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The Nike Plus sport band was given a bit of a hard time in a recent post. However, following a comment on the youtube video, I decided to have another go.
I hadn’t plugged in the device into the USB after the software had loaded (I would expect a some confirmation that the software had loaded correctly but ho-hum..)
So I inserted the device and sure enough, a new screen did pop up inviting me to register - So I did..
Then I noticed a new problem. When I turned on the device to look for the flashing foot and the invitation to “walk” - It was obscured by something on the window. The device looked like this.
Meaning I couldn’t see what was underneath..
Anyhow, I guess I should walk, so I did…
After my walk, (and run), I raced back to my PC & plugged the device in.
A screen came up saying I hadn’t calibrated the device and that I should.
OK, so I am not sure how the device works, (some kind of gps?) but anything that doesn’t work straight out of the box, in my view has limited possibilities.
So I clicked on the “show me how to calibrate” screen and the explanation jumped to an explanation about Ipods & synching.
But I don’t run in a ipod
In fact, I don’t even own an ipod…
I will never run in an ipod…
So I couldn’t calibrate or use this device.
Sorry Nike, this didn’t work out for me - I expect things to work out of the box with minimal involvement and fiddling around.
If someone from Nike could get the sport band going for me - I will be happy to do a full review. But at the moment, it is sat gathering dust..
Regular readers will know of the XT Wings Challenge and that I have a pair of Salomon XT Wings (courtesy of Salomon) and a NokiaN82 (courtesy of Nokia).
I had to dream up a challenge that I could do in the Shoes and photograph with the phone. I chose the ‘3 Peaks of Yorkshire’ challenge walk. This is a "classic" walk of around 24 miles (depending on the route taken) over 3 of the highest peaks in Yorkshire.
Successfully conquering the 3 Peaks and returning to the start point of the cafe in Horton in Ribblesdale within 12 hours entitles one to join the "3 Peaks of Yorkshire Club". This rather grand sounding title doesn’t actually allow or entitle you to anything other than to spend money on membership and wearing a tie, badge etc bearing the logo of the club.
It is a "nice to have" and a conversation starter if nothing else.
To monitor the 12 hours, the Cafe in the village operates a "booking out and in" service in association with the local mountain rescue service.
The Yorkshire Dales are about two hours by car from RoadRunning.net H.Q. so we decided to make a long weekend of it This is what happened…
I was under a little pressure from one of the Junior Roadrunners who wanted to do the whole 3 peaks with me.
But we decided that it would be too much for him so a compromise was to take him up the first peak "Pen-y-Ghent" or the "mountain of winds" on the Friday.
This was because I had read that the Cafe was closed on Fridays and would therefore not get the 12 hour monitoring.
The weather was pleasant and the family trip up went off without major incident.. There are 2 routes up Pen-y-Ghent. The Pennine Way route (longer but not so steep) and the Bracken Bottom route (shorter but steeper with a bit of rock scrambling). I was unsure about which to take on the day so we went up one and down the other.
For the day, I actually chose the Bracken Bottom route to ascend.
The Day itself
One spin off of doing the challenge on Saturday was that I would have the company of around 700 other people doing the walk for a number of UK charities.
Getting up at around 5:30am, I wanted to get on the car park before the said charity walkers amassed and set off at 6:50am.
It was a steady procession up Pen-y-Ghent. Bracken Bottom is definitely the way to go and although it has some scrambling sections at the top, it is pretty straight forward. I was at the top in 61 minutes, just before 8am.
The steady procession up Pen-Y-Ghent
The weather was mild and still and walking was easy in a T shirt.
As I posted before, I had heard that the trek to the second peak was a long one and this was where the following of a herd really helped. There were a lot of fields to cross and navigating alone with the map and compass would have meant constant stopping-starting.
I was able to chip along with charity walkers and pass the time of day. Small groups of people walked along chatting and socialising in the style of a family bank holiday outing.
After a short while, the looming hulk of Whernside reared into the distance. Pen-y-Ghent is a distinctive shaped mountain with a unique shaped top. It sticks up a bit like a sore thumb but Whernside is far more imposing.
The ridge dominates the skyline and says "I am here and I am very steep.”
At this point, I changed my socks. The XT wings surprisingly are far from waterproof and the transfer from Pen-Y-Ghent included some boggy fields and streams.
My feet were wet and my white socks a peaty brown colour.
From the approach, there is no obvious path upwards.
First of all, we passed the stunning Ribblehead Viaduct. Readers, if you have never seen this, then you should. It really is one of the wonders of the modern world. Walking underneath and alongside the viaduct, you can go past the monument to the workers who died during its construction.
The stunning Ribblehead Viaduct
I finally reached a plain looking sign which just said “FP Whernside" with no indication of the mayhem that lay ahead.
It started to spot with rain so I put my waterproof on over my T shirt. I was also starting to feel a little hungry.
So I had 2 decisions to make
1. Should I stop for lunch and if so where? - I wasn’t feeling faint but I didn’t want to either.
2. Should I stop and put on more clothes? - Hillwalking 101 says that you should de-layer for the climb and stop at the top to put on layers.
