There are 3 basic keys to becoming a better athlete: proper nutrition, appropriate shoes, and constant motivation.  Keeping your mind and body healthy will allow you to train more consistently and effectively, which makes you better.  These weekly reviews aim to educate readers on product available to fullfil their key requirements.

 Nike+ SportWatch GPS

The Nike answer to Garmin's dominance over the tracking watch world was officially released on Thursday May 12.  I spent some time with the Nike rep when they came to Fleet Feet Huntsville for our release party, asking him about the functions and features.  I was so impressed with the functionality that I bought one that first morning.

After 12 runs I can say that for the price ($200 US), this watch will do everything the normal runner asks of it.  First let me give you the background:

1. The GPS is powered by TomTom so the satellite network and connectivity is well in place.

2. Tracks distance, instantaneous pace, calories, elapsed and split time which you can view in real time during the run.

3. Has optional heart-rate monitor from Polar which gives users more control over workout quality, if desired.

4. Workouts upload and are permanently cataloged on NikePlus.com, which maps your runs, elevation, pace, splits, and history amongst many other things.

5. A footpod is included with the watch.  If you lose signal on a normal GPS watch, the tracker will draw a straight line from your last connection to wherever it picks the signal back up, meaning you could lose a lot of information about your run and making the distance/splits much less accurate.  The Nike SportWatch will automatically calibrate the footpod as you run, so if the GPS loses signal the watch will compensate with the footpod to retain accuracy.  This also allows you accurate time/distance indoors - like on a treadmill, which are notoriously inaccurate for faster runners.

6. The GPS and footpod connect to the watch in a matter of seconds and you're ready to run.

7. USB plug is build right into the watch to allow quick charging and uploading

8. The computer interface allows you full control over the programing of the watch including display, splits, and interval/fartlek workouts.  But, the watch has auto-pause, so if you are doing a traditional interval workout you have to keep walking around for the watch to keep your rest time - in other words it's really suited for Fartlek style workouts.

I wore my watch on three runs over clear roads so it could calibrate, and I found the time/distance to exactly match the markers measured by wheel.  Then I took it off-road into a dense forested area, deep into a valley, with heavy cloudy overcast.  In this situation your cell phone would be lucky to find a satelite, but the watch was stable.  There were a few times I was sure it had kicked over to the footpod, and nothing strange happened to the pace or timing.

After 20 miles of serious mountain trail (a route over which Garmin has miserably failed to plot accurately) the Nike watch gave me a very reasonable distance and pace... which totally made it worth the money.  Because of the grid resolution on GPS tracking, there are still some loses if you're making a lot of sharp turns.  For trail running this means you will run a bit further than you intend to if you go exactly by the watch.  When I tested it (without the footpod) for a wheel-measured trail marathon, the watch reported almost exactly a mile short.

On another run I turned off the GPS and ran on the treadmill for an hour to see how well the footpod has calibrated - it fairly well reflected my perceived effort, but did seem limited by an inability to discern differences in stride length.

The balance of the watch is very good, it does not feel bulky on your arm.  My only major complaint so far is concern over the built-in USB port.  I worry about it corroding or getting broken, but the Nike rep assured me that they addressed that potential.  We'll see.

Overall I give the new Nike+ SportWatch a prohibitive A-.  I've enjoyed running with it and look forward to testing it more.

*All past reviews are archived in my blog history.

*The opinions expressed in my reviews are scientifically and pragmatically founded, but are solely my own and should not be taken as the position of the manufacturers, authors, or representatives of products/prints/companies reviewed by me.