Nike+ sports band problems
I’ve added this to the bottom of my main sports band post that I wrote back in June, as a lot of people are still reading it (it’s consistently one of my most popular posts, which is better than everyone coming here to read my dodgy review of The Devil Wears Prada). But I thought I’d post my addenum here to as well.
I know a lot of people have been and still are reading this post since I posted it in June (1,482 as I type). I’m still running, the Human Race is on Sunday and eek I think I might just be able to do it, although I’ve only run a maximum of 8.67km so far!
But I’m posting because I came across this thread on the Nike forums about the sports bands, I’m not sure if you can see the thread without logging in, so in summary the thread is about faulty sports bands, it seems like there are an awful lot of them out there. The display on my sports band is faulty with what looks like leaking LCD at the bottom left corner and on the right edge of the screen, it’s still just about readable and not wanting to part with it during my training build up to the Human Race I haven’t returned it. Looking at the forum it seems quite a lot of people have had the leaking LCD problem but even more people have had problem with moisture getting into the display unit and ruining it, just from sweating, which of course you would do from running, from running in the rain or in humid conditions. I’m obviously not that sweaty then and amazingly considering this miserable summer I haven’t run in the rain with it yet and humid, don’t make me laugh. But it is a worry, specially considering guess what the weather forecast is for this Sunday’s race? Having read through the very lengthy thread, apparently some stores in the States no longer recommend you buy sports bands as they are too faulty and rumour has it they are now not for sale in Japan at all. There are rumours of a generation 2 sports band eventually coming out and right now like a lot of people have said, it feels like we’re beta testers and paying for the privilege.
Having said all that I am grateful for the encouragement that the sports band has given me in my running, I’ve run without anything to monitor my progress before and I had trouble making it even to 5k race standard now with the sports bands help I’ll probably just about stagger round the 10k route on Sunday, although just looking at the route map makes me feel faint! So I’ll continue using my sports band, I just hope the display doesn’t get worse, apparently the hole in the back of the strap doesn’t help with the moisture problem, so I may do something to block that hole up, but god help me if it rains when I do that 10k as I’ll spend all my time worrying that I’m about to finish my sports band off and that is not something that I should be worrying about.
Sorry yet I’m glad to hear of the faulty problems associated with the sports band. I am by far not on the level of a runner as you but I do enjoy running (as well as blading, cycling). I am looking for a distance tracking system as well as calories burned. What do you suggest if anything at this time? I only run about 3 to 4 miles 4 or 5 times a week. I spin two days a week and just would like some sort of confirmation that I’m burning something/working in the right direction…? Any comments or suggestions will be most appreciated. Thanks.
Hi Vera
After hearing about all the reports of fogging on the sportsbands, specially after running in heavy rain, I was really worried about my sportsband when I ran my 10k race because the rain was torrential, but it was fine. My only criticism of it during the race was that it under recorded my distance, the race was 10k but it said I’d only run 9.2k and I can only assume that it’s been doing that all the time.
I’ve heard that monitoring systems involving GPS are good, but very pricey. I’d recommend going into a ‘proper’ sports shop, i.e. not a sports chain more concerned with how fashionable their stock is and ask advice. My local running friends are always raving about a particular independent one near me and I think that’s the key, it’s got to be independent. Good luck with your search and the running! Since my 10k, during which I injured my stomach muscles, I haven’t run since, first it was my stomach, then a bad cold, then I tripped over and bust open my knee and badly bruised it and now I have another cold! At least that’s all happened after the race!
J.
Glad to hear I am not the only one with a leaking sportsband. The plus side to the band was that it encouraged me to push myself further and of course the downside now is that the band has gone completely black and is totally useless. So I think I will wait to see what comes out next.
I have a nike sportsband and left it in the kitchen while the T was being cooked and it misted up and the display went of so i put it in the airing cupbaord and eh presto it cleared up and the display is back on.