The Running Thread - 2019

[TheHamm]

So who here has aftershoz headphones? Do you like them? Any cons I should know about? I just got the email this week say thing they would have them on sale for Black Friday. I currently have jaybirds and despise them. I got them as a Christmas gift last year and was excited to finally not have to deal with the wires. But they never stay in my ears. I have tried all different size buds and they always fall out. Its so annoying to constantly be fixing them. I'm over it and thinking now is the time to change.

I purchased the trekz titanium mini this spring also pushed over the edge because I received a discount code. I considered the air, but wanted the smaller size. I used them for running this summer and prefer them over my ear buds or anything over or in the ear. The band rests on the nape of my neck so they are more stable than other options.

They stay on my head, but it took a bit of practice do to with a ponytail or braid vs. a bun, and also when wearing sunglasses and a hat (headphones on first, then sunglasses and then hat that I do not always wear). I have recently decided I do not like them with winter gear as apparently my ear band or my hat, or hat + buff cause them to shift around.
There is a range of positions on my cheek bone that they are fine, but in some spots it is easier to hear than others, so some shifting is fine but too much is not.

They remain charged for the length of my runs (rarely more than 2 hours) for several days in a row. I am terrible at remembering to plug anything in, so I am confident that I get >5 hours of playtime out of them but I cannot comment on more. They quickly and easily pair with my iPhone SE, and and while the sound quality is sufficient, it is not fantastic. I have had calls come through the headphones (I am running at work, so I will take calls) and it works as well as any headset- wind noise and I have to speak up as the mic is not as close as it would be on a proper phone.

 

[huskies90]

So who here has aftershoz headphones? Do you like them? Any cons I should know about? I just got the email this week say thing they would have them on sale for Black Friday. I currently have jaybirds and despise them. I got them as a Christmas gift last year and was excited to finally not have to deal with the wires. But they never stay in my ears. I have tried all different size buds and they always fall out. Its so annoying to constantly be fixing them. I'm over it and thinking now is the time to change.

Interesting. Which Jaybirds do you own? I am the exact opposite. I tried the Aftershokz (Trekz Air) and didn't like them. I found them uncomfortable on my head. And the noise thing worked sorta - meaning, with music playing I still could not hear everything but some things I could - like someone slamming a car door I could hear loud and clear which would startle me. But the most important reason why I did not like them is the sound quality was terrible.

Music is very important to me and I like to get "lost" in my music when running so I need good sound quality. The Jaybirds have by far the best quality in a bluetooth headphone that I have heard. The app that comes with them lets you dial in the perfect EQ settings. The trick with Jaybirds to getting both a great sound quality AND comfortable fit is to use the memory foam earpieces. You squish them up and insert them into your ears. The memory foam then expands to give you a perfect fit and they become "noise isolating" - which is not quite the same as noise canceling but is the same concept.

There are 2 big downsides to these buds - 1) it is a bit dangerous running on the streets with noise isolating headphones. For me, even when I am running with Aftershokz or just regular ear buds, I have the music so loud anyway I cannot really hear anything, but with these, I have to be very aware of my surroundings. And 2) I have had bad luck with the quality of my Jaybirds. My first pair of brand new X3's lasted about a 13 months before they died (wouldn't hold a charge). I contacted Jaybird and they sent me a free pair of X4's. But while waiting for the X4's to arrive I bought a 2nd refurb'd pair of X3's. They lasted about 6 months and died the exact same way as the first pair. Now I have been using the X4's for almost a year and they are still going but I don't have a ton of confidence they will last.

 

[camaker]

So who here has aftershoz headphones? Do you like them? Any cons I should know about? I just got the email this week say thing they would have them on sale for Black Friday. I currently have jaybirds and despise them. I got them as a Christmas gift last year and was excited to finally not have to deal with the wires. But they never stay in my ears. I have tried all different size buds and they always fall out. Its so annoying to constantly be fixing them. I'm over it and thinking now is the time to change.

I LOVE my Aftershokz headphones. I started with the Titanium, then moved up to the Air and hope to get the Aeropex for Christmas. Full disclosure, I hate sticking things into my ears. I find it uncomfortable and invasive. I could put up with it using foam eartips, but was ecstatic when Aftershokz became available. They're all I run in now. The biggest plus, aside from not having to stuff them into your ears, is the fact that they leave your ears free to hear the environment around you. It's been very helpful for avoiding traffic, hearing other runners and dogs, etc. Leaving the ears free also lets my ears run cooler in hot temperatures, as well. Ironically, the biggest con that I have found is that they leave your ears free to hear the environment around you. If you run next to a road with heavy traffic, the traffic noise can drown out the sound from the Aftershokz. All in all, they are one of my favorite running accessories.

