Are You Optimizing For The Right Metrics?

A question worth asking

A friend of mine posted a story on Instagram a few days ago that stuck with me.

He mentioned that we’ve talked a lot about consistency. How training is really just about showing up, again and again. Some days you feel it, some days you don’t. Good weather, bad weather. Stressed, relaxed. It’s the rhythm that matters.

And he started running again last week. First few alone. 6am. Cold. Icy. Then a friend joined. They’d both fallen out of running for a bit, and now they were finding their way back — together, through this small ritual.

What I loved was the honesty in it. Same time. Same distance. They weren’t chasing anything. They were just asking themselves: Is this what I want to do?

Some mornings, probably yes. Some mornings, probably not. But they kept showing up. And something about that felt right to them.

Story by Max Wallner

Here’s the thing. We track everything now. Miles per week. Elevation gain. Heart rate zones. Streaks. And none of that is bad. Data can be useful. But somewhere along the way, I think a lot of us started optimizing for numbers instead of asking a much simpler question:

Am I actually having fun?

I know. “Fun” sounds almost too simple. Too light for something we take so seriously.

When I say fun, I don’t mean every run needs to feel like a party. Some days are hard. Some days you’re tired, or feel slow, or would rather not even step out the door. That’s part of it.

What I mean is something closer to this: Would I still do this if no one was watching and nothing was being tracked?

If the answer’s been “no” more often than “yes” lately that’s worth paying attention to. Maybe you need a break. Maybe you need to change something. Maybe you’ve been chasing metrics that don’t actually matter to you.

And if you’re just starting out, the question still applies. The run itself might feel hard. You might not feel like a runner. You might even be hesitant to call yourself one. Things might hurt that you didn’t know existed. But afterward — do you feel a little more alive? A little better about your day?

That’s the metric.

Not the pace. Not the time. Not what anyone else thinks you should be doing.

Just: Did this add something to my life today?

My friend and his buddy — I think they figured that out. They’re not posting PRs. They’re just two people who remembered they like running, and found a way back to it that feels good.

That’s the whole thing, really.

When was the last time you ran just because you wanted to?

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