Running Calculator

[Tinman]

I am looking into redesigning / updating / improving The Running Calculator on www.runningprs.com, so if you have any suggestions please let me know. Thank you!

[tcl]

Not sure how much you want to reveal or how much time you want to put into it, but one way to enrich the training-pace chart could be to add a column on the right with a sample workout at each pace. Thus a 17-minute 5K runner might see 7 x 900m as a sample CV workout; whereas a 14-minute runner might see 8 x 1200m or whatever. Obviously you don't want people to train by cookie-cutter, but they might find it helpful to see one example of a workout  that could be reasonable for someone at their level.

Another idea would be to add a section under the chart with definitions/guidance for each pace. Thus CV might say "Use this pace up to once per week, year-round for development and maintenance of stamina. A 14-minute 5K runner would typically perform W-X minutes of work in a CV-only session; an 18-minute runner might perform Y-Z minutes."

As for redesign, I find the chart pretty easy to read already. I would question whether the hundredths and even tenths of seconds in the workout paces are providing practical guidance; I would guess they're artifacts of the formulas you're using and might best be dropped/rounded.

[dkggpeters]

I think the calculator is great.  The only thing I would add is the mile pace for the equivalent times.  As an example for a 2:43 marathon it has an equivalent 5k time of 17:00.09.  I would like to see the mile pace required for a 17:00 5k or any of the other distances.

[efahl]

[quote="tcl"]
I would question whether the hundredths and even tenths of seconds in the workout paces are providing practical guidance;[/quote]

Yeah, sigfigs should be representative of the scale of the event.  Hundredths of a second probably aren't very useful for most of us when estimating our marathon time.   I'd guess that showing the time rounded to a unit equivalent to about 0.5% of total event time would be appropriate?  That would be like nearest minute for 3:xx marathon, 10s of seconds for HM, sec for 10/5k, tenths for shorter...

[quote="dkggpeters"]I would like to see the mile pace required for a 17:00 5k[/quote]

That was exactly my first thought, too.  I find myself doing this almost every time: 1) Put in my latest race time; 2) Get equivalent time for next race distance; 3) Convert time to pace.  If the table also had pace (or could toggle between time and pace), then I could read it out directly.

[Tinman]

Thanks!

Please, friends, keep the ideas/suggestions coming!

[dkggpeters]

I would also like to have the ability to select distances from a drop down list.  For the marathon I currently have to type in 26.21875 and it would be nice to have the option to select or manually enter a value.

Also add a column that would have HR %'s for training pace.  What would the HR % ranges be for Easy Runs, Tempos, CV, etc....