Running without Looking at your Watch

Graph of Heart Rate and Lap Pace over Distance
Last week I needed to complete a base run, and the weather was not cooperating with my schedule. I headed out into the cold, windy night with a long-sleeved pullover, shorts, a baseball cap, and a headlamp. My GPS watch was set to alert me if my heart rate was over 143 beats per minute and was under my sleeve. Because of the cold, I used the thumb holes in my cuffs. The cold, windy, rainy weather made it uncomfortable to push my sleeve up. In the first half mile of my run and after a quick pace and heart rate check, I realized I would need to run by feel. It took three miles before I triggered my first heart rate alert. The wind and the rain picked up during the fifth and sixth miles. Before I knew it, I completed the last mile of the run.

Over the last 39 days, I learned I can dial in the effort needed to stay in zone 2 and not look at my watch. Even though I run with the heart rate alerts turned on, I probably subconsciously look at my pace too much, which causes me to speed up and activate the alert. Some runners who use heart rate training only display their heart rate on their watch. I don’t think I am ready to take the leap. Maybe you have. Comment below on what you display on your watch and your experience with running by feel.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I Received a Job Offer!

Image
This is my 100th blog post. I have gone from a student who did not like to write in elementary school, middle school, high school, and undergraduate school, to a graduate student who tolerated writing a thesis, to a principal who needed to write at least once a week, to someone who writes when he has something to say for fun. I started this blog to share what I have learned and to demonstrate to a future employer that I know how to communicate. I guess it’s appropriate that my 100th article is job-related. I was offered a job! It was a remote job with flexible hours and a six-figure salary in instructional design. Unfortunately, it was a scam. Something felt off from the initial email, but given how AI is used these days, I chalked it up to someone using AI poorly to communicate with potential applicants. Below, I will share the red flags I saw and explain how the scam works so you can protect yourself and your friends and family. Something Was off
Read more

“Let’s go!” vs. “No way!”

Image
I didn’t plan well for my planned pace run. I have learned I am a better runner when training for a race or time trial because I have a plan. Since recovering from injury, I have been running every other day, so 3 to 4 times per week, which roughly constitutes a plan. Last week, I wanted to transition back to running 5 to 6 days a week. I had the following plan in mind. Sun: Recovery Mon: Base Tue: Recovery Wed: Speed Thu: Rest Fri: Pace Sat: Long However, I wasn’t able to get my run in on Wednesday. At the time, I thought it was okay and could flip-flop it with my Thursday rest day. However, on Thursday, I was extremely busy with housework and could not pull myself away for a run. When Friday came, I thought I was ready for a pace run. I figured I hadn’t run for two days; my body must be prepared. I did not account for the fact that I was under-fueled on Thursday and Friday. I failed to comprehend that the housework I did on Thursday was a full-body workout. Friday was also one of the
Read more

Don’t Let Strava Steal Your Low Heart Rate Training Mojo

Image
This is a friendly reminder that what you value might differ from Strava. I have been on the low heart rate bandwagon for a while. By keeping my heart rate low for 80% of my runs, I can develop my aerobic system and allow my body to do more at a lower heart rate. For example, last week, I had my best base run of 2024. I ran 5.2 miles and averaged 10:24/mi. My heart rate average was 138 BPM, and I spent 99% of my time in Z2 or lower. I was stoked to see these statistics at levels I had not seen since training for my last marathon. After I loaded the run into Strava, I scrolled down to the section that indicates when your fitness has increased. I looked, but this run did not trigger the criteria for Strava to show that I improved my fitness. Then, I looked at the relative effort section, and Strava reported that my effort was lighter than my three-week average. I ran further and faster with a lower heart rate, and my effort was lighter; what? I felt great, as if I had improved! I thought
Read more