Is Strava Killing Your Progress? The Psychology of Social Running
Strava has revolutionised the way runners train and connect. It tracks your pace, maps your routes, and celebrates your achievements with digital kudos. For many, it’s an essential tool. But what happens when that tool starts to shape your mindset more than your training plan?
In this post, we’ll explore how social platforms like Strava influence your motivation, pacing, and recovery—and how to stay focused on what really matters: your progress.
The Allure of Strava: Why It Works
Strava taps into a few core human needs. It validates your effort, encourages competition, and creates a sense of connection among runners. Sharing a great run or a personal record can feel incredibly rewarding, and seeing others’ efforts can push you to lace up when motivation is low.
These social features can be powerful, but they come with trade-offs. When every run is public, it’s easy to slip into the trap of performing rather than training.
The “Strava Trap”: Where Things Start to Go Wrong
For some runners, Strava becomes more than a log, it becomes a stage. This shift changes how you run, often without you even realising it.
You might start pushing harder on recovery days just to avoid posting a “slow” pace. You may chase segments instead of sticking to your plan. Even rest days can feel like failures when you’re used to daily uploads.
And then there’s the comparison trap. Seeing a friend’s tempo pace or long run can make you second-guess your own progress. But remember: you’re seeing their highlights, not their whole week.
When every run becomes content, recovery can start to feel like laziness. But skipping easy runs or down days is a fast track to burnout, not a badge of honour.
The Psychology Behind It
Strava gamifies your training. Likes, leaderboards, and metrics offer extrinsic rewards that feel good in the moment. But long-term running success relies on intrinsic motivation, training because you enjoy it, or because you’re chasing a personal goal, not someone else’s applause.
Strava doesn’t have to be all pressure and performance, it can also be fun. If you feel like you’re taking it too seriously, why not mix things up? Try creating some Strava art with your GPS route, or plot a run in the shape of a dog, a smiley face, or your initials. Not feeling creative? Just record a route of your weekly shop at Morrisons or a trudge around an IKEA. Training seriously doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself along the way.
When you lose that internal drive, your training becomes reactive instead of intentional. You start chasing numbers instead of building fitness.
Finding the Balance: How to Use Strava Without Losing Focus
The good news? You don’t need to quit Strava to run smart. You just need to change how you use it:
- Set private goals outside the app. Whether it’s on paper or in a coaching plan, track your real objectives somewhere less performative.
- Keep some runs private, especially recovery runs or easy days. This reduces the pressure to perform every time you lace up.
- Mute the metrics occasionally. Focus on effort, not pace. A COROS watch makes it easy to track heart rate zones and exertion without obsessing over split times.
- Be intentional with your feed. Unfollow accounts that trigger comparison. Instead, follow people who inspire healthy habits or offer insight into the process, not just the results.
If you’re looking for a low-pressure space to stay connected, come join the Bog Dog Running Club on Strava. We keep things relaxed, no leaderboard stress, no ego, just a group of runners sharing honest miles and occasional kudos. It’s free to join and open to anyone chasing progress on their own terms.
Finally, remember why you started running in the first place. Chances are, it wasn’t for likes.
Final Thoughts
Strava isn’t the problem, it’s how we interact with it. When used thoughtfully, it can be a powerful training companion. But if you find yourself running for the feed instead of your future, it might be time to reset.
Run your pace. Trust your plan. And let the progress speak for itself.
Gear Up for Smarter Training
Want gear that supports your training, not distracts from it? At Bog Dog Running, we keep it simple: smart tools, no fluff, built for runners who think long-term. We only stock running gear that we'd actually use ourselves.