New routes, and how to map them

Two very exciting things happened to me in 2010 - I moved house and I bought an iphone. Not on the same day, of course - a girl can only stand so much excitement, after all.

Both of these events will have an impact on my training plan for this year. I'm looking forward to preparing for the marathon with a host of new routes but I am also experimenting with different apps that track or log my runs

I've always used Nike+ to track my runs, with a heart monitor to track my fitness on longer runs. I don't bother with a heart monitor on shorter runs - I'm sure this is probably a training no-no but it's too much palaver to get all the kit on when you just want to head out of the house quickly before or after work. The Nike+ is not wholly accurate and you do need to keep checking that it is calibrated to your stride so it calculates your mileage, but overall for the price I think it is the best tool out there for monitoring your mileage and progress.

So when I bought the iphone I downloaded the Nike+ app to try it out. Its main advantage is that you don't need to wear a watch, so when it's cold and you've got long sleeves on, plus a pair of gloves, it's one less thing around your wrist. The downside is that with your phone in a back pocket or an armband, you can't see your progress. So it's only really suitable for routes you know really well and can track the mileage in your head. Another downside for me is that it shouts a report on your run at you as you finish. Admittedly this might only be a negative for me because the first time I used it I finished my run at the local bakery, and therefore had to stand in the queue while the shouty Nike lady recited my time, distance and average speed to the rest of the shop on a busy Saturday morning. We live and learn.

The last three runs have been using Endomondo. This is a GPS tracker, which has the benefit of being linked to your computer so you can see your run mapped without having to upload any data. It's a bit Big Brother but helpful not to have to upload something every time you come home. It also has an American woman who shouts at you - I have it set for her to tell me every time I complete a mile, and how fast I did it. I find this incredibly useful, especially as I am now trying to map out some new routes. It means I don't have to sit at the computer and map them out before I leave the house, which is what I have always done. More time saved. Less excuse not  to run. It also rates your splits with either a tortoise or a hare logo, which I find quite amusing. I suspect I will not find this funny for long, particuarly if it keeps using the tortoise more than the hare, but at the moment it's quite a nice touch.

I'm now considering downloading the Nike+ GPS app, which seems to combine both in one.

There is however one major downside to all of these fantastically clever apps - the fact you have to lug your iphone out with you. I do not listen to music when I run, but I do like to carry a phone for emergencies (ie it starts peeing it down so hard you can't see out of your glasses and you have to phone for a lift home). Unfortunately the Iphone is huge - I have an armband for it but this is cumbersome and deeply unsafe, as the phone keeps sneaking out of the top of the case. For the moment, my winter running kit has enough pockets to stow it away, but as the weather warms up and my layers thin out, I'm going to have to come up with another solution. All suggestions welcome!

LON