Coach Dino Training NARF Road Course Calculator
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		ROAD COURSE CALCULATOR NOTE: To use the calculator, a red "Java Enabled" must appear at right --> . If the phrase does not appear, change your browser settings to enable Java (or JavaScript).   This calculator is designed to help you plan and evaluate your training sessions or races on a road course (or on a path, around the block, at a mall, or wherever). The course can be a loop, out-and-back, or point-to-point. The calculator considers each completion of the road course as one "loop" (even if it is a point-to-point course), and can easily perform the following functions:   FUNCTION - example question that can be answered by the function   convert distance to laps - How may loops must I complete to cover 5 miles?   convert laps to distance - How many miles did I go if I just completed 7 loops?   convert pace to lap time - What loop time equates to a 6-minute-per-kilometer pace?   convert lap time to pace - What was my mile/kilometer pace if my loop time was 7:35?   convert pace to race time - Click here to forecast your race times at ALL distances!   convert race time to pace - What was my mile pace if I completed a marathon in 4:17:23?   If you have questions about the calculator and its calculations, please see See NOTE 1 and the other notes for answers. If your workouts are on a track, our track calculator will probably serve you better. Otherwise, let's get right to the Calculator.                 CALCULATOR                   If you find an error, please click here.   LOOP SIZE: For all loop calculations in Sections A-D below, enter the loop size (or point-to-point distance) and select the unit of measure. See NOTE 2 for suggestions on how to determine loop size. For a marathon, enter 42.195 kilometers (or 26.219 miles); for a half marathon, enter 21.098 kilometers (or 13.109 miles) -- the metric distance being that used officially by the IAAF. Race Time calculations in Sections E-F do not require loop-size information (and are not affected by it if entered). SIZE / DISTANCE UNIT OF MEASURE kilometers miles Next select a calculation section below, enter the requested parameter(s), and click on the "click here" calculation button for that section. After noting (or printing) the results, enter different parameters or proceed to another calculation section.   Do . dist-to-loops . loops-to-dist . pace-to-loop time . time-to-pace . pace-to-race . race-to-pace SECTION A - CONVERT DISTANCE TO LOOPS       Enter distance --> and unit of measure kilometers miles , then for the answer. ANSWER: To cover the distance entered above, you must complete loops of the course. For example: You want to cover 5 miles and need to know how many loops you must complete to do it. To find the answer, enter "5" as the distance and select "miles" as the unit of measure -- then click on the calculation button. The number of loops required to cover 5 miles will appear in the ANSWER row. NOTE: for a marathon, enter 26.219 miles; for a half marathon, enter 13.109 miles. SECTION B - CONVERT LOOPS TO DISTANCE       Enter number of loops --> then to get the answer. ANSWER: In the loops entered above, you cover miles and kilometers. For example: You just completed 7 loops and need to know how far you traveled. To find the answer, enter "7" as the number of laps -- then click on the calculation button. The distance you traveled (in miles and kilometers) appears in the answer row. SECTION C - CONVERT PACE TO LOOP TIME       Enter pace minutes -->   and seconds --> per kilometer mile ; then . ANSWER: At the pace entered above, your loop time will be . For example: You want to walk or run at 6-minute-per-kilometer pace, and need to know what your loop time should be to go at that speed. To find the answer, enter "6" as the minutes, "00" as the seconds, and select "per kilometer" as the unit of measure -- then click on the calculation button. The loop time will appear in the answer row. SECTION D - CONVERT LOOP TIME TO PACE       Enter loop time (100 hours max) in hours -> ,   minutes ->   and seconds -> ; then for the answers per mile ( / M ) and per kilomenter ( / K ). ANSWER: With the loop time entered above, the pace is and . For example: Your loop time was 7:35, and you want to know at what pace you were moving. To find the answer, enter "7" as the minutes and "35" as the seconds -- then click on the calculation button. Your mile and kilometer pace will appear on the answer row. SECTION E - CONVERT PACE TO RACE TIME   Loop size not required for this section.     Enter pace minutes (35 max) -> and seconds -> per kilometer mile ; then . ANSWER: At the pace entered above, your race times (MM:SS or HH:MM:SS) will be as follows. 