Thursday, July 19, 2012

I Heart my iPod

I thought I’d take another break from SharePoint to talk about another piece of technology that is near and dear to my heart…my iPod Nano. Yes, you read that correctly, I am smitten with a non-Microsoft product. My Windows 7 phone is equipped with a Zune and I actually switched over to that for a while, but ended up going back to the Nano.

When I switched back, I upgrade to the iPod Nano 6th generation. It is a pretty big departure from previous generations. The two biggest differences are the size and the replacement of the iconic wheel with a touch interface. I was hesitant to make the switch as I really like the tactile feel the wheel provided – I use the Nano in the car and was able to pause and skip to a new song without having to pick the device to look at it. In the end, the size ended up being the biggest reason for my upgrade.



This summer I joined a running group called Moms on the Run. We are doing interval training as we work our way up to a 5k. My new iPod Nano is so small and lightweight (and comes with a built in clip) I hardly notice it while I run. It also features a built in Nike Sport Kit which tracks my time, pace, distance and calories burned.


Last night I ran my first race in almost ten years. It was a two mile race and I had two goals:
  • Don’t walk
  • Finish under 20 minutes
I’m happy to report I accomplished both! Music flowing through my Nano flowed throughout the run, but at the very end I used the Power Song feature. Your Power Song is a song you set up ahead of time that you can play at the tap of a button to help motivate you. Here’s mine:

15 comments:

  1. HA! Great song! And congrats on your successful outcome! I got an ipod nano like that for my wife. She, too, runs with it and seems to like it a lot.

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    1. Love it! Only thing that I would change is, skipping to the next song. It's hard to unclip, hit the power button, find the forward button. Otherwise, it's the perfect size and the I love the volume buttons.

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    2. You can double click the wake button to advance a song - I stumbled upon that by accident!

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  2. Enjoyed your post, I have thought many times of trying a nano, but just have not done it yet. I may have to reconsider it. I use my iphone and runkeeper, is the nike sport kit good?

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    1. I really like it - it keeps track of your run history on the device and online.

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  3. Awesome! Congrats on your accomplishment. Great power song too. :)

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    1. Yes! I've had that same powersong for years - it's a classic!

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  4. Congrats! I am not a runner but have aspirations. I just chase my crazy daughter. I do love that song.... Thanks for sharing.

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    1. This is an interval program which has been awesome - in the beginning there was more walking than running and we've eased into it.

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  5. Congrats! I want to be able to run so bad. It has been something I have always wanted to do, but I can never seem to build up the stamina to even run one mile. I have a really old iPod from when they first came out. I don't even use it anymore. I use my Android to stream Pandora and it seems to work out great for me, but then again, I am not taking it out for a jog!

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    1. I used my phone once and it bounced out of my pocket so that was the end of that. I used to have an Android phone and LOVED the Pandora app - sadly, my new phone doesn't have it.

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  6. I joke that I can elliptical circles around people. Run, though? No. I've never been a runner, but I respect those who are. Good for you!

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    1. The elliptical is a great workout thought! And non-impact to boot!

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  7. Awesome. Way to set a goal and see it through. I also use my ipod to inspire and motivate me on my runs. Keep up the training and positive attitude.

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    1. We're doing a 5k in Sept - I'm excited and terrified!

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