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In March, I ran my second fastest marathon. I had trained harder than I had ever trained before, but according to my Garmin Fenix 6x—which I was using for the first time during this training cycle—only one day of training in the two months leading up to the race was deemed “productive.” One. day.

My 22-mile run? The hill sprint repeats I did at altitude? The extra slow recovery runs? All “unproductive,” according to the training status that would flash across the screen on my wrist after nearly every workout.

That feedback only made me determined to run every run in my training program exactly as prescribed—not taking into account the fact that my body was still adjusting to altitude, that I was significantly increasing my weekly mileage, or that, you know, sometimes life happens and you might need to skip a run. I was so fixated on switching that status to productive, I stopped listening to my own body.

Despite the fact that I could tell I was getting faster in my speedwork and that I knew my stamina was increasing in my longer runs, I felt like I was failing at training every time I saw that “unproductive” status. I wasn’t seeing it as a statement on my training, I was letting it define how I viewed myself as a runner. By the time I crossed the finish line of that marathon, I knew it was time to figure out a healthier way to use my metrics for motivation while protecting my mental state.

What even is “Training Status”?

I realized, after several months of letting this metric dictate my feelings toward running, that I didn’t even fully understand what it tracked or what it meant. So I talked to Joe Heikes, the lead product manager for Garmin’s fitness watches. He explained that on Garmin watches, the Training Status feature pulls information from your VO2 max estimations and your training load data to provide feedback on the effectiveness of your training.

Your VO2max—or the maximum rate at which you can deliver oxygen to your exercising muscles—is a measure of aerobic fitness. “The VO2max calculation looks at the relationship between your heart rate and pace to determine whether you’re getting fitter or not,” explains Heikes. This feature also accounts for variables such as altitude and heat, which could affect your heart rate but not your actual fitness level. On a very surface level, if that number’s trending up, you’re getting more fit; if it’s going down, you may be losing fitness.

Training load, on the other hand, is based on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (a.k.a EPOC or the “afterburn effect”), or your increased rate of oxygen intake following activity. The more intense your run, the higher your EPOC will be. “Basically, the watch scores every run that you do, based on your heart rate data, to determine how big of an exercise ‘dose’ that was,” says Heikes.

Looking at a seven-day window, the watch can determine whether you’re getting more or less fit as your training load increases or decreases. If your fitness appears to be getting better at the same time your training load is increasing, we would call that productive,” he says. “If your training load is increasing but your fitness is going down, then that's an unproductive state.” And there it is.

Why do “negative” stats bum us out so much?

Running is a very predictable sport. You put one foot in front of the other, then repeat— sometimes for hours. “There aren’t a lot of variables in it, so it’s easy to get all these measurements and feel like there’s a ‘formula’ for success,” says Nicole Detling, Ph.D., a sports psychologist and author of Don't Leave Your Mind Behind: The Mental Side of Performance. “But you can get addicted to those stats really easily, and that addiction can cause a lot of anxiety because you’re focusing more on what you aren’t doing than on what you are doing.”

Fitness watches are great motivators when you want to plan specific workouts, run within a specific heart rate zone, track pacing improvements, or tally up miles. “But there’s so much these devices can’t quantify,” says Detling. Your body is your biggest variable—a watch can’t tell if you ate something bad for lunch or you just broke up with your partner. You have to take those things into account when assessing your performance. That’s why the best coaching plans are designed with flexibility in mind, so they can be adjusted depending on your circumstances.

As for the gut punch of the word “unproductive,” Detling says, “We get emotionally attached to the connotation of certain words.” No matter what your physiological data says, “the reality is, you still expended and exerted a certain level of effort that you want to feel acknowledgement for,” she explains. That doesn’t mean you necessarily need praise, “but you want to feel good that you did something—especially if it freaking hurt, right?”

The problem with that, though, is that you’re focusing on the outcome of a run, not the run itself. “A lot of the time, we focus our thoughts and feelings on getting a certain time, covering a certain distance,” says Detling. “But, if at the beginning of the run, we’re only thinking about the end, we’re probably not going to get there very well.” Insert one of the many platitudes that emphasizes: It’s about the journey, not the destination.