I decided against stopping or putting on further clothes. Instead, I just grabbed a couple of bread cakes to eat on the move and headed uphill. The path got steeper and the rain got steadily harder.
The waterfall on Whernside
Just before the summit ascent, I had to stop. The rain was now matched by a howling wind. There was no way, I could head for the top in just a T shirt and waterproof. Changing in the rain and wind got me thoroughly wet for the rest of the journey.
And so the top
I would have to say that I have been outdoors since I was 14 years old and the weather was probably the worst I have ever experienced.
Charity walkers in fashion trainers and no proper waterproofs looked visibly distressed.
Sideways rain and howling wind made just turning my head hard work.
A couple of fell runners skipped past in shorts looking like they wanted the earth to swallow them up.
I couldn’t get the Nokia N82 out of my pocket and so missed out on photographs of the Tarn and the steep paths behind us.
The summit provided a bit of light relief. I was able to get on the sheltered side of the wall out of the wind for more sandwiches. I didn’t stop too long though as I knew it was still a long way to the finish. Whernside is called the "roof of Yorkshire" and that day, it felt like I was sat on it…
The descent was equally nasty.
Due to erosion and environmental reasons, the Dales Management had stepped the pathway down. They were large grey uneven steps, each one greasy, slippery and treacherous forcing you to constantly look down.
Even despite the aggressive soles of the XT wings, I was cautious and wary. I wanted to get back to Horton in a good time, not via the mountain rescue helicopter after a flying dismount down the hillside.
A chance turn of my head (when I could) let me see the normally imposing Ribblehead viaduct way down below - as small as a Child’s toy railway it was something I will remember forever.
How High?
The brown line at the top right of the shot is the Ribblehead Viaduct.
This shot was taken in a howling gale and was the best I could do.
The transfer to the third peak, Ingleborough, was relatively short.
I felt like I had some grit in my left shoe and try as I might, it wouldn’t come out. A short section of fields led us to the base of the climb. I still had an inkling at this time that sub 8 hours was on.
The last is the steepest?
I am not sure if the scrambling section on Ingleborough is harder than Pen-Y-Ghent but it felt like it. The greasy wet rocks did their best to knock the stuffing out of tired bodies and 3 Peaks newcomers like me.
Steep rocks made anyone who dare look up, down, or back very dizzy.
Howling wind and lashing rain meant water dripped from, my face, my jacket, my rucksack and even my watch, and all the time, when I did look up it was to see a line of poor souls further along the ridge bent double into the wind.
The climb gave way to a steep grassy section and the final ridge to the summit.
Visibility on the summit plateau was virtually nil but I was determined to get a photograph of each of the three trig points. I was cold through now and the descent from Ingleborough was a thoroughly miserable affair.
I was not sure how far it was back to Horton but every time I went round a corner, lines of walkers were ahead of me trooping off into the distance.
No one was speaking. The socialising was forgotten. Family groups were now strewn all over the Yorkshire Dales. Everyone had expressions only usually seen on the terraces of a losing football team.
Willing the ordeal to end. I daren’t stop for fear that I wouldn’t get started again.
With endless splashing through puddles and muddy fields, everyone trudged onwards and gently downwards.
Finally civilisation.
I could see the traffic on the main road through Ribblesdale. It was getting larger. I knew the end must be within sight. I tried to pull back my sopping wet sleeve to see my watch.
Then Pen-Y-Ghent came into view, or rather it didn’t. Where I had been just a few hours earlier was now shrouded in mist and clouds.
The final agony
A natural limestone pavement near the bottom forced me to pick my way gingerly through. Hard limestone made my singing feet beg for mercy. And I still couldn’t get that grit from my shoe.
And so back to the village
Eventually, the village of Horton In Ribblesdale came into view.
The path crosses the railway line but I wasn’t sure where to go. 8 hours had gone, 8:30 and even now 8:45.
Might I miss 9 hours at the last minute?
Following the road round - I came up to the car park and the Cafe. I approached the cafe, stopped my watch and that was it. Finished.
It was the strangest feeling I have ever had.
In the last 20 + years, I have finished around 50-60 triathlons and dozens and dozens of Duathlons, Aquathlons, 10k’s, 5k’s and fun runs. Even at the lowliest club race, the finish line has a bit of an atmosphere, but here, nothing. OK it was my choice to time and do this myself (we had agreed previously that Mrs RR would remain back at the campsite if the weather was bad), but it seemed funny not to receive some sort of reception.
Into the cafe to clock back in and the man behind the counter gave me an "invitation" to join the club.
I couldn’t write!
My hands weren’t cold but I found it very hard to write my address on the membership application form. It was all I could do to press the buttons on the credit card machine to buy my tie.
I made my shivering way back to the car. 5 minutes in the car with the heater on and then getting out into the driving rain at the campsite was a good way to get even colder.
I picked my way through the deserted, sodden, campsite, shivering violently.
People were sat in caravans watching sport on TV drinking cold beer.
I had that "never again" feeling.
Mrs RR helped me dump my wet stuff and I stripped, redressed and got into bed.
Laid on the bed, a strange feeling came over me and wild thoughts:
This challenge was nothing to do with road running.
