So I recently removed myself from most social media. Well, Facebook and Instagram. I haven’t missed them at all. I can still see Juiskie’s Insta and every now and again she’ll show me something on Facebook from the family, but otherwise those platforms are just a sink hole.
But what I have done is opened up my MapMyRun profile and workouts to the “Community”. MapMyRun recently rolled out a feature called, well, “Community”, that is similar to the Facebook feed, but it’s not just your friends, it’s anyone in the world who chooses to post their workout. It’s actually kind of cool to see photos and running routes from around the globe. I’m not sure why I have opted in, as I’m by nature an intensely private person, but this niche seems so activity-focused rather than the firehose of political and cultural outrage you get on Facebook, or the curated perfect lives you get on Instagram. With my workouts, you can see if I felt shitty or ran hard, maybe a photo of me or the route, and that’s about it. I’m a little nervous about giving up my location at any given time, but it’s probably not any big secret. I’m either going to be on the Coal Creek Trail in the mornings or some other trail in the evening.
Anyway, on my run last night I felt better than I have in a long time, the sun was setting over the Flatirons, and I cruised a negative split tempo five-miler. I started and finished at Harper Lake, and near the beginning of my run I stopped to snap a photo of the lake, the Flatirons, and the sunset. The view was actually more beautiful at the end of the run, but by that time I was pushing to a strong finish and didn’t want to stop. My splits ended up being 7:43, 7:21, 7:18, 6:55, 6:53, but the best part was the scenery. Normally Davidson Mesa and Harper Lake are windy as heck, and crowded, but this evening was very calm and uncrowded. Perfect conditions for a nice run and awesome pic.
I posted my workout and photo to the MapMyRun community and people loved it, receiving 45 likes so far, which I think is a lot for the Community. I like that people from all over the world are viewing it, and likewise I’m getting a glimpse into other people from around the world. India, Germany, New Jersey, it’s pretty cool to see all the places where people run.
