Do You Run "Socially"?

So if you go out to dinner but you did not use Four Square or Yelp to check in and then post it to Facebook and Twitter and commemorate it with a quick Instagram picture were you really there?  And let's just say you were there, how do we really know?  I mean I checked your Pinterest account and you don't even have a single recipe from that restaurant, or a picture of the food, or a map of the locale, or a recent Urban Spoon review.  I mean really it isn't even on your BLOG!

Mind numbing isn't it?  But tell the truth.  Most of you knew what everyone of those things were, didn't you?  That is the world we live in.  The world of "my best friend.. sure I talk to them everyday on my Tablet, Laptop, Smartphone."  So one would think the place to get away from all that is the ancient sport of running.   I mean what does social media have to do with it?  Do me a favor right now.  Grab that Smartphone I know is right next you and search "running apps".  Seriously!  And that is just the top ten list!  We don't do anything with  real people anymore.  I mean how 1980's.  All of those apps link to some kind of social network.  When did we stop having friends and become beings who were networked to other beings, or at least we hope they are beings.  The alternative is a little too Matrix for me.

And of course I can be all superior because I don't write a running blog with links to other blogs and a widget to my Dailymile account.  I don't post my new posts on my Twitter account or download my Ismooth Run app to both Twitter and Dailymile and sometimes upload a great run to Facebook.  You have never seen an instagram picture on this blog that I don't even write.

So I am a hypocrite.  I run "socially."  I like talking virtually, or otherwise to other runners.  I like the camaraderie and the advice.  I don't mind the support or the encouragement.  I don't think there is anything wrong with "social" running.  I would just say, sometimes you got to get your head out of the technology and run with a real, not virtual, partner.  Have a very real Latte with someone and talk about running in real time, or talk about something else.  I understand there are whole bunch of cool videos on YouTube.