As if my runs weren’t difficult enough already with the heat, my iPod Nano went mad.
My regular runs during the week are anywhere from 3.5 to 6 miles. On Fridays, I do 6-10. Lately, it’s been toward the lower end of the spectrum due to the Louisiana summer weather, and often 110-degree heat. Omg, that just made me sound like the biggest wuss…lol! (On a side note, any experienced runners who can provide some hot weather conditioning advice other than “don’t run,” I’m all ears!)
Needless to say, extreme temperatures can make a run seem even longer and more arduous. (I run the whole thing, I don’t do any walking.) That’s in addition to already being slowed down and reaching exhaustion sooner in actuality– a 10 mile run in 75 degree, overcast weather seems much shorter and easier than a 4 mile run in the heat and sun. So, along with my nephew’s advice of staying “adequately hydrated,” music is key to getting me through to the end.
I may be in the South, but I do NOT “glisten.” I SWEAT.
I have mostly rock and metal on my iPod, this type of music is not only my favorite, but it tends to be “energetic” enough to keep me motivated. Well, metal and Lady Gaga, that is. One moment it’s Gaga, the next moment Cradle of Filth, lol!
I’ve been using the same iPod with the same headphones for five months now, with absolutely no problems. Everything worked flawlessly.
So, I was starting mile 4 on Friday, the woman’s voice on my iPod started announcing, “Armageddon It, Def Leppard… Armageddon It, Def Leppard…” W.T.F.?!?! Then it randomly just started skipping songs, and announcing, skipping, announcing, and so forth. This blew.
I slowed down to a very slow pace, went through the menus, and restored the iPod to the original settings. Nope. Still f*@ked up. When it was time for my Crystal Light break (I hate water), I decided to turn the iPod off and back on. No such luck. I turned the voice off, and made sure the shake to shuffle feature was off.
I proceeded back out to run, and decided to try another album and artist, so I selected Avenged Sevenfold. Once again, a female voice came on, “Sheppard of Fire, Avenged Sevenfold… Sheppard of Fire, Avenged Sevenfold… Sheppard of Fire, Aven…” Then it paused. On it’s own. I pressed the button to play, and it immediately just started skipping songs. Finally, it settled on one, and started announcing, “Requiem, Avenged Sevenfold… Requiem, Avenged Sevenfold,” with a long “e” instead of a short “e.” I was so mad, I wanted to take the damn iPod and stomp on it.
I turned around, went back to the house, and Googled the issue. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one experiencing this issue! People have said they restarted, reloaded software, etc., but it kept doing this crazy $hit. Jerry walked in the door as I was guzzling down some red hydration, and I told him what was going on. He started fooling around with it, and I headed back out, music-less, to complete my run.
With half a mile left, I looked, and there’s Jerry pulling up alongside me. He rolled down his window, and held out my iPod to me. I was like, “Did you really drive around and find me just to bring me my iPod?” He nodded that he did. I swear, my heart melted on the spot. That was SO sweet and thoughtful that he came and found me just so my run would be more pleasant! Be jealous!
Jerry told me he had gone to the settings and restored them. Uh-oh. I did that, too, and it didn’t work. When I told him, he said he listened to it for five minutes, with no problems. Okay, I decided to give it a shot, thinking positively. I put on my headphones, pressed “Play,” and started to run. “Sheppard of Fire, Avenged Sevenfold… Sheppard of Fire, Avenged Sevenfold… Sheppard of Fire, Avenged Sevenfold…”
I stopped right in my tracks, and just started shaking my head. Jerry obviously saw me, because he stopped the car, and held his hand out the window for me to hand him the iPod. I only had half a mile left, so at least I was almost done.
When I got home, there was Jerry, with a different pair of headphones, and the iPod was working fine. As it turns out, the person who mentioned a headphone problem was right. At least in my case. There was a short in them, and every time I moved to run, the cord would move or bump against me, causing the iPod to act seemingly possessed.
So, if you have an iPod Nano that’s acting like an evil demon has taken up residence inside, try switching out your headphones. Needless to say, my Monday run today was still swelteringly hot, but much more pleasant!
UPDATE: The iPod only worked twice with the new headphones. Wednesday, August 10, 2016, my iPod went insane again. It started doing the same exact thing with the new headphones. Apple, you suck. You suck major balls.
Thank you Jerry, for fixing my problem. And thank you for letting me usurp your yellow headphones when my blue ones got a short! 🙂
Do you have to have music when you run or exercise? Ever have any issues with an iPod Nano? Scroll down to comment below!
