Midwest Race-cation day 2: a tale of two expos

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
Actually, it was neither of those! But it has been a Very Long Day...
I started out in Cincinnati, Ohio -- where, because the Flying Pig expo didn't open until noon, I paid a visit to the completely amazing American Sign Museum.

Inside the museum it was a little overwhelming -- some great classic signs, lots of info on pre-electric signs, and then, bam: neon all over!

This reminded me of my childhood -- there was a Big Boy on Aurora when I was little.

My favorite part of the museum was "Main Street", which featured shop fronts, a working neon studio, and some massive neon signs. I was a little surprised at how noisy the signs were -- you could hear the machinery inside making the lights flash.

Then it was time to head into downtown -- though I needed to stop and take a picture of this amazing "Camp Washington" mural on the side of a multi-storey building. Apparently that's the name of the neighborhood...

Got downtown quickly and parked a few blocks from the expo. Of course, the first thing I needed to do in Cincinnati was find this fountain:

Baby, if you've ever wondered....

Then I made my way over to the hotel where packet pickup was being held. This year they split the expo into two buildings -- a hotel ballroom to pick up your bib and bag, then the convention center across a skybridge to pick up your swag and visit the other vendors.
I got in line at around 11:30. People were grousing that the expo didn't open until noon ... but, of course, that was when they *said* they would open, so I don't know why people were complaining! But here's the thing -- the organizers opened the doors early... at around 11:40. Nice touch, Piggies!
Packet pickup was pretty well organized -- bibs by last name, nothing complicated. I had forgotten that there were multiple events -- a 5K, a 10K, a half, and a full. No wonder they have so many people!
On the way over to the main expo hall I ran into this gentleman, who was the first person to ever register for the Flying Pig, years ago, and who will be running his 150th marathon on Sunday. Yeah, he'll be running with the pig hat and the gold wings!
I also want to point out that the volunteer shirts like the one he is wearing say "GRUNT" on the front. GENIUS.

On the way to the expo hall I passed lots of coloring contest submissions, plus some of the swine signs for individual runners (didn't spot one for me, but I'm hoping!), some cute motivational signs, and (best of all), BALLOON ART.

Inside the main hall, the Asics merch was super cute and quite varied. Loved these "baseball shirts" with the pig logo on the right hip. They also were offering the ability to print any graphic on any shirt -- interesting option, and a great way to keep from having too much stuff left over!

This made me laugh a little -- not sure these are actually Asics tutus...

I did end up buying a Flying Pig sticker, cowbell, patch, and pin... but didn't get the pint glass. (I think it makes sense to only get glasses for races Team Wil-Sun runs together, don't you?)
I nearly joined this line by accident -- I thought it was shirt pickup. But, nope -- since the race is sponsored by P&G, if you wait in a long line you're allowed to walk through and pick up products like detergent, dishwashing pods, deodorant, shampoo, etc. etc. Given that I'm traveling with just a carry-on, it didn't make sense to pick up a bunch of big stuff, but clearly people were excited. In another part of the expo, Iams had a big display... but I really didn't need dog food!

There were plenty of other vendors, local running stores, etc., but I of course didn't need anything, so I was on my way in under an hour.

Drove to Indianapolis, got a teensy bit lost, but eventually found my way to the Indy Mini expo. Yes, these helped!

The Indiana Convention Center is massive... but eventually I found the actual hall.

Was a little surprised that the largest half marathon in the world has such a small selection of merchandise... a few shirts, some mugs, keychains, and a sticker. Of course, I may have arrived to slim pickins, given it was the afternoon of the second day of expo!
It's funny -- I got a little lost in the expo hall since it was so open -- not the usual pipe and drape corridors! I wasn't even sure where to go to pick up my bib and shirt -- though as you can see from the picture above, it's well labeled at the back of the hall!
I picked up my stuff, walked around a little, and then decided to go. I just wanted to get to the hotel and get settled... even though it was only 4:30 in the afternoon...
A few thoughts about the two expos...
Flying Pig definitely had the flashier expo -- bigger sponsors, bigger booths, and a visit from Ryan Hall. Flying Pig also had way better merch, and excellent branding. The simple act of keeping -- and using -- the same logo each year, but adding a new theme each year gives them a lot to play with. Merch and branding advantage go to Flying Pig.
Indy Mini had a lot going for it. I loved this big screen showing video of the course. It was nice to have a preview of what I'll be running tomorrow, and seeing the lap on the track made me pretty giddy. I'm super excited about that!

