Measuring distance

[C25KKate]

Just wanting some advice about how best to measure distance whilst on a run. At the moment I’m increasing the time I run with Sammi Murphy and then working out an approximate distance by using on the go website back at home. I noted jan-now-runs uses mapmyrun, but does that give you regular updates on how far you’ve gone? Also does it let you play your own music between progress reports like C25k? Are there other apps available? Sorry not great with technology and what’s out there so would appreciate some direction. Many Thanks 🏃😊

[misswobble Graduate10]

A garmin forerunner 10 is a nice basic but good running watch lots on here have them ☺

[Kingfisherk26 in reply to misswobble]

Agree 100% with misswobble ... I got 2 Garmin forerunner 10s one for me and one for my daughter, off flea bay. There are usually several for sale and if you are patient you can get a bargain. I bought one for £25 inc pp... and its been great. The Garmin site you upload the info to is pretty good... graphs.. pbs... options to log runs, walks bike rides etc. it gives you the option to log swimming... dont kow if it is supposed to be 100% waterproof. You can load up runs manually as well so even though a gps watch is no good on the treadmill you can still load the time and distance you did.

I don't own a smart phone (I know caveman) but i think Id prefer the watch and an MP3 player anyway ... only last week I saw a chap at the gym drop his iphone and the treadmill shot it across the floor.

My forerunner 10 finds its location pretty quickly MOST of the time and its time and distances coincide pretty well with the Parkruns I have done. I like feature of time per km.

If you do buy one I think the pastel coloured ones (Green Orange purple etc) have a smaller strap than the black ones. Ladies watches??? I'm a 51 year old bloke and run with a green one with no problem... maybe my wrists are the only bit of me thats on the skinny side.

Happy running

[Millsie-J]

Yes, yes and yes. Just need the free version for all that!

[Sandyscroll Graduate10]

I used the free version of map my run. I loved it! It gave me updates of how far I'd run, the time for each split etc. I got home and looked at the stats which were really clear to read. I'd done really well, so I shared them with a friend who runs marathons and she was really impressed at how well I'd done...and I was only on week 2. Looking at the map I'd run, I could see exactly where I'd been...looking closer I realised it had mapped me as having run through a huge pond, factory units, people's living rooms and gardens, skittering about through solid wall and running over ducks swimming on the canal...It must have added at least a kilometre, if not more, to my run! No wonder I looked so good!!😂😂😂

The moral of the story? Map my run is only as good as the GPS equipment you use to record it on, and my ipod was rubbish! I use Strava on my phone now and Map my run works well on my phone too. Have fun, and don't try walking on water...It may improve your time, but then again you may get wet! 😉

[HeleneCorsa Graduate10 in reply to Sandyscroll]

I'be had the same experience, twice! It seems I run all over the river Tiber and can leap up the ten metre embankments, over the road and back down again, repeatedly. I appear to be Spiderman. (I know I work in the Vatican but j haven't progressed to walking on water yet).

[Sandyscroll Graduate10 in reply to HeleneCorsa]

Haha! Glad it's not just me! 😂

[Elfe5 60minGraduate in reply to Sandyscroll]

Haha ! Mapmyrun does generally work well for me except if I run on the beach at low tide it tells me I am running in the sea! 😀

[Sandyscroll Graduate10 in reply to Elfe5]

Haha! I love that! 😃

[HeleneCorsa Graduate10 in reply to Elfe5]

I have this great image of you like Moses, parting the waves as you run

[Elfe5 60minGraduate in reply to HeleneCorsa]

It is more like splat splat splat along the wet sand flats!!

[C25KKate Graduate10]

Thanks everyone, that’s all helpful advice👍

[Cornet-Carolyn Graduate10]

I use my Fitbit linked to my phone. It tells me each km I've run but I haven't worked out if you can set the time so I still use c25k Week 9 for that as well

[C25KKate Graduate10]

Thanks Cornet-Carolyn.

[JaySeeSkinny Graduate10]

I started off with Runkeeper on my phone. After about a year I treated myself to a running watch (Garmin Forerunner 235). I love it! I still keep Runkeeper as it has all my statistics, but the Garmin is more accurate and provides a lot more information.

[Bluebirdrunner Graduate10]

Hi Kate, yes, I put my music on my phone and downloaded the free version of Mapmyrun. I downloaded the Sammi podcasts and was using them more recently just as background music for pace and ran through the walk breaks. Then as the runs got longer I used my own playlist on shuffle. I set it to tell me when each 0.5k was run. You can play your music to warm up, then you start Mapmyrun. It goes quiet while she tells you your distance, time and split time per kilometre. I have found it works well, and when I get home can upload it to Strava where all previous runs are stored.

I have found it really helpful to know how my pace is and clocking up the kilometers a half at a time is very satisfying.

Happy running and good luck 😊x

[C25KKate Graduate10 in reply to Bluebirdrunner]

Thank you that sounds just the sort of thing I’m looking for. I like Sami but I think I’d rather sing along to my own playlist!😊👍🎵

[Elfe5 60minGraduate in reply to Bluebirdrunner]

I get all that except the strava bit - is this cloud storage?? How do I do that - atm I have various runs stored on my phone, but can't do that forever.

[Richard7 Graduate10 in reply to Elfe5]

How are you recording them? What software? Strava/RunKeeper/MapMyRun etc are all online services - typically you record your run using their app on your phone and then synchronise the details of the run with the online system. You can also use a GPS running watch and upload directly or indirectly to many of these services. You can then review the runs using their app and/or a pc/browser.

If you are using something like Apple Watch with your phone you could try using RunGap app which allows you to copy from one service to another - it has some free elements but also some paid for ones.

[Elfe5 60minGraduate in reply to Richard7]

Thanks for this - I hadn't quite understood the system- IT not my best area.

[Bluebirdrunner Graduate10 in reply to Elfe5]

Hi Elfe, both Strava and Mapmyrun have apps on the phone that record the runs, which then get uploaded to their respective websites when you save it. You can view all your runs either on the app or by logging on to the websites where they are stored.

Mapmyrun has a free interval feature, so I record on that, and then once saved I can transfer it to Strava using my pc which I was using up until recently. Both are good for storing your stats and you can follow other c25k people on both too...

Hope this helps.😊x

[Elfe5 60minGraduate in reply to Bluebirdrunner]

Ah ok thanks- then it sounds like I am not filling up my phone memory after all! All new territory for me. 😃

[Terimanning25]

I use an app linked to my gym account... I tried MapMyRun and I didn't really find it worked very well... I like having all my stats for gym workouts, classes, runs and daily movement in one place x

[Richard7 Graduate10 in reply to Terimanning25]

Some of the apps only use GPS data so no good in a Gym. Some have a setting to record without GPS (I think RunKeeper)

[C25KKate Graduate10]

Thanks. I’ll bear the advice about the stats in mind. The only thing is I don’t have a gym account. I only do running.

[Richard7 Graduate10 in reply to C25KKate]

If you have a Smartphone then if the GPS works well most of the apps mentioned can give you announcements and record your runs with syncing to online services.

[C25KKate Graduate10]

This is all really helpful advice. Thanks everyone 👍

[Sadeskin]

I have an Apple Watch which will measure distance but I link it with Strava. It’s become my bible really, if you do use Strava though don’t let it get you obsessed with speed .. just a warning! It’s great for distance x