Product Review - Nike+ iPod Sports Kits

In recent months, Nike collaborated with Apple and unveiled an entire line of iPod nano-compatible running gear called the Nike+. The entire line is aimed to integrate listening to music and running seamlessly.

The Nike+ Sports kit ($29 at niketown.com or apple.com/store) comes with a sensor that goes in your shoes and a transmitter that connects to your iPod Nano. The sensor transmits information such as distance, time, and calories burned directly to your iPod Nano and ultimately syncs effortlessly to your iTunes application and then automatically sends that information to nikeplus.com where you can track your progress online to see your runs, set goals, and challenge friends.

So giving into temptation, I bought it to help me train for my annual Rockville 10K and it has worked great. It is rather a novel invention. Not only can you listen to your tunes, but at specific intervals, a voice of your choice (male or female) will alert you of your progress so you will always be able to stay on top of your goals. The sensor and the transmitter are both the size of a quarter which makes carrying around hassle-free. Ideally, Nike wants you to put the sensor in their Nike+ specific shoes where there is a slot built-in for optimal performance and accuracy. However, not knowing if I will completely enjoy the line or not, I opted against purchasing shoes that I may not wear again. And Nike is not known to make comfortable running shoes so I decided to keep training with my New Balance and the results, I think, is comparable, if not 100% accurate.

So you slip the sensor towards the center bottom of one your shoes, connect the transmitter to you iPod Nano (the same slot you plug your USB cord into), and you're good to go. Pretty much everything is voice-guided so it makes getting use-to a breeze. Not a lot of calibrating is needed, but for more accurate recording, you might consider it; again, I decided to go "au natural".

To start my training, I set my workout to be based on time (you have a choice of doing your training based on Basic, Time, Distance or Calories Burned) and I set it to 20 minutes. After choosing my playlist to run to, a voice comes on alerting me the start of the run. At every 5 minute-interval, the voice will come back on alerting me how long I have gone and how much time is left to the end of my workout without pausing my music. And at the end of the workout, after pressing to end workout, your total progress (time, distance, calories burned, approx. time per mile) will be spoken to you and if a personal best is beat, provided that there are previous workouts to compare to, Lance Armstrong will congratulate you! Isn't that neat?

Once my workout was completed, I excitedly took my nano and plugged it into my computer to sync the information to my iTunes. This is the tricky and somewhat hard part. To prevent runners from cheating on their personal workouts, goals or challenges, Nike designed the synchronization to be a one-shot deal, meaning if you are unsuccessful in syncing it the first time, the information, though will be stored in your iPod and your iTunes, will not be sent to Nikeplus.com. Oh, and you have to sync your iPod within 24 hours or else the data, again, will not be sent to Nikeplus.com. I was very frustrated at first, but being on the phone with Nike's technician, I can understand the logic behind it.

All in all, I am very happy and impressed with this piece of invention; I think I am on my way of running the 10K in less that 50 minutes this year (fingers crossed) and with the help of the Nike+ iPod Sports Kit, I am well on my way.

If you are an avid runner, or just someone trying to improve your physique, give this little gadget a try. If you don't like it, at $29, it is not likely to break your piggy-bank.