You can’t optimize the miles you don’t run
A recovering maximizer learns to let go of metrics, shut up, lace up, and just vibe run
The millennial urge to turn every hobby into a project to optimize
In the spirit of fulfilling my millennial rite of passage, I’ve taken up running. If you’re wondering, yes, I am one LinkedIn post away from sharing “5 Product-Market Fit Lessons from My Couch-to-10K Journey.” Like any project I take up, running gives my tech brain an excuse to go into overdrive and turn my hobby into a sandbox experiment for LLM prompts, Apple Watch hacks, and justifying hours of scrolling on TikTok because I’ve reached ‘#RunTok’. I even signed up for my first 10km race happening in 13 days, because this girl boss loves a deadline.
Week 1: Hours of scrolling, zero running
Like every project, I begin by conducting in-depth research, understanding the fundamentals, and learning from experts. I loved nerding out by turning my #RunTok learnings about cadence, Zone 2 training, and BPM into prompt engineering my own 10K run coach. I even spent a night trying to vibe code a running playlist creator based on target cadence to help me "run smarter." I was getting a dopamine rush from feeling productive and systematic in reaching my 10K race goal. Then I realized, it’s going to be tough to make progress on a laptop and in bed. At some point, I have to get my reps on track.
You can’t out-research the work
Four weeks and several runs later, I’ve learned the obvious the hard way - no article, TikTok coach, or health monitoring gadget will replace getting the reps in. The tingling ankle soreness, pushing through to your 2nd and 3rd wind. The strain on your calves when it’s a 5-degree incline. Whether it’s running, writing jokes, or building products (there's that seedling for a LinkedIn Post), you don’t get better by knowing, you get better by doing.
The productive procrastination trap
Having unlimited access to information makes it feel like there’s always better information out there that is waiting to be consumed. Better shoes. Better running route. Better warm-up. Better everything. But this constant optimizing pulls me out of my body and into abstraction. It becomes less about running and more about perfectly preparing to run.
The accidental freedom of a data-less run
Last Friday, my Apple Watch failed to detect my heart rate, which meant no Zone 2 tracking. No pacing metrics. Nothing to optimize. I had to just vibe run. I ended up running my fastest 3K. It turns out that progress doesn’t always need a dashboard. Sometimes it just requires you to shut up, lace up, and go. And sometimes the same data that helps you grow is also limiting your vision and ability to transform.
Run for your life, not your data
I’m not running for the data. I’m running for the fresh air, the runner's highs, and, let’s be real, the bragging rights. The goal is to feel more alive. Not just more tracked.