Just wondering what everyone thinks of using your body as the sole indicator of what workouts you should be doing. I more often than not go out on a run and my body is screaming at me to go faster. FASTER FASTER it says but I say, no we must stay within range X. So at what point do you just say, screw it, I am just going to go hard and long today until I can’t go anymore? I love to try and run faster but it seems I don’t get to do it enough.
do you think training this way would put me more in tune with what my body is telling me as well? I have always had trouble with that too.
Eddy Merckx used to train that way; totally by how his body felt on the day.
Nuff said!
I never train with a HR monitor anymore. It gave me too many exuses to slow down. I have more fun, and I race faster.
Yeah, I think I have become a slave to it. My problem is I like to see what I have done and analyze (hahaha…yeah right, that should say look at) the readout.
It works provided you are really willing to listen to your body. I’ve found I still need an HRM every once in awhile.
Might be useful for testing or maybe a once a week sorta thing to ensure I am not going crazy. My problem is I can easily see myself overtaining by doing this. The mind still doesn’t believe the body is 34. 
During a taper or at the beginning of the season holding back is often the right thing to do.
But at all other times - on those days where you feel great, I say go for it. I’ve been training pretty hard since I was 12 (with a few breaks ;-). Most days it is at best just OK and at worst real hard work but there are days every so often when I feel absolutely great and it feels so good to let it fly. It would be an absolute shame to waste those days, even if it meant in the end I went a few seconds slower in a race. But based on my personal experience, I’m convinced that taking advantage of those days when you feel great and letting it all hang out is where a significant portion of any improvement comes from.
Plans are a guide, not a straightjacket. Let it fly when you feel like flying.
I can’t do that and not overtrain. My overly-competitive side thinks I am a much better runner than I really am!
Join my club. I am el presidente.
Ha. Wanna compare overtraining injuries? 
gimme a couple months and I will let you know
.
For your sake, I hope to NOT hear back from you Watch out for compartmental sydrome - it’s a bitch!