1500m MILE 3K 5K 8K 10K 12K 15K 10 MILE 20K 1/2 MARATHON 25K 30K 35K 40K MARATHON 50K 100K 100 MILES     For example: You feel most comfortable racing at about 9:00 minute-per-mile pace in the middle-distance races, and you wonder how your times would stack up at the various middle distances. Enter "9" as the minutes and select "per mile" as the unit of measure -- then click on the calculation button and Presto! Your finish times at ALL the standard race distances appear above. SECTION F - CONVERT RACE TIME TO PACE   Loop size not required for this section.     Enter race time (100 hours max) in hours -> ,   minutes ->   and seconds -> ; and race distance 1500m 1 mile 3K 5K 8K 10K 12K 15K 10 miles 20k 1/2 marathon 25K 30K 35K 40K marathon 50K 100K 100 miles then for the answers per mile ( / M ) and per kilomenter ( / K ). ANSWER: With the loop time entered above, the pace is and . For example: Your marathon time was 4:17:23 and you want to know at what pace you were moving. To find the answer, enter "4" as the hours, "17" as the minutes, "23" as the seconds, and select "marathon" as the length of the race -- then click on the calculation button. Your mile and kilometer pace will appear on the answer row.   NOTES:       NOTE 1 - GENERAL: All conversions to and from the metric system are based on 1 foot equaling .3048 meters. For lap and pace time entries, a missing entry in the hours, minutes or seconds box is considered to be a zero. All pace times are shown in whole seconds where .5 seconds or higher is rounded up to the next higher second.   NOTE 2 - DETERMINING LOOP SIZE:       RACE COURSES: For single-loop, out-and-back, or point-to-point races, the loop size is the race distance. For multiple-loop races, the loop size should be printed on the race flyer -- or able to be calculated from the information given (e.g., a 10K race with two loops of the course indicates a 5K loop).       PRACTICE LOOPS: For courses used as part of training, one way to determine the loop size is to measure the loop in a car or on a bicycle with an odometer. For greater accuracy (especially using an odometer that only measures in 10ths of a mile or 10ths of a kilometer), complete the loop several times and divide the total mileage by the number of laps made.       PRECISE MEASUREMENTS: If you desire a more precise course measurement, or if you are trying to set up a race course, you should obtain a booklet entitled "Course Measurement Procedures" from USA Track and Field, or a manual entitled "Course Measurement and Certification Procedures" from the Run Canada Committee, a part of Athletics Canada. It should be noted that, if race times are to be submitted for official records, the course must be measured by a person certified by the organization that keeps the records.       Most road courses are certified using a Jones Counter, a device that attaches to the front wheel of a bicycle and counts the number of revolutions the wheel makes. The counter makes 20 counts per revolution of the wheel, thereby accounting for partial revolutions. (A newer version of the counter, the Jones-Oerth Counter is also now available and makes about 23 counts per revolution.)       The measurement of a road course using the Counter begins and ends with the measurement of an accurately measured calibration course (a straight and level distance of at least 300 meters). This establishs the distance traveled during one revolution of the wheel. The measurer then rides the road course several times to obtain the actual measurement. Measuring the calibration course both before and after the road course measurement is designed to compensate for errors due to changes in tire pressure from thermal expansion and slow leakage. Finally, a value equal to one tenth of one percent ( .1%) of the road course measurement is added on to insure against having a short course.       The official requirements for race course measurement are much more complicated than outlined above. Anyone wishing to make an accurate measurement is strongly encouraged to obtain the official U.S. or Canadian instructions. Further information about course measurement can also be obtained from an Internet search engine by entering "jones counter" or "jones oerth counter" -- or by accessing the USATF and Athletics Canada Web sites.     I want to thank Dr. Wayne Armbrust for his technical help in my preparation of this Web page. Wayne is the president of Computomarx, a firm that provides track and field products and consulting services -- including support for the proper marking of track surfaces. For more information about Computomarx, go to www.computomarx.com. Please note, however, that any errors in the text on, or calculations made by, this Web page are solely my responsibility as the Webmaster.