When I first started running back in the 80's it was more out of a need to avoid the pile of dirty dishes or the overgrown lawn than the desire to improve my fitness. In those days I meticulously logged every time and distance into what became a rather shabby old ledger.

How times have changed. With the marriage of GPS, heart rate monitors and internet technologies I can now with a few mouse clicks have every metric imaginable not only saved and displayed graphically on my desktop but can zoom in from outer space to view my route from above.