Gadgets

The modern day runner never has to run alone.  There may not be a human being beside them as they run, keeping up with them stride for stride but todays runner is always connected.  Unless you are a Zen runner.  More on that later.  This is the newest gadget that Nike just announced.

I am not a Nike salesman but I love gadgets.  Especially sports or running gadgets and Nike makes some good ones.  So when I saw this ad, my immediate thought was, “I have to have one.”

With today’s modern technology, the runner can be connected.  We can track our every mile.  We can see our pace.  We can see our route with all it’s elevation changes and twists and turns.  All of these stats can be collected on an internet site or computer program where they can be examined and analyzed.

I’ve tried a lot of gadgets over the years.  Let me take you back.

I’m in the camp that has to have music or something to listen to while I run.  When I first started running, there was no such thing as an MP3 player.  They hadn’t been thought of yet.  Instead, I had a half pound CD player.  It was a science to learn to run with one of these things.  I couldn’t strap it to my body because every step made the CD skip so I had to hold it in my hand the whole time and sort of balance it and keep it level.  Sure I could have used a walkman but then I didn’t have a choice of what I wanted to listen to.  The giant CD player had to do.

Needless to say, the iPod changed my life, although the early models couldn’t hold up to the bouncing.  I killed two of them.  Then Apple and Nike came up with a foot pod device that sort of kept track of your running.  It was a small, bean like device that you put in the sole of select Nike shoes.  It came with an adaptor that you hooked to the bottom of the iPod and the two talked to each other, at least in theory.  I tried it.  The foot pod and the iPod rarely connected and when they did the stats were never accurate.

The iPhone changed my life again.  It can take a beating.  Not only is it sturdy and resilient, it has all the technology I want, built in.  There are numerous running apps for the iPhone.  I prefer using the Nike GPS app.  It keeps track of all my stats.  It tells me where I am, how fast I’m going, when to turn around.  Another thing I like about this app is that my friends and family can keep track of me via social networks.  You can track me here:  stewjitsu.  My iPhone plays my music and is there for me in case I have an emergency.  I rarely run without it.

I still have my Garmin but I primarily use it on race day.  I find it has the most accurate GPS but it lacks the connectivity and bells and whistles of my iPhone.

Do you run with gadgets?  Which ones do you use?