The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Strava.

Since this is a short work week for me and you will likely catch me in the sunshine after Tuesday…I thought I would double up on some posts this week before yet another long weekend. (Lucky you, right?) Since STRAVA has been on the brain lately I thought we would chat about that! I know many of us are already friends on there, but for some of my newbies and those who are curious…here is a quick synopsis of what this app is all about.

I have friends on there that are runners…bikers…and those who simply want to use it to document their workouts on a day to day basis. So here are some of my personal DOs and DONTs regarding the site! I think it is a great tool that if used properly can really enhance your game as a rockstar athlete.

Do- Use Strava as a weekly training tool in tracking your mileage. This is probably my most favorite thing about using the app. Since I am so busy and don’t have time to write down my miles from day to day Strava essentially does all of this for me. Also if you are a premium member, you can do the personalized coaching and get more fancy perks. I personally think it is a GREAT free app and does the basics for me.

Don’t- Become obsessed with the leaderboard! It is crucial to not compare yourself to other bikers/runners on the site. The leaderboard can be a fun thing as long as you don’t take it real serious. Now, I know this is a hard one and I have gotten caught up in sizing myself up to other athletes. It can definitely be used as more of a social site and you can get involved in some healthy competition if you so desire. But it is easy to toe the line from healthy competitiveness to unhealthy and obsessive if you let it. Try not to get so involved in that part.

Do- Utilize the sync feature to sync up your Garmin/running watch to the Strava app. For those of you who don’t have watches, you can definitely use Strava as a GPS tracker on its own but I love having the option to sync up all of my Garmin runs. It is super instant right after you’re done, you can use WiFi or Bluetooth to get that done. It is perfection.

Don’t- Neglect the like button and forget to give your fellow athletes a THUMBS up – otherwise known as KUDOS. This for me is sometimes easier said than done…as I truly use it as more of a training tool than a social media app. But every once in a while it is good to show your friends on there some love for a job well done. More than likely they will be there to return the favor.

Do- Take some snapshots from your run! Whether it is a social/happy hour run, or some miles at a beautiful/scenic/picturesque trail, it is fun to be able to share those shots with friends and it also helps bring life to your run. This is actually one of my favorite things about the app being the photo lover that I am is that you can share your pics. It also helps me remember each run and makes it special.

Don’t- Forget to join some fun challenges in the beginning of the month! There are some cool ones like the DISTANCE (my fave, obvi) and the climbing challenges. There are also ones that give you a chance to win fun prizes when they are over. A while ago I won a shirt and a pair of shorts (hello, super expensive) from lululemon JUST for signing up and completing the challenge! Winning stuff just for running – ha, that is my kind of challenge.

And…DO add me as a friend if you have not already!!

Are you on Strava?? What is your favorite way to track your runs?