All of my cheapo devices have been failing me this month. First my bluetooth Thumps and now my Mio Fuse. I'm not sure if it's the cold weather or just that time of year, but one of my thump headphones went spotty. The bluetooth part only works at random times, which ends up scaring the crap out of me on the trail.

I decided to buy a new pair, since technology in wireless headphones seems to have boomed. There's much more selection now than a couple of years ago.

After sifting through reviews on Amazon and weeding out the fake and paid reviews, I decided on getting the Plantronics BackBeat Fit Bluetooth Headphones. I purchased a pair of these for Jon for his birthday too, since I am a major convert to wireless running. THE FREEDOM!!! EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW HOW IT FEELS. I have the electric blue color, and he has the neon green. Both are pretty sleek looking in my opinion.

The blue is only $92 on Amazon, and the Green is $97. 

I got these because I wanted a lightweight and reliable pair that had a long battery life and was also waterproof/sweatproof. I don't really sweat much when I run, but I do like to get out in the rainy weather (if it ever rains in CA).

The headphones were shipped to me at lightning speed, thanks to my Prime account. They arrived nicely packaged, and included an armband pocket.

The first thing I noticed was that they were extremely flexible. The benefit of this is that you don't have a stiff piece behind your head, and if you were to go to the gym and lift weights or anything, you could lay down without feeling like they're going to snap.  It's a nice touch, and also allows you to stuff them into your pockets when you aren't using them.

When I put them on for the first time, it took a bit of adjusting. It's still kind of a challenge to put them on since they are so flexible. The earpieces are made to fit snugly into your ear, which for me and Jon they fit nicely. They started out a little uncomfortable for me, but after a short 4 mile run I realized that the minor discomfort dissipated. I should mention that if you tend to have smaller ears they MAY be uncomfortable over time. For me and Jon though, they are quite comfortable.

Supposedly the battery lasts 8 hours of listening time, but since I've been injured I haven't exactly been able to run any ultras recently. It is nice though because when you connect it to your phone you can see how much battery life is in them. It also has a mode where it hibernates when away from the phone to extend the battery life. To charge it you just open up a little port on the side of one of the ear pieces, and connect it with it's included micro USB charging cable.

Turning them on and off is a breeze and there is a notifying light that glows blue when on and red when off or charging.

 

I haven't used any of the button features really, but Jon said he took a phone call and was amazed with how well it performed. 

Reading the reviews, the biggest gripe I saw was that they weren't super loud. They are made so you don't completely block out all the outside noise since that isn't safe for runners. I personally don't listen to music very loud in the first place so it's not a problem for me. I have read that you can replace it with the yurbud ear buds to get a more closed off and enhanced sound.

One thing I liked is the audio announcements saying if the headphones are connected to your phone or not. There's no more guesswork like with the Thumps. 

Lastly, they include a free armband/storage case. The storage case turns inside out to reveal the armband. I probably won't ever utilize it since there is no clear screen to use the phone, but it is a nice addition. It also is reflective if you want some extra visibility at night.

All in all, I really like these headphones. I would be cautious to get them if you happen to have some trouble finding comfortable ear buds. These are super light weight, and don't fall out. They are coated with a protective nano-coating to repel liquids. So far...so good!

My knee is still in repair mode, but this week is definitely an "up" week for it. I ran the Gobble Wobble, a turkey trot ran by local running store, A Runner's Mind. It was a great deal, and only $25 with a groupon coupon. It helped that it was only a mile away from the house at Coyote Pointe, a place I run by on an almost daily basis.

One of the highlights for me were the saucony shirts! The colors were a bit blinding, but I really appreciate the nice quality of the fabric. They are super light weight, and I will definitely be wearing it on the chillier runs. The men got short sleeve neon orange shirts, and the women got nice electric yellow long sleeves.

I was happy to be running with a handful of friends. We all met up at the starting line. I was just taking it easy and trying to keep a moderately low heart rate. I wasn't sure how my knee would handle the 6 miles, but it seemed to do great! Feeling optimistic. 

The course followed the bay trail south around Hay Hill and then back up toward Coyote Point. It was a beautiful and cold day. There was even frost on the ground! 

