In times before GPS trackers, the guy in me wanted to know how to track runs. Of course you “needed” the Nike+ shoe, which had a corresponding compartment under the sole in which the chip could be stored. You also needed a Nike+ account, which was still a full-flash application that was second to none at the time. The graphs were displayed colorfully and animatedly, which greatly increased the coolness factor.
It was normal that after completing the running activity, you didn't go straight into the shower, but instead you first plugged the iPod into the computer and started the iTunes sync. After the shower, you went back to the computer with no hair on and clicked through your Nike+ profile with sparkling eyes. Great.
To my knowledge, the first social network for sports.
Inspired by what was, to my knowledge, the first social network dedicated to sports, I strived for more. Nike also did it quite cleverly, because by not just adding up the kilometers run but also receiving NikeFuel, a performance evaluation unit invented by Nike, everything got a different touch. When you cross predefined hurdles, you get badges. Gamification took hold and turned achieving your own goals into a game. Great.
The striving for more and the actual ignorance about the sport of running would soon bring my “running career” to a halt. I decided out of nowhere to start a long run. I wanted to walk around the Müggelsee. One circumnavigation is approximately 20 kilometers. I started ambitiously and realized after (at least) 16 kilometers that I was simply not up to the challenge at all. Unfortunately, by this point I had completely overdone it and couldn't really walk for a week afterwards. Somehow I lost drive and stopped running for several years.
Somehow I lost drive
The second attempt at my running career was also stimulated by a technical device. Now there was the iPhone and GPS tracking apps. More specifically, there was RunKeeper. Now it was possible not only to record the data but also to observe the progress live on the display. There were mileage splits and live broadcasting to my friends on Facebook and Twitter. Great.
Since I live in one of, if not the most beautiful suburbs of Berlin, I enjoy my runs by the water and through the forest. There is also Berlin's highest "mountain" where you can do some stair training or a trail run.
That's how it works here...