I'm curious, though, are they actually putting them on sale for Black Friday? The only offer I've seen is their "Buy One, Give One" offer. You buy a pair of Aeropex and they give you an open box/refurbished pair of Titaniums, as well. Having used the Titanium and Air and tried on the Aeropex, I can say without reservation that the Air or Aeropex are the way to go. They are slimmer, lighter and more comfortable to wear than the Titaniums.

 

[StacyStrong]

I’ve had Jaybird x3s for 2? 3? years now and they work great with the fins. Though, the silicone bud will pop off occasionally. To be fair, I’m not using the silicone buds that came with the headphones because I lost them.

 

[Kerry1957]

I like my Aftershokz Air a lot, although I am still trying to figure out what combination works best for me. I wear hearing aids, and the HAs, Aftershokz, and sunglasses just take up more room behind my ears than I have. I didn't wear my old HAs while running, so I needed all of the outside environmental noise I could get for safety. Now my new HAs can directly play music streamed from my iphone; but I don't generally run with my phone. My HAs are not capable with streaming from my Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music watch.

So i either stream from my Garmin to my Aftershokz and leave out my HAs, or I bring my phone with me to stream to my HAs and leave my Aftershoks at home. I switch back and forth and don't have a favorite yet.

 

[Jules76126]

Interesting. Which Jaybirds do you own? I am the exact opposite. I tried the Aftershokz (Trekz Air) and didn't like them. I found them uncomfortable on my head. And the noise thing worked sorta - meaning, with music playing I still could not hear everything but some things I could - like someone slamming a car door I could hear loud and clear which would startle me. But the most important reason why I did not like them is the sound quality was terrible.

So I have the Tarah. I got them as a gift. I just can't keep those stupid buds in. I have tried squeezing them and they always fall out. I also hate that the stupid band gets tangled in my hair, but I think that is more me as I could adjust it and never do.

I LOVE my Aftershokz headphones. I started with the Titanium, then moved up to the Air and hope to get the Aeropex for Christmas. Full disclosure, I hate sticking things into my ears. I find it uncomfortable and invasive. I could put up with it using foam eartips, but was ecstatic when Aftershokz became available. They're all I run in now. The biggest plus, aside from not having to stuff them into your ears, is the fact that they leave your ears free to hear the environment around you. It's been very helpful for avoiding traffic, hearing other runners and dogs, etc. Leaving the ears free also lets my ears run cooler in hot temperatures, as well. Ironically, the biggest con that I have found is that they leave your ears free to hear the environment around you. If you run next to a road with heavy traffic, the traffic noise can drown out the sound from the Aftershokz. All in all, they are one of my favorite running accessories.

I'm curious, though, are they actually putting them on sale for Black Friday? The only offer I've seen is their "Buy One, Give One" offer. You buy a pair of Aeropex and they give you an open box/refurbished pair of Titaniums, as well. Having used the Titanium and Air and tried on the Aeropex, I can say without reservation that the Air or Aeropex are the way to go. They are slimmer, lighter and more comfortable to wear than the Titaniums.

Yeah the buy one get one sale is what I was referring to. I would give the Titaniums to my husband. He only uses headphones when we are at the gym as he doesn't like running with music outside. I figure it was a good way to justify the cost as he would get something as well. I would take the nicer ones. I figured these would be a nice compromise as he doesn't like when I wear headphones to run since its hard to hear anything and is worried someone will jump me - highly unlikely where we live.

 

[KSellers88]

I have the Aftershokz Titanium and Air and love them both. I was an Apple Airpod user before, but since I am a female who primarily runs alone I like being able to hear my surroundings. I do not have any issues getting them positioned, even with my hair in a braid, hats, ear warmers, etc. It takes a few extra minutes to get everything adjusted, but once they are in place they do not move. The charge on mine has lasted for a full marathon (over four hours) and I can go several days while training without charging them. The sound quality isn't an issue to me, I'd highly recommend them! I might need to check out that sale myself!

 

[PrincessV]

<--- still rocking my corded Yurbuds I bought on clearance at target 5 years ago.

 

[TheHamm]

So I have the Tarah. I got them as a gift. I just can't keep those stupid buds in. I have tried squeezing them and they always fall out. I also hate that the stupid band gets tangled in my hair, but I think that is more me as I could adjust it and never do.



Yeah the buy one get one sale is what I was referring to. I would give the Titaniums to my husband. He only uses headphones when we are at the gym as he doesn't like running with music outside. I figure it was a good way to justify the cost as he would get something as well. I would take the nicer ones. I figured these would be a nice compromise as he doesn't like when I wear headphones to run since its hard to hear anything and is worried someone will jump me - highly unlikely where we live.

