Fundamentals of Interactive Journalism

Daniell Rumore finished a 26 mile marathon running in New York today. This year is her fifth marathon race.
High technology creations helped her make the Marathon miracle in her life. She began her training in the summer of 2000, and she finished her first marathon in January 2001 at the Bermuda Marathhon.
“My real job is a public relationship manager at Peppercom company,” Rumore said.  A friend mentioned to her one day that charity foundations looked for people to participate in marathon and raise money to help children. Her friend recommended her to join in the marathon.  “It’s a good way to meet people and stay healthy, and raise money for charity purpose.” She did the NYC Marathon four more times in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008.
Rumore’s best friend in her training with Team In Training organization is Nike+ system and ChampionChip in her shoes. The Nike+ system is basically a small pedometer that goes in her shoe and wirelessly transmits data to her Apple iPod Touch. Once Rumore was back to her home or office, she can upload her jogging data to her computer, and send to her coach in Team in Training. The coach would analyze her data, such as calories, heartbeat, pace speed and jumping heights, then give her feedback. This is what is interesting about the story, the focus; she nevers goes running without this technology, and it helps her in several ways
“It’s more mental struggling than body,” Rumore said. However, from online communication with her coach and data tracking everyday from her “secret weapons,” Rumore insisted on running everyday and overcame her mental barriers in training and every year’s Marathon.
The NYC Marathon is not only a personal challenge, but also a city festival for participants, relatives and friends, tourists and other watchers. “Gone Mommy, Gone!” Ashley Thomas and Katelyn Thomas were waving pink poster board for her mother Debb Thomas at the central park destination. 
“No matter how much long you have run, it’s a victory for yourself,” said Janarima Bruns from Brazil. She ran a half Marathon in 2004. She pointed to the runner and excitedly claimed:  “Next year, I hope I were there running.” Bruns also used ChampionChip to. People don’t use the chip in jogging, in training; only in racing
ChampionChip is a miniature chip that the race organizers give no to each runner to ensure they go through all the checkpoints of the race.  ChampionChip doesn’t provide any performance data in and of itself, but it sets up electronic monitoring stations on the course that listen for the chips going by. Then athletes wearing a ChampionChip can be timed every time in training and race worldwide. Runometer, a startup company based in San Francisco, created a website — www.runometer.com to take information from Nike+ system and let every participant track and plot that data on a map. The interactive ways of training and participation made running joyful, as well as encouraging.
“Sometimes, jogging is boring and painful, but when you finished, you’ve found you accomplished so much.” Rumore said. She was going back home with her little yellow ChampionChip. Now she has one more record data in her ChampionChip, the 2008 NYC Marathon race.