Big exhale! Thing 1 turned 10 this weekend. 

After a ridiculously cold/rainy week, Mother Nature smiled upon us.

The slip n slide arrived bright and early. The birthday girl tried hard to contain her excitement.

Thing 2 and maybe yours truly gave the slide a preliminary test.

Add water balloons, dance tunes and a gaggle of Thing 1′s besties…

…and we had a party!

The cake was eerily similar to the one I made for the party last week (but the crowd was different so who cares right?). I’m showing it to you not because I think it’s fabulous (actually I do think that) but because there was a cake snob in our midst (not one of Thing 1′s friends, I adore them all) that assumed I got the cake at Whole Foods. The look on cake snob’s face when I told her I made it was priceless. Ha!

Have you experienced people like that? Those who are clearly displeased when someone else does something well? This character flaw fascinates me. What’s the psychology behind it? 

Anyway on to the RUNFESSION:

Forgive me Father Pete Pfitzinger, for I have sinned.

This is my first runfession.

I’ve been following your plan religiously for 4 weeks now.

But last week I broke down and added in some unsanctioned speedwork. There I said it.

I know you have strides in the plan but they come after an 8-mile run for cripe sakes. As you know I am old and tired, especially after 8 miles. So I did the strides after the following day’s recovery run (are there any bonus points for recovery miles??).

But by Friday, in a time of extreme weakness, I hopped on the mill. There were a bunch of 400′s, maybe even…ok there were 800′s as well. 

I know this is the endurance-building phase but I’m finding it nearly impossible to resist at least a tiny morsel of speedwork. 

It’s who I am.

I’ll be awaiting my penance. Peace be with you…and me too.

The second one bit the dust in the torrential downpour at the March Madness Half…

…and the third, well it was lost to the wash cycle, what can I say?

Since then H2O Audio has come to my rescue:

The Amphibx Fit armband is sweatproof, waterproof and lightweight. Just pop in your iPod Shuffle, 6th generation Nano or other small MP3 unit, snap the door shut and it’s sealed securely UP TO 12 ft. UNDERWATER! The armband Velcro’s on and stays comfortably in place.

Here it is in action. Thanks to copious amounts of crapola rainy weather, 

I’ve had ample time to wear test this unit.

But wait there’s more!

H2o Audio also sent me their FLEX waterproof/sweatproof headphones. They include 3 pairs of  earplugs, (small, medium, large), a SealTight adapter, and have a depth rating of 3 ft. for 30 minutes.

They stayed comfortably in place with good sound quality throughout my 10 mile run, no matter how much rain/sweat was pouring down.

One lucky reader will win both the Amphibx Fit All-Sport Armband and FLEX Sport Headphones!

You must be an A-lister (follower) of The Studly Runner blog. Tell me in a comment.

+1: Visit the H20 Audio site, come back and tell me what MOST appeals to you.

+1: Follow H20 Audio on Twitter. Tell me in a comment you do.

+1: Like H20Audio on Facebook. Tell me in a comment you do.

+1: Follow Teamarcia on Twitter, tell me in a comment you do.

+1 each: Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, email, tweet about it (include @teamarcia), tell me in a comment what you did.

Deadline for entry is July 1. 

Winner will be selected randomly and announced soon after.