Prioritizing personal enjoyment and intrinsic engagement rather than seeking to impress others or compare yourself to them (particularly through metrics like speed) helps you better enjoy your running practice and stick with it over the long term.

noli's read

The idea of running for personal pleasure (intrinsic motivation) rather than to impress others (extrinsic motivation) is solidly supported by research in sports psychology. A systematic review by Teixeira et al. (2012) published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, analyzing 66 studies, demonstrates that intrinsic motivation is the primary lever for long-term adherence to physical activity. Conversely, training under the influence of external pressures or for body image increases the risk of dropout. Another 2025 narrative review based on 97 studies confirms that seeking to impress or obtain external validation produces only short-term motivation gains at the cost of increased mental exhaustion. By distancing oneself from social comparison (“How fast do you run?”), one reduces performance-related anxiety to focus on one’s own sensations. This advice is therefore perfectly scientifically validated and proves essential for cultivating a healthy and lasting athletic routine.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.