While the organisers of most races follow UK Athletics Rules and ban iPods and headphones, I for one find that every run goes better when I’ve got some unfashionable rock music helping me to pace myself.
From ‘Edge of 17′ by Stevie Nicks to ‘Burning For You’ by the Blue Oyster Cult, there’s simply no better way to take one’s mind off the pain in one’s dodgy old knees.
Yet, living on the windy west coast of England, I also spend far too much time trying to keep the standard Apple headphones in my ears, not to mention having to crank the volume pretty high in order to hear Thunder’s ‘Back Street Symphony’ over the noise of the crashing waves.
So I was more than thrilled when a number of headphones for runners rocked up at Jelly Baby Towers this week. I’ve now run in all of them, and can happily state that the Jabra Rhythms are the pick of the bunch.
While the rich bass and crisp treble will appeal to the audiophiles amongst you, I have to say that what really makes them great for runners is the perfect fit that keeps them snug in your ears even in gale force conditions, and which also ensures you can turn the volume down quite a long way and still hear the music: which I’m told is good news for your ear-drums too.
The lead also features a microphone and button for answering calls and skipping tracks on your iPhone, but which lacks a volume control. Sadly, this gets them half a point docked, but still leaves them well worth a 4.5 Jelly Baby Rating and also great value at just £19.99.
