Colin and Anne talk about how you can use a running app and still run Chatty.
We all love our running apps. Be it Garmin, Strava, Training Peaks or something different. They record our runs for us so we can see how far we have run and what pace we have run at. We can share our runs and show others what we have done.
It’s all wonderful until the app starts to control you and gets in the way of you being a ‘feeling based’ runner! It’s so easy to let the running app take over and make you run too fast.
How does this happen?
You start to compete with yourself, trying to beat your times for regular runs that you do, especially when Strava segments hook you in to wanting to climb up the leader board!
You analyse all the detail afterwards. Then you think that because you ran more slowly than usual you need to try harder and run faster next time.
Posting runs on Strava puts you under pressure as you don’t want to be seen to be slow!
Before you know it, you are running in that middle ground Colin talked about a couple of weeks ago and you are on that ‘rocky road to nowhere’. Click for more about the middle ground.
What can you do?
Treat your running app as a friend or running buddy.
Remember that improvement doesn’t happen from one run to the next. You can’t force improvement! You will see your running improve over time, perhaps after three weeks and definitely after six weeks.
Ignore the pace on your watch as you run. It isn’t accurate. The GPS averages your pace out over the whole distance. At any point during the run it can vary by about 40 seconds. It’s only the final figures that are likely to be accurate.
Even then, accept that your pace will vary from run to run and be affected by other things. The terrain, the weather, how tired you are, the stresses of life and even how hydrated you are will all pay a part.
Listen to your body and run to feel. If you are tired slow down and don’t worry about your what your running app will say afterwards.
Be proud of posting a Chatty run. Celebrate it with a victory pose and don’t worry about what others will think of your pace or your time.
Use your running app to track your progress over at least six weeks and don’t be in a hurry. Be relaxed and confident and give improvement space to happen.