Archives for June 2014

Go Wireless! A YurBuds Review

OperationMove · June 30, 2014 · Leave a Comment

We love being able to offer our Operation Move team the chance to participate in product experiences and reviews. Today, Christina shares her thoughts on the new YurBuds Wireless earbuds.

As a runner, I listen to music or audio books to keep me moving. Thanks to Operation Move, I have had the chance to try out Yurbuds’ Limited Edition Inspire Wireless ear buds.

In the box:

Earbuds
Charging cable
Spare set of silicone enhancers
Case

First impressions

When I removed the headphones from the box, my first thought was that they would not fit in my ears. These are the largest earbuds I have ever seen, dwarfing my standard issue iPhone earbuds.

The earbuds connect wirelessly to any blue-tooth enabled device with just one click. It took less than 30 seconds to pair the earbuds with my iPhone 5s. It took far longer to jam them in my ears, but more about that in a minute. My iPhone also displayed a battery monitor – a handy feature to make sure they last the distance – up to six hours. This does not work currently with Android devices. The earbuds give auditory feedback for power status, maximum volume, and critically low charge. The controls are on the right earbud, and it is easy to adjust volume, change tracks or answer a phone call. The earbuds are connected by a cloth-covered adjustable cable that can be worn at the front or back of the head.

These earbuds are not for the audiophile, offering adequate mid range sound, but no booming bass or crisp treble. Inserting the earbuds properly significantly improves sound clarity – the narrow end of the washable silicone covering needs to point into the ear canal. This is not intuitive, and I actually had to consult the manual to work out how to position them so they would not fall out. The ‘twist and lock’ action felt more like jam and wrench.

Performance on the road

Yurbuds claim that the wireless Inspire earbuds never fall out or hurt. Once I wrestled the earbuds into place they were surprisingly comfortable, and I mostly forgot about them on both short and long test runs. The wireless signal did not drop out, even though I carried the phone in my Spibelt rather than the recommended position on the right arm. The controls were easy to use on the move. The earbuds are not especially loud, but that suits me. I like to be aware of my environment, and these earbuds allow ample ambient noise awareness. Perhaps too much – I was much more aware of wind noise than I usually am with my regular earbuds. Sound quality was acceptable when fitted properly, although the range was not as dynamic as I would like.

On my long run I had trouble balancing the sound. This was due to incorrect fit, and annoyingly, I had to stop running to reposition them. They did not fall out when fitted properly. I loved not having wires dangling in front of me, and the controls were easy to access. I tried a phone call, and while I could hear my friend clearly, my friend had trouble hearing me. I would not use these earbuds for making phone calls outdoors.

Verdict – measure your ear cavity and check these headphones out in the wild before shelling out $199. If they fit and you are not overly fussy about sound quality, they are a good option for wire free moving.

9 Ways To Keep Long Runs Interesting

OperationMove · June 23, 2014 · 1 Comment

Young sporty girl running on a rural road at sunset in summer field. Lifestyle sports background

When you start spending more time on your feet, how do you keep it interesting?

1) Break It Up.

It can help to think of it in 3km sections or 5km sections rather than as one long interminable stretch of never-ending running. Sometimes thinking about a distance that you know really well can help to make it less intimidating. Where I used to run before I moved along the lake was 5kms so that’s still a really familiar distance that I will tend to think in on long runs.

2) Change up your playlist (if you listen to music)

It can be easy to get bored if you are listening to the same songs all the time. You could mix it up with a new playlist or download an audiobook to listen to. If you don’t normally listen to music you might want to bring some just for those bits towards the end where you need a bit of extra motivation.

3) Take a different route

As much as I’m a creature of habit, changing your running route can keep you interested on long runs. If you are running somewhere new, there is always something different to look at and the distance will fly on by. I use MapMyRun to look at new routes I could try and it also has a handy elevation chart for routes that you create so you don’t go out for an easy run and end up with steep climb after steep climb. Or you could, if you want to.

4) Take some photos

This is what I like about long runs is that you have a relaxed pace so you can take a break and take some photos or possibly check in on a certain Facebook group if you were so inclined.

5) Pay attention to your technique

Another way to pass the time is to work on aspects of your technique. You might be working on getting your cadence up and turning your feet over more quickly, or making sure that your arms are swinging front to back instead of side to side or that you are leaning forward from the ankles. Whatever it might be, have an experiment. You might find a more efficient style that makes the whole thing easier.

6) Daydream or plan. Your choice

I spend a lot of time daydreaming when I’m out on a run and I also spend a lot of time planning. When else do I get two hours of uninterrupted time to hear myself think. I’ve written articles in my head on runs, I’ve strategised business ideas and just plain old let my mind wander. I have the best ideas on runs because I can just let my mind go.

7) Think about how epic your Facebook update is going to be when you finish

At some point when it’s rough, just think about Strava or Facebook or your potential bragging rights. Works every time.

8) Take walking breaks

Having walking breaks every now and then can be great for your running and great for managing the distance. From a physical point of view, walking uses different muscles to running so having a walking break gives your body a rest and helps to make sure that you don’t fatigue. From a mental point of view, knowing that you only have a certain amount of kilometres to go before having a walking break can help to keep you focused.