The 3 Peaks of Yorkshire does not have the same popular appeal as say the London Marathon or the respect of an Ironman Triathlon.
The 3 peaks aren’t particular the highest mountains in the UK and even most British people will never have heard of them.
Was piggy backing the charity walkers cheating?
And then I thought - would I do it again?
Oh Yes ! Of course I would… - and if you don’t know why, then you obviously haven’t read this post properly.
The grit?
Was actually a large bullet shaped blister on the side of my left heel.
I must now acknowledge that after 9 hours of walking in dry, wet and even treacherous conditions that in any other shoes or walking boots my feet would have been in a much worse state.
The XT Wings were in fact very comfortable to walk and climb in although as a road running’ trainer’ I found them quite heavy to run in. Thank you to Salomon and to Nokia for giving me the ability to have such an experience
The whole thing of distance has always fascinated me. Tracking distance may be old school. (Most elite athletes track training time) but for us age groupers, it is always interesting.
I once read that when Polar were researching the development of the footpod. They concluded that most sub elite/age groupers (their target market) weren’t too bothered about GPS (and also some people run in heavily wooded areas also…) but how they performed over the same course. I think the footpod uses some type of micro-ball bearing technology to measure distance.
So I decided to run a test.
The distance to the lane near my house is 2.4 Km (For American readers, thats a mile and a half).
So I ran at a very easy pace with my footpod AND the NokiaN82. (Feeling a little weighed down..)
Here are the results
The footpod showed 2.1km, a max speed of 10.6km/hour and an average of 8.1km/hour
The Nokia N82 2.8km (and some deviations into the surrounding fields also…)
An average speed of 10.4km/hour and a max of 56km/hour. (No I’m not that fast - presumably, it was jumping over a puddle?)
Howewer, when putting them on the other day, I noticed a strange thing.
How far they actually lifted me from the floor. Because I run in what most runners would call racing flats most of the time, this felt like I was wearing heels.
The kind people at Nike sent me a sportband to test and review a few weeks ago.
Time pressures meant that I was unable to write a review until now. So here goes.
The unit itself comes packed like an expensive watch but looks like a slightly larger version of a charity wrist band. Overall, it looked pretty flimsy and the words “sealed unit” rang alarm bells that it is disposable. Not very eco-friendly, Nike.
There is also a little plastic disc with no obvious way of attaching itself to anything. Presumably there is a “custom holder” available to buy from somewhere but as I run sockless 95% of the time, I really don’t want anything in my shoe..
The minimal instructions just point you to the website to download the software. (Definite plus point – no one reads instructions anyway.)
So I went along to the website and downloaded the software.
And when I came to install it, nothing. Nada, Zip,
This is what happened.
So overall, it didn’t (or rather wouldn’t) work for me.
And to be honest, I don’t really think the rest of the world is too interested that I covered my favourite course 20 seconds quicker than last month.
This is the sort of device (if you can get it to work) that is a nice to have. It won’t make you a better runner. Although it may give you some motivation should you need it.
Capturing vital feedback from runners on your race is essential.
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You will not only save on advertising but you get a reputation as a “must do race”
But how to do this?
An army of people at the finish with clipboards and pens stopping runners the moment they have finished is very old school and labour intensive..
What if you could capture vital information from runners whilst they are in the comfort of their own home?
Well now you can
With the roadrunning.net online race review survey service
We can provide a unique web link for runners to give you feedback and information.
Just let us know what you want to find out and we can work with you
How far do runners travel to your race?
Would they recommend it to a friend?
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With staging an event becoming ever more expensive and the so called “credit crunch” meaning that everyone is watching their cost - you need cold hard facts to base your business decisions on.
What makes roadrunning.net so expert at this?
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Questions
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Most people like to have there say and will jump at the chance to tell you if something is wrong.
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Because you can move into what marketers call “permission marketing” – where you actively seek to build up a relationship with people.
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As I posted before, camping further out of Horton would mean an earlier start. BUT crucially, the campsite would have something for the junior roadrunners to do. (A Park/playground).
A field with a tap in the corner and some out of date toilets is OK for a nights stop over but not for a basecamp.
So the final decision is that we are going to Knight Stainforth Hall and it is now booked.
More worringly, I have not been for a long walk in the salomon’s and that is this weekend’s job.
Accommodation in the Yorkshire Dales can be very expensive. Loads of second homes and £1000 a week cottages for rent.
So camping it is then
And making this decision coincides with almost 3 days of constant rain in the UK.
There are a couple of campsites in Horton in Ribblesdale (the start and finish of the 3 Peaks) but Mrs Roadrunning.net expects a little more than a field with a tap in the corner… However nice the views are…
So we are currently looking further afield
But the problem is that further afield means walking to the start is not an option.
Mrs Roadrunning.net will be googling around later today.
Even 10 miles in the Yorkshire Dales can take over half an hour in the car, such is the terrain.
So this creates another problem
The 3 peaks challenge allows 12 hours for the 3 mountains.
I was thinking of 7am - 7pm but thats looking like being moved to 8am - 8pm if we have to drive to the start…
– Just make sure you can get the 
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