App got me walking but...

[cochonverte]

I’m still happy I downloaded the app but it’s not working correctly.

Initially I made the mistake of not doing continuous 10 minute brisk walks and it was frustrating me that there was no reward for achieving many times more than the 10 minutes. I’ve fixed that problem myself but still find it odd that there is no recorded/rewarded benefit for walking considerable distance with a high proportion of brisk minutes. It’s also a bit annoying that there is no compensation for incline.

So to my real problems.

I’ve been regularly hitting my brisk 2 x brisk 10 goal but no rewards have been forthcoming for continuity.

My other and most irritating problem is that today I did my regular two sessions of brisk 10 with a short gap between but the second took ages to register and told me that I had been merely walking rather than briskly. I time all brisk 10s independently of the app and have a set course so I questioned its accuracy. To try and see if it was really faulty I did two more after resetting the phone. It recorded some of the time but none showed as brisk.

What can I do?

I’d like to keep using this app as it could be useful not if it continues to rob me!

By the way how do you define “brisk” walking? My estimate is that 10 km/hour should be about right.

[Hidden]

Hi cochonverte! Firstly let me say that you can claim your reward badges here, on this site! The badge will appear as a banner next to your name every time you post! Can I please ask you to go to the pinned posts and follow the link to "help and support with the Active 10 app. If you report the issues you have had there, the tech guys will hopefully use the information to improve the app in the future. There are also some pinned posts listing the badges you can get here - including distance walking! Then if you read the "It is the weekend - who has earned a badge" posted by Realfoodieclub, just reply to this post with your request for the badge you've earned and one of the admins will get it displayed next to your name. You can only have one badge at a time, so be sure to claim the highest level that you qualify for!

[cochonverte in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the swift response. I have read through the pinned posts and sent a note to the tech persons. Will keep at it while awaiting a response and will claim the rewards when I get a minute

[Hidden in reply to cochonverte]

Hi again cochonverte - I forgot to say, brisk walking is when you are too breathless to sing, but you can still talk!

[runswithdogs]

Technology is great until it doesn't work. Hopefully the app will improve over time, but in the meantime as Kay said, keep track of your progress, post and let us know how you are doing, and we'll get you your badges to wear on the forum.

The incline aspect is tough, I don't think the tech is smart enough for that. Other things as well, like terrain. If you're trudging through deep snow, or grass or sand, it's hard going but most of the technology out there will only register it as a crawling pace walk, not the heart thumping activity that it is. Will be interesting to see what the future brings.

As for brisk walking - 10km/hour is faster than I've ever run a 10km route, so that would be fast walking indeed (though there are people that race-walk and pass me, so there is that). I think brisk walking is different for everybody. I'm a plodder by nature when I walk, so brisk to me is some of my colleague's crawling pace. So I would go by feel.

Also, brisk walking for you will probably change over time. As you get more and more used to it, your brisk walking will probably get faster and faster as your body gets more fit and adapts. One trick would be to do your regular route and time how long it takes doing your sets of brisk walking. Then in a few months, try again and see if there is any difference. Maybe there will be, or maybe you'll go the same pace but it will feel easier. Lots of stuff to play around with.

Happy walking.

[cochonverte in reply to runswithdogs]

Thanks for the additional info, thoughts and encouragement. Really appreciated.

No idea why I put 10 km/hour as I meant 6 km/hour!

I shall keep at it. Funny that getting a bit cross with the app made me do 4 x brisk 10 minute walks (a first) in a total of 64 minutes in one go Maybe that’s a secret tech motivational device. Nothing like a spot of well-targeted anger!

[runswithdogs in reply to cochonverte]

Haha. Nothing like a good grump stomp. When I get hot and bothered a walk is usually the first thing on my to-do list.