They look just like a normal headband, right? BUT they pipe music into my ears and stay in place better than lululemon headbands! I was THRILLED with my test run. No adjusting, great sound, and no sweat in my eyes! What more could a girl ask for?

Formed in 2007 by a family doctor and her husband, AcousticSheep products are designed with comfort, quality, and the environment in mind. Headquartered in Pennsylvania, thecompany is powered by 100% wind energy. RunPhones comes in summer and winter fabrics (awesome!) that are 88% recycled plastic while being soft, wicking, and washable (the speakers are removable). I love the company and I love the product!

Summer Version RunPhones $34.95 / Winter Version RunPhones $39.95

www.RunPhones.com

Additionally, I tweeted this pic from my run:

… Austin is beautiful, and RunPhones are awesome.

Yes.

That could be you on January 22, 2011 at 9am in downtown Austin. YOU could be running in a gorilla suit through the streets of Austin. Or rollerblading, even. In a gorilla suit. For only $99.95! Run, post-race partay, AND gorilla suit. The Austin Gorilla Run is coming soon!

Hot pink dye/rollerblades on your own.

Why? You love gorillas. Or ridiculous outfits. But you will (hopefully) be raising $250+ dollars for the gorillas, so you should probably at least like them a little bit. Especially if you’re going to be walking around in a synthetic version of their fur. More info.

My bro is organizing this race and it’s gonna be ridic–sign up in October before the price goes up!!

However, should YOU want to run, the 31st run will be Saturday, September 25 beginning at 8:30am in Snowmass Village, heading up Fanny Hill to continue along the Government Trail, finishing in Aspen. Finishers are cheered on at the finish line at Koch Park in Aspen.

Golden Leaf Half Marathon, aspenrecreation.com, 970.429.2093

On a related note, should you be reading from or traveling to NYC any time soon, The Fresh Air Fund is looking for runners and sponsors to join their Fresh Air Fund-Racers team for the NYC Marathon on November 7th. Over the past four years the NY Road Runners charity partner for the NYC Half-Marathon’s 325 Fund-Racers have raised close to $400,000 for The Fresh Air Fund!

More info? freshair.org/racers

Things I signed up for today: the Aspen Valley Half Marathon.

Things I haven’t trained for: the Aspen Valley Half Marathon.

Things I am nonetheless excited about? You got it. The race is almost all downhill, on easy gravel terrain, and it’s going to be a gorgeous, cool Saturday morning (at the ungodly hour of 7am, but I digress). I’ve been itching to run lately, so I figured why not? The most I’ve ever run before is 12 miles, and that was in crazy hilly Austin, so surely I can do 13, right?

This is the inaugural event for the Aspen Valley Marathon, a 13.1 mile half marathon from Woody Creek to Basalt following the beautiful paved Rio Grande Trail. The organizers intend to host a full marathon and half marathon on the same weekend in 2011 and it is hoped that the 2011 Aspen Valley Marathon will be a ‘Boston qualifying event’. Times should be super fast with the downhill!

Deets:

Saturday, July 10, 2010 @ 7:00am (ha!) / Jaffee Junior Park to Basalt Lions Park.

Fees: $50 until July 8th, 2010, $60 thereafter.

Course:

The course starts at the Jaffee Jnr. Park on the banks of the Roaring Fork river one mile South of Woody Creek just outside Aspen. The start of the course takes runners up an incline and out of Woody Creek Canyon for approximately the first half mile where the course meets the paved Rio Grande Trail and heads steadily down valley towards the town of Basalt. Please note that you should park at the Intercept Lot at Brush Creek & 82. We will bus all participants from intercept lot to start of event.

Um, is anyone else crazy enough in Aspen to join me in a random half marathon?!

[UPDATE] A gchat with my friend Lisa revealed that I’ve actually run 12 miles TWICE!
Lisa: your blog made me laugh….i wanted to post “do you remember what happened when you ran those 12 hilly austin miles??!!!”
but i know the situation was way different
me: hahaha
what happened?
I remember it being fine!
Lisa: you almost died!
me: (selective memory)
Lisa: you were on that cleanse
me: oh that was a different 12 miles!
I totally forgot about that!!

It was a terrible, awful, no-good cleanse where I couldn’t eat any carbs, not even veggie carbs, so I was grouchy as all get out, lethargic, and when I tried to run 12 miles, I had to stop and sit down by the side of Town Lake, then walk like three miles home. I tried to hitchhike home it was so bad. That won’t happen again!!

I like going barefoot as much as possible. Vibrams help make that sort of socially acceptable. More and more article are coming out about how awesome running barefoot is for your body. And here’s another great reason: Today is TOMS One Day Without Shoes, where everyone is encouraged to go without shoes to raise awareness of the TOMS campaign–they donate a pair of shoes to children without them for every purchase.

