Articles, tips, miscellany
Software to Help You Run Faster
by Donald Walker, Toronto Frontrunners
In the summer newsletter I wrote about the running community on the electronic highway and some of the information resources available to runners on the Internet. There is a myriad of other computer resources available to runners when we log-off the 'net, and that is the subject for this month. Running diaries, coaching programs, race simulators and bibliographic resources are available for on-line and off-line use.
I think most runners who are interested in improving their time and pace keep a running diary to record the dates they run, distance, time and, maybe even details about the weather, how they felt, what they did the night before. The obvious benefits are the motivation that comes from tracking improvement and the ability to identify factors that lead to a "bad run". I for one, was never very good at maintaining a hand-written diary, but the opportunity to keep one on my personal computer provided the motivation I needed to get started [OK...I plead guilty to being a 2nd degree computer geek...but I have never owned a plastic pocket protector].
My first project was to create a logging and graphing program using a basic spread sheet program [any software will do: Lotus 1-2-3, MS Excel, etc.]. I set it up just to record daily distance and calculate over/under achievement compared to some targets I set for myself. I added a graphing function so I could look at it all in a picture format - always more motivating than just a row of numbers. In a second routine, I recorded race results and conditions. After 12 months of entering data, I was able to start comparing how well I was doing this year over last year and how my race times were affected by the amount of training I had done.
These "primitive" applications got me interested in exploring what is offered in the commercial market place. Although I've seen some running software advertised in running magazines and catalogues, I've never seen anything in either running stores or computer software stores, here in Toronto. So I surfed off on the 'net and discovered a few items that have impressed me.
My favorite is The Athlete's Diary . I pulled a demonstration version of this one off the 'net and liked it so much, I bought the full commercial version, about a year ago [price $40.00US]. This one enables me to record all my sports [running, cycling, swimming, weight training, stretching, as many as I define] by time and distance. I can add details about the weather, weight, night-before, shoes or whatever I want. It has remarkable flexibility. It calculates pace and even knows how to distinguish times for running and cycling, e.g. entering "130" in cycling will be converted to 1 hour, 30 minutes; if it were a run it -training options, a coaching program, and a "trainer". The trainer will do such things as predict the effect of losing weight on race times. It is very accurate in pin-pointing the difference in my Gay Games III 10km time and my current 10km time, according to my race day weights. Of course, it attributes all the difference to the lean 62.5 kg I weighed on race day and not the motivation from running in my first Gay Games, but the idea is a sure-thing motivator to control weight.
Running Works includes some interesting options in the full version [I have only the free demonstration copy]. There is a library of research articles and tips for running faster and avoiding injury. There is also an option to simulate your participation in some famous U.S. races and predict your outcome. I'm not ready to buy this one, at least until the metric deficiency is fixed, but it's worth watching.
There are many more programs on offer and information about how to obtain demo copies is available on The Running Page on the Internet WWW [http://sunsite.unc.edu/drears/running/running.html]. The full versions make excellent gifts for the runner/computer geek on your list. Toronto's newest running specialty store [The Tech Shop - congratulations Elaine] is also planning to stock some of this software. There are also Macintosh software programs available for people who haven't bought personal computers yet. ;-)
Please e-mail me with your comments and questions. Meanwhile......gotta run.