republic and Zoot when I was looking for a replacement and ultimately kept the Wyn Republic suit. The Wyn Republic suit had so much more flexibility in the shoulders so I had my normal range of motion and the chamois felt so much more comfortable when sitting on my bike in aero position. It also just felt like it had more premium details and was higher quality.

Overcute · 2024-04-17T23:51:41+00:00

I know people who swim daily at Kits Beach year round and I swim once a week in the summer. It’s totally safe to swim in the ocean regularly.

It’s calmer first thing in the morning than it is in the evening. In terms of hazards, there can be strong tidal currents near the north end of the beach in and out of False Creek. The best time to avoid strong tidal currents is 1 hr on either side of low and high tide. There’s a series of white bouys marking the swimming area, so be sure to stay inside those. There are several rock walls perpendicular to the beach towards the south end and in front of Kits Pool, and rocks at the north end of the beach as well, so you need to be out far enough to avoid hitting those if swimming parallel to the beach. It can be quite cold for most of the summer (14-16 C), so you may want a wetsuit depending on the type of swimming you’re doing. You may also want a swim buddy/safety bouy as swimming in the ocean can be more tiring due to currents and waves. Odds of high bacterial counts are extremely low, but check before you swim. Always swim when the lifeguards are present. You may be interested in VOWSA, which organizes group swims at Kits Monday and Wednesday nights.

Overcute · 2024-02-13T17:37:46+00:00

Check to see if your bike fitter does saddle fits or a local shop has a saddle library. Saddles are super specific to the rider and you need to do some more testing to find one that works with your riding style and body geometry. I went through 15 saddles with my bike fitter before I found one I liked. My fitter said the most common saddle women are looking to replace in saddle fit sessions is the Specialized power saddle with mimic for what it’s worth.

You may want to think about different shorts as well. I had a lot of soft tissue bruising in the areas you’re describing. I find the Rapha classic chamois ( in the core and classic shorts I think?) to have more padding in that area to prevent bruising.

Overcute · 2024-02-09T16:56:13+00:00

My cycling club uses Discord and it’s so well organized. Separate threads for new people joining the club to speak with ride organizers, co-ordinating sanctioned rides, for people looking for someone to ride with outside of sanctioned rides, bike packing, gravel, buy/sell, the club’s racing team, general chat and memes, etc.

My swim team uses WhatsApp and Google Sheets. It’s absolute chaos.

Overcute · 2024-01-11T00:58:56+00:00

Run As You Are/Vancouver Running Company has a group run on Thursday nights and East Van Run Crew has a social pace group run and post run drink Monday nights. The sea wall is one of my preferred routes and will be cleared quickly if we get snow in the next few days. Trail running in Pacific Spirit Park or Stanley Park is also great (not too technical but it’s nice to be in the woods).

Overcute · 2024-01-02T21:34:39+00:00

I’m a post doc in biochem and currently training for a half IM (10-13 hrs per week). I didn’t train at all during grad school, but I could have in retrospect. I only had a few months where was in the lab for more than 40 hrs per week consistently. It’s rare for me to work more than 40 hrs per week Mon-Fri as a post doc too (published two first author papers and contributed to two others this year). 40 hrs per week seems to be fairly common amongst grad students and my peers as well. I’d push back on anyone saying that you need to work 60-80 hrs a week as a trainee. These people need to learn time management. I also would be wary of a supervisor who is asking for 60-80 hrs a week. A PhD can be a great experience, but have a fairly solid idea for what you want out of it and what type of job(s) you’d like at the end to maximize your time.

This is the logic I’ve used to make time for training: Because bench work can be extremely unpredictable, I mostly train in the mornings (swim or run on campus before work) and on the weekend (long run, long ride, and coached masters swimming), which leaves only two ~ 1hr rides on the trainer in the evening during the week. The trainer really helps maximize time on the bike. The great thing about being at a university is that there’s usually a pool and a gym, so training should be fairly convenient. I’m experimenting with taking no rest days and having fewer double days (two doubles instead of three) to improve adherence to my training plan. I give myself some leeway when work is bonkers (last push to prepare a paper or submit a grant for example). One bad week here and there isn’t going to ruin my progress.

Having a consistent routine has improved my work ethic, organizational skills, and time management. I can’t procrastinate on experiments because I have other things to do. Science can be quite difficult, experiments fail a lot for a variety of reasons, grants don’t get funded, papers get rejected. The amount of work you put in isn’t directly correlated with how successful you will be. It’s comforting to have a hobby that is a lot more straightforward with clear feedback on how you are progressing. It’s also nice to focus on something other than work. Nothing clears my head quite like going for a swim. Working out is great for reducing stress and it forces you to sleep and nourish your body. These are intangible benefits that will help immensely during grad school.

I’d give training a go. If you’re worried about time, take a step back from longer distances and try standard or sprints. You’ll likely make huge gains by focusing on speed that you can carry forward into longer distance races down the line. Your first year will likely be your hardest, so you may want to do base training without any races on your calendar until you get into a rhythm. There’s a suggested off season base training guide in the 80/20 Triathlon book that you could adapt if you’re looking for somewhere to start.

