Nike Plus Sensor And iPhone App - - Track Your Running Progress While You’re Out and About Through Distance, Speed And Calories

Nike paired up with Apple to produce, what I think, is a great piece of running kit to encourage you to get out and about, walking or running.

What is the Nike+ Sensor for?

The Nike+ sensor and iPhone app track your running progress while you’re out and about through distance, speed and calories. It’s a little like the stats given to you while running on a treadmill. It’s great to have those milestones to help you keep going, even while listening to music. The app gives you stats to take away and feel good about.

What you need to get started

In order to get going with Nike+, you will need:

• Nike+ sensor
• Nike+ shoe with special slot for the sensor in the sole
• Computer with internet access, iTunes and a free Nike.com account
• Either:
  • an iPhone 3GS,
  • or an iPod Touch 2G,
  • or an iPod Nano with Nike + receiver,
  • or a Nike+ SportBand

A lot of kit – the sensors and kits are fairly reasonable, but the shoes are usual Nike prices of £65 or more.

I use an iPhone 3GS where the app is pre-installed and can run in the background. It can work with iTunes and allow you to select playlists and even nominate a ‘power song’.

If you can, get headphones with volume adjustment to make it easier while running (if listening to music). iPhone 3GS have these and they’re invaluable. One other thing that Nike doesn’t tell you is that you may want to purchase a pair of fingerless gloves (such as the Entre Touchy Gloves) for running in the cold winter months. They work wonders when you’re dealing with touch screens!