I wanted you guys to know that there is a good website to use for figuring out the exact distance you have run/jogged/walked/cycled etc if you are training outdoors.

Click on the link below - you will see a map of the world and you just have to zoom in to where you start your workout. Then all you have to do is click on the points of the map where you run to and keep clicking to plot your route.

When I go running I don't follow roads directly and other websites only figure out distances for driving. I was pleased to see that I ran further than I thought and knowing the distance and time I ran means I can also find out my speed too.

Check it out:

http://www.webwalking.com/googlemap.htm

That's pretty damn brilliant Dominic. Can do loads of tracks and forests from my front door that can't get the car to.

Thanks.

Carol

Thanks for the info,Dominic.

I now know that the walk I did on Sunday was 6.8 miles and not the twenty or so that I thought.

What an excellent site - will add that to favorites! I usually take the car out after a big walk to calculate distance - this is a far cheaper, accurate and greener option.

I am glad you guys liked it - knowing that you've covered a certain number of miles exercising helps me quite a bit... ok, i'll admit it - I like to show off that I've done 3 miles, rather than just say: i went for a walk around the park etc. Plus I just found out that walking into town boosts the number of miles travelled significantly!!

When I walk now, if it is NOT on measurable (driveable) road and even if it is, I note the route and take stop watch. First walk I do 'comfortably brisk' then try and improve on time or add segments, or jog 1 minute sectors. For me that really helps motivation as fitness, stamina are my main goals. I am NOT competitive against others but very personal target motivated.

Thanks Dominic
It is a great site. I am training for the London Moonwalk and have found how far I did in my last walk and also worked out next route to up the distance. It meant I could now work out my speed and have realised that I have to walk faster if I want to finish the walk in my target time ( I had to pick a finish time when I filled in the form never having walked that distance in one go so slightly optimistic!)
Have bookmarked it

Emm are you allowed to drive all over Hampstead Heath? Is it a 4x4 Smart car you have?

This is great - we cycled 4.568 miles this afternoon!

Rosie - good luck with the London Moonwalk! There is a group on here for anyone doing the London Moonwalk, run by Maggy who was looking for anyone elase doing the London One. Quite a few of us from the 'Ab Fab' group are doing the Edinburgh Moonwalk - a result of us getting together online here in the THC.

What a brilliant site! Thanks Dominic for posting that - very useful for plotting my lunchtime walks
Kaz

Really good and it allows me to plan some slghtly longer routes and check out the aerial photos before I try them - thank you - added to favourites

No good if you go off road though. I wanted to plot my last walk on Dartmoor accurately - the moor is a large blank. What we need is for the OS to collaborate!! That would be really useful, but thanks any way, will use when I walk through towns

Olive, I know what you mean - my local park is just a large green shape.

Did you try changing it from "map" mode to "satellite" mode, where it shows you aerial photographs of the terrain? If you choose "hybrid" it shows both. You might be able to pick out tracks or landmarks from that and plot your route more accurately.

PEDOMETER
Just for info. It takes me an hour to do a brick 5,200 steps. Who has the time to do the magic 10,000/ day?

How is change of altitude allowed for as I guess it's ten time the effort on our local hills.

Similar but also excellent is:

http://www.realbuzz.com/flmroutes/index.php

Designed to help London Marathon Runners but usable for walking and cycling too...it works best on 'Hybrid'

Cheers

I love it, and now I have seen the tip about switching to satellite mode I can track the old railway lines I use.

Other good sites are Fetcheveryone and Mapmyrun. Fetch is a runners' site and allows you to save routes, keep an exercise log etc.

I have also used mapmyrun which is ok for road runs

Anyone found an online tracker yet that covers off-road areas? I do most of my walking in Scottish Highlands, and there aren't many roads here!

Jackie I'm sure you can do that with Google pedometer as you just draw lines - your problem will be identifying exactly which rock you passed etc.!
http://www.webwalking.com/googlemap.htm

My other half uses MapMyRun, which I think is very similar. Satellite is good for when you go off road, but I guess for moors you would need to see something as a marker so you know vaguelly where you are?

I use www.walkjogrun.net , this gives either a google earth picture or a map or a hybrid. I find it really useful - Sometimes it is tricky to follow exactly where you went but usually there are streams or paths to check.

I take a GPS unit. This has gives full trip information - distance covered, time (moving), time (stopped), and loads of other information. It also records a track which you can upload into suitable mapping software.

would that work with the car satnav if I carried it. I only ask because whenever I walk in our local woods I get lost (no sense of direction whatsoever!)

Handheld GPS seems best, as I have one. Mostly use it for archaeology (recording positions of sites), but must get to grips with the inadequate manual and start using it for walking.

Trouble with Google and others is that they don't do very detailed satellite images for up here so difficult to make out where you have been when walking across moorland, on hills. Plus without broadband, takes an age.

veloroutes.org/bikemaps/#

also allows you to plot routes on roads. It allows you to see elevations along the route and draws a graph. Useful in identifying suitable terrain to cycle through.

Just enter starting point (street name and town) and click FIND.

Now trace out the route.

GPS are great for navigating - we always take one when walking, but a word of warning, they are useless in woods. Apparently they can also be poor near tall buildings. However, I am led to believe that the new generation of runners GPS are better. Does anyone know?

I have a Garmin Forerunner 305 and I love it. I don't run in woods as such, but I've never had a problem with it not picking up a signal. It tells you distance, speed, pace, HR, averages by lap or overall, you can set training programmes (intervals etc), calories, climbs, it will alert you by pace, distance or HR, and will allegedly take you home if you get lost, although I've never tried that function!