Showing all posts tagged heart-rate-variability:

22 September 2014

Messed about with the computer for most of the morning, the day in fact, whilst Lorena went out for a walk with Alison Slassor. Have decided to try to get all my blog posts off Blogger and into WordPress which I managed to do without too much trouble. My main aim was to then, with a great deal of fiddling, to get all my blog posts into Evernote using pretty much these instructions here. It all took quite a lot of messing about but I got there in the end. The fundamental steps were to export everything from Blogger and then import everything into WordPress, this step was needed as the Python script I planned to use would only read a Wordpress export. So, once in WordPress that was exported and that file read by the Python script. That script produced a number of .enex files which could be read by Evernote and the rest was relatively straightforward!

I’ve ended up with all my blog postings (apart fro some rubbish) in Evernote as individual notes which can now be easily be searched and accessed. The beauty of all this effort will I hope be that I can get all my material onto a Postach.io blog which I can publish directly to using the material I have gathered together in Evernote and from my journal. This was all going pretty well until late last night when all the material that I had managed to get up onto Postach.io suddenly disappeared which I am currently waiting a response on. Not the best of starts but we shall see what happens and how they respond.

As you can see below the work on HRV measurements continues and Simon has been pretty receptive to my ideas but we shall see if the system actually changes in response to my suggestions. he seems interested in using me a case study which might be interesting but these things often come to nothing.

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Facebook Updated: September 22, 2014 at 08:50PM Well, that's been quite a challenge, I've managed to get all the entries off my weblog going back to 2006 and into Evernote where everything is easily searched and readily available as a reference tool and auxiliary brain :-) Just means one less place to search for stuff and to maintain as time goes on. Anything new that gets posted to the blog automatically gets added to the day's Evernote journal entry now anyway. It's taken time but I guess most of one day in the grand scheme of things is a reasonable investment. Glad I've done it because I collected a lot of material on the weblog.

21 September 2014

We set off early down to Woodhorn and got the grass cut and Lorena did the borders. Chatted to the nice guy from Woodhorn Mews who seems to think that his sister would like to live in Woodhorn and it sounds as if she and her husband might make good tenants given that we can't sell the place. Passed him my telephone number and we will see what happens, not holding my breath.

Back home for lunch, bought some crisps for Lorena on the way back. Both felt tired so we went and had a sleep and I slept for far too long and ended up having to rush to get my training done but at least I did it.

Lorena had cooked us a nice chicken dinner which we enjoyed and then it was couch time and time to watch the return of Downton Abbey which was good. So another day done and dusted and still on track with my training, I need to get some stuff ordered from Wiggle in time for Majorca, I'm going to go that tomorrow.

Heard back from Simon at ithlete and I think I'm on the right track with my data gathering. He seems clear that VT1 is a demarcation point between what causes HRV to reduce and what does not and I'm going to bear this in mind with my training.

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Facebook Updated: September 21, 2014 at 02:53PM Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, what a splendid sauce it is :-)

19 September 2014

I'm am delighted to wake this morning to the news that the Scottish Referendum on independence has delivered a clear No vote. I am pleased that the UK is going to stay together and pleased that Alex Salmond has fallen flat on his face but things will never be the same in my view.

The new iPhone 6 is released to the public today and there are queues all over the world, which I will not be joining, I like to allow things to settle down before making big purchases like these.

On the bright side our Vodafone Sure Signal is operational again and out 3G coverage at home has been restored which is good :-)

After all that messing about Lorena and I set off for Newcastle just for a few bits and bobs, we didn't end up buying anything very exciting.

Lorena and I did have a look at the new iPhone 6 in The Apple Store, really nice bit of kit. We both know that we are going to end up buying them, it's just a matter of when, I'd guess fairly soon after we get back from Majorca.

Woke up surprisingly early today and was pleased to find that my legs felt actually better then they usually do, I had expected them to be a stiff as hell after getting rolling yesterday. Hopefully this means that I will be able to keep going with training at this kind of intensity without too much rest, we shall see!