It was a sold out race, and there were several hundred people toeing the starting line. The 10k started at 8am, and the 5k started at 8:30. There was a lot of variety from lightning fast high schoolers, to lots of parents with strollers. So many strollers. So many people with strollers faster than me.

The dangling carrot at the finish was a free included pancake breakfast. I didn't partake, but they looked fluffy and tasty! There were vendor booths, and they supplied fancy Hint waters as well. Pretty impressive for a little local fun run.

I know you're all dying to know...I didn't win. But, I'll definitely be back. I like the convenience of it being at Coyote Point, and it's a cheap race with a lot of perks. The vibe was friendly and overall it was very smoothly ran. I really appreciated the friendly volunteers that were standing in the freezing cold early on a holiday morning to help out.

Jon and I spent the rest of the day hanging with the dogs and chickens, eating...chicken..., and sitting by the fire playing video games and drinking wine. It was such an overwhelmingly awesome day, and was everything that I wanted. Feeling thankful for a lot of things, but extra thankful for having functional legs, and while my knee has given me some problems, I am lucky that they allow me to run at all. Happy Holidays, Folks! And keep an eye out for my next post. I MAY have bought the new Garmin 235 that will arrive on Monday. *squeeeeeeeeal!!!*  

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Plantronics BackBeat Fit Bluetooth Headphones review, and the Gobble Wobble!

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Back to what this blog was originally about! RUNNING!

Running has taken its proper place back in my list of priorities. Since I had signed up for the North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Miler, I decided most of my training needs to be on hills and on trails.

First of all, let me go over my hydration pack woes. I have FOUR, count 'em, FOUR hydration packs. #1 is an old Nathan 2 liter vest that I kind of like, but it's a little heavy for my taste and is a bit awkward looking. It is a great pack for the cost, and I'm going to keep it around. #2 is my Ultraspire Spry vest, which I love love love, but the nozzle broke off recently and I've been to lazy to change it. I also find that it goes lopsided on me, I think because the straw pulls it over. And sometimes I think 1 liter just won't cut it. I also have vest #3 which is the Orange Mud Hydraquiver Single Barrel vest. It's OKAY. I like the concept, and love the bottle. It's so easy to refill. However, on the last two runs I used it on, I noticed my hair was super sticky and wet from the bottle. I am not sure if I left open the top, but oh man that was not fun. I kept ripping my hair on it because it was so sticky. Gross.

So enter vest #4 which is my Salomon S-Lab vest. It's great, except now that I'm 10 lbs lighter from last year, it is too big for me. When I got it, I was sized somewhere between the XXS and the XS/S, so I got the XS/S. Poor choice. I also didn't like the snap system in the front, and as great as those flexible bottles are, I find them pretty annoying. They get floppy when they're empty, and they're hard to put ice in and mix fluids in. Cleaning them is a pain, and I just don't see why everyone raves about them.

Oh, and it gave me a killer burn on my collarbones from being too large. By the end of the run, I just yanked the bottles out and ran with them in my hands so it would stop the chaffing. The burn was surprisingly deep, and I was hurting all week from that.

I am going to sell my Salomon Vest, and replace it with the Ultimate Direction Jenny Vesta. I tried it on, and the fit is great. I love how small it is, and how the bottles ride above the boobage, so you don't have that awkward look going on. I am not sure how I feel about the bottles that come with it, I hear a lot of people have issues with the caps being hard on the teeth, so I got two replacement nathan bottles with soft pull out valves that will fit. I also got a 1.5 Liter bladder for the back for super long runs. I will report to you guys next week. :)

It is week 3 of our 16 week training plan. I think my approach is going well. I am trying to do MAF runs during the week, and harder trail runs on the weekend. I even did hill repeats last week which were all at my MAF heart rate. It was a slow walk up hill and then a fast run downhill. I felt amazingly fresh doing that, compared with the other hill sprints I did the week before. That week I had ran fast up hill and then had to stop to catch my breath or walk downhill. Turns out I was only 30 seconds slower per mile with my MAF heart rate. A small price to pay for how much better I felt, and how much healthier my legs were for the week.

