Winner and Going Bald?

The winner of the Interval 4G Waterproof Headphone System for iPod Shuffle is #130 Lisa! She wrote:

Please email me at shutuprun@gmail.com and I’ll tell you how to claim your prize!

Moving on…

Something is wrong around here. I am going bald. How do I know this? It’s not because my hair is seeming terribly thin or you can see my scalp. It is because my family is finding my hair…in their meals.

Gross. I know.

Last week my dad came for dinner. I made Tuscan Stew. I saw him eat a bite with a long hair hanging out of his mouth. I knew it was the cook’s. I knew it was mine.

Yesterday I peeled an orange for Emma (yeah, I know she can peel it herself. I’m so damn enabling sometimes). An orange is innocent enough, but I heard her panicky voice yell, “There is a hair in my orange segment.”

And if that wasn’t enough, last night I whipped together a breakfast burrito for Sam after baseball. He’s 13 so he stuffs his face with anything edible and consumes about 13,000 calories in two seconds. As he wolfed it down, he did the “hair move” – you know the one – when you realize there is a hair in your mouth, you grab hold if it and pull it out while simultaneously gagging and making a face. I knew it was my hair because he kept pulling and pulling.

Mom you need to start wearing a hair net while you cook!

He still finished the burrito though.

Yes, it’s gross, but more than that it’s disturbing. I am only 44. A hair net is not a bad idea. I might ask the cafeteria ladies at school for one.

Here’s the thing. Maybe I’m just going through seasonal shedding, like a dog. Or hormonal changes.  Probably not a big deal.

I did hear something disturbing recently, however. About hair loss. The headline was, “Causes of Pubic Hair Loss.” Yes, balding down there with age. Dang, it sucks to get old. At least I’ll be clean shaven for the pool. No wonder those pussy posse ladies always look so trimmed. Good news is, you can buy a wig specifically for that area. It’s called a merkin. I’m not kidding. Look it up.

Do you shed? What hair care products to you use to keep your hairs healthy?

Speaking of, I’m off to the pool for 2,000 yards. Happy Friday.

SUAR

Photo Op

Some people will do anything to win a giveaway. And I LOVE it. Here are some pictures sent in by readers when I asked to give my your best swim pose as extra entries for this giveaway:

Run Dash, who hopes this doesn’t constitute animal cruelty, sent in this beauty. The only thing cruel about that picture is the damn float belt. Hate that thing. But, it paved my road to Boston so I’ll shut up.

This is Bernadette who shares her story of triumphing over obesity. Read it HERE.

Allegra sent this one because “Shut Up and Run told her to.” If you don’t know what she’s referring to, you have to watch this animated video I made because I am more proud of this than my grad school diploma. And you didn’t think I was smartt. I guess she farted. Something obviously smells.

And lastly I give you ultra runner girl who says she is doing the carpet breast stroke. I call it the carpet humping stroke, but that’s just me.

And since we’re sharing pictures, why stop now?

I love that Chris sent me this picture today because it made him think of me. He called it, “The Stuff of Runner’s Dreams”:

I can see why it made him think of me. Last year I had an emergency while running on a busy road and had to leave a gift in a tree. Yes, that is my fuel belt I left outside to avoid contamination. You can read the full story HERE.

I really wish my tree had looked more like Chris’ tree, but you can’t have it all.

Still time to enter the H2O Audio Giveaway. Click HERE.

Off for six miles. I may be in multi-sport training, but my heart still belongs to the the run. Always will.

SUAR

H20 Audio Giveaway–Waterproof Ipod Case & Headphones

Remember last week when I drooled over my new waterproof iPod case and headphones?

You’re in luck. Makers of this genius device, H20 Audio, have offered up one of these items for a giveaway. Winner will get the Interval 4G Waterproof Headphone System for iPod Shuffle (4th Gen), waterproof headphones and a set of 5 earplugs (sizes XS-XL) so you can obtain the right fit.

“The Interval is the only waterproof iPod case designed just for swimmers! If you’re an iTunes user, there’s no better way to bring your own personal soundtrack into the pool. The waterproof case for the iPod shuffle 4th generation has integrated Surge 2G headphones and easily attaches to almost any swim goggle. Finally swimmers can have the same advantage of training with music that dry land athletes have enjoyed for years. Train harder, swim longer and have more fun doing it with the Interval 4G.”

 

You too can now swim on your carpet all while listening to your favorite tunes.

