For the last few
years I have been playing with the idea of unplugging from recording and
measuring all my fitness activities (running, cycling, swimming, walking). Ever since I took up running I have
recorded every element of my run and dutifully added it to my spreadsheet, before the advent of Garmin Connect or Strava. It was great watching my
mileage grow each week/month and watching my average pace per mile decrease
over time. I watched myself go from a
regular 10:30 min mile pace down to 7:50 ish with glowing pride and sense of
achievement….
However, what I once
enjoyed soon turned sour, and that little screen on my watch dictated how I
felt about my run, likewise not achieving a certain distance each week (30
miles) made me feel lazy, unfit and a little down. Which is ridiculous when you think about it,
a given pace or mileage should not determine about how you feel about a run,
that should come from within rather than from a little device on your wrist.
This is the reason
that I unplugged! Now, many of my running buddies are real
statos (you know who you are) and they love to know the distance, the pace per
mile, splits, HRM, oscillation, VO2 max, which moons were in alignment during
their run and they were shocked by my little experiment, and was convinced that
my head to explode the first time I went out without my Garmin (they weren't
alone in thinking that). ***
But I am happy to
report that my head stayed on my shoulders and didn't explode! I've been
unplugged since the 1st September and run or cycled 11 times which includes a
race. I would have been on the biked and
swam more however, there is story they which I will share next blog.
SO the BIG question
is; do I feel more enlightened now I have undertaken this little experiment? To
be honest I don’t really feel any different…. I think I need to acknowledge a
few things a move on
- I like data
- I like recording information
- I need to stop setting targets
- I need to set targets based on my current level of fitness ( I didn’t really mean point 3)
- I should stop comparing myself to a time in the past when I was always getting PBs, summers were sunnier, I was 1 stone lighter and it always snowed a Christmas
- I should enjoy whatever exercise I do, because it normally means I'm with friends, I am prolonging my life (barring any major accidents see the next blog)
- I have been coveting my next triathlon GPS device for the last 27 days
- If I forget my watch it won’t be the end of the world, my run/ride/swim will still count even if it isn’t on Strava
I am really sorry if
you came to this blog expecting from profound message about how running without
devices has set me free and how everyone should do it….it took an
unexpected turn for me as well!!
*** other than Olly Clarke he said I could make it!
