I recently purchased a pair of Nike+ running shoes. I had been eager to track my running data (distance, duration, calories) for some time, and after a couple of runs, I have been very impressed with the data, presentation, and sharing capability provided by Nike.
If you aren’t familiar with Nike+, it’s a pretty simple process… A sensor in your left shoe transmits data to a receiver. There are two types of receiver:
I have the iPod Nano receiver, which plays workout-based voice feedback and motivational music while i’m running. After my run, I plug the iPod into my computer and the data is automatically sent to the Nike+ website.
The data is well presented in flash with graphs showing run performance. The flash interface also allows you to set goals, receive training tips and map routes. You can share this data via a public link or by embedding a flash widget into a web site. If you would like to view raw run data, Nike provides you with access to their public API. This will enable you to retrieve an XML feed of your data, all you need to do is append your Nike ID to a URL (example detailed below). Once you have the data in XML format you could use a scripting language to parse the data and present it in HTML for your web site.
My Nike+ XML feed:
http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/v1/services/widget/get_public_run_list.jsp?userID=751872695
This is a great way to keep motivated. Performance data helps me set personal goals and makes each run a little more interesting. You can also join teams and compete against people all over the world. The question is – who will be the first member of Dusted to join me on Nike+?