At the beginning of the year, I set myself a target to run at least 365km in 2017. To avid, hardcore runners, this target’s probably a drop in the ocean compared to the annual mileage they’ve clocked. But I’m not in their league, so here I am taking baby steps. While I’ve always love running, the motivation for following through on this is born out of owning an Apple Watch.

Though I have been running regularly for the past 3 years, I haven’t been keeping tabs on the cumulative distance covered. Moreover, on days when I felt lazy, I gave myself free passes. That changed when I got the Watch last December and started actively tracking my mileage. Whenever I missed a run, I felt compelled to make up for it to stay on target.

It’s quite astonishing how helpful a device can be in instilling discipline and solidifying a routine. Of course, if the drive wasn’t there from the start, then no amount of added motivation would have overcome the inertia. Regardless, this newfound impetus almost waned after the first month when I got hit by a case of post-new year regrets which, thankfully, was transient.

Barring that forgotten second month, I pounded the pavement quite religiously throughout the year, rain or shine, even putting in extra miles on off days. While an annual mileage of 445km is no major accomplishment to fervent runners, to a weekend recreational runner like me, it’s certainly a huge step forward.