Headphones: PLEASE HELP

For the love of Pete, will someone please tell me the best headphones to use for running?  I have tried every kind out there and I'm still seeking the perfect fit.  Let me break it down for you:

Pair 1: Califone kids tiger Headphones  These are my 5 year old's.  I have a very small head so they fit me perfectly.  But, I feel a little weird wearing them on the street and she doesn't like to share them.

Pair 2: JVC Gumy Headphones  I've had the most success with these.  They fit nicely into my ears and the gummyness helps hold them in.  BUT, if I get sweaty, they tend to fall out, often from only one ear, which is extremely frustrating.  They also tend to lose their sound quality over time.  That said, they are under $10 so I can justify buying a few pairs.

Pair 3: JVC Inner Ear Sports Clip Headphones  I really wanted these to work and they probably would for most people.  My ears are so small, though, that the ear hooks don't wrap around completely so the whole piece tends to flop to the side.  I didn't even try running with these despite the fact that I purchased them.  Anyone want them?

Pair 4: Sony Noise Canceling Headphones  These are a sure bet.  Awesome sound.  Great fit.  But, unless I'm Fergie (and I'm not) I'm going to look like a total idiot running with these.  Enough said.

Pair 5: Apple iPod Headphones (Standard issue)  These have great sound quality but don't stay in very well.  I have been known to tape them to one of my daughter's headbands for back-up but the whole tape in the hair thing is a disaster.

Pair 6:  Sony circ. 1985.  Yes, I still have them.  The felt comes off the ear piece easily BUT at least they stay on my head.  The bigger problem is that the sound quality is very poor and the volume doesn't get high enough.

So, I am at a total loss here and I'm desperate.  I have spent a small fortune trying to find the best pair.  My search continues but, please, if you have a pair you love, share them with the rest of us ASAP.  If the price is within reason, I'll buy us both a pair.  Well, let me think about that.  But, seriously, PLEASE HELP!

Listen to this: *
Asunder - Fang Island  

* One of the best album reviews I've seen in a long time by Carter Fritz on iTunes: This album was so good I spontaneously high-fived myself throughout it.

Little Picture, Big Picture

So often when we run and/or race the end result is not always what we hope for.  We tend to compare ourselves with others and often wish we could have done better.  It's tricky not too fall into this trap, but if you have a competitive bone in your body it's virtually impossible to avoid it.  Is this a bad, thing?  Maybe not.  Through several recent scenarios I've realized that it's all relative and it's important to keep this in mind.

Scenario 1:
As my teammate and I finished the Cigna 5K a few weeks ago we happened to see this guy that we both recognized, gathering his things to leave.  At the start of the race, he had been hanging out with a group of incredibly fast-looking runners.  As he was putting on his jeans, yes jeans, to go back to work, my teammate asked him how he did.  He shrugged and said "not so good," and he explained that he had struggled in the heat.  We asked if he minded sharing his time with us and he bashfully said it was a 14:53 but that he usually came in right at 14 minutes, so it just wasn't his day.  Translation: instead of his typical 4:30 pace, he had slowed to a 4:48 for this race.  He smiled and waved goodbye as we stood there with our jaws dropped in disbelief.  His time was insanely fast to us and his ability so far above ours that we couldn't quite fathom his disappointment.

Scenario 2:
The results posted on the wall at the end of my most recent 5K showed that I was the 3rd female overall.  I had also run a personal best and was thrilled with my time.  But, I didn't expect to place so I was as excited about that as I was my time.  The announcer began to give out awards and as I got ready to walk up for 3rd place, to my dismay and total embarrassment, he called out a different name.  My heart sank.  I asked the race director about it and he apologized and said there was a glitch in the registration process and some confusion with names.  I was so bummed.  My teammate told me that I should be more proud of my time than anything as I had achieved a long standing personal goal.  But, I still wanted that 3rd place feather in my cap, and I was disappointed.

Scenario 3:
As I was running this past week-end in Martha's Vineyard I passed an older man who looked to be in his  seventies.  He was run/walking and cruising along at a nice, steady pace.  As I circled back, we passed each other again.  This time he slowed and said, "I wish I could still do that."  I smiled and told him he looked great, though I'm sure that didn't help much.  He clearly saw a glance of his past as a runner and though his desire is there, he's no longer capable of carrying himself as he once did.

Regardless of our level as runners, all three of us experienced the same tinge of disappointment.  It simply hadn't gone the way we wanted it to, or the way it used to go.  And that's okay.  Because all three of us will most likely get out there and do it again.  Do we need to dwell on it?  No.  But, in the little picture, we can have that moment of despair and then hopefully move on.   We also need to realize, however, that it's all relative.  If we look at it in the bigger picture, what we did that day, to us might have been average at best, but to so many others it was monumental.  And, this, too, helps us continue to get out there and do what we love to do.  In my opinion, we need and should take both pictures.

Listen to this:
Forever - Youngblood Hawke   

It's Friday...

And this is how I feel today.  There are several ways you can interpret this picture and my emotions that go along with it.  Let me elaborate just a bit:

1. Yes! I made it through this week without losing it!
2. Ahhhhh...I'm so overwhelmed with my life at the moment; all I can do is laugh.
3. Hallelujah! School is starting in less than 2 weeks.
4. Ha Ha Ha.  So funny to think I might be able to squeeze a run in today.
5. Holy crap!  I'm so tired I could pass out right here.
6. YAY! My coffee is ready.
7. I freakin' LOVE this song.
8. It's going to be an AMAZING day.  I CAN'T WAIT.

Thanks to Grace for helping me express my feelings.  Happy Friday!

Listen to this:
Dancing Song - Little Comets   

It's All In The Look

As mentioned, this past Sunday my teammate and I ran a 5K in Cambridge, MA.  When the race was over and everyone was socializing I noticed a woman next to me wearing a very cool running tank.  I bee-lined it over to where she was standing and told her how much I loved her top.  We were  both sweaty and tired, but this didn't seem matter to either of us as we began to discussing our style, so to speak.  She told me that she seeks out fun and funky running clothes because, regardless of what place she comes in, her chic duds make her feel faster.  "Yes", I told her, "I totally get it."  When I buy my running shoes, I explained, the brighter the better.  I absolutely feel speedier in a pair of fluorescent blue kicks versus a pair of plain jane white sneakers.  Another case in point; my running teammate showed up at my house today with a little extra zip in her step.  Immediately, I noticed her swanky new running shoes.  I could tell she was fired up to hit the road and when I get a new pair of sneaks I feel exactly the same way.  Runners have little to work with when it comes to fashion.  We're not wearing much to begin with, so we have to make the most of what we've got.  Bottom line - if you look good you tend to feel good.  And if you feel faster, even better!

Listen to this:
Good - The Dodos