• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Get Me Outta Here: Navigation on the Trail

Long training runs and, possibly, a sense of adventure get you out on the trails for some exploring. If you’re lucky, you already know the local trail networks like the back of your hand or can find training partners who do. If not, you’re on your own in finding your way around and out of unfamiliar territory and that requires carrying a map as well as some combination of a compass, GPS, and a good head on your shoulders. Always remember that you are ultimately responsible for your well-being on the trails.

Although cross-country navigation by way of map and compass has become a rarely practiced art, it remains essential to carry a trail map and know how to use it whenever you’re exploring. Topographic maps, which display elevation contour lines as well as natural and man-made features, are the gold standard for trail maps. US Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps, while infrequently updated, cover the contiguous United States and are widely available. The USGS, National Geographic Maps, and others offer printable digital maps with ever-increasing features, such as pre-digitized trails that allow you to quickly consider the distance and elevation profiles of various routes. Resources on how to read and navigate with a topographic map are available at :www.iRunFar.com/rfp/resources.

Plan your route ahead of time, but still bring your trail map with you! (Photo by author)

Once a novelty, the accuracy, feature set, and in some cases battery life of wrist-top GPS (global positioning system) units have improved greatly in recent years. Wrist-top GPS units often provide distance traveled, elevation, and compass bearing, each of which is useful to know for navigating with a topographic map. Some units also provide a “back to start” function that will help you backtrack should you find yourself unable to determine a route back to the trailhead. However, do keep in mind the fallibility of electronics (and their finite battery lives). While GPS devices are an excellent convenience, always be prepared to navigate the entirety of your route without their aid.

While not for all runners, the heart-rate option for many GPS units can be a helpful tool in both training and racing.

GPS Accuracy Tips

While GPS units have improved a great deal, a few simple steps can further increase their accuracy. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your GPS:

Make sure the unit has the latest software for both the unit and the GPS chip set.

Before setting out on your run, leave the unit in clear view of the sky for two or three minutes. Sometimes you can reorient the device to pick up additional satellites that you wouldn’t have acquired had you simply laid out the device. If you can view a graphic representation of locked and unlocked satellites on your unit, use this screen to assist in picking up additional signals by orienting the unit’s antenna in the direction of the most non-locked satellites (unless there’s a huge obstacle blocking that direction). Be aware that even with a clear “view” of a satellite signal, it can take the better part of an uninterrupted minute to obtain a lock, so be patient. Even though a GPS unit determines your position based on four satellites, locking additional satellites improves accuracy and reduces the chances of losing your GPS signal under trees or among sky-obscuring terrain.

Check on the GPS satellite status during the run. If possible, pick up new satellite locks en route. It’s most useful to do this especially after passing through forested areas or canyons, or when a particular peak has obstructed a large portion of the sky for a while, such as when traversing the side of a steep mountain. Do this by consistently holding the unit’s antenna toward the sky while moving . . . or repeating tip 2. The latter is easier and, if you still have some satellite locks, takes less time.

While it won’t make your GPS more accurate, you can sometimes force a GPS unit to take measurements more often. However,