new toy

Have you ever gone out for a run, had a goal mileage in mind, then when you come back and map it out, it's less than what you thought?  Yeah, me too.  I've always kind of envied people who have those fancy, schmancy GPS watches.  I wanted to know my pace, calories burned, distance, elapsed time, etc all at the turn of my wrist.  But I didn't want to have to wear a watch the size of Texas and cost a ton of money. 

I found out recently that I didn't have to.  I read an article on the Runner's World website about some GPS watches under $150 (which is not very much when it comes to these things).  In reading some of the comments, quite a few were talking about the Nike+ SportWatch...which I had heard about when it was first coming out.  So I did some research, read lots and lots and lots of reviews....and bought the Nike+ SportWatch.  It had come down in price and I had done some dog-sitting this summer so had some extra cash and didn't feel bad spending the money.

After a few runs with this new toy, I have to tell you, I love it.  It's easy to use, easy to read mid-run.  There is a handy USB drive built into the watch for easy charging and syncing.  It's not water proof so it's not ideal for triathletes, nor does it work for cycling, but I'm a runner...and if you're simply a runner, it's great!  Oh, and you can preset it for intervals or laps for speed training which is pretty cool, too.

Reviewers mentioned sometimes the GPS will lose the signal if you're in a wooded area, around lots of tall buildings, or haven't synced it recently.  But that's not a problem either because when/if that happens, there is a shoe pod that seamlessly steps in to track your stats when the GPS goes wonky.  Most Nike shoes have a spot for the pod built into the shoe, but if you don't wear Nike's (like me), it's easy to find a sleeve/glove/case for the pod that can be tied onto your shoe laces. 

I have found that I am a little obsessed with checking my pace and my distance...but I think once the newness of it wears off that will subside.  At the end of each run you get a bit of encouragement.  My favorite so far is "Crowd goes wild!"  Even after a recorded walk I received some, "Good effort."  (My roommate and I couldn't tell if this was sarcastic or genuine...)

Overall, I am incredibly happy with my purchase.  If you're looking for a sleek, no frills, easy to use GPS watch, go with the Nike+.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

how handy is this?!

indeed!

 

not the size of Texas.

foot pod and SportWatch