RWR:MEET ANTHONY & THE MIGHTY

“Reimagining the music player for the streaming generation.”

~ Time Magazine

Last Sunday I ran my 18th marathon.  I'm still processing and not quite ready to share that story.  But, what I will tell you is that my iPod Nano cut out on me about 8 miles into the race because it was getting wet from the rain.  I took it out of my pocket and attempted to dry it off.  Then I decided to hold it from that point forward so I could try and keep it relatively dry.  Around mile 12, I dropped it and the on/off button broke.  No more music.  As I ran, I attempted a reset (holding down the play & on/off button at the same time).  I'm guessing I looked pretty odd as I held my iPod in both hands while rolling through the half marathon.  Thankfully, I got it going again, but the whole process put a serious ripple in my flow.  Today, I can no longer depress the on/off button.  I have no idea if it will work again but it's not looking good.  Which is why this post is both timely and fitting.  So, read on, my friends.  Because if you're a Nano or Shuffle user or you run with any type of music player, I'm a about to rock your world.

Recently, I learned that Apple would no longer be making the iPod Shuffle or Nano.  For years, the Nano has been my preferred music listening device, primarily because of its size but also, more recently, because of it's Bluetooth functionality.  So, as you'd imagine, I was slightly devastated to hear this news.  I'm not a fan or running with my phone.  For one, it's big and heavy.  And secondly, I like to disconnect from the world when I'm on the road, to feel unattached, if you will.  So, carrying a phone makes that tough.  Over the past couple months I've been doing some product testing over at Jaybird Sports.  After my latest round, I jokingly reached out to one of the development guys who works there and told him that I needed him to come up with a new Nano option that would work with my Freedoms.  To my surprise and delight, he got back to me right away with this.... Hi Rebecca, do you use Spotify? If you do you might wanna check out the Mighty.  Well, as it turns out, I do use Spotify.  EUREKA!!  This, I thought, could be the answer to all of my problems.  Or, at least, my running with music problems.  I immediately reached out to the folks over at Mighty and asked if I could give their little gizmo a go.  To my good fortune, they got back to me and let me know that I could, indeed, try it out, but also that they would be holding a killer running contest around the same time I'd be testing and that perhaps my readers might like to get in on the fun.  Yes and yes.

HOW IT WORKS
The Mighty comes with the player itself, a charging cable and a very simple set of instructions.  They really couldn't make it much easier if they tried.  First, you plug the Mighty in and let it charge for an hour.  After that, you'll need to download the Mighty app.  You'll also need to get Spotify Premium in order to download your playlists.  I already have this and if you don't, I highly recommend it as it's basically like having an entire music library at your fingertips for pennies.  For music lovers, it's a no brainer.  Once your Mighty is charged, you'll need to go through the set up process on your phone to both connect it to your network as well as download some of your favorite playlists.  After that, you're ready to rock.  As I mentioned, I run with Jaybird wireless headphones, which can also be synched up with the Mighty.  I took this little bad ass gizmo out for its first spin last week.  Like the Nano, it's light as a feather and fits easily into my pocket or clips on to my shorts.  I picked a playlist and took off.  I might have been smiling through my entire first mile, which I'm sure looked ridiculous.  I couldn't help it.  I was just so pumped to have found a new product to replace my Nano and the fact that it was so simple to set up and use kind of blew me away on the spot.  So, yeah, I'd highly recommend grabbing yourself this square of joy.  They come in orange, black or white (I went with orange), holds up to 1000 songs and has a 5 hour battery life.  The retail value is $85.99 but I'd pay a hell of a lot more for it.

RUNNERS WHO ROCK
Now that you know about the product, let's meet the chief gadget geek (his words) behind it all.  Very excited to introduce you to Anthony Mendelson, the Mighty founder and CEO.  He's a runner, a music lover and in my humble opinion, a game changer with this small but "mighty" device. Today, I can rest easy knowing that the Nano is no longer being made.  The Mighty has quickly moved in and taken it's place.  Once you've met and learned more about Anthony, read on for details about the insane giveaway that his company is hosting at the moment and click on the link to enter.  Okay, I think that about covers it all.  Let's meet Anthony, a RUNNER WHO ROCKS.

RWR:ANTHONY MENDELSON

Name: Anthony Mendelson
Where you're from: Napa, California
Where you reside now: Venice, California
Age: 33
Occupation: Gadget geek
Blog/website: www.bemighty.com

RUNNING & MUSIC:
What do you love most about running? 
The euphoric feeling when you really push yourself.  Running away from stress and being in nature.
What do you love most about music? 
It’s the most exciting and fun form of creative expression on earth.

Big Boi & André 3000 of OUTKAST

ANTHONY'S FAVORITES
Band (current, all time or both): Outkast
Album (current, all time or both): Aquemini
Race venue: Fog City 5K in San Francisco
Music venue: Fox Theatre in Oakland
Race distance: 5K
Show you've seen live? Wu-Tang in 1997
Ice cream flavor: Rocky Road






THIS OR THAT?
Sweet or salty? Sweet
Live or recorded? Recorded
Coffee or tea? Coffee...for sure
Summer or winter? Summer





MORE MUSIC INFO:
Which band or artist would you go see tonight if you could? Kid Cudi
Which band or artist (wait...but no longer alive or playing together) would you go see tonight if you could? Tupac
Which band or artist would you like to have dinner with tonight if you could? Bob Marley
Which band or artist would you like to be playing alongside you during your next race (or long run)? Outkast

The Legend, Bob Marley

LAST ONE:
Today, I feel like….(complete the sentence):
I need some DayQuil



Top 5 Songs for running, dancing or both?--> Running
Kanye West - Power
Mos Def - Ms. Fat Booty
Kendrick Lamar - Backseat Freestyle
Naughty By Nature - Hip Hop Hooray
Jay-Z - Public Service Announcement

Last 5 Songs you listened to today?
Travis Scott - Butterfly Effect
Roy Woods - Instinct
Neil Frances - Dumb Love
Theophilus London - Last Name London
Son Little - Your Love Will Blow Me Away




Listen to this:
Hip Hop Hooray - Naughty By Nature

** ENTER TO WIN A RUNNERS DREAM BUNDLE ** 

Mighty is currently hosting a killer running contest with a bunch of tried and true (and, in my case, well-loved) running companies.  The bundle includes a fresh pair of Saucony Liberty ISO shoes, CLIF Bar goodies, Jaybird Wireless X3 Headphones, a Mighty Spotify music player, stylish Goodr running glasses and a registration for a future Rock 'N Roll Marathon.  Total value is $700!  Click here to enter.*
*Note: this contest is not affiliated with RWM

**NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

View complete Official Rules which govern this Giveaway.