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  • Amanda Gray Goshen News city reporter

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August 4, 2012

ON THE RUN: Running to the beat for a good cause in South Bend

By AMANDA GRAY THE GOSHEN NEWS

GOSHEN — Once again, I’ll spend this beautiful Saturday morning not sleeping in, but rather running a race with hundreds of other participants.

Today’s race will be Logan’s Run, benefiting the Logan Center in South Bend, and it will be another first for me — my first 10k, or 10 kilometer race. For those of you not familiar with metric measurements, that’s 6.2 miles.

I’m not worried about the distance; I’ve regularly run seven miles for training for about the last month. I’m just nervous, once again, because this is a first for me.

The run will be held at the University of Notre Dame, my alma mater. I graduated in May, and I’m excited to return to campus, especially because that’s where my love of running began. I learned to love the rhythmic step of my pace, the huff and puff of my breathing and feeling the power of my muscles while running around our two lakes, football stadium and wide, grassy quads.

While running at Notre Dame, I developed the habit of taking my iPod with me. At first, it was just to keep me entertained for the long stretches of time I spent on the road, but I eventually grew dependent on it for the consistency of rhythm. Ask any runner — you have to set a pace somehow, get into the rhythm of your run, or it will not be a fun trip out.

So, with a handy-dandy arm band (purchased from Wal-Mart for around $8) and my earbuds, I was able to put together playlists that help me set my pace, which is a little under nine minutes per mile for longer distances.  

However, I have discovered that playing music isn’t all my iPod can do.

On this running journey, I’ve been lucky enough to also lose nearly 25 pounds, a feat accomplished through healthy eating, lots of cardio and some strength training.

My iPod helps with all three.

To get a little technical, I have a third generation iPod touch, one of the models where you can download applications from the internet for all sorts of uses. I have downloaded, among others, applications to track what I eat, give me strength workouts and track my running distances.

The one “app” I want to highlight is my run tracker — mainly because Nike has developed some very cool technology to help runners keep up with all they do.

If you buy certain Nike shoes, you’ll see that the name will say “Nike+.” For example, I own a pair of Nike+ Free Run 3s, the best running shoes I’ve ever owned. These special shoes have a spot for a sensor, which can be purchased through Nike or through an Apple Store for around $19. The sensor, once inserted in the shoe, works with special technology with any iPod touch (third generation or later) or iPhone, or a receiver that can be attached to an iPod nano.

Once calibrated, this sensor works through an app called “iPod + Nike,” which tracks the distance of runs, your split times (the time of each mile or kilometer of a run), and even uses playlists to keep you running. No longer is your iPod just for music — it’s for a well-rounded fitness program.

All of these stats are then uploaded to a web-based account, found through nikeplus.nike.com, where you can keep track of all of your miles, achievements and even the condition of your shoes.

So, you can rest assured that I will have my white earbuds in my ears while at the race.

Though, I have a caution if you want to use music while running. Make sure you have the volume set at a proper level so you can hear traffic, other runners and any other noise that will help keep you safe.

Happy running! If you want suggestions for music to run to, including my playlists, or fitness apps to download, feel free to email me at amanda.gray@goshennews.com.

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The U.S. Census Bureau reported last week that Goshen’s population increased to 32,064 in 2012. It’s the first time the city has eclipsed 32,000 residents. Do you think population growth is good for the city?

Yes, having more people increases the tax base and strengthens the community
No, continual growth has made for overcrowding in schools and overwhelmed infrastructure.
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