I’m a fan of both working out and gadgets (you probably already knew that second item.) So, when I find something that combines the two, I’m doubly excited.

For you runners out there who also own an iPod or iPod Touch, you can make your gadget an integral part of your workout. To do that, you need two pieces of equipment; a “Nike+” shoe, like the one shown here, and a Nike+ iPod Sport Kit.

The iPod Sport Kit comes with a tiny sensor that fits into a small pocket near the sole of the shoe (but only those labeled with the “plus” symbol), and a receiver that attaches to an iPod Nano or Touch. As you run, the sensor in your shoe sends workout data wirelessly to your Nano or Touch. It’s a pretty simple setup.

Apple says you can get “workout based voice feedback” on your exercise, along with “Nike Sport Music” content in addition to your regular iPod tunes. As you run, you can get feedback on your pace, distance run, calories burned and so on.

There is a specific Nike+ workout menu for the iPod that manages your workout. You can set up specialized workouts — for instance, a high-intensity 30 minute run, or fat-burning longer run. You can also set specific goals for a run, such as distance, time or both.

When your workout is over, you can then hook up your iPod to your PC or Mac and upload the information to the website nikeplus.com and see the history of your runs. You can see how you compare to other runners, and even challenge other workout warriors to a virtual race. Pretty nifty.

So break out your iPod, get a pair of Nike+ shoes, and get going!