Yesterday I visited the Sutton Runner to get some professional advice on purchasing running trainers. If you are beginning running I thoroughly advise you to speak to a professional. I read it would be important do this to know what type of feet I have. I learnt at the Sutton Runner I am flat footed and would therefore require some cushioning in the arch and more solid and higher sole on the inside of the trainer to prevent my foot rolling onto the flat every time I made contact with the ground. This keeps the ankle straight which in turn keeps the knee straight, preventing unnecessary injury. This was learnt by firstly wearing a neutral trainer and running on a treadmill with a digital camera positioned behind to capture the feet and ankles on contact with the treadmill. Sutton Runner showed me in slow motion playback how my ankles were not straight and highlighted the amount of roll to the inside foot with the neutral trainer. The difference with the cushioned trainer was remarkable. I also learnt that running trainers need to be a size larger than regular footwear as the foot expands during running. Without this advice I would’ve bought a neutral pair of trainers in my regular size. Most likely a few months down the line I would be complaining of knee and ankle problems and decide running wasn’t a sport for me.

The trainers that were recommended were from the Nike+ range which is what I was hoping for. I had been eyeing up the integrated iPod hardware which places a sensor in to the trainer and a receiver into the bottom of the iPod. The receiver also contains software which lets you know through the iPod interface how long you have been running on a particular workout, distance and average pace. There is also a number of preset workout types to choose from. Goals for distance, time and amount of calories burnt can be set. Once the goal is reached a voice prompt lets you know. Another very cool feature is the PowerSong which can activate a favourite tune to give that extra bit of drive whenever you are flagging. This is activated at any time by holding down the iPod central button for a few seconds. Once a run is complete the iPod gets plugged into a computer and through iTunes all the run data is sent to a Nike+ profile. This then builds graphs where progress can be monitored as more and more run data is entered into the system. Nike+ is even integrated with Google Maps so the route taken can be plotted.

This is all good but what really excites me about Nike+ is the social aspect. I can see where others in my area have run by viewing their maps. I can also set challenges like ‘who can run the most amount of miles in a month’ with the Nike+ community or just my selected friends. There are a whole number of training regimes to choose from too which can be tailored to your needs. After my first run I also get an MSN type mini-me which can be customised and placed on a Web site by grabbing the code or as a widget on Facebook. Tom Nixon has been using Nike+ for a while now and wrote an accurate and comprehensive analysis of Nike+ and its services after a month of use. I agree with what Tom has said about the Flash interface being clunky and that Nike could really make this system much better by opening up the API for developers.

All in all I am very happy with my purchase. I have some great running shoes which are going to keep me fit and in action and as an added bonus and inspiration a gadget which tracks loads of data for me and keeps me socially connected with the Nike+ community.