So a couple months ago I left my watch at the pool, and it never turned up. I got lazy (and cheap) about buying a new one. So the first few times, I went cycling and running it drove me nuts not to be looking at my time. Prior, I had always used my time as an approximation for miles covered. In the absence of a watch I started mapping my routes on USATF.org, so now I know exactly how far I’m covering.
Anyway - what I’ve noticed is I’m running a lot farther now that I’m not looking at my time. I think with a watch I always felt pressure to run a certain time (e.g., when that watch hit 50 minutes it was time to wrap it up). Now I’m just going on feel, and I’m running more miles than I ever have. As a result I feel I’m in the best running shape I’ve been in for some time.
It seems like everyone I’ve ever trained with either has a watch or something to monitor their time with.
I agree with you. I left the watch/Hrmon at home about a month ago and have relearned to enjoy running… There were many times when I would complete a great run workout only to be disappointed with the my time… With out the watch I now concentrate on feeling fluid has I run something I could not do while continuously checking my pace.
not to be mean or anything, but you guys crack me up, its like some poeple cannot handle running without a watch. i have never used one for running or cycling.
My first time running/tri-ing/racing w/out a watch was IMMoo’02. No watch, no bike computer, no HRM. Just went by feel all day. It was liberating and helped me focus more on having fun during the day. I ended up setting my IM distance PR by 50 minutes. I haven’t raced w/ a watch since.
There is a guy named Gene Fritzel here in Baltimore who has run 150 marathons without a watch. He simply runs on feel all the time. When I ran with him at the NCR Trail marathon last November he banged out 8:04 or 8:06 miles, the slower being when we had a water stop. He swears by it…
I don’t use a watch anymore in races - I like to go by feel and it seems like I can push myself harder when I’m not thinking about the numbers. I also don’t have a computer on my bike, but that’s more because I seem to have very bad luck with bike computers (they crap out after just a few months). On a similar note, this year I haven’t done any track workouts, but have done ‘simulated’ track workouts on dirt roads in a park near my house. For me, it better simulates what racing is like rather than getting a 400m split for everything. Its really helped out, I think.
I agree. Running without a watch is very liberating. I, however, continue to wear one in order to keep from overexerting myself on slower runs. If left to my own “feel”, I will inevitably pound out miles at too fast a pace. FWIW, I try not to look down at my watch more than once every 5-10 minutes so that I can better calibrate my ability to “feel” the right pace.
I havent had a watch in a couple months…I use the powertap for time on cycling…but running I just look at the clock when I leave…and then when I get back…except the other day I did use my moms for a tempo run…but its fun not having it…no stress
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hey, did you ever make it with that girl, or what?
KC - thanks for your concerns ;-)…no things didn’t work out. I was really into her, but I just wasn’t up for friends…I have enough of those. I mean we made some progress and I got some things off my chest, but it just wasn’t in her heart. I had to kill it altogether…I’m not up for playing games…good riddance though. As always, I feel so much better in the long run. There’s just too many great people out there to get hung up on one person.
I appreciate everyone’s feedback and input, it was all good.
I hate wearing a watch running. Or swimming. Or cycling. Or during the day. I think it’s a sensory issue of having a band around my wrist more than anything… I just don’t like extra “stuff.” Not a fan of earings, necklaces, or rings, either.
If I did have a watch for running, I don’t think I’d know how to use the information. If I got a mile split, my mental repsonse would be “well that’s nice” whether it was a six minute mile, or a ten minute mile. If I take a watch cyling, I wrap it around my handlebars so I don’t have to wear it, but it’s there to look at if I am aiming for a certain amount of minutes. Swimming is the only place I like to know times, 100y splits I do know how to interpret
