diff --git a/rowers/tasks.py b/rowers/tasks.py
index 004142ef..bd57e9ec 100644
--- a/rowers/tasks.py
+++ b/rowers/tasks.py
@@ -939,6 +939,8 @@ def handle_check_race_course(self,
 
     logfile = 'courselog_{workoutid}_{courseid}.log'.format(
         workoutid=workoutid, courseid=courseid)
+    logfile2 = 'courses.log'
+    dologging(logfile2,logfile)
 
     if 'debug' in kwargs:  # pragma: no cover
         debug = kwargs['debug']
@@ -981,6 +983,8 @@ def handle_check_race_course(self,
             try:
                 row = rdata(csvfile=f1 + '.gz')
             except IOError:  # pragma: no cover
+                dologging(logfile,"Did not find file "+f1)
+                dologging(logfile2,"Did not find file "+f1)
                 return 0
 
     row.extend_data()
@@ -994,6 +998,8 @@ def handle_check_race_course(self,
     try:
         _ = rowdata[' latitude']
     except KeyError:  # pragma: no cover
+        dologging(logfile,"No GPS Data")
+        dologging(logfile2,"No GPS Data")
         return 0
 
     rowdata.rename(columns={
@@ -1012,7 +1018,7 @@ def handle_check_race_course(self,
         lambda x: safetimedelta(x)
     ).values
 
-
+    rowdata = rowdata.select_types(['number'])
     rowdata = rowdata.resample('100ms', on='dt').mean()
     rowdata = rowdata.interpolate()
 
@@ -1036,18 +1042,12 @@ def handle_check_race_course(self,
         except AttributeError: # pragma: no cover
             entrytimes, entrydistances = time_in_path(rowdata, paths[0], maxmin='max', getall=True,
                                                       name='Start', logfile=logfile)
-        with open(logfile, 'ab') as f:
-            t = time.localtime()
-            timestamp = bytes('{t}'.format(
-                t=time.strftime('%b-%d-%Y_%H%M', t)), 'utf-8')
-            f.write(b'\n')
-            f.write(bytes('Course id {n}, Record id {m}'.format(
-                n=courseid, m=recordid), 'utf-8'))
-            f.write(b'\n')
-            f.write(timestamp)
-            f.write(b' ')
-            f.write(bytes('Found {n} entrytimes'.format(
-                n=len(entrytimes)), 'utf-8'))
+        logmessage = 'Course id {n}, Record id {m}'.format(n=courseid, m=recordid)
+        dologging(logfile,logmessage)
+        dologging(logfile2,logmessage)
+        logmessage = 'Found {n} entrytimes'.format(n=len(entrytimes))
+        dologging(logfile,logmessage)
+        dologging(logfile2,logmessage)
 
     except InvalidTrajectoryError:  # pragma: no cover
         entrytimes = []
@@ -1062,14 +1062,9 @@ def handle_check_race_course(self,
     endseconds = []
 
     for startt in entrytimes:
-        with open(logfile, 'ab') as f:
-            t = time.localtime()
-            timestamp = bytes('{t}'.format(
-                t=time.strftime('%b-%d-%Y_%H%M', t)), 'utf-8')
-            f.write(b'\n')
-            f.write(timestamp)
-            f.write(b' ')
-            f.write(bytes('Path starting at {t}'.format(t=startt), 'utf-8'))
+        logmessage = 'Path starting at {t}'.format(t=startt)
+        dologging(logfile, logmessage)
+        dologging(logfile2, logmessage)
         rowdata2 = rowdata[rowdata['time'] > (startt-10.)]
 
         (
@@ -1102,7 +1097,6 @@ def handle_check_race_course(self,
         'endsecond': endseconds,
     })
 
-    #records = records[records['coursecompleted'] is True]
     records = records.loc[records['coursecompleted'], : ]
 
     if len(records):
@@ -1200,19 +1194,15 @@ def handle_check_race_course(self,
 
 
         # add times for all gates to log file
-        with open(logfile, 'ab') as f:
-            t = time.localtime()
-            f.write(b'\n')
-            f.write(b' ')
-            f.write(b'--- LOG of all gate times---')
+        dologging(logfile,'--- LOG of all gate times---')
+        dologging(logfile2,'--- LOG of all gate times---')
 
         for path, polygon in zip(paths, polygons):
             (secs, meters, completed) = coursetime_paths(rowdata,
                                                          [path], polygons=[polygon], logfile=logfile)
-            with open(logfile, 'ab') as f:
-                line = " time: {t} seconds, distance: {m} meters".format(
-                    t=secs, m=meters)
-                f.write(bytes(line, 'utf-8'))
+            logmessage = " time: {t} seconds, distance: {m} meters".format(t=secs, m=meters)
+            dologging(logfile,logmessage)
+            dologging(logfile2,logmessage)
 
         # send email
         handle_sendemail_coursefail(
diff --git a/rowers/tests/testdata/testdata.tcx.gz b/rowers/tests/testdata/testdata.tcx.gz
index 31fa9c7e..ef86f9ed 100644
Binary files a/rowers/tests/testdata/testdata.tcx.gz and b/rowers/tests/testdata/testdata.tcx.gz differ