Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Tracking Your Run or Walk

Maybe it's just me, but I imagine most runners and exercise walkers like to know what distance they have covered. For walkers, a pedometer will almost work, though if you are one who requires greater accuracy you will want to look at the devices used by runners. Despite the fact that several fairly accurate tracking systems rely primarily on counting steps, just like a pedometer, a pedometer is useless for a runner. Trust me on that.

The step counter systems I have used are by Polar (not bi-polar!), the world leader in heart rate monitors, and the Nike+ iPod. The Polar has a battery powered device which attaches to your shoe laces. This counts steps and transmits the information wirelessly to your wrist watch. Here, calculations are done, based on your height and weight, producing pretty accurate distance and pace results which can be viewed on-the-go or analyzed in greater depth later. With a proper interface, you can even upload the data to your computer and create a log. This system also offers a calibration feature which allows for fine tuning of the measuring. The system really works pretty well, though I have serious issues with the durability of the components. (See Running in the Rain.)

Durability is also an issue with the Nike+ iPod system. Like the Polar system, certain default calculations are made based on personal information which is entered by the user. I ran one marathon with this system in default mode and it came within a quarter mile of accurately measuring the distance. That's pretty good. However, I am still tinkering with the present Nike+ setup I have, not yet satisfied that it is as accurate as I would like. One problem which you should be aware of with this system is that many races won't permit the use of iPods on the course. The New York Marathon is one such race. Also, my team which runs the Texas Independence Relay was penalized the first year because one of our runners was caught using an iPod as she ran one of her race legs. The truth is, I ran my first leg while listening to my iPod, but didn't get caught. I'm not sure what the rules are with the Rock'n'Roll Marathon here in San Antonio, but a good 40 or 50% of the runners last year seemed to be grooving on their mp3 players, maybe turning the volume down when they ran past the live band stages every mile or so. Race organizers tell me the iPod ban is a safety issue and that the policy is necessary to keep the races within the parameters demanded by the race insurers. I'm not convinced.

GPS is everywhere and Garmin is not only a leader in automobile navagation, but also makes highly regarded systems for runners. If I had the money, that's probably the way I would go. Several years ago I used a GPS system by Timex. The receiver was rather on the bulky side, and the system often took several minutes to lock into the satellites. Also, running a street with a nice tree canopy would sometimes wreak havoc on the system. I am not sure about now, but there have been historical concerns about the accuracy of GPS when in the canyons between tall buildings in the midst of a downtown.

Of course, you can forgo any devices and simply measure your route ahead of time or after the fact. Many runners use MapMyRun for these measurements, but I prefer Gmaps Pedometer. These are very helpful with planning a run or getting an extremely accurate measurement after running a route. You can then take this information, along with your time (just about any digital watch has a stopwatch feature), to the Pace Calculator at CoolRunning.com to find your pace or to make all kinds of crazy "what if" calculations.

We run, walk, cycle, swim, all those things for our health. Believe it or not, we also come to enjoy these physical activities, even a long race like a marathon or a 20 mile training run. More power to you if this is all it takes to keep you motivated, but for many of us tracking distance and pace keeps us engaged where otherwise our interest might wane. I'm not currently keeping a detailed diary of my training, but am ever happy for those I kept in the past. Like a gardener who needs to know when he planted last year's Kentucky Wonder Beans, runners are aided by knowing where their training stood a year ago, and this is the information gathering which is made so much easier with these gimmicks and devices.

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San Antonio Runners Rule @ B2B 2010

San Antonio teams swept 4 of the top 5 places at this year's Beach to Bay Marathon Relay in Corpus. Two of those 4 SA teams were running for Fleet Feet San Antonio. Congratulations to those competitors: Fleet Feet Sports Mambas, Fleet Feet Juniors, Los Borrachos and GMTC.

Texas Independence Relay Results

The results are in for the 2010 running of the Texas Independence Relay, one of the coolest races to be found in Texas or elsewhere, for that matter. Congratulations to all the participants, to the numerous volunteers, and to race organizers Joy and Jay Hilscher.

Several San Antonio based teams ran the event. Kudos to Dr. Mitchell Finnie, a runner with Los Paisanos, the top finishing SA team. They covered the 203+ miles in 24 hours 53 minutes 30 seconds. The team from the Mid-Texas Symphony, which I led, finished in 29 hours 42 minutes 48 seconds.

Need a Lift?

I just ran across this inspiring blog and highly recommend it. It lifts my spirit to see so many people applying their passion and commitment to running to such great causes.