In fact, all that internal pressure to perform for a certain outcome actually wastes precious mental energy you could be putting toward a more efficient performance, says Detling. And dwelling on the outcome of a run that didn’t meet your expectations wastes the mental and emotional energy you could put toward being more productive in your next run.

So how can you balance the metrics and your mental state?

When Lindsey Clayton, a certified run coach and trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp in New York City, was training for the 2018 New York City marathon, she became such a prisoner to her data that it would ruin her run, she says. “And then I wouldn’t stop thinking about the bad run, and it would ruin my whole day.”

She eventually decided to ditch her watch entirely for her mid-week 6-mile runs and use a landmark as her turnaround point. “The whole reason I run is to feel free—to just be in my body and be in the moment,” says Clayton. Now, she runs watchless once or twice a week based on how she feels. “If I think that seeing I’m running slower than yesterday is going to mess with me mentally, then I know I shouldn’t wear a watch,” she says. “On those days, I’m committing to being in the moment.”

Finding, or remembering, your why can help balance the data and your perspective. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a goal, like running a marathon. But “set your goal and forget it and focus on the process,” says Detling. “If your ‘why’ is to run a marathon, that’s not going to get you through the difficulties that you’re going to experience along the way. Your why has to be strong enough to get you out to do what you’re supposed to be doing on the days when you don’t feel like it.”

You also need to give yourself a little grace. “Runners are very type A, but that has to come with some flexibility,” says Detling. If you didn’t hit your paces, or you cut your run short early, or your watch tells you that your run was unproductive, find something productive about it: Did it increase your mental toughness? Did you get outside when the alternative was sitting on the couch? Did you learn something new about your body?

No matter how advanced tracking technology gets, it should never outweigh listening to your body. “I think that you can hold those two sets of facts in a healthy tension,” says Heikes. “I’ve been running for a long time, and I feel like I know my body pretty darn well. But there have been times when I’ve ignored the watch because I didn’t want to hear the truth it was telling me, and that didn’t work out for me. You have to almost blur your eyeballs and look for the long-term trend versus getting caught up in the minutiae.”

Most Olympic marathoners spend their youth focused on running. They join track clubs, compete in national championships, and pursue the sport from an early age.

Julia Mayer’s journey was very different.

Today, Mayer is Austria’s marathon record holder, a multiple national record holder on the roads, and an Olympian. Yet for much of her athletic life, running was not her primary sport.

For 16 years, she played soccer.

Then she discovered something that would change her life.

“I noticed that I was really fast in the fun runs and that it was really, really fun,” Mayer said when reflecting on her transition from soccer to distance running.

What began as curiosity quickly became a passion. She eventually made the bold decision to leave soccer behind and focus entirely on running. It was a move that surprised many people around her, but Mayer believed she had found her true athletic calling.

The decision proved to be the right one.

Within a few years, Mayer developed into one of Europe’s top marathon runners. Her steady improvement carried her from local races to the international stage, where she began rewriting Austria’s record books.

She now holds Austrian records in the marathon, half marathon, and road 10K. Her marathon best of 2:26:08 established her as the fastest female marathoner in Austrian history. Her performances in the half marathon and 10K have further cemented her place among the country’s all-time great distance runners.

Her rise culminated with qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Competing in the Olympic marathon represented the realization of a dream. On one of the most challenging marathon courses ever used for the Olympics, Mayer ran courageously against the strongest field in the world and finished 55th in her Olympic debut.

Behind the scenes, success has come through extraordinary dedication. During marathon preparation, Mayer trains twice a day and covers approximately 200 kilometers, or 124 miles, each week. The workload demands discipline, patience, and a deep commitment to continuous improvement. 

What makes her story especially inspiring is not simply the records or the Olympic appearance.

It is the fact that she found her greatest talent later than many elite runners.

