tripu

One of my tasks during the development of Smart Zones Beta 2 is the HRM communication module, that allows users to import data about their training sessions to the application. Those cyclist or joggers who use HRM’s know what it means. For the rest, let me briefly explain it.

“HRM” stands for “Heart Rate Monitor”. HRM’s are small portable devices that measure and keep a log of your heart rate, i.e. the pace of your heart beats. Typically, you attach a strap to your chest and it detects the small electrical voltages that your heart produces when it’s working. The other component is a radio receiver that usually has the appearance of a wrist watch. This device computes your current HR, shows that value on its small display, and records the whole sequence of values during your training session. It often polls the strap at intervals of five seconds. The information gathered may be shown in a heart rate graph.

Nowadays you don’t need to be a pro to have one of these gadgets — they are sold with prices around £100 (~ €150) or even less. They are useful to keep your workouts at a high level without overtraining. Also, when you run or cycle, the messages that your body sends to you (about how tired you are, or how intense is the pain in your limbs) are pretty subjective, and highly influenced by psychological factors (e.g. you tolerance and perceptions are not quite the same if you train when you feel like shit). HRM’s, on the other hand, always give you steel-cold measures that you can trust (damn) and let you know in which of your heart rate zones you are putting your heart.

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The article “consumerism” in Wikipedia should contain just #REDIRECT: [[London]].

Since I came here I’ve been curious about Christmas in London. Last Wednesday when I left the office I went by tube to Oxford Circus. At the beginning I thought that there was some accident, or maybe a demonstration on the street, because there were those long queues inside the underground station, and the crowd was pushing trying to make their way up the stairs to Oxford Street.

But, alas! When I went off the station I found what you see in these pictures: an amazing packed tide of people just… shopping. The flow of shoppers coming from Piccadilly Circus via Regent Street was colliding with people walking down Oxford Street. As a result there was that thick and dense swarm, far worse than the worst crowd that you could find in any trendy club at 3am. It took me a few minutes just to turn left, walk 50 metres and cross the road. And that was still nineteen days to Christmas day!

It’s a shame that I’m not going to be in London by Christmas day — I’ve been told that 24th December the evening is a spectacle in that area.