“A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.” - Walt Disney

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Watch Out!

I love my Garmin 305 and it takes some pretty out-of-the-ordinary circumstances for me to run without it.  Saturday morning was one of those circumstances.  My friend L's watch was dead, she was turning back early on her own from our group run, and asked to borrow one of ours.  So I offered mine up, and we headed out - me with "naked" wrists.

Here's where I should say it was a liberating experience to run without it - after all, that's what most watch-free posts are about, right?  Well, I don't know about liberating, but it was a good run.  Of course, I wasn't running completely "naked," since quite a few of our group members have watches that beep on intervals, so I simply listened for theirs and stopped/started with the group.  And I did have a few distance cues since I knew we'd be hitting the lake at 3.5 miles, leaving the lake at 5, have a water stop at 7, and finishing at 9.5.  I found myself consistently looking at my watch, but only felt the need to ask what our mileage was a couple of times.  I can't say I loved running watch-less, but it was by no means the end of the world.  However, I did have to have C email me the "stats" later in the day so I could track the run.

Overall it was a great run, and a worthy redemption for last week's fail.

Do you run with a watch or without?  Is it something you "must have" or something you can take or leave?  A necessary training tool or slave-driving gadget?

Week in Review:
  • Monday: 30 minute strength training boot camp, 7 mile bike ride;
  • Tuesday: Yoga for Runners DVD, 2.5 mile TM walk (to test out my calves/left ankle);
  • Wednesday: worked late, skipped;
  • Thursday: worked late, skipped;
  • Friday: 30 minute strength training boot camp;
  • Saturday: Long group run: 9.49 mi, 2:28 (approx.); 15:36 min/mi avg pace;
  • Sunday: rest

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