Imagine the following scenario:

You’ve just finished a great run, and you listened to some good music along the way. You even paused your workout midway through so you could take a few photos of the beautiful trails, and also to speak to a friend on the phone because you were using Nike+ with your iPhone. As you hear “Workout complete” in your ear as you officially close the Nike+ workout, your iPhone sends your run data immediately to the Nike+ Web site. As you walk back to the car, you check Google Maps on your iPhone, and the Nike+ kit has tracked your exact running route and mileage.

Wishful thinking, but alas, this is not currently possible.

If you connect your Nike+ device to an iPhone at the moment, you get a very disappointing incompatibility error message. But the technology is already largely available (everything bar a true GPS system within the iPhone), and the iPhone is desperately waiting for the day Nike+ becomes a compatible device. It would make perfect sense for Apple to allow Nike+ to work on their device. After all, one of Apple’s selling points with the iPhone is that it is an all-encompassing media device — why carry around multiple gadgets when everything you need is in one unit?

Read the rest of this entry »

Congratulations to Derek for his terrific clean sweep in the most miles, 1 mile, 3k and 5k challenges in February, well done! The March challenges are now under way and from this month forward, we have a monthly challenge open to all our readers and visitors. We’d be glad to have you run with us!

Still undecided about that pair of Nike running shoes you’ve got your eye on? Need some new dri-fit, wicking running shirts? The online Nike Store is offering a generous 30% discount on any one item, including clearance items. Use code 30PCTCA1 when checking out and be quick before the offer expires. Unfortunately, the discount does not apply to the Nike+ kit, Amp+ or NikeiD products. First-time shoppers at the Nike Store get free shipping. If free shipping does not appear in your shopping cart when you checkout (like when I tried making purchase!), call 1-800-806-6453 (5 a.m. - 10 p.m. PST, 7 days a week) and have someone take care of this for you.

Meet your new best friend, the Garmin Forerunner 405. Scheduled for release in the US on April 21, 2008, on the same day the Boston Marathon takes place, the new Forerunner model will take personal training to a new dimension.

UPDATE: While the 405 was available for purchase at the Boston Marathon Expo, the general release date has been pushed back and has been difficult to nail down. The 405 could be released anytime between today and August of this year. You can pre-order your Forerunner 405 on Amazon now.—Ed.

UPDATE: The 405 is shipping! —Ed.

Building upon the success of the feature-rich but somewhat clunky-looking Forerunner 305 and Forerunner 205 predecessors, the GPS-enabled 405 has been redesigned as a stylish watch that can be worn all day long.

Unlike Nike+, which is based on an accelerometer sensor, the 405 uses GPS satellites to continuously track and record all your runs. So instead of having to attach anything to your shoe to help record or relay data, the Forerunner 405 records everything within the watch. Time, distance, calories, pace and even heart rate data (via a corresponding heart rate monitor accessory), are all collected by the 405.

Here’s the clincher: As soon as you’re done with your workout, and you get back home, your run data is sent wirelessly to your computer. While the Apple iPod Nano can only communicate your Nike+ data through iTunes via a USB connection, the Forerunner upload involves no wires whatsoever.

Read the rest of this entry »

My good friend and fellow Nike+ challenger Derek, who currently averages 80 miles per month, applied to run in this year’s Flora 2008 London Marathon. I was surprised to learn that Derek was turned down and would not be allowed to participate this year. “You keep winning the Nike+ challenges; you’re too good for us,” they said. I’m kidding about that quote of course, but I’m not joking about the decision.

It did not even cross my mind that runners had to apply to enter. I’m so used to running in fairly small local events that I thought runners just paid their money to register, and then show up on the day of the race. Not so for the London Marathon! I was quite shocked by this realization.

I have fond memories of watching the London Marathon each year on TV, as it is always shown live each April by the BBC on a Sunday morning. It’s a national, televised event that raises a lot of money for charity, most notably by a large number of runners who wear wacky and colorful costumes, competing not only to complete 26.2 miles, but also to see who can get on TV. So if “Wacky Steve” from Liverpool, dressed as a giant, yellow banana can be allowed to run the London Marathon in eight hours, surely the race organizers should let Derek from Birmingham, with a likely 4 hour 30 minute finish time, take part. Think again.

