Nike+ without the Nike part?

On December 21, 2008 By Emerging Runner1 Comment

I saw this interesting post on MIT’s Gizmodo technology blog. The Gizmodo article states that:

“Apple wants to take Nike+ to a different new level to perform precise, real-time tracking of runners’ performance and offer location-based information and advertising. Their latest patent not only details how they will get rid of the current RFID sensor and add a series of force sensors instead—as well as GPS support—but also how they are contemplating other “authorized” shoes. Does this mean they are abandoning their relationship with Nike?”

Interesting idea to put the entire sensing system into the shoe itself. With all that plus GPS I imagine it would be a very expensive pair of shoes. Given that most established runners replace their shoes after about 350 miles I’d hope that the electronics can be detached and moved to another shoe. The article also says that the GPS will be able to serve location based advertisments to the runner through an iPod so maybe consumers can get a break on the price if they agree to accept ads.

A pretty good (but freezing) run

On December 13, 2008 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

This morning was pretty cold but I decided that I would brave the weather and run outside. Instead of my usual weekend neighborhood run I decided to go to the track. I tried to anticipate how cold it would be and wore three long sleeve running jerseys under a lightweight running jacket and lined running pants. I also brought my fleece hat and gloves.

As I drove toward the school I had to move into the center of the road to avoid hitting two runners who decided to run side by side up a very busy street in the same direction as the traffic. I couldn’t believe those guys and I hope they didn’t get hit.

When I got to the track I saw a couple of people running. They were bundled up much more than me, both were wearing hoods and hats that covered most of their faces. The other runners seemed miserable and I figured that they overdressed and were paying for it or they were just pushing too hard. I began my run feeling really good. The sun had come up and it didn’t feel cold at all. As I came around the second curve the wind hit me straight on. It was painfully cold and difficult to maintain speed. I realized then why those other runners dressed that way. Note to self: Buy a running balaclava.

I toughed it out and ran 13 laps, the equivalent of 3.25 miles. My Nike+ Sportband was off by quite a bit (32%) and reported that I ran 4.84 miles (see above) which calculated to a pace of 6:58/mile. Not quite. With the wind I was pleased with my true pace, calculated by MapMyRun at 10:24. I felt I could have pushed it another mile but the wind was picking up and I really didn’t like how my face was feeling. I may return with my son later, hopefully it will warm up by early afternoon. In the meantime I will try to recalibrate the Sportband. It’s been very accurate against the treadmill speed and distance but on an actual track, not so much. Maybe I do need a GPS watch.

Improving my 5K pace

On December 9, 2008 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Instead of merely getting through my morning run today I concentrated on maintaining a faster pace. As I gear up for my first 5K (144 days from now) my focus has been on increasing my distance and duration rather than speed. I think we all have a natural pace where we run without thinking about running. I’m guessing this is why most people run, to reach a state where exercise and enjoyment come together. This morning was not one of those times. I started out at a 9:55/min pace as a warm up and brought up my speed to the point where I finished with an average pace of about 9:15. I have run faster than that – in fact I once did a mile in about 7:50 but I haven’t come close to that time again. This leads me to think that I never really attained that pace in the first place, perhaps my Nike+ Sportband was not properly calibrated. By the way, it appears as though Nike is no longer listing the Sportsband on their online store. I hope they decide to fix the problems with this unit rather than give up on it. There’s nothing else out there that provides the same utility for anything close to its $59 price. The alternative is to use the Nike+ sensor with an iPod but since many (including myself) don’t own an iPod or like to listen to music while running it’s an unsatisfactory solution. Besides that, an iPod costs a lot more than the Sportband.

Nike+ site is down

On December 6, 2008 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

One of my favorite activities on a Saturday is uploading my week’s runs to the Nike+ website. I had a great workout session today, over an hour, and I was disappointed to find that the Nike+ site was down. Their web page says “We are performing system upgrades to make Nike+ even better. Please check back in a few hours.” Oh well, at least I can enter my week’s cross training sessions at MapMyRun.

UPDATE: The site is back up at 1:24PM

Nike+ Sportband recall

On December 3, 2008 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I am currently on my third Nike+ Sportband. My first two became unusable after the display failed. My current Sportband is beginning to corrode the same way. Yesterday I saw an article online that said Nike was doing a voluntary recall of the Sportbands due to display failure. It’s really too bad that they introduced a product with such a bad flaw. I rely on the Sportband because it tracks distance whether I run indoors or out. I may end up getting a Garmin Forerunner 405 or Polar RS800 watch with GPS if my Sportband fails again. These are good watches but they are much more expensive than the Nike+ Sportband. Also, unless you invest in the footpod option (on the Garmin) you can only track outdoor runs.

Performance data

On November 20, 2008 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I upload my run data to the Nike+ website (top) which provides a personalized page that tracks my history. It keeps track of total number of runs, total distance and average pace. You can look at each run separately as well. You can also set and track goals, participate in discussions and challenge other Nike+ users. MapMyRun provides similar functionality but doesn’t require the use of the Nike+ system. You can import your data from the Nike site to MapMyRun (directly above) and see much more detail about the run than Nike provides.

Technology

On November 18, 2008 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I’ve been using the Nike+ Sportsband and sensor to automatically capture my run data. The sensor is a radio frequency identification (RFID) device that fits in your Nike shoe. The wireless sensor records information about the speed and impact of your footfall and sends it to the Sportsband that displays distance, pace and time as you run. The face of the unit can be detached and used as a USB device to upload the data to the Nike+ website and you can see your history of runs.