Looks like Nike has Puma to thank for being the true innovators of Nike+ as we know it today. The Puma RS Computer Shoe was (a very clunky and ugly looking running shoe) available in the 1980s featuring a built-in pedometer in the back of the shoe. The computer museum archive Web site DigiBarn has some fascinating photographs of the Puma device, including some newspaper articles on how slow it seems runners were in adopting the computerized running shoe.

The most ironic and somewhat anecdotal quote within the newspaper article is made by Nike’s David Smith:

“At Nike in Oregon, sales program manager David Smith says that his company’s market research has turned up no solid market for computerized shoes.”

Oh what might have been…

My official Nike+ running mileage has decreased this month as my soccer season is now in full swing. This gives me two less days per week to run. On top of that, I allow myself rest days after each game as part of my recovery process to avoid injury. So that leaves me a maximum of three days a week to run. In reality, I am currently running only a maximum of two times a week. Here’s how my schedule typically flows:

• Game on Sunday
• Recovery/rest on Monday
• Run on Tuesday
• Another game on Wednesday
• Recovery/rest on Thursday
• Another rest on Friday
• Run on Saturday

Although this does not sound like a lot of dedicated running, I actually believe my exercise schedule is helping rather than hindering my overall fitness level and I am already seeing benefits.

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!

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 »

Now, please don’t take my post title the wrong way. It’s not a lack of creativity or dedication to the cause, but rather I believe Scott must’ve read my mind when he published his last post.

My mom’s training for the ING half marathon in Atlanta, GA. She wanted to spend some quality time with me, so we went running last Saturday. Our desired distance was eight miles. I was a little nervous because the last time I ran that distance, I ended up killing myself for the sake of having a better ranking in the challenges. This has been stated before, but I really feel that it can’t be reinforced enough: while it’s good to push yourself, you definitely SHOULDN’T over train.

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.

It’s a fact that if you participate in a sport long enough you’re going to get injured. Well, I’ve reached that point. Last Sunday’s run was AWESOME, as previously posted. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that Herculian feeling for Wednesday’s four-miler. Granted, my time and pace where almost perfect, except for a small amount of walking due to sharp pain in my left shin. That’s right runners, I have a shin splint.

Shin splints are a condition that causes pain and sometimes swelling in the front part of the lower leg (shin). The pain is most likely from repeated stress on the shin bone (tibia) and the tissue that connects the muscle to the tibia. They are common in people who run or jog. Activities where you run or jump on hard surfaces, such as basketball or tennis, can also lead to this painful condition. - WebMD

The treatment for this ailment isn’t more cow bell, but rest, stretching, and ice packs. Granted my leg might feel better and training can continue, but what about my mental pain - the longing to run by the river on Sundays or hearing my favorite quote “400 meters to go?” I guess I’ll just have to settle for reading my favorite blog, 400mToGo.

Though shin splints are pretty common for long-distance runners, it doesn’t give way for a lack of stretching, warm-up runs, and keeping training on pace. It’s an all too common pitfall of pushing ourselves too far too fast (which is what I think caused my injury). Remember to train hard, but train SMART so that you can enjoy those long Sunday runs.

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 »

I ran with Jeremy in the Bartlett Valentine 5k race yesterday and it was a great day for many reasons. In contrast to the deadly tornadoes we experienced earlier this week in Memphis, the weather was perfect - sunny and approximately 50˚F, very warm by Memphis’ standards for February. It was the first time I stood on the start line with a friend. Typically, I’ve always run by myself in the handful of 5k races I’ve previously participated in, but spending the morning with Jeremy prior to the race really helped settle nerves and put me in a positive frame of mind.

I won this race in my age category (Male 30-34) this time last year with a time of 23′30″, so I felt a little pressure to match my performance this year. I felt prepared, endurance-wise, because I had been concentrating almost exclusively on long distance running recently, but, that extra, slower mileage was at the sacrifice of my speed work. So if I had any negative thoughts or doubts in my mind going into this race, it was in relation to how well I could incorporate sprinting into my race tactics despite not training for it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Since my last post I have set a set a new PR for my fastest mile and had a long run or two, but I must admit last week I wasn’t able to run as much as I should have, but in place of two of the missed runs weren’t in vain.I saw two OUTSTANDING movies that are helping me push through those days when I say to myself, “Man I don’t want to run today”. The first of the two is called, “The Long Run“. Though one may be of the opinion that the name isn’t very creative, but trust me, it fits. The movies is about a failed track coach who discovers a young woman who has extraordinary talent and with his coaching will be able to win the Comrades. Read the rest of this entry »