Shoutin’ from the Rooftop

Ihad my eye on the Nike+ for iPods for a long time. I asked for it for Christmas and my mother-in-law bought it for me. I have been anxious to try it out but the winter hasn’t cooperated for outdoor running. (Yes, I am a wimpy runner.

For those of you not familiar with the Nike+, it is a little device that you plug in to your iPod. Then there is a sense device that you are supposedto put in a special Nike shoe. These special Nike shoes have a little “cave” in the soles where you slip in the sensor. This sensor tracks your strides which then converts in in to distance. My pace, time, and distance are all displayed on the screen of my iPod while I run and I can listen to my music. You can choose the distance you want to run.

For those of us that don’t have the special Nike shoes (for whatever reason), there is an alternative. Several different companies sell a little pouch that you lace in to your shoe strings. Then you just slip the sensor in the pouch.

Yesterday, after I got everything ready, I wanted to go for a run since it was so nice. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go because we had a previous commitment and there just wasn’t enough time for a run and getting cleaned up to go. So this morning, I went out for my first outdoors run in a long long time.

I set the Nike+ for a two mile run. I knew that this was a little ambitious since the longest run that I have been on since before my surgery. I have been frustrated with my running since I was so much farther along back in December and I have regressed so much.

The weather was perfect. It was nice and cool and windy. Maybe a little too windy but I wasn’t going to complain. I would be so pleased if the weather would be like this morning on race day.

It was so nice to have the Nike+ on my run. A voice came over the music and told me that I was halfway through the run and when I had 1/2 mile left. I knew that I started out a little too fast. My pace is displayed on the iPod screen so I was able to adjust it. Halfway through, I noticed that my heart rate monitor (HRM) was acting crazy and not recording my heart rate correctly which resulted in my calories burnt being inaccurate.

Overall the run went great. It felt good to get out there and get a run in and outside to boot. I am totally in love with this new addition to my run. I love gadgets and it motivated me so well. I did notice during the run that the distance seemed a little off. So I will be calibrating the distance so I get a more accurate run. I would estimate that my run was actually 1 3/4 mile but it is better than I have done.

So, it is a start. I have a lot of ground to makeup. Tomorrow, I will have to run on the treadmill because of Megan and Chris is gone on a business trip. Tuesday is a trip to the Y for the elliptical. Wednesday will be another run. Thursday will probably be a day of rest. Friday will be a run or the elliptical at the Y.

Tags: run

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