Package arrived from ithlete, my new Bluetooth HRM belt to use with the application. Here are my first experiences!

Absolute heap of rubbish based on a few minutes experience. Bluetooth HRM strap you recommend delivered this morning which was ordered from yourselves, ithlete application installed on my iPad Air yesterday. Put the strap on with contacts moistened, strap connects to athlete application "sometimes" but not easily and not consistently. When connected the pulse rate displayed is WAY off what it should be and what I know my pulse to be and jumps about. If I walk around, even climbing stairs, it doesn't even rise but the app says it is ready to record readings! Any readings taken based on whatever information is being transferred from the belt to the app would be utter rubbish, if the basic pulse rate is wrong the R-R recording is hardly going to be accurate. So, assuming this isn't what is meant to happen, how does this get fixed, I'm over £50 down on the deal.

12:05 Good progress! Excellent telephone call from Simon the Director @ ithlete who was clearly concerned about the problems I was having. Followed a suggestion he made to check out the transmitter belt with another package and for some reason after that ithlete seemed to start working properly. Not sure of the root cause of my initial problems but may well be a contact issue with a new belt but it looks as if I'm now good to go. The important thing is that this customer was listened to and I've now ended up where I can at least start to evaluate the product properly.

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Facebook Updated: September 19, 2014 at 06:28AM I'm am delighted to wake this morning to the news that the Scottish Referendum on independence has delivered a clear No vote. I am pleased that the UK is going to stay together and pleased that Alex Salmond has fallen flat on his face but things will never quite be the same again in my view.

17 September 2014

Did some more research today into the ithlete system for measuring HRV this morning and almost got to the point of ordering the chest belt but I've been unable to get an answer as to whether the software runs properly on the iPad Air using the Bluetooth chest strap. Hopefully customer services, such as it is, will eventually answer the question and I can make a decision.

Having some real problems with the VELOtron computer which keeps failing to start, the network card seems to have gone the journey and I ended up having to install a USB wireless device but at least I managed to get it up and running. No idea whether I will be able to keep it going, don't like the thought of having to start again with all that performance but will have to deal with whatever comes my way.

Was very pleased to be able to find the original installation disc for the USB wireless device using my Disc Catalogue Maker system, would never have had a chance without having gone through that process.

Quite a quiet day, now that I've done my VT1 test I need to get into some solid aerobic training and my plan is to do some VT1 work every day as well as trying to do a short walk to keep the calorie burning going.

Lorena still seems to be feeling OK in terms of her dizziness which now seems to have passed, it hasn't bothered her for the last 48 hours so let's hope that's the end of that, it's been a real worry.

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Twitter Updated: September 17, 2014 at 10:54AM @LastPassHelp All seems Ok now for me but I can't speak for @eVolux

Twitter Updated: September 17, 2014 at 12:12PM No reply to a @myithlete website message (x2) and no answer from the telephone. Anyone got any idea how to get answers from @myithlete ?

Facebook Updated: September 17, 2014 at 02:07PM Brilliant, just head that my box has arrived safely over in Majorca with my gear in it and is now in safe storage. Saves me carting stuff over there :-) Well done Wiggle free delivery!

Twitter Updated: September 17, 2014 at 06:31PM @myithlete still not replying to my queries which is very disappointing, phone not answered, messages not answered, tweets ignored :-(

16 September 2014

Out for a walk this morning and shot some video clips, also had a short chat to the lady who was painting Alnwick Castle, seemed like a nice soul. Finally got around to writing a testimonial I had promised for which I was pleased about, he seemed pleased with it which was good, he deserves a leg up I reckon.

Had a right struggle this morning with Lorena's PayPal login when I tried to change the password so that it was more secure. These things never end up being as simple as they should be but I got there in the end but I thought I had really fouled it up at one point!

Went to bed for an hour after lunch as I was feeling very sleepy and felt far better for it, I'm a great believer in sleeping when you are sleepy.