Indy Mini also had a Michelob Ultra bar in the middle. Now, sure, it's not good beer, but it was funny. Actually I thought it was weirder that they don't have a milk -- or chocolate milk -- sponsor, given the tradition of the winner of the Indianapolis 500 drinking a bottle of milk. Advantage: push. (I really don't like Michelob Ultra...)

Another really nice touch: historial displays of every previous Indy Mini, with shirt, medal, photographs, and news clippings. I liked seeing how things had changed over time. For celebrating their own heritage, advantage Indy Mini.

Overall, the Indy Mini was a smaller but easier to navigate expo, and had more experiences that I liked. But even with that, I didn't stay all that long.

One big point to Cincinnati: the city had banners in the street celebrating the Flying Pig. Had it not been for huge lines of porta potties, it would not have been in any way obvious that Indy Mini was tomorrow. Advantage: Flying Pig. (Though I appreciate seeing dozens and dozens of porta potties!!!)

Got to the hotel and sifted through the stuff. First, Flying Pig:

Event shirt, gear check bag (the clear one), program, bib (personalized, nice), and a lithograph (in the black box) and something that was referred to as a "premium". It's a heavy black vinyl (?) bag... possibly waterproof? Not sure... but there you go. The shirt is a nice Asics tech tee, gender specific, but a bit oversized somehow.
Then Indy Mini:

Luminous yellow string bag, embroidered hat (surprise!), bib, and a surprisingly handsome long-sleeve tech tee. The tee is soft, feels like cotton but is clearly techy. The front is nice and subtle, and the back has a cute print. I'm not a big fan of red, but this is one of the nicest race shirts I've ever received.
Okay, here's my outfit for tomorrow's race! Black tank, black Brooks skort (customized with checkered ribbon at the hem), checkered knee-highs (yeah, this is risky, but I'm going for it), black Brooks hat, and of course my beloved black and purple Brooks Adrenaline GTS 14s. LOVE this color. I've got a lightweight long sleeve as well as my LSD Lite Jacket in case the weather gets weird tomorrow, but otherwise I feel all set.

Alarms are set, clothes are laid out -- now up the wooden hill to bedfordshire for me!

Midwest Race-cation, day 1

1:55 pm Chicago time:
Today is a travel day. I am "halfway there" -- sitting on the plane in Chicago, watching the rain and thinking abou thte sunshine at home in Seattle.
I'm flying into Dayton, Ohio. It was significantly cheaper than flying into Cincinnati, possibly because it's just that much farther from Churchill Downs. The plane is full of folks talking horseracing, super excited about the Kentucky Derby this weekend.
The women across the aisle are talking about the hats they'll be wearing to the Derby. The folks behind me are talking about the horses they're betting on -- lots of excitement about a California horse, given that they're from California.
I'm traveling for a different sort of racing, of course. Tonight I'm staying just north of Cincinnati so that I can pick up my packet at the Flying Pig Marathon Expo when it opens at noon on Friday. Then I'll jump in the car and drive to Indianapolis to pick up my packet for Indy Mini -- their expo is open until the very civilized hour of 9pm!
I was talking to Wil last night and I admitted I was feeling nervous. He said, "Well, we've run so many back to back races now that it's easy for me to forget that it's a real challenge." I told him that, honestly, I wasn't worried about the running part at all... that even if the wheels come offf, I'll still finish both races. What makes me nervous before a race is the logistics of it -- especilly the first time I run something, and especially in a new city.
I should quickly point out that the organizers of both the Indy Mini and the Flying Pig have been very communicative -- lots of pre-race info, including parking, street closures, public transit... even restaurants and other things to do in town. But of course I still worry. And, of course, I also LOVE the logistical part. I'm a planner and a fixer at heart, so I do love to prepare!
8:41 Fairfield time:
Picked up my car from quite possibly the friendliest, nicest rental agency I've ever experienced: Budget at the Dayton Airport. Really friendly, really charming, really efficient. And I must admit that I didn't realize that Ford Focuses (Focii??) also come in a very sporty, cherry red model. Rowr.
Made it to Fairfield with little trouble, other than being surprised that many drivers in Ohio seem to have a different understanding of what the lane markers might indicate... But before I checked in to the hotel I had to stop at Jungle Jim's...
Sure, I needed to pick up some groceries, but Jungle Jim's is no mere grocery store... First of all, it's massive. It's also... very weird. I was handed a map when I walked in, which is good, because I got lost a few times.
They have large and nicely arranged collections of ethnic and foreign foods... but it's not just the product selection. I mean, how can you resist this:

That, my friends, is a talking Robin Hood. Twelve feet off the ground. Talking to Little John (who is standing on a log that's balanced between two aisles) and Maid Marian. Yes, of course, he's the marker for the British food section. Which had Daddies Brown Sauce, a large range of biscuits and sweets (but no fruit allsorts!!!), and crisps. Monster Munch, Hula Hoops, Walkers...

They have a giant hot sauce section, which features a real fire truck overhead, a strange singing band of cereal mascots (who in turn appear on a full-sized "Minnow", painted with characters from Gilligan's Island), a massive singing Campbell's soup can on a swing, giant penguins in frozen food, and this, near the gargantuan candy section:

Now, I don't know if it's a lion or a monkey -- monkey, I guess? -- but it's singing Elvis songs every 5 minutes.
Jungle Jim's had sprawling cheese sections, as well as something I had never seen:
a BUTTER BAR???? The mind kinda boggles.
There was also a huge beer and wine section, complete with a "tasting area" that was selling pints of beer. (That seems like more than a taste... that's a bar...) I thought it was a little odd, but then again our new Bartell Drugs in downtown Ballard fills growlers...
I enjoyed wandering the store, picking up groceries for the weekend... but the best thing I found I just stumbled across: Flying Pig Jones Sodas!!!

I'm not a huge fan of green apple, but I couldn't resist. What a cool race tie-in!! Even the 4-pack holder is Flying Pig themed (and triggered a WKRP memory...):

What can I say? Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
Tomorrow: a tale of two expos!!!

The results are in!

 

So the other day I ran the Oso United 5K. And I missed the turnaround point - which is my fault. (Part of racing is knowing the course!)

 

Was a little bemused to get the results today... not just because I had inadvertently been placed in the 20-29 age group. I ended up coming in 92nd out of 302 finishers in the 5K, with a time of 31:00.3 and a pace of 9:58/mile.

 

(Clearly not a super speedy group, but that wasn't the purpose of the day!)

 

That time was good enough to place me at 9/41 women 20-29... or 9/56 women 40-49. Hey, I'm super pleased with that!

 

Here's what's extra interesting: if I hadn't missed the turn and ran at my 9:20 pace, I would have come in 54th overall, and 5/56 in my age group. So I am SUPER PLEASED with that.

 

Tomorrow I head to the Midwest for the Indy Mini and Flying Pig half marathon -- excited!!!

 

 

 

Oso United Mudslide Benefit Fun Run 5K race report

Yesterday I drove up north to run the Oso United Mudslide Benefit Fun Run 5K. (Phew! That's a mouthful!) A group of us from Brooks were participating; it was funny to spot the other "run happy" cars in the parking lot!

The run was organized by the Arlington Runners Club to benefit local charities helping victims of the massive mudslide:

100% of the monies given will be donated to LOCAL charities to assist with the recovery efforts and to provide assistance to those effected by the mudslide. The Arlington Runners Club is 100% volunteer. Your donation will go to help with funding the recovery efforts, funeral expenses and to help those who lost their homes recover from this tragedy.

I was impressed by a lot of aspects of the organization of this run -- especially how quickly it was announced and put together. A detailed pre-race email was sent out, complete with directions to the start, parking info, and course map. Plenty of larger races miss this info, so I really appreciate it when a small race gets it right.

I headed north and arrived at a large parking area, complete with volunteers getting us parked in lines. Okay, it wasn't the clockwork precision of Disney World parking, but it was nicely done. Plenty of volunteers were there to point runners in the right direction. As a pre-registered 5K runner, I got in that line. I noticed some fellow Brooksies in the line next to me. One of them said, "Is this your first line?" I wasn't sure what she meant, but apparently some of our registrations got lost in the shuffle. Mine, however, was there, so I felt lucky. I will say that the lines were moving quickly, the volunteers were efficient and friendly, and there were plenty of them to point people in the right direction.

