runningmap.com

Scheduled Server Upgrade

randy — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:04:38 +0000

We are planning on upgrading the server and database for RunningMap.com starting Saturday, July 26 at 12:00 am EST. We anticipate the upgrade will take about 24 hours. During this time RunningMap.com will be in a “read-only” mode which means that users will not be able to save new routes or create new accounts. The mapping application will still work for measuring distances, searching or loading previously saved routes. Permalinks will also be available.

We are working hard to make this site even better for you. We appreciate your patience during this time.

Team NAIT

randy — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:18:33 +0000

This happy group is the team that represented NAIT at the 2008 Corporate Challenge road race in Edmonton. I am the guy with the gold Running Room hat. It was a perfect evening for a race and let’s just say I didn’t leave anything out on the course. My fellow team members (Kristen, Kevin, Jody, Rob, Jody, Ashley and Christine) were great and I would run with them any time. Kevin would be very hard to keep up though.

- Randy

Props from CBC’s Music and Company

randy — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:39:51 +0000

I have been listening to Tom Allen’s show on CBC radio two, Music and Company, since he took over for Peter Tongi years ago. I love his show! Where else would I have heard about the extraodinary article Pearls Before Breakfast where Joshua Bell, internationally acclaimed virtuoso, plays “Chaconne” from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Partita No. 2 in D Minor on his “Gibson ex Huberman” Stradivari violin in a Washington subway station. Acting as a busker.

I am very exited to see that Music and Company added Runningmap.com to it’s list of links from the Wed. May 28 2008 show. Thanks Tom!

- Randy

Training for a 5km race

randy — Mon, 26 May 2008 03:20:53 +0000

I am a half marathon distance runner and the idea of training for a 5 km run seems a little funny to me. But of course it isn’t because 5 km is still a serious distance if you are hoping to run, say, a sub 20 minute time.

The truth is that I have been off for an extended period with back problems and I am finally running again. On Wednesday I will run in my first event (5 km corporate challenge) in a couple years. I am humbled by how hard it is to start up again and by how difficult it is to complete 5 km, at any speed.

If you are a runner, take care of yourself and don’t get injured. And wish me luck on Wednesday … you can be sure I will not be shooting for sub 20 and not even sub 30. Just to finish.

- Randy

New “Out and Back” button

randy — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:49:33 +0000

A long-standing feature request, the “Plot Back to Start” button has been finally added. It is easy to use: click it if you have created a route and want to use the same path back to the start. It will lay points and lines on top of each other so be careful using it multiple times on one route.

Routes are limited to a maximum of 500 points, so the “Plot Back to Start” button will not work if your route has over 250 points.

Amber Mac picks RunningMap

randy — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:19:03 +0000

Amber Mac from commandN.tv chose RunningMap as her webPick on this week’s episode (# 128). I have been listening and watching her podcasts for years and I am very flattered to be chosen as her scrumptulescent pick of the week. Thanks for the shout out Amber! (the webPicks are at 14:00)

Milestone Markers are back

randy — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:59:05 +0000

A minor addition today with the return of milestone markers. This feature is off by default. To turn it on click the “Map Settings” tab on the left and click the “Show Milestone Markers” button. Flags will appear on your route every whole mile or kilometer.

Also new is the RunningMap Store store which is selling RunningMap “Keep Your Distance” t-shirts.

Updated maps

randy — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:08:06 +0000

The Yahoo! Maps team has announced that they have updated their maps with new data and new functionality. Since RunningMap uses Yahoo! maps you will see these improvements on maps displayed here. Some of the improvements:

new neighborhood data for over 300 cities
12,000 new neighborhoods added
expanded world-wide coverage: Eastern Europe and India for example
improved hybrid maps

… and more

New look. New features.

randy — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 02:57:12 +0000

We are ecstatic to bring you a new RunningMap. A ton of work has gone into designing, building and testing this new version. It has been a labour of love.

The first thing you will notice is the new look. The design comes from the genius and talent of Sarah Ramsden. We couldn’t be happier with the result! And seeing our site on her portfolio page among clients the likes of Mercedes, Hyatt, Dell and Lexus does not hurt either. In addition to being a star graphic designer, she is one mean runner.

The tool bar along the top has been replaced with a tabbed nav bar down the left side. This was done to accommodate the more complex new and future feature set.

The biggest new feature is User Accounts. When you log in and save a route you will see it appear in the “My Routes” view. New routes can be labeled as Private or Public. In “My Routes”, you can delete existing routes. If you have a previously saved permalink, send us the ID number and your username and we will add it to your account.

The Search Results view has been improved to show more information about the routes. You can now change the way they are sorted by clicking a column header.

With this launch we are introducing advertisements to help support hosting and development costs. We have partnered with Lat49 who have developed an innovative method for supplying ads that are applicable to the map being viewed.

Thanks to the many people who signed up for the test version! All your data will be available in this release version. And a big thanks to all who have sent in suggestions and bug reports. Its you who make this the best darn sports mapping tool on the web!

(We have a limited supply of tech long-sleeve “keep your distance” t-shirts for $30 plus shipping)

Beta is coming out of Beta!

randy — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:34:12 +0000

Very soon the version 3 Beta version will be released to the public site. Many people have signed up for user accounts and we look forward to many more joining on. Thanks to everyone for their feedback!

The one feature that I am putting the final touches on is a choice for making a saved route as either public or private. Initially this will only be applicable to new routes. The ability to change existing routes will come soon.

With the new version we will be testing a new advertising engine. Please send us your feedback about this.

- Randy T.