A friend of Lorena's kindly brought us some maple syrup back from Canada so I reckon that must be good stuff. Came just in time because one of the bottles I have is getting very low so it was good to be able to have a top up!

Our neighbour has sold his house after just one week! Such a shame that we can’t sell the cottage as we would easily sell this house and be able to really get ourselves sorted out, hopefully one day.

Discovered today quite by chance that you can make widescreen recordings on the iPad simply by doing a double tap on the screen before you start the recording and this changes the video aspect ratio which is brilliant as I prefer widescreen and I think this wil make things better for looking at stuff on the HDTV. Plan to do some more tests with this.

Watched some home videos on the AppleTV this evening which was great, brilliant way of looking at all our stuff. I have also linked the AppleTV to Flickr which allows us to run sideshows of all our material over the Internet rather than from the iPad, another brilliant development.

Today I am planning to establish some baseline information by performing the "Count Test" that I developed in order to determine my first ventilatory threshold (VT1). Once that has been established I plan to spend several months training at around VT1 and I will repeat the test periodically, as well as regular FTP testing, to see how I am progressing. I am going to follow this approach because back in early 2011 I found it delivered excellent and consistent increases in my FTP which is what I need to concentrate on for a little while before improving my endurance when the weather improves in the spring. This is going to be my focus over a period of time where FTP improvements are required and where it is likely to be more difficult to train regularly outdoors. Here is the graph of how this approach worked out in the past, along with the VT1 test protocol I devised in 2011. As can be seen from the graph for the same average HR for these sessions (red line) my average 60 minute power and PWR consistently improved and I was not starting from an untrained state at that time.


PDF of VT1 test information available for download here:


PDF HRV report from Kubios Software available for download here:

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Video uploaded to YouTube: Shaggy Ink Cap


Video uploaded to YouTube: vJournal 16 September 2014


Facebook Updated: September 16, 2014 at 11:21PM Linked the AppleTV to Flickr which allows us to run sideshows of all our material over the Internet rather than from the iPad, another brilliant development. Pretty much ready for the nursing home so I can sit back and enjoy all this stuff!

15 September 2014

Went out for walk which lasted well over 2 hours so all good there.

Shot some video clips to make up a vJournal entry for the day, the link should appear below, in fact I shot quite a bit of stuff to record various goings-on in Alnwick but nothing very exciting.


Lorena seems to be on the mend at last, she went out for a walk with Alison Slassor this morning. Lorena out at the band tonight so decided to go through some of my old training files. Found a section which I remember was very productive back at the start at 2011 so I’m going to use that section as an outline training plan to get me going and will then build on that. Once I’ve done some work on that I started watching The Armstrong Lie again which I’ve only watched once, enjoying it but it makes me a little sad to see how it all unravelled.

On the subject of sadness the nice little cat from next door, Rommel, came around today and I was very sorry to discover a lump in his neck. I’m going to have to tell Michelle next door about it because I have a horrible feeling that this is going to explain why he seems to be losing weight in spite of eating well.

PDF HRV report from Kubios Software available for download here:

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Facebook Updated: Red Light? What Red Light? http://ift.tt/1q7l3tM The road works and temporary traffic lights currently installed in Alnwick seem to be resulting in some driver frustration. Looks like the normal "stop if red" rule doesn't apply to the temporary lights in Alnwick.

Facebook Updated: September 15, 2014 at 04:49PM It's all very well these clever scientific people doing lots of research and publishing it in their learned journals and appearing very clever, which I am sure they are. However, my experience has been that when an ordinary person actually wants to try to use the science in a practical way they are generally not very helpful at all. Sure, they will tell you which papers to go away and read at £40 a pop or whatever they are but if you want basic, practical advice or help forget it.

Facebook Updated: Traffic Problems - Alnwick http://ift.tt/1m8TpBD Major disruption to the flow of traffic through Alnwick in Northumberland as a result of engineering works taking place on the gas mains. The current works on the gas mains in #Alnwick continue to cause major disruption to traffic. Going to be like this for some time yet I'm afraid.

