Fitocracy Catch-All

Paleocon wrote:

My numbers are going to be down for a while whilst I go light and try to recover from my shoulder/elbow injury. I'm concentrating on going slow, lighter and working on good form. Hopefully I'm come out stronger.

My numbers are going to be down for a while whilst I go light and try to recover from my shoulder/elbow injury. I'm concentrating on going slow, lighter and working on good form. Hopefully I'll come out stronger.

Yeah, $6 mil doesn't buy what it used to.

Just dowloaded Run, Zombies! and I'm looking forward to testing it out on my lunch break today.

Teneman wrote:

I find myself in the bottom half of the GWJ Triathageek challenge, and considering Jonman's training for a real life triathlon I've got my work cut out for me catching up to him. I'd planned on just doubling up my normal number of runs a week, but my knee and I are barely on speaking terms as it is.

So I dug up an old exercise bike that's been gathering dust in the basement and figured I'd cycle my way to some extra points. Sadly the thing doesn't seem to track either speed or distance anymore (though the timer and resistance setting still works).

Any idea how to estimate distance traveled on a stationary bike with no way to track speed? I mean I know I'm pedaling at least 100 to 150 miles an hour, but I'm guessing my fellow challenge members would like a bit more scientific measurement ;)

I can't answer your question, but didn't Jonman post on the Fitocracy group that stationary bikes and treadmills didn't seem to count towards that challenge?

I don't know about stationary bikes, but treadmills seem to count. Half of my points are from treadmill runs. I'd imagine stationary bikes would work the same, entered under "cycling" activity with a stationary bike as equipment.

H to the ickle wrote:

Just downloaded Run, Zombies! and I'm looking forward to testing it out on my lunch break today.

I've been considering getting an iphone when I upgrade in a month to see what all the fuss is about, and this might push me over...(I know the android is around the corner, but I give in to enabling very easily.)

I'm a little disappointed that so few of us are in the challenge. I think it was the tiny window (2 days) in which people could join. Oh well, lesson learned. Oh, and yes: I'm fully in support of fudging the category for anyone taking part in the challenge. As long as you don't mind that your stats will be a little screwy, I don't mind treating a stationary bike as biking. I'm sure not going to be a rules lawyer. That's lame.

I surely sympathize with falling off. Last week was a haze of mild-flu-conditions and Star Trek Online. I did very little in the way of actual exercise. I appear to be refocusing, though. The hardest part of being healthy is working out when you absolutely don't want to, yet you absolutely need to.

I would have joined but didn't get active again until it was closed...also..my pool isn't opened yet.. so I can't put in the swim time.

Yeah, the only reason I didn't join in is because I don't have access to a pool. Hopefully in the near future I'll be able to re-up my gym membership but until then I'm stuck with my 20lb dumbbells and my running shoes.

I didn't join because I hate running, am not interested in swimming, and if a stationary bike doesn't count, I'm not about to go riding mid-winter.

Unless I'm doing it wrong you don't need to do all three activities for the challenge. It's just that only points from running, swimming or biking count, as opposed to points from other activities.

NSMike wrote:

I didn't join because I hate running, am not interested in swimming, and if a stationary bike doesn't count, I'm not about to go riding mid-winter.

That sums up my reasons against joining as well.

Although, that said I probably won't join any points-based challenges on Fitocracy until points get balanced decently. It's too easy to rack up massive points from some activities while other equally tough activities give peanuts.

Teneman wrote:

Unless I'm doing it wrong you don't need to do all three activities for the challenge. It's just that only points from running, swimming or biking count, as opposed to points from other activities.

I would say you are doing it wrong, if it's supposed to be a triathlon challenge.

I'm just giving you crap, dude. *cough*Wus*cough*

NSMike wrote:
Teneman wrote:

Unless I'm doing it wrong you don't need to do all three activities for the challenge. It's just that only points from running, swimming or biking count, as opposed to points from other activities.

I would say you are doing it wrong, if it's supposed to be a triathlon challenge. :)

Perhaps. But I don't think so.

Docbadwrench on Fitocracy wrote:

Okay everyone. I'm going to start the next challenge for this weekend. Let's make it a distance movement thing (running, walking, treadmill, etc.). That seems to be something that many of you want. How long? Maybe three weeks? As I've mentioned, I'm pretty ambivalent about the details; I just want to help us keep motivated and find joy in all this stuff.

Docbadwrench on Fitocracy wrote:

Nah, we could just choose whichever we wanted. We wouldn't be *required* to do all three, at least.

It was originally designed as a movement challenge, not specifically a triathlon thing. In fact there were discussions about judging it based on distance traveled rather than points, but Fitocracy doesn't handle that.

NSMike wrote:

I'm just giving you crap, dude. *cough*Wus*cough*

Yeah I know, didn't mean the response to sound defensive. I'm just disappointed so few people joined, and it looks like one of the reasons was a misunderstanding on the purpose/requirements of the challenge.

Well, regardless, I wouldn't run, and I wouldn't swim, so I'd only have bicycling to use compete. Anyone who does more than that would automatically have an advantage over me.

In all honesty, I'm not looking to push things very hard at the moment anyway. I don't want to do anything that will injure me and throw me off my weightlifting schedule, and my weightlifting workouts are very regimented, scheduled, and specific, so I can't really go any faster on that. I'm in a bad place to be competing for anything at the moment.

H to the ickle wrote:

P.S. I just did the first mission of Run, Zombies! and it was awesome. It didn't hurt that the first song that came on after the initial radio broadcast telling you to haul ass was Kanye West's "Gone".

