Limitations of "Run the World" | Forums

[K1200GTRED]

I've decided to run my first half marathon in June. At present I have no suitable running shoes to run outside. That's why I started to run the entire New York and London routes 3 to 4 times in succession with a moderate speed of 12 to 14 km/h (7.46 to 8.7 miles/h).

I've already learned that the speed- and high-knees-tests are basically the same and that there seems to be a limitation of the maximum running speed of 20 km/h (12.43 miles/h). But today I've noticed that there seems to be a limitation of the high-knees detection, too. If a particular, fairly high frequency is exceeded, the detection misses single knee lifts and I eventually get no points for it.

For the evaluation of my progress, the point and timing results are much more important to me than the calorie count.

Can someone confirm my observation?

[Motorheadcase]

I could never run that quick tbh! What I find happens though is sometimes the tracking just cuts out completely and it says you're running at 0 mi/h or something daft like 0.6 mi/h. Nothing has changed in my room layout so I don't know why this has started happening. I've recalibrated the Kinect a couple of times too but still it happens. Very annoying at times.

[AuntieParticle]

I've gotten into the habit of doing a few runs before the rest of my workout as well. And I agree with the anomalies that K1200GTRED has pointed out. During the speed test I have never gotten a speed higher than 20 km/h (12.43 MPH) and on the high knees test the highest I have ever gotten was 48 knees up, and usually it's lower that that because of skipping counts. Another odd thing I've noticed is that the trainer often says "good to see you back" or something similar but this does not seem to effect running speed, time, points or calorie count - it's just a bit disconcerting to hear :-)

[K1200GTRED]

Thank you both for your comments.

@AgentArklow: Never say never. Believe in yourself. If you exercise regularly and persistently, you will succeed. That's for sure. About half a year ago I would not have believed that I would be as fit as I am now.

The problem described by you can have several causes, eg bright sunlight coming from the side. You should also check the tracking adjustment, particularly the anchor points that represent your ankles. Under certain conditions you can improve the detection by wearing white socks. The distance between you and the camera should be between 2 to 3 meters (6.5 to 10 feet). Have you ever tried a different position for your camera?

Running in place in YSFE is a good exercise to improve the overall running style, because when running on the spot everyone tends to land more on the forefoot than on the heel. Unfortunately, the excellent damping characteristics of modern running shoes mislead many runners to land on the heels when running - just like one does when walking. But running on the forefoot is much better. It will increase everything - speed, efficiency, balance and stability. And it reduces injury and impacts to joints and muscles and gives you greater propulsion.

For example, watch these videos on Youtube to get an impression of a good running style or how to improve your running style:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3Nt4WgQed8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irVJawIeADs

And last but not least - watch how Tirunesh Dibaba did her 10K world record with a perfect running style here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd1Qv...eature=related

For running on the forefoot slightly different muscles must be trained. Jumping rope will help your feet and calf muscles to strengthen. With cycling or High-Knees-Run you strengthen the quadriceps muscle group in front of the thigh, which - as the name suggests - consists of four muscles.

An excellent exercise for the quadriceps is, if you lie on your back and run large circular motions with your legs like riding a bicycle. If you are lifting the shoulders while supporting the neck with your hands, you train your abdominal muscles in addition. With weights on your ankles you amplify the effect.

[PAFC]

Interesting points raised.

I've definitely had the odd "knee-up" fail to register but always figured I was just getting tired and a knee hadn't come up high enough for the Kinect's liking.

For the count though, I usually do ok with it and tend to average between 55 and 70, depending on the duration of the challenge or how tired I am by then.

The room I use doesn't have any sunlight (purpose built media room) so maybe that helps?

[Patti139]

I would love to know how you achieve that kind of speed. The best I can do is 11 and I cannot even begin to maintain that kind of speed the whole duration. When I am doing the entire NY or London I find myself averaging 8 or 9. Haha. As for the speed challenges, I don't know what I am doing wrong, but 95% of the time I fail it. The knee up is not a problem for me. I read what you said about the speed being nearly the same as the knee up, so I tried doing the knee up for the speed to no avail.

I will add, though I have no clue if it plays a part, my room has a TON of natural light. Even closing the blinds there is still a TON of natural light.

[K1200GTRED]

@Patti139: As far as I know, you just started training again. Have patience. Your legs need some time to get used to a long-term stress. That takes months. But I think, it's really great that you already manage the whole distances. In order to judge your speed results and to give you some advice, I would have to know whether it is km/h or mph.

The lighting conditions have a serious influence on the Kinect detection. And the running exercises are particularly very sensitive. That's why I prefer to run in the early morning and evening hours with a little artificial light from above. In addition, the air from outside is pleasantly cool in most of these times. Bright light should always be obscured by blinds, even if it is diffuse. If the ambient light is very bright, white socks and - in other exercises - white gloves have proven to improve the detection.

My camera is positioned at about mid-body. But I do not know if this has an influence. You can also check the tracking settings. Are the anchor points for your ankles displayed properly and are your legs clearly visible against the background?

[AuntieParticle]

Adding my 2¢ I have found that running position can affect your speed. That is, if I drift to the left or right while running in place my speed, as seen by the game, is affected. Be sure that the arrow in front of you on the screen is in the very center of the running track. For me this means I must position myself slightly to the left of my TV screen.

[Patti139]

I cannot do much about my lighting. It is what it is. I have noticed that sometimes my ankles seem to be missing though so will check the position of the Kinect. Thank you both NanoParticle & K1200GTRED for your input. I will check my display this afternoon when I work out and try your suggestions.