running with tunes

after years of sweaty earlobes and chafing, ann and dabney have finally come up with it... the runner's perfect musical gadgetry.

in the beginning it was a turquoise deck-of-card-sized rio mp3 player clipped onto dabney's shorts with a pair of regular foam-covered earphones. not only could the world hear her music as she ran by, the rio ate through batteries like tom cruise on vitamins.

then dawned the age of the ipod... the ability to run with their entire music collection - surely the answer to ann's prayers. but with the ever-popular gadget strapped around her waist in a special belt and a pair of sony headphones, ann found the belt's chafing unbearable and the occasional "spinning down" from the constant jostling of the ipod's hard drive too annoying. add to that, the headphones fell apart at the seams. it was back to the drawing board...

the arrival of the ipod shuffle was life-altering. as soon as it came on the market, ann and dabney hopped on-line faster than you could say "free katie." and for the most part, it did not disappoint.



as small as a pack of gum, and about as light, it is an exerciser's dream. there was just one hitch in the plan; with only a lanyard attachment, it bobbed around wildly while they ran. ann and dabney experimented with tucking them in their sportsbras and shorts, next to their sweaty bodies, which caused ann's shuffle to short out (thankfully apple swapped hers out asap for a new one). so warning, don't get 'em wet. otherwise, shuffles are splendidly simple. who cares about seeing the title of what you're listening to while jogging about the neighborhood or on the "dreadmill?" it's one-button technology that even ann's mom gets (note: she doesn't even touch tv remotes).

enter the imojo shuffle sweats. last month, as reported earlier, ann and dabney attended the macworld expo. they were hoping to find some new accessories for their apple lifestyle and the event did not disappoint. freebies, freebies everywhere! lo and behold, this man shows up, arms outstretched, with schwag in hand:



swinging lanyard, begone! the imojo is a sweatband worn around the wrist with a small piece of elastic that holds a ipod shuffle and a useful rubber “cleat” for winding excess earphone wires. it’s light, secure, and best of all, machine-washable. the imojo is indeed a runner's best friend.





to solve the earphone dilemma, the etymotic research 6i earbuds did the trick.

these little guys go deep into the ear canal, which seems more akin to earplugs rather than earphones. they take a little getting used to, but they don't budge and sound great. they do block ALL sounds though - handy while vacuuming, ignoring fellow passengers, or even blocking out offers for free scientology personality tests. but, runners, beware: look before you cross!