14 September 2014

Been a much better day today, have managed to get out for a walk with Lorena, about four miles.

Spent quite a bit of time today scanning all Lorena’s Reiki coursework which is now all done and shredded and I’ve also scanned a number of cycling articles from the ABCC journals which I am going to get rid of. Once I had done all that I bit the bullet and removed all Lorena’s notebooks from my Evernote account and reinstated them into her own account. This was a bit of a pain to do but the whole thing is now so much neater with me having all the household stuff shared with Lorena and then just my own stuff in my account and all Lorena’s properly sorted out in her own account.

Couple of nice little moments on the walk this afternoon. Lorena spotted a tiny mouse in the grass which we helped on it’s way and then later we saw a small hedgehog pottering along the back road towards Denwick. Gave the hedgehog a gentle prod to make it curl up and then picked it up with a couple of sticks and put it safe in the bottom of the hedge. Enjoyed doing this and may well have saved the little soul’s life.

Watched a bit of TV late on but there wasn’t much on that I was bothered about.

PDF HRV report from Kubios Software available for download here:

Facebook Updated: September 14, 2014 at 10:42PM Very impressed with the ease of use of the Evernote .enex file export feature to move notes or groups of notes from one user to another. Made a task I wanted to do today a whole lot easier.

13 September 2014

Not been a good day today, I've just felt generally miserable. Lorena has taken a turn for the worse which is awful and I'm really fed up about it all, illness just never seems to be very far away.

With Lorena not feeling very well I went to do the weekly shopping today and strangely I quite enjoyed it, certainly it was no real hassle to go to both Lidl and Sainsbury's and is well worth it.

Scanned a few documents and generally pottered about during the day but I did quite enjoy watching the last mountain stage of The Vuelta, looks very much as if Chris Froome is heading for a second place without winning a stage.

PDF HRV report from Kubios Software available for download here:

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Facebook Updated: September 13, 2014 at 12:11PM Supermarket here I come. Cosmic.

Facebook Updated: September 13, 2014 at 02:03PM I am sick and tired of hearing about Scotland. I used to feel an affection for Scotland and it's place along with us within the UK having come through hundreds of years and major conflicts together. Now that I've learned that around 50% of the population of Scotland essentially want to have their cake and eat it and want nothing really to do with England I will never feel the same towards the country at all. I sadly now hope the vote is a Yes to settle it once and for all as I really don't want to be joined at the hip to a county whose population to a great extent doesn't want to be joined to England at all.

Facebook Updated: September 13, 2014 at 02:43PM Bought some really nice merino wool hiking socks from Lidl for £2.99p which I thought was a good deal.

Twitter Updated: September 13, 2014 at 02:45PM Bought some really nice merino wool hiking socks from Lidl for £2.99p which I thought was a good deal. #LidlSurprises

Facebook Updated: September 13, 2014 at 03:31PM I'd love to see Froome do something special today but I can't see him losing Contador somehow.

Facebook Updated: September 13, 2014 at 05:08PM Eurosport HD (410) , 17:30 18/09/2014, Jens Voigt hour record attempt live from the Velodrome Suisse in Grenchen. Success or failure this should be quite a spectacle and I'm sure his performance and power data will be invaluable to Fabian :-)

Facebook Updated: September 13, 2014 at 08:03PM Another little chore done. Fixed the gas and electricity prices for the next 12 months so at least no nasty shocks around the corner. Definitely worth doing based on the last 2 years.

Facebook Updated: September 13, 2014 at 08:05PM Good old John Lewis, sent us more vouchers for free coffee and cake :-)

Facebook Updated: September 13, 2014 at 08:12PM I saw some Christmas mince pies in Sainsbury's today. Isn't that a little bit early?

12 September 2014

Oscar Pistorious found guilty of culpable homicide (manslaughter) this morning. This evening Boris Johnson has been selected as the conservative candidate for Uxbridge so it looks as if in due course we will see him back as an MP, that I am sure will be interesting if nothing else.

