The first run I tracked in Strava was back on July 8, 2016. “My first run / walk,” I wrote, and I manually entered my distance and time from a couch to 5K app I was using at the time.
I’ve been consistently tracking my runs on Strava mostly because it’s something I don’t have to think about, which is why it probably works so well (my watch syncs with my phone, which syncs with Strava).
Running is hard enough, so why make it harder?
There is something sweet about looking back after 4+ years of running, not to see how much faster I am, or how many more miles I’ve run, but to see how running as become a big part of my life.
The run after the 2016 election.
The run after my mom passed away in 2017.
My last run on a treadmill before everything shut down in 2020 (March 10th).
You can document your running journey with a simple text file on your computer, or an email to yourself every time you go for a run. Attach a photo, how you feel, where you ran, and hit send. When it comes back to your inbox, file it into a running folder. Check it once a week.
It takes years to make progress in running, so don’t get caught up in the numbers. Numbers are for spreadsheets, cold and unforgiving. Track the photos of flowers, or the joy you feel in the sun, what it’s like to run when it’s 23 degrees outside.
When we keep running light, and soft, it’s just easier to stick with it, and running rewards consistency. Stay healthy, keep it fun, and running takes care of itself.