Nike+GPS Running Watch Announced at Computer Electronics Show.

Wired News and others have news about a new Nike+GPS Watch announced at the Consumer Electronics Show today. Combing  GPS pace tracking with the Nike+ Stride sensor and in some models HRM. Here is Nike's intro video. Cool looking with large light digits on black background which is a plus as I have found  most watches and my Blackberry with miCoach GPS running app are very hard to see in bright sunlight or on the move. Wall Street Journal reports that it will be available April 1st at prices between $199-$249. Pre Order March 1st.

The watch will not only have GPS pacing and mapping via Tom Tom but it will also be able to function with the Nike+ stride sensor. From the video it looks like some models, maybe the $249 priced unit, will include a heart rate monitor. So, one unit for indoor (sensor),  outdoor (pace), or heart rate based workouts with a smaller sensor than the adidas, Suunto, or Gramin footpods in what looks like a very compact watch.

Unfortunately, upload to PC via fold out USB. No over the air synch.This said I am sure the USB will be more reliable than a wireless upload to PC.

According to Wired the screen is operated by tapping: backlight and lap times which if effective eliminates reaching for all those small buttons.

I hope the build quality is more solid than my original Nike+Sportsband. One crash on the Flying Dog Trail in Park City onto my wrists and the unit flew out of the sportsband away never to be found again!

miCoach Update-Issues with HRM signal on the Zone

An update to my initial review of the miCoach training systems. After replacing the batteries on the miCoach Zone HRM unit I am still unable to get the unit to synch with the watch. I saw a gradual increase in the synch time to see the first heart rate after each workout start then yesterday it never synched, I contacted miCoach support and got them on the first ring over in Europe somewhere. The instructions they sent to reset the unit did not seem to work on my first try. I have written them for further assistance.

The Mobile miCoach on my T-Mobile Blackberry continues to work like a charm monitoring and recording performance based on pace. Unfortunately it does not provide heart rate monitoring for indoor workouts or trails and hilly terrain where pace is less of an indicator of workout effort than heart rate.

Adidas miCoach

For the last month or so in preparation for the 2011 Boston Marathon I have been using adidas miCoach. training program. I am finding micoach to be a fantastically well designed and executed program, once understood-integrating smart phones, web, and optional gadgets. It is a bit complicated from a "marketing" and initial presentation and explanation standpoint. I hope this post helps explain the various elements.

The system can include:

• a free GPS based pacing program miCoach Mobile for certain Blackberry smartphones and carriers as well as an iPhone app. (more on this later).
• a free web site to upload the results of your workouts, see them on a map, tabulating elevation gained and even get a score vs. goal.
• very well designed workouts and calendar schedule for different race distances, abilities, and also for sports other than running.
• a line of associated gadgets for purchase including 
• a heart rate monitor, the miCoach Zone ($69.99) , 
• a stride counter, audible pace, stride, distance HR player with transmitter to PC the miCoach Pacer ($139.99) all associated in a package with the heart rate monitor for situations where GPS based training doesn't make work such as indoors or on trails where heart rate would be more useful than pace. MP3 players can be plugged in to provide music and coaching.

I currently use the free miCoach Mobile GPS app, miCoach web site and the Zone heart rate monitor.