Tracking Miles Walked

Options
jrose1982
jrose1982 Posts: 366 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm starting a training programming that has me building the distance that I walk - i.e. walk 3 miles one day, then 4 miles another day. Normally when I walk I just monitor the duration, so I would decide to walk for 1 hour total, walk 30 minutes and turn around and walk back. I'd like to do something similar but I'm having a hard time figuring out routes so that I'll know when I reach 1.5 miles.

I know there are lots of apps that will track your walk/run/bike ride using the GPS on your phone or iPod touch. I don't have a smart phone - or any intention of getting one - I have an iPod touch. So I don't have internet when I'm away from home. The apps I've found don't seem to work at all without constant internet connection while you're walking.

I'm having a hard time figuring out how to do this. I've got on Google Earth and tried mapping routes that I could walk. But getting a 3 mile (or close enough) loop is proving very difficult, and if I walk 1.5 miles and turn around I need to mark that 1.5 miles with a landmark I will recognize on the ground so I know it's time to turn.

Does anybody know of a device or app that will track my mileage without a constant internet connection?

Replies

  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
    Options
    Get a cheapo pedometer or fitbit?
  • justalittlecrazy
    justalittlecrazy Posts: 88 Member
    Options
    Fitbit will do it. You just need to know how many of your steps equals a mile and then keep track as you walk.
  • Dball0227
    Dball0227 Posts: 21 Member
    edited October 2014
    Options
    You can use mapmywalk, it will require gps location and wireless plan though. I am sure there are others as well, this is just the one I use

    Editted: disregard I didn't see the no smartphone sorry
  • jrose1982
    jrose1982 Posts: 366 Member
    Options
    Hmm, I might already have a pedometer somewhere. Thank you for chiming in, I didn't think of that.
  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
    Options
    jrose1982 wrote: »
    Hmm, I might already have a pedometer somewhere. Thank you for chiming in, I didn't think of that.

    Pedometer would be the best bet, maybe test it out to see how many steps are in a known mile if it doesn't tell you miles, and then it should work just fine for you from there, no internet required :)
  • jrose1982
    jrose1982 Posts: 366 Member
    Options
    It's a little annoying, all these apps they create and don't even bother trying to make them work without internet. It seems like you should be able to download a map of an area for offline use and have that be enough to keep GPS related apps working offline. Oh but I can wish.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Options
    shadowofender wrote: »
    jrose1982 wrote: »
    Hmm, I might already have a pedometer somewhere. Thank you for chiming in, I didn't think of that.

    Pedometer would be the best bet, maybe test it out to see how many steps are in a known mile if it doesn't tell you miles, and then it should work just fine for you from there, no internet required :)

    This^

    Depending on the pedometer you may be able to adjust for your stride length. But taking it for a test drive is your best bet.
  • PAtinCO
    PAtinCO Posts: 129 Member
    Options
    If you time yourself on a known distance walk you can judge how fast you walk and then go by time on walks that you aren't sure of the distance. There's a park near my house that has a 1.4 mile loop around the lake. I walk it in about 23 minutes which is about 3.5mph. From there I know how long I need to walk to get the distance I'm looking for.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    jrose1982 wrote: »
    It's a little annoying, all these apps they create and don't even bother trying to make them work without internet.....

    There's a reason for that. GPS works by pinging a satellite. Hard to do that IRT without cell service to communicate.


  • PAtinCO
    PAtinCO Posts: 129 Member
    Options
    PAtinCO wrote: »
    If you time yourself on a known distance walk you can judge how fast you walk and then go by time on walks that you aren't sure of the distance. There's a park near my house that has a 1.4 mile loop around the lake. I walk it in about 23 minutes which is about 3.5mph. From there I know how long I need to walk to get the distance I'm looking for.

    Gaia GPS will do that, but it may be overkill. You can load street and topographic maps into the phone and then you won't need a signal. I use it all the time for hiking, which is it's intended use, but it would work fine for walks in areas with bad coverage.

  • heirloomtomato
    heirloomtomato Posts: 13 Member
    Options
    Runningmap.com

    You can make a route in it and it tells you the mileage as you go...so you can make a map to 2 miles in your neighborhood and then walk that route, turn around, and walk it home. 4 miles. No need for gadgets on your walk.
  • heirloomtomato
    heirloomtomato Posts: 13 Member
    Options
    jrose1982 wrote: »
    It's a little annoying, all these apps they create and don't even bother trying to make them work without internet. It seems like you should be able to download a map of an area for offline use and have that be enough to keep GPS related apps working offline. Oh but I can wish.

    runningmap.com
  • jrose1982
    jrose1982 Posts: 366 Member
    Options
    PAtinCO wrote: »
    If you time yourself on a known distance walk you can judge how fast you walk and then go by time on walks that you aren't sure of the distance. There's a park near my house that has a 1.4 mile loop around the lake. I walk it in about 23 minutes which is about 3.5mph. From there I know how long I need to walk to get the distance I'm looking for.

    I thought about that, but I think there will be too many variables. For example, I can walk 1 mile in under 20 minutes on pavement, but 2 will take me 45-50 - not 40 as I would expect. I walk slower for longer distances to conserve energy. I also walk slower if I've had a hard day. And then there's snow and ice, and different snow textures will slow me down more or less than others. I guess snow and ice will probably effect the pedometer as well, because my stride might get shorter, but not by much.

Categories