Friday, December 6, 2019
The Campanile
C6
SPORTS
Strava technology helps track athletes evaluate their skills
New phone application allows runners to record their speed, endurance, pace in order to improve during practice, competition By Andrew Toteda
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Staff Writer
fter returning from school on a crisp November afternoon, junior Kevin Zhao sets off on his favorite run through the Stanford Campus. He may physically feel drained by his rigorous pastime, but Zhao has found that running helps put him in a clearer state of mind: energizing in its own right. Later that evening, he posts his route and time on Strava, a personal training app, in an effort to encourage others to run and reap the same benefits that Zhao enjoys from his routine. Junior Alex Selwyn runs cross country, and like Zhao, has transitioned from earlier downloadable apps such as Nike Run Club to Strava, a popular training software. While training apps have been around for many years, the technology is getting more sophisticated, using GPS tracking to measure a runner’s pace and distance while allowing users to connect with coaches, team members and friends to share times and places in long-distance runs. Selwyn has used Strava to manage his runs since he joined the team freshman year. He said he uses the app to track basics like weekly mileage but said the benefits go far beyond that by providing him important data about heart rate and speed that he can use to his advantage. Selwyn said that because heart rate is a prime indicator of individual fitness, it is rewarding for serious runners like himself to see if they run faster and at a lower heart rate as the season progresses. “For example, I might do an easy five mile run at the beginning of the season with a heart rate of 170 bpm, and then a couple of months into the season I might be able to do a faster-paced seven mile run at a heart rate of 165,” Selwyn said. Strava app developers say the app tracks and records every performance metric imaginable, including distance, time, elevation,
ascent, descent, calories, speed, heart rate and temperature. The graphed data sets then overlay in a variety of combinations to show the user how hard they worked during different sections of a run. A recent iteration of the software lets users see every time they have done a specific route and then compares past to current times in one visual.
“Logging my runs is helpful because it lets me see the amount of mileage, I have been doing it for the past three months.” Maia Johnsson
These capabilities allow runners to easily identify personal areas for improvement, an extremely important tool for members of the track and field team, where fractions of a second can make a dramatic difference in race performance. However, the technology is not just for competitive runners. Zhao, who was part of the Paly cross country team but now runs recreationally, said Strava allows him to gauge his progress over time and identify things he can do to perform better. “The technology is really important to improved training and overall performance,” Zhao said. “Logging runs can definitely help a runner become more knowledgeable about themselves and how they train.” Sophomore and cross country team member Maia Johnsson agrees. “Logging my runs is helpful because it lets me see the amount of mileage I have been doing for the past three months,” Johnsson said. “It helps me balance the amount of mileage I do each week.” The technology also gives runners the chance to experiment with their routine to gauge factors
ANDREW TOTEDA/THE CAMPANILE
Strava helps runners track their distance, pace and route before races. Not only does it help runners know the distance they’ve run, but it allows for them to get a better understanding of their own abilities and their body as a whole to improve their running speed. that have the most effect on their runs. “With Strava, I can test many factors, such as what I might eat before a run, how long to wait after eating before I start running or even which pair of shoes to wear,” Zhao said. To maintain the social network that connects a worldwide community of over 40 million, Strava collects a lot of real-time personal data, including minute by minute location tracking as well as very specific information about personal health and fitness. Company marketing materials highlight the importance of making location information available to friends and family for safety reasons. Still, Strava provides an optional Privacy Zone that eliminates the original starting point information so users are not able to see exactly where a user lives, just the general area. The company also uses third party components for collecting heart rate information, GPX file (3-D meshes of terrain that are common in mapping software) exporting and providing GPS services. According to Zhao, the pros of the powerful training software
seem to outweigh possible negatives associated with tracking and data privacy concerns, especially when similar data is already gathered by smartphones and watches. And while some runners say they turn off tracking and data sharing capability on occasion, for the most part, the ability to connect socially through the app is an important aspect users say can be motivating.
“The technology is really important to improved training and overall performance.” Kevin Zhao
Encouragement from other athletes can feel very rewarding. Strava’s website states that, “similar to liking a Facebook post or favoriting a tweet, Kudos are a quick thumbs-up you can give to your fellow athletes to congratulate them on a noteworthy activity, achievement or challenge milestone.” “It is always fun to compare
your runs with others,” Johnsson said. “When you get Kudos on your runs, it also makes you feel like your friends and teammates enjoy seeing you run.” Selwyn says he is less likely to use the social aspect during the season for the simple reason that he and his teammates essentially do the same workouts every day. “But at other times it’s interesting to see what people are doing,” Selwyn said. “When people are on vacation, it’s cool to see where they’re running. Also, it’s nice to see former teammates (online) who have already graduated.” Zhao said there is the flip side of too much information, though, noting that tracking applications can be one more distraction for runners. “It’s not all about technology, and a runner should still be primarily focused on putting their effort out on the road rather than obsessing over the numbers,” Zhao said. Johnsson said programs like Strava that share user data from friends and teammates help her find inspiration to run. “I think being able to see everyone’s training on Strava is good
because it helps motivate you to go out and run more, building up more miles on your account,” Johnsson said.
