I bought a new webcam today for $30. It’s got a USB cable instead of RCA TV cables, so I can put it near any computer (not just the computer that has a TV card). It’s color and has a much higher quality image. I don’t see a way to capture the audio and video together. I had to capture them separately, and then merge them back together in order to make a movie clip. What a pain, and the audio and video are slightly out of synch. Ah, well, what do you expect for $30!

I confess the big factor in this impulse buy was to see if I really was as fat as that other webcam makes me look. It occurred to me that perhaps my husband was simply being kind when he said that the old webcam makes me look 40 lbs heavier. I’m so relieved that I look normal with this new webcam. (I lost a bunch of weight before becoming a triathlete, and I live in constant fear that I will gain it all back. That has always been one of my motivating factors to keep working out.)

But I digress. I filmed myself doing a bike workout: my favorite Spinervals DVD, Suffer-O-Rama! It’s a very short clip, but should give you an idea of what Spinervals is like: a very intense 45 minute workout. The segment I chose to record is a tempo effort with the big chain ring on the front, and the 15 (middle cog) on the back. You alternate 15 seconds seated, and 15 seconds standing. This really develops hip power and good smooth transitions from seated to standing. When I do these workouts, I feel like Coach Troy is my own personal cycling coach 🙂

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1zY0wm7Rgw]

suffer
Suffer-O-Rama