my new running buddy

oooh... look at that! what is it? it's a Nike+ SportBand. a watch and a chip that track time, distance, pace, and calories burned on a run.

pros:

i like it better than the old method

i like it better than the free sites i've tried that let you map your runs

it was affordable ($59)

it is much simpler and less intimidating than crazy runner watches that do 100 different things and really scare me...

i can use it with any running shoe

all my run data uploads to a free site where i can track my training, set goals, join challenges, get training tips...

it's a cute watch when your not running, sleek

cons:

it's not 100% accurate

(i've read that is partly because i'm not using the nike+ shoes and partly because it takes several tries to calibrate right)

overall: i like! it is easy and lets me see with reasonable accuracy how i'm doing... they also have chips that are compatible with new ipods and iphones.

tried it out on my first 10k race this morning... the freezing 10k at the UofA. so cold, so many crazy long and crazy steep hills. 6 miles, 6 hills, the first 1/2 mile of the race was straight up and since the course looped around i got to run it twice... finished at 1:05 and some change... right now i'm feeling pretty good about my 1/2 in april.