If you do not really want two pair, you can hunt around for discount codes. Many of my family have gotten theirs with UAW discounts. and I got mine using a University discount code, neither of them would be the same as BOGO, but if you really only wanted one pair, 30% off is just fine.

 

[Blue Caterpillar]

Tinkerbell 2017 extra pin

Hi,
So I thought I lost my pin from this race, and ordered another one of eBay. I just found it in a cranny in my suitcase! I would like to send it to someone who participated and would like it, if anyone wants it. Just let me know.

It does make me so sad about the Disneyland races!

 

[mtnmjd]

So who here has aftershoz headphones? Do you like them? Any cons I should know about? I just got the email this week say thing they would have them on sale for Black Friday. I currently have jaybirds and despise them. I got them as a Christmas gift last year and was excited to finally not have to deal with the wires. But they never stay in my ears. I have tried all different size buds and they always fall out. Its so annoying to constantly be fixing them. I'm over it and thinking now is the time to change.

I have Aftershokz Titanium that I use solely for running and I love them. No, they are not perfect. Audio quality is fine for running and heavy road noise can sometimes drown out podcasts and low music but I'd gladly make the trade-off so that I can be aware of my surroundings. I also can't use them on my commute to work because they don't drown out train noise, so my Aftershokz are only for running.

I had one speaker die within the warranty period and I contacted Aftershokz. They had me send them back....about a week or so later....two pairs mailed back!

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

I just found it in a cranny in my suitcase!

Nothing is better than finding lost 'stuff'! Congrats.

I currently have a golf disc on my list of lost stuff. Hoping when the frost kills the kudzu, I have a chance.

 

[camaker]

Nothing is better than finding lost 'stuff'! Congrats.

I currently have a golf disc on my list of lost stuff. Hoping when the frost kills the kudzu, I have a chance.

You only have one golf disc on your list of lost stuff? That just means you need to play more! I've lost enough golf discs to pay for a RunDisney weekend... Well, the race registration, at least.

 

[roxymama]

Tinkerbell 2017 extra pin

Hi,
So I thought I lost my pin from this race, and ordered another one of eBay. I just found it in a cranny in my suitcase! I would like to send it to someone who participated and would like it, if anyone wants it. Just let me know.

It does make me so sad about the Disneyland races!

I already have one, but just wanted to say your post brightened my day. I loved that race (my first half marathon and only CA rundisney race) and would be the first to sign up if they ever bring a race back. Such good memories!!

 

[The Expert]

Anybody else doing RnR Vegas this weekend? I'm headed down in a few hours, doing the Half on Sunday evening for the third year in a row. I'm actually really looking forward to it!

This is my check-in race as I ramp up for my first Full at WDW in January, so I am properly trained for the first time. The first year I struggled through solo and finished in 3:30 - ugh. Last year I walked almost the entire thing with my aunt (her speed) in four hours - ick. I'm very much looking forward to seeing how well I can do with proper training and mindset this year, and I'm solo so I can go at my own pace! I am in need of a new Disney PR too, so fingers crossed.

I'd say my A goal is 2:30 and my B goal is 2:45. GULP

 

[OldSlowGoofyGuy]

You only have one golf disc on your list of lost stuff? That just means you need to play more! I've lost enough golf discs to pay for a RunDisney weekend... Well, the race registration, at least.

I've only been playing about 2 months, and most of that has been field work. I'm sure I have plenty of lost discs in my future. In fact, I may need to go online and preemptively replace some of the future lost discs.

But you're right, I do need to play more!

 

[Nightriders19]

So who here has aftershoz headphones? Do you like them? Any cons I should know about? I just got the email this week say thing they would have them on sale for Black Friday. I currently have jaybirds and despise them. I got them as a Christmas gift last year and was excited to finally not have to deal with the wires. But they never stay in my ears. I have tried all different size buds and they always fall out. Its so annoying to constantly be fixing them. I'm over it and thinking now is the time to change.

I LOVE my Aftershockz headphones. They're light, comfortable and stay put while running. I love being able to easily hear what's going on around me. The biggest con is that they're a bit hard to hear if there's a lot of ambient noise (traffic, wind, etc). The audio quality is not perfect, but I have no trouble enjoying my favourite music and podcasts.

 

[Nightriders19]

While experience varies from person to person, here's what I learned about fueling and running.

2011 Half Marathon 1: No fuel at all during training. At a sporting goods store, I decided to buy some clif bloks before the race under the guise of "maybe I should have this." Had no idea what I was doing. Took 1 blok randomly when I remembered to during the race and ate whatever they passed out at the fuel stop. Didn't cause me any problems which established a precedent that would have been disastrous later on.

