Training Run 3. I Heart My Nike + and iPod!

Thursday, August 28, 2008
Location: The Streets of MLT (same route as last night)
Distance: 3.05 miles
Time: 32:21
Pace: 10:32 min/mile

I made an effort to try and beat my time from last night since I decided to run the same route. And I did it! But my back is a little sore. Sometimes I find myself slouching when I run. I need to remedy this soon.

I've been using my Nike + and iPod (http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/) to track my runs. It's quite a nifty little gadget. But a bit pricey once you add everything up.....There is an accelerometer sensor that goes under to insole of Nike + shoes. The sensor sends a signal to the receiver that you plug into your iPod (I think the Nike + only works with the nano right now). The sensor is able to detect each step that a runner takes, and from this information, the runner’s speed and the distance traveled can be calculated. See. Nifty.

Here's another super cool trick with the Nike +. You can create an account at the web address above and when you sync your iPod to your computer, it automatically sends your workout to Nike Plus. At Nike Plus you can compare your runs. Map routes, set goals, join groups, blog, etc...

So here's what I know:

As of March 29, 2008 I've logged 32 Runs.
I've ran a total of 84.31 miles with an average pace of 11:32 min/mile.
The furthest distance I've ran is 7.66 miles.
My fastest mile is 9:13 min.

Very nifty.

And there's different settings you can pick from when you run. Time, distance, calories, etc. I've been setting it for distance. So at intervals there's a voice (you have the choice of a woman's voice or a man's voice!) that tells you how far you've ran. It's really helpful for gaging your route. Yesterday, I gaged my 3 mile route (which I've never ran before) perfectly! I finished the 3 miles a block from my house!

The first time I ran all the way around Greenlake without stopping I was surprised by Lance Armstrong! After I stopped, a man's voice came on my iPod and I was soooooo confused. "Hi! This is Lance Armstrong and I would like to congratulate you on your best workout yet!" Pretty cool, huh? But I have not heard from Lance again.....

The Nike + iPod is supercool, but like I said, not cheap...The sensor kit is about $30.00. It's probably the shoes and iPod that's going to set you back. My Nike + runners were $120.00. And since I'm taking running somewhat seriously, I bought two pairs! Ugh. But it still beats running on a treadmill or around a track to just keep track of distance. If you like Nike shoes and have an iPod nano, I say definately get the Nike + !