The Human Race / Der Menschenlauf

Today was The Human Race sponsored by Nike, a 10K run which anyone, anywhere, could take part in. I love the concept - millions of people walking and running today, all taking part is some (mostly mental) great event. I did The Human Race today with my new running partner - the Nike Plus.

Nike Plus is a techno gadget for runners. It comes with a sensor that attaches to your iPod and a sensor that, if you wear Nikes, goes into your shoe. For those who don't particularly like Nikes, you can get a tiny pouch that attaches to your shoelaces. I got a demo of the Nike Plus as we were heading up to Maine this summer. I had contemplated a year of running with my faithful running partner 3,000 miles away from Salzburg, and when I saw Nike Plus in action, I was hooked.

The Nike Plus has made charting out my running routes in a new place very easy. In the last week or so, I came up with two runs that could join together for today's 10K, running between a palace on one end and a castle on the other. I've never been one to run a 10K, but I decided I'd just take a leisurely jog just to take part. Turns out my 9-minute-mile jog places me in 8th place for women in Austria. Now that's my type of competition!