Yet I'm still 4 miles ahead of my target. I'm going to send Nike a screenshot of my goal from the Nike+ site to let them know there may be a bug with their goal calculations. I certainly don't think I'll be running 15 miles comfortably each day for the next 2 days :-) This morning Melissa and I completed 4.26 miles in 39:38 or a 9:18 pace according to my newly calibrated iPod Nano so I suspect it is still a little out as far as accuracy by about 50 yards per mile now compared to 200 yards per mile but it is good enough for me.

It occurred to me as we ran this morning that a great new feature for the Sport Kit would be a pacer or pace advisor that you either set before your workout begins or can control as you run. Basically you could not only set the distance but select pace segments or minimally a pace for the whole run. Then, as you run, the voice would give you feedback every 30 seconds or so if you were over a certain threshold above or below your target pace for the last 30 seconds. For example, your target pace is 9:00 per mile so if you were running 9:30 it would let you know that you were 30 seconds slower than your target pace. I think this would be a huge advantage for new runners who may not have the experience to gauge their pace. As it stands you can still do this with the Sport Kit now but it means checking the display over and over which could be dangerous on a busy street. You can also hit the button to hear the announcement but until the kit allows you to customize the announcements to just report pace it is a little long winded when you hear total time, total distance, pace and calories every time.

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I finally made a point of calibrating the Sport Kit this morning after over 5 weeks of threatening to do it! I decided to run downtown to the track at Lake Shore Park where it is rumored Oprah trains. According to my math on WalkJogRun it should be 4.21 miles each way. I reached the track in 34:25 but the Sport Kit expectedly overreported the distance at 4.57 miles. It was 85% humidity for the run according t the weather channel before I left so I made sure to stop and grab water at the fountains every mile or so. At one point I ran towards a fountain but I misjudged the rough ground at the side of the path and turned my ankle. After a couple o stretches I was able to begin running again without pain. When I reachd the track I was suprised to discover that the fountain by the track was pumping out hot water for some reason.

After catching my breath I started the calibration process. To calibrate

• select "Nike+iPod" from the main menu on the iPod
• select "settings"
• select "sensor"
• select "calibrate"
• You see some instructions about how to set your natural running and walking pace for calibration purposes
• click the center button to continue
• You see an option to calibrate your walk or run pace
• select "Run"
• You can either run 400m if you are at a standard track or select Custom to select your own distance
• select "400m"
• select a playlist and then when you are ready it prompts you hit the center button to begin calibration.
• at the end of your 400m track hit the menu button then select end calibration to finish

I double checked the run I had completed on the way to the track but it still showed the same distance and pace so it must only work for runs completed after calibration. I would like Nike to add a feature to their Nike+ website to allow you to apply your calibration to a selection of runs in your history. For example, I don't imagine that if I had alibrated the unit when I bought it and then again today, I don't imagine there would be a significant difference so I would actually prefer the site to update selected runs to reflect a correct pace and distance.

Since I know I tend to walk at the pace of the terminator I decided to calibrate my walking pace too - I'm not sure if it helps tune the unit even further but I doubt I'll be back at the track in the next 5 weeks so I thought it was worthwhile.

After heading inside the Park District Office on site for water from a cold fountain I walked back to the lakefront path. I stood and watched some of the people training for a triathlon swimming up and down from North Beach and then ran back at a deliberate 9 minute mile pace. Immediately I noticed that the pace reported by the iPod Sport Kit seemed far more plausible and it was easy to hold up and stick to 9:00 per mile. Taking in water at each fountain to accomodate for the humidity I felt great heading home to the point that when I saw my building as I turned the corner by the dog beach I hit the "power song" button to boost my speed for the remainder of the run. Bounding along to Outkast's "B.O.B" I upped my pace from 9 minutes per mile to 8 minutes per mile and finished in 38:12. The iPod reported 4.3 miles - much closer to the 4.21 miles than before so it seems the calibration really does improve the accuracy.

I've just finished my breakfast as I write this and taken 2 advil to help with any swelling caused by twisting my ankle. Hopefully I'll be able to get out tomorrow morning too and see if I can creep closer to my 80 mile goal before the deadline next Friday. Basically I have 5 days left to run 35 miles or 7 miles per day. Hmmmm. Like I said yesterday - it's a little disappointing not to hit the target but 80 miles in 4 weeks was always going to be an aggressive target so close after my first marathon.

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This week I feel like I've been drugged every morning when I get up so the whole day has been spent in a daze. This morning is no exception and so it was a sluggish 3 mile run this morning at 30:26. Yawn. I hope something changes today and I start to feel a little more awake all day. Tomorrow I want to squeeze a long run in so hopefully the cobwebs will be gone. I must admit I've been skipping breakfast but I can't imagine that would have such a huge impact on my day.

I've got 6 days left on my 80 mile challenge and I'm only half way there at 36.2 miles in the preceeding 3 weeks. I have at least used the challenge as a motivator to get out and run a little further each week, with this week at 15 miles. I think that once I am done with the 80 miles per week challenge next Friday I'll start a set training plan rather than my ad hoc approach I've been doing since the marathon. Maybe a marathon in late November is doable...

