Staying Fit with Social Media — GVSU PRSSA – Grand Valley State University Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America

One of my favorite things to do on a warm and sunny day is go for a run. Actually, one of my favorite things to do on a warm and sunny day, cold and rainy day, snowy day, or windy day is go for a run. The Grand Valley Running Club was the first club I joined at GVSU, and after four years I can say that it was the best decision of my collegiate career. There is some amazing technology that has come out in the world of runners over the past few years and much of it includes social media.

New websites allow you to sync up your GPS watch into a virtual world of training. You can follow other runners, earn trophies, follow your map, view splits and pace all online.

One of my favorite websites is Strava. Think of it like Facebook, but for athletes. Focused mainly on cyclists and runners, Strava is a way to share your workouts, progress, and training tips with each other.

This is the basic layout of Strava. A homepage newsfeed similar to Facebook will show you workouts of those you follow. If a GPS device was used then you can view their map, pace, see what new records they set for themselves, and how they are progressing in their training.

But websites like this are only for serious athletes, right? WRONG. One of the main draws to Strava is that they support several different watches. From Garmin to Nike to Timex, the Strava software allows you to upload and stay connected. But what if you don’t have a GPS watch? Strava has an amazing app that allows you to use your smartphone as a GPS tracker.

Running and cycling can be a lonely activity; most of the time you go out alone. With Strava, you can challenge yourself against other runners without actually being with them. Segments are GPS specific routes that can be created by anyone out using the app. I tend to create segments for particularly challenging parts of my workouts; uphills, trail segments, and other things of that nature.

Here you can see segments that have already been created in the Allendale/GVSU area. Once a segment has been created, a leaderboard is established. Anyone can go and run the segment and whoever does it the fastest gets the top spot! Who doesn’t love a little recognition once in a while? The only stipulation is that you must be using the GPS on your device. It wouldn’t really be fair if you ran it and got to put in your time yourself.

A story of my personal experience with segments: By my house in Dearborn, MI, there is one particular section on a paved path by my house where I had set the number three spot. Upon looking at the other times I realized that the top spot was not out of reach. On my next run I went back to the same segment, went a little harder, and stole the top spot. That night I received a message on Strava from the runner who previously held the top spot congratulating me. After a quick back and forth about running, he told me he was going to get his spot back. Sure enough, a week later I was knocked down to the number two spot. Of course I couldn’t just stay there so after another week, I went back and reclaimed my title.

Long story short, I went out to better myself and to train harder with someone who I have never met. Social media can bring us together and no longer are we limited to sharing just thoughts and ideas. We can share our physical accomplishments and goals with each other.

I want to encourage everyone to use social media in a way that helps you to stay active. There are so many resources out there to either get you off the couch or to help you reach a new goal that there are no longer any excuses.

Happy Running! (or whatever workout you prefer!)