RunningMap Trackometer was released on the iPhone App Store on October 12, 2009. It is a very simple application designed to use the GPS capabilities of the iPhone to track where you go for your run and view it on the website after you have uploaded the route. You can more about the application here.
Recently I switched my iTunes to the US store to look at the reviews and was surprised to see that the half a dozen reviews were quite negative (Canadian reviews have been pretty good). This is surely devastating for sales. I can counter these comments by responding to them in this blog and by asking you, if you live in the US and are happy with the app, to give us a little bit of love and post a kind comment on iTunes. I can also improve the app and satisfy the concerns of those who are having trouble with the app at the moment.
Firstly, we respond within a day (sometimes immediately) to all email. We are basically 2 guys who, in our spare time, do what we can to improve the site, monitor its performance and gain your loyalty.
Secondly, the app was tested and works quite well … given the right circumstances (more on that later). And here is proof. This demo video was done in one take. See the results for yourself:
It is really hard, given the resources we have, to test this application on all devices on different networks in different situations. Judging by the comments some people are not having success with the app tracking their route. Is it the app’s fault? Well yes and no. It is the fault of the phone/network for not providing good GPS data. It is the fault of the app because it fails at adequately communicating this to the user. A contributing factor may be our own algorithms for cleaning up bad GPS data. It is our fault for not updating our FAQ in a timely manner.
So, we are working on version 1.2. Along with fixing these flaws, we will add a map feature and perhaps iTunes controls. Some of you might remember the first version of RunningMap that came out in 2004. Through iteration we were able to make it better.
I have been remiss – the Games finished on the 18th of October and I have not posted anything. The last event for me was the Half Marathon which was a very good time. The route was two times around the same loop but an interesting and varied loop – through some of the park areas around the Olympic Park site. It started fairly early in the morning so I can’t complain about the temperature, and I enjoyed talking to a few different runners along the way. At one point one of our cheer squad did tell me to quit talking and run, but really to come all this way – part of the enjoyment is meeting the other runners! I’ve attached a picture of myself and a fellow named John who I ran a fair bit of the second half of the run with. You will notice John is in the 70 to 74 age group (by his bib number). He was a very strong runner. At one point there was myself, John, Peter (I believe a 45 to 49 age runner) and Anne (another 50 -54 year old) all running together – as John called us the “Awesome Foursome” (sounds much better with an Australian accent!). Towards the end we spread out a bit and John took off leaving some of us in the dust! He only started running when he was in his sixties but he certainly does well!
The 8 km cross country race was brutal. Temperatures were very high (roughly 30 degrees) with strong winds – apparently about 50 km/hr. However, the wind did help to cool us down somewhat. I don’t like seeing people collapsing at races and there was too much of this – particularly with the women’s race that started at 2:30 pm. Some of the women coming in after me were literally hitting the ground face first when they crossed the finish line – some were crawling over the finish (too hot and not enough water!) It made for a very trying race. Hopefully the half-marathon on Sunday will be much better – at least it starts at 7 in the morning so the temperature should be much better!
The above picture is of the group of us – runners, support crew and a race walker – all from St. Albert!
While here we have been trying to see some of the other events. In fact, in the mornings we tend to take our drinks and muffins over the the track and watch some of the events there. The other day we were watching the men’s 80 to 84 years, 800 meter race. These men were absolutely incredible – limber, fast and certainly did not look their age at all! In fact, a Canadian won the race that morning – Earl Fee with a time of 2:49:50. I’m sure you won’t see this Earl but congratulations – you were totally awesome! Went online to look up where Earl was from and found the following page about Earl – take a peek!
Ran the 10 km road race at the World Masters Games in Sydney today, along with a few others from St. Albert. It was actually quite a good race. Course was two times around a 5 km loop, ending for the grand finish once around the stadium track. Despite the fact that a lot of the games so far seem to be quite disorganized the run itself was nice. Wasn’t too sure how this would turn out as I have been quite stiff and achy from the lo-o-o-ng airplane ride and haven’t totally converted to Australia time yet (sleep is an issue!). My actual results? — not sure as no actually clock going at the end to let us know, but expect results will be posted not too long. Anyway, on to the next one on Tuesday – the 8 km cross-country run. Hear it has been snowing back home! Raining intermittently here – hope it will get better as I haven’t packed enough for this type of weather! I am also posting information on the St. Albert World Masters blogspot. Check us out here at www.worldmastersgames.blogspot.com. Posting pictures to this site.
I’m heading out to Sydney, Australia today – hoping I’m ready (did I do enough training?). Had a good hill run this morning so am feeling pretty good. Arrive in Sydney on the 9th and have my first run on the 11th (10 km road race) followed by the 8 km cross-country on the 13th and finally, the half-marathon on the 18th. Will post some pictures while I’m there so you can see some of what is happening at the games. Must say the thought of extending summer is extremely nice right now (as it was trying to snow on me this morning!)
