Even if you're not a "math person" who thrives on analytics, keeping track of your running mileage can be easy and fascinating. It is also an important part of staying healthy and improving your fitness. If you know your weekly mileage, you'll know how much you can safely increase your mileage from week to week without risking injury by running too much too quickly. The rule of thumb is to avoid increasing your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent.
Step 1
Calculate the distance of a run you know. Go to a mapping website such as gmap-pedometer.com. Type in the address of the starting point of your run, then trace out your run by double-clicking on points along the route of your run. The site will calculate the exact distance of the run for you. If you prefer low-tech measuring methods, drive the route with your car and track the mileage on the odometer. You can also measure the distance using a piece of string and a fine-grained map.
Step 2
Calculate how long you take to complete that run. Using a stopwatch or wristwatch, see how much time it takes you to run that distance at your usual pace. Remember to stop your watch when you stop at traffic lights or for water. You can repeat the run several times and calculate your average time.
Step 3
Calculate your average running pace. Divide the time it took to you to complete the run by its distance to figure your average pace, or how long it takes you to run a mile. For instance, female distance runners in high school typically run at eight-minute pace, meaning that they average eight-minute miles for a run of usual length.
Step 4
Keep track of how many minutes and miles you run each day. If your runs are all about the same amount of time and distance as the “test run” you used to calculate your typical pace, you can reliably calculate your mileage by totaling how many minutes you ran and dividing by your average running pace. Record your mileage each day on a calendar or planner, and total your mileage consistently on the same day. You might wish to jot down notes about what route you took and how you felt, physically and mentally, during each run, as this could make for helpful future reference.
Step 5
Use your mileage to observe trends and set goals. You can learn a lot about how your body responds to different amounts of mileage by keeping track your weekly totals and comparing with your performance in races or your overall feelings of fitness during runs.
Things You'll Need
- Calendar or monthly planner
- Pencil
- Internet access
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