Our/My Obsession With Counting

I noticed it first on the hill run the other day --  little rocks tidily placed a'top the gate that guards the hill where I do repeats.  Picture something like this, 

only with granite rocks a top a metal fence.

Then I noticed it at Crossfit, a solid line drawn with the dry erase marker with ticks marking the reps the athletes were completing.  And then again at masters swimming, when the athletes calculated out loud the yardage they were about to complete as outlined in the workout.

Triathletes, or actually, most athletes, are a community of counters.  We want to know stats -- how far, how fast, how many.  We are in constant need-to-know basis if we are improving or not.  And how do we measure that?  With a Garmin upload, or a score on a white board or a high yardage swim in a short time frame.

Is this an obsession?  Maybe.  Is is worthwhile? Probably, if you have a purpose to your fitness.   Do we need to see constant improvement as we grow older?  Hmmm. 

I've yet to take the GPS off and run for fun.  Or take the mountain bike out to just discover a new trail.  I'll get there.  I promise.

But it's gonna take some time. 

Is it just me?