Newton Poetry

It’s right about now that people start to forget about that New Year’s Resolution they made in the weeks leading up to January 1. Exercise, diets, less boozing and puking in back alleys – these are the kinds of behaviors Americans swear to uphold with the coming of the new year.

I usually don’t make any resolutions except general ones, like trying to make this year better than the last. But I have changed one part of my daily routine: I joined a local gym. It was hard to resist. A $10-a-month postcard promotion was all it took to get me to become a member of my local Planet Fitness.

Fitness professionals and die-hards usually tell you to keep track of your progress. Weight, reps, body mass – all these things should be cataloged, the experts say, leaving nothing to chance. And since you don’t want to be seen as a Quitter by your friends and family, sticking with a fitness routine will ensure you’re carrying out your New Year’s Resolution until 2010.

The best part? You can use your Newton.

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I started running last summer after seeing a set of podcasts that made the whole thing really easy. I even ran my first 5k (not a sponsored one, just me out running one night), the longest distance I had run since track season in high school.

Near the end of the season last year, I hurt my knee because of the way I run. It turns out that I roll my feet on the inside, which wears away the soles of my shoes and is rough on my knee. This season, now that the weather is breaking, I decided to grab some supporting Nikes. While I was at the shoe store, the salesman offered me the Nike+ sports set – which fit my style of shoe – and I decided to give it a try.

It seems like for $30 you’d get more, but the whole set only involves a little red and white sensor and a white plug-in receiver for your iPod Nano. Setup is super easy: simply put the sensor into the little hole in your shoe (you don’t need a Nike shoe, either), and plug the other part into your iPod. That’s it.
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