I remember the day when I if I wanted to know how far I ran, and it wasn't on a track, I would reset the odometer in my car and drive it out. Occasionally as I got older I would use a hiking GPS and my mtn. bike. I wasn't until I got sponsored by Polar Heart rate monitors in 2006 that I truly fell in love with what technology had done with distance measuring with their accelarameter footpods. Garmin came along and while I am only familiar with the product, its at a whole 'nother level with GPS mapping.
As a side benefit to all this technology I became a big fan of Gmaps Pedometer online. I can zoom into wherever on Earth I am starting my run and using a series of waypoints map out with decent accuracy the distance of the route I would like to go. Using the Hybrid or Satellite views I could see side roads, trails and street signs.
I haven't had need of that program for a long time, almost a year. When I came back to it recently I found that it had been changed. The Gmap program now only travels down the middle of main roads. I can't click on a trail or side path and measure distance. THAT SUCKS.
Clicking around alternate sites, I lucked upon the USA Track & Field website and their mapping program is what Gmap used to be. LINK HERE
If you are at all interested in pre-mapping a run or ride, heck even a point to point swim, give this program a chance.
2 comments:
Comm -
Re: gmap. It took me a while to figure the changes out. Now I'm very impressed with it.
Make sure you have "automatically for runner/cyclist" selected for your route (that will follow the main roads), e.g. from your driveway down the street and around the corner.
When you get to the point that you'll depart the road, change the mode to manual. This then reverts to the original gmap click-by-click setting.
Then when you exit the trail and return to the roads, reselect "automatically for runner/cyclist" and complete your route.
Especially for my more complex routes, the automatic selection saves a ton of time.
HTH,
Bill
I always use MapMyRun or MapMyRide. I think they are the same thing.
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