Read the rest of this entry »

There has been a flurry of speculation this week (Engadget and Gizmodo both reporting the same story) regarding a possible new Nike+ device that works without the need for an iPod. Tentatively titled the “Nike+ SportsBand,” the device will negate the need for an iPod and will function instead by communication between the Nike+ chip (in or on the running shoe) and the SportsBand device. The new device, which appears to be a bracelet/watch, features a removable section that would connect to your computer after a run via a USB interface.

What the reports this week haven’t realized or reported is that this is actually an update or variation to the Nike Amp+ device that has already been released. Take a look at the prototype image below and compare against the existing Amp+ device, the interface console/button is exactly the same:

My personal view is that Nike most likely always envisioned the possibility of an Apple iPod-free device way before the Apple and Nike partnership. The obfuscation of Apple from the scenario obviously maximizes potential profit for Nike. What I hope will happen now however, is that Apple and Nike will continue to work together to build upon the success of Nike+ (in the Apple and Nike collaborative sense of the word) to develop a new Nike+ device that continues to be based around the Apple iPod Nano. My wishlist of features and improvements that I would like to see in the new Apple/Nike+ device will be listed in the near future in a separate post.

Remember the first time you purchased your Nike+ and opened it for the first time? Or maybe you have yet to purchase your first Nike+ and want to know what’s included inside the box? All the pictures you need are right here. Fresh new box scent not included.

Although I’ve been running regularly for the best part of 16 months now, I hit a point this month where it was really hard to get motivated and go running. A couple of factors influenced this state of mind, including a lack of sleep that consequently left me feeling too tired to run first thing in the morning (my preferred time to run), but also perhaps because I increased my mileage by 36% between December 2007 (69.69 miles) and January 2008 (95.47 miles) in an attempt to win a Nike+ challenge. As experts will attest to, the 36% increase in miles is too much of an increase within one month. The strange thing however, is that it wasn’t physical fatigue I felt this month, but more psychological fatigue. Why do I suddenly not want to go running? Why does the mere thought of running not interest me at the moment? Questions such as these have been running through my head and keeping me lying in bed first thing in the morning instead of embracing the dawn sunrise and getting out there to run.

Read the rest of this entry »

Danny Dreyer, author of Chi Running, a revolutionary book that focuses on running technique to not only heal and prevent injuries, but also to help you run faster, has started to syndicate some extremely useful tips on Amazon.com. Here’s a couple of tips that Danny has already offered:

Running Form
“The longer the distance you run, the more amount of time you’ll need to spend landing on your midfoot instead of your forefoot (as sprinters do). If you spend too much time up on your toes, the small muscles of your legs will become overworked and/or over trained and you could end up being a candidate for some form of overuse injury of the lower leg (shin splints, calf pulls, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and even metatarsal fractures).”
Danny Dreyer, Chi Running.

Another useful tip from Danny:

Whether to breathe through the nose or mouth
“As for breathing, it is best to work your way towards breathing through your nose as it gets the air deeper into your lungs than mouth breathing. Nose-breathing also stimulates nerve endings in your head as the air passes through the sinus passages, which help to relax the brain. In the winter it pre-heats and filters the air going into your lungs. Practice nose breathing for short periods at slower speeds and you’ll gradually be able to nose breathe at the faster speeds. I can run at a 7:30 pace comfortably with my mouth closed at this point and it’s very relaxing.”
Danny Dreyer, Chi Running.

Nike would have you believe that the best and only official way to connect the Nike+ sensor to your running shoe is by spending at least $60 on a pair of Nike+ compatible running shoes. There are always many ways to skin a cat however, so here’s a roundup of 10 alternative, and significantly cheaper ways of attaching the sensor to any brand of running shoe.

1. SwitchEasy RunAway, $8.99 + shipping

The RunAway is one of the most attractive and functional sensor holders I’ve seen so far. Even Apple would be proud of this design. Not only is this attachment weather-proof and super-sturdy (there are multiple locking mechanisms), but it also comes complete with a slot to store your Nike+ receiver if ever you need to travel or store your Nike+ kit.

2. Lacelid, $4.95 +shipping

This functional, cheap case is made of durable rubber, and attaches to the outside of your shoe laces. The Lacelid Web site offers several bundles should you want to purchase multiple items, and you can choose either black or white versions. The only downside to this solution is that there is no protector/cover for your sensor and is therefore always exposed to the elements.

Read the rest of this entry »