5k distance and Nike+

Hi everyone,

I've been doing Couch to 5k, and I'm on week 7 right now. I have my first 5k coming up next Saturday, but I'm having trouble with my Nike+. I started doing my runs outside yesterday. I traced my route first on Google Maps at just over 5k and used that as my guide. When I ran it, Nike+ told me I had run (wait for it!) 8k. I have no idea why my Nike+ might be so far off. I really like using the program because it talks to you as you go, but I'm not sure how to adjust for this issue. I tried calibrating, but it didn't seem to do anything. Does anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks!

Replies

  • EricNCSU
    EricNCSU Posts: 699 Member
    I'm not familiar with Nike+ but does it use a GPS? If not it will be off (but 2 miles is WAY off). I use my Garmin and even it is off by a little butt of course it's really close.
  • graycaro
    graycaro Posts: 71 Member
    I'm using the sensor in my shoe. Maybe I should try the app that uses my phone's GPS instead.
  • EricNCSU
    EricNCSU Posts: 699 Member
    Hmmmm ok.. well I know you have to calibrate the footpods to your stride length to measure the distance, but I imagine like any pedometer it will not be very accurate. Galloway's does a phone app that uses GPS I believe. But there are several to choose from. MapMyRun is another good one.
  • bltrexler
    bltrexler Posts: 180 Member
    I would calibrating on the treadmill first. I have a long stride and was not accurate until I calibrated with a 1 mile distance of running. I think you can get away with as little as .25mile but the longer the better
  • manda1002
    manda1002 Posts: 178 Member
    try using runkeeper. its free, and will give you little updates on how fast/far you've gone and all that fun stuff :)
  • apetrusha
    apetrusha Posts: 5 Member
    Did you ever get this resolved? I just got a Nike+ and have the exact same problem. It's WAY off. I'm trying to calibrate it using a high school track for measuring distance. But when I have it in calibration mode, it keeps telling ME how far I've gone, which doesn't make sense since I'm trying to calibrate it to MY distance. Weird. Anyway if you know how to fix that by now, I'm all ears.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    I have a friend that works at Nike and sent me a Nike+ for free to test out when I first starting running. I tried using it on the treadmill numerous times and it never matched the distance recorded, if it stayed connected the whole time. I even wear Nike shoes that have the little area for the Nike+ under the insole and don't use it.

    Instead I use the RunKeeper app on my phone. It's not 100% perfect, but it records the same distances for me on every one of my trail runs in the same way and has been within a tenth of a mile of distances measured out for races I've run.
  • I use the runkeeper as well, and found it very handy especially with the updates. I have found it accurate in it's distance too!