Every Half Marathon since the first one: I would take one clif blok every so often during training on long runs. I think I settled on every 90 minutes because I had no idea what I was doing. Upon learning more, I increased this to one blok every 45 minutes/3 miles. Still no problems. Even my most difficult races I did not have energy problems.

About one year ago in training for my first marathon, I had a string of consecutive brutal runs, the last of which left me so depressed that I actually considered dropping out of the marathon despite all the money I had spent on it. I was feeling completely exhausted way too early in medium length runs (over 4 miles) and it only got worse during longer runs (anything over 6 miles).

In consulting with @DopeyBadger over my issues and challenges, he gave me the exact amount of fuel I should be taking in and I discovered that I was not even close to that amount. By this time I was using sport beans, but realized that I was taking 3-4 beans every 45 minutes when I should have been taking an entire small package. I was dramatically underfueling for the marathon distance and my body was telling me that.

So I started experimenting. I learned that my stomach felt slightly off when I took the proper amount of sport beans in training. Others recommended huma gels, so I tried those. This worked much better for me. I tested different flavors and found ones I liked really well. In a couple weeks time, I figured out the right formula for me and things started to go much better in training.

While each person is different, I can't imagine having an enjoyable first marathon experience when my in race nutrition and fueling was horribly off for the marathon. I believe that discovering my fuel problems in training may well have saved my first marathon. While it's entirely possible that I would have stubbornly forced myself to finish the darn race anyways, I had a much better time because I was properly trained heading into the race and fueled during the race.
Experience has taught me that trial and error during training runs leads to fewer problems during races. And that's when it counts so to speak.

Thanks!

Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! I've been roughly following some of Daniels' training plans, and I train once or twice/week with a team and a coach.

One of the other factors when it comes to fuelling for me is that I've been following a low carb diet for almost 4 years. I don't generally eat sugar, and my gut doesn't like concentrated sugar anymore. Even diluted sports drinks don't tend to agree with me during runs. I do most of my runs in a fasted state (I do intermittent fasting most days), so my body is very used to running without a lot of fuel. I will try experimenting on my next couple long runs.

 

[Professor_Cookie]

Thanks!

Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! I've been roughly following some of Daniels' training plans, and I train once or twice/week with a team and a coach.

One of the other factors when it comes to fuelling for me is that I've been following a low carb diet for almost 4 years. I don't generally eat sugar, and my gut doesn't like concentrated sugar anymore. Even diluted sports drinks don't tend to agree with me during runs. I do most of my runs in a fasted state (I do intermittent fasting most days), so my body is very used to running without a lot of fuel. I will try experimenting on my next couple long runs.

Bacon!

 

[PrincessMickey]

A couple weeks back I asked for recommendations for favorite half marathons in each state for a 50 state challenge. Of course I got busy and never went through all the responses but alas, here it is including a few multi state challenges to get several states at a time. I’ll add to and update this list going forward for anyone else who might be interested.

50 States Half Marathons

Alabama: Mercedes, Rocket City
Alaska:
Arizona:
Arkansas:
California:
Colorado: Colfax Half, Colorado Half
Connecticut:
Delaware:
Florida: Space Coast, DISNEY
Georgia: Tear Drop Half, Rock n Roll Savannah
Hawaii:
Idaho:
Illinois:
Indiana: Indianapolis Mini Marathon
Iowa:
Kansas: Bill Snyder Half, Garmin
Kentucky: Run the Bluegrass
Louisiana: Rock n Roll New Orleans
Maine: Old Port Half
Maryland: Frederick Half
Massachusetts: Plymouth Race to the Rock
Michigan: North Country Trail 13.1, Freep Detroit Press, Dexter to Ann Arbor Half, Sleepy Hollow Half
Minnesota:
Mississippi: Mississippi Blues
Missouri:
Montana:
Nebraska: Good Life Halfsy
Nevada:
New Hampshire: Smuttynose
New Jersey:
New Mexico:
New York:
North Carolina: Asheville
North Dakota: Fargo
Ohio: Flying Pig
Oklahoma: Route 66, OKC Memorial
Oregon:
Pennsylvania: Philly Half
Rhode Island:
South Carolina: Kiawah Island, Charleston Half
South Dakota:
Tennessee: Rock n Roll Nashville
Texas: Shiner Half, Tour de Fleurs, Alamo Half
Utah: Salt Lake City Half, Zion Half, Jupiter Peak Steeplechase
Vermont:
Virginia: Richmond Half, Shamrock Half
Washington:
West Virginia:
Wisconsin: Brewers Mini Marathon
Wyoming:

Ottawa: Tamarack Race Weekend, Courses Gourmandes Series

Multi State Challenges:
Bear Lake Trifecta-Idaho, Wyoming, Utah
I-35 Challenge-Kansas, Iowa
New England Challenge-Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island