Ok I admit it,I am not the world’s fittest person, actually I am nowhere near, a million miles away, etc. from being a fit person in  the most basic sense. It’s even more humbling when there are people in the same group as me who run the Flora London Marathon, compete in Triathlons, or even run the Marathon de Sables.

But  I am working on improving and Lance Armstrong is my running coach. Well kind of, through the use of Apple Ipods, Nike+  & Puma. I have been able to develop a programme which is helping me run almost everyday, and hopefully in 77 days time have me run my first 10km .

I started (again!) a few weeks ago on the treadmill.

My ipod is linked to a sensor in my Nike+ shoe, and to a wrist band which allows me to control the ipod easily as I run. The sensor basically allows the ipod to calculate time, speed, and if I tell it my weight ( something's simply aren’t blogged) then my calories burned. All this is good, but what really works for me is:

a) As I run Lance is in my ears telling me to “ go strong for 4 more minutes” as I do my interval runs and that “pain is temporary and quitting lasts forever” So I keep going on my other wrist I have my heart rate monitor assuring me that though it may feel that my heart is going to burst out of my chest, but physiologically the heat rate monitor is assuring me that this appears to be an impossibility

b) Once I finally return home I sync my ipod which uploads my performance against a training schedule held online, and I day by day I get better.

 

I think its a great example of what technology can do, bring the personality, learning and  skills from a  professional sports person to a complete novice and enable an activity I could not do possibly do my own. Clearly, from a commercial perspective the offering is unique in the market place and driven Nike’s  brand back into being a committed sports brand while driving growth into its core product propositions.

Lets see if I can do that 10k – on August 31st  along with a few million other people.