The Nike+ Human Race

Last Sunday, August 31, I started out on a run down a well-traveled path that I’ve run a thousand times.  To the onlooker, it would appear that I was doing nothing more than starting out for a typical Sunday morning jog.  But this workout was anything but typical, and it was definitely not a jog.  It was a race.  And, although I appeared to be alone, I was actually running beside over a million runners from around the globe.  I was running in the biggest 10K in history:  the Nike+ Human Race.

I’m a race junkie, so when a friend – and fellow Saturn owner – told me about the prospect of running a worldwide race, I was hooked.  I mean, come on…race with the world?  How cool is that?  I had no idea just how cool, until I ran it.

At the risk of sounding theatrical, I have to say that I have never experienced anything like it.  I was running alone, yet with a small band on my wrist and an unnoticeable chip imbedded in my Nike running shoe, I was connected with literally millions of other runners.  We were spread all over the globe -- racing in our own cities and countries, speaking our own languages -- yet with this simple piece of technology, we were running toward the same finish line.  It was an extraordinary experience.

So, the race is over, but the connection I have with these runners is not.  From around the globe, we’re together every time we run.  We can join teams – some are local, some are meant to remain online -- and challenges, get training advice, and keep in touch with each other all while tracking our own progress.  I used to feel alone when I ran.  Not anymore.  Every time I go out, I feel the world cheering me on toward the finish.  No matter where I am.  If you’re a runner, you must give this system a try.  Trust me.  You won’t regret it.