In a sport where athletes are often identified at a young age, Mayer’s journey serves as a reminder that potential does not always reveal itself early. Sometimes it takes years of experience, a willingness to try something new, and the courage to follow a different path. 

The former soccer player who once chased a ball across a field is now chasing history on the roads of Europe.

And according to those closest to her, her best performances may still be ahead.

For runners of every age and ability, Julia Mayer’s story delivers a powerful lesson: it is never too late to discover what you are capable of.

From soccer player to Olympian, her journey proves that remarkable achievements can begin when least expected.

Megan Keith produced the performance of her career in Oslo on Thursday night, shattering one of Scotland’s longest-standing distance running records and cementing her place among Britain’s greatest female 3000m runners.

The 24-year-old clocked a sensational 8:28.35 over 3000m, breaking the Scottish outdoor record that had stood for nearly four decades. In doing so, Keith eclipsed the previous mark of 8:29.02, set by Scottish legend Yvonne Murray back in 1988, ending a record reign that had lasted 38 years.

Keith’s breakthrough run was more than just a national record. The performance also propelled her to third on the UK outdoor all-time list, placing her behind only two of Britain’s most celebrated distance runners — Paula Radcliffe, who leads the rankings with 8:22.20, and Laura Weightman, whose 8:26.07 remains the second-fastest outdoor mark by a British woman.

The significance of Keith’s achievement is amplified by the calibre of athletes she now joins in the record books. For decades, Murray’s mark stood as one of Scottish athletics’ most untouchable records, surviving generations of elite competitors. Keith has now succeeded where many outstanding runners have fallen short, announcing herself as one of the leading distance talents in British athletics.

Her time also compares favourably with the best performances produced indoors. Olympic medallist Laura Muir ran 8:26.41 indoors in Karlsruhe in 2017, underlining just how exceptional Keith’s outdoor effort in Oslo truly was.

The run continues a remarkable rise for the Scottish star, whose progression over recent seasons has transformed her from a promising prospect into a genuine force on the international stage. Running with confidence and composure against elite competition, Keith demonstrated both the speed and endurance required to challenge the very best in Europe and beyond.

With the World Championship season gathering momentum, Keith’s record-breaking display sends a powerful message. Not only has she etched her name into Scottish athletics history, but she has also established herself as a serious contender in one of the sport’s most competitive events.

In Oslo, Megan Keith did far more than break a record. She ended a 38-year wait, climbed into the upper echelon of British distance running, and delivered a performance that may prove to be a defining moment in her career.

British middle-distance talent Phoebe Gill took another significant step forward in her return to top form, producing a determined victory over 800 metres at the Meeting de Marseille in France on Wednesday.

Competing in challenging, wind-affected conditions, the 19-year-old demonstrated both resilience and composure as she held off a late charge from Switzerland's Veronica Vancardo to secure the win in 2:00.81. Vancardo finished just three hundredths of a second behind in 2:00.84, underlining the fiercely contested nature of the race.

While the margin of victory was narrow, the result represented another encouraging milestone for Gill as she continues to rebuild momentum following her injury setback. The young Briton showed impressive race awareness and strength in the closing stages, maintaining her advantage despite the difficult conditions that made fast running a challenge throughout the evening.

The Marseille triumph adds to a growing body of evidence that Gill is steadily progressing toward her best form. Earlier in her comeback campaign, she clocked 2:01.50 for 800m in Bydgoszcz before demonstrating her versatility with a strong 4:05.53 performance over 1500 metres at the BMC Grand Prix meeting in Trafford.

Those performances have highlighted not only her improving fitness but also her ability to compete across multiple distances as she carefully builds her season. The Marseille victory now provides further confirmation that the European junior star is moving in the right direction.

Gill emerged as one of Britain's most exciting middle-distance prospects through a series of breakthrough performances as a teenager, earning widespread recognition for her fearless racing style and remarkable maturity. Injury temporarily interrupted that upward trajectory, but her recent results suggest she is steadily rediscovering the form that made her one of the sport's brightest young talents.

