Data and Perspective

I often find ourselves buried under mountains of data in business and life. Naturally, we ask, “What are you doing with it?” The answers could probably fill a book.

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Recently, I flipped the question on myself after finishing what “felt” like a solid gravel ride. (By "solid," I mean paying good money to climb a large hill, enjoy fantastic scenery, and get thoroughly dust-covered for hours!) This was at one of the world's top rides—Rebecca’s Private Idaho—and I only shaved five minutes off my best time from 2022.

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For context, I was smarter in 2023 and opted for the 20-mile ride with my son, so I decided to tackle the 56-mile course again this year.

Here’s the breakdown:

Course: 56 miles?

Elevation Gain: 4,278 ft?

Highest Elevation: 7,896 ft?

Average Power: 91W?

Calories Burned: 1,720?

Terrain: 50% blacktop, 50% washboard gravel?

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My time over the years:

2024: 4:39?

2022: 4:44?

2021: 4:53?

2019: 4:49?

2018: 4:51?

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Naturally, I was a little sheepish when a friend asked how the ride went. “Eh, it was okay… I felt strong but didn’t crush it,” I said.

He quickly reminded me:?

1. Five minutes is a lot over a challenging 56-mile course and four-plus hours.?

2. It was my personal best.?

3. I’m six years older than when I first did the race (ouch, don’t remind me).?

4. My recovery time was faster this year.?

5. And hey, no need to rest this time during the ride!

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Here’s the lesson: We collect a lot of data, but why? If it’s not to improve, understand, or help others, what’s the point? One of the biggest challenges in our data-driven world is ensuring we capture only what we need and, more importantly, “use” it.

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You can have all the data in the world, but if you don't use it to create perspective—and ultimately, a plan—are you using it for its intended purpose?