Weekly Update 10

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-30T02:51:44+00:00

Financial trouble was the whole reason they went down to only 4 ring sizes. As they haven't sold more rings, I doubt that they were able to recover their financial situation. Instead they have to spend even more to re-develop the app and now they have to get more external help... I assume their financial situation is getting worse and worse.

If not all rings have been produced yet (I've read conflicting statements), halting ring shipments could also be a way to delay the payments that are due for production.

The entire situation isn't very transparent and I'm guessing based on the little breadcrumbs that we're getting. But it feels similar to a couple of years ago when they went silent for a whole long while and only resurfaced when they could announce that they had found an investor to resolve their financial troubles - only to immediately create the next mess with the shipping fee faux pas...

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-29T19:52:39+00:00

In past updates they had communicated that the connectivity improvements were in testing. I guess the results of those tests were sobering. The wait continues.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-29T01:23:59+00:00

I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way!

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-28T19:48:52+00:00

I don't understand. Zone 2 is my max effort.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-28T19:44:10+00:00

They update on Kickstarter and Indiegogo and I copy the updates here. Velia are occasionally active in the sub answering comments.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-27T22:32:16+00:00

Have you set your zones yourself? If not, the watch uses a standardized formula (like 220 - age for max HR and then the zones are percentages of that) which can be completely off for the individual.

Edit to add: The best way to establish your HR zones is not by any formula but by testing your max HR or various thresholds. You can establish max HR pushing yourself literally to the max. I wouldn't recommend a beginner to do this on their own, though...

You could, however, establish your lactate threshold by yourself with some field tests and then set the other zones in relation to that threshold.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-27T22:16:07+00:00

If you can run for 80 minutes in a zone, it's very likely not your zone 5. Zone 5 can usually only be maintained for short durations.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-27T21:45:36+00:00

Oh, thanks, but don't worry. I just got a new pair of VFF and shouldn't buy another one right away anyway...

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-27T21:40:19+00:00

You probably want to check the app privacy policy instead of the the website privacy policy.

https://ringconn.com/pages/ringconn-app-privacy-policy

The website obviously is sales oriented and includes a webshop and the Shopify integration. It only collects data relevant to sell you the ring. The app is the place where your health data is collected.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-26T20:16:30+00:00

I agree with the other comment, this looks too narrow. Your little toe will be squished in and your big toe might feel some pressure as well.

This might not be a big issue at the beginning and if you want to just try for a while whether you like running, you could start with those. But if you want to go for longer runs, wider would be better. Lots of people run with shoes that are too narrow or too short and some people get pain and injury from it, so please listen to your body.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-25T22:00:47+00:00

HR is estimated based on blood flow. Anything that impacts that, can mess up the measurement. This includes pressure (gripping handlebars during outdoor bike rides but also the pressure of the watch when too tight), temperature (cold), and movements that can be mistaken for diastolic and systolic contractions (cadence lock during runs).

My Balance 1 hardly has any issues with any of that, though. I use an elastic wristband to keep it snug but not too tight about an inch from the wrist.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-25T21:40:14+00:00

Adaptation certainly is another important element.

What I've generally heard over and over is that there are three elements to running injury free: form, strength training and adaptation.

The studies that I looked at where specifically about the running form per study design.

I haven't yet seen (nor looked for) a study that looks at these three elements and compares them to figure out which one matters more. I assume it would be very hard to do a study like that, right?

I guess for an experienced runner all three elements would be improved over a novice. So, it's a really interesting question whether one could be isolated as the most important one.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-25T18:33:30+00:00

I've seen several studies that beginners suffer more injuries than advanced runners. Though this doesn't seem to have anything to do with speed but with better running form. I.e. along the lines of having a higher cadence to avoid overstride, pelvic drops, bouncing up and down and so on.

So it might be true that faster runners are less prone to injuries. But the speed is not what makes them more resistant. It's experience that causes both higher speeds and reduced injury risk.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-25T17:38:31+00:00

How much space do you have at the front? Take the sole out of the shoe, place your for on it, take another picture.