Better yet, you can do laps in the pool and not slit your wrists. Perhaps your swim workout experience, while already uplifting and wonderful, could be enhanced by a bit of music or your favorite podcast.

Maybe you LOVE swimming and don’t need such devices that “water down” the spiritual experience you have in the water. Okay, fine, then don’t enter.

Let me remind you, this thing goes for $99, but could be yours for the price of free!! Also let me remind you that it does not come with the iPod Shuffle. You’ll have to do favors for Apple for that one. Needs to be a 4th generation to fit in the case correctly.

To enter the giveaway simply:

• Tell me why you want/need this thing + 1 entry
• Become a follower of this blog + 1 entry
• Go to the H20 Audio website and tell me what you like +1 entry
• Write about this giveaway on your blog, FB, Twitter, etc + 1 entry
• Visit H20 Audio on Facebook and “like” them. Let them know I sent ya! + 1 entry
• Email a picture of you doing your favorite swim move to shutuprun@gmail.com + 3 entries

Giveaway will end on Friday, May 6. A winner will be chosen at random.org.

Good luck!

SUAR

Fine print: H20 Audio provided the giveaway item in exchange for the giveaway on this blog.

H20 Audio Waterproof Headphone System & iPod Case Review

I have something to add to my list of confessions. Yes, I lick knives and sometimes jog with scissors. But, my biggest confession for today is that I don’t really like to swim. Which is humorous, because I am doing a Half Ironman in August and it requires a bit of swimming. Just 1.2 miles or so.

For all of the time I spend in the chlorinated and hairy waters of my local pool, one would think we are having a love affair. Not the case.

Sometimes swimming feels like a chore what with having to diligently shave certain areas that I would typically ignore. Then there is the whole locker room thing involving chit-chatting with the pussy posse while we’re all naked (weird). Don’t even get me started on the black raccoon rings the goggles leave around my eyes causing me to look more old-haggish than I usually do.

But, the real reason I don’t love swimming is the endless back and forth from one end of the pool to the other. I break it up with intervals and boards and pull things between my legs. But, I still find it a bit mundane at times.

H20 Audio took pity on me on sent me a gadget to help those hundreds of laps fly by just a bit more quickly. The item?

An Interval Waterproof Headphone System and Case for my 4th Generation iPod Shuffle.

“The Interval is the only waterproof iPod case designed just for swimmers! If you’re an iTunes user, there’s no better way to bring your own personal soundtrack into the pool. The waterproof case for the iPod shuffle 4th generation has integrated Surge 2G headphones and easily attaches to almost any swim goggle. Finally swimmers can have the same advantage of training with music that dry land athletes have enjoyed for years. Train harder, swim longer and have more fun doing it with the Interval 4G.”

Pretty slick, right?

This thing intimidated me a bit.   First, I was worried my iPod would be ruined. Second, the sheer thought of figuring out how to swim with this thing was kind of a mental block. I got over it.

Prior to using the device, you test it to make sure the seal is adequate and that no water gets into the chamber. After doing this, I was confident my iPod would be okay.

Yesterday, I went to try out this baby. I loaded my iPod into the case (all pictures taken at home after the fact):

I fastened to case onto my goggle strap like so (very easy to do; don’t mind my uneven goggle straps):

I put in the headphones:

I swam for about an hour (on the carpet of course. This is a great place to train):

The conclusion? This thing rocks. Seriously. It changed the whole swim experience for me. I just got into a zone and tuned out. The laps flew by. I loved it. I never noticed or thought about the case strapped to my head. It is very lightweight and stays in place. The controls were simple to work.

I did struggle with the headphones a bit. There is a learning curve involved here. You are supposed to put them in before getting your ears wet and secure a seal. If they are placed correctly, no water should get into the ear canal at all. I was sent multiple-sized earplugs so that they would fit properly in my ear.

Yesterday’s fit was not quite right, and although the phones stayed in my ears just fine, the sound quality could have been better. I am convinced this was user error and not the fault of device because other users have had good sound quality. Once I am able to find the correct fit, I will update the review.

All I know is it beats this one-eyed contraption I was using for water running:

Bottom Line: If you like working out to music and do a lot of swimming, this might be a good investment. It is available for all iPod versions and there are armbands as well. The cost for this one is $99 and comes with the case, headphones and five sizes of earplugs (iPod sold separately).

Off to “carpet swim” because who needs a pool,

SUAR

Fine Print: The Interval Waterproof Headphone System and Case was sent to me free of charge from H20 Audio in exchange for my unbiased review.