Isn't it a blast? I didn't have such a serendipitous song selection, but I did enter a dark, muddy wooded trail area just at the point in the storyline where your character begins running for his life.

I'm debating whether to run the next mission on the treadmill tomorrow morning, or to save it for my next outdoor run. I'm afraid it might lose something if I'm just running in place.

Even if they did have a way to measure it by distance traveled it would still be off since I'm pretty sure I can bike farther in an hour than I can run. It's a cool idea but unless you could give more weight to say swimming than running or biking it would be kind of skewed.

P.S. I just did the first mission of Zombies, Run! and it was awesome. It didn't hurt that the first song that came on after the initial radio broadcast telling you to haul ass was Kanye West's "Gone".

I think being outside and when they say, "The tower's the tallest building in the area, run for it!" and then you can look for the tallest thing in the area and run towards, is one of the best parts.

I'm not sure I understand the meta-game though. I collected a mess of supplies and have no idea what you're supposed to do with them.

H to the ickle wrote:

I'm not sure I understand the meta-game though. I collected a mess of supplies and have no idea what you're supposed to do with them.

You give them to the various buildings on your little map. Most of them I just chose based on common sense (first aid kits for the hospital, etc), though some had codex entries which specify which buildings/people want them. Giving items to the buildings levels the buildings up. I don't know if there are any game play ramifications of leveling up other than changing the appearance of the buildings though.

Oh, and leveling up your buildings changes the population number on the sign. Again, not sure what if any significance that has other than offering incentive to get a higher number for the sake of a higher number.

I'm assuming future implementations will include this:
http://boingboing.net/2012/03/05/dar...

Teneman wrote:

Any idea how to estimate distance traveled on a stationary bike with no way to track speed? I mean I know I'm pedaling at least 100 to 150 miles an hour, but I'm guessing my fellow challenge members would like a bit more scientific measurement ;)

The only way I'd suggest relies on knowing what riding an average speed of X mph feels like on a real bike, then trying to guesstimate your exertion on the stationary bike based on that.

F'rinstance, I know that I can ride around 15mph on my actual bike without breathing hard. That's my benchmark. If I'm on a stationary bike gasping and sweating, I figure I'm doing at least an equivalent of a solid 18-20mph

Jonman wrote:

F'rinstance, I know that I can ride around 15mph on my actual bike without breathing hard. That's my benchmark. If I'm on a stationary bike gasping and sweating, I figure I'm doing at least an equivalent of a solid 18-20mph

Or you're going 10mph, but uphill.

Cycling is notoriously difficult to calculate exertion for, thanks to wind resistance (and the ability to greatly alter that by drafting or riding indoors), hills, gear ratios, and all sorts of other stuff. The only way to be accurate is to use a wattage meter or bodybug.

So, Teneman, if your stationary has a wattage meter, that's pretty accurate. Or, get a bodybug.

I like the benchmark idea. I went back and found the last solid bike ride I tracked on Runkeeper, and found I was averaging 12.66 mph. I actually recall the ride very clearly despite it being 9 months ago (phone rang mid ride with very big, very bad news, sort of left an impression) and my exertion level was moderate. If I keep my stationary cycling up to a similar or higher exertion level, I'd be comfortable using 10mph as a conservative estimate of distance. Probably short changing myself, but better that than inflating my distance.

And if I keep at it for a few weeks, I'm sure I can convince the Mrs. that investing in a cheap stationary bike that's not 20 years old might be worthwhile And the inexpensive ones are cheaper than a bodybug (which I admit to having to Google).

Minarchist wrote:
Jonman wrote:

F'rinstance, I know that I can ride around 15mph on my actual bike without breathing hard. That's my benchmark. If I'm on a stationary bike gasping and sweating, I figure I'm doing at least an equivalent of a solid 18-20mph

Or you're going 10mph, but uphill.

Cycling is notoriously difficult to calculate exertion for, thanks to wind resistance (and the ability to greatly alter that by drafting or riding indoors), hills, gear ratios, and all sorts of other stuff. The only way to be accurate is to use a wattage meter or bodybug.

Yeah, totes. I had meant to include a caveat line about my method being horrendously inaccurate for all those choice reasons.

Now that I've got a decent start of digging myself out of an autumn and winter of depression and drinking I'm going to finally start entering on Fitocracy. Now we'll see how long the novelty of it keeps me doubling my workout logging. Although now that I'm probably switching to more traditional routines it'll be easier to log.

Minarchist wrote:

The only way to be accurate is to use a wattage meter or bodybug.

Actually BodyBuggs are pretty bad with cycling. Yesterday I did a 5 mile grueling mountain biking climbfest that my HRM calculated 1000 kCal but my BodyMedia (same as a BodyBugg) showed the equivalent of one of my lighter workouts. It's a common complaint that it undervalues cycling (that and it credits you for driving).

LiquidMantis wrote:
Minarchist wrote:

The only way to be accurate is to use a wattage meter or bodybug.

Actually BodyBuggs are pretty bad with cycling. Yesterday I did a 5 mile grueling mountain biking climbfest that my HRM calculated 1000 kCal but my BodyMedia (same as a BodyBugg) showed the equivalent of one of my lighter workouts. It's a common complaint that it undervalues cycling (that and it credits you for driving).

That's weird. I wonder why? I thought they measured heart rate and body temperature. Does the body stay cooler due to all the wind around you?

EDIT: oh, looks like it measures motion. Gyroscopes or something? That would explain why it doesn't work on treadmills if you hold on to the handles. I guess you could strap it to your knee or something...

EDIT 2: looks like all theories are right -- sweat, body temp, and motion.