Short run today because I don’t want to make my hip way worse- featuring pretty views and how see through my shirt was after sweating and being able to read my whole sports bra lol. Running in muscle tanks and short shorts szn babyyyyy
Then I download the results from Garmin to Strava and I add a comment.
Then I write about the same run on Daily Mile. You never know, the world could actually end if not informed about my intervals.
Then I update my workout file so that my coach can see it.
Then I reply to comments on Daily Mile.
I honestly think running can be exhausting.
(That’s me trying to look graciously exhausted #smilebetter #failbetter)
Once it was much more easier, I just ran. I had no idea about other people who run and I had no idea what fast and slow could mean and it felt good. Now I think that not being aware of what people can think of you and not comparing yourself to others is the biggest bliss in life.
It’s hard to be so blissful these days. Let me come clean about my relationship with social media. I make post-run selfies after my long runs. Honestly I would make more of them if only I knew how to make a good one. Still, a post long run selfie is a reminder of my journey to a specific race, I like to go back to those photos to see how it went.
I’m on Daily Mile because people I met there motivate me and are always there to cheer me up and give good advice. It’s a great community.
I’m on Strava because I started downloading my workouts there when Garmin Connect had some technical issues and from now on I continue doing it.
Plus I have a blog and I read 2 or 3 different magazines about running and other blogs about running.
Yes, running is what I love but once in while I have a feeling like running is such a small fraction of this passion. I feel good about sharing my runs on social media dedicated to sports because that’s what they are for.
Most of my friends are doing sports so I don’t even get angry any more about different status updates on FB stating
- I went for a run (details about pace and distance, like I care about your intervals)
- I went for a run and I suffered oh how I suffered (we all do, if it was easy it would be called jogging)
- I went for a run and I got injured, here’s the photo (oh, so you’re one of those people who in case of fire take a photo and put it on Instagram. I’ll make sure to never take an elevator with you)
(The after run selfie: show them that you’ve heard about protein recovery shake)
In the past few years running/cycling/you choose became such a social activity that even if you’re doing it on your own you still have million possibilities to share it with others. Most of the apps will let you post your run on social media while you’re running and let people cheer you on your run (I think I would have a heart failure if some siri-like voice read to me ‘gogogo’ comments).
(After run mess. No, I don’t arrange it for photos and I don’t clean it afterwards #likeaboss)
If you’re struggling to find motivation I guess this side of social media can help you to go on but personally I feel (still) safe with ‘less sharing is more’ approach.
Still, I’m not one of the most anonymous runners and sometimes I cringe when I think how many times I’ll report about my run. Do I care? I care about what coach says but deep down I know a bit better what that pace that day meant. I care about my DM community as they have more objective view of what I do but they won’t mind me going slower as long as I’m injury free and happy.
(That’s my running shoe. #becauseblue)
Then I think about my friends who are super talented athletes and...they almost never share. No pace or distance. No photos of blisters, scratches. No #nopainnogain #justdoit #failbetter #runfast #pusharder (ok,I’ll stop that’s just another Daft Punk song).
They just post a breathtaking view of the mountain they climbed or the lake seen on the bike ride. They write about how much fun it was to run, climb or bike and their joy is almost child-like or similar to someone running for the first time. Then you discover they ran 100 and something km in the mountains and you realize they were just too busy having fun and living. I want to be like that when I grow up.