Lorena much better this morning but then sadly back to square one later in the day which was a big shame and a big worry. We have decided that if she isn't a lot better by Monday she will go to the doctor and I really hope it doesn't happen because she will just then get fed into the diagnostic sausage machine which it's then hard to escape from.

Not really done a lot today apart from mess about on the computer. Still mucking about trying to come to some conclusions about HRV measurements and after all that I'm still not sure what, if anything to do. Did find an interesting posting explaining about the use of the RMSSD measurement and I've written a short note in Evernote about that as well as filing away a couple of short articles because I am bound to forget it all.

Interesting that another friend has started to express an interest in the use of HRV measurements and if I do come to any conclusions I will share them with him.

PDF HRV report from Kubios Software available for download here:

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Twitter Updated: September 12, 2014 at 11:09AM Anyone else having a problem with @LastPass? I'm getting "unable to contact login server, reduced functionality message"

Twitter Updated: September 12, 2014 at 11:10AM Notification of @LastPass shares not being sent to recipient. Looks as if there is a problem with #LastPass somewhere.

Twitter Updated: September 12, 2014 at 11:20AM My confidence in @LastPass has been reduced this morning, not impressed. #LastPass http://t.co/pHqE4PsHgc

Twitter Updated: September 12, 2014 at 11:25AM Here's an example of some of the stuff @LastPass is currently displaying for me, helpful isn't it. #LastPass http://t.co/8Pg4juIcYU

Facebook Updated: September 12, 2014 at 03:58PM God, whenever I have to do something on a Windows computer I just lose all hope.

11 September 2014

Took the Vauxhall Corsa up to Tustain Motors this morning to get the brake discs replaced, the bill came to about £175 so things could have been far worse. Interesting that the garage said that this work needed to be done 18 months ago, glad we didn't have it done when they first recommended it.

After our trip to the garage we popped into Sainsbury's and had a cup of coffee and a tea cake which we enjoyed. Bought a copy of the Daily Mail as there seems to be a good article about walking and the enormous health benefits of it.

Spent most of the day today working my way through and around the measurement of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and the use of the data gathered to guide training. I pretty much seem to have sorted out how to gather the data and have got my old systems from 2007 up and running. Ended up writing to a chap in Finland who I corresponded with back in 2007, trying to enlist his help getting a system off the ground to try and analyse the data. Really hope I hear from the guy but who know, I may well be left to struggle on solo.

Heard today that Stuart (Hippy) Birnie abandoned his LeJog ride somewhere around Penrith. I'm just glad he is safe and sound but I think he must be pretty gutted by the whole thing as he had built his season around it. I honestly think he just wore himself out.

Delighted that Lorena is starting to feel much better and I'm hoping that she wil be back to 100% tomorrow. For myself, I am definitely starting to feel better than I have for some while. I'm not exactly sure why that is but my short list of possible reasons is below.
  • Getting up earlier.
  • Drinking more fluids.
  • Taking two fish oil capsules.
  • Taking zinc and vitamin C tablets.
  • Drinking tomato juice regularly.
  • Recommenced cycle training.
All in all a good day, in the Pistorious trial he has been found not guilty of premeditated murder but the judge has not said whether he is guilty or not guilty of culpable homicide, we would call it manslaughter. Tomorrow should reveal all.

PDF HRV report from Kubios Software available for download here:

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Twitter Updated: September 11, 2014 at 12:09PM Anyone else having problems logging in to @TrainingPeaks? Seemed Ok here a few minutes ago but getting nowhere now :-(

Facebook Updated: September 11, 2014 at 02:06PM Can't see the point of buying V8 vegetable juice when it's double the cost of tomato juice but is about 90% tomato juice. Lidl tomato juice for me :-)

Twitter Updated: September 11, 2014 at 02:03PM @TrainingPeaks Thanks for the reply. Not sure why I'm having a problem, seems OK using FireFox but unable to use Safari at present.

Facebook Updated: September 11, 2014 at 05:11PM Investigating the Kubios HRV software, I last went down this route about four years ago and it still strains my brain.