Fitness: Nike ups the high-tech ante with their latest running app

By Corrine Aberdeen

When I went to Toronto’s flagship Nike recently store to learn about the new Nike+ GPS iPhone app ($1.99 on iTunes), I prayed that they wouldn’t ask me to run. Thankfully they didn’t, but after inspecting the application I actually wished they had. The app gives runners of all skill levels extra motivational pushes while tracking the calories-burned, route, time, distance and speed of each run. Tapping into the iPhone’s accelerometer and Global Positioning System capabilities, the app shows you not only where you’ve run, but also a colour-coded map of how fast you ran each leg of the route. This extra bit of tech-y upgrading has taken Nike+ from running companion to coach. While GPS is the key difference between this new app and the previous Nike+ application, for beginners and those who enjoy upping the ante, the new “Challenge Me” tool is another exciting addition. The tool allows me to set goals for my runs (faster, farther or longer), and useful information, run feedback and “attagirl” motivation from celebs like cyclist Lance Armstrong and comedian Tracy Morgan is piped into my ears as I sprint. Just the sound of Tracy Morgan’s voice gets me giggling, and with Eddie Murphy’s 1985 anthem “Party All the Time” as my powersong, running like a girl just might be a lot more fun.

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