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Thoughts on trying to get fit

Another outing for the Nike+ iPod sports kit

By on July 25, 2006 in Technology

I tried out the Nike+ iPod Sports Kit on a timed exercise session yesterday. I set it for 45 minutes. Worked perfectly. Every 5 minutes the music fades out and the voiceover tells you how many minutes are gone, or if after the halfway point, how many minutes are left. At the halfway point it cuts in and tells you that as well. For the last 5 minutes it counts down on the minute which is good. This think this is definitely going to help me exercise more. Here is a screen shot of the 45 minute walk as graphed on the Nike+ website.

Walk2 Click Picture for larder view

It was uphill then a downhill section towards the end. Hence the speed increase. I also triggered my Power Song with a few minutes to go just to test it. Marvellous 🙂

I’ve also been doing a bit on my exercise bike. See side bar on right for totals. The miles listed are as reported by the bike. I usually do an hour per session and it reports about 13 miles in that time. The calories used is a combination of the number burnt according to the Nike+ and the bike. Probably not very accurate. The bike is good as you can read at the same time!

Urban myth

By on July 23, 2006 in General

I’ve always known that Prince of Wales Avenue from the gates of Stormont to the Parliament Building was a mile long. The reason I’ve known it is because it was perceived wisdom. Everyone said the road was a mile long. But is it? When testing my Nike+ iPod Sports Kit I walked the full length of the road. I figured this would be a good test of how accurate it was. The iPod reported that the road was about 0.6 miles long. What? I was disappointed. How could it be so wrong? Bummer.

There is a road that runs parallel to Prince of Wales Avenue just beside the Stormont grounds (Castlehill Road on the map below). It is more or less the same length. I use it regularly to and from work. I have reset my car tripmeter turning into this road the last couple of times and it reports that his road is between 0.6 and 0.7 miles long. Just what the Nike+ iPod Sports Kit was reporting for Prince of Wales Avenue.

I’ve just used Mapquest to measure the length of Prince of Wales Avenue on screen and using the scale on the map it turns out that the road from the gates to the top, just below the steps of the parliament building, is 985 metres!

Looks to me that the common knowledge that it’s a mile from the gates of Stormont to the Steps of the Parliament building might be an urban myth. I’ll have to check the park layout board at the gates (which I’ve never read) and see what it says. It’s more like a kilometre long it seems.

Here is a picture from Mapquest showing the Stormont grounds. Prince of Wales Avenue is listed as Ulster Way on this map.

Mapqueststormont Click picture for larger view

Nike+ iPod Sport Kit

By on July 20, 2006 in Technology

I got the Nike+ iPod Sport kit today and tried it out tonight. I don’t have a pair of the proper Nike shoes yet so I just stuck it under the insole of a pair of Caterpillar trainers I have. They have a thick insole so I was just aware of the sensor under my foot but it didn’t make it impossible to walk. It’d be uncomfortable to use it that way all the time though. I tied putting it under the tongue and laces of the trainer but it didn’t work there. I set it for a 2 mile distance program. It’s pretty cool. As I walked the distance counted up on the screen. It’s shown in 0.00 format so it goes 0.01, 0.02 etc. When I’d done half a mile the music faded down and the instruction voice told me I’d done half a mile. After a mile I was told I was half way there. At 1.5 miles I was told I’d half a mile to go. I had to stop after 1.75 miles as I the car park in Stormont was due to close!

When I docked the iPod it uploaded the data to the Nike+ web site and asked me if i wanted to visit the site. Here is the result –

Irnikeplus1 Click picture for larger view

I’ll need to get the proper shoes and calibrate it over a known distance. All in all I’m impressed.

Another 3 miles done

By on July 16, 2006 in Uncategorized

Did another 3 miles around Stormont this afternoon. Roger Taylor on iPod again. Also spent about 40 minutes watching the cricket and chatting to some of my ex-colleagues from the cricket club. Hopefully I’ll make it to the net practice tomorrow night.

Time to get fit

By on July 15, 2006 in Uncategorized

I need to get fit. Been a real sluggard recently. Not good. I’ve always been tall, slim and naturally fit without having to work at it. Funny how this changes as you get older! Well, I’m still tall! It’s time to put in some work and get rid of the “beer” belly. It’s more like a junk food belly but that doesn’t roll off the tongue quite as well.

I’ve posted about this before, but walking is really good exercise. So I plan to do a few miles a day and get fit. I might do some jogging as well, although it’s hard on the knees. I went for a 2.5 mile walk in the grounds of Stormont tonight with the ever brilliant Roger Taylor playing on the iPod. I’ll do another few miles tomorrow, either at Stormont or down beside the sea at Carnalea (see picture in header at top of this page). I’m sure you will be on the edge of your seats to read about how I get on [1]. I think I’ll go the cricket training on Monday and Thursday nights from now to the end of the season as well. I don’t think I’ll be able to play as I’m away in the USA for a few weekends in August, or have other stuff to do on Saturdays. I plan to play next season though. It’s a good incentive to get fit.

The new Nike+ iPod Sports Kit looks good [2]. I was ordering a set of JBL On Time Speakers for use with my iPod as a bedroom alarm clock (they have a built in FM radio as well) and I had a £20 money off voucher for use on the Apple Store. The Nike+ iPod Sports Kit costs £19 so I stuck one on the order and therefore will get it for free 🙂 I’ll need to get a pair of the Nike running shoes to fit the sensor into and some of the iPod ready clothing. There is a Nike Store a few blocks from where I’m staying in San Francisco in August whilst I’m at Apple WWDC. It’d be daft to go all that distance and not go shopping! The black Nike Air Zoom Moire shoes look just the ticket (see picture below). Once I get the kit I’ll be able to plan and follow a fitness regime using the iPod to record the progress and visualise it on the Nike+ website. Both of the iPod products mentions here, along with all the others, show how much of a platform iPod has become. it’s no longer just a music player. Having said that it is the best portable music player available. The other stuff is a nice bonus that doesn’t detract from the core functionality.

[1] About 100 people read this site every day, on average. Sometimes it spikes to a few hundred. Amazing!
[2] Review of Nike+ iPod Sports Kit available.

Nikeairzoommoire Click Picture for larger view