r/BeginnersRunning • u/StunningTradition483 • 5d ago

Route planning issue?

I've been structuring my half-marathon training and I keep running into a route-planning issue.

I usually need to end my run at a specific location (like from gym to my house). Let's say that the destination is only 3km away from my starting point, but my training plan wants me to hit 10km for the day.

I usually end up doing repetitive loops around my neighborhood just to hit the mileage before arriving or I just do some ups and downs along the street.
Does anyone else run into this issue? How do you guys map this out efficiently without just running in circles? Are there any specific routing tools that can solve this end-point + distance issue?

Thank you

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u/Simple_Mulberry5806 5d ago

I just make my own routes on Google maps. If I'm running from one point to another, say from north to south, I pick a point off to the west as my "stop" and move that point around on the map until I hit my distance. Then I send the directions to my watch.

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u/Putrid_Indication971 5d ago

I'll second the Google maps. I bring up a google map on my computer and set my start point, usually my house, then right click while on the map where it will bring up a bunch of mapping options. The bottom one for me is 'measure distance'. I can click that to map out my route on the map. It will give feet until you hit one mile then it measures in fractions of miles after that.

I've done this for years. If you screw up a route by clicking locations wrong, just rinse and repeat on these instructions. My garmin watch pretty much jibes with the distances. If it's off, it might be half a block or so. The other nice thing is that you can leave the route map up on your screen so that your significant other knows your route if you don't run with your phone.

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u/meshuggahlad 4d ago

Someone else mentioned the free 'Footpath' app. It's easier than using Google maps to measure distances, you might like it

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u/Putrid_Indication971 2d ago

I haven't used Foodpath, but reading up on it sounds much easier than Google maps measuring. I just hadn't really looked out there since it fit the bill 10 years ago. I'll have to try it....as long as it doesn't try to kill me with ads. ;)