Today’s SparkMinute is for the runners and cyclists, looking towards technology and the Web to help them with their workout.
Turn your cell phone into a training device. Bones in Motion’s BiM Active is a virtual coach on your cell phone. Using the GPS chip in your phone, the program measures your speed, distance, and elevation. It creates great workout reports and maps that appear on your phone and the Web. The $10 a month service is currently only available for Sprint and Nextel customers.
Instead of waiting for BiM Active to work with your phone, try Navman’s Sport.Tool line of devices. Strapped to your arm it tracks distance and speed, and will beep if you fall below a set minimum pace. They also have a device for skiers and a waterproof version for swimmers. In my online search, prices varied widely from $70 to $170.
For a zero cost mapping of your run, choose from a host of websites (WalkJogRun.net, Gmap Pedometer, MapMyRun) that offer ways to map your run route over Google Maps. When you travel, use these tools to find run routes that others have already mapped out.
Keep up the pace when you’re running by downloading a Podrunner music mix for your iPod. Produced by DJ Steve, these one hour mixes all run at a fixed beat per minute. Pick the heart pumping rate that’s most in tune with your pace.
And for those of you city runners, the San Francisco Dolphin South End Runners group has running routes with maps available. And if you’re in San Francisco, you have to run through Golden Gate Park.
