Thursday, May 2, 2013

My Nike Sportwatch Review


4.09 Miles For Boston

 Without fail, EVERY SINGLE TIME that I post a pic of my Nike+ Sportwatch on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc., I am flooded with questions about it! People always ask..."Do you like it? What does it do? Is it better than my Garmin? Where do I get one of those? Does it really work?" So I decided to dive in today and give my thoughts on my Nike+ Sportwatch.
  Since I have become a runner, I have ran using many many different GPS tracking devices. I used a Garmin watch for a few years but was never really in love with it. My Garmin served the purpose for what I needed but it was bulky and it would barely hold a full charge all the way through an entire marathon. I moved on after using my Garmin to running with my iphone and downloading all kinds of GPS apps. While some of these are okay and serve the purpose as well, they either did not accurately measure distance or would spontaneously shut off. That's enough to make me nuts!
     Last year for Christmas I received a Nike+ Sportwatch from my Hubby, a total surprise! He had heard me complaining enough that he wanted to give me a new alternative to running without my iphone apps.
     I have to say that I immediately knew I was going to love it simply because it was "white". How cute is that?? I don't feel like it's too bulky and it can actually be worn as a "real" watch even when I'm not running.
     Since I received my new Sportwatch, I have not ran any runs without it. We are like running BFF's now. :) It's lightweight, very user friendly, comes with lots of cool features, is so easy to sync with the Nikeplus.com website and comes with the option of purchasing it with or without the shoe sensor. My hubby bought the white one (which only comes with the sensor) for me. I've used the sensor a couple of times to try it out but I primarily run using only the GPS feature. The GPS is powered by Tom Tom and so far I've not had any issues with losing the signal or not accurately measuring the correct distance.

Features: Clock, Run, History, Records, Stopwatch
     This watch is super user-friendly. It gives me options such as Clock, Run, History, Records and Stopwatch. With one click of a button, it can maneuver through these options and I'm all set and ready to go!
     "Clock" is for regular time.
     "Run" is to add a new run.
     "History" is the display of all of my previous runs that are stored on this watch.
     "Records" is the feature that displays all of my Personal Bests. Best 5k, Best pace per mile,
     and Longest Distance Run.
     "Stopwatch" is the stopwatch feature.

 Normal "Time" with backlight, Date and Battery feature
     I love the backlight feature. It is so easy to turn on...simply tap the screen twice and the light quickly comes on. I've even tested it underneath a sleeve. Believe it or not, it shows up and is brightly lit under a sleeve. Pretty cool! It will automatically turn back off after a few seconds.

 I think my watch goes perfectly with my outfit....gotta be cute! :)
Rumpshaker5k in Birmingham, Al. 


After linking to sensors, my watch tells me it's "READY" to start!
 
 All of the "cool kids" have Nike SportWatches! Ready to run at Mercedes Marathon, Birmingham, Al.

  The linking sensors feature does not take nearly as long as my previous watches that I've owned in the past. I would say that the longest I've waited for my watch to sync to the sensors has been 3 minutes. Not too bad!

 Post run with Time, Distance, Average Pace per mile and Calories burned.
     This is one of the pictures that I will regularly post on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. It is an example of my completed run. I have it set for Time complete, Distance, Average Pace Per Mile and Calories Burned. You can change the settings while you are running to show different features on the screen which is cool too. I like to change it up sometimes on the screen.

 Works just as well in the cold weather. 
     I've sweated ridiculously during my runs and I've also frozen my butt off! So far, no change in performance when it comes to the weather and conditions. Performance as far as the watch goes...not my running. LOL.

 I love posting pics of my watch after my runs...love the backlight feature!

 Wore my Nike SportWatch in the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon
I'm a runDisney runner!
     I wore my watch during the 2013 Walt Disney World Half Marathon and Walt Disney World Full Marathon the next day (Goofy Challenge).  It held a charge for both races and never got on my nerves once! I was even worried about the plastic rubbing my wrist the wrong way. After 39.3 miles of running even the smallest of things can make one go bananas. I'm a Nike+ Sportwatch fan for sure now!

Sporting my Bling and my SportWatch at the 2013 Walt Disney World Half Marathon
     If I had to say anything negative about my Nike+ Sportwatch, it would be that there is no "power off" button. The battery runs down and will eventually go dead if you don't charge it back up. At first I was really not a fan of that feature but now, I just make sure to charge it every 3 days or so. So far, I have not had any issues with the battery not lasting long enough.


**More info from Nike.com:
The Nike+SportWatch GPS (with Sensor) powered by TomTom® offers GPS tracking, takes splits, reminds you to run—even remembers your PRs. With a customizable display and both GPS and indoor tracking capabilities, it’s a watch you can take on the road, trail, treadmill or any other terrain.

Tracks Runs Anywhere
GPS combines with the Nike+ Sensor (included) to accurately track your distance, pace, time and calories burned, indoors or out. (The Sensor fits into Nike+ ready shoes only.) Outdoors, GPS technology pinpoints your location to accurately record your time, pace and distance. Indoors, the included Nike+ Sensor uses an accelerometer to give you the same data. Used together, GPS and the Sensor seamlessly calibrate to your pace so you get accurate stats wherever you run, even if the GPS signal gets interrupted.

Motivates and Remembers
The Nike+ SportWatch GPS reminds you to run with Run Reminders, stores your Nike+ history (up to 50 runs) and keeps tabs on your personal records. It even gives you encouragement along the way.

Do More With Nike+
Upload to Nikeplus.com to see your runs—including route and elevation—and set goals. View routes that your friends have run or shared, find the most popular areas to run and share your run activity on Facebook or Twitter. Simply plug the USB contacts on the watch strap into your computer's USB port to upload run data and charge the battery.Monitor Your Heart Rate
You can also get heart rate information by adding a Polar Wearlink+ Transmitter.
Watch Setup
Before your first run with the Nike+ SportWatch GPS, visit nikeplus.com/downloads to download and install the Nike+ Connect Software. Then plug your watch into a USB port on your computer to set it up and charge the battery. Questions? Check out the FAQs.
Care Instructions
  • Avoid wearing this product in White and Volt with dark denim to help prevent discoloration.
  • Wash with warm, soapy water to help treat dirt and stains.
Product Details
  • English interface only
  • One-year limited warranty
Purchase your own Nike+ Sportwatch Here.
**Feel free to track my running progress on NikePlus.com :)

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