Tangled or Free?

My current ear buds have been doing very well for me. They are the over-the-ear kind and they sit comfortably. I am quite happy with them.

Well I was quite happy with them until I got a gift card from Best Buy and started looking at the wireless ear buds. I am very tempted to get them but I am hesitant.

Apparently the sound quality is not as good over bluetooth. But while running would you notice anyway, and most of what I listen to are podcasts, so I’m not concerned about sound quality so much.

The lack of wires would be a defnite plus. I get tangled in my wires on almost every run.

The remote volume and fast forwarding on the ear piece would be very convenient. I could leave my phone in my pocket or backpack and not have to fumble with it midrun.

But the cheapest ones are $100!! and the one I already have wouldn’t cost me anything.

Has anyone picked up the wireless ones? What do you think? Is it worth it? What brand did you buy?

I’d love your input.

PS about one week after this post I picked up some Jabra wireless ease buds. Not the ones with the in ear heart beat sensor. But they work great! I am still getting used to having to turn them on, then turning on the Bluetooth before starting music otherwise everyone can hear. The audio jacks were more seamless that way.

Podcast Spotlight – Trail Runner Nation

Trail Runner Nation is a fun witty podcast with two Californians who just love trails and going long. If you want a light hearted, often funny conversation these are your guys.

A couple of their last podcasts were titled “How bad do you want it?” and “Why don’t we quit when it hurts?” Just by those names you know they take their sport seriously and wonder out loud about their sanity.

They have over 11,000 likes on FB. They have quite a following.

Check out http://trailrunnernation.com/ to take them for a spin.

Podcast Spotlight – Marathon Training Academy

Run a marathon and change your life

Trevor and Angie are an enthusiastic couple who host a weekly podcast for runners aspiring to run a marathon or for marathoners looking to up their game.

The hour long podcast usually consists of tips, inspiration, and guest interviews. Their enthusiastic approach to encouraging anyone to run a marathon no matter their pace is infectious.

I have been listening almost weekly for a couple years now. We have been following both the progress of Trevor who hadn’t run a marathon before he started hosting the podcast a few years ago, and Angie who started her quest to run 50 marathons in 50 states. Angie is full of tips. She is a running coach and has tons of resources available if you join their network on their webpage.

The Facebook community has over 10,000 likes. That’s an incredible community of listeners.

And we wouldn’t want to leave out their race reviews. There are extensive reviews of the different races they run and tips for people thinking of doing that race next year.

http://marathontrainingacademy.com/

Facebook community here

Marathon training academy – give it a listen.

Here’s the latest episode.

Other podcasts I listen to here

Podcast Spotlight – Talk Ultra

Aspiring to do an ultra? Or interested in what the fastest in the ultra world are up to? Maybe this podcast is for you.

Talk Ultra is a professionally edited podcast with world class ultra athletes doing long interviews. Ian Corless, the British host, digs deep into the running lives of these crazy runners. He also goes to a lot events and reports with his amazing photos on his website.

There is a host of advice for runners about running, about races around the world, and about how to do it better. This is not a scientific analysis of running, it is often a detailed recap of races from racers who are near the front of the pack.

And of course a podcast about ultras just can’t be short. This one often is 2.5 to 3 hours long with many interviews taking up at least half an hour. I guess it is meant to be listened to on your very long runs.

“Talking your legs off”

I listened to this podcast many times before my first ultra and now that I have done a few I am still gaining wisdom from the pros who contribute to this program.

Talk Ultra – Give it a listen and see what you think.

Latest episode is at: http://traffic.libsyn.com/talkultra/Episode_94_GlenCoe_UTMB.mp3

Podcast Spotlight – Marathon Talk

Tom and Martin host a UK based fast paced weekly podcast called Marathon Talk where they interview top runners, interesting runners, and normal runners. They talk us through who is who in the world of running, hot issues, records being broken, and amazing events.

They are two very normal runners who took to sharing their opinions and informing the world of runners about running, especially marathon running.

They are very inspiring, encouraging and they don’t leave any one behind. Middle of the packers and back of the packers should find this just as engaging and encouraging as those who are at the top end.

They have a huge following in the UK but they do follow the US and East African running scene quite closely too.

Give it a listen. It is 1.5 hours long, coming out each Wednesday. If you haven’t done a marathon before you start listening, you probably will put it on your list soon after, no matter how scared you might be to give it a shot.

I have listened to it for several years making sure it is ready to go when I have my long runs scheduled.

http://www.MarathonTalk.com

Listen to the latest episode here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/marathontalk/MT296.mp3