I may be slightly unique among distance runners: I prefer to run my races without a watch.
That's right. No watch. Nothing. This is my watch-less wrist:
I rely on my torn-up Timex Ironman for my everyday training, and like most runners I'm probably a bit of a slave to the clock. But come race time, the watch is off.
Why? Isn't that unnerving? How do you know if you're on or off pace? If races are all about finishing time, shouldn't the watch be a necessary tool?
I've actually found -- and this is my own personal experience, mind you -- that I've run worse when I worry about the watch than when I just run. I get nervous and worried about hitting my splits, staying ahead of target pace, keeping my effort within the ideal range...and inevitably, what ends up happening? I start out too quick (to get ahead of pace; in case, you know, I fall off later), then fall off pace later (because I started out too quick), get discouraged that I'm not hitting my splits, and then pack it in 'til the finish line. That all makes for a rough experience.
I've had my best races where I've thrown away the watch and just raced. Relaxed, eased into the effort, worked my way through the pack, and then ran by effort and feel for the later stages of the race. Seriously, all of my best races came with that watch-less approach: every PR in college (Cross, Indoor and Outdoor Track), every good road race post-college (the past two Heart Mini 15ks, the Mill Race Half Marathon last fall).
We (runners) rely on the watch so much for training that we often over-rely on it during racing. This problem is often exacerbated in road racing, where, with fewer competitors (ironically...), we're often racing the clock more so than the other participants.
And it's really really bad for those who are slaves to the GPS watch. Jeez...those things beep at you every mile! That's a topic for another post, but to me those are too fancy, too convoluted; too informative. At some point, they become counter-productive.
I think there's something to be said for running by feel -- to an extent, of course. It's great to have goals and target paces (after all, those are what we base our training on), but there's no better indicator than the body.
Some races won't be good, and missing splits often adds to the discouragement, compounding physical troubles. Great races come when you tough it out when it's not your day, which I find easier to do when you don't also have the watch telling you what your legs have already figured out.
Some races, though, will be fantastic. You'll find yourself crushing your goal pace with little to no effort...until you look at the watch and panic because you're way faster than you should be. Why am I running so fast? Can I hold this pace? I shouldn't be up here, should I? Doubt creeps in and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I'm a firm believer that, when it's your day, throw the watch away and let your legs take over...they know better than an arbitrary time, after all. If you're feeling good and running fast, embrace it.
This isn't meant to be some hippy, free-spirited holistic manifesto; it's just meant to point out that we don't always need to rely on machines inform us about our running. All that time spent training is time spent becoming more in-tune with your body, learning pace and perceived exertion.
When that starting gun fires, throw the watch away and embrace the nakedness. And dude, just race.
That's what makes this sport fun.
That's right. No watch. Nothing. This is my watch-less wrist:
 |
| My watch tan, in all it's shameful glory |
Why? Isn't that unnerving? How do you know if you're on or off pace? If races are all about finishing time, shouldn't the watch be a necessary tool?
I've actually found -- and this is my own personal experience, mind you -- that I've run worse when I worry about the watch than when I just run. I get nervous and worried about hitting my splits, staying ahead of target pace, keeping my effort within the ideal range...and inevitably, what ends up happening? I start out too quick (to get ahead of pace; in case, you know, I fall off later), then fall off pace later (because I started out too quick), get discouraged that I'm not hitting my splits, and then pack it in 'til the finish line. That all makes for a rough experience.
I've had my best races where I've thrown away the watch and just raced. Relaxed, eased into the effort, worked my way through the pack, and then ran by effort and feel for the later stages of the race. Seriously, all of my best races came with that watch-less approach: every PR in college (Cross, Indoor and Outdoor Track), every good road race post-college (the past two Heart Mini 15ks, the Mill Race Half Marathon last fall).
We (runners) rely on the watch so much for training that we often over-rely on it during racing. This problem is often exacerbated in road racing, where, with fewer competitors (ironically...), we're often racing the clock more so than the other participants.
And it's really really bad for those who are slaves to the GPS watch. Jeez...those things beep at you every mile! That's a topic for another post, but to me those are too fancy, too convoluted; too informative. At some point, they become counter-productive.
I think there's something to be said for running by feel -- to an extent, of course. It's great to have goals and target paces (after all, those are what we base our training on), but there's no better indicator than the body.
Some races won't be good, and missing splits often adds to the discouragement, compounding physical troubles. Great races come when you tough it out when it's not your day, which I find easier to do when you don't also have the watch telling you what your legs have already figured out.
Some races, though, will be fantastic. You'll find yourself crushing your goal pace with little to no effort...until you look at the watch and panic because you're way faster than you should be. Why am I running so fast? Can I hold this pace? I shouldn't be up here, should I? Doubt creeps in and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I'm a firm believer that, when it's your day, throw the watch away and let your legs take over...they know better than an arbitrary time, after all. If you're feeling good and running fast, embrace it.
This isn't meant to be some hippy, free-spirited holistic manifesto; it's just meant to point out that we don't always need to rely on machines inform us about our running. All that time spent training is time spent becoming more in-tune with your body, learning pace and perceived exertion.
When that starting gun fires, throw the watch away and embrace the nakedness. And dude, just race.
That's what makes this sport fun.
Comments
Post a Comment