the scene at the registration / pickup

As at all races, it's just really hard to hear what's going on. But the organizers announced that, given the number of people trying to register on the day, they were going to delay the start a bit. No big surprise, that… though I know it frustrates some folks. They did a small but very effective tribute to the victims at 10:37, the time the mudslide started 5 weeks prior. First a bagpipe version of Amazing Grace, then a bell rang once for each victim, and then a bugle rendition of Taps. I was pleased that most runners quieted down very quickly, and remained quiet for the moment of silence as well. I could see people hugging each other and wiping away tears, which always makes me feel weepy.

the scene at the start

Then it was time to move down toward the start, about a hundred yards down the path. Again they told us that they were going to delay the start. They had been planning on starting the 10K at 10:45, the 5K runners at 10:50, the 5K walkers at 10:55, and the 1M walkers at 11.

It was clear by glancing at the color-coded bibs in the start chute that most folks didn't know this. There were bibs of all colors right up front. Oh well, the best intentions...

While we waited, the sun came out, followed by a cheer. Only in Washington, right?

here comes the sun!

I didn't actually hear anything leading up to the start, but suddenly people were moving. I thought, okay, that's just the 10K, but then realized that it had turned into something of a free-for-all. Hey, it's a fun run, not an Olympic Trial. Just relax and have fun. So I slipped in to the chute and started going. (Again, folks, it was chip timed -- so it didn't really matter when you started, okay?)

By the time we reached the road (a couple of hundred yards, max), I had moved past the walkers and a bunch of runners, and tried to settle into a relaxed pace. Did I mention I haven't been running much? Yeah, not sure why not, but I haven't been making the time.

The road was closed, but a lot of people were running on a (very nicely paved) trail next to the road. I was much happier running on the road; I had lots more room and could just carry on at a comfortable pace.

I was pleased that I felt pretty relaxed and was running quickly (for me). I passed a lot of runners in the first mile -- something I don't usually get to do. I saw the mile mark and was really pleased (and perhaps a little concerned…) that I had run the first mile in 9:18.

The course was wide and flat and open. I spotted a water stop and took a cup of water (tell me why I did this? I never take water in a 5K!) and kept going. I could see runners ahead of me turning right for the 10K, and turning around for the 5K. I thought it was a little odd that there wasn't a "turnaround" cone or anything, but no big deal, right? I just ran to the end of the road and started heading back…

WAITAMINNIT.

Why were all those people turning around at the water stop? Way back down the road?

Oh.

The water stop WAS the turnaround.

Golly.

Suddenly I was in amongst a bunch of people I had lovingly, happily passed. What's more, I had to catch up with them before I could pass them again. I guess that explains why a volunteer was running down the road toward the water stop after I (and, let's be clear, EVERYONE IN FRONT OF ME) passed it.

Oh well, it was a fun run and I wasn't really bothered. Honest.

I lost track of things at this point. I wasn't sure whether the course was very accurate… and I knew I had run long. But I kept running, and apparently sped up in my mile 2, running it in 9:14. I had a little flash across my mind that I was on pace for a PR -- one of my 2014 running goals. Until I realized that, well, I had run long, so it would be difficult to actually PR with an extra quarter of a mile added to a 5K.

I'm not gonna lie, it took some of the wind out of my sails. I also didn't realize that we would be running a lap on grass near the start, so pushed too early. Oops.

As I was running the last legs of the race I started to get that queasy feeling… it's been a while since that happened! I ended up walking a bit just because I didn't really want to throw up. Guess I'm just not a "leave it all on the field" kind of gal… My last mile split was 9:40.

Nike+ tells me I ran 3.3 miles, and that my time for that was 31:01. My average pace overall was 9:20 -- which should have given me a new PR for a 5K, and (finally) my first sub-30 5K with a 28:59 finish. (I know, I'm slow, it's okay.)

I admit that I'm sad about this. But given that I hadn't been training -- heck, I haven't been RUNNING! -- and that I wasn't shooting for a PR, I'm okay. Besides, this is what this race was all about:

Oso Strong - sweatshirt spotted on another participant

According to the Arlington Runners Club, approximately 1000 people came out to run or walk, with nearly 1000 other people coming out to support by volunteering or cheering. That's an amazing turnout for a small event like this. They haven't totaled the donations yet (in fact, if you'd like to donate to the race you can do so until May 2nd at the Arlington Runners Club site), but the event was clearly very successful. 

