Tip for the week - planning and mapping routes

This is a tip I've borrowed from Kirsty and Clare. Online tools like gb.mapometer.com are really useful for planning out routes before you go out and/or for seeing how far you've run afterwards. And are free. Combine with a watch, and you have a great, free training aid!

However, they only show roads - not paths. The clever bit - if you switch the view from "map" to "hybrid" though, you should be able to spot most paths - especially if you know the area. And you are not restricted to plotting routes on roads. Kirsty and Clare have used this technique to work out the length of routes around their local park on paths.

And Helen pointed out to me that the tool also shows altitude - useful if you are comparing routes form a hilliness perspective.

BTW, I don't recommend saving and sharing routes with others that go from your home from a safety perspective.