I admit that I have used GPS, pedometers, and bike computers (a.k.a. cyclocomputers). The GPS are great tools, especially when I want to know I’m only running a 13 minute mile and I should pick it up to make it home in time. As for pedometers, let’s face it., they just are not accurate enough to give you a real-world measurement, especially in hilly area when you stride can go anywhere from 1-3 feet. The cyclocomputers that I’ve used in the past for mountain biking have worked great to let me know my time, distance, speed (current, max, and average). I liked them so much that I decided to put one on my new bike. So, I went out and bought one that did everything I needed, as well as track my cadence. After about an hour of trying to run the wires and attach the little magnet on my crank arms, I realized that not only did all the wires and other stuff clutter the clean look of my mountain bike, it would probably end up falling off somewhere on the trail. I immediately took it off and returned it.
Now when I'm trail running or mountain biking, I just use my watch to tell me how long I’ve been out. However, this doesn’t tell me how far I went. One way that I can track my mileage is by using the park trail maps that show the distance of the trails and then simply adding up all the little bits and pieces. This is a great way to determine the length of a selected route, assuming you start exactly at one of the predetermined measuring points. I also like to use these trail maps to plan my runs and get an idea of the terrain I’m about to encounter. Once I’m familiar with the various trails, I rarely use the maps again.
As we all know, the Internet is a plethora of information. There are numerous websites to gleam information from and lots of free programs that you can install. One of these is Google Earth. If you haven’t used Google Earth, I highly recommend it; its fun and its free. Aside from being able to explore the world, view landmarks, and check out your neighbors backyard, you can also use it to zoom in a check out your favorite stomping ground. One of the features that I recently found was the Ruler feature. It allows you to trace a path and get real-time distance measurement. As you know, most trails on are not on your average paper map and typically are only on special park maps or other trail guides. I use these paper maps to help me find the trails I run/ride on Google Earth. After I locate the trails, I can then click the Ruler button, click the Path tab, and start tracing my route. The great thing about Google Earth is that you can also pan down and view the terrain (you’ll need to check Terrain under the Layers options).
If you are not big into the trail running, you can also open your web browser to www.google.com and then click the Map option. I often use this site for tracking my routes that cover the local street. The trick is to create a destination that is as close as possible to your start point. If you are starting from home, use a destination that is one number different that your home address. Click and drag the path somewhere along your running or biking route and add additional points to help define your actually route. Just remember, the distances in the routing is correct, but the travel time is based on the speed limits on the roads...and most of us can't run 25 mph.Both Google Earth and the maps on www.google.com are great resources and I highly recommend both to help you find you next trail or get a better understanding of the trails you already use.
-LB
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