One of the most “coveted” awards on Strava is a KOM or QOM (King of the Mountain or Queen of the Mountain). To be clear, many of these segments don’t involve any mountains. However, it’s a big deal if you become one. And last Saturday, I earned a QOM. Now, what this doesn’t show you that I was riding in a group (which will always make you faster), and we had a fantastic tailwind.
In track, when there is a tailwind, the time always has an *asterisk* next to it and is forever known as “Wind-Aided.” But, alas, no such indicators exist on Strava. It always surprises me when people are impressed when you get a KOM/QOM. I know most of the women on that list, and many are better cyclists than me – and that’s OK. I’m far more interested in the PR (Personal Record) component of Strava. After all, the best measurement of success is #mevsme. And the same is true with your practice and personal goals.
Measuring data has become very sexy and popular in dentistry. There are a million data points in various third-party applications. Some of them are very valuable. Some of them are not. But, if the only reading you are measuring is to see how you “stack up” against others, you’re probably missing the most useful data point: “How do I stack up against myself?”
The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.
|