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"  As exercise goes, it doesn&amp;#039;t get much simpler than running\u2014just strap on a pair of shoes and hit the road. Wrong. Never before has the non-Olympic runner had such a wealth of data available, from GPS-based workout computers to complex heart-rate monitors. The problem, besides information overload, is that people don&amp;#039;t come with peripheral ports, and external sensors such as heart rate monitors have been traditionally bulky, strap-and-buckle affairs.  Until now. Shoemaker Adidas and sports electronics pioneer Polar have created the first system that turns two of the most basic pieces of running gear\u2014shoes and a shirt\u2014into sensors. The shoes record your speed, distance and cadence, and a heart rate monitor gathers data from sensors embedded in the shirt, no wires required. A wristwatch-based computer sucks in the data, and displays real-time info such as distance traveled to help you pace yourself. Useful, if, say, you&amp;#039;re training for a marathon. But what&amp;#039;s the point for the average jogger? In a word, cadence.  The Adidas-Polar system is the first training running watch to calculate the details of your stride, accurately calculating how efficiently you&amp;#039;re running. (The iPod based SportKit, announced last month, doesn&amp;#039;t measure your cadence, although it does play your favorite power song on the push of a button.) Beginning runners tend to vary their canter as fatigue sets in and their form gets sloppy, causing them to waste energy moving their feet up and down rather than moving forward. By measuring the number of strides over time and distance, the Adidas-Polar system allows runners to keep track of their cadence, and by extension, how much energy is being wasted. &amp;quot;Most recreational runners run too hard too often, they say the &amp;#039;no pain, no gain&amp;#039;,&amp;quot; said Marco Suvilaakso, product manager of the running segment at Polar Electro. &amp;quot;This will help users understand and listen to their bodies.&amp;quot; The watch, the RS800sd running computer, is the brains of the system. It communicates with the Polar WearLink WIND heart monitor and the S3 Stride Sensor foot-piece over a 2.6 GHz radio frequency to record and relay data during and after your run. The watch includes a build-in altitude sensor to isolate your uphill or downhill performance data and it can be set in different &amp;quot;sport zone&amp;quot; profiles, each with different training specifications.  The WearLink WIND heart rate monitor clips into an Adidas adiStar Fusion shirt, and reads EKG signals to determine your heart rate. Because these signals are weak, the fabric must be worn directly on your skin (no more shirtless jogs). Weighing in at 20 grams, the S3 Stride Sensor comes built into the Adidas adiStar Fusion shoe. Purchased separately, it can be clipped to the laces of any running shoe. The sensor, which is about the size of a pocket tape measure, takes more than 1000 measurements per second\u2014plotting every part of your stride from heal-strike to toe-off.  Back at home, the watch connects to your PC via an IrDA (Infrared Data Association) wireless link and uploads your workout to Polar&amp;#039;s ProTrainer 5 software program. ProTrainer 5 logs and analyzes your data and lets you compare your planned exercise routine to what you actually accomplished. You can also visit www.polarpersonaltrainer.com to get free custom training programs and compare your data with others around the world. The software is not available for Macs.  The total package\u2014the RS800sd, S3 Stride Sensor, WearLink connector, adiStar Fusion shirt and shoe\u2014will retail for a hefty $680. But don&amp;#039;t run away yet: The RS800sd computer system (SD Stride Sensor and WearLink WIND transmitter included) can be purchased sans shoes for $489.99. \u2014Erin Scottberg Available in October. Visit www.adidas-polar.com for more information. Earlier: Nike+iPod Musical Shoes Fast Data: Polar&amp;#039;s new system helps runners perfect stride by calculating real-time cadence data. Listen to Your Heart: Adidas&amp;#039;s adiStar Fusion shirt uses embedded sensors to measure your heart rate.  Counting Your Steps: A sensor in the sole of the adiStar Fusion shoes takes over 1000 measurements a second.  External Sensor: Sold seperately, the S3 sensor attaches to your favorite sneeks.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a12742/3194161/>