Hi All,
I need help! I'm starting training for FLM 2003 and I need to know whow far I'm running! Surely there must be a website out there where I can find out the circumference of Blackheath, or the distance from Lewisham to Dulwich Park...
I try estimating my pace, but how do I know how fast I'm running when I can't tell how far I've ran!!
Life was so much easier in Glasgow where I knew most of the distances!
Cheers
Kim
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I do rather the same as Mij, except with a great big London A to Z, straight pins and a piece of thread. Maybe not perfectly accurate, but a pretty fair 'ballpark' figure.
Blackheath has at least one mighty decent running club (Harriers?), which might also have distance info on local runs. They might even talk you into joining.
Good luck,
DC
There is another one called www.trailgauge.com which is the same sort of thing, but accounts for hills as well.
I think i'll try the maps and string alongside accuroute for a double check.
Dalya - I've actually been thinking of joining the Blackheath Harriers (or asking if they'd let me in!!) But i feel a little intimidated by their calibar of runners, I think I might up my training before I ask!
Thanks again
Like the dental floss one - I may give that a go!
Neat little gadget with a built in wheel that works on any scale map. It's got a built in calculator, key light and compass. Very accurate - and great fun to use.
I'm well impressed - seems very acurate !
I've downloaded a demo version, and you just click from point to point, rather than having to trace the route.
Not sure how long the demo lasts before I have to part with some dosh!
They're about £40.
Or, get your partner to cycle with you when you run, measuring your distance. Your partner can also see your speed on the bike milometer.
seems very accurate... more details I think are on a thread I started after trialing accuroute, and the distances lett me 'short'...
IRW
You mentioned joining a club - great idea. However, Blackheath Harriers are actually based in Bromley. Nearer clubs are New Eltham Joggers and Kent AC (based in Lewisham).
Best of luck
Drew
One question: can I use it on an A-Z type map which involves having to turn the page or go across the crease in the middle? Sorry if this is a dumb question!
It is fun to use but the compass on it is a bit naff though.
I would recommend this.
If you want an accurate distance then measure it on a map, using software like Accuroute or Trailgauge makes this very easy and accurate to usually within 1%.
If you're not too bothered about accuracy and you can drive round the route then use the car. Car odometers should be within 5 to 10%.
If you've got money to burn get a Timex SDM which will be accurate to within 2%.
Can't wait for the boxing day run!
With all these programs, you can use any map off the internet, or scanned in from a paper map, and you're not restricted to places you can get a car or bike.
Download it for a free 30-day trial from http://www.littleredfrog.com/mapper
It costs £10 to use it after the free trial.
(declaration of interest: I was asking the same questions about measuring distances a couple of years ago and couldn't find anything suitable, so decided to write the software myself, with the help of a friend who's a much better programmer than me! - Mapper is the result)
I do find it irritating that accurate maps at a scale lower than 1:25000 are so difficult to get hold of. They are available - down to 1:1250 - but cost a bomb. <rant>Thanks a lot Ordnance Survey - the only mapping agency in the world allowed to make a profit in this way.</rant>
I'm very keen to get really accurate measurements of relatively short distances such as the lengths of the hill reps I run, and the "usual" sources are pretty useless for this purpose.
One other alternative is a measuring wheel - but from what I can see, a decent one costs at least £100. Wonder if they can be hired - and at what rate?
I used Mapper to measure the track at Crystal Palace and it came up with 398.48m, which I worked out as 99.62% accuracy.
Unfortunately not much outside the M25 seem s to be covered.
Anyway Chris - yes, I am going to have a look at Mapper!