Do you LOVE your headphones? ...I do!

I love how these headphones are camouflaged! They're so small and lightweight and make me happier than a pair of headphones should! 😂

A run coaching client and I were recently talking about running cadence and the different ways to work to increase her cadence.  When I first started working on my cadence years ago I used a metronome app, ProMetronome.  I'm sure my neighbors hated me because I didn't have headphone so I used my phone on speaker during my runs with an echoing 180 ticks per minute throughout my neighborhood at 4am 😳

Eventually I transitioned to using Spotify for a playlist I created with all the songs at 180 beats per minute but I always struggled with finding headphones I liked.  Last year when doing a Ragnar trail race I was first introduced to the Aftershokz headphones.  Ragnars don't allow you to use traditional headphones during their 24-ish hour trail relay races because you need to hear other people (and animals!) on the trails, especially at night.  Bone conducting headphones are the only ones Ragnar allows.

I finally gave in and bought the Aeropex version and absolutely LOVE them! I bought them on Amazon and after a few months my first pair developed a problem connecting when I had bluetooth enabled on multiple devices at the same time, such as my Apple watch, my Mac and my phone.  The headphones wouldn't stay connected to one device.  When I contacted Amazon about the problem, they said Aftershokz had authorized them to immediately send a replacement if anyone had that issue.  They didn't even ask for the old pair to be returned and I had a new pair a couple of days later.  This customer service experience impressed me and made me love Aftershokz even more. 

If you haven't tried bone conducting headphones, it's definitely worth your time to check them out.  A client recently told me they're available at Sam's Club for a cheaper price but I haven't verified that.  When you first use them it feels a bit schizophrenic because it's as if the sound is INSIDE your head! 😂 You can still hear EVERYTHING around you AND you can hear your music!

I feel so much safer running in my neighborhood with my Aeropex headphones because I can hear cars, dogs, people AND I can hear if I'm doing something weird with my running form.  Being able to hear if my feet are landing louder than usual or if they don't sound symmetrical is really important to keep myself in check so I can maintain good form and so I can keep running for a very long time!

Here's the link to check out Aftershokz. 

(I know I sound like an Aftershokz commercial but I don't have an affiliation with them...although now that I think about it, I think I SHOULD! 😂)

It's the little things that improve safety and comfort that help to make me look forward to my runs...and I need all the help I can find to get me out the door sometimes!