If you have been thinking about jumping on the Nike+ bandwagon, now is your chance to do so.

Today marks the fifth anniversary of Nike+, an innovative fitness tool to keep running enthusiasts motivated and performing at their peak. Since its launch, the Nike+ community has rapidly grown with over four million members and more than 375 million combined miles logged. To honor the this milestone, Nike is gifting free Nike+ GPS Apps for a limited time only, available on iTunes App Store starting today, May 23.

So log on, download, and rack up some miles on Nike+.

After an illustrious running career, Grete Waitz succumbed to a long battle with cancer at the age of 57. She is an inspiration to all runners. Gothamist reports:

Grete Waitz, the Norwegian marathoner who won the New York City Marathon nine times, died today at age 57. She had been battling cancer for the past six years and passed away in Oslo. She won the 1978-80, 1982-86, and 1988 NYC Marathons, leaving the race organizers to call her “The Greatest Champion in New York City Marathon History.” Waitz’s husband convinced her to enter the race—her first marathon—in 1978; she was expected to be a pace setter, but ended up winning and setting a world record, 2 hours, 32 minutes, 30 seconds.

In NYRR’s tribute, they write:

We are sad to lose a dear friend and our most decorated champion, Grete Waitz, who passed away today. Her strength and grace throughout her fight with cancer were incredible, and when so many people would have crumbled she stood strong and positive.

Grete was a great champion in life as well as in sport. We treasure every moment we had with her. Grete is forever part of NYRR. Her legacy lives through the marathon, Grete’s Gallop, the Mini, and our youth programs. She was deeply important in making the New York City Marathon what it is today, and she inspired generations of women, including athletes like Paula Radcliffe and Deena Kastor. That inspiration will continue.

We will forever celebrate Grete in our hearts and as an inspiration and role model for women’s running.

If Grete had to go, it is somehow fitting that she lived until the day after one of the greatest weekends in the sport of marathon running.

[img: Waitz winning the 1983 NYC Marathon(AP)]

According to the Oregonian,  Melissa Bowerman recently stumbled upon the original waffle iron used by the late Bill Bowerman, to develop what would become Nike running shoes. Says the Oregonian:

As Melissa Bowerman reached deep into a cupboard for a blanket against the night chill, she discovered a box stuffed with mud-caked shoes and a rusty appliance.

She showed the things to her husband, Jon, and his brother, Tom, who had found them buried near the house in Coburg where their father, former Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman, lived for decades with his wife, Barbara.

Melissa said she could sell the things at auction — she had a good cause in mind — but the two men laughed.

“‘No one’s going to want those,’” Melissa recalled the men saying last spring.

Oh, how wrong they were.

Excitement from the discovery would ripple across the state, from the headquarters near Beaverton of the company Bill co-founded to the tiny town of Fossil hours away where he spent his childhood. In addition to shoes with treads handmade by Bill, Melissa had stumbled upon Nike’s Holy Grail: the long-lost waffle iron that inspired him to craft the revolutionary sole that launched an athletic empire.

Full article here.

[Image: Courtesy of Nike]

Nike + has teamed up with Tom tom on their latest round of running gadgetry. In a departure from the traditional Nike + systems, this band is linked to satellites, instead of relying solely on the data from the chip in the runner’s shoe. According to Nike:

“The Nike+ SportWatch GPS is designed for high performance with an extremely clear and readable user interface that delivers the information necessary to the user while in-run. It adds personalization and motivational features to the running experience, including audible sounds, challenges, run reminders and more.

The Nike+ SportWatch GPS is designed to be simple and intuitive with only three buttons and a Tap Screen for navigation. During the run, the new Nike+ SportWatch GPS captures location information while showing runners their time, distance, pace, and calories burned on an easy-to-read screen featuring a customizable layout. Throughout the run, the GPS receiver works in tandem with the shoe-based Nike+ Sensor to deliver highly accurate pace and distance data.”

We’d love to hear from anyone who has had a chance to try this thing out.

Downed Single Engine Plane at Hilton Head Island S.C. (Photo: AP)

Run on the beach to avoid traffic? So was 38 year old Robert Gary Jones of Hilton Head Island South Carolina, when he was struck from behind and killed by a single engine kit plane. The event occurred on Monday evening. Jones, apparently was listening to headphones during his run, and likely did not even hear the stalled aircraft approaching from behind. According to the AP release:

“There’s no noise,” said aviation expert Mary Schiavo, a former inspector general for the National Transportation Safety Board. “So the jogger, with his ear buds in, and the plane without an engine, you’re basically a stealth aircraft. Who would expect to look up?”

This incident could provide fodder for proponents of banning the use of headphones during competitive races. Several major races already discourage the use of headphones, because of safety reasons. According to former inspector Schiavo’s statement, it appears unlikely that even without headphones, Jones would have heard the approaching plane.

But, for those who live in metropolitan areas (like Manhattan) and do not have the luxury of working out on the beach, Jones’ death should be a reminder to exercise caution. For many, taking music away from the workout, changes the workout from “doable,” into torture. So, the key is to find a happy medium.

When listening to music during a run, make sure that the volume in the headphones is not so loud that it blocks out all of the ambient noise. Lets be honest, even when Central Park Drive is closed to traffic, that place is a complete zoo. The same dangers exist on almost all of New York city’s pedestrian paths, especially those that are shared with bicycle traffic. As great as music can be to help a person get into a zone during a workout, tragedies like the one in South Carolina prove that it important to remain aware of surroundings, even in the most seemingly innocuous of locations.

So, to be on the safe side, turn down the headphones, and enjoy the spring weather!