Getting faster is second place these days to one extremely important aspect of running: looking good on social media.
Setting a PB is fine, well done you, but like the tree falling in the woods, if you set a PB and no one tweets about it, did it really happen?
Social media is brilliant, but that doesn’t mean it brings the best out of society – even the super-cool running community.
If you’re a runner and you find yourself spending more time taking pictures of yourself than actually running, you have a problem.
An interval session, last time I checked, isn’t a series of short runs interspersed with recovery breaks to take photos of your sweaty crotch.
The main focus of an interval session is actually the intervals (although varying recovery time can be beneficial) and not how many pictures you can fit in.
Want to be better at social media but don’t want to sell your soul to the devil known as FaceInstaFool?
Here’s some solid advice that will make you come across like less of a tool…
1. Be yourself
Be the same person on social media as you are in real life.
This one is easy as you don’t have to make anything up.
If you’re a grumpy, horrible bugger in real life then rejoice in that; don’t be some smiley, super cheery chappy that no one really likes.
2. Snap smart
Sacrifice one easy run on a nice day to take a load of pictures and reuse them.
Ever wonder why it’s always sunny and nice weather on some pros’ social media feed?
They just take photos on a nice day, schedule them for when they are out running and pretend the world is one big buttercup.
3. Don’t offer free marketing
If you like something, tweet about it, but if you’re just after a free pair of socks, don’t retweet your undying love every five seconds.
Go and buy a pair and, if they’re good, buy another pair then tweet about them.
Be loyal and if the brand wants to work with an athlete then maybe that’ll be you.
Or maybe they’ll sponsor a bloke with 100+ sponsors already. Don’t be that guy.
