LOLZLetter 327 | Running for You...Or For Strava?

Welcome,

It starts out innocently enough. You download Strava to track your training. Maybe you’re preparing for a race or just curious about your pace. Then the notifications roll in: kudos, comments, PR badges. It feels good. Like a little hit of validation every time your shoes hit the ground. Hey, I am no different and Strava is one of my favorite social media apps.

But somewhere along the way, the run stops being for you.

Strava is an amazing tool. It can keep you accountable, help you remember your route from six weeks ago, and connect you to a huge community of athletes. I've gone back on various routes But it also has a dark side that rarely gets talked about: how it turns everyday movement into content. And how that shift, even when subtle, can change your relationship with running.

“What Will This Look Like on Strava?”

Have you ever been mid-run and thought, Should I push the pace a bit so this doesn’t look like a slog? Or decided against a recovery jog because you didn’t want your followers to think you were “losing fitness”? Or worse, skipped a rest day entirely to keep a streak going or avoid the dreaded “zero week”? Or even changed your route to be more aesthetic?

That’s the Strava trap.

When we treat running like a performance rather than a practice, we’re not listening to our bodies...we’re curating content. And even if you don’t post every run publicly, there’s still a quiet pressure that builds when you know people are watching. Strava might not be a stage, but it can sure start to feel like one.

When the Easy Runs Get Hard

One of the clearest signs you’ve fallen into the Strava trap is when your easy days start to disappear. The point of an easy run is to recover, rebuild, and stay consistent without taxing your body. On Friday, I ran just under 9 miles around 10 minute pace. I ran some, walked some, and honestly didn't think much more about it. Easy runs are there for a reason.

But when “easy” gets mistaken for “slow” and slow becomes something to be ashamed of, those runs start getting faster. Maybe just 10 seconds per mile, then 20. Before you know it, every run is a tempo effort masquerading as maintenance.

Not only does this destroy the purpose of zone 2 work, but it chips away at your aerobic base. It’s those relaxed, comfortable miles that builds long-term endurance. But you can’t build anything when your ego is in charge of your watch. My very first serious running injury (a tibia stress fracture) came because I didn't do an easy runs.

The Fear of Rest

Rest days are essential. They allow your muscles, tendons, and nervous system to recover. They reduce your risk of injury. And maybe most importantly, they help protect your motivation over time. But Strava doesn’t give you a badge for taking a day off. In fact, usually on days you don't work out your fitness score goes down". STRAVA no. You don’t get kudos for sleeping in, walking your dog, or skipping the run to recover from a hard workout.

So some of us keep going. We log junk miles. We double just to fill the space. We confuse movement with progress.

But running every day doesn’t mean you’re improving. Sometimes it just means you’re wearing yourself down in public.

Burnout, But Make It Social

Burnout isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s quiet and sneaky. You start skipping warmups. You dread lacing up. You feel a little pang of guilt for not hitting a segment you used to own. And then you scroll Strava and see someone else crushing workouts, running double your mileage, and PR-ing at every distance.

It’s easy to forget that Strava is a highlight reel, not a training log. You don’t see the full context: the missed runs, the injuries, the emotional exhaustion. And even if you know that intellectually, your brain still compares.

That’s when the joy leaks out of running. And once it’s gone, it’s hard to get back.

So, What Can You Do?

First, check in with your own habits. Are you running for yourself, or are you running to be seen? Do you feel anxious if a run isn’t “Strava-worthy”? Do you worry about how a pace might look to someone else?

It’s okay if the answer is yes. Awareness is the first step.

Some runners go private on Strava. Others stop uploading certain runs altogether...especially the slow ones, the walks, or the rest days. Some even take full breaks from the platform. None of these are moral victories. They’re boundaries. And boundaries keep us healthy.

If you want to keep using Strava, try shifting your mindset: Use it as a log, not a leaderboard. Celebrate the full spectrum of your training...the slow runs, the cutback weeks, the pauses. Cheer for others without comparing. And remember that the best athletes aren’t the ones performing every day. They’re the ones recovering, adapting, and showing up long after the hype dies down.

Running is a Practice, Not a Performance

Practice isn’t about showing off. It’s about showing up. For yourself. For your goals. For your long-term health. Some days that might look like a hard workout with fast splits. Other days it’s a 13:00-minute mile with walk breaks. Some weeks you’re firing on all cylinders. Others, you just need rest.

All of it counts.

So if you’ve found yourself caught in the Strava trap, you’re not alone. You’re also not stuck. Running doesn’t have to be performative. It can still be yours.

You just have to give yourself permission to step out of the spotlight and into the practice.

The Comparison Spiral

Comparison is the thief of joy, but it’s also built into the fabric of social fitness platforms like Strava. You log in to check your run and within seconds you’re flooded with other people’s workouts: someone ran a faster tempo, someone else went longer, someone did double the vert in half the time. Even if you’re proud of your own effort, it starts to feel…less.

Maybe they’re training for a different race. Maybe they’re at a different point in their running journey. Or maybe they’re just more rested that day. (or maybe they are just a professional runner LOL). But that nuance disappears when you’re staring at someone else’s perfect splits and wondering why you’re not doing more.

It becomes easy to shift your goals based on what other people are doing. Suddenly your easy week doesn’t feel “earned.” Your slow long run feels like a failure. Even your wins get asterisks because someone else did it better, faster, or further.

But here’s the truth: none of that matters.

Your training should serve you. Not the algorithm. Not your followers. And not your ego. When we constantly compare, we lose sight of the progress we’re making...because we’re too busy measuring someone else’s.

As always, I appreciate your comments and thoughts.

What's Keeping Me Entertained?

Salomon S/Lab Ultra Dust Shoe Review

Bolder Boulder 10k (44:36)

Suunto Run Watch Review: I think this may be the best value running watch out right now.

Why Would Someone Fake Their Run? This is so interesting. I first heard about Strava mules a year or two ago, but to have a whole website to do so is wild.

I was interviewed for the Lane 9 Project. It's a great newsletter and I always appreciate the articles/interviews they put out, so I encourage you to subscribe if you are interested.

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