My hill sprints fast uphill- 735 feet gained

MAF Hill day - walking uphill - 778 feet gained

Doing hill repeats on this 50 foot hill wasn't too bad actually, especially if you have a sunset to watch the entire time. It is a good mental exercise as well, so I'm going to be including it once a week.

This weekend we conquered two peaks. One was Eagle Peak at Mt. Diablo. Jon and his sister were backpacking up, and I ran by myself. I would run a bit and then go back to check in with them, and then run farther. I ended up doing 11.5 miles and over 3,700 feet of elevation! I was mostly walking since the sections were pretty freaking steep. It was rewarding to get all of that elevation in. We even spotted a tarantula. They are known to come out around this time for mating season.

Part of the harder sections of the trail. So steep!

Photo Credit to Jon Martin

The next day we ran up Montara Mountain. Jon needed to get in 3000 feet for his training plan, and I needed to get in 8-9 miles for mine. I wasn't intending on doing so much elevation but I got over 2,300. I had a new technique of something between going all out and MAF. I would let my heart rate go to about 165-170 before I would walk, and then run again. I was basically walking for 10 steps then running for 10 and so on. I have to say, it felt GREAT. I had so much energy the entire day, never felt weak, and maintained a somewhat decent pace. This type of trail running is definitely going to be a regular technique for me from now on.

Last but not least, I had a run today that went really well! My heart rate was low, and even though it was pretty windy out, I was able to do a below MAF run at 145bpm, AND do a 10 min mile. Not sure how that happened, but I'm happy with it!

Tomorrow is hill day, Thursday is a fun run with the co-workers, and then this weekend Jon and I are planning on running up Mt. Tam for the first time! I have to say, I don't want to get all cheesy but I really am thankful for having Jon. How lucky am I to have a partner that I can go off and explore trails together with? Looking forward to taking the rest of the weekend to catch up on other things in life and to maybe even have a day where I can do completely nothing! I won't hold my breath though.

Have a great long weekend Everyone! Here's a recent photo of chickens just because...

elevation gear reviews hill day hill sprints hydration packs MAF maffetone method montara mountain mount diablo reviews summit trail running ultra marathon training

Running up Mountains (baby ones) and my quest for the perfect vest.

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Since I'm not famous, nor am I rich, I am giving reviews of some older (but still available) shorts out there for runners. I recently purchased the North Face Better Than Naked shorts, and that kind of spurred me on to writing about the three that are currently in my lineup. Keep in mind that I'm around 108lbs and 5'0".

I might as well start off with the Better than Naked shorts. I got them on clearance at Backcountry.com for $38.46. Lucky for me, the only size available for clearance was an XS. Normally they go for $54.95 which is pretty spendy. I remember hearing great things about them on a review from the Ginger Runner, and mentally dog-eared the short's style for when I had the money to spare.

I was excited to receive them, and noticed that the texture of the shorts was super light but kind of a wrinkled tissue paper feeling. Honestly, it kind of put me off that they were all wrinkled. Other than that, they looked pretty good, and fit true to size. I like the colors, although it's definitely not as bright as the website shows. Even my photos are a little brighter, I would say they're more of a wine color than purple.

Front view - one pocket to the side

two side mesh pockets (the bright purple) and one large zippered pocket

One of the main reasons I picked these shorts was because it has a lot of pockets! Not like I really need them, but it's nice to have them. There is a large stretchy zippered pocket in the back which easily holds my iphone 6 (with the case). Beside the main pocket, there are two mesh pockets to store gels. There is an additional front pocket that you can also fit a couple of gels in.

Kind of hard to see, but you can see there's no edge at the top of the shorts.

The liner is decent, nothing fancy. I don't like how there isn't a very defined edge at the top of the waistband. I like creases, not this whole...is the tie in or is it out kind of thing. I do like the length, but the papery light fabric doesn't hide much in the breeze if you're self conscious about that kind of thing. Or if you go rock climbing in them...which I did because I was too tired to care.

