Many people find that staying motivated to run can be a challenge. Most of the time life gets in the way and when it does, staying motivated can be a challenge. Therefore, we often need other ways to keep ourselves accountable, especially when it comes to running. We all know that running is difficult. Sometimes, we have really bad days and the last thing we want to do is get outside and run. There are definitely days when even the thought of running or exercising makes us feel tired. Those are the exact kind of days when we should get out there. So, how does technology have the ability to inspire us to get moving?

Let me tell you a story…

One day, I was just finishing work and it was very hot outside. I’d had a busy day and I didn’t sleep too well the night before. I quickly checked my Facebook as I was about to get in my car and I saw that a friend of mine uploaded a run to Strava and shared it on her Facebook. As I kept scrolling for the next few minutes, a person who used to be in my run clinic shared his MapMyRun stats. Other friends took screenshots of their running data and shared it on Instagram. I noticed quite a few people posting their data from running apps on Facebook and other social media platforms that day. Shortly thereafter, I decided that I absolutely had to go for a run. I wanted to see if I could run at the same pace as them or maybe even go longer.

As a running coach, I am expected to motivate other people to run. Although people have told me I do a good job of that, a lot of times it is my clients and friends who motivate me to keep my own training up because they upload it to social media. I love this because I get to see their results. I get to watch them get faster over time, I see their heart rate data, their routes, elevation profiles, pace and distance. This is exactly what makes fitness and running technology such a useful tool for me. I can look at a client’s data and I can tell what needs to be done next. If clients are uploading their data, I can also see if my programs are working or if I need to tweak anything.

Technology also allows us to connect with other people who share our passions. In my case, that passion happens to be running. I follow a lot of runners on social media and they always inspire me to keep training. Additionally, I can analyze my own data and see what I did for training last year and the year before. I can look at the data leading up to key races on my Garmin, connect, and see the exact result that I achieved based on the training which was recorded. If I come across an awesome route where the traffic is minimal and the views are stunning, I can let others know about it, post pictures and share the route map. Hopefully, the views alone and the fresh air will inspire other cubicle dwellers to start their own running journey.

Technology allows us to track, analyze and compile data. This is useful for any measurable fitness goal, especially running. I love being able to see and measure results. I look forward to sharing some of my favorite running technology in one of my future posts here.

Happy Running!

Yana aka The Cubicle Dweller