My wife and I have gotten into running recently. We’re both active and enjoy playing sports but running never seemed to stick for either of us. With two small kids finding a consistent time to exercise has been tricky but running is something we’ve all been able to enjoy together. There’s a loop around a pond near our house that is perfect for jogging with a stroller. We run the first part, whatever our goal is for that day, and walk the last lap with our two year old, checking out flowers, pointing out ducks, birds and other animals. It’s become one of my favourite ways to exercise and spend time outside together, especially after a long workday.
On our first run three weeks ago, we ran a very casual 2k. Today we’re at 4k. Our goal is to run 10k by the end of October. To hit this goal we did some back of the napkin math that revealed we need to increase our run distance by about 300m each time, aiming to run 3 days per week. We track our runs using our Garmin watches which help with visualizing our progress and increase the dopamine hit with various records and challenges. I’ve had my Garmin for over a year, but the accuracy of these things still amazes me.
The loop we typically run in an easy consistent route, but from time to time we find ourselves in a different city where we’d like to run and maintain our “training schedule”, if I can call it that. I typically use google maps to scope out routes that might be interesting, using the measure tool to plot points along an imaginary route and measure out the total distance. Sometimes I try to find an interesting loop, other times an out-and-back route. Having done this a few times got me thinking it would be interesting if there was an app, or a feature in an existing maps tool that could do this for you. You could select your starting point on a map, set your target distance, and the tool would offer route options based on different features. Some input parameters could be loop vs. out-and-back, popularity/busyness, surface type, stroller friendly, toddler friendly, etc. It could be a fun way to discover interesting routes when visiting new places.
Over the past three weeks, I’ve enjoyed running more than I ever thought I could. I think one of the main reasons is that it’s been a way to spend time outside together. My favourite part of the run is that last “cooldown loop” where we all walk and explore together through the eyes of our 2 year old.