Not just for the young, ear buds have become ubiquitous. Finally an ear bud comes along that stays put in even sweaty conditions and are easy to clean. H2O Audio recently released their Flex waterproof, sweatproof all sports buds. Flex headphones combine H2O Audio’s waterproof technology with colorful new design. One hundred percent waterproof up to 3 feet, neither sweat nor water will stop this sound making them ideal for running and working out.  Three different sizes of earplugs provide a comfortable and personalized fit that are comfortable and stays put and with a price of $29.99.  Plugged into an MP3 player while at the gym and running, they sounded great and felt great. View the line at h2oaudio.com

The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing by Dr. Phil Maffetone is a one stop shop for endurance athletes of all ages and abilities. Maffetone knows his stuff. Not only well credentialed he gets results. He was named coach of the year by Triathlete Magazine and honored by Inside Triathlon. He coached six-time Ironman World Champion Mark Allen. His methodology works and is proven. This should be a must read for all athletes When thumbing through the pages one gets the sense you are conversing with him. His holistic is welcomed. Not only does he include information on heart rate training but proper nutrition and supports eating organic. His healthy recipes are appetizing and yet very simple. Most run only up a few sentences and even the most food prep challenged could easily prepare the majority of his recipes. If you are looking to improve any areas of your performance and your health, you will find plenty of fodder and food for thought.  Find Maffetone’s holistic and authoritative 528 page volume for $22.95 at philmaffetone.com,  amazon.com and book retailers.

We have all been there. Moments, days, weeks months or even years, when we can’t seem to find our fitness mojo. In Return to Fitness: Getting in Shape After Injury, Illness, or Prolonged Inactivity Bill Katovsky takes us on a personal journey and teaches us how to find fitness again.
Katovsky, a two-time Hawaii Ironman finisher, bicycled solo across the U.S. and competed in a three-day mountain bike race across Costa Rica. A series of misfortunes, including depression, losing his dog, death in his family, and debilitating health problems, Katovsky went from being a multisport junkie to complete couch potato. He stopped working out for almost ten years. At fifty he decided it was long enough and fought his way back to fitness. An inspiring memoir, it is also a hands-on guide to help anyone reclaim health and well-being. Chapters include Lost Years, Physical Injury, Mental Injury. In the chapter on Motivation, How Hollywood Stays Fit was very enlightening.
Katovsky, founder of Tri-Athlete Magazine and coauthor of Bike For Life, supplements his personal story with those of others successfully returning to fitness. Whether or not you need motivation or fell from fitness grace; Return to Fitness is an entertaining and informative read.  Find the book for $16.95 at return-to-fitness.com, amazon.com and book retailers.

One can’t have enough ear buds. When it was time for a drive, publisher Sue Berliner tested the Plugz by iFrogz. The one-color, noise-canceling ear buds with built-in mic delivered clear sound while taking a call or listening to music or a book on her BlackBerry®. Her voice was clear to callers when using the built in mike. The ear buds and mike combination offered more versatility than blue tooth types of devices. No batteries to charge and one device suitable for tune time or telephone talk made Plugz a much better and simpler travel companion. Three tip sizes are included. Plugz retails for $19.99. See the complete line-up at ifrogz.com.