I got home from work early with plans to go running. I got down to the gym, turned on the treadmill, started warming up, turned on my iPod, clicked Nike+ iPod, and got this message:
"Connect receiver before beginning workout."
I unplugged the receiver and put it back in...several times....nothing.
I called Ben for as assist as to how to reset my iPod. He started to tell me "press a couple buttons simultaneously". Yeah, I got that part, look on the internet for me, please.
Tried resetting several times. Same thing.
"Connect receiver before beginning workout."
I considered going back up stairs. I considered running anyway. But, seriously, what would I do if I ran and couldn't log the miles? I was standing on the treadmill, after all.
Still, I couldn't run. I decided it was the sign to do some cross training & got on the elliptical. Formerly I elliptical trained almost exclusively as my cardio workout.
I was bored. Seriously bored despite watching David Letterman on Oprah. Bored.
Why would I be bored on the elliptical and not when I run?
I mustered 30 minutes.
I came upstairs to try to fix my iPod. I charged it fully. Reset it a couple times. Synced it. All to no avail.
I searched the internets. Nothing.
I remembered that when I synced yesterday I also downloaded a new version of iTunes. Had this new iTunes sabotaged my Nike+ iPod?!
Would I ever run again?
Nike+ says the sensor (the shoe part) needs to be replaced after about 1000 hours of use as the battery dies. They sell a separate replacement sensor indicating that the receiver should continue working indefinitely. All the more confounding.
Ben's solution was to wait a while to see if other people were having problems with the new version of iTunes & Nike+. Was I not going to run for a week? No.
I decided the easiest thing was to go buy a new Nike+ kit. All the easier as we live across from the Best Buy.
Ten minutes later. Plugged in, and viola. All fixed. Good as new. My running career is intact.
While I was writing this I did some math:
735 miles at an average of 14'23'' per mile = 175 hours of running....hmmm..... That's a bit shy of 1000 hours. However I guess the wear and tear over 2 years of use adds up. And for $30 it's not worth the effort of seeing if someone wants to replace it.
In searching the internets, it appears that someone else really wanted to claim the miles he had run when forgetting this Nike+ iPod sensor all together. This comes dangerously close to cheating, but he states he only uses it for good & not evil.