With the end of 2015 approaching you might be like me and like to look back on the past year’s exercise activity stats for a couple reasons. One, you can give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done, and secondly you can use the stats to plan for the next year –set a goal to beat a PR, figure out how to work more diverse activities into your routine, compare your health measurements now based on your routine history, or just plan to do better overall.
For me, running is my primary activity, so I like to dig into several specific stats that help me set goals. Total mileage is a good one for me. Additionally, I like to see my average pace and my potential pace. And, as I’m getting older, I can see where I may have to alter things due to wear and tear on my body.
My goals for next year:
- Run 5 miles in 30 minutes or less
- Run every day of the year (I missed 2 days this year – one due to the flu, and one was due to a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad travel day)
- Run 50 miles through the Las Vegas desert for my 50th birthday
Care to share your fitness goals for next year? Hit me up in the comments or on Twitter (@rodtrent).
I started tracking with the Microsoft Band in March of this year. Admittedly, I was a Band holdout. It wasn’t until Microsoft started adding new features through firmware updates to Band v1 that I couldn’t wait any longer and made the acquisition. Since then, and now with Band v2, I’m sold on its value. It’s not the prettiest wearable in the bunch, but its highly accurate, full featured, and each new firmware update shows there’s unlimited potential. I’m a health nut and, as such, will gladly trade fashion for function every time.
So, since I only have data in the Microsoft Health dashboard from March to now, I’m 3 months’ shy of data to make a full year examination. My solution was to import my data from my old system (Runtastic) to MapMyFitness (which integrates with Microsoft Health). Through a series of difficult steps using questionable tools, I was finally able to do it. So, for me, with one mouse click, I can show total mileage for the year.
The MapMyFitness integration has been an awesome addition to my Microsoft Band usage. I did the research early on and chose MapMyFitness as the service with the features I needed.
Fortunately, for those that are using Microsoft Health explicitly, you also have options. Built directly into the Microsoft Health Dashboard, you can export your store data using a number of different criteria. Asking around, I’ve found that this feature is one of the most overlooked, primarily because its hidden in plain sight.
To get to the data export screen:
- Tap or click on your profile picture at the top right of the dashboard and choose Export Your Data.
- On the Export Your Data screen you’ll see options in three areas: Time rage, Data type, and File format.
- When you select your data preferences and tap or click the Export button, processing is pretty quick and the file is automatically downloaded to your computer.
The data can be exported in either .csv or Excel formats. Most of the online activity services can import a .csv file. The Excel file is good for your personal use, particularly if you’re good at building your own Excel functions. Now, you can sift through the past year’s accomplishments like a boss.
P.S. Some of the Excel table's header titles can be a bit confusing. There's a full description of each one available HERE.
