Numbers - who to believe?

[Hatman]

Numbers?

Few days ago I had a rant. I said -

What next? I seem to run 3.5 km in my week 8 walk, run, walk session. If the gadget I use is accurate? Today,Thursday and Saturday should be my week 9 days. Should I risk it, sign up for a park run and finish week 9 with a biggie? Even if my week 9 warm down brisk walk is the rest of the 5K?

I did the Thursday run today, still undecided. I have my phone in my jacket side pocket with Apple health app tells me I covered 3.9 km in 5,475 steps in my 40 minutes of W9R2. I found I have Nike+ on my iPod in jacket chest pocket, alongside Laura. That says I did 5.27 km in 44.14 giving me a 8’23”km.

I like the Nike result better than the Apple one. Who do I believe?

Does it matter where your device is attached to you?

I seem surprised I have this app? Yes I am. iPod for podcasts was my understanding. This phone is my first with a camera! I am not an up to date techie.

I got a cast-off that my grandchildren had finished with. How times change.

Should I sign up for Saturday 5k park run to finish Week 9?

[LeeU Graduate]

I may be wrong but I don't think that an ipod has GPS, so how would it know how far you've run?

I'd be more inclined to believe the iPhone (not that I ever would) as that should have GPS on it and should be more accurate.

See if either app gives you the speed, a 8:23 km should be around 7.2km/h, I think Map my Run is available to the iPhone, this may help you find out exactly how far you are running (plus it is a good tool too), I think Strava may also do this kind of thing too.

[Granspeed Graduate]

One way to go would be to do the Park Run and let their system figure it out! You could do your warmup walk before, run near the back of Park Run (do go to the Newbie briefing) and when your W9 run is done, just relax & jog or walk the rest of the way — if there is any more. 😄 Let us know what happens.... 👍

[Hatman Graduate in reply to Granspeed]

Newbie briefing? I am so glad that I asked on here. Thank you. Will do.

[Debston Graduate]

Mapmyrun is good and very easy to use. Free app but you can pay to upgrade and use the fancier features (I don't, basic is great for me). As for Park Run, why not? Sounds like a fantastic way to graduate and you don't need to run the full 5k, like you say, it could be finished with your cool down walk. You have to register with park run and remember to print off your barcode and take it with you. But once you are registered, that's it, you can just turn up on the day at any park run. I have not done one yet but I will hopefully get to my local one soon.

[Hatman Graduate in reply to Debston]

Thanks for the Park Run suggestion. I signed up on line and did my W9R3 as a 5K run. Wish I had found that earlier. If you usually run solo, sign up as a volunteer and see the tremendous level of support and encouragement they all give to even old slow runners. Started at the back and brisk walked 5 mins, then broke into a slow jog and finished my official Laura run, let Laura start again as I felt I could go a little further, carried on and almost felt I was coming in first as I got to the finish, with the claps and cheers. Well worth the worry of Can I really do 5K? having only got to just under 4 in my 30 minutes. My local run is 3 laps of the park. So if you stop after 30 mins, you are not far from the start and they don’t mind if you don’t finish. Thanks again. Do try it?

[Debston Graduate in reply to Hatman]

That's great, well done and I love the idea of being cheered on by the volunteers, how lovely! I'm away at the weekend but will give it a whirl when I get back.

[Hidden]

Just go down and check it out, see what you think. Parkrun is just people in YOUR park running. There's no obligation to do anything, you can join in and run, or you can just support them. In the past I've just stopped halfway around because I wasn't feeling well and walked away. But if you want to take part and finish it, people will support you, people will encourage you. The WHOLE point of parkrun is about community, getting people involved. They want you to go and take part.

[Hatman Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Will do. I have my barcode. Thanks

[Hatman Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the push. Really enjoyed that park run. Afterwards. Came in fourth in my class. Winner could have gone round three times in my time. Closest I ever came to athletic brilliance in my long life. Only PB I ever had before was my initials.

Volunteers made me think I’d won. Enjoy your 10K journey. Me? Week 9R4 today, concentrating on feet position all the way round. R5 will be breathing well. Thanks again.

[Hidden in reply to Hatman]

Great stuff Hatman, so glad you enjoyed it.

[Moz2407 Graduate]

Echoing what Clubber has said above, you really cannot go wrong with going to a Parkrun. I WAS going to wait until i had graduated before doing my first but being an impatient bugger I started around week 5 (run 3 if i recall) and never looked back. It's part of my weekly runs as I head into week 9. I tend to do my 5 minute warm up on the way to starting line, run as the program advises, cool down and then walk/run as I am able to the finish line. It's a very supportive environment and there are plenty of people who walk/run the whole course. Pretty confident you wont regret it.

[Hatman Graduate in reply to Moz2407]

Thanks I will be there then.

[Hatman Graduate in reply to Moz2407]

Did one as W9R3 on Saturday, having read this. Started with 5 min walk to let the elite move off, JSR‘ed all round and finished to rousing cheers. Well worth going along. Thanks

[Moz2407 Graduate in reply to Hatman]

Fantastic to hear Hatman! I’ve not looked back since doing my first one. Completed in 3 and volunteered for 2. Part of my weekly routine now

[Stevieplink Graduate]

Very similar to mozz. I started park run wk5 I do warm up on.way to start then carry on with run. Once that is done.I.revert to wk1 intervals.

[Hatman Graduate in reply to Stevieplink]

Sounds good thank you

[backintime Graduate]

My phone (LG G3) "counts" my steps but it's very hit and miss. If I have my phone in my coat pocket and have my hand in there too when I am walking the dogs, the phone doesn't get the same movement as when I don't have my hand in my pocket, etc. When I run, if I carry it in my hand it seems to read better (meaning I prefer the results ) than if I strap it on my arm.

I have no knowledge whether it's right or not, but it did count 20 minutes cycling one day when I was mowing the lawn (push petrol mower), so that mucks it up. It doesn't count steps when I'm sitting on the train so it's not distance that counts but if I sit on the sofa and shake it it counts steps.

Maybe run 100 steps with your device in different places and test which is the most accurate?

[Hatman Graduate in reply to backintime]

Thanks. I ended up driving the route and noting the odometer.

[JPDuck Graduate]

Strava is a free app and is great to track your run

[Hatman Graduate in reply to JPDuck]

I’ll look it up THANKS

[sTrongFuse Graduate]

The great thing about parkrun is you cannot come last, that is someone's actual job to be the tail-ender and make sure everyone gets round safely.

You don't have to run it all, you can walk, jog, hop, skip or crawl if you have to. A lot of courses are run over two or more laps, so if you're not feeling it you can always stop at the end of a lap.

Go along, you have nothing to lose.

[Hatman Graduate in reply to sTrongFuse]

Thanks.Very encouraging. I have my barcode.

[Hatman Graduate in reply to sTrongFuse]

Very encouraging. Thanks for that

[Hatman Graduate]

HeeHee not just me then. I drove it. 2.4 miles = 3.86km. Nike+ wins. Apple health app is noted for underestimated step, up to 21%.

Thanks for your interest. Enjoy your running.