[running with ginger 2: Nike+ GPS]

Ginger and I are back with another product review!!

Today's product is Nike+ GPS.

Image from here

This app is more serious in many ways but it does have some really fun features built in to spice things up.

Cons
I have to say there aren't many things I dislike about this particular app. I guess I don't have much to say for this section then!

I do have one small complaint: I wish there was a custom option for time or distance. When you select to receive notifications at set times you can only have them at 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes or 15 minutes.  For distances you can get notifications at 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile, 1 mile or 2 miles. You can set a custom time or distance to try and run for, just not for notifications. A friend recommended doing intervals of 2 minutes running followed by 2 minutes walking. Unfortunately in order to do this sort of run I would have to set the 1 minute alert and then every other alert change from running to walking or vice versa. I tried it once and found the 1 minute alerts extremely annoying.

Pros
There are so many things I love about Nike+ GPS. When you open the app it shows how many miles you've run using the app total, the number of runs you've gone on, your average pace, how much time you've spent running and how many calories you've burned. I love seeing the numbers climb! My favorite feature is the miles that I've run. Currently I've run 42.47 miles using the app, plus all the times I used other apps or didn't use any app at all. From there you can chose whether you want to start a new run, outrun your friends or select a challenge.

There are three options for new runs: basic, time or distance. I love having all 3 options. Basic runs have no time or distance set. It still tracks you but you're not striving for a specific time or distance. The time or distance options allow you to set a distance or amount of time you want to run for. They give you an update when you're halfway there. The time and distance options give you a little motivational speech when you're nearing your goal.

I love how perky the app is. Even if you're doing a basic run an athlete or celebrity (who also enjoys running) will tell you when you're close to breaking a time or distance record. They cheer you on and tell you how great you're doing. I'm not into the whole celebrity thing but I do love having people tell me I'm doing a great job. Let's be honest: who doesn't like that?!  When you finish your run the app tells you your distance, total time and average pace. You also get a congrats for important milestones such as fastest average time, furthest distance, and if you've run more miles this week then last. Sometimes they randomly congratulate you for just getting out there. It's important to remember that just going on a run at all is a huge accomplishment so I'm glad the app keeps that in mind too.

That brings me to another favorite feature. Have you ever gone to a marathon? You know the sound the crowd makes? The cheering, the noise makers, etc? Well you have an option to post to Facebook that you're going on a run. If your friends hit like or comment on the app post you hear the sounds of people at a marathon cheering. It's so unbelievably inspirational to know that your friends and family are supporting you, especially when you're out there struggling through a run.

You can incorporate music, set notifications at certain times or distances or just run with the app silent. Of course they track the normal stats: distance, time, average pace, etc. You can also record how you felt on your run, what the conditions were, etc.

I haven't tried it yet but the app also offers a form of tag you can play with friends. You can select who gets to be "it" from 3 different options: (1) the person who runs the shortest distance is it, (2) the person who runs for the shortest amount of time is it or (3) the person to get out there and start a run is it. There's also an option to challenge yourself to outrun your last distance, time or speed.

Conclusion
Overall the app is a wonderful way to track your runs and improve them. I have to say this was another one that was worth every penny ($1.99 from the app store). From options to run inside or outside, challenge yourself or just run with no real goal in mind, listen to music or run in silence, this app has an option for everyone.