Yesterday we activated an additional larger advertisement on the bottom left corner of the Runningmap application. This is currently being introduced on a “trial” basis in an effort to earn some money to help support the hosting, support and development costs for this site.
Within the next few months we will be introducing options for those who would like to use more advanced features without having to look at advertising. Until then, I hope that you will bear with us because there are some great things coming. You won’t regret the wait.
Runningmap would like to shout out CONGRATS to Priscilla Lopes-Schliep for her silver medal at the world track and field championships in Berlin on Wednesday. She bettered her Beijing Olympics bronze-medal performance with a time of 12.54 seconds in the 100-metre hurdles. AWESOME! Priscilla, you inspire all us Canadians.
I’ve just finished reading one of the most fascinating and inspiring running books. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen, was written by Christopher McDougall, a former war correspondent and now contributing editor for Men’s Health. McDougall is on a quest to discover the secrets of the world’s greatest distance runners – the Tarahumara Indians. This reclusive tribe resides deep within the Copper Canyons of Northern Mexico and for centuries has practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles at a time, without rest and without any fancy running gear, through incredibly rugged terrain and at speeds that best the world’s greatest known ultramarathoners. Not only that but they do it with smiles on their faces – they literally enjoy every single moment of the experience! How do the rest of us capture some of that – what is their secret? McDougall attempts to breakdown the Tarahumara running experience. How this innate ability to run has been passed down through the generations and developed in this reclusive tribe, speaks loudly to the innate running abilities of all human beings. Not only does McDougall’s study of the Tarahumara lead to scientific documentation of this inherent running ability of humans but it also turns some of what might previously have been considered our running truths upside down. What McDougall shares with respect to the development of the running shoe, how it has impacted our running form, and injury statistics correlated by shoe type, certainly left me wanting to ditch the shoes and find a safe place that I could run barefoot!
The book culminates in an extraordinary race. McDougall’s manages to bring some of America’s top ultramarathon runners down to the Copper Canyons for a 50-mile race with a small group of Tarahumara. What ensues is a truly remarkable race which McDougall chronicles from many different angles – the preparation, the camaraderie, the excitement, the tension, the extreme conditions, the supportive villagers, etc. – all of it coming together in a truly exciting and inspirational event. McDougall runs in this race himself. Despite the fact that he has been chronically at the effect of injuries which have curtailed his running on a regular basis, McDougall manages to participate in and complete this 50 mile challenge as a result of the changes he has made to his own running form and style – a direct result of his Tamahumara research.
As Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antartica states in her praise for Born to Run, “The book is wonderful. It’s funny, insightful, captivating and a great and beautiful discovery. There are lessons here that translate to realms beyond running. The book inspires anyone who seeks to live more fully or to run faster.” Run into your local library and check this book out!
A couple of weeks ago (April 5th) an article appeared in the Edmonton Journal that has got me thinking. It talked about the many times proven benefit and effect of drinking coffee before a run – or any other sporting activity – to improve performance.
I’ve been having a hard time coming back to my running with the same energy I once had, after being off for an extended period of time due to an injury. Being a non-coffee drinker and noticing how much more effort my training is taking me these days, I wondered if coffee might make the difference for me. It also reminded me of the fact, that when I was marathon running, I would use watered-down, flat Coke as my pick-me-up drink in the second half of the marathon. It seemed to work better for me than a lot of the other sports drinks, gels, etc. The caffeine-sugar combination was probably enough to spur me on – particularly because my body was not conditioned for the caffeine.
I don’t really want to start drinking coffee again, but would certainly love a little of that energy jolt. The article talks about avoiding coffee for a few days prior to a running event and then having a cuppa (4 oz. is all that is necessary!) an hour before the beginning of a race. (That 4 oz. of coffee is apparently equivalent to 2 – 12 oz. cans of Coke.)
However, the article also mentions an individual who tried the caffeine and decided he never wanted to experience that again – he found he was wired, shaky, his heart was pounding and would not slow down. Bit scary.
Maybe I’ll just go back to trying the watered-down, flat Coke again, and see if this is a help before submitting myself to the full effect of a cup of coffee! But for the coffee drinkers out there – maybe you can use this to get the best out of your workout!
The code monkeys have been hard at work and although it has been very quiet in this forum, the chatter behind the scenes has been significant. Loosely translated that means there is an update in the works that will lay the foundations for some awesome improvements. This past summer saw a major upgrade of infrastructure that addresses increasing demand for this service and will serve well in the years to come. Rest assured that with each measured step we will keep the site clean, simple and easy to use.
On a somewhat related note, I am slated to make a presentation to fellow developers at the 360|MAX unconference which is part of the Adobe MAX conference held in San Francisco November 17 to 30, 2008. If you happen to be there, come and say hi!