9) Find a running partner

Having company on your run is a quick-fire way to cure any boredom you might have and will get you through any bits of the run that you might struggle with but it also has the benefit of making sure you keep your long runs at a conversational pace. Even if you have someone who you could run with but they don’t want to do the full distance you are or vice-versa you can always plan to meet up for part of your run.

And if all else fails . . .

Sometimes if I can’t do a long run either due to illness or tiredness or timing I’ll often sandwich runs and do two medium length runs two days in a row to simulate a long run and it’s a pretty great second option.

Do you ever feel guilty?

OperationMove · June 13, 2014 · 1 Comment

Motherhood has been an exercise in guilt

– Felicity Huffman

This is a question I see a lot about time invested in exercise or running. It’s probably more common among mothers, I think.

Running is . . .

Time away from your family

Time away from your husband

Time that is selfish

That’s the way the thought process happens, right?

So do you ever feel guilty?

And the answer is actually no, I don’t. I guess I recognise the impulse to feel guilty but I don’t go with that.

Just because I am the mother of two small children doesn’t mean that I have to spend every waking moment with them. Just because I have a family doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have time to myself. I think that’s an unreasonable expectation. I think it’s an often an expectation that comes from ourselves and not from others.

When it comes to our roles as Mothers, we can be pretty harsh critics, can’t we? And I see a lot of people argue that their time spent exercising is about their children and positive role modelling which is fantastic and true. But that time away, it really doesn’t need to be justified. Even if it had no benefit for your children whatsoever, that would be ok for you to go and do something that you liked to do. And even though it probably makes you a much happier, better parent, even if it didn’t – if it was something that you enjoyed that would be ok too.

Sure, I look at the positives of my away time. My girls relate exercise to strength and not weight loss which I think is fantastic. When I’m on my long run once a week or away for the weekend, they get more one-on-one time with their Dad and extended family which they love. Committing to the time in the morning makes me a much more happier person which filters into almost every aspect of our family life.

I think though that even if there were no discernible benefits for them, they would want to look after me like I look after them.

Guilt doesn’t live here anymore. Mostly. Sometimes I do have to remind myself that it’s ok to have things that are just for me.

Sydney Marathon. How Hard Could It Be?

OperationMove · June 11, 2014 · Leave a Comment

This week I started Marathon training. That sounds scary. Just as well I’ve already done a training run that distance for funsies. And if you aren’t pressed for time it’s quite a nice distance but in hindsight, 4.5 hours would have been much more fun than 5. So I guess that’s my goal. I probably run more often than a lot of other people I know who are doing marathon training, but that’s because the goal of my training is always to be able to run more. I’d be very happy running 7 days a week. So if I can get through marathon training and keep to my five running days per week I’ll be happy. That and my three days of Crossfit.

I like my schedule because I have Intervals/Speedwork on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Easy/Long runs on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Which means that there’s always an easy one on the horizon to look forward to. I’m all about the easy run. That can be easy to forget when you are bouncing from half marathon race to half marathon race. It had been a good month since my last proper long run until this week. It was only fifteen kilometres but it was enough to remind me of everything I adore about long runs.

When I was nervous about starting marathon training, my ace training partner reminded me that the beginning was the fun part. In ten weeks? Not so much!

7 ways to sneak your exercise into a busy schedule

OperationMove · June 9, 2014 · Leave a Comment

There are so many things that get in the way of us moving and exercising the way we want to. Whether it be small children or work or competing commitments, it can be really tough! There are ways when a week isn’t going according to plan that you can sneak a bit in though and feel a whole heap better.

1) Get up Early

Not always possible for everyone if you are sole parenting or your partner leaves super early. But for a lot of us, if we set the alarm for 5am it means we can get a decent amount of exercise time in before we have to get into gear for work or school drop off. It’s my favourite time of day. Getting that me time in the morning just gets my head in a great place for the rest of the day.

2) Parents and Kids Classes

They have these at my local Crossfit. It’s so fantastic. I would go and do a class with a bunch of other parents and they have play areas (and carers) for the kids. I used to take Piper with me and she really looked forward to it. She wasn’t at preschool yet so the chance to play with other kids and all of the cool gymnastics equipment there is was always met with huge amounts of enthusiasm.

3) Tag Team

If you have a friend that runs this works a treat. Kids get a play date, and you both get a run in.

4) HIIT apps

There are so many 7 minute exercise apps that you can use. And they blare at you at a set time so you don’t forget. They focus on quick, high intensity workouts and are pretty great, particularly if you can’t get to a gym.

5) Walk at lunch time

Maybe the problem isn’t so much kids but that you are at work behind a desk all day? If you get an hour for lunch, you can use half of that to get outside and go for a walk. If you are like me, you will welcome the chance to get outdoors and away from the stuffy office anyway!

6) Playground workout

How boring is the park? Not anymore, because there are plenty of ideas out there for a playground workout so your kids have fun and you get some moving in.

7) Trike Training

When I still had my smallest at home with me sometimes I’d want to get a running session in but she had a serious case of pram refusal. But we did have a trike which she liked which had a telescopic steering so it was easy to manoeuvre. It certainly added a level of intensity to hill repeats and she enjoyed it.