Map It Out
If you want to see a good family fight, hand my mom a road map and put my dad in the driver’s seat…things will get ugly and most likely result in a few painful hours of tense road trip silence. I’ve also inherited my mother’s inability (I like to think of it more of a disinterest) in reading maps. The best part of living in and era with GPS systems and Google Earth is that you rarely need to resort to your own skills (I know I know…say it, this is typical Gen Y attitude).
Map My Run (www.mapmyrun.com) is my favorite online resource to literally..map my runs. Available also for swimmers and bikers (www.mapmyfitness.com), this site allows you to map out a course using Google maps to show mileage, terrain, elevation etc. I love using it because I can map out my exact course by simply dragging my cursor across the screen – including areas that are not normal trails/roads/streets etc. By creating a free user name and password you can also save an archive of your maps to either re-visit or share with other users. If you’re feeling lazy or uninspired by your boring routine, type in your zip code and pull up other people’s favorite routes.