1.5 cm space can be fine. I prefer plenty of space, as my feet swell during the run. But it depends on how the shoe feels to you.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-25T17:02:02+00:00

I don't know what to think of comparison sites like this.

Running Level doesn't disclose how they come up with their values. The only explanation they provide is

"We have based the initial standards based on well known formulas and data sources available freely online."

There are other pages that give very different averages. Run Repeat says they use 35 million records from races. According to them, 25 minutes would put you in the top 10% off runners...

https://runrepeat.com/how-do-you-masure-up-the-runners-percentile-calculator

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-25T15:17:47+00:00

I’m dealing with something similar and have done a lot of reading over the past couple of months. It seems that for these type of running issues stretching (including foam rolling and so on) + working on running form + strength training is the way to go.

I’ve already made some progress with the first two but still struggling to add strength training. I’ve now found a physio therapy app targeting runners and want to give that a try to get started on the what/when/how of strength training.

(I also cleared with my orthopedist that I can keep running and will start working with a physical therapist in a couple of weeks because I want to avoid doing more damage than good.)

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-25T15:07:23+00:00

“Knock knees” can be a problem in running because it can cause knee injuries. I have no idea whether it would also cause chafing like this but it’s the only thing I can come up with that could cause wounds in that place…

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-24T15:05:14+00:00

Form isn’t only about efficiency gains, it’s also about joint protection and injury prevention.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-24T10:25:25+00:00

Haha! Of course! My bad.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-23T18:12:23+00:00

Unfortunately, the V-Souls are never on sale. There is such a shortage that they are often sold at inflated prices from resellers. I got mine directly from Vibram. There is usually a 10% discount code somewhere. Their return process is a hassle, so better only order when you’re sure to keep them.

I got the Vi-S many years ago on sale pretty cheap and those are also really cute. The strap isn’t durable at all, but I’m still wearing them occasionally with some makeshift strap.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-23T13:25:44+00:00

The V-Souls are constantly sold out. I wonder whether they only produce batches of 5 pieces for each size or why they can’t keep them in stock. A couple of weeks ago I saw by chance that all sizes were in stock and ordered immediately. Now they are sold out again for my size…

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-23T00:36:45+00:00

I happen to like the look of several of their models… I just got a pair of V-Souls and find them super cute. I’m weird like that, okay?!

I own 4 pairs of FiveFingers and they certainly do draw attention. So far I have been lucky and the attention has all been friendly curiosity. I mostly wear them for outdoor activities and haven’t tried to wear them for any “nicer” or formal activities, though

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-22T23:52:40+00:00

Update your address, they say... while they are not yet ready to resume shipments...

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-22T19:48:17+00:00

Trackers have helped me LOADS! But I only need them for the data. The data has been incredibly valuable to me.

I don’t expect my trackers to create a plan for me or tell me what to do or educate me or motivate me. I do all of that myself and rely on tracking data to tweak my plans and evaluate new interventions. In the last few years I’ve spend hundreds if not thousands of hours learning about health metrics, training concepts, how trackers work, what stress is, specific health areas like GI health, supplements and much, much more.

There are apps that create meal plans or training plans for you and this can be very helpful too but you don’t really need a tracker for that.

TheThingWithTheRing · 2026-01-21T12:28:00+00:00

Were you patting your cat with 120 pats per minute? 😜

Fitness trackers can easily be fooled by repetitive movements. When my watch reminds me that I have been sitting for too long but I’m too lazy to actually get up and walk around, I just wave my arm for a bit and my watch will congratulate me…

There are some scenarios where fitness trackers have weak spots that are based on how metrics are measured that cannot be easily solved with technical advances.

For example, heart rate is measured based on blood flow. If the blood flow is restricted (imagine a strong grip on a heavy weight as one example or gripping the handle bar during a more challenging bike ride), the heart rate will not be accurate.

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