Nike+

[cabezon]

I finally got to use my Nike+. I ordered the lace lids online. I got 3 for $14.

So, here's the rundown, get it, rundown.

iPod Nano $149-249 depending on size and newness.

nike+ $35, almost the cheapest part.

Lace lid $5

arm band $35, gotta have somewhere to carry the nano.

Nike+ shoes $120, if you are lucky enough to have a nike foot, like me (maybe)

Pluses:

you are going to carry an mp3, and this is integrated so you can hear the commands through your headphones.

The nano is small as all get out. I'm mostly pleased with the iPod itself, it's difficult at times to get the song you want, but it is a lot easier to work than my old rio, that was a POS.

you get a great online interface like what you see in the attachment. it's a great graph of your pace, and it shows the miles and times, and gives you records that you can hang in your virtual trophy case.

It seemed very accurate for pace and distance. Unfortunately I did not get it to start and stop on the mile markers, so I do not know how accurate it is at this point.

Minuses:

the armband covers the face of the nano completely, so there is no way to see what your pace is. This is the Nike+ armband I am writing about. I have seen others advertised, and I may have to splurge on a different one, as long as it will take on the bluetooth dongle that attaches to the Nano.

Because you can't see the face, you have to remove the nano from the case to change songs or do anything, I have had the case a couple weeks and it is already tearing up. I probably need a case where I can see the screen, and stuff the nano into my water belt, which is a minus as I don't always wear it.

Also, calibrating the nano was hit or miss, another reason I am not sure about the accuracy. I ran a measured mile, and hit the menu, thinking I was ending the calibration, when in fact I hadn't done it at all. So when I started it again, I made sure I was looking at the screen. Even though the voice said press the center button to start and the menu to end, after i pressed the center, there were choices and I had to press it again, same at the end. So when does it stop calibrating? when I first press a button, or when I finally press three?

I haven't quite figured out the starting and stopping of the exercise either, there is no menu choice that says start, so I just hit the center button, and
that seems to do it. I need to work with it more.

Worst problem, no heart rate measuring. If you have a HRM you are golden, but then you need to start two different clocks, and kind of sync them up in your logs. My polar rs200SD gives me pace, HR and is all in one. I wore them both, but because of the difficulties calibrating and starting, I was not able to back to back them. I do know the polar is accurate to within a few steps in a mile.

Summary:

If you dont have any equipment at all, you must be a newb runner, and this setup might appeal to you. It seems that the main point of Nike+ is to motivate you to run. It's got a great online interface and you can run races against runners all over the world.

If you are an experienced runner, but never had pacing before, and don't have access to measured runs, this might be fun if you already have the Nano.

However if you are an experienced runner, don't have a nano you might want to go with a polar. the rs200sd has some of it's own problems, so that has to be taken into consideration, possibly look at the 400 (the rs800sd is on my santa list)

[Sportsmedjosh]

Good write up. I would use mine more often but i can't find my ipod.

[E36Guy]

Interesting... I always wondered how this stuff worked. I have my iPod connected to me about 12-14hrs a day.. hah. So I suppose you could call me an iPod fanatic.

I had heard about the shoes and running stuff, but never actually got any real info on it. Very cool. Thanks.

[cabezon]

I calibrated the Nike+ and it it still optimistic by about 4 one hundredths. it gives me 3 tenths on 7.5 miles. So, I think the calibration doesn't end until you go through all the buttons, so I might start the process sooner. I bet nike puts it towards the positive anyway to make people feel fast.

It works, and now I've figured out how to start it and stop it. Lance has come over the air to congratulate me on my fastest mile, and some woman tells me I've run the longest I ever have.

I think there is a setting that will read off milestones, I do not have that set up. it would be nice to know sometimes.

So Josh, if you ever find your iPod, it's worth the $35 for the +, and I even have an extra pod holder.

[Sportsmedjosh]

Well I have the nike+ and the Nike+ ready shoes. I just can't find the ipod. I'm going to actually have to clean house now that cindy is gone and also going to detail the car again so it should show up.

I would challenge you to a contest but your a marathoner. Plus I'm a slow runner.

[cabezon]

I'm slow too. That's why I'm a marathoner. we could do a fastest mile. I PM'd Daegus, I havent heard from him in a while. Maybe a Nike+ online race?

Epoc Fitness world online championships! it would be so easy to set up a challenge on Nike+. You could even make it a marathon in a week.

I checked with a buddy of mine. He has a super duper T-shirt maker, but it only does cotton. I wanted to make a dri-fit shirt.

[Sportsmedjosh]

We can prob do something like that. Let me find my ipod first.