If you'd like to come out and run for Oso yourself -- or run virtually for Oso -- you have another chance. The Oso Strong 5K will be held on July 27, 2014, and includes a virtual race option. 

> Find out more about the Oso Strong 5K

Registration for the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend events opens today!

I love the Walt Disney World Marathon. Finishing that first marathon, way back in 2009, remains one of the happiest and proudest moments of my life. I mean, I am LEAPING IN THE AIR!!!!

2009 Walt Disney World Marathon - our first!

Barring something extremely bizarre, Team Wil-Sun won't be running this event in 2015, but I can wholeheartedly recommend these races, having run the 2009 marathon, a very cold half and full marathon in the 2010 Goofy Challenge, and another Goofy in 2013.

Being the 10th anniversary of the Goofy Challenge, you know registration will fill up quickly, so get your fingers ready at 9am Pacific on Tuesday, April 22!

Monday Motivation -- so much inspiration!!!!

If you're reading this, I can assume that you know that today was Marathon Monday -- the 118th running of the Boston Marathon. I was lucky to be able to watch it this morning at work, as we stood around chatting and cheering, sometimes going back to our own desks to watch, but frequently regathering to chat. A pretty great way to spend a morning, eh?

On my walk home today I kept thinking about different things I wanted to write about -- so much to write about! -- for please forgive me if this post is a little more scattered than usual.

Monday Motivation #1: Meb Keflezighi!!!

photo by Charles Krupa, AP

All the way home I kept singing "Eye of the Tiger", but just saying MEB.

Meb! MebMebMeb! MebMebMeb! Meb Meb MEEEEEEHHHHHHBBBBB!!!!

I'll admit it -- I've liked Meb for years, from when he won the New York City Marathon in 2009 (first American man since 1982), to when he won the Olympic Marathon trials in 2012, and his two great finishes at the Olympics (a silver in 2008, 4th place in 2012). I'll also admit that I like Meb even more since Nike bizarrely cut him in 2011, and that he races for Skechers. Yep, Skechers.

In fact, I think Meb is my favorite male marathoner (other than Wil, of course!!!).

Anyway, it was great to watch Meb run today -- I loved how he opened up a big lead, then watched in alarm as Wilson Chebet started to reel him in. It was a little like a horror movie there for a bit… it seemed like every time they changed camera angles, Chebet was just that much closer. We were all counting seconds by watching their feet as they passed road markings. Twenty seconds, then 15, then 10, then 5 or 6… But in the end, Meb prevailed, becoming the first American man to win Boston since 1983.

Monday Motivation #2: Emma Stepto

Emma Stepto winning the Bristol Half Marathon

On Saturday afternoon I finally sat down and watched the recording of the London Marathon. When I think of marathons to run, if I ever run another, London is top of my list. So, yeah, I watched 6 hours of coverage…

I noticed Emma Stepto just before the elite women's start. She was wearing a bright yellow top, but I couldn't really see any detail. I did wonder if maybe she was a Brooks runner that I didn't know. I spotted her a few more times during the coverage -- turns out she was the second fastest British woman in the marathon, coming in at 2:36:05, good enough for 14th overall.

After watching the race I looked her up on Bing, and found a very cool post on the Improbable Runner blog, which informed me that Ms. Stepto is … FORTY FOUR. Not only that, but she didn't start running until she was in her 30s. Well, there it is -- it's really never too late to start running!

Nice coincidence: I found her on Twitter (@emgogogo), and she thanked @brooksrunninguk after the race. So maybe she is a Brooksie of sorts.

But the awesomeness of Meb, Wilson Kipsang, and Emma Stepto all pale, frankly, in comparison with our third motivator:

Monday Motivation #3: Tatyana McFadden

I've written about total badass Tatyana McFadden before… after she won the NYC Marathon (and, of course, Chicago, Boston, AND London in 2013…). I was surprised and happy to see her during the London marathon, as I didn't know whether she would be racing. After all, she had changed her focus (albeit temporarily) to cross-country skiing. Oh, did I mention she earned a silver medal at the Paralympic Games in Sochi the other month? Yeah, she's that sort of athlete.

The men's wheelchair race in the London Marathon was very close, with four men screaming down the Mall very close together. The women's race? Not so much -- Tatyana McFadden simply outraced everyone.

And then this morning… there she was again, all of a sudden, winning Boston. WHAT??? Winning by more than 2 minutes? Well then.

