Trail running Green Mountain outside of Denver, Colorado. February 13, 2015.
I was dragging my butt up the mountain one day and thought, “I wonder how far I’ve gone today.” I had only been out 25 minutes so I knew it wasn’t that far. Nonetheless I was curious for a number.
Then I thought, “I wonder how fast, or more accurately, how slow I’m going.” I was sweating like crazy and huffing and puffing, so I was thinking I was probably going Superman-fast.
I realized that I needed to collect some data during my excursions.
Later at home, I found an app that promised to track my location on a map, create routes, and save stats while I ran these routes. I learned I could do the same routes repeatedly and compare my pace from run to run. That’s a certifiable progress report! It’s like a mini challenge every time I go out. Fun!
Sure, I don’t need something like this to know whether or not I’m improving. Seeing a smaller number on the scale, feeling less “fat bounce” when I run, and not breathing as hard from run to run are obvious signs I’m becoming healthier.
But stats are numbers. They are tangible and unwavering – always there for better or worse. They can be plotted, charted, and graphed. They can be turned into visual representations that, at a glance, can be ingested, understood, and utilized. Data is power. Every coach and athlete knows that data puts an athlete’s performance into perspective. Now I know this too.
I had renewed excitement going out for my next trail run knowing the app was tracking my every move, both horizontally and vertically.
My first tracked run was 3.98 miles with a 782 elevation gain. It took me 1:19 to complete my run. I’ll save you from math – that was a 19:51 pace. Not exactly Superman-fast but that’s OK because now I had a number. I was happy. The app even displayed a cross section of the elevation gain in relation to my pace – a definite correlation there. Fascinating but maybe that’s just me being a geek (and/or naive).
I wondered what the next day’s stats would like look compared to the first day’s stats. There went those butterflies. “I can do better the next day,” I told myself, “I can quicken my pace.”
Now I had two goals that were easy to track with a little technology.
The original, soon-to-be-expired goal of making sure I lose enough weight to fit into The Dress (did I mention I nailed that one?); and the new goal of trying to better myself in this new-to-me sport. I enjoy a good challenge and traditionally have been driven to achieve the best possible results. So what better challenge than to improve my physical health? Succeed or fail, I win.
Activity-tracking apps help me discover goals that I previously never knew existed.
When I first started tracking my runs, all I cared about was improving my pace. Fast forward 14 months and now all I care about is improving my heart health – I want my heart rate to be lower during each subsequent run. If I didn’t notice that these apps could connect to a HRM, I may never have found that goal.
Activity-tracking apps motivate me to collect more data (i.e. go for a trail run) so I can analyze the new data and see if my stats are improving.
Since that first tracked run I have religiously used some form of an activity-tracking app. These apps have become an essential part of all of my activities, like a good pair of running shoes or a forgiving snowboard.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t always improve. Some weeks it’s two steps forward and three steps back but that’s OK. The short term gains are motivating but it’s the long term gains that matter most.
And when I start making excuses to justify skipping a trail run, I think about my stats. “If I don’t go out today,” I tell myself, “I won’t have any new data to look at tonight. Pfft.” So I go out. I’m a slave like that. But 14 months after my first tracked trail run, I’m still having a blast collecting data.
