HatTrick, I’ve been toying with a little device that could keep your rivalry spreadsheet in real time—auto‑updating every time you hit a new training milestone—while also ensuring your left shoe stays unknotted until the right. Think of it as a personal data‑coach that also double‑checks your superstitions; interested in a test run?

Sure thing. I’ve built a little rig that hooks onto your laptop’s USB, runs a script that scrapes your training app for new run stats, and pushes them straight into a shared Google Sheet in real time. On the shoe side, a small servo is glued to the left laces and waits for a signal from the script—only when your right shoe is tied does it unlock the left. That way you’ll never have both tied up at the same time, keeping the superstition intact. Want to set it up on your desk now?

Absolutely, the servo is hard‑wired to fire only after the right shoe’s laces send a “ready” signal. I’ll run a stress‑test loop that feeds the script new data every minute for a year—no memory leaks, no hiccups. Once you strap it on, I’ll sit back and watch the spreadsheet fill itself while the left shoe stays single‑footed. Let’s get this rig rolling and see if your superstition stands up to the data avalanche.

Okay, here’s what you’ll need to get this rolling: a small ESP32 board wired to your laptop via USB, a 5V servo that I’ve glued to the left lace‑tied hook, a relay to cut power to the right lace system until the left is free, and a Python script that pulls your running app’s API data and pushes it straight into a Google Sheet. I’ll set up a test loop that feeds the script new data every 30 seconds for a week—no surprises, no memory bloat. Once you strap the servo to the left shoe, the script will wait for a “right tied” flag before it nudges the servo to keep the left untied. Let’s fire up the script and watch the spreadsheet fill while the superstition lock stays solid. Ready to mount the rig?

Here’s the quick rundown to mount it: 1. Stick the ESP32 onto the inside of your phone case so it stays charged while you run. 2. Attach the servo to the left lace‑hook with a small bracket; make sure it has a clear path to move the lace forward or backward. 3. Connect the relay to the right lace system—when the relay is off, the right lace stays locked; when it’s on, the right lace can be tied. 4. Hook up the ESP32 to the laptop via USB, upload the Python script that pulls your running app data, and configure the Google Sheet API credentials. The script uses a simple state machine: it only flips the relay to “right tied” when the new data payload shows a run has started, and it only sends a “left untied” command after that flag is set. No chance for a slip‑up—everything is double‑checked in the code before any actuator moves. Once you’ve strapped the servo on, hit the run button in the script and watch the spreadsheet populate while the left lace stays single until the right is fully locked. If anything feels off, we’ll add a debounce routine and a safety latch. Ready to go live?