Can a Run Still Exist Without a Watch?
That is the question I pondered when I realized that I forgot to put on my Garmin prior to embarking on a recent run. There I was at the trailhead. Daylight was waning. Going back home to collect the watch was a waste of time. How was I going to run without knowing my mileage, pace and elevation gain? What about the post-run analysis ritual where I stare at my heart rate zones in the big pink circle? And the satisfying documentation in Training Peaks where my assigned workout changes from grey to green? And would the run OFFICIALLY end without me punctuating that ending by pushing the stop button on my watch? These were the questions I asked. Then I tried to relax by remembering how it used to be.Then I ran.
I received my first Casio running watch in the 1980's, a gift from my dad. I was somewhere in grade school at the time. It had a digital face (WOW!) and a setting that allowed me to pace myself with a metronome-like beep, so that OFFICIALLY classified it as a RUNNING watch. My identity as a runner was now on display. If I wanted to run an 8 minute mile I just selected the "beep-beep-beep" of the 8 mile pace, and my feet were to strike the pavement in robotic sync, and all would work out perfectly. I tried it a couple times but it quickly became annoying, and my watch became just a watch. Running was a meditation and something I did for fun, not a collection of data, and I was not a machine. Occasionally If I was curious to know my mileage I would ask my dad to drive the route with our car and that would satisfy me.
So here I was now in my 50's, running without a watch. I observed my anxiety and realized It's good for me to do that, run without data, to remind me of my roots and why I run in the first place. Running first began as an instinct in Kindergarten, and has served my mental, spiritual and physical health well. Every dataless step transported me back to my roots, I ran by feel, relaxed, and enjoyed the scenery. That is what I believe is the key to longevity in continuing the sport. Not superimposing some data or prescribed workout all the time.
So to answer the question: a run DOES still exist without a watch.
I should do it more often.