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!!!*
