Molly Seidel takes a step back from Strava
Like any social media platform, it's important to keep tabs on your relationship with Strava
Photo by:
Justin Britton
Olympic bronze medallist Molly Seidel announced April 21 that she’s changing that way she uses Strava. Seidel wrote, “I love using Strava and will continue to do so, but I’m going to be changing the way I present it publicly. In the past I’ve just thrown everything up there and it’s been pretty casual; workouts and races don’t have much description beyond me attempting to be funny, and it’s mainly maps or data of my runs.”
She continues, “In an effort to be more respectful of my own sanity I’m going to be making most of my runs private from now on, mostly the easy stuff and basic workouts, especially the ones around where I live. However, I still do want to share the stuff I’m doing, as well as provide actual commentary for both good and bad parts of my marathon builds and races.” Essentially, she will continue to use the platform, but in a more thoughtful and careful way.
She made this post following her DNF at the Boston Marathon last month.
Seidel’s story is a good reminder for all runners. While Strava can be a wonderful place to create community, learn about new roads or trails and get inspired, it can also breed negativity if you’re not careful.
Safety reminders
First, when it comes to safety, but sure to set your privacy settings to obscure your address. This creates a privacy radius around your home, so that followers can’t see exactly where you live.
Pace reminders
Second, as Seidel points out, this change means her easy days won’t be uploaded. For many Strava users, the easy day is the most difficult part of the week. These days are intended for recovery, but ‘slow’ running doesn’t always garner kudos. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, part of the reason we’re on Strava is for the likes. If you’re someone who finds yourself changing your pace on easy days, because, what will Strava think? it maybe time for you to take the Seidel approach and tailor your usage.
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