Over the course of time, we as people have developed fascinating and complex bits of technology that do great things for analyzing our workouts for us! Imagine all the complicated science used to analyze runs and exercise and it’s all easily accessible in a few bits of machinery like our watches, heart rate monitors and other athletic gadgets! The different devices we use to look over the data of our performances are unmatched these days, but unfortunately it’s also creating a bit of a whirlwind of self judgment.
The technology for people like us runners to be able utilize the data we create and see how our performance changes over time is so mind blowingly cool, but just like any A.I. It has its limitations of what it can analyze so it’s up to us to remain objective with our data and not get sucked into the numbers. It’s really easy to look at the times you produced during your workout and feel frustrated that you didn’t do better. It doesn’t help when your watch also tells you that you didn’t do well either. Depending on the model of device you have, there are a lot of techy analyses it can do such as tracking your speed (minute per mile), heart rate, elevation, etc. The limitations of that though is that it takes in that data and will spit out an analysis of how you did without taking other potential factors into account that may or may not even be measurable. Some of these things may include, how much sleep you got, how stressed your body/mind is, the weather, how you generally feel during a workout, how acclimated you are from one environment to another. Sure some of the features may include these metrics in general, but it won’t affect the algorithm of the “performance” results it gives you as it doesn’t take those into account for the individual workout.
Like the scientists that created our technology, this is why it’s so important to look at the bigger picture of your runs beyond just the metrics of the analysis that the devices give you. Metrics alone are meaningless unless you have an explanation of what they mean, and how it came to be. This does not include everything, but other factors to consider when looking at your data are how you felt during the workout, the weather and how that may have had an impact, the terrain you’re running on, your current health status among an abundance of others that are both qualitative and quantitative. It’s also possible that you may have just had a bad day or race and that’s okay too. Believe it or not, most races kind of require a rather unicorn-like scenario to get the results you may be specifically looking for, and to be able to accomplish other goals regardless, is an amazing feat in itself.
On top of the general limitations of the algorithm of our athletic technology, it’s also not a secret that our body technology is not always pinpoint accurate. Sometimes when you’re in an environment with a lot of tall buildings or tree coverage, or sometimes just a lot of people, the devices can get a bit misconstrued and the data isn’t 100% accurate. This is also an important factor to consider as you may get data that says you went much faster or slower than you actually went. Then the next thing you know, when you’re looking at your map, you’re somehow running through buildings in town. It’s just another added factor to keep in mind when observing and self reflecting on your data.
There’s a multitude of methods that can be used, usually in conjunction with the brand of device you use, where you can log different things that may have had an external impact on your workout and why you produced the results you did. Typically there’s a notes section to do so. It’s easy to want to put it off or think it’s not a big deal, but it is rather important so that when you look at them later, you have an explanation of how you felt and did. Along with this there may be some factors within your control that you can make adjustments or problem solve for, that will allow you to produce better results later. This allows you to remain objective looking at different factors that may have affected your workout, regardless of whether it’s positive or negative and so you don’t get sucked into the numbers. Logging some of these extraneous factors can also show patterns you might not have seen previously to explain certain things going on as well if it’s going on for a long period of time such as an underlying injury or illness.
Sometimes it’s also good to just unplug from the device if you feel you’re having a hard time looking at the bigger picture. I know we all want those badges and streaks and awards, but sometimes it’s necessary to allow yourself to be in the moment and enjoy what you’re doing again without feeling tied to something that dictates how you do off of very few metrics.
As amazing as the evolution of technology is as far as the analytics of running and other sports, it’s not perfect and has its limitations of what it takes into account before the algorithm gives its own analysis. Many factors that have a role in how you perform aren’t even measurable, so it’s paramount to look at the bigger picture of your runs or workouts.