Discussion: Log mental training, armchair orienteering, fieldwork etc

Maybe this has been discussed before, but I'm wondering how people log non-physical training, such as armchair orienteering, other mental training, fieldwork for orienteering maps and even OCAD drafting and so on? Is it acceptable to log this as training with intensity = 1?

Using a note might have worked, but you can't record the time spent on the activity with a note, and I would like to have the same ability to produce reports with these categories as I have with "regular" training.

I think people should just try out logging it the way they feel like logging it. If recording the time makes you more motivated to do it, record the time. You can always have it set not to graph with your other activities so that you can still easily keep track of your physical training load.

If it makes a difference, I haven't logged anything non-physical except fieldchecking, but I think I'm going to start. I think it will help my motivation to do it regularly, and it will be helpful to look back and see what might have helped.

Before the AP update, I think there was a way you could make a certain activity not appear on your weekly totals. I can't remember how though....I think it was under 'utilities.'

I would feel ok with logging something like armchair orienteering normally, but with intensity set to 1. But I don't want to appear at the top of the list with 20 hours of OCAD drafting.

Another way is to log time spent on armchair-O, Catching Features, and other mental effort at 1 hour time on task = 1 minute recorded (intensity 1). This lets you keep track of mental training, but doesn't really throw off the physical training totals.

Then, with some bitwise operators you can efficiently and cleanly disaggregate your mental training from physical.

Hmmm, well I'm not sure how Kenny is storing time, but I don't think a bitwise operation will buy you much in base 60 (how much simpler would life be for us programmers if there were 64 minutes in an hour).

I log field checking (at level 1), both because I believe it has very real mental training value and because walking around in the woods for several hours does have some effect on your legs (usually positive - it's nice recovery). Basically I use level 1 to indicate any activity that involves intensity too low to be of much use, but has some other redeeming training value.

As much as I think armchair exercises have merit, I dont particularly want to confuse them with my physical training log. Of course, I'd have to if I ever wanted to be at the top of the AP training rankings again!

Ghetto-man is gone, and j-man is back!

Oh, those Sumerians, if only they could have worked in base 64 instead of base 60, we'd be set. Of course, I think we should go to metic time -- if they figured out how to do it on Battlestar Gallactica, why can't we?

Unfortunately, tho, you can never please everyone. As someone who has worked on a machine with a 61 bit word (seriously), I'd still be left in the cold -- but if I could get that one second per minute added, my minutes per k would improve on the test loop at least ...

No, alas, Dr. Jekyll has nothing on me.

Go to Settings, Activity Types and set the Graph Order to a negative number. Or something like that. I just browsed the help...

I wonder if Ken could set up a choice for intensity=0 that would just keep track of these non-athletic things?

Hmm... I added an activity type, Ocad work, and set the graph order to -5. It doesn't show up in my personal graph, but the time for the activity gets added to my training time and makes me appear higher up on the training list.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't get what the big deal is about the number of hours shown on the training list. It's your log - log what you think is valuable.

Quit talking crazy, Cristina -- Attackpoint is all about appearing in the proper place on The List!

I have just been logging mine in the comments section. But it would be nice to be able to have an idea about how much non physical training you do in a given period- I agree.

You could always create a second AP login that you used just for recording non-physical stuff.

One thing that would be pretty cool is separate lists, one for physical training and one for non-physical. Instead of one tab at the top of the website that says Training, there could be two! Same idea could be used with giving the activity a negative graph order if it is non-physical training. Then we could have a separate list with time spent on Catching Features, armchair-O, mapping fieldwork, Ocad drawing etc.

I second RJM. Divide by sixty. Also for stretching, strengthwork etc :) Running time is what counts!!!!!

I have to disagree here. I think four hours of mapping is at least as valuable as four hours of running. Of course, one is well advised to do both!

I would not accord the same distinction to OCAD, map study, etc. I think the value comes in actually seeing the terrain and the representation at the same time. It is through repeated exposure to such that the pattern recognition is developed that allows for rapid reading and simplification.

I agree with you Eric, that mapping is very valuable training for orienteering, but I would still like to log it separately from physical training. The physical effort is even less than hiking, which I personally don't log, so from that perspective I'd rather log it together with armchair-O and Ocad work etc.

this sounds like something AP needs a little additional support for. consider it "on the list"

I log non-strenuous training as intensity '1'. So far this has included:

Yoga
Stretching
Hiking
Downhill Skiing

I don't log OCAD work or playing CF.

Yeah, get off the stick Kenny! Seems like it's been weeks since this site got a serious overhaul!

Here's a mental/computer activity worth logging: logging. Provides endless hours of entertainment during dark winter nights.