But even that isn't the best thing about Ms. McFadden.

She raced today for team MR8, in honor of sweet Martin Richards, 8, who was one of the victims of last year's Boston Marathon bombings. She was wearing his name and age on her back while she raced.

photo by @PaulaEbbenWPZ

But wait, there's more…

After receiving her gold-dipped laurel wreath, she took it over and gave it to Carlos Arredondo, who rushed to the aid of the bomb victims last year.

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

So. Very. Awesome. Oh, and today is her 25th birthday. So happy birthday, Tatyana McFadden!

Nike Fuelband FTW!

It arrived on Monday… it was easy to set up (I just plugged it in, really), and since I already had a Nike+ account, everything synched up easily. And then, when I unplugged it, this happened:

Yes, it's a little blurry, but you see what is happening there. My new Fuelband SE is greeting me by name.

Bravo, Nike, bravo!

Run for Oso

On Saturday, March 22, at 10:37 a.m., a mudslide a mile wide crashed through a rural neighborhood, killing at least 36 people (8 remain missing). A massive hillside collapsed, sending mud and debris across part of the Stillaguamish River, and eventually covering an area of approximately a square mile.

In the three weeks it's been heartbreaking to follow the news -- but also heartwarming to see the communities of Oso, Arlington, and Darrington band together; and the outpouring of love and support from Seattle, western Washington, and the whole world.

So far, I've heard of two running events raising money for the communities and victims of the landslide; I just wanted to pass the info along in case anyone wants to lace up and show their support.



#1: Oso United Mudslide Benefit Fun Run, April 26, 2014 @10:45am

Taking place 5 weeks after the slide, the run will start at 10:45, following a minute of silence at 10:37. Here's the scoop from the Arlington Runners Club site:

The Arlington Runners Club is hosting a fun run to support those affected by the mudslide in Oso on March 22, 2014. We will be holding this benefit fun run on April 26, 2014 at the Arlington Airport Trail. 100% of the monies raised will be donated to the mudslide relief efforts, victims and their families.

Distances of 10K, 5K, and 1 mile will be offered, and registration $25 for runners and walkers between 15 and 69, regardless of the distance. (14 & under, plus 70 & older are free.) Can't make it to Arlington for the race? You can register for a virtual run and support the community. T-shirts aren't included, but they're selling nice "Oso United: I stand with Oso" shirts online and at the event.

I'll be running the race with 40 of my coworkers; I'd love to have others join us.

The late start time (10:45) honors the victims and their families; the race is being held 5 weeks after the slide, and there will be a moment of silence at 10:37.

Learn more about the Oso United Mudslide Fun Run >
Register for the Oso United Mudslide Fun Run >


#2: OSO Strong 5K, July 27, 2014 @9am  

"Oso Strong" captures the spirit of the community, and this race is intended to help fund the local first responders so they can in turn provide even better service to their communities.

This event will feature a 5K held partially on the Arlington Airport Trail and on some trails in the woods, but it will be "mostly flat, with some slight hills". The 5K will be divided into four running waves, each starting 5 minutes apart. Following this, there will be a walking wave. They're also offering an obstacle run for kids aged 3-10. Oh, and if you can't make it, you can sign up for a virtual run and sleep in.

Registration for the 5K run or walk is $35 and includes an event t-shirt. The virtual 5K is $45, but the price includes shipping your shirt to you. The kids' obstacle course is $10.

I'm hoping to add this to my summer race schedule -- even if just as a virtual run.

Learn more about the OSO Strong 5K >
Register for the OSO Strong 5K >

Let me know if you're interested in running these races, or if you hear of other events to benefit the mudslide victims and their communities.

You. Are. Registered.

So, um, yeah, this is just around the corner:

This is me, in denial. :)

I've been placed in Corral E, at the back of Wave 1. This seems a little surprising. But we'll see how it goes, eh? Still super excited to KISS THE BRICKS at the Indy Mini Marathon!

The agony and the ecstasy of the Nike FuelBand

I have been in a steady, serious relationship with Nike+ for years now. Sure, we've had some ups and downs. But my love of running grew right alongside the Nike+ system.