You can see two of the side pockets for gels

I gave them a test run this morning, an easy 5 mile MAF run. Right away I noticed kind of a snapping sensation between my legs. I thought it was the drawstring hitting them so I tied it up, but it kept happening. I realized it's because of the edge of the shorts! This is the major flaw of the shorts. I can't really tell how they did the edging..maybe a hot iron or glue, but it's a sharp and less flexible edging which resulted in kind of a snapping sensation when it hit my legs. It felt like mini whips, and the feel of it is reminiscent to those snap bracelets that we used to have as kids in the 90's. (obviously not that extreme)

razor sharp bottoms. 

A couple of miles in I kind of forgot about it, and I think I'll still wear them, but for those going on super long runs you might want to beware. I also think that if you have potential for chaffing in that area, that those sharp edges might actually cut. :S

Next up are these awesome Patagonia shorts that Jon surprised me with a while back. These are last year's models I think, but they are the Patagonia Strider shorts. On sale now for $26.95 from the original $40.00 price tag.

The Patagonia Strider Short

Strider short back

I never really wore them because honestly, when he got them for me, I had gained some weight and they were a bit tight for my preference. They're STILL a bit tight for me, but I think I can pull them off.

These shorts are nice and light! They also really did the waistband right, and they're really comfortable to wear. The yellow fabric is very thin with a kind of silky texture, and has this honey comb textured pattern that you can see in the right light.

They have a liner on the inside with one pocket. I would like to see more pockets on this, maybe one on the front or a zippered one on the back. Having it in the lining is kind of gross. Nobody wants your credit cards or dollars all soaked in butt sweat.

I think I've only done one run in these, but I can't say that I had any memorable complaints. The yellow shorts are really hard to match with though. I would buy them again, but maybe in an XS and a different color. They're on the right track for sure

Last but certainly not least is the Lululemon Speed Short! I should tell you that I got mine YEARS ago, so they may have changed. I'm reading the reviews now for the current version, and it appears that they have changed the style a bit to a longer length, so it's definitely recommended that you try them on before buying. I also feel like Lululemon sizes lately are shrinking, and my once size 2 is now a size 4 or 6. Maybe I'm just getting fatter.

Things I love about these shorts: the fabric! It's so soft, and smooth! There is no drawstring to get in the way, and the waistband is thick and not restricting. I hate those crinkly elastic bands. These shorts also have three pockets - a large zipper in the back that can fit credit cards and some dollahs, as well as two small front ones in the waist band (so things don't fall out) that can fit gels or...more credit cards. There is also a black lining.

I think that these are some of the best looking shorts out there too. I remember being at a race one day and seeing a girl with them on, and instantly wanting a pair myself. Lululemon knows how to design their stuff. It comes in an array of colors, and the seams are really flattering for your toosh. 

side view - pretty short!

Front view (messy mirror)

The negative side? They are $54 which is pretty steep for a pair of running shorts. I think they are totally worth it though, and even though I have had mine for about...4 years, they aren't showing very much sign of wear and tear at all. Maybe just a slight fabric color fade from the millions of washes they've been through, but even their signature logo on the back is standing up to the abuse! Definitely will buy again. Maybe a newer version so I can give you guys a proper review.

So that's all three shorts! Nothing too fancy, if you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them. I'm always looking for the next best thing, but found that I have enough shorts to keep me from having to do more than one load of laundry per week. I usually hardly wear any shorts, but it's been so hot here lately that I couldn't stand the thought of crops!

If you're new to running, the top things I look for in a new pair of shorts: flat waistband. Like I said, I hate the wrinkled up elastic bands. I prefer to have the least restriction around my waist as I can when I'm running. I also look for something that dries quickly, and is light. Last, I look for pockets! I want at least one pocket to put my spare key in, and a larger pocket to put some credit cards in is ideal. 

Hope you enjoyed this post! Trying to mix things up! I might take it easy on the running this week, but I might throw in a training post too. We are planning on doing a weighted hike (30lb backpack) instead, since we are going to start training to climb the mountaineer's route to Mt. Whitney. 

As always, I'm open to suggestions and questions, whether private or an entire blog post devoted to it. 

better than naked gear gear reviews lululemon lululemon speed short patagonia review running shorts shorts review strider shorts summer the north face

Who wears short shorts? (running shorts reviews)

HeatherIhn 3

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