Creating a Route- The Easy Way!

MapMyRun.com is an impressive gift for people like me. Maybe you're one of those people too- the kind that couldn't tell you how far they've run even if their life depended on it. I'm not even

good at estimating, and usually I'm content with that.

However, my training plan has a 23 mile run somewhere down the road, and it's probably not a bad idea to know where I'm at in terms of mileage before I get too far into this thing.

I've used MapMyRun before, but I recently created a free profile because A) It will let me track my mileage; B) It will log routes I've created and let me use routes other members have logged; C) Let's get real. Who doesn't sign up for free things online all the time anyway? This is America. Free is my favorite price.

My favorite part of this website is the search option.

A. Maybe it seems obvious, but setting the location and distance is easy. I still think it's important to mention, just 'cause it's the first step.

B. Map Options. The image has the search result set to 'satellite,' but there is the 'map' choice with the streets labelled clearly, and the 'terrain' option, so I know exactly how many hills I will encounter on any given route.

C. Each of the routes meeting the search criteria pop up with a little blue flag and a number. The blue flag shows the starting point for the route, so I can decide if I want to drive there or add to the distance by starting from home. Also, hovering over the blue flag will cause a little box to pop up with more details about the run.

D. Ascent. Like the terrain option, I think the ascent is critical in my decision-making process. All of the routes are listed after scrolling down the page and they all show how far up I'll have to go during my run. This is a good, necessary, weed-out tool.

Thus far, I've only logged a couple routes- some basic ones around home and Coe so I have a good reference for creating routes later, as well as a route I've entitled "Death Mountain." I haven't run it yet, but it's going to be a beaut! Deets forthcoming!