With each race, the signs of progress become increasingly evident. Winning in difficult conditions and under pressure from a quality field is often a stronger indicator than a fast time alone, and Gill's latest success demonstrated exactly those qualities.

As the summer season gathers pace, the Marseille victory offers another confidence boost for the British teenager, whose return continues to gain momentum. If her recent progression is any indication, Gill could soon find herself back among the leading names on the European middle-distance circuit. 

The NCAA Track and Field Championships delivered a moment few could have predicted as Ja’Kobe Tharp produced one of the most astonishing performances in the history of sprint hurdling, rewriting the record books in spectacular fashion.

Competing in the opening round of the men’s 110-meter hurdles, the Auburn star stunned the athletics world by clocking an incredible 12.75 seconds, becoming the first athlete ever to break the 12.80-second barrier. In doing so, he eclipsed the long-standing world record of 12.80 set by Aries Merritt in 2012, a mark that had stood as one of the sport’s most revered achievements for more than a decade.

What makes Tharp’s breakthrough even more remarkable is the scale of his improvement. Entering the championships, the defending NCAA and U.S. champion had recorded a season-best of 13.05 seconds. Yet under the brightest spotlight, he unleashed a performance that exceeded every expectation, slicing an extraordinary 0.26 seconds from his personal best in a race that instantly became one of the greatest ever run.

The achievement sent shockwaves throughout the track and field community. While Tharp arrived in Eugene as one of the leading contenders for the NCAA title, few envisioned a performance capable of redefining the limits of the event. Instead, the American hurdler delivered a race for the ages, combining flawless technique, explosive speed, and impeccable rhythm from the first hurdle to the finish line.

The historic run not only secured his place in athletics history but also transformed the outlook of the championship. With the world record now in his possession, Tharp advances to the final as the overwhelming favorite, carrying momentum that could make an already unforgettable weekend even more extraordinary.

For years, the 12.80 barrier appeared untouchable. On a stunning day at the NCAA Championships, Ja’Kobe Tharp proved otherwise, producing the kind of performance that reminds fans why sport remains so unpredictable. In a matter of seconds, he turned a routine qualifying round into a landmark moment that will be remembered for generations.

The world record no one saw coming is now a reality—and Ja’Kobe Tharp is the man who changed history.

A new chapter in middle-distance running may have begun in Oslo after American teenager Cooper Lutkenhaus produced one of the most remarkable performances of the season, narrowly defeating reigning Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi in a thrilling men's 800m contest at the Diamond League meeting.

The 17-year-old sensation shocked a world-class field by crossing the finish line first in a race that came down to the smallest of margins. After an intense battle over the final metres, Lutkenhaus held off Wanyonyi by just one hundredth of a second, producing a dramatic finish that left the packed stadium in disbelief.

From the opening lap, the pace was relentless as the leading contenders positioned themselves for a fierce showdown. As the athletes entered the home straight, Wanyonyi appeared poised to unleash his trademark finishing kick. However, Lutkenhaus refused to be intimidated, matching the Olympic champion stride for stride before producing a perfectly timed lean at the line to secure a historic victory.

The result marks a breakthrough moment for the young American, who continues to establish himself as one of the brightest talents in global athletics. Defeating an Olympic champion at a Diamond League event is a feat many athletes spend entire careers pursuing, yet Lutkenhaus achieved it before reaching adulthood.

For Wanyonyi, the narrow defeat does little to diminish his status as one of the world's premier 800m runners. The Kenyan once again demonstrated his exceptional class and competitiveness, pushing the race to a world-class standard and forcing his young rival to deliver the performance of a lifetime.

Beyond the result itself, the race offered a glimpse into what could become one of the sport's most exciting rivalries in the years ahead. With established stars and emerging talents now pushing each other to new heights, the men's 800m continues to evolve into one of athletics' most captivating events.

On a memorable night in Oslo, the spotlight belonged to Cooper Lutkenhaus. At just 17 years old, he stood toe-to-toe with an Olympic champion and emerged victorious, announcing himself to the athletics world in spectacular fashion.