Nike + iPod Sports Kit Reviewed

I've been testing the Nike + iPod Sports Kit since last week, and so far I'm loving it. I'm a runner, so being able to measure my distance, pace, time and calories burned is important to me. It also helps that I don't have to carry extra pedometers to do this, and I can check my workout summary as well as challenge anyone in the world to a running match. So it's not only a pedometer, it's much more interactive than that.

The Nike + iPod Sports Kit consists of a wireless sensor that sits inside your shoe, and a receiver that connects to iPod nanos only, which will cost you around $29. Nike released a whole line of shoes they call Nike + Ready Footwear, as well as Nike + Apparel, and other accessories that fit the iPod nano with receiver. Read about the Nike + Sport Armband here.

Nike + Ready Footwear has a pocket under the insole that fits this special sensor. I have yet to test how the sensor works in regular Nike shoes (those without this shoe pocket), but the sales rep warned me that measurements may not be accurate, plus it may be uncomfortable to try it this way (measurements were accurate, I tested it out). Before getting started, the latest version of iTunes and iPod Software updater must be downloaded, otherwise your iPod nano will not recognize the receiver nor will iTunes be able to send your workout data to Nikeplus.com (Read overview)

Once you insert the sensor into your shoe, and connect the receiver to your iPod, you're ready to get on with your run. Details such as time, miles and pace are prominently displayed on your iPod nano screen, so you can monitor your progress as you exercise. During my first run, I noticed that if I completely stopped, the workout would also pause while the time kept running for about two minutes. After two minutes, a feedback voice (you can set this to be a male or female) would announce that my workout had been paused, and so the music would stop too. If you're not wearing your earphones, you obviously won't hear this announcement, and will think that you have to start the workout all over again. Not so, you can resume your workout by pressing the center button. The center button is pivotal during your workouts. Pressing it will give you detailed workout summaries during your run, as well as start and resume your workouts after being paused, and let's not forget that pressing and holding it will play your "Power Song"—you know the song that motivates you during your workout.

The Nike + iPod Sports Kit gives your four workout options to choose from:

Basic Workout: Allows you to run at your own time, distance and pace.
Time: Allows you to choose how long you want your workout to be. You can choose from one of the preset settings (20- 90 minutes) or customize your workout to be up to 10 hrs.
Distance: Allows you to set a distance anywhere from 3k-42k or customize your distance up to 99.95 miles.
Calorie Burning: Set a goal to burn 100-9995 calories.

Music is important, so I wanted to make sure I was able to control my tunes. You can still fast-forward and rewind through songs, but if you pause a song, your workout will also be paused. You have to be careful when you press the Menu button because doing so will give you a different set of options while in the Nike + iPod menu: Pause Workout, Change Music or End Workout. If you want to select a different playlist, you do have the option of doing so by selecting the Change Music option.

The Settings menu allows you to choose your "Power Song" from your music library, which you can play when you need a little motivation during your workout. It's here where you also choose the gender of your Spoken Feedback voice, how you measure distance (miles or kilometers), enter your weight, and link or calibrate your shoe sensor. To view all your workouts, you can choose your History option to display your last, recent, and personal best workouts as well as totals. While Nikeplus.com will store up to 1,000 workout summaries, the iPod nano will only store the most recent ones.

More than one person can share an Nike + iPod reciever. Say a member of your family gets a Nike + iPod Sports Kit and Nike + Ready shoes, but want to use your iPod nano and reciever,  they can, but they must use this "link" option each time they use the reciever. I don't think two people can do this at the same time right now,though it would be sweet if you could. The sensor has a battery life of over 1,000 active hours, and is non-replaceable. Once the battery dies, you'll have to replace both the reciever and the sensor.

Overall, I love the idea of being able to track my daily workouts, challenge myself or start a motivational team who can share workout information online with me. On the downside, to get started you will need an iPod nano (starting at $129), Nike + Ready Shoes ($100), Sports Kit ($29) and if you plan on taking it on the road, you may need an optional Nike + Armband ($29.95) that fits both the reciever and the iPod nano. I already have an iPod nano, but if you don't, this set up may be entirely too expensive.