Problem: Maps somtimes load very slow. Other applications like Google Earth load the maps much faster.
Reason: TrailRunner loads maps from internet services that provide free maps. If the loading process is slow, the map service is slow and TrailRunner can't get anything faster. Another reason are "fair use" agreements for commercial web services. This means that as long as you get maps in a fair amount and frequency, the commercial service won't put you on a black-list. For that reason TrailRunner throttles the keyhole imagery service.
Solution: TrailRunner caches maps. If you have once loaded map fragments from a service, it's unlikely you will need to load the same fragments again. The longer you use TrailRunner, the faster it will become.
Tip: In case the map material on the web service was updated, as it is frequently the case with openstreetmap.org, you can use the File > Consolidate > Reload background maps command to reload what’s currently visible or you can remove the GeoTiles folder in your Application Support/TrailRunner folder.

Tags: maps, performance, cache

Problem: TrailRunner can publish your weblog to either a .Mac or FTP account. Both options might not work for you.
Solution: To manually copy your weblog to another server, follow these steps:
- Press the Preview Button in the Publish pane.
Safari will open and will show you the preview.
- Remove the /weblog.html part of the url displayed in the address bar.
- Press the return key while the cursor is still in the address bar.
Finder will open a new window with the exported files.
- Manually copy these to your server.

Tracks describe connections between two locations. Each track has a start and an end way-point where other tracks could be connected to.
Routes are a sequence of several tracks. You plan routes by adding tracks to its course. The distance of the route is the sum of the distances of all tracks consumed by the route.
Example: The route to my grandmas house is beautiful, I follow several tracks that go through woods and fields. At one way-point, two tracks are crossing where the other goes down to the valley. I have recorded the course with my GPS device for that you might try the same route one day. The recording is either a single track or a sequence of way-points. The problem with the latter is that the recording then misses any intermediate locations between two way-points. Therefore I send you the single track recording. You can import this into your TrailRunner document and merge the course with your existing tracks. TrailRunner will then split the track at locations where existing tracks overlap and at the same time update the routes course to use the resulting tracks.

Problem: The ForeRunner device displays a distance for a workout. Garmin Training Center displays the same distance but TrailRunner displays a different distance.
Background: Your ForeRunner records geographical data points during the workout. At the same time your ForeRunner internally sums up the distance for the workout. It could sometimes happen that if you sum up the distances between each data points the result will be different to what the ForeRunner has summed up during the workout.
Reason: If you have intelligent recording enabled on your ForeRunner and the GPS signal quality isn't too good, the device will alter the recorded geographical course after it knows better. Problem is that at the same time the overall distance should also be adjusted, which is not the case.
Status: TrailRunner takes only the geographical information from the workout and takes this as the base. If your ForeRunner has internally stored a different distance, TrailRunner assumes this as an error in the ForeRunner device as it delivers contradictory information.

Problem: You have a route and you only want to adjust the pace. The checkpoints should then reflect the new pace.
Solution: Select the route and open the info pane. Enter the new average speed.
Tip: The info pane also displays an arrival time. It's based on the duration (by speed and distance) and the current time. This is helpful if you want to finish a route before sunset and you need to know when you should start.

Problem: When you import new workouts you can see the workout data in the main window. And the new route is visible on the left and in the map. But somehow this isn't a perfect diary. But when you open the diary in the toolbar, you get everything you need. But why isn't there a merged view of both into one single window?
Reason: The main focus of TrailRunner is to create a map with a network of personal trails. Then plan new routes inside them and have a diary. When you start using TrailRunner, have an empty document in front of you and import your first tracks from a GPS device, you could easily misunderstand the concept because you're totally focused on the workout you did. You might therefore expect to use TrailRunner to catalog your workouts and make a very detailed statistical analysis. That's for example what Garmin Training Center was build for and that's also what the diary in TrailRunner was build for.
Solution: When you import new workouts, always check the add diary entry checkbox. This will archive your workout data in the diary. Use the merge track course options in the import pane to complete your network of tracks and (later) build new routes based on them.
Tip: Check out the tutorials that are available on this website. They show you the main working threads with TrailRunner and help you master TrailRunner beyond your initial expectations.

