Strava

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Strava is a program on the internet where you can upload your exercise if you have a GPS supported fitness tracker. There is a free version and a paid version with more features, but the free version is very useful. If you are regularly active, you will hear a lot about Strava, and I suggest you join. (I am not paid or supported at all by Strava, this is my personal recommendation.) Start with the free version and see if its interesting to you.

My Garmin tracker automatically uploads the training to Strava when I am done. For cycling and running, there will be a map of the course covered, data from the tracker like speed and heart rate. What I find most interesting are the "segments". Individuals can map any course, short or long, and all Strava users that pass the segment will have their best time uploaded in a table for other Strava users to see (unless they opt out of this feature). 




The segment leaderboards allow you to see how you stack up against other people. There are tables for all athletes, women only, age groups, weight groups, and friends groups. Additionally, there are tables for all-time, this year and today. I find it motivational to get on a leaderboard or climb in the rankings. There is also the "local legend" title, it is awarded to the person with most attempts in the last 90 days, regardless of time.

Strava keeps track of all your activities and you can find summaries on frequency, distance and intensity of training. You can connect to friends to follow, they can see your training and make comments. Our local cycling group now share information of planned rides in our Strava Club.

The paid version provide further analyzes on relative effort, heart rate zones, maps of routes, fitness and exhaustion and more.

/Gunilla


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