Digital Trends

Nike+iPod Sport Kit July 23rd, 2006 | by Jason Tomczak

Installing the shoe transmitter is simple. Hold the left shoe steady and lift the insole out. Just under the instep of the shoe, a small, plastic-girded hole has been placed in the sole. Slip the transmitter into that hole; replace the insole and the Nike shoe is ready to communicate with the iPod nano.  

Connect your iPod nano to your computer to ensure it is fully charged. Create a playlist of songs from your existing library, or go to the iTunes Music Store to get a Nike-specific playlist. The Nike-specific playlists have great energy-building songs with additional ‘coaching’ tracks to guide you along your exercise program.

Once the iPod is prepped with playlists, disconnect it from your computer and attach the Nike+iPod receiver to the dock connector at the bottom of the iPod nano. Turn on the iPod nano and select the “Nike+iPod” menu on the main screen. From this screen, select the type of workout you want to engage in. I typically use the Distance option, which lets me select the exact distance I would like to run, as opposed to regulating my workout by Calories, Time or the non-specific Basic setting. 

When I first got the Nike+iPod Sport Kit installed, I was concerned about the device being forced-generic or one-stride-fits-all with regard to its measurement of strides and tracking of distances run. I was pleased to see two personal “Calibration” options – one for your walking pace, and one for your personal running pace. 

Because I am a super geek, I went down to my local Lowe’s hardware store and bought a “Lufkin Executive Walking Wheel”, a device that contractors use to measure long linear distances when tape measures will not do. The walking wheel I purchased can measure up to 9,999 feet (well over 1 mile) and is accurate to the very inch.  

I found a long, even stretch of road near my home that I felt comfortable using as my exercise route. With the zero-inch starting line marked in orange road paint, I used the walking wheel to measure out an exact 1-mile track. To be even geekier and excruciatingly precise, I made markings for each 1/10 mile (or 528 foot) section of road.

Prior to completing the calibration, the Nike+iPod kit registered the 1 mile distance as .97 miles. That’s about 158 feet off-target. I knew that wouldn’t do. As soon as I ended the walking calibration sequence, the iPod nano interface indicated that the generic .97 mile was now exactly 1 mile for me. Fantastic! 

Once the walking calibration was done, my return trip down the painted road was designated as the running calibration. I eventually made the run home – face flushed, head pounding, lungs burning like I’d inhaled napalm. The running calibration registered .94 miles – about 317 feet short of accurate. Again, once I told the iPod nano that I’d completed an accurate mile, it acknowledged me and thus my running calibration was complete.

After the calibrations were done, my next venture out was later that evening with my wife. We walked from the starting line to the half-mile marker. The Nike+iPod was accurate to the inch on the 7/10 mile marker, but was off by about 8 feet on the half-mile mark. That’s pretty good – accurate to 1/660 of a mile. 

My next test was an early morning half-mile run followed by a half-mile walk. The running portion registered at .51 miles – this time a little over the mark. Still, the run was accurate to 1/220 of a mile. The return walk was perfectly accurate. 

When reviewing my walks and runs, I noticed that the overall time for each session varied from a few seconds to a couple minutes. Based on how much energy I had at a particular time of day, my pace increased or decreased – even the length of my stride varied - which rightfully effected the overall reading provided by the Nike+iPod transmitter. I found that once the transmitter is properly calibrated, it will remain accurate to your original pace and stride – at least until its battery fails a year or so later. Any other inaccuracy experienced is likely due to analog human error.  

In short, do not use the Nike+iPod Sport Kit without properly calibrating it. Your stats will most likely never be accurate. If you can’t find a Walking Wheel (or if you feel too geeky rolling the Walking Wheel down the road in plain view of the public), find a YMCA, YWCA, a public high school or college with a professional running track. Those tracks are typically 400 meters, or .248 miles not an even conversion, but four laps and a brief walk-off would give you a one mile workout.