the sound of running | Friday Five

Disclaimer: I received a pair of AfterShokz Trekz Titanium to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

The pounding the pavement, concrete, trail, or treadmill under my feet. As runners, we all have a memory of these sounds and can hear them vividly…

The sound of cars whooshing by (sometimes closer than we are comfortable with).

The sound of other runners “on your left” or passing you in the opposite direction – a brief “good morning” acknowledged in passing.

The sounds of nature – locust buzzing, crickets chirping, birds singing cows mooing, roosters calling, animals scurrying away from the road (!!), trees rustling in the breeze.

The sound of pumping music to keep up your pace, intriguing audio books or podcasts to give you something to think about, or calming tunes to keep your HR low and steady.

These are a few of the sounds of running I experience every run…

With typical “ear bud” headphones, all but one of these sounds is blocked out – you may only WANT to hear your music/book/podcasts, but this is not a safe option when there is so much more going on around us!

I was introduced to Aftershokz headphones last year and I was given the opportunity to try them a couple times. I was recently selected to test and review a pair with BibRave as a BibRave Pro and once you go with Aftershokz, you won’t go back!

AfterShokz Trekz Titanium | Friday Five

1 science

The headphone design and technology for Aftershokz Trekz Titanium is different than anything I have seen before.

Rather than covering your ear canal with an ear bud or headphone type of device, Aftershokz OpenFit™ design uses bone conduction technology to transmit sound through your ear canal without blocking or plugging them.

I run in all environments – the road, the trail, and the treadmill at the gym – and I need to be able hear what is going on around me.

At the gym, I am able to quickly catch up with friends. Outside, there are cars passing me on the road, mountain bikers needing room on the trail, and other people on the sidewalk with a “good morning” in passing, The Aftershokz Trekz Titanium is the perfect headphone to use in all of these situations!

2 measuring made simple

Ordering the Aftershokz Trekz Titanium on their website is super simple, but you may not know what size to order. If you are unsure of what size you need, you can use the \sizing guide on their website! Simply :

print the sizing guide on 8.5″x11″ paper
measure the back of your head from ear to ear
check the measurement on whether you need the standard or mini size

Order.

Pay.

Run!

3 fit & sound

On first look, I was unsure how to wear the Aftershokz Trekz Titanium and how they would fit my head. The Titanium headband wraps around the back of your neck and is super lightweight and flexible! I let a runner friend, who was looking into purchasing the Trekz Titanium for herself, try my headphones for a bit and she was very pleasantly surprised how well they fit on her head and didn’t bounce around when she was running : )

I get the question, “If you can hear what is going on around you, how can you even hear your music?”

As mentioned before, the OpenFit™ (or open ear) design helps you hear what is going on around you – but there are several features of the headphones that help you hear your music with great quality (from Aftershokz website) :

PremiumPitch+™ guarantees a premium audio experience, including wide dynamic range and rich bass
LeakSlayer™ technology significantly reduces natural sound leakage
EQ presets boost bass and reduce vibration on the go
Dual noise canceling microphones exclude surrounding noise, effectively enhancing speech when making a phone call

I have found that I can keep my music or podcasts as high or low as I need to feel safe wherever I am running and I don’t have issues. The times that I need to adjust my headphone volume is when I am going from quiet neighborhood streets to areas with more traffic…

I am also able to use my Aftershokz Trekz Titanium at work without missing out on conversations, impromptu meetings, announcements, or being startled when someone taps me on the shoulder to ask me a question!

Tweet: the sounds of running with @Aftershokz Trekz Titanium via @livinglovingrunner #shokzsquad #bibchat https://ctt.ec/Ff2Bu+

4 waterproof

Have you ever tried running in fancy new headphones in a rainstorm? Of course not! You would be too worried about ruining them!

Not with Aftershokz! : )

The Trekz Titanium is IP55 certified to repel sweat, dust and moisture! You never know when you will be caught in a random rainstorm or gave a super sweaty workout. You can rest assure that your Aftershokz will keep working in wet weather conditions.

My sweatiest workout was when I ran the Psycho Psummer 50K a few weeks ago. The heat index got up to 117 degrees, I sweat buckets and buckets, and I constantly had a sopping wet ice bandanna around my neck. Through it all, my Trekz Titanium didn’t skip a beat!

5 long charge

I am not good about charging my technology things…so the fact that the Trekz Titanium battery lasts at least 6 hours is great!

While I used my headphones a good portion of the 9 hours I ran the Psycho Psummer 50K, I never got the “low battery” prompt. While this will not always happen, I was sure glad that the battery lasted the entirety of that event! I was event able to talk to my dad on the phone in the last mile without getting my phone out of my pack!

Tweet: the sounds of running with @Aftershokz Trekz Titanium via @livinglovingrunner #shokzsquad #bibchat https://ctt.ec/Ff2Bu+

+1 freebies

Like what you see and want to get your own?! You can use code “FREECASE” for a BONUS Portable Storage Case when you order from the Aftershokz website! Add both the Trekz Titanium and the case to your cart, enter the discount code, and the price of the case will be taken off!

The small portable storage case is great for you headphones and a couple small necessities. I usually keep a couple hair ties, Run Gum, and my mini Body Glide. I just toss the case in my gym bag and I know that my headphones are safe from being crunched!

Join the weekly #BibChat on Twitter on August 29th at 8pm CT to talk with sponsor Aftershokz and the BibRave friends and crew! Speaking of the BibRave crew, check out what other Pro’s are saying about these awesome headphones!

Tedrick Janelle   Meridith Justin   Matt
Danielle   Jodi   Connie   Samantha   Joshua   Jeph
James   Allison   Dyenna Sarah   Henry
Jenna   Kolbe