okansas.blogspot.com Occassional thoughts about orienteering
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Collecting some data
I've been playing with an app on my phone that buzzes at random times and asks me to collect some data about how I feel and what I'm doing. First, you rate how happy, relaxed, and awake you feel (on a scale). Then you record some information about where you are (e.g. indoors or out; home, work or someplace else), who you are with, and what you are doing.
I started doing it out of curiosity. But, it might be a good tool for tracking data that might be useful for training. It is a bit like a training log but it has an interesting advantage (or maybe difference is a better way to put it). Because the data is collected at random time periods, it catches you a bit off guard. You quickly enter the data, almost without thinking. When you write in a training log, you're thinking.
The classic finding I know from using this technology is that sex is best and commuting is worst; from sex to talking with your boss is about the same happiness difference as from talking with your boss to commuting.
