Strava is a site that collects data from various fitness activities and organizes it. One of the main features of Strava is to divide your ride into segments and compare your results on those segments to your previous times and to the times of other Strava users. Another great feature is "achievements", which show when you've gotten either a personal record or an overall record on any particular segments.
Strava collects your data using either a free smartphone app or from various Garmin devices. Either way, just start recording and go! With the smartphone app, once you finish your activity, the data uploads automatically to the Strava site. If you use a Garmin GPS device, you connect the device to your computer, and the Strava web site uploads the data. Piece of cake.
Strava includes social feature that let you "follow" other users so you can see the activities they are doing. I am following a couple riders who live nearby, so I can get some ideas for new places to ride. I am also following a couple local pros, because it's interesting to see the type of training they do.
The Strava web site includes a couple widgets you can include on web sites or blogs to be able to show off your recent activities. This is the first time I've used these widgets, and it looks like the top one only includes actual rides, and not indoor training, which is disappointing.
EDIT: I also noticed that Strava isn't correctly handling the time when my Garmin bike computer was stopped and turned off. The 5+ hours shown on my recent rides also seems to include the 3 hours I spent sitting at my desk at work each day. The information is recorded correctly on the Garmin site, where it appears I just turned around and went home, for a 2-hour ride. Strava is showing 3 hours of nothing in the middle of my ride. I'll have to check with their support people to figure out what's going on.
Overall, I'd highly recommend Strava for tracking fitness activities. It's fun, offers a lot of great information, and is incredibly easy to use. Check it out if you get a chance. Note that the above widgets link to my Strava page, but Strava limits the amount of information non-registered users can see.
Food:
- Breakfast: Fruit/protein smoothie
- Lunch: Protein bar
- Dinner: Spicy Thai Basil Chicken. Holy cow, this was delicious. Way better than I expected.
Exercise:
- My usual morning routine.
- Another day of riding to work to do some overtime, about 28 miles total.
- Then another 25 minutes on the elliptical after dinner, continuing to watch Casa de Mi Padre. What a strange, but amusing, movie. I'm enjoying it.
Today's weigh-in: 218.4. Wow.
good work...
ReplyDeleteThanks!
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