As someone in IT, someone who spends a lot of time thinking about systems and optimizations and data, it's easy to fall into this trap of constantly looking at your running data and trying to optimize every single angle. I get paid to pour over data and find ways to make things better, more streamlined, more efficient. It's a natural inclination to want to do the same with running.
By definition running is an activity that can be measured in a million different ways, and especially when you have a Garmin or similar watch, you have access to a ton of data points that ultimately can help you become a better runner.
But is becoming a better runner really the goal here?
I don't remember exactly, but I think I started running in my late teens, early twenties. Back then I didn't have a watch to keep track of my pace, distance, heart rate and recovery. All I did was lace on my shoes and just go for a run. I don't even remember why I started in the first place, I just know that it was something I enjoyed doing from time to time.
Looking back on it now, I think I started running because I wanted to clear my head from school and later my first real job. It was, and will always be, a way for me to be alone with my own thoughts, to disconnect from the never ending stream of information, to just be in the moment with myself. I had no idea what I was doing, I had no plan or goal, I didn't care much about my pace. I cared about being outside, moving, feeling like I was ahead of everyone else who stayed inside.
Over the years I started to take running more seriously, mostly because of the advent of running watches and apps that made tracking my runs easier. I started to care about my pace, distance, heart rate zones, vo2max, recovery times and all that. I started to set goals for myself, I started to compare myself to others, I started to get competitive with myself. Every run had to have a purpose, every run had to mean something, every run had to be better than the last one.
I lost sight of why I started running in the first place and once again technology had taken over an activity that was supposed to be simple and enjoyable and for me.
My only goal for 2026 is to somehow get back to that original mindset. Just running, doesn't matter how far, how fast, or how high my heart rate was compared to last time. Running for the sake of running, no distractions, no data. Remembering that, if I just lace up my shoes and go outside, I've won already. Any run counts.
I don't exactly know how I'll get there though. Maybe the answer is to leave my Garmin watch at home for most runs, but maybe I should just ignore all of the data it shows. Another good option would be to completely disable the Daily Suggested Workouts feature, because it's tempting to follow the recommendations and shame you into doing worse than that.