There must be an easier way of creating new routes and NOT getting lost, anyone? (Read 218 times)

If your GPS watch is a Garmin, could you create a workout in Garmin Connect that had separate "intervals" in the workout for each major direction change (intersection) you needed to make. For example, assume your hotel is at the corner of Jones and 22nd and you are going to run a 7 mile square loop in the city:

Interval 1 - run 1.3 miles; E on Jones to Main

Interval 2 - run 2.2 miles; R on Main,  S to Broadway

Interval 3 - run 1.3 miles; R on Broadway, W to 22nd

Interval 4 - run 2.2 miles; R on 22nd,  N to Jones

You could use the RunningAhead Resources > Route Mapping page to help you with the exact mileage of each "interval" or Google Maps. Once you have the workout saved in Garmin Connect, you can "Send Workout to Device" and it will now be in your Garmin watch, You can then "Do Workout" and your watch will vibrate and chime when you get to the beginning of the next "interval".

In the above example of 4 "intervals", the text after each semicolon is what you could put in the "Step Note" field of each interval within the Garmin Connect Workout. This text shows up on my Fenix as each interval is announced with a chime and vibrate. I assume this Step Note text will show up in other Garmin models. To ensure you don't miss a turn, I suggest you turn off any other type of alerts you might have for HR or pace. During your workout, use the Map data screen to help you see where you've been and what direction is N.

How do you get lost on a paved road? Try running every road in your nieghborhood - town. Even all the dead ends. You will find routes with less traffic.

On trails I can understand getting lost. Run only marked trails. When you come to an intersection look at it both ways. It will look different from each direction. Put a stick down to mark your path.

If you run an unmarked trail only make three turns then go back. You want remember more than three turns when you are tired.

Another cool thing about using this site to map routes, is you can change the Map dropdown to Satellite. Then you can see the sidewalk situation in advance.

It did turn up earlier in this thread, but it's good to reiterate it.

Well, if you don't live in the neighborhood, all the houses look the same and in this area I ran in, many, many twists and turns. So, it all depends where your running for sure.

As far as trails are concerned, even though trails are marked, they can be misleading. We have a trail here that has arrows that say "easy" and then it transforms into "hard". When I first ran it, I assumed I was running 2 separate trails. Turns out, they were just describing the specific leg of the trail I was running. I've had other issues with paved trails around lakes that are loaded with extensions and I found myself accidently merging into one of them and it p#*ssed me off. They really need to have signs telling you which is the main trail and which isn't.

Anyway..I recently went back to the rolling hills neighborhood and tried it again, used the awesome map resource on this site (im really beginning to like that), and gave it another shot. This time, wrote out streets and turns on a sticky and put it in my back pocket, that really came in handy and I used it too. Would have definitely got lost again with out it. The GPS watch for me, was mainly purchased for those confusing trails that aren't marked very well.

How do you get lost on a paved road? Try running every road in your nieghborhood - town. Even all the dead ends. You will find routes with less traffic.

On trails I can understand getting lost. Run only marked trails. When you come to an intersection look at it both ways. It will look different from each direction. Put a stick down to mark your path.

If you run an unmarked trail only make three turns then go back. You want remember more than three turns when you are tired.