To run, with or without a watch?

[SaveRun]

What do you think?

[Heather!]

without. no question. i think if you're focusing on your watch and constantly checking the time and your pace and starting it and stopping it every time you have to stop for traffic or whatnot - you're definitely not focusing on your body and your run. relying on a gadget to tell you how your body is reacting to a run sounds like a good idea but i think it just makes less in tune with whats really going on.

[Andrea]

I always wear mine. I don't look at it during my run however. I use it for the data it collects and then up-load it onto my computer. It makes analyzing and comparing runs easy. Plus, if I run in a place that isn't marked with mile markers I always know my distance.

[Heather!]

i do something similar... but i just look at the clock before i leave and then check it when i get back and figure out what my average pace was. i don't think i ever really do miles at a real consistant pace (my neighborhood is really hilly, sometimes i have to wait to cross the street, sometimes i just kinda slow down for no reason or speed up...) but in the end i don't think it matters if one mile was 6:45 and the next one was 6:55... maybe it's a big deal to some people but the end result is more important to me.

[Andrew Chandler]

Without. I'm going to agree with heather. Heck, I don't even run with an i-pod. I mean, I know how boring it sounds, but in reality, there is nothing more important to your health than learning to stop and listen to your body and what its saying. Just a thought.

[Heather!]

i tried to run with my ipod once and it didn't go well... i had such a hard time settling into a pace. but i do use it quite liberally on the eliptical.

[runninwild]

I tried my ipod too, and it didn't work. And the watch thing, can't get into that, either. I've used one, I think twice, to keep track of my pace, but I found I stopped focusing on my body and I didn't like that. As far as the ipod goes, I simply prefer the sounds of nature or whatever is close by, and my own thoughts.

[Andrew Chandler]

I'm my own clock... I ran my first half marathon... I told myself "somewhere between 1:55 and 1:50." I ran w/o a watch and only looking at a clock 2 times and I ran a 1:52:27. (3 seconds from dead center).

Next half, I wanted to run somewhere between 1:50 and 1:45. I ran a 1:48.

I ran my first marathon, w/o a watch. i wanted to go between 3:59 and 3:45. I ran a 3:52.

No watch and I seem to be doing alright. I guess that's the good thing about training by yourself.

[Heather!]

it reminds me of running on a treadmill and turning my head and losing my balance... like everything's just out of whack.

[Andrew Chandler]

I mean, lets face it, if your body feels good, it feels good. If its not, do what you need to do. There isn't a whole lot you can do and if you do try to be pace obessed, you'll end up feeling like crap at the finish line.

[Heather!]

you're totally right. what happens if you're just f'ing exhausted but you're looking at your watch and your pace isn't what you want it to be? what if you just don't have that speed in you right then? you're just gonna be frustrated and dissatisfied with your run

[Pablo]

i've got a garmin that i used to use religiously for pace, distance, heartrate, the whole nine yards. but you start to rely almost exclusively on the device for your training. since ditching it, i find that being able to know how hard you are pushing yourself based on how you feel is much better. RPE is probably the best tool for training. i say ditch the watches and gps. plus it's more enjoyable when you can tell that you're running well and pushing the pace.

ok, perhaps one caveat, i use my garmin to run (well not right now, ain't got no feet) intervals on trails.

[Dread Rooster]

I am still juggling my final answer on this one, but in general I run without one. For a while i wore one while doing sprint workouts, but anymore i'd just as soon leave it in the car. A friend of mine made a good case for wearing a heart rate monitor to make sure he is putting out a consistent effort. For people that need a reminder when they are slacking, i think it is a necessary evil. Just like anything else, once you start to get the hang of it, its time to loose the training wheels.