Running with My iPhone

I have always liked to run with music.  The beat helps me push myself and then I also can't hear myself panting.  (If you want to know more about how the beats can help you check out Melanie's post on Lifehacker.)  Before I had a smart phone I would run with an mp3 or iPod.  Once I finally upgraded to a smartphone I had a HTC Incredible.  I liked the Incredible, but couldn't play very much of my iTune library from the phone and my memory was very small.

But I loved the added apps I could use to track my runs.  My favorite app is Nike +, but I have tried Edomondo, RunKeeper and MapMyRun.  I like Nike + for a couple of reasons.  One, I found their GPS to be the most accurate when I would drive the same route.  Two, I love that you can set goals and see your total miles that day, month, year or lifetime.  Add on the fact that you can play your music through the app, set goals during your run for distance or time (I use this a lot when running with Big B since we are different speeds.  If we are going a 30 minute run I can set that goal and run until it tells me I'm halfway and then turn around and head back.)  Also, if you you like the social aspect you can post your run on Facebook and get cheers during your run.

So, I would run with my iPod and my phone.  But, soon I just didn't have enough hands, see the dilemma from my Nathan Intensity Race Vest review, and I stopped running with my phone.  I have a FitBit (more on that some other time), so I wasn't too upset about my runs being tracked, but running in Seattle doesn't always feel the safest and I wasn't a big fan of being out of touch from 911.  So when my Incredible started missing texts and calls I already had decided my next phone would be an iPhone.
My iPhone holds all my music, not to mention all the music apps available, plus I can use my Nike + and call 911 if necessary.

When I run with my iPhone I either use JayBird BlueBuds X Sport Bluetooth Headphones or Yurbuds Ironman Inspire Woman earphones (pictured).  I picked these two particular pairs because they are water, and sweat, resistant, but most importantly because I could connect with Siri while running.  That way if I needed to call 911 I could push a button and tell Siri to call without missing a step.
The JayBirds are wireless too, so I used them a bit more than the Yurbuds.  I would place my phone in the a pocket, race belt or pack and then I could just focus on running.  The Yurbuds allow ambient noise, which is especially important if you are running on a road instead of a path.