Aftershokz SportZ M2

The headphones come with a great case with storage for
cables etc.

I often have headphones on when I am cycling and always wear them when I am running. I aren't aware of any problems this has caused when cycling, but that might be because they are nearly always only used so I can hear and make phone calls and text messages.
Running is a different issue though, and I do like to have a strong beat with often quite loud music playing. This does mean that I cant hear and respond to my environment which can lead to safety issues.
I decided to pool together some gift money that I got this Christmas and but a pair of bone conducting headphones. These work by placing a transducer directly on the jawbone which transmits the vibrations to the ear without having to block the ear to other sound.
Aftershokz have made a bone conducting headphone for a while now and they have just launched two new models, a bluetooth one and also their Aftershokz Sportz M2.
I tried to have a look at the headphones in two branches of Evans Cycles, but neither had them in stock, in fact they did not know that Evans stocked them. This meant I had to order them online. I aren't a fan of Evans online service - they are often the cheapest and delivery is free but it always irks me that they charge extra for a fast delivery when in fact all they do is put it in the post later for the free service. I ordered the headphones last Monday, got an email saying they had been dispatched yesterday and they came today. Why couldn't they have just dispatched them sooner?
As I am waiting for a new phone, I wont be able t test them for a while, but they do sound good and I can hear what is happening around me when I wear them, which is what I wanted. My wife reports that they are quite loud and has asked me to turn them down a couple of times so obviously other people can hear you and they probably wouldn't be much good in an office environment! Once I've had chance to test them properly, I will report back!

Back to the grind

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After the school Summer holidays (in the UK, we aren't at school between mid July and September), I decided to get back into my morning running routine. I normally do a 10k run every morning and average about sixty minutes. As I have done a lot of long rides through Summer, I didn't think this would be too much of a challenge. How wrong could I be?
The run takes me down a short but steep hill and then up a longish steady ascent. The hills on this run used to be a real challenge but after the monsters that I ride up, they appeared easy and in fact I found them pretty low challenge. I went at a slowish pace but was very surprised to see my heart rate was consistently above 150b.p.m. and sometimes into the 160s. On a bike, this would be just about my maximum and I wouldn't be able to sustain it for more than a couple of minutes. The run wasn't much of a challenge but I was pleased when it was over after about 70 minutes. You can check out the profile and mileage splits by clicking on the Runkeeper logo.
The next day I ached a little but by the evening I was in agony!
My abs ache but the most pain is in my legs. Glutes and quads are very sore and the front of my calves hurt. The pain is intense, in fact I cant really walk properly and have to be careful because I don't seem to have enough control to prevent my legs giving way!
I will try another run on Friday, and if that goes well then I will try again on Monday.

I suppose the moral of this story is that you may consider yourself fit, but take it steady when you are trying a new activity!