For me, the best moments in running are those rare times when everything feels great, the pace is strong, and the soundtrack pulling me along is flawlessly jamming in my ears. Throughout my running career I’ve struggled to get all those elements to align. And typically the factor that screws everything up is an awkward headphone digging in my ear, a bud popping out causing me to fidget with it, or the sound cutting out because the product couldn’t handle actual sweat. I’m a skeptic when it comes to these products, especially the ones that say they’re made for working out. So, when KOSS introduced their Fit Series of headphones made for active women, I jumped at the chance to see if someone finally nailed the design.

KOSS recognized that women were being overlooked in the headphone demographic and teamed up with Olympic Swimmer Dara Torres to create a product that would actually work for active women. Together they created FitBuds and FitClips. The phones come in great colors and each model comes with three sizes of ear cushions to make sure the wearer gets the best fit for their ear. The product is created by KOSS, a high fidelity stereophone manufacturer, essentially giving you professional DJ quality in miniature form.
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The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival wrapped its first weekend and all the desert dwellers are packed up and drowsily headed back to real life until the bash kicks off again this weekend. The 12th reincarnation of the festival features a diverse group of artists The eclectic mix of performers include Red Hot Chili Peppers, 2 Chainz, and a reunited Postal Service.

Held in Indio, California, the festival spans six days over two consecutive weekends, each headlined by identical acts. Coachella has developed a psychedelic reputation, with a variety of substances being passed around in the desert sun. There were no serious health concerns during the first weekend, and the fans will be back in droves when the festival resumes this Friday.

For those who can’t make it to the festival, we’ve compiled a groovy sampler of some of our favorite Coachella bands. Download and plug into this playlist at the gym or on your run.
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Last night was another banner night for Hollywood as the best of the best strutted their stuff on the red carpet for the Grammy Awards. Wardrobes were discussed, performances were made, and lots of gossip was a buzz.

All those issues aside, a lot of great music was honored and many worthy artists walked away with a Grammy. It’s always a great look back at the year to recall what was playing every time you got in the car or for that matter went for a run. No matter where you listened, Grammy winners are great fodder for a one heck of a gym playlist.

This week run it out, feel the burn, or give it just a little bit more to the tunes of some of the best music of the past year.

Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye Featuring Kimbra.

This jam was all over the place this time last year. The artist walked away with record of the year, best pop duo/group performance and Gotye scored best alternative music album.

I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons

Who knew banjos could rock? These guys have won our hearts and took home the album of the year award last night for their newest album, Babel.
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As American Idol kicked off its twelfth season, the judges rolled into Chicago to hear auditions. One contestant in particular got attention for her voice, but perhaps more for the struggles she had gone through just to be standing there. Mariah Pulice admitted to America that she was in the early stages of recovery from anorexia.

Anorexia is an eating disorder that affects nearly 24 million men and women in the United States, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders Inc. (ANAD). Pulice falls into the most common gender and age group to struggle with the disorder – teenaged females.

Pulice admitted on last Thursday’s episode that her struggles with eating began in junior high school, saying, “I felt a lot bigger than the other girls.” These feeling progressed and Pulice said by high school she recalled only eating a single slice of American cheese each day. For reference, that’s only about 100 calories and maybe five grams of protein. The fact that Pulice was telling this story was impressive, considering how dangerously she was treating her body.
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In 1996 Oprah greeted her audience with a treasure trove of free gifts and prizes as she debuted the hottest giveaway daytime TV had ever seen. Oprah’s Favorite Things has grown to be the stuff of legends, and people would give arms and legs to have a seat and a chance to take home the media mogul’s top picks for holiday gifts. Oprah’s a giver, a giver of high-quality, high-end, premium gifts and it’s hardly anything you’d find on a clearance rack.

Since the end of her wildly popular daytime talk show, Oprah’s Favorite Things has faded in to TV history. But now through her OWN network, O Magazine, and a new partnership with Huffington Post, Oprah’s breaking the two-year hiatus with the announcement of 48 items on the 2012 Favorite Things list.

Some of it is quite posh and not likely to make it on to the holiday budget of most of her fans (like a nearly $2,000 Jetson-style battery-powered scooter), but some of it is completely in reason. Even better, a few items on her list are even good for you!

Top of the list is the Q37ci elliptical trainer. It’s a pricey addition to a home gym at $3,099, but it certainly pays for itself with dedicated use. She says her trainer Bob Greene turned her on to it and she loves the various options for total body workouts in one machine.
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