Problem: When you import a route. you can merge the course into the map and add a diary entry. When you choose to merge the course into the map the course of the route will be aligned to existing tracks. This means that the route will be modified and some values like elevation data or the exact course might become different to the raw data from the GPS. The diary entry instead stores the raw data. If you later compare them, they might differ slightly.
Solution: Please keep in mind that workouts are meant to be stored in the diary and not in the map. The map is the base for planning future routes and by merging route courses into the map you complete your network of tracks more and more. In the long run, workout information like heart-rate and speed isn't of any interest in the map. But in the diary, it naturally is. 
Tip: If for some reason you really want to archive workouts and routes in the map, then you should import the courses in one piece and select TrailRunner > Preferences > Advanced > Store workout data in the map. This will not alter the course of a recorded route (but also will not add crossings or remove redundant tracks) and will keep the workout data persistent in the map.

Problem: You have imported a workout and see heart-rate and pace information in the workout chart above the map. The next time you start TrailRunner the workout data is gone and only elevation data is left.
Reason: When you import a route, TrailRunner displays all imported information in the map and in the workout chart above the map. But workout data should be stored in the diary and will be forgotten elsewhere the next time you start TrailRunner. The reason for this behavior is, that routes could be used by several workouts and the map is the place where you plan new workout-routes.
Solution: The best way to keep your workout information is to add a diary entry. But if for some reason you want to keep the workout information in the document, enable workout archiving in TrailRunner > Preferences > Advanced.

Problem: TrailRunner asks your keychain for a .Mac authentication. The keychain itself uses your .Mac system preferences information. If your keychain is not set up properly, TrailRunner is not able to access your .Mac account. This might be due to a problem with your keychain.
Solution: Read the following support article on how to fix any keychain problems:
> Using keychains with .Mac, troubleshooting keychain issues

The TrailRunner diary has a chart view and customizable columns for the log entries. Read the blogpost for a feature overview.

Although TrailRunner looks like focused on runners, bikers will benefit from TrailRunner too. The only difference is the approach on handling routes:
Runners like to plan their routes detailed in advance and seldom own a GPS device like the Garmin ForeRunner. They would like let calculate a route for a given distance and then export the course onto an iPod for orientation.
Bikers plan routes roughly in advance but primarily like to collect and catalog their rides afterwards and watch an elevation profile. They often own a GPS device like the Garmin Edge and a Mac. Even some runners own a Garmin ForeRunner and a Mac.

So if you are a biker, open a new document, connect your GPS device, download your ride and possibly let TrailRunner download satellite imagery or topo-maps of the course-area. Both, runners and bikers would then make a diary entry and watch their training progress.
It's all that simple.
> Documentation

Sorry, TrailRunner is a pristine Mac OS X Tiger delicacy. But if you are (yet) unsure if you should upgrade — you're not the first user switching because of TrailRunner… So feel welcome to the colorful world of Apple Computer
> Get a Mac

TrailRunner can load maps only from from a limited list of internet map services. But you can import any image by drag & drop, screenshot & paste or file-import. To find other digital map resources in your neighborhood, visit the Library or watch out the developers-blog.
To make a screen-shot and paste it into TrailRunner, do the following:
• Open the digital map service in Safari
• Press Command-Control-Shift-4, a crossmark-cursor will appear
• Select the image area you want to copy, It's now in the pasteboard
• Switch to TrailRunner and click into the main view
• Press Command-v to paste the image into the map
Now you can drag around the map to place it.
For further information on placement, display options and map-calibration, consult the online-help.

TrailRunner can load Garmin ForeRunner data directly from Garmin Training Center or by using the Helper Application LoadMyTracks. Other than that TrailRunner can export and import GPX files.

Motivate, collect, explore. These are the three topics TrailRunner tries to focus on. For an insight into the main idea behind TrailRunner, read the About.

This message appears when TrailRunner is not able to append a selection to the route.
This is the case when the track network does not have a connection to the selected waypoint.
Should there be a connection, some tracks might have to be set to bidirectional (see Shortcuts for Layout Routes in the Library).