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!

HeatherIhn 1

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Welp, it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted. I didn't have much to report, but contrary to the popular saying, no news is not good news.

A little over a week ago, the ol' knee was making slow improvements, and right when I was sure things would heal up 100%, things took a downturn and now I feel almost like I am back to square one. I am trying to retrace my steps to figure out what exactly I did wrong. There were a few things that could have been the cause. I had done two 4-5 mile runs in a row, which was a bit more than I'm used to. Previously I was running every other day. I also slightly upped my mileage, but I don't see that being the major problem.

I also wore these stupid wedges that just taunt me on a daily basis (they are just so easy to put on!). I need to just throw them into traffic, because they have yet to do me any good. And by wedges, I mean 1" heels. They don't even really count.

The Devil shoes.

I'm just going to say it, I'm done with heels. DONE. Sure, they look great, and make your legs look super muscular and awesome, but it's NEVER WORTH IT. Every time I give it a shot, I spend the next day regretting it. Or the same day. I am not a person that can walk well in heels. I'm pretty sure most girls can't walk well in heels. We should all just collectively stop. Just stop.

But yeah, I really think wearing those for a day set me back.

Whatever it was, there's not much I can do now. I am continuing with the exercises and icing, but I'll be honest and say my enthusiasm is completely depleted. 

I guess the most exciting running news is that I finally volunteered at a race. I've always wanted to, but could never bear to stand on the sidelines instead of participating. The injury forced me to swallow my pride, so I emailed the race director at Inside Trails and decided to volunteer a couple hours with Rini for the Mt. Tam Trail Race. This was the race I had signed up for in preparation for the North Face 50 miler. :(

Rini and I got to the race a little after 8:30 to pick up our volunteer gear. The director gave us a pile of stuff, including two race official vests, two bright orange flags, and two signs to put on the road that runners were crossing.

We were stationed at Hwy 1 @ Muir Beach by a cute little farm with horses. A CHP officer was assisting us, since we are not allowed to direct traffic. I was really nervous to be a course monitor, because I don't like directing anyone anywhere. Just the thought of potentially misdirecting a runner or holding them back scared me! 

I managed to control my anxieties. It's hard to be anxious with Rini around. She has this calm assertive Cesar Milan thing going on. Just kidding (kind of), but seriously, I was so glad that we were together for this.

I think we must have had the most chaotic intersection of the whole race. Luckily we were only directing the 50k racers, but having it be at the Muir Beach road with crossings on both sides on the busy Highway 1 was stressful. It didn't help that there was also an accident between a cyclist and a Tesla so the CHP officer was trying to do double duty.

The crazy part is that the Tesla apparently INTENTIONALLY hit the cyclist out of road rage. I felt like there was a lot of aggression in Marin, I'm not sure if it was just that day or what. I constantly had to overhear conversations between cyclists as to how runner's were "infesting" the trails, and how much of an inconvenience it was for them. I understand their point, I really do, but I also know that there really weren't that many 50k runners at this part of the trail, and the ones that were there were few and far between. Can't we all just get along? We're all out there to have fun and be outside...

Most people were pretty nice, and almost all of the runners were kind and thanked me for being there. I got a bit bored at the end because there were so few runners going through, but I was constantly entertained by the wild animals roaming nearby. I saw four deer crossing the road at separate times, and this coyote was totally hanging out with me a stone's throw a way.

Jon is still training for the North Face 50k. He was running in the same area for his group run and ended up running through the road that I was on. I snapped some pictures of him. That day he finished his longest run ever with 27 miles and over 5000 feet of elevation. That boy sure has come a long way (literally and figuratively) since I met him. 

One mistake that I did was not bring any food or eat a large breakfast before volunteering. Rini and I didn't grab lunch until almost 2:30 and we were both famished at that point. The experience was great, but next time I volunteer I'd like to try out sweeping the course or working at the aid station. 

In other running news, I got a new rain jacket. The Ultimate Direction Women's Ultra Jacket. It's a million dollars, but totally worth it for the built in mittens and the ability to turn my head with the hood on. Well, okay it's not really a million dollars. It's $180, which I think is basically the same thing. I have yet to actually try it in the rain, because I live in California. And it has only rained twice. In 10 years.

I'll give you a more in depth review when that happens.

For now, I guess I should attempt my sad exercises and cry. Here's some chickens and my blind dog.

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Volunteering, and coping...

HeatherIhn 0

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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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