I feel like TOMS are butt ugly, so I don’t own them, but I support the mission. And I love being barefoot.

If, and this will probably end up being me despite my best intentions, not even marathoners can get you out of bed, you’re in luck: lululemon is ALSO hosting a special yoga class Sunday night, January 18th @ 6pm – with those crazy runners.

Reward yourself for your hard work yoga-ing, crossfitting, running, whatever it may be, by attending the Grand Opening Party for Corey Michael Salon, downtown this Saturday at 6 pm. Across from Eddie V’s, Corey Michael is convenient, and this part is even more convenient: enjoy cocktails, music, food, networking, and even a red carpet. I went to an event recently where Corey Michael was doing makeovers, and not one to say no to letting someone play with my hair, I let one of their stylists “have at it. Do whatever you like.” While it wasn’t my fave style, at least she totally went for it and didn’t make me boring! Plus, she complimented me on my haircolor, which, we all know, I get done at Pink Salon. So if you go to the party and end up liking the stylists, mention Austin Tidbits (where I got all this info) when you book an appointment and receive $25 off any service!

RSVP at coreymichealsalon@gmail.com.

Eat a Peach headlines the entertainment, with musicians from a bunch of different bands including Topaz, Mudphonic, Nakia’s Southern Cousins, the Van Wilks Band, and Kevin McKinney’s band coming together for a dead-on, fresh homage to “the principal architects of Southern Rock,” the Allman Brothers Band.

The Dick Beardsley Foundation is a community-based non-profit dedicated to providing grants to those who need help in seeking treatment for chemical dependency, as well as educating the public about chemical dependency. For more information, visit www.dickbeardsleyfoundation.org

Enter the SkirtChaser 5K. It is ridiculous.

The premise: women (all wearing skirts, part of your entry fee) start 3 minutes ahead of men, run a 5K, then enjoy a crazy afterparty complete with dating games, food, booze, fashion show, etc. I didn’t get to do it last year when it was at the Domain, but this year I’m so looking forward to it–it’s at Rogue on 5th & San Marcos.

Chase some skirts! Run away in a skirt! Whatever, it’s just gonna be awesome.

It takes a lot to get me out of bed before 8 am. Ever. But on a Saturday? Damn near impossible. But IF I’m going to run 7 or 10 miles, running it with a group might be the way to go. So I suggest Rogue’s Free Taco Run.

The scoop:

Coaches will lead runners on 7 or 10 mile runs starting at 7:30 am and 5 & 3 mile starting at 8:00 am

FREE post-run breakfast tacos supplied by
the good folks at Tacodeli.

All Austin runners welcome! Meet at Rogue, 500 San Marcos. (5th Street on the east side of 35, next to Progress Coffee)

The highlight: Sunday night’s Nike Human Race.

6:30pm, a million people across the world will be running a 10K. In Austin, our course is a tough one–lots of hills–but pretty, through downtown, campus, the capitol area. And the last mile or so is downhill! Hooray! Afterwards, Ben Harper plays. They’re still looking for volunteers, so head to the website if you’re interested in being part of a huge global event!

Also on Sunday: The most ridiculous country music lineup to hit Austin in years plays in Waterloo Park, yes, super-close to the Ben Harper show at the Capitol. Party in the Park is an absolutely jam-packed $32.50 ticket: Pat Green headlines, with Cory Morrow, Jack Ingram, Ryan James, Brandon Rhyder, and Rich O’Toole. The least famous of the six is a major up-and-comer in the Texas country scene. I’m telling you, it’s worth sitting outside the gates in your sweaty Nike gear to hear these guys!

There’s also Bat Fest on South First, and south of the river they’ll be staging for the Austin Tri Monday morning … Austin is so busy!

On Saturday, UT obviously has its home opener. Everyone I know will be tailgating, making it into the game is secondary. For non-fans, Bicycle Sport Shop hosts a Margarita Ride:

Meet at the Pfluger Bridge at 6:15pm and ride with us to Happy Hour at the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant.

Happy Hour: 6:45 til 8pm

Free appetizers

$2 Drafts – $5 Margaritas

First 50 riders at the bridge get a free drink ticket.

GO BY BIKE!

And then there’s Monday. Free Day of Yoga. You’ll probably need it if your weekend shapes up to be anything like mine … party Friday, volleyball and tailgating Saturday, volleyball and running Sunday … stretch me out! I haven’t heard of a yoga studio in Austin that ISN’T doing it, but there’s a schedule on the website if you want to make sure you can find your fave. I recommend checking out Bikram at Davenport or YogaGroove!