There’s a Spy in My Shoe!
Posted in Soul to Sole on February 18th, 2010 by connie
Some days I walk, some days I run”
Elizabeth Wills, “One by One”
from her newly released CD, “Love Comes Home”
************************************************************
by Connie Strong
Let’s start with honesty: exercise has never been my forte. I’d much rather be reading a good book, watching a sappy movie (and never—but never—forget the “Coke, popcorn with extra butter, please, and a box of Junior Mints.”), or cleaning cabinets. In fact, I’d rather be given a root canal than a gym membership. But my love of quality music led me to Lane, and Lane led me to the Nike®+ Challenge—and now there’s a spy in my shoe.
Equipment. I had to make an effort to purchase what I needed for the task at hand. I passed the dress shops, the make-up counters, a Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table (the ultimate challenge) and a host of great restaurants on my way to get my goodies. I reached my destination–a Nike store– and approached the very fit (of course), young (of course) man who would be my guide to getting me “up and running.”
I needed a pair of Nike+-ready shoes, a sensor, and an IPod receiver. (The Nano IPod, I had!) Fit Young Man tells me that all of this would cost in the neighborhood of $100, depending on the shoes I would choose. I rationalized that this is quite a deal considering I have a $600 treadmill that is now a very expensive clothes hanger, a $250 weight bench and a library full of exercise videos dating back to the days when Jane Fonda donned her pink and white leotard and cried “Feel the burn!”
Before leaving the store, goodies in hand, Fit Young Man assures me that this will be a “walk in the park”—no pun intended. All I would need to do is accept The Bugle Boy Foot Soldiers Challenge, insert the sensor into my new lime green Nikes, and plug the receiver into my IPod. During my walks, a chipper voice will coach me upon request (selecting Menu on my IPod), and upon finishing, my results would be transmitted to The Bugle Boy Foot Soldiers Challenge site, and Nike. My spy would tell all: the date I worked out, the duration, the MPH, the distance and the calories burned, all neatly graphed and downloaded on the Internet (via iTunes ) for the world to see. I was beginning to not like my little spy very much…
I was assured by Fit Young Man that my sensor battery will last over 1000 hours. (!) He did not find the same degree of humor in this fact as I did. Math and numbers are about as much my forte as exercise, but even I can figure out that 1000 hours is a long, long time in terms of exercise! I left with a sneaking suspicion—and a healthy dose of fear– that my battery would outlive my exercise commitment.
But then suddenly, the rain stopped, the sun peaked through the clouds and my little pair of lime green shoes began to call me (My spy, perhaps?). I laced up my new walking shoes and hit the trail. When prompted, Chipper Voice told me exactly how fast I was going, how long I had been at it, and how far I had gone. And meanwhile, Marcia Ball’s music was setting a great pace via my IPod. Life was good! And for the moment, I had made peace with Chipper Voice and The Spy.
************************************************************
It’s Week One and so far, so good. Fit Young Man would be proud. I’ve discovered it’s not about competition, it’s, indeed, about challenge. I’ve decided I’d rather hear the sound of my shoes hitting the pavement, than the sound of my arteries slamming shut! I invite you to take The Challenge with me. It’s not about age, or ability—it’s about movement. Anything is more than nothing at all. It’s about health.
So, if you see a gal with a big smile on her face, jamming to her IPod while walking down a country road or perhaps a jogging path (??), be kind: it could be me. Check in with this little blog site to see how I’m doing; read about my “adventures”, or misadventures. I have no choice but to be honest, no cheating. After all, there’s that pesky little spy in my shoe. ~
To join us: http://www.thebugleboy.com/footsoldiers/.