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After 5 consecutive days it caught up with me and I took the morning off from my 3-5 mile runs to enjoy the sunrise from my bed. I love watching the cat bound around the bedroom chasing the light as it peeks through the cracks in the vertical blinds and scatters across the floor. Tomorrow it's back to 3 miles again, probably with Melissa.

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I've been breaking the rest rules and have just returned from my 5th consecutive day of running. I've not been pounding out long miles though - just 3 or 4 mile runs. Today was a slow 4 mile run with Melissa at 39:59 but it felt good to take it back down after a fast one yesterday.

Since I bored a hole in my shoe to house the iPod sensor I've seen much more consistent results compared to the shoe wallet approach. No, I still haven't calibrated it. If anyone knows any tracks closer to Addison and Lake Shoe than the one near Michigan avenue please let me know.

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This morning Lance Armstrong was on my iPod after the Sport Kit reported my run statistics to inform me that I had reached a personal best for the mile of 6:31. It's fun to hear a famous athlete's voice announce your success.

Today I ran a 5k at 7:01 per mile but for the 3rd km I decided to run flat out, hence the fast time. I want to incorporate speed more into these short runs and I have read that switching up your pace like this is a great way to get faster. I'm going to be doing something a little more structured soon but until I work out what I will throw in a fast km somewhere in each run to see how that works. As I finished today I was completely spent and can't remember running as hard since my rugby days over 10 years ago.

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I should have known better than to run towards the mayhem of the Air and Water show given my irritable disposition when it comes to pedestrians. The crowds were flocking early to get a seat so there was the usual trouble of people walking along the path clueless that there are people exercising who risk injury trying to duck and weave around them.

This was my first run with Melissa since she came back from Boston and we made 4.01 miles at 39:12 or 9:45 per mile. The weather was perfect at about 75 degrees and a strong breeze pushing us south for the first half and then holding us back for the second half.

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I thought I was going to hit 6 today but a last minute change of plans due to the failure of the Holiday Inn to block off rooms for our wedding in 5 weeks had me frantically calling around hotels. After the calls I decided to address the problem of my Nike iPod Sport Kit and the inconsistent readings. Specifically, the shoe pocket I had been using appears to have allowed the sensor to flop around too much so I suspect it was missing steps as I ran. The result was that over the same measured 3 mile route I have been training on for months it represented the distance anywhere between 2.6 miles and 3.2 miles.

First I tried some velcro to attach the sensor to my shoe but the velcro was in no way good enough to hold the sensor firm as I run so I went to the alternate plan. Using a craft knife I carved a sensor size hole underneath the innersole of my left Nike Air Triax 9 shoe. Interestingly enough there appeared to be a chamber in the middle of my arch just wide enough to house the sensor at the right depth so that when I placed the sensor in there and replaced the inner sole it was impossible to detect. I'm not sure if I've ruined my shoes by destroying the scientifically created tension or balance of my shoe but the ensuing 3 mile run measured about 100 yards longer than the 3 miles it was supposed to register so I'm satisfied with the solution. I'm going to calibrate it this weekend (yes, I know, I have said that before) and then see how it goes. My feet feel fine incidentally so we shall see if there are any longer term effects after a few weeks and many more miles.

Today I clocked 23:45 for the 3.1 miles or a pace of 7:39 per mile and I feel pretty good. After the ring shopping today if I have enough energy, I may head down to the track near Michigan Avenue and calibrate the sensor there since it's the only track I know of near here.

Oh, and the low flying aircraft title was meant to be a post about how, during the run, an American Airlines 767 flew just a few hundred feet in the air over the lake as I was running. This weekend is the Air and Water show in Chicago and I guess it marks the start of the event. In a post 9/11 world, it freaked me out to see a passenger plane running parallel to Lake Shore drive towards the John Hancock building and the Sears Tower. Since then I've watched a stealth bomber, a refuelling aircraft and what looked like a Tornado come whizzing past our lounge window which looks out over the lake from the 9th floor.

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After my commitment yesterday to running today I managed to get up and run 3 this morning for an average of 8:12 per mile. This week I've only been out twice so far as things have been crazy at work but next week should finally bring some relief. Melissa is home from Boston today too and she usually helps motivate me to run in the mornings.

I'm behind on my 80 miles in 4 weeks challenge at 17.2 miles complete with 13 days left! The Nike+ goal monitor suggests that I am 8.5 miles behind my target but I'm not sure how that works since 13 days is over halfway. To catch up I'm going to have to run 63 miles in 13 days or just under 5 miles per day. An alternative would be 6 miles a day for 6 days a week so I at least get 1 day off. It's a crazy challenge but now I'm feeling a little more energy I may just give it a try.

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I could tell you it's the 6 mile Kayak paddle I did last night to see the fireworks at Navy Pier here in Chicago. I could tell you it was the knock on effect of working until nearly 1am the day before and then waking up at 6am as the company I work for moved offices. Either way I haven't run since Tuesday and with a busy night tonight wrapping up some projects I don't expect to get out today either. Tomorrow morning I'm definitely going out for 3 miles.

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