Working out how far you have run each time.

[Twolilos]

Hi folks. Did W6R3 today and used my Nike iPod app to measure the distance I travelled. It said I had run for 6k which doesn't really seem possible. Anyone got any thoughts? What else do people use to track their distances?

Thank you

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

That would be very fast! I use the free runkeeper app but they all depend on GPS so if reception is poor you will get inaccurate readings. Dare I say that you shouldn't worry about distance too much at this point - just concentrate on running for the amount of time and then see how you are doing when you graduate - you could always treat yourself to a garmin as a graduation pressie!

[kpisofficiallynuts Graduate]

I haven't got any technology yet, so if I run 'off road' I have no idea how far I've travelled. If I run on pavements around where I live, I get a rough idea by later driving my route. I'm going to watch this with interest, I have my eyes on a Garmin.

[Twolilos]

I run with my iPod nano which I don't think you can out extra apps on (and I don't want to start carrying my iPhone around with me. I run in a park, but would like to get an idea of how far I am running.

Will keep thinking about what to do! Thank you for replying

Lucy

[MarkyD Graduate]

Hello, as a bit of a geek, I've tried every type of gadget! My job is selling all the little chips and sensors that go into these gadgets, so it is kind of my hobby.

In a former running life, I ran with an iPod nano and the Nike+ foot sensor. I have to confess that it was not very accurate, but then I did not follow the 'calibration' routine where you run for 1km measured course. These foot sensors can only really measure the time between your footsteps, and use a guess of your stride length to work out distance. I found that this combination over-estimated my distance [or put another way, over-estimated my speed ].

Of course, what is important is that you get an idea of your performance run to run, and so you can tell if you are getting faster, or running for a longer distance. Absolute accuracy is not so important.

I think more modern iPods (?? Touch ??) have the accelerometer built in and can detect your footsteps without the foot sensor... but again this is not 100% accurate.

Some years ago I bought a Nike SportWatch with a GPS sensor. This tracks my runs in more detail, and I have found to be very accurate, just with a poor battery life now.

Now I am on C25K I have a FitBit Flex pedometer. This is a great thing, and whilst using the accelerometer to track foot steps, it is much more accurate than just the Nike+ foot sensor: the software algorithms have improved and the accelerometers now have inbuilt DSP asics (sorry, got carried away). It is not as accurate as GPS, though.

Now I am on C25K I had to buy some new running shoes. These happened to be Nike Pegasus Air 30's and are Nike+ compatible. Now I have the Nike+ foot sensor in the shoe, my SportWatch on my right wrist and my FitBit Flex on my left wrist (how sad am I??). I only really trust the GPS data from the SportWatch. The foot sensor is helpful when I'm on a track with trees overhead, and the data from the Fitbit Flex gives me a useful count of my steps, and helps to motivate me to keep active on a 'non-running' day. Also, it has a 5-day battery life and records my sleep, too.

My gadgets are a bit old now. If I was replacing them, I'd go straight to a Garmin foreRunner GPS watch. This seems to be the market-leader for runners, and there are a range of models. ForeRunner 10 or 12 have had the most mentions on this site.

Personally, I'm waiting for the fabled Apple iWatch....