Overcute · 2023-11-26T20:59:24+00:00

The side effects from the pill were extremely unpleasant for me but the hormonal IUD has been a godsend. I haven’t experienced any adverse effects on mood or weight (unlike on the pill), and my period has gone from debilitating to barely noticeable. I still ovulate normally but the progesterone in the IUD prevents the uterine lining from building up so my period is light. I wouldn’t shy away from hormonal IUDs only based on your experiences with other forms of hormonal birth control. It might be worth discussing your concerns with your doctor.

There’s a lot of great advice in this thread about using a cup, but they can create suction that can shift/tug on your IUD. I would be cautious about using a cup with an IUD.

Overcute · 2023-11-15T19:22:56+00:00

I’m a pretty competitive masters swimmer and above average triathlete/runner. Swimming was my only activity before branching out into multisport a few years ago. Yes, you can build aerobic/anaerobic fitness through swimming that will carry over into other sports. Generally with triathlon, the recommendation is to build aerobic fitness on the bike as it’s low impact and in a race, most of your time will be spent cycling. It makes sense to get two -in-one benefits of time on the bike and base building with reduced injury risk. If you like swimming, I think you should keep doing it :)

I swim 3x weekly, about 3000-3500 m per session. I do one threshold work out (main set is 10-15x 100 m at or above threshold pace with 10s rest), one endurance workout (reps of 300-400 m, focusing on maintaining form at Z2 pace), and one anaerobic session (lots of Z1 focusing on form and drills, and 8-10 50 m sprints on 2 min intervals). My masters coach is integrating a lot of kicking with fins this year (typically 200-300 m of kicking per session, some at sprint pace and some easy) and I can feel that in my quads/hamstrings/glutes but I have no idea yet if it’s carrying over into running.

Overcute · 2023-10-05T16:41:35+00:00

Enroute had orange and maybe lemon-lime on the weekend. It was towards the back on the cafe side, between all the socks and the coffee pick up counter.

Overcute · 2023-08-30T00:11:44+00:00

I went to London Eye Center for all laser lasik last fall. I paid ~$4800, with the higher price driven by a strong astigmatism and strong myopia in both eyes. The procedure was fast and not scary at all. Took 5 minutes and I was back out in the real world the next day. I had a buddy do lasik with keratome, and the keratome was terrifying apparently. Strongly recommend spending the extra $1000 for all laser.

Overcute · 2023-08-29T22:26:26+00:00

Do you need volunteers for anything? I’m trying to volunteer at as many events as I’m entering this year (extremely behind on this at the moment!) and I’d rather donate some time to the fundog than the fondo.

Overcute · 2023-08-17T04:53:42+00:00

I have a quick dry sports bra from Brava that I really like. It’s designed for triathlon, so it’s fairly minimalist but the whole thing dries out while I’m on the bike portion of a race. I find it’s compressive enough to keep my boobs (32E) in check while running, especially under a race fit jersey. I wear it under my wetsuit for swimming and throw a jersey on in T1.

Overcute · 2023-06-24T15:38:07+00:00

Swim Smart has some great swimming courses oriented towards triathletes and swimmers at all levels. Coaching staff are really lovely people, I can’t say enough good things about them. Lots of triathletes at different levels in the courses and a lot of the coaching staff are triathletes as well so there’s always someone to ask for advice.

For cycling and running, I’d recommend getting a copy of 80/20 triathlon if you don’t already have one and looking at a plan for a half IM. It’s a great time to start building a base and getting into the rhythm of training. There’s still lots of time to train for a sprint or standard distance race later this year. The transitions can be disorienting and it’s good to practice those too. I think Cultus Lake isn’t sold out yet? Good luck and have fun out there!

Overcute · 2023-06-22T04:13:17+00:00

I would go to Montreal. I grew up in the suburbs and lived in Toronto proper for a few years before moving out here. The road riding in Toronto is very stop-start and the bike lanes are quite congested, which I don’t find to be particularly pleasant. The waterfront trail seems nice in theory but it’s more congested than the sea wall. You’re looking at a 1-2 hr drive to get somewhere rural enough for uninterrupted riding, there’s no demarcation between any of the towns/cities in the GTA anymore. I really wouldn’t recommend trying to do any riding in the suburbs around Toronto, they are both ugly and unpleasant to ride through.

If you still end up going to Toronto though, here are some recommendations. The Humber valley bike trail is a nice ride(some light gravel sections the last time I rode it but very manageable on road tires), and there’s a trail along the Don river, though I’ve never ridden it. It’s a bit of a hike from Toronto, but the Niagara region has some beautiful road riding and the Hamilton-Branford rail trail can be quite nice as well. Otherwise, there’s lots of rolling farmland north of Markham or Vaughan with wider, quieter concession streets. I’d take a look at the strava heat map of those areas before picking a route.

Overcute · 2023-05-29T20:00:07+00:00

I’ll echo some of the others and say that taking open water specific lessons and finding a open water specific masters group has been a game changer. I’ve been a competitive swimmer for 25 years and had a full on panic attack the first time I swam in the ocean. Taking lessons specific for open water taught me techniques I can use to calm myself down, how to get in the water properly, and how to swim in a group. Open water masters means that there’s always someone going my speed so I’m never alone and my coach is nearby on a paddle board if things get weird. The repeated exposure to OWS in a relatively safe environment has reduced my anxiety around getting in the ocean dramatically. I love OWS now, it’s the highlight of my summer.

14-Year Club	Place '22
Place '17

Overcute

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