Nike+
 

I am posting this for those who have not heard of this and wish to have a way to track one's progress of running as I have not seen something that incorporates this current technology (excluding a pencil and paper) somewhere within this forum.

For all those who wish to keep track of their running progress (times, distance, walks, etc.) I recommend using the Nike+ Ipod program. Its not necessarily a workout regime, more so a way of motivating yourself and keeping track of your overall progress. I am currently using this for pre-Basic fitness as I am 6 months from shipping. It is a very good use of present technology that is very easy to use. I won't go into major detail as it is self explanatory if you look into it.
Just recommending this for all of those who wish to challenge friends, random people, and most importantly, track your fitness goals of running and rucking without having to follow a set path.

R

Did Nike come out with this in 2006? That's when I remember first using it, but haven't touched it since '07.

Honestly, I always felt the foot sensor was inaccurate. Have you done 4 laps on a track to see if it logs 1 mile fairly precisely? It would be interesting to see. I think Polar and Garmin have some better, more serious, less social network like running watches and sensors, that have programs which provide detailed analysis of pace, HR, distance etc..., granted they're more expensive.

In terms of needing Nike + for motivation, I think the thought of not wanting to let down the men next you and yourself in training & eventually life & death situations is more motivating than anything else.

Let me know how accurate it is, I'm sure it's gotten better. Good luck with the running.

I used the Nike+ system both for rucking and running, indoors and out, for almost two years (2007-2009). I found that, if you take time to carefully calibrate the run and walk features, it is accurate to within 1/10th of a mile for every 3-4 miles. Drastic changes in speed would throw it off more, but it's generally a good tool to use. I used the foot sensor in conjunction with the watch. The sensor paired with the iPhone app was difficult at best, but I only tried it a few times when it first came out.

It's threads like this that remind me that I'm just a dino-FOG. I thought I was high-speed when rigged up my Ranger beads.

Here's a better tip. Dump the Nike+ and go grab RunKeeper Pro off of the app store. Its normally $10 but is free through January for all the people who are on annual two-week work out programs in January.

It requires no sensor in the shoe and just runs off the GPS. It chimes in at whatever interval you tell it to. Graphs your pace by 1/10 of a mile, maps it on Google, the whole nine yards. They also just introduced a heartrate monitor to work with the app. Additionally, it includes a web profile that tracks your info so you can view it on a larger screen.

There are some reviews complaining of accuracy, but in the three or four times I have used it so far its within 1/100 of a mile over a distance of 4 miles. I used it on a PT test course a couple weeks ago and it was within 1/100 at each 1/4 mile sign.

It's pretty sweet.

Sounds like you've got a good post for the app thread :lifter

On a more serious note, if it works off of GPS does that mean that you can only use it on the Iphone?

Airborne! :D One of the things I liked about running (note the use of past tense) was that it was relatively cheap. A pair of Converse 'Track Star' shoes, white cotton athletic socks, tee shirt, athletic shorts (with sweats during cold weather), and off you went.

I hope that soon my morning PT ritual will be to take mask, fins, snorkel, and Hawaiian sling to go procure breakfast - and if fortunate - lunch AND dinner.

You better get out soon before the next winter storm.....

It was great diving down here sat and sun.... 5 dives and lots of fish.....

Does it require data usage? Such as running off the providers network (3G or 4G). If it doesn't that would be great considering I'm using a limited data plan - no unlimited for me.

No, as far as I know it only needs the GPS in order to find and track you. I know the GPS icon pops up when using it, but have not had reason to turn off cellular data to see if that would cause an issue.

It would of course need data connection to sync your workouts to the net, but you could always do that after running.

Question: why mess with the foot pod stuff when the gps running trackers are so accurate? I have a garmin wrist thingie, which has proven to be very accurate, even in hilly, heavy forest. I'm just curious as to if there is an advantage with the nike system.

ETA: Plus, you can enter your weight into the garmin, and it will give you a fairly accurate calorie count, which will allow you to know how many twinkies you eat per day.

The foot pod is relatively cheap (got mine for $15, not including the iPhone I already had - for pricing) and is accurate to within 1/100th of a mile (even better if you choose to calibrate the system). It also enables the input of your weight and outputs data for calories and the such. But referring to your question, there may be no clear advantage when compared to a state of the art GPS tracking device. The big thing is that you can listen to music if you desire, or you can simply choose not to deal with earphones and forget the music.

For me, the advantage is having all my eggs in one basket in this case. Its a consumer-level, non life-dependent device. So I'm not worried about it being redundant or any such thing. Instead, its a huge plus to be able to have my phone, music player, work-out tracker, restaurant finder, news reader, etc, etc, ad nausea in one device. I don't have to remember a million things to pack. If you already own a ForeRunner then go for it. But if not, a ten dollar app (free this month), or an expensive pod, is certainly cheaper if you already own a smart phone or iPod.

I've tried both the Nike+ GPS app (no foot sensor needed) and MapMyRun GPS app for the iPhone. Both have had issues on cloudy days or when running in wooded areas, even in well-populated areas. YMMV

I prefer something that has to travel only a few feet from my foot to my phone/iPod/watch vs. from a device to a satellite and back. I also like paper maps and compasses as well, even though I'm an IT guy. :D Plus the MapMyRun app/website can automatically download the info from the Nike+ site, so all of my standard and "tech-aided" runs are in one place. The Nike+ website/app don't offer the same reciprocity. :(