Cardiotrainer Part the Second

Well I took the Droid out for a walk today.  Two walks, actually.  I wanted to give "Cardiotrainer" a real-world try.  After a vigorous stroll to the Post Office, I discovered to my dismay that I'd had the program in "indoor" mode, so all it did was monitor my steps and time and infer a distance.  Naturally, after correcting my mistake, I headed out again to the Post Office.  Round trip, 0.85 miles.  14:45.7 minutes:seconds.  69 yards (?  I guess yards are cool for walkers?) of elevation gain.  Average speed 3.5mph.  I know all this, courtesy of the Droid.  It shows a map and all the various statistics.  I tried to go online and check out the website to which my tracks are allegedly uploaded...but it's down.  C'est la vie for a free program, I suppose.

You may be asking yourself...aren't you a cyclist?  Or at least like to pretend?  Why are you walking, like a common caveman?  Well I'll tell you.  I like to walk.  You see more, you can jam out to music, and - let's face it - it is impossible to be so far away from home that you can't just...um...walk back if you encounter trouble.  The worst "mechanical" is an untied shoelace; easily remedied without carrying tools and performing roadside repairs in the freezing cold.

I have to admit, I'm being a weenie this year for unknown reasons.  Typically I have no trouble gearing up and going riding in the cold.  Historically I ride through the winter, at least whenever its above 20 degrees.  For whatever reason I'm just not getting up the gumption this year.  Maybe it's the fancy new indoor trainer.  Why go outside in the cold when I can pedal to nowhere while watching TV?  It will, inevitably, end.  I can already feel the stir-craziness...stirring.

Cardiotrainer

The Droid phone continues to astound me. All that technology and capability in such a tiny little device! One of the apps I just downloaded - and will try tomorrow - is "Cardiotrainer". It uses the GPS and accelerometers to track your location and, if running or jogging, your steps. It then does various analysis, can upload to a website, or even post to Facebook.

It will even provide you with voice-prompts.  Time intervals, speed intervals, and a "race-against-yourself" feature which will compare your current track to a previous track, and tell you how far ahead or behind you are.

The only downside I've noticed so far is the snooty British man voice.  I miss the sultry Garmin GPS babe voice:  "Please drive the indicated route....recalculating.  Please drive the indicated route...recalculating.  You are such a man, you never listen to me.  Recalculating, you ignorant SOB.  Drive where I tell you!"

So far, it looks like it's only available for Android phones.  But if you're cool, you have one so this is not a problem.  I'm sure the iPhone has plenty of similar apps, if you're into that whole iPhone thing.