Nike+
25 February 2008 South Africa, Sport, Web 2.0
This past weekend I splashed the cash (in my case, plastic) on a pair of Nike Structure Triax running shoes, a Nike+ iPod kit and Nike iPod armband. I’ve tried the gym thing, but I never found much motivation going week in and week out. It wasn’t enjoyable and definitely not measurable. But this is exactly what Nike+ have created. A way of tracking every single run, calorie lost and kilometre passed. Not only can you track your personal stats, but you can share your stats with others, challenge other Nike+ runners, set goals for yourself and even create routes with Google maps in one damn sexy UI! Nike+ is officially running 2.0.
I first read about Nike+ from Paul Stamatiou and how he has fallen in love with it. He has even starred in his very own Nike+ commercial. So about a month ago, Tyler went for his first Nike+ run and that was it. I wanted in.
My first Nike+ run
I have just got back from my first run and I almost died. I am probably the most unfit I have been since high school. I managed to run around 3km’s. (I calibrated the device for about 500m, but my first timed run is 2.7km’s). One thing I am proud of is that I managed to run the entire way, no walking. There were definitely times where I contemplated walking, but kept telling myself to “run through the pain Jason!”. Below is a graph of my first run.
As you can see, my pace fluctuated a lot as I was trying to find a comfortable pace and rhythm to run at. The other thing I tried to do was when I flipped onto my Power Song (Bleed it out by Linkin Park), I really gave it some stick! The Power song is a track you set before your workout that when you hold in the centre button on your iPod it immediately skips to that song and gives you a boost. Very neat feature.
I have fallen in love…
with that women who whispers in my ear how far I have run. She tells me how long I have run for as well as how far I still have to go. She really sounds hot. :-) I don’t think my Fiance minds if I have an affair with her twice a week. She keeps me in shape you know.
Map my routes
Another really neat Nike+ feature is being able to create a map of your route. They use Google maps for the mapping software, so for us South African’s its not the greatest, but at when I zoom in to the maximum level, I can make a map out a pretty decent route.
Spot the beach along my run. Oh yeah.
So thats Nike+ in a nutshell. I absolutely love it. I love being able to track each and every aspect of my runs, graph them, share them, set goals and resolutions, challenge other Nike+ athletes, the list goes on. There is also a few flash widgets that you can add to your blog, which I will be adding to my blog redesign.
South African Nike+ Bloggers
I’m looking for other Nike+ bloggers in South Africa. I’m sure there are a number of us, and would love to set up a few challenges and team events. So far I know of 1. Mr. Tyler Reed! Please email me or leave a comment so I can build a decent list of us Nike+ bloggers here in SA.
Time to go and claim brownie points from the Fiance for a massage. :-)
Please bookmark this post:
Adii
Henré Rossouw
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11 comments so far...
You’ll have to keep the jogging up before earning that massage bro. Remember, you spent money that could’ve gone into the wedding. :-)
9:16 pm
Jason, awesome to see you running, with Nike+ too! I simply love them, they take running to another level. Awesome post as well, hope you’re earning those points with the fiance. ;)
9:21 am
Hey Jason, just out of interest, how much did you pay for the Nike+ iPod kit? I’m an avid runner myself and keen to get involved with this sexy technology. I know a few bloggers who enjoy running, perhaps we can arrange a blogrun at some stage and sync it with guys in Joburg.
11:30 am
@Tristan It’s roughly R900 - R1400 for the Nike+ Trainers, depending on which ones you buy. R300 - R500 for the Nike+ Receiver, depending on where you buy it. +- R1400 for an iPod Nano.
Total Cost: R2600 - R3300.
12:57 pm
Haul ass man.. and monitor it :)
I love the Nike +… frigging lance armstrong freaks me out at the end some times.
2:12 pm
@Tristan, Tyler is pretty spot on. The Nike+ shoes I bought cost R999, the Nike+ kit cost R379, and the armband R279, all from Totalsports.
And you also going to need an iPod.
I can say that its definitely worth the cash. Listening to music while running makes a huge difference, and being a stats whore myself, this feeds my addiction perfectly!
@Tyler, we definitely gotta find some more Nike+ bloggers. You know any others?
4:13 pm
@Tyler - thanks for the info.
@Jason - I do run with an mp3 player and agree that it is the shizzle. I wonder if adding the stats element etc will detract from the enjoyment of the run… Nah, Nike+ for the win.
4:20 pm
@Tristan, the stats make me want to run! When I hear that womens voice, I just have to keep going. ;-)
4:28 pm
I’ve found Nike+ and all the stats it records as one of the cheapest and best ways to keep motivated, especially for new runners. Welcome aboard and hope to see you in some online challenges! :)
5:43 pm
Jason! I’m inspired dude! Added to my shopping list for the next time I leave the cave.. So when you jogging out to Somerset West? :)
Cheers,
Gary.
1:49 pm
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