When I was younger I just ran.
Now that the collegiate days are in the rearview mirror and I've got a wife and kids, I just carry my phone if I want to listen to something. This sucks in the summer as I just carry it. In the winter when I have pockets not as big a deal.
But wanting to compete again and train more seriously I don't want to carry around a heavy phone anymore. Curious what most of you do.
I always run with my phone cause sometimes I get lost on trails or in case I get injured. Also as a woman I feel it's unsafe every now and then. Wear a flipbelt to hold it. It's very comfortable and listen with Powerbeats Pro earbuds.
If it weren't for the safety factor, I would just listen to music through my Garmin watch which can connect to Spotify. It's a Forerunner 245 and I got it on sale for $140 post-Thanksgiving.
I have a Garmin. I use the dated app they provide to load songs from an iTunes playlist. It's a tedious, slow process, but the only way I can easily get podcasts from private feeds (e.g., from Substack, Patreon, etc.) onto the device. I try to just load up a week or two of podcasts/ebooks at once.
A while ago I had an Apple Watch and that was by far the easiest to get media on the watch, but the watch was just not a good running watch. Poor GPS and bad controls.
So with these Garmin devices you have to hook up the watch to the computer? Or can it download the songs automatically via bluetooth or wifi? Hooking a watch up to something sounds like year 2000.
Nothing. I just run. I like to hear what's around me.
Yes Garmin needs to make it easier to put songs on those watches
Half tights with a pretty snug side phone pocket (II use Rabbit brand but there are a couple brands that do it well) and Shokz headphones so I can still hear the world around me.
I have always hated running with my phone and with music, but I'd been getting pretty bored on solo runs and needed some extra incentive to get out the door. This combo basically feels like I'm not "carrying" anything which is what I want.
Zante wrote:
Half tights with a pretty snug side phone pocket (II use Rabbit brand but there are a couple brands that do it well) and Shokz headphones so I can still hear the world around me.
I have always hated running with my phone and with music, but I'd been getting pretty bored on solo runs and needed some extra incentive to get out the door. This combo basically feels like I'm not "carrying" anything which is what I want.
By the way, my biggest knock on the watches with music capability barring Apple Watch (which is a great device but maybe not perfect for running yet) is that you lose a little bit of fine control that you're used to with phone. It's much more primitive, but I guess if you really don't want a phone involved you could try the 255 Music.
clueless_runner wrote:
So with these Garmin devices you have to hook up the watch to the computer? Or can it download the songs automatically via bluetooth or wifi? Hooking a watch up to something sounds like year 2000.
No need to hook up to a computer. Can't be that difficult if I managed to do it. A 245 with some Aftershokz and you're golden!
Woman here. I run with my phone in case I get injured and so that I have my music/podcasts easily accessible. I don’t mess with shorts pockets, but instead throw my phone in my sport bra pocket. I think rabbit makes the best ones. Back pocket in between the shoulder blades.
My Garmin (Fenix) syncs wirelessly to Spotify. Need to have Spotify premium though.
I wear a Garmin on my left wrist and an Apple Watch with lte on the right. I can listen to Spotify, or live stations like cnn or local stations using IHeart radio. A lot better and lighter than carrying a phone plus I can take phone calls and texts from the watch too. I could just wear the Apple Watch but I love my garmin and my garmin connect data from the past 15 years.