From my earliest runs I have tracked with Nike+, from the old days when you needed a sensor in (okay, ON in my case) your shoe and a plug on your iPod, to the SportBand that replaced the need for an iPod, to the arrival of the SportWatch with GPS, to an iPhone app, to the FuelBand for "everyday athletics". 

the original Nike+ set-up

Nike+ SportBand -- a huge improvement!

Nike+ GPS SportWatch -- loved this!

And, while I love the SportWatch for when I am running, I adore the FuelBand. 

When the FuelBand was first announced, I was somewhat desperate to have one. I missed the very first round (I didn't preorder one), but did get mine within the first month they were available. And oh, how I loved it. 

I loved that it tracked me as I moved through my day -- at boot camp and on walks. I loved the gamification of it -- what, I still need 179 point to hit my goal for the day? Better go for a brisk walk around the neighborhood! I loved the goofy animations on the achievements, and I liked comparing my totals against myself... and other women in my age group. 

About 5 months after getting the FuelBajd, I noticed that one of the LEDs in the display had stopped working. I figured it was no big deal -- it was still tracking and uploading and so on but then I worried that it might be an early warning of an internal short circuit. I happened to be in Vegas for a conference, and staying at Caesar's Palace, so one afternoon I walked in to the giant Nike store, showed the manager the band, and walked out with a new one. (Great service, Nike!)

Since then, no problems to report. With only seven exceptions, five of which were on days when I underwent surgery, I have hit my FuelPoints goal. (No excuses for the other two!)

Until now. 

On Monday I checked my points status my FuelBand and got a weird display ... an animation showing it needed to be plugged in. Not the low battery image, but something else. It looked like a USB cable, moving across the display.

Odd, I thought, but maybe it was somehow super low on batteries, so I plugged it in, and saw this:

Uh-oh. That doesn't look good. So I clicked the "Get Help" button, and saw this:

Crappity crap. Crap crap crap. Crappity crap. Okay, stay calm. I just need to give them a call.

So I clicked Contact, and was faced with this:

Hmm. So I'll need to do a little work before I can call them… like, find a phone number somewhere… I suppose, to be fair I have used all three of those products, so the Nike+ site may not have known where to point me… though it should have known where I was coming from, and with which error code, right?

Anyway, I also did a bit of searching to see what error code 801 might mean, and found this:

Again, not good. Eventually I found a phone number and called. I spoke to a nice, super friendly -- if not perhaps super bright? -- customer service agent in Oregon. We spent about 40 minutes on the phone together, me telling him things like the serial number, him telling me, "Oh, great, it's still in the warranty period!" and, clearly, knowing that error code 801 was the FuelBand equivalent of the blue screen of death.

He offered me one of two options -- a standard replacement, where I could send it in, the techs would look at the FuelBand and determine that I hadn't somehow voided my warranty, and if all was well, they would send me a replacement. They also offered an advance replacement (okay, I may be making up the term here…), where they would send me a replacement now and then I could send them my dead band back. The techs would look at the FuelBand, determine that I hadn't voided my warranty, etc. If all was well, that would be it. If things weren't well, they would charge me for the replacement band.

I decided -- in order to get a working FuelBand more quickly -- to accept the advance replacement. But I did check to make sure that if they decided that, oh, running outdoors and sweating voided the band's warranty, well, then, I didn't want another FuelBand. ("Oh, of course! You've got 30 days to return it.")

Then today I get an email -- they are out of my size in the black first-edition FuelBand, so would I prefer the translucent "smoke" gray, or translucent "ice" white.

Oh.

I really don't like either option -- I've seem them in the wild, and just hated the way they looked… and the fact that they get grimy really quickly. And, well, if I might end up having to pay for the darn thing, somehow, well I certainly wouldn't want that.

So I replied to the email:

Both of the transparent colors are kinda icky -- they look dingy super fast. Any chance I can just get a refund and buy a new Fuelband?

I don't know if maybe that made the support people laugh, whether maybe they looked at my account and saw that I had owned every single version of Nike+ devices, or maybe it's just always the next step. But less than an hour later, I had a reply:

Thanks for your response. As a courtesy I have gone ahead and upgraded your FuelBand to the new Black SE version. I have placed your order and you should expect to see your new device within the next 3-5 business days.

Nike support FTW!

Now, look -- I may still end up being charged for a replacement band, though at least if I am, it's the actual product I want.

I'll let you know when the new one comes, and how it all goes. Sure, I've lost about 10 days of my "streak"… but here's a good chance to re-start.