FAQ

What is your target audience?

We are looking for world domination. Nah - not really. Just out for those who tick like we do... those that love the occasional (and not so occasional) challenge, those that thrive on competition, and of course those that want to improve. Hell ya - improvement is where its at! We probably also appeal to those that like lists - lists of equipment, lists of exercises, lists of favorite tracks, lists of competition, lists of friends etc... In summary, track-record.org is a community platform for web-affine sports enthusiasts, from professional triathletes to after-work runners, riders and swimmers.

How are “points” calculated?

For every kilometer on a bike, you get one point; for every kilometer that you run, you get four points; for every kilometer that you swim, you get 16 points. Strength exercises are measured in hours, and every hour is worth 20 points. The first members of track-record also agreed that one hour of indoor cycling (spinning) is equivalent to a 25km bike ride.

Does track-record consider any other characteristics of an exercise?

In short: no. We only use some basic parameters (such as the distance) to assess an exercise. For example, a person who does a 10km interval training routine (with alternating stretches of fast and slow every 1km) gets the same points as somebody who goes out for a regular 10km run after work or a person doing a pure up-hill run. We also ignore other factors such as age or experience. As a result, an experienced runner who puts away some 10km in 45min gets the same points as the beginner (who has his engines revved at upper limit to clock that kind of time). Whats more, we also do not consider any of these factors in a competition. We do this to keep things simple. That said, we have thought about ways to weight exercises, and future versions of TR may see some changes to the point system (or not). If you exercise with someone who is fitter than you, we suggest that you take pride in the increased athletic challenge. However, for know you ain't getting more points.

Why are there only 4 disciplines?

Boy... we contemplated that one. In the end, we decided to limit the number of disciplines to keep track-record.org simple and easy to use. Furthermore, we are trying to catch those that love these disciplines as much as we love them (perhaps strength aside) - bird of a feather, so to speak. If you want to clock your times in all those other exciting disciplines, perhaps you should check out runtastic (where you, instead of points, can get the number of pizza's you just burned with your exercise - thats how great it is over there!). However, you can clock your other disciplines (Andrew even adds his badminton, after checking comparisons tables)... obviously, disciplines with a certain amount of similarity to the ones tracked in track-record are advisable (for example, some track cross-country skiing as bike riding).

What can I track with track-record?

Our focus clearly lies on saving your training exercises and competitions. However, we also offer tracking of your body weight and experiment with tracking the use and tear of your equipment over time (both of which are private and cannot be seen by other users, not even friends). We are also working on tracks, i.e. your favorite running and cycling routes.

What are groups good for, and how can I enter a group?

We added groups as a way of loosely following users (users of a group form a loose crowd). That said, the core unit in track-record are tracked-users. These are the people that you share your exercise performance with, compete against, etc.

What information do I share with friends and group members?

A friend can see everything except your vitals (bodyweight etc), your wear and tear and your tracks. Group members do not have any special privileges. If they are not friends with fellow group member, they cannot see their data. However, any approved group member can read and write Group Board messages.

Who is behind Track-record.org?

Andrew Moore, Lothar Wissler, Florian Wessel. Check out the team.