running
QOTD
11:30AM Nick Broughall | I saw this interview on The Daily Show a few weeks ago, where Jon Stewart interviews Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run a book about the Tarahumara Indians and their ability to run hundreds of kilometres using nothing but a pair of sandals. It’s a fascinating interview—you should definitely watch it—but it does lead to a very interesting question. Are all the gadgets we use for running—from the expensive shoes to the Nike+iPod system, pedometers and GPS trackers—really necessary? More »
QOTD: Do You Prefer Running With or Without Gadgets?
11:30AM Nick Broughall | I saw this interview on The Daily Show a few weeks ago, where Jon Stewart interviews Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run a book about the Tarahumara Indians and their ability to run hundreds of kilometres using nothing but a pair of sandals. It’s a fascinating interview—you should definitely watch it—but it does lead to a very interesting question. Are all the gadgets we use for running—from the expensive shoes to the Nike+iPod system, pedometers and GPS trackers—really necessary? More » 
Sports
2:30PM Elly Hart | Shoes weren’t allowed in the house when I was a kid, so I didn’t bother wearing them much — it was an unacceptable waste of my play time to put them on, only to take them off again if I needed to go inside. More »
Your Running Shoes Are Probably Bad For You
2:30PM Elly Hart | Shoes weren’t allowed in the house when I was a kid, so I didn’t bother wearing them much — it was an unacceptable waste of my play time to put them on, only to take them off again if I needed to go inside. More »
Gadgets
You’re No Invisible Pedestrian While Wearing This Headgear
7:00AM Jack Loftus | The Black Diamond Sprinter is designed with the adventurous night runner in mind, but I can just as easily see this headgear transitioning into a lightweight spelunking role…and, yes, there it is — I think I just invented cave running. More »
Gadgets
Nike+ Sportband Reviewed (Verdict: Saves Money On An IPod)
9:40AM Jason Chen | Lisa @ BBG took the long delayed Nike+ sportband (it was announced in April 2008 for an April 2008 release!) for a run. The short of it is that it does what you think it does. More »
Gadgets
Double-Amputee on Cheetah Blades Fails to Qualify For the Olympics
1:40PM Matt Hickey | Oscar Pistorius, double-amputee with carbon-fibre “cheetah” blades failed to qualify for the Olympics. He just missed the needed time in the 400 meter of 45.55 seconds, though it should be noted he posted a new personal best of 46.25. [New Scientist Tech, via Engadget] More »
Science
Nike’s High Tech Team USA Olympic Track Suits Shave Fractions Off Races
11:15PM Brian Lam | This is not a leaked American Gladiators uniform. It’s Nike’s design for the US Olympic Track and Field suits. They’re made from Nike’s proprietarily named (but possibly a poly-nylon blend synthetic) swift materials. Nike claims the socks and arm coverings, with their dimpled surfaces, break up drag to the tune of 12 to 19% in those areas. The suits, Nike claims, can bring a typically sub-10 second run in the 100-meter dash down by .02 seconds. [Gizmag] More »
Science
Sprinter With Two Carbon-Fiber Feet Gets Olympics Thumbs-Up
7:30AM Gizmodo US Edition | Oscar Pistorius is a sprinter with a difference: he runs on two artificial lower legs and feet fast enough that he may qualify for the Olympics. And that’s something he can now attempt, given that the Court of Arbitration for Sport has just overturned a ruling by the International Association of Athletics that had banned him from competing against able-bodied runners. All because of the specialised carbon-fibre Cheetah Flex-Foot prosthetic feet he uses, which represented an unfair mechanical advantage maintained the IAAF. So the advanced artificial limbs, designed after the shape of a Cheetah’s hind leg, were put to the test in the lab. More »
Gadgets
Nike+iPod Patent Shows Heart Rate, Temperature and Hydration Monitors
6:30AM Jason Chen | The main complaints about the current Nike+ Gear aren’t that it doesn’t do a good job keeping track of how far you run, it’s that it doesn’t measure stuff like heart rate, body temperature and other factors runners care about. Nike hears you. Their latest patent for upcoming Nike+ gear expands on the current concept and features all kinds of sensors over a person’s body, even possibly adding a GPS receiver so you can automatically map out the path you took on your run. More »
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