Dear Santa (AKA Ron)

I requested item b earlier this year or last year, I think it is still on the to do list, not sure.  I often will do a longer ride in the AM into work and a sprint ride home in the evening.  I'm also getting to the point were I'd like to split up my long runs, into work, then home.

Might be best to post this over in the Training logs section.

I am not sure how that easy would be. I know those are NICE features as I get that through training peaks (the log used by my coach for my workouts) and you can upload pretty much any file (polar, power tap, ergomo, SRM, timex, etc) and it is really SWEET!

Also you can add as many sessions a day and keep it separated (i.e 2 runs a day) each with specific goals, stats, etc. BUT they CHARGE you for having a log there

Yes, item b has been mentioned several times and from what I understand is still on the list of things to do. Huge list here.  I'm bumpimg my membership from bronze to gold for my birthday (January), I figure sending more money to BT can help with more resources then "Santa" can send more gifts our way.

We are planning on adding both of those things to the training logs, possibly at the same time. The ability to log multiple workouts of the same type is something that been requested a few times this year. It's definitely one of the most requested enhancements, as is uploading workout data from a HRM/GPS unit.

The thing is that logging multiple workouts in one day is going to require a major rewrite of the training log. It's going to touch on importing and editting training plans, importing race results, all the graphs and reporting, heart rate stuff, and more, changing the database structure that underlies it all and then converting all the currently logged data to the new structure. It's going to be a big job. We think it has to be done though, because so many of you have asked for it.

Uploading data files simply has to happen because so many people use HRM/GPS units that can talk to their computer.

At this point it's a matter of prioritization and scheduling resources. This project could very possibly put all other enhancements on hold until it's done so once it's started we want to make sure that we can follow it through to the end and do it right.

We'll leave this thread here for now to give it a little visibility, we might move it to the Training and Nutrition Logs forum later.

So what are your plans for the off season?

Mike, any concept of when these would be deliverable?  Q4, Q1, Q2?

 Not trying to tie you down, just curious

?!?!?!?!?!

Does not compute!!!! Please explain the use of the variable "off season".

Sounds like marmadaddy is going to be sitting in his programmers hole a lot this off-season while were out enjoying ourselves!

I can't say. Ron, being the boss and all, prioritizes this stuff and I haven't seen anything yet. I'm sure he'll chime in here at some point though.

Hopefully not because I've said something totally incorrect.

Another recently added feature is the "Post Translation" function. For example, if you are confused about a poster's true intent in a post, you can highlight it, press F6 and get the true meaning. To demonstrate, when I highlight "At this point it's a matter of prioritization and scheduling resources" in Marmadaddy's post above, and then press F6, it gives me this:

If you jackholes would play nice in the forums, I'd have time to do some coding.

It's pretty cool, actually.

ho ho ho.

Yes, multiple logging per sport is on the list but requires a pretty big change behind the scenes, hence it has been put off a little bit till the stars align a little more.

And the uploads.  Another frequently requested feature.

I will sticky this post for more requested features and any thing you don't like about the logs/plans.  That will help prioritize and allow us to make sure we give you what you want.

Let me lay down the 'State of BT' for everyone so everybody knows where this ship has been, where it's at and where-in-the-world we are going. I usually don't get personal on this site-or anywhere else, but here it is.

Where BT was:
Not many of you know this, but earlier this year I made the decision to go full-time for BT.  I left behind 7 years of college courses, a Masters degree and 5 year-stint at my dream job as a Polymer Chemist that could have been a lucrative and fulfilling career.  It was the scariest decision of my life.

Why? Well, it was the 8-5 at my real job, going to school or coming home to study then doing BT stuff into the early morning..not to mention weekends.  Work was growing in responsibility and travel time.  Which was good, but not with everything else.  That was a big strain on my wife and two little-ones.  I wanted to keep my family around and have time with them to see them grow up but the only solution was to drop something.  I was at a real breaking point.  This was a decision I never even dreamed I would face when I put up this total newbish website 5 years or so ago.

But everything was a stepping-stone to where BT is today and I don't regret my decision at all as the whole point of this website is using triathlon training to attain your best fitness ever and achieve your goals.  My prior jobs provided the initial funds to start the training log programming years-ago...and the rest is history - just ask Lara and ChrisM.

Where BT is:
But going full-time to BT took out a big junk of change that I used to use to just throw money at my programmer I contract out to.  Plus the rising infrastructure costs (2 servers, soon to be 3).  The log requests and general site requests come in more-and-more plus the support questions.  That's when Mdaddy came on almost a year ago to admin part time and help out in the back.  He has been indispensable and has been getting his feet wet on some smaller programming projects.

BUT BT has a laundry list of programming initiatives to do.  Multiple logging and caloric expenditure is a biggie and has to be done together.  Data uploading from devices will be next and will be Mdaddy's specialty.  Online nutrition coaching and extending the database of foods to log.  Plus a lot of forum and community features too.  We also need to redesign the site to make it a lot more easier to use-plus it's been almost 2 years since the last redesign.

I really need Mdaddy full time in the near future to accomplish the programming goals timely.  I also need a full-time article writer/editor/manage soon too as I spend a big chunk of my time doing article stuff.  A part time race database validator too.  Even a marketer in the future. That's my Christmas list.  We don't have the resources yet for these things, but hopefully in 2007.  Think of all the things we can do and the people we can reach out to and help with a few full-time BT'ers.