“But at other times it’s interesting to see what people are doing. When people are on vacation, it’s cool.” Alex Selwyn
Although these applications can help athletes visualize their running and allow for better selfreflection, Selwyn said athletes still have to take the first step to improvement by being willing to put in work and effort. “I think technology can oftentimes make the entire process of running more convenient, but improvement typically comes from an intrinsic motivation to get better,” Selwyn said. “So in a sense, technology can be very useful for seeing your improvement, but in order to actually improve, you have to be motivated first.”
New supervisor Messi Mahe helps students in Paly weight room
Paly alumnus, football team member from class of 2019 accepts unexpected job from athletic department after graduating By Alex Liu
Senior Staff Writer
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ownstairs and tucked away in the right-hand corner in the small gym of the Peery Center, the weight room sits, rimmed by bright lights and windows plastered with “no working out without supervision” signs. Rows of dumbbells ranging from 10 to 110 pounds lie ready for student use, but only under the supervision of an adult. Situated near the entrance of the room, on a chair next to a plastic table marks where the weight room supervisor sits; that’s where Messi Mahe, a freshman at Foothill College who graduated from Paly in 2019, comes in. Mahe said he got a lot out of Paly athletics, both mentally and physically, and part of the reason he wanted to work as a weight room supervisor was to give back to the school.
“I’d just go to the weight room try to get as many reps in and gain a certain amount of weight just so that I can go at it in the regular season.” Messi Mahe
“I was a hothead my freshman year, and my way of letting go was through football,” Mahe said. “Let’s just say the only place I could hit somebody was on the field. (Also) I was really big into football. I played other sports, but I put most of my time into football because it was something I
was really interested in.” After joining the football team, Mahe said he often found himself spending time in the old weight room.
“I was a hothead my freshman year, and my way of letting go was through football. Let’s just say the only place I could hit somebody was on the football field.” Messi Mahe
“Especially during the offseason, it was my main place after school,” Mahe said. “I’d just go to the weight room try to get as many reps in and gain a certain amount of weight just so that I can go at it in the regular season.” However, because the weight room was so small, Mahe found himself limited in his workouts. “So basically the old weight room was like a really small classroom,” Mahe said. “It wasn’t even half of the new weight room. It was like a quarter. It was pretty small. And using that weight room, you couldn’t really do anything because there would be other people trying to use it, and if you wanted to use a certain machine, you’d have to wait 15 minutes to use it.” General concerns about students injuring themselves without weight room supervision led to administrators making it mandatory for an adult supervisor to be present in the weight room in order for students to lift and use
ALEX LIU/ THE CAMPANILE
Messi Mahe shows the variety of weights the weight room he supervises offers. The job is new for Mahe, as he was not expecting to take it on this year. “As soon as the job popped up, I just thought it’d be a cool side thing to do while I was in college so I applied for it,” Mahe said. “Next thing you know, I’m already talking to coach (Nelson) Gifford about availability, whether or not it would be a good fit for me, and it was.” equipment, according to Mahe. However, Mahe said these rules weren’t enforced last year.
“I would go to the football games, he approached me at the football games, when I was watching JV. We were talking and he just brings it up.” Messi Mahe
“The doors would be open,”
Mahe said. “You would go and lift and then after a certain time someone would come down and close it. There would be someone in there but then most of the time they would just leave then come back later. Supervising wasn’t really enforced all the way. It just isn’t like what it is now.” Mahe said he first heard about the weight room supervisor job opening after talking to Athletic Director Nelson Gifford. “I would go to the football games,” Mahe said. “He approached me at the football games, when I was watching JV. We were talking and then he just brings it up. Apparently, he was in
need of (a weight room supervisor). And so I just told him, ‘Yeah, I can do it,’ and I gave him my schedule. Then one thing led to another, and here I am.”
“I’m here to help, if I see you struggling with a lift, I’m here to help you, I’ll spot you.” Messi Mahe
Mahe supervises the weight room after school for three hours. On Mondays, Wednesdays and
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Fridays, he works from 3:35 to 6:35 p.m., and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he supervises from 2:45 to 5:45 p.m. As weight room supervisor, Mahe looks forward to helping others. “I’m here to help,” Mahe said. “If I see you struggling with a lift, I’m here to help you, I’ll spot you. Let’s say if you’re benching, especially when you’re by yourself, I can give you the extra help. I’m also here to give you tips like if you need a workout regimen and making sure you’re lifting correctly so that we can make sure you are getting the most out of your lift.”
