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The list 2018: GADGETS

Hi y'all,

I promised you a couple of lists for you to enjoy. You might wanna use them to inspire Santa to get you the gift you want for christmas or you could use this info to buy that runner on your list a good gift.  Today's list is about gadgets and more specifically the ones data related. Why? Because at one point or another each and every runner tends to wanna know their stats. Trust me on that one...we all do and those of you telling me that you don't are lying. Yep I just bluntly said that.

So what gives gadget wise?

On the wrist: XIAOMI MI 3 band
What is it? It is an activity tracker. To get your stats you have to download the Mi fit app and sync your band with the app. This entire proces will take about 5 whole minutes of your precious time and literally a zombie can do it. It is that easy! The band can be worn in the pool and under the shower however it doesn't feature GPS so if you want to map your runs or rides this band is not for you. Why do you want to have this band when it doesn't have GPS? It is by far the best value for money you will get for any activity tracker. It has almost all the features other bands have at only about 30 euro's while the other ones will set you back about 150 euro. So I don't know about you but euhm...I'd say it's a pretty darn good deal. What did I track so far?

- steps over the entire day
- a couple of runs
- laps in the pool
- heart rate
- sleep

You hardly feel the band around your wrist because it is very light. It's a bit bulkier than other trackers but about as sleek as the old fitbit flex I used. In it's essence it is a very smart watch. It tells you time so on regular workdays you don't have to wear that huge sportswatch and still get a lot of insight in how much you move or actually don't. Now I know that huge watch is a conversation starter and you get to show off  how awesome you are but honestly? They're all muggle-effin ugly. So this particular band caught my attention and I bought it.

What do I like about it?  I am in love with the sleep tracking function. It helps you to find out how many hours you were in deep sleep, awake and in light sleep. How well you are rested has a tremendous effect on performance in running and on your basic fit level. One of the things I love to do when I wake up is to measure my heart rate in rest. When I am really fit my rest bpm is very low (as it should be) and I learned that a good night's sleep works miracles on my heart rate and basic fit level. Another thing you can measure in excersize. It doesn't specify what particular one BUT it will track your movement and heart rate and how many calories you burned in that session even in the pool. So looking back on one of my session doing laps in the pool I found out that even though I felt like I was really pushing it...my heart rate didn't spike like it did when I tracked a run that felt way more comfortable.

The band, as any other tracker does, counts your steps. Now this is hardly a nifty spec but I like it because my job has me sedentary for hours on end (either facing a screen or traffic) and my ass grew a few sizes. Actually seeing that my daily stepcount is abominably low makes it easier to get up and out and change that. I don't wanna be, look and/or feel like a bag of beans dumped on a chair and the way the band and app show you which goals you acchieved is probably why I like it so much. And for just 30 euro's this band is an absolute must have.

I got my xiaomi Mi band at BOL.COM

On the head: JBL endurance sprint
This is an innie bluetooth head set that connects with your phone and allows you to play your favorite music on the run. Why is this particular headset so cool? Off the bat? It is CHEAP compared to similar headphones so that is the first perk. This head set sets you back about 50 euro's where similar ones will deplete your wallet rapidly with prices starting at about 80 euro's. SO yeah...a buck saved towards another race entry (running is NOT a cheap sport!!)

It is  a bluetooth head set so that means no wire running across your body to your phone thus less changes of wire breakage which I am totally fed up with. The innie on your right ear has a touch pad that is quite sensitive. You can pause, stop and skip songs by gently touching the rather big pad on your ear. It takes some getting used to but once you know how to work it, you'll be fine. Another thing I love about this gadget is the fact that the innies stay IN...they don't pop out when you start to leak liquid awesome aka sweat AND they don't hurt! AND...to top off this loooove-it-sooooo-much piece...the sound is just awesome. So..if you have a little extra to spent on that special runner ...at about 50 euro's you will get them something great!

I got my JBL endurance sprint at BOL.COM

FREE GIFTS: APPS
Only three apps remained over the years so even though these aren't made/created and or even outed in 2018, these apps are the ones that stuck over time thus proving their worth.

1. Runkeeper: download it, stick your phone in an arm sleeve and turn on. Or log your run over any sportswatch (I use TomTom because yes I wanna map my runs but no I don't wanna wear the muggle-effin ugly thing in daily life) and sync the results. Runkeeper has a premium option which I've used for about three years but I went back to the free version because the premium option to me wasn't good value for money but that is just me. Runkeeper allows you to track your runs, progress and even has options for you to either participate in challenges or create one to get your friends up and about. The organization hosts a virutal 5k at least once a year and that is an awesome event with participants from all over the world and the stats afterwards are so cool! Now the best thing?? This gift is free....all you have to do is point it out to that runner you're gift shopping for. Cool right?

2. Charity Miles: download it to your phone, turn the app on whenever you feel like adding extra value to your run/walk/daily groceries whatever it is you're doing and change the world for the better. How does it work? For each mile you log on the app one of the corporate sponsors donates 10 cents to your charity. Many charitable organizations can be found on the app so you can choose your organization and just do what you always do a AND help the world become a better place. It really is THAT easy and yes you really can change this world even if you're only logging 1 mile a day. Every mile matters. I love this app and I have gotten so used to logging miles that I always turn it on as soon as I set out for groceries, a walk to the train station, lunch breaks and all of my runs and bike rides. This app is free too!! All you have to do is point it out to that special runner....ooh and BTW....you can download it yourself too!

3. SPOTIFY: you can use the FREE app which has commercials to make up for the fact that you didn't pay or you can gift the runner in your midst a spotify gift card which you can pick up at your local supermarket. By doing so your runner get's the benefits of the premium account for a limited amount of time and after that they pay about 10 euro a month. Spotify is awesome but I'm sure y'all know what it is.....

That's it for now, until we read again
Keep it unreal and make it happen
as always, love Marlies


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