RunHarwell wrote:
Strava is changing so much about running, and almost all of those changes are for the better. Segments give your average Joes a chance to square off with pros 24/7. It gives pros a chance to connect with fans. It creates comradery between strangers and inspires people to train harder.
Anyone who isn't for more transparency in running is crazy.
+1
I follow some local runners where I am (theoretically my age-group competition), as well as some elites from all over. It's pretty motivating to get an alert that a local master you race with just dropped a 15-miler on Wednesday morning, or that an elite did some ungodly marathon-pace workout.
As for segments, it's just fun, bros, don't overthink it! I can't imagine stopping, stretching and doing a time-trial type effort to grab a segment CR, but surging here and there on an otherwise normal run is probably good for anyone. Knocking out a PR or CR for a segment within a real workout is fun, too.
Am I going to disrupt my entire week's training to push the CR for "University Bridge Eastbound" into the stratosphere? No. Is it fun to see the top 10 times climbing that mother this summer? Sure.
The only thing that has bugged me about Strava is people obviously cycling segments and setting CRs in 2:xx mile pace, which is pretty obnoxious if it's purposeful or annoying if they just selected "run" rather than "ride." The other day my CR from the trail I use for mile repeats was obliterated by someone who apparently covered it in 2:25, but then it went back to be so maybe he was able to delete the activity somehow?
There is also a local dude who somehow has "calculated PRs" of 1:40, 3:43, 12:37 etc from 400 to 10k, which is pretty funny. I need to ask him how he did that sometime.