Before C25K I took walks for exercise and used MapMyWalk to track my walks, tracking most consistently when I was trying to lose weight or increase my fitness. Tracking makes me more motivated, when I can see the total distance, minutes, number of walks per week, etc. Once I started C25K I continued to track with MMW, and eventually got a Garmin sports watch. I agonized a bit over whether I should continue to track the entire workout, once I got to the point where I was running the whole time with no breaks to walk, and I decided my tracking was to see how my pace and distance for running was progressing, so I stopped tracking any of the walking portions (warmup/cooldown). I continued to track my walks on my rest days for a month or more, but the last month or two I've started viewing my walks as more for my enjoyment, stress relief, to enjoy the nice weather, listen to a podcast, so I've stopped tracking. I guess if I don't see it as exercise & don't need any motivation to take a walk, I don't have a reason to track it. I actually went out today for a walk, nice and slow, just for fresh air, decided for some reason to start my Garmin tracking, but then at the end, I just discarded it, because it doesn't really matter to me anymore. When I review my Garmin stats, I just skip over the walks anyway to focus on the runs, so why track them?
So now, my tracking on my Garmin is strictly for running. I do still agonize over what to do with my Garmin if I have to stop and walk in the middle of a run, but fortunately that almost never happens, if I get to the point where I can't keep running, I just end the run rather than try to run/walk intervals. I don't know how to track run/walk/run workouts, so I don't do them! It's also too hard for me to go back to running if I've stopped to walk, so it's not really an issue for me.
Anyway, what do you guys track, as far as your exercise activities, and why do you track them?
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Graduate10
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Like you once I finished C25K I only tracked my runs to monitor my distance and pace. During August I did a 50k challenge so tracked both my warm up / down walks and runs to cover the distance but actually was able to just use my runs in the end 😊 I don’t get chance to walk between runs in the week as I have a full on job. I suppose it depends on what you are tracking for. Sometimes it is just nice to get outside for some fresh air and a bit of sunshine 😊
I use Mapmyrun/walk/ride to track my runs, walks and bike rides, my longest entry is a 17 Kilometers bike ride and a 16 kilometers run, I sort of wished that I could have had a tracking device 20/30 years ago when I went much long bike rides as long as 50 miles, I wouldn't want to do that sort of 🚴 cycling nowadays, that was one of the reasons why I began C25K, I still cycle but only once a week, not 4 times.
I track runs and cycles. I used to track walks but then lockdown came and walks were freedom not to be tracked. I track runs mostly now for monthly totals and to check back how far different routes are. Like you I don’t like to stop in the middle of an activity to the extent that last Saturday I insisted that when hubby and I went out on a 52km cycle of our neighbouring villages I insisted we bypass all the coffee lunch stops and we kept going for the 3 hrs so as to return to our own village with an entire route recorded with no stops 🤣🤣 happy running 🤗
I didn't track anything at all until I'd finished C25K! Now I only track runs, using the free version of Strava on my phone. However, I've a big birthday on the horizon and am hankering after a Garmin Vivoactive4s. Oops.
I have a Vivoactive 3 that I got for a good price because the new 4’s were coming out. I love it! I did have an issue with the band that came with it, it felt too rubbery, so I bought a different one. There’s tons to choose from online, very inexpensive too. I hope you get one for your birthday. It’s one of those things that we don’t really need, but it’s so fun to have!
I track my runs to check my distance and performance. I'm doing LEJOG so I like to know my posts are accurate. I also like to see what my family are up to on strava.
I walk a lot with friends. Tracking those stops all the, 'how far do you think we've walked today?' arguments. (Although, maybe those used to be part of the fun 🤔). It's also nice to have a record of good walks.
I've started tracking my swimming because I've only just got a waterproof watch after a lifetime of swimming and I was interested to see the stats. I feel quite ambivalent about it. I may or may not carry on.
I track home workouts when I can be bothered, but they don't add much.
I only put my Garmin on to track my runs as it's a bit bulky for everyday wear...but I do wear a Fitbit Flex 2 all the time (It's the one with no screen, almost just a bracelet strap) so on the days I walk rather than run, though the distance isn't tracked the steps are to make up my daily minimum of 10,000 🚶♀️🏃♀️
It keeps my honest, I know if I didn't wear it I'd find excuses not to go out! 🤷♀️
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