Overview of training log software for GPS users

There are some great software packages that you can use to log your runs and other training activities that you record with your GPS. I have a Garmin GPS-enabled fitness monitor -- a ForeRunner 305. I started out using the free Garmin Training Center (GTC) that comes with the device.

While GTC is reliable and allows you to use all of the features of the device, it has a few limitations that left me wanting more. On the one hand, I wanted better maps. The maps available at http://maps.google.com are fast, free, and accurate. Google Earth, which is also free, adds a wealth of features, including terrain and elevation and the ability to play back a recorded tour. I also wanted to be able to share routes and activities with other people. My quest led me to several great software tools, including SportTracks from Zone Five Software, Ascent from Montebello Software, and MotionBased and Garmin Connect from Garmin.

MotionBased is a web-based service that allows you to upload your activities from your GPS. The upload process is fairly easy using the provided upload agent. MotionBased has decent maps and also allows you to analyze your training and performance. You can see the details that MotionBased provides from this run I did in NYC. The maps in MotionBased are much better than GTC. I really like the list views in the MotionBased log. MotionBased's analysis is very useful and made me much more interested in understanding my fitness.

Being and on-line service, MotionBased has the promise of being a great platform for sharing training activities and finding friends. Unfortunately, I think MotionBased doesn't live up to the potential. It seems like a simple thing for MotionBased to compare my activity history to the activities uploaded by other people to find matches based on location and pace. Unfortunately MotionBased's search feature doesn't use this data and I haven't been able to figure out how to get interesting matches on MotionBased.

SportTracks is a shareware PC application that you can download and use for free. ZoneFiveSoftware asks for a donation if you like SportTracks. I've been using it for over a year and am sure that you'll love it too. SportTracks is a full-featured training log. The primary display is the daily activity vew. This page displays the list of activities you recorded for the week, your weekly totals, a map of the highlighted activity, and a detail view of the data for the activity. SportTracks also has a report view which shows weekly or monthly totals so that you can track your training over time.

Many people have created plug-ins for SportTracks that extend the application. My favorites are the elevation correction, unique routes, and training load. If you have every tried to determine your total climb using your GPS you have probably noticed that the data fluctuate and the software reports climbs much greater than you would estimate if you simply subtracted the elevation at the lowest point of a run from the elevation at the highest point in your run. This happens in all GPS receivers and in all software applications because the GPS system has relatively low accuracy for elevation. The elevation correction plug-in is a huge improvement.

SportTracks is really great for analyzing your fitness and training. The graphs and reports allow you to monitor just about everything, including the miles you put on your shoes and the pounds you put on during the holidays. The only drawback to SportTracks is that it only runs on a PC. If you have a Mac you can run SportTracks on a virtual PC like Fusion or Parallels. Or you can use Ascent. Stay tuned for more about Ascent in a future posting.