Hi bro, the nike+ sportband is also a great cheap alternative.
Besides the usual heart rate, distance, calories etc you can also upload your run data into your pc to check your progress and to plan your exercises.
And don't worry about the sensor like i mentioned in my post earlier, u don't need nike shoes for it.
You can just attach it to the shoes ur currently using.
And best of all, it's RM229.
Pretty cheap for something that can track your running distance.

Watch:


Sensor:


This post has been edited by strinq: Oct 22 2009, 02:10 PM

Thanks phoenix for the encouragement. Yeah, I have no pressure at all for all I'm thinking is that I'm just running for myself and not competing against anyone (I dun think its impossible for me to win against all those Kenyan's Running Cyborgs out there. They're born to be runners). At the end of the day, I just want to have a fitter body and a healthy lifestyle, that's all. For me finishing 21k for KL Marathon last June, 11K Siemens Run, 21k Adidas King of the Road last Aug, 21k Penang Marathon next month and hopefully finishing 42k Singapore Marathon this December is such a great achievement already. It's a great improvement from just simply running 5k runs last year. I'm just 29 and I know I still have more races to go.

By the way guys, I've found this site runnersworld.com to be very helpful. I got a lot of tips on how to train. Now I'm following this training program here The Rookie Marathon Training Program and I'm on my 10th week already. Do you have any other resource for training plans except for what's there in Runnersworld?

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Added on October 22, 2009, 2:17 pmwhoa! This is kinda cheap. I check for Forerunner 50 watch + heart-rate monitor and it's cause more than RM500. THis is the way to go man. Where can I buy this stuff? Has anyone ever tried using this?

This post has been edited by Johannbeckham: Oct 22 2009, 02:20 PM

runnersworld has lots of info. you can also try this http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/index.html

all the best in your races.

thanks dude! The site looks neat.

You can get it at any Nike outlets, saw them in a few places already.
You just got to figure out how to secure the sensor to your shoes.
They have really cheap ways online from a holder as low as USD1.50 that ties it nicely to your shoe laces.
Wait, it doesn't have a heart rate monitor, my bad.
But its like ultimate simplicity.

If U dun need to track the intensity of Ur training, then it's fine la. But then, I'm puzzled as to how do they calculate calories burnt without heart rate info. I think it's more accurate with heart rate data. I mean, logically, if U run at 100% for 5K at 20 mins, would U burn the same amount of calorie if U just walk the 5K for an hour ?

They need you to input your weight and such into the watch.
Distance + time to run the distance + weight should be pretty ok. Don't know the formula that they are using though but definitely sounds plausible.

Most training programs I've seen only specify the distance or time U have to run, plus at what pace. They dun put there how hard U have to run, in terms of heart rate la. So, actually, U'll do just fine with Nike Sportsband.

I also check out these sites : Cool Running and Active.com Running microsite.

Im just curious, is there such a website where they give free training plan for marathons that does not just have distance, pace or time you have to run but also the intensity of the run in terms of heart rate? It is really cool if there is such so that if ever I consider buying Garmin Forerunner watches, I can better maximize it's full capacity.

strinq: The Nike+ SportBand does not track heart rate. My review of it here. http://runnerzcircle.blogspot.com/2009/09/...ortband-20.html

tenno: Calories consumption is actually based on your overall body weight. The heavier the person, the more calories will be burn. When running the setup of the Nike+ SportBand, there will be a space to input the user's weight.

This post has been edited by phoenix: Oct 22 2009, 03:44 PM

Hmmm, does it measure laps?
Seems to me that it just measures the overall run.

I dunno if U can register for Polar's Personal Trainer if Ur not a Polar user. But U can just try la. Polar Personal Trainer website have training program with intensity. Go check it out at Polar Personal Trainer

phoenix : Noted & thanks.

This post has been edited by tenno: Oct 22 2009, 03:59 PM

strinq: Please read my review on both the original and 2.0 edition.

* If you guys roughly want to know how much your calories consumption is for an hour, you can use this formula. Just an estimate but may be useful for planning your energy intake during races.

0.15 (easy run) or 0.16 (moderate run) or 0.17 (hard run) X 60 minutes X body weight in KG.
For example mine will be: 0.17 X 60 minutes X 48.5KG = 494.7kcal an hour

This post has been edited by phoenix: Oct 22 2009, 04:09 PM

Frank, thanks for the formula. this really help, can't afford a fancy watch yet.

This post has been edited by steveysl: Oct 22 2009, 04:28 PM

Haha, im interested..near my house oni...but 12km..

No!!!! Raining!!! Arrrgghhh feel very sayang to try my new shoes...

phoenix did read ur review. I read too fast missed the sentence about the split timing being missing lol.
Seems really wrong for a running watch not to have split timing...

well I can get it for u cheaper

So happy today...my first ever 10km run...actually felt a huge sense of accomplishment.


1 hr 5min 10sec

Felt like I could go further but at the risk of collapsing.
One Question, anyone here ever collapsed before in a run? Be it in a casual/training/competition run?
Curious to know.

haha I 6km den can faint liao

How can u faint running 6km when you can run 5km in 18min...
Haha, u joking izzit?