The Future
BeginnerTriathlete is not totally about beginner triathletes, the real message is about embracing a lifestyle of health and fitness because the world is becoming increasingly unhealthy and our lives becoming too busy to take care of number one.  This is a community to help you battle your demons be it weightloss, perhaps the doctor tells you to 'get fit or else' or just to make you better triathletes-you're always a beginner! 

I like to think big though: 

• Always more training log features and training plan integration.
• To continue to improve content.
• Lots of features to build more community.

These things require the ability to have at least 2 other BT'ers full time in 2007.  I am but one man and my clones are on back-order for the foreseeable future.

And probably way over-the-top,

• Beginner Triathlete fitness complexes where the people share a common interest.  How many fitness centers do you go to where you hardly talk to or know anyone?  Or even share the same fitness goals (triathlons)?  I don't think many.  That or I'm just antisocial.
• BT/Triathlete housing communities with quick-access to long stretches of safe roads and long running trails complete with an awesome pool complex right at your back-door.  Wow!

The foreseeable future
These next few months will be interesting to see what we can get done as we have some back-tracking to do, but it is the down season and finances are momentarily tight. I look forward to early 2007 and what BT can accomplish.  Let's get these BT'ers working full-time on some projects!

Once Mdaddy can program full-time, think of all the cool toys we will have!

Feel free to add your requested features here or any issues you have with current ones.

Holy Carp that's funny stuff.  Nice one.

I'm disappointed that in Ron's grand scheme he's not looking for a full time joke writer.

Ron, if I ever win the lottery your problems will be solved

The BT/Triathlete housing communities is a cool idea, like the rich and famous neighborhoods here in FL were they have their own airports and such!

Thanks again for all that has been done up to this point in time...

Great suggestions, great plans. You guys have some kind of vision.

Since you asked, after my HIM on 10/29 I'm registered for three half marys and a full, seasoned with assorted 10Ks. Duathon season starts in mid-February.

Along these lines, I'd like to have a classification for types of workouts. Then, have the ability to get staticistics/graphs on those.

For example, you could have run classifications as recovery, easy, hard, intervals, tempo, fartlek, etc. Then I could graph the pace of all of my "easy" runs and judge the progress I've made in those. Pie in the sky would be to have theses classifications user-definable. I would think with a rewrite and database change already in the works, this would be do-able, but what do I know?

Camy, workout types are definitely part of the plan. I'm sure I overestimate the number of hill vs. flat workouts that I do. I need this and a means of reporting on it to keep myself honest.



User-definable hasn't come up before though. Hmm...

Nothing on my Christmas list... Well, maybe more time and some magic ITBS cream.

Just wanted to say I'm about three months into being a BT with two sprints under my belt and can't wait till next year.  I love the site, enjoy the camaraderie, and really appreciate all the hard work that goes it.

Thanks Ron and everyone that contributes to my entertainment, amusement, training, motivation...

Wookie, one of our main priorities is being able to log multiple workouts of one sport  on one day. It's actually going to be a pretty big job, because while on the surface it's just a matter of changing a 'run' or 'swim' to 'bike', under the hood it'll require a major reworking of a lot of things. Kind of like 'hey we need more power from this car. I know! We'll add 2 cylinders to the engine! And get rid of the carburetor and replace it with fuel injection!"

It is going to happen though.  

I'll add to this by saying that functionally, it will be easy.  After trying out a few designs in photoshop, we will probably just have a button under the current 'S, B, R' workouts saying 'Log multiple workouts?', when you hit that it will open up another 'S, B, R' area like the current one with all the equipment and HR stuff to log.

Where it get's difficult (or just time consuming) is incorporting those 'same day' SBR workouts back into everything we have ever done - copy/move/delete, all the reports, charts and graphs, planned training, the training plans, the import, etc.  That will involve a lot of page changes and testing.

A little history as to why our log is the way it is: when we made the first training log with ONLY the SBR logging area, I wanted to eliminate the 'log each activity separately' that a lot of other training logs have...I didn't want a me too type of thing.  I wanted a SINGLE screen that allowed you to log most EVERYTHING.  This eliminates a ton of keystrokes.  If I had the foresight to see that multiple logging of SBR workouts would be cried for (and validly so), I bet we would have developed the first training log as a 'log one activity at a time' training log - it would be programatically a lot easier...but a lot more tedious to log...like most other logs

Our goal as we add more features is to have the ability to log everything on one page, BUT to keep it simple, like the 'Add Enhanced HR data' button.  If you don't use it, fine...you don't have to see all that stuff.  But if you do, one click of the button opens up a whole new area to log extra info.

So it's a challenge when coming up with a solution to this as I don't want to sacrifice our cool logging interface in leiu of 'log one activity at a time' and I don't want to make it more complex.

A lot of features like multiple logging, route-tracking and workout type will have to be carefully be thought out so not to make the interface too busy or complex - we want to preserve our identity by keeping the logging screen all-encompasing yet simple upfront, but with the ability to toggle in other elements for a lot more advanced logging should the user want to.

Wow...I wasn't planning on writing this much.  I guess I'm passionate about it.

Ron,

That sounds like a good plan.  I know when I was a true beginner a lot of this was all so new and potentially confusing so better to keep the interface simpler.

How about having another button to enable the Strength section on or off.  On the days its not used then the Overall Comments section would be closer to the top.  Just a thought.

Oh, btw, is the grey page area fixed in size for a min size monitor?  On my 17" monitor it is only about 60% of the width.  I normally use my monitor in a Portrait mode (rotated 90 deg) so the width size is actually closer to 80% and works fine.  Just curious on this.