Remember this is statistical in nature. Your mileage may vary.<p>I&#x27;m a runner and have found absolutely fantastic feelings of accomplishment and pride, as well as an undeniably healthier and happier lifestyle.<p>I suspect, as Swizec implied below, it mostly perception. Many runners tend to be less quantitative about performance gains, and therefore have less obvious metrics for advancement.<p>Does lead to an interesting corollary: does &#x27;gamification&#x27; and quantification of athletic advancement improve retention of the habit?