Ever since I started jogging regularly here in Bloomington, I have wished for a way to keep track of my workout difficulty. I'm not much of one for running in circles on a track, but the disadvantage to running just out and about is that you have to guess at how far you're running. I think it'd be great to have an online resource where I could put in my routes and see how far I've been going. I use Google Maps for the times that I jog alongside roads, but I'm without any good information when I venture inside campus and off the main streets. I need a Google Maps-style visual resource that's catered to pedestrians/joggers.
I think this could be enhanced if we somehow had topographical information about Bloomington, too. The hills around here can be punishing, and I'm always curious what my workouts would look like if I tried to replicate them in a programmable treadmill (not that I have one). In addition, I'd love to be able to anticipate traffic lights that will take a long time or that are not pedestrian-friendly.
If we could combine all this information, then not only could joggers (and there are lots of them here) retroactively assess their workouts, but maybe they could plan them by difficulty as well. Maybe there could be a way of rating route difficulty by hilliness and length, so that I could know that I'm a level 3 or whatever and pick varying routes that match that to avoid getting bored. This whole database of information could be topped off with something that helps you plan your workouts based on your ability (like at www.runnersworld.com) and goals.
©The ideas and objects presented in this blog are copyright Marcela Poffald 2008.
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