Strava’s partnership with the Runna App aims to offer coaching for runners, but IOL Tech and sport writer Michael Sherman argues that true improvement comes from consistent training and listening to your body, rather than relying on digital tools. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL
Image: Michael Sherman/IOL
I’m probably showing my age here, but I can still vividly remember writing down the details of my runs on a piece of paper in a file, with details like how I felt during and after, and of course the distance, time, and intensity.
I would also pop along to my local mall and buy a new digital wristwatch every year, all of them having a stopwatch feature. And that was about the only feature of these cheap Casios I used for the majority of my running between 1998 and 2015.
Since then, though, I made the switch to a smart watch with GPS tracking, which opened up a new world of digital statistics and indexing for training and racing.
Though I reached my running peak in 2017 and 2018, the use of digital luxuries like a smart watch and running apps like Strava were quite inconsequential.
I firmly believe that a smart watch and a fitness app can’t actually make you a better runner; putting in the work is the only thing that will achieve that goal.
That’s why Strava starts punting its new partner app, Runna, specifically aimed at providing coaching for runners - I think it’s a cheap attempt at a crash grab. I keep seeing these suggestions in Strava that I sign up for Runna, which I actually thought was released by Strava itself.
It turns out, the apps simply partnered in April, and Strava keeps getting on my nerves asking me to sign up for Runna.
Running is not complicated, unless you’re trying to beat Gerda Steyn. For the rest of us, it’s simply about how often and how much you train. Rest is also a key part of getting fitter.
Another core principle is listening to your body; it is vital when you’re trying to break new thresholds.
So my advice is to ignore all the noise and persistent punting of new running apps, just keep lacing up those takkies and keep showing up every day, and you will have already done the hard part.
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.
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