I got a second-generation iPod Shuffle around November 2006. It has been great while running as I can simply clip it to my shorts and not have to worry about an armband, which is what I used to use with my previous MP3 player.

The problem I’m having seems to be the reliability. I had to replace the iPod in January 2007 since it refused to charge anymore. Apple was great about it and they overnighted a replacement.

Unfortunately, I had to replace that replacement just this week as it refuses to power on anymore. Again, Apple shipped a replacement overnight.

I love my iPod Shuffle, but at this rate, I don’t expect them to last more than a few months. While under warranty, Apple will keep replacing them, but once the original 1-yr warranty has expired, I may have to find a replacement.

My wife is wondering if it doesn’t like getting wet from sweat, but I would think a device designed to be used while exercising should be able to withstand a little sweat.

The shoes I’ve been using have 220 miles on them so I wanted to get a new pair so I can wear the new and old pairs for a few weeks of overlap. I’ve started getting some pains in the ball of my left foot so I figured that’s even more of a sign to go and get some new shoes.

The nearest running store to me is a New Balance store. I’ve never run in a NB shoe, but I decided to try them out.

The experience was actually quite pleasant. I went yesterady afternoon and they weren’t busy at all. Must be because it was mid-week. There was only one other customer and I didn’t feel bad monopolizing the time of one of the sales persons. The last time I went to a speciality running store, it was on a weekend and while the sales person there din’t rush me, I felt rushed as there were a lot of other customers milling around with no one to attend to them.

I took my current shoes and my previous shoes which had 240 miles on the them. The sales person examined the treadwear and eventually decided I needed a neutral cushoining shoe. The same diagnosis from the other running store.

I tried several pairs on, including one that didn’t look like a running shoe so I passed on it. I eventually bought a pair of 1061 shoes for $118 including taxes. These are the most expensive shoes I’ve bought so far. The shoes I’m running in were half the price at $60. I would have bought another pair of those, but it was a discontinued model when I bought them and I can’t find a size 12 anywhere online. The NB shoes I got are a 2007 model so if they work out, I should be able to find replacements quite easily.

The real test will be the next week or so. I’m hoping to do a 7-mile run today so I’ll try them out. I’ll use my older shoes for my long run on Sunday and then probably alternate the new and old shoes for a couple weeks.

I have a Tanita bodt-fat scale that I’ve used periodically, but I’ve never quite truested the values I’ve been reading. I decided to get a set of calipers so I can do the pinch method to measure body fat percentage. I bought the Accu-Measure 3000 caliper which seems to the best option for people that inetned to measure themselves.

I got the calipers yesterday and I did some measurements this morning. I used the instructions that came with the calipers which involve just ONE skin fold measurement. I also used the following website which has various other formulas based on various numbers of measurements:

http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

I only did the Jackson/Pollock 3 and 4 caliper methods. I also weighed on my scale. Here are the results I got:

The average is 19.3%

I’ve read that the scale and the caliper methods are all based on statistical models so you never know how accurate they are for your particular body and they should really only be used for tracking trends. The only way to get a true body fat percentage is by water immersion.

The calipers themselves are made of plastic, but they seem sturdy enough. There is an indicator so you can tell when you’ve applied to the correct pressure.

I’ll try and track my body fat at least once a month, but I’ll probably just use all the above methods and take the average.

I managed to sell the Polar S625X so I ordered the Garmin Forerunner 305 today. I’m getting it from HeartrateMonitorsUsa.com. It comes with free 2-day shipping so I should have it in my hands next week Thursday. I wouldn’t need to be borrowing my wife’s Forerunner 205 